Good wind assisted start, with a few rain showers blowing through. Met Richard Bragg’s team on the St Ives mediaeval bridge. Slow through the hills of Rutland but lovely last light and sunset. My gears decided I could only have the bottom 4 cogs on my cassette. Low cadence big gear up the hills it was. Dave did good towing efforts for a few team members. An owl and some red kites. Met an Arrow team going opposite way here “See you in York!”. I was shivering at our 7pm stop and glad to get my night layers on and get going, after which was fine.
Extended stop at Melton Mowbray Wetherspoons for warmth , hot food and sleep for some to recover. Dave either had a problem with his front light or it needed charging. Either way the stop gave him enough time to sort it. I had the chicken curry, but Graeme’s pizza he got after me, looked tasty. It was eaten in no time.
Some last rain after dark that we weren’t expecting. Graeme had a puncture around midnight. Howard and Yasmin being the slower members went on to our next control Lincoln McDs. Dave, Graeme and I weren’t too far behind arriving. Some of the team had a bit of shut eye here. Howard got a puncture leaving Lincoln, up onto the ridge, and Graeme got the dozies. We had to warn Graeme a few times about almost exiting onto the verge . He was advised to try and ride to left if the white line as a marker. Dave had him sit to his right in that position for a while and kept him awake through talking. A regroup in Kirton on Lindsey. Early morning light on the Humber bridge. The group was riding too slow for a Premier Inn breakfast the other side. They wouldn’t even let Dave get a coffee. A decision was made to get going to have the best chance of success. We sat in the warmth of reception for about 15 mins before heading onwards. Some of the team were struggling to hit 20 km/h moving. The B road past the Yorkshire Maze was rough as anything. I’m pleased to say the whole team made it.
Personally I had a fairly even ride with no significant dozies or appetite issues. We did become a bit catatonic later on at the finish as sleep deprivation kicked in. York council need to ban cars from in and around the centre. Complete nightmare getting to station and got off and walked in the end. No problems with train and John Jackson got on train without a bike booking after earlier problems with trains. Since we had three of the four bike spaces, a non problem. John told me of how his ride on Tomsk’s team had gone plus we discussed the “joys” of being an organiser.
Yasmin full of interesting information about the places we were passing through, from mediaeval chapels on bridges to where the gun powder plot members are alleged to have met. Her first arrow and a successful one, very well done.
We were three geared road bikes, a racing trike (Dave), and recumbent (me).
Happy with my routing but I’d likely stick on bigger roads after Melton Mowbray as some were a bit gravelly in the dark. Plus an alternate to the B road past Yorkshire maze as the surface is now just awful in a lot of places.
