What a cracking weekend.
My bike was a little twitchy at the front but that might be because I'd put all the luggage on the rack. Otherwise, the additional weight didn't bother it at all. I will pack lighter next time. Maybe just take one book, and not bother with the candelabra.
Neither did the weight make as much difference to me as I'd anticipated. I was (even) slower up hills, but only a bit. Likewise down (faster, that is). Broadly speaking, I took the A6 to Wirksworth, then the high peak trail to Friden/Newhaven.
Braking was noticeably harder, but I was able to control it even on the drop from Middleton Top Cycle Hire to Wirksworth (taking the B5035 and the B5023, for anyone who knows), which is a thrilling descent that might make the roll call for a Pie Run...
On Sunday I marshaled the point where the high peak trail crosses the A5102. The traffic had been directed to slow to 30mph and - in the main - did so. One or two thoughtless morons not spoiling the party for anyone.
My co-marshal (Steve from Zimbabwe) was good company. His bike was a lugged steel Fondriest left to him by a good friend. He'd had it renovated and sprayed white with just the first few inches of the top tube in red, and the same amount of the down tube in green, to signal its country of origin (I'd always thought they were French), and his mate's initials on the top tube. I was stunned, then, when Steve offered a rider (who had blown his tyre and was walking back to base) the use of his bike for the day. He wasn't taken up on it, but it was an amazing gesture.
Another highlight was spotting a lovely Longstaff and saying so as my gaze moved up to the rider's face, finishing my sentence with "...Chris Boardman". I'd spotted him and Ned Boulting in the beer tent the previous afternoon). He checked I was wearing sunscreen, joked about the fact that he'd taken a typical 'burn-first-then-apply-protection approach, and then wondered what his knee-high woolen socks would do to his tan lines. Nice guy.
I found Luke as planned and we spent a glorious afternoon looking around the festival stalls, where we also bagged Jethro otp.
There was a lot to see, do and eat. The weather made the whole thing spectacular. As a marshal, my entry and camping (and car parking, had I wanted it) were free, and I got lunch and a goodie bag. I think it is quite expensive to ride, but there seems to be quite a lot of value to it. However, I may have preferred my own cycling.