So, with a little assistance from her steering, braking and shifting minion, barakta bravely trekked all the way
[1] out to that great bastion of YACFness, the Country Girl...
Basil was of course already there, so without further ado, handover #18 was completed:
Barakta was impressed by the lightweight and durable construction of the baton, and any fears about having to ride home with a heavy load were put to rest.
We had a drink and a natter, and then set off on our arduous journey:
The ride home was eventful, taking us past some Country Girl regulars who wanted a lift, two sets of traffic lights (which were skilfully approached at crawling speed in order that they turn green) and some of the Raddlebarn Road's finest potholes. The hilly bit was much more enjoyable in this direction, though the steering, braking and shifting minion took a left turn at speeds in excess of 8mph, causing the bike to lean at an alarming angle. The minion was suitably chastised for this misdemeanor, and promises it won't happen again.
The you've-got-a-funny-bike nod and grin was received from a couple of commuter cyclists, and the minion was able to redeem herself by providing plenty of warning and taking a good impact-reducing line when negotiating the trench at the end of Luton Road. We arrived home, where handover #19 then took place:
The baton was then proudly placed on top of one of the scrolly LED signs, safely out of reach of the teetering piles of crap, until such a time as Kim works out where she's taking it next...
[1] We took the scenic route to minimise sharp climbs and tricky right turns, so a massive 2.5km