Oh God, oh God, oh God. What a time to catch a cold. Months & months of no runny noses & on Sunday the first signs of a sore throat appear. A practice ride that morning (in sympathy with my hardier colleagues setting off that day from Cardiff) brings on the rain and wind, and by Sunday night I can't sleep for the small fire raging in my throat. I can't believe it. Monday at work is a washout - I am however determined to go, even if one of the panniers has to be filled with Lem-Sip & Strepsils.
The Sunday ride was out to Harwich. Where we all ride tomorrow. I just couldn't face the embarrassment of admitting I had never cycled my own patch. I dragged along a local friend for the trip - he has all the gear and a neat bike, but is even less practised than me. Outbound was fine, with a healthy average of 14 mph (that's good for me, I assure you). If we'd had the time, we could have stayed and watched some 7-8,000 bikers (the ones with engines) ride into town. Hence the big police presence & bouncy castles. It was nice to arrive to crowds lining the route - through we clearly didn't deserve any applause (and didn't get any!) Harwich is a nice place. In the sun I imagine it would be quite festive, although I doubt that Felixstowe Docks on the opposite bank was the view the Victorians had in mind when they built the railway and developed it as a holiday destination.
The return ride from Harwich was another matter. I think I am going to stop watching the BBC weather. In theory (their theory) Sunday was going to be the better day for a ride in East Anglia. Ha! Lots of showers & a nice little headwind. The average speed dropped significantly. If the bike computer had words instead of numbers it would probably have rated it as 'depressing'. I did however spot a giant puffball on the way back and snaffled it for the family tea, so it wasn't an entirely fruitless trip - choosing to set out with the full bags & pannier set did have an unexpected advantage.
I visited the bike shop for the last time on Saturday and failed in my quest to not limit my spending. I bought new front and rear lights on the pretext that I really don't want to get hit by anything in the dark, and some (cheap) pedals fitted with toe-clips. I am not going for the proper shoes & clips for this trip, despite the sales patter. It's too late in the day for such a change to the human-machine interface. The toe clips were bad enough - I spent the whole trip home from the shop trying to look adept at inserting my trainers into the clips without wobbling or falling off. I failed. (Looking down to see what's going on doesn't help). I had however cracked this (without realising it) on the trip to Harwich.
So, off to Harwich & then Hook of Holland tomorrow. Bike bags almost packed. 'Proper clothes' (the set that doesn't involve Lycra) packed into a van for Amsterdam. All being well, it and I will meet up in the right place on Thursday. I am not hopeful - the van wasn't where it should have been at the allotted time today, so my confidence is shaken on that one. If it doesn't go to plan, I will be chairing a session at the conference in black Lycra and (probably wet) tee-shirt. I bet you can't wait.
I now just need to fill the bike panniers with work reading, PC, power supplies, camera, iPod, batteries, cables, adapters, good luck charms, clogs (no, wait - that's on the way back). You get the gist. Next entry from on the way, common cold permitting.