Hello everyone.
The project is starting to snowball and this might be quite a long post. Don’t worry though; if you make it to the end there’s a treat in store.
So where to start? I guess I should elaborate on the last two posts. The sweaty t-shirt is really mine, and not only that, it’s really my sweat. While I can’t quite claim to be any Tom Simpson (apart from getting a glimpse of the pearly gates after a particularly disastrous game of squash) I am getting into the mood. Getting into the mood so far has involved some time in the gym (boring), a jog back from work (painful), a 30 mile lap of London on the vélo (genuinely enjoyable) and an excellent day learning the art of bicycle maintenance.
The maintenance course was care of Bikeworks. They are doing some really great work and have armed me with enough knowledge to carry out all the roadside repairs I will hopefully not need to make. Peter, the trainer and all round good guy, has inspired me to take this further once the ride is over, and I’m hoping I can take their City and Guilds course when the time is right. For now though, there are more pressing matters at hand.
The route is really coming together and I’m now planning on 13, 80 mile, days. I’ve forced my hand here by pre-ordering the train tickets (evidence below) and have booked far enough in advance to get a particularly cheap FIRST CLASS deal to Cornwall. The lovely Rosie is also getting stuck in and will be meeting me in John O’Groats to celebrate my glorious arrival, or possibly stand around for a few days wondering where I am.
As much as there is to be said for physical fitness, this is clearly going to be a mental challenge too. Reading about other people's experiences has proved the perfect excuse not to hit the gym. A colleague at work recommended, and then kindly lent me, Fat Man on a Bicycle by Tom Vernon. If Tom can take his 19 stone from Muswell Hill to Montpellier then I figured I shouldn’t have any problems. My sweet naivety was blown apart as I re-read French Revolutions by Tim Moore. I leave you with some candid advice he was offered by Richard Hallett of Cycling Weekly.
“You’ll need to take four inner tubes, one spare outer casing, hex keys, three pairs of bib shorts, two bottle cages... oh and plenty of Savlon. You need to apply it every morning to anywhere that’s in contact with the saddle. Smear it all over your arse and bollocks basically.
What?....... WHY?
“Your bollocks will sweat; infection will set in. So yeah... really slather it on.”
Oh...
