I rode The Richard Ellis Memorial in 2018 and boy did it rain, surely not as bad again? No worse.
Picked up my Brevet from Tom who I hadn’t seen since he cheerfully waved at me just outside Brest. Who would have thought the next 2 years would be so strange.
I rolled out of Great Dunmow at 0802. Tailwind, smooth roads, just tapping the pedals, all was right with the world. I made Grantchester at 0955. Said hello to Wilky Boy who pointed out my Altura base t-shirt was inside out. It’s probably good luck, like wearing odd socks I thought.
Pushed straight on as I wanted to get as close to Maninngtree before the rain set in. I think most had this plan too.
At Balsham I had a change of heart and decided stopped at the top of high street to eat and drink and enjoy the glory of the day before it faded, a few mins wouldn’t make too much difference.
5km later I dropped my chain at West Wickham. Hmm, just bad luck or are the Audax Gods reminding me not to squander the better weather….
5km after that I have the unmistakable sensation of the rear wheel rim running on tarmac. The Audax Gods had dispatched the deflation fairy. Good 1cm shard of glass embedded, oh well, at least it was a quality puncture.
Chain dropped again.
I’m not certain when, about half way to Maglia Rosso I think, the rear tyre whooshed and deflated hollywood style! Initial inspection found a bent metal splinter hang out of the tyre, which when pulled promptly snapped!
It took around 15 mins of digging in the tyre with a 2mm allen key to remove the barbed fragment. (I always carry tweezers for such an event… but not today)
Arrived at Maglia Rosso 40 mins to spare, but the rain had started. Gavin rolled in just behind me.
Many thanks to Mary and Ryan for signing my card
Spicy Sausage roll, Carrot Cake and Large coffee and back on the road around 14:20. Gavin decide it was best to head for Bury St Ed, and he was probably correct. This meant I was now Lantern Rouge. Chain dropped again – On inspection a small flint was jammed in a link. Flint removed, chain behaved itself.
The rain and wind was doing it’s best but I just kept it steady and arrived in Manningtree at 16:30. Took 20 mins to eat and drink (I thought I would have learnt by now)
60km and 4.5 hours to Arrivee… with my secret weapon a third spare inner tube - ha!
The Fairy hadn’t seen that one coming!!! actually she had.
About 3km outside Manningtree, another flat. Small thorn this time, at least it is varied. I thought it would be wise to prep an inner tube just in case… My hands where really wet by this point and I struggled to get a Park Tools stick-on patch to hold, but on the second attempt one did and stowed it away.
Turning into Hundred Lane (circa 160km) (more a mud path masquerading as a byway) I decided to walk the bike, I wasn’t going to be the fool here… just before exiting Hundred Lane a bramble wrapped itself around the front wheel and inserted a torn of biblical portions into the sidewall of my front tyre, I wasn’t even riding the bike!! I looked up to see if the fairy was circling and then pulled the thorn. I thought I heard a small pfsst but then nothing. Press and squeezed the tyre but all seemed ok. That’s not bad then and promptly stepped in 6 inches of water, with both feet. Time to press on with signs of twilight showing.
Some 5km later the fairy through me a flint as I approached Nayland on A134(165km). It’s not all bad though, I jogged to a small business park for actual dry cover, out of the wind and an overhead electric light – luxury! Using the patched tube, fixed the wheel and cycled approximately 3 metres before it was obvious the front tyre was now soft. I had remained calm through I this, but I did say something like “Oh [insert word]
the front tyre has a puncture”. I hadn’t prepared a tube, I was just too cold standing with stopping. I pumped up front tyre and it seemed ok. So a slow puncture then. I resolved to prep another tube, which took another 2 patches to get right due to soggy fingers and leave in the bag until required.
By now the roads were awash and it was difficult to establish road from pot hole or sandy gravel trap, the going was slow. Every 5km I pumped up the tyre, I should have changed the tube but I didn't want to stop and get cold, and well you know….
Every time I pumped up the tube my Garmin watch would assume I had just had a collision and try and call for assistance, maybe it was trying to tell me something…!
At Shalford Green circa 200km the slow puncture did what all slow punctures do… and I changed the tube. I probably should have done that 10mins after applying the patch and saved time.
All went well from here. No deflations, flooded roads or pot holes. Rolled into Arrivee at 21:50. Late but actually pretty rewarded in a strange way. If you can’t compete, then complete.
Tough day, not least due to cycling alone for all but 2-3km with Gavin, but actually quite rewarding to have got around the course albeit out of time.
Well done to everyone who finished, I take my hat off to you.
A massive thanks to Tom, Nick, Mary and Ryan for putting on an event during these still difficult times, it means a lot.