Apologies in advance this started as quick line and ended up Mills n Boon! So VELO members Christine Marshall Anthony Brew Dan Hornsby Liam Hornsby Steven Mclaughlin myself and soon to be member Dave Hoggett arrived in London; a quick taxi drive and we arrived at our hotel and a few pre race pints and an Italian was on the cards solely for carbing up purposes. Dan and Liam arrived on a later train and experienced the delights of riding through London during party hour lol. Next morning we all met up in Clissord Park for a warm welcome from the Ride 24 crew, some bemused dog walkers and a rather strange roller skating male ballerina. Bags checked in safety brief given and then the number 1 rule of no overtaking Bruce! Bruce was the pace setter, we couldnt go faster than Bruce or leave until he left, this was initially frustrating but so important and necessary in the long run. The weather gods had been fair, it was cloudy, the rain had just stopped and the wind although not directly in our faces was mainly from the West. So about 120 of us set off (including about 5 women) on Ride 24s London to Newcastle in 24 hours. Stage 1was from London to Royston about 43.1 miles, it was here that the group started to split into various paces and also where Liam and Dan had a puncture, once you stopped you stopped and it was up to you try and catch back on the wheel, join another group or shorten your rest stop to rejoin the group you fancied, this was Ride 24 not a VELO ethos no drop ride and apart from encouragement those that fell received only encouragement - we all had our pairs whom we would stop with if this were to occur. So from here the group was down to Christine, Tony, Steve Dave and me, there was about thirty in their group which was soon to be deemed by Ride 24 the fast group and was initially told to slow things down as we were in danger of beating the van to the rest stop with our day bags. Basically bags were laid out for us and on our arrival we picked it up took out our essentials chammy cream and put it back for its onward deployment, it couldnt leave until the last person arrived so I understand their initial worry but another van was found and problem solved. Rest stops were generally Schools, Universities or Leisure Centres, ideal as they had secure bike storage, our own mechanic, food and loos. 1/2 later we were off and en route on stage 2 Royston to Peterborough, 43.5 rolling miles of a few hills and nice straight roads, everywhere you went people were beeping horns and surprised to see the Peloton role through, tbh the group had a few mixed ability riders in it, they were no doubt fast enough but some of them struggled with the fact a woman (Christine) was riding harder and faster than them, theyd ride up three four and five abreast, realise that it was harder at the front taking your turn in the wind and ease back to a more comfortable place, it was certainly easier in the middle but Bruce needed shielding as well as company and the VELO did their turn and some. 43.5 mile later and it was a Rest stop 2, here we had all the facilities and a deserved hot food meal, we were told to wait here for an hour to allow the other groups to play catch up, some did. We knew this next ride would see us dipping into darkness for the first time, so it was time to fit the long duration lights, lights to see the road not to be seen, theres no borrowed light in the countryside and it was the lights we took or nothing. Lincoln bound 58.3 miles of straight roads tbh I dont recall much happening on this most riders were zoning out after all this was a long ride in itself hitting the 145 mile mark, longer than most club rides and the equivalent of doing the coast to coast and then some. The sun dropped and it was now nigh time. 20 minutes of rest a wee and some snacks and lights on. Stage 4, 51.3 miles to Goole, pitch black illuminated only by 20 bike lights the group started to leave a bit off space between wheels and those who previously were half wheeling and riding too close soon spaced out enough that we could more safely flee along, riding on the flats at a 25mph average pointing potholes was somewhat useless and the strain on the bike, arms and undercarriage was getting a tad unbearable. When we got to Goole it was quiet, people were broken - but this was nothing to what was to come. Stage 5 a hillier shorter trip to Easingwold 35.7 miles seems easy but not so after your Garmin had just hit the 200 mile mark, the group was definitely getting smaller, more tired, less tolerant, it was left to Tony to take the lead and did a fantastic and well appreciated long drag almost to Easingwold out front, this helped Bruce out no end but when he pulled over being number two and three left the Marshalls on the front, it was no way as long a turn as Tonys but pulling a group along at 23mph having done 232 miles (coast to coast to coast equivalent) was emptying the tank. We got their goosed! Hot food was available on arrival, it was like a scene from the walking dead, talking was no longer the norm, a medic dished out pain killers and bending down to the kids sized toilets in the infant school became all the harder on the legs. 1/2 an hour and we were off. Stage 6 Easingwold to Coxhoe, this was th grimmest of grim rides, everyone in that pack hit a dark place, mine literally as this 52.3 miles were done with no front lights, I used the light off others to see the road so sat in the middle of the pack one for the easier ride and two as I just couldnt see a thing. Riding with your best mate, who also happens to be your training partner and wife is a great thing, but when you see she is in a world of pain this is no good, Christine was starting to loose focus, dizzy spells not riding straight, feeling beyond shit! With no lights for myself I positioned her behind me and to the right of Tony, if she crashed out it was going to be into Tony or me, we couldnt muster a conversation just words of encouragement, which were not only directed to her, I was saying these to keep myself going, what a dark place, I thought of the ballerina man on the start line and mustered a private smile. From out of nowhere Christine was overtaking hitting a hill she had found herself and decided to smash this hill the next one and everyone after it, where the F did that come from. There were no shouts of Rule 5, my inspiration came from Christine and the great work on the front by a lad from GS Metro - Chapeau fella and thanks. Thirty minutes was the stop at Coxhoe, I knew the route it wasnt far to Newcastle 26.5 miles but the room was not up for it, some stayed behind, some slept where they ate, fork in hand, the VELO were on it!! Its amazing what familiarity does for the mood and it was now daylight, lights binned we were heading home. Male testosterone was coming back and the now smaller in size fast group was starting to jockey for position, the tidy two abreast was hitting 5 abreast and it was only the locals that knew the banks of Durham would sap their strength, holding back a bit of power was definitely needed on this one, this was an endurance ride after all not a race. Over the Tyne along the Quayside and up the bank heading towards Heaton Manor, Christine tells me of being pushed about in the bunch as the gents that once asked if she was a pro cyclist, ridding for Wiggle Honda, that couldnt believe a woman could do what she had done at the pace and effort had left the room, she backed off and took them on the last hill! So we entered the finish line as a smallish strung out group of riders, I intended on letting the GS lad cross the line first but he must have braked just as he hit it, I didnt intentionally cross the line first but we are the VELO lol. A massive thanks to Ride 24 for a well organised endurance ride, to GS man who did more than his fair worth, to the mazing Bruce who was the lead out man and who is also a Strava distance champion, to all the other fast group riders - but mainly to my amazing misses and great VELO pals who helped us all get their in 17 hours and twenty minutes of riding 309 miles. Did I mention my legs ache!
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 08:11:16 +0000
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