Girls on Cogs

Challenge: Team Bar-Yar to complete final leg of around 22 miles from Norwich to Great Yarmouth, dip toes in sea and eat a big portion of fish and chips!

No holding back on the full breakfast this morning! On the road by 9.30, we all headed out together, following a group photo shot mounted on the bikes, for the final 20 odd miles. We opted for minor roads to begin with, then onto the nasty A47 into Great Yarmouth to meet train times. We arrived at the sea front around 12, threw off our shoes to dip our feet in the very cold sea. WE MADE IT!!

It was then time to do the traditional bank holiday seaside things so we had fish and chips on the sea front and persuaded everyone to enjoy a round of crazy golf at the pirate themed course ….’ahoy me hearties’. All the excitement over, it was time to head to the station, pack the bikes into the bus and make the train journey back to Leicester.

Punctures: 1 (Stav)
Chain de-railings: 2 – Em again!
Lost spokes: 2 (Stav)

Thought for the day: How brilliant to have a set of friends who enjoy spending bank holidays cycling from one side of the country to another!

Challenge: Team Bar-Yar to ride approximately 83 miles from Peterborough to Norwich

Unbelievably everyone was genuinely disappointed to discover we could not have breakfast until 8am!! We wanted to be on the road, but the all-you-could-eat Premier Inn Breakfast won everyone over, but with an unexpected number of non fried options!!

The flat Norfolk fens were surprisingly dull and we actually longed for some hills to break it up. Cycling was a little hampered by the head wind and unfortunately for Dave the railway crossing too. He had a little tumble but no serious injury thankfully. We took a cycle network path for a bit of variety but this just took us along 3 sides of a field and not fun on skinny tyres…

We stopped in Downham Market for lunch in a little café, then pushed on through Watton to Norwich. Was a bit of a slower day and we finally arrived about 7pm, to be greeted by the earlier arrivals, on their way out to the pub.

Norwich was not particularly lively for a bank holiday, but we managed to find a little Italian restaurant at short notice for 14 people. Sadly there were no pubs open after 10.30pm, so it was back to the boys room for a can of Carlsberg to celebrate completing the majority of the journey with just the last 20 odd miles to the coast to finish tomorrow.

Chain de-railings: 2 (Em again!)
No. of easter eggs: 14! Courtesy of the emergency services girls

Thought for the day: Cycling into a head wind is hard work, even on the flat!

Day 3: Sat 11^th April

Challenge: Team Bar-Yar to complete minimum of 110 miles (depending on routes) from Stoke to Peterborough

Saturday posed the longest mileage of over 100 miles, and we had pre-booked a breakfast – a meagre bowl of cereal (not large enough to feed a sparrow!) and an oaty biscuit, if you were lucky (Helen and I had to share one). So well fuelled, we headed out of Stoke through maze of ring roads (w with the help of some sat nav). This saw the first of my chain de-railing problems. Finding ourselves on the A50 (not to be recommended), we quickly scooted onto a slip road to find some more friendly traffic…

A brief stop in Uttoxeter, we were persuaded by the pasty shops to have a hot sausage roll before winding our way to Donnington as the next designated stop. Cycled from here with Phil and Jo to Melton, where we would have a coffee and cake reward. Last 30 miles to Peterborough we elected to take the main A606 around Rutland Water (warned of a couple of nasty hills) but a more direct route and very enjoyable. It was a long day of 110 miles, and we arrived in the dark, but importantly there was no ‘sense of humour failure!’

Premier Inn at Peterborough was a much more comfortable stay (and the purple obviously pleased Helen of course!)

Punctures: 1 (Dave)

Snapped gear cables: 1 (Tricky)

Chain de-railings: 3 (Me– who then gave up on all cogs except the large one and cycled up all the big hills in very low gears)

Casualties requiring emergency transit services: 2 (Dave & Trick – sorry!)

Thought for the day: When estimating mileage, always add 10%

Day 2: Fri 10^th April

Challenge: Team Bar-Yar to ride approximately 90 miles to Stoke on Trent

In spite of our poor history of setting off on schedule, everyone was on the road by 8am after a hearty porridge breakfast, and in high spirits in spite of the damp, grey, drizzly weather. It wasn’t long before we had to stop for a hot, creamy chocolate to get some feeling back into our hands and feet.

We’d completed almost 30 miles in a couple of hours and agreed that these were good chunks to break the journey into. So onward in the rain, we amused ourselves by watching the little lambs playing in the welsh fields, and by spotting interesting things along the way. Well I did, Helen less so!

…..Helen did you see… no.. what about….. no!! ….over there… no!!!!!!!!!!

Our route took us past Bala, through Llangollen, Whitchurch and Madeley before arrived in Stoke’s finest Travelodge! along a very busy A34 to miss out the alternative. Prettier route with lots of fe**king hills apparently.

Chain de-railings: 1 spectacular dismount of chain to middle of road, which was then run over by passing traffic (Stav)

Thought for the day: The Rain is inevitable

Barmouth – Yarmouth cycle challenge

The challenge: to cycle over 300 miles from west coast – Barmouth, Wales to east coast, Great Yarmouth.
The takers: amazingly, 12 cyclists fancied the ride (not sure how many read the mileage bit!)
Team Bar-Yar: Mat, Anna, Dave, Paul, Jude, Stav, Charlie, Phil, Jo, Em
Helen, Rrrich-ard (aka Tricky)

Support Bus Crew: Caroline and Elaine

Day 1: Thurs 9th April
Challenge: 14 people, 12 bikes and 1 transit van to travel to Barmouth, then complete a 10 mile ride to Dolgellau. Only 2 bikes allowed per train…

After collecting some new tyres for me following 5 punctures already this week, we headed off on our 5 hour train journey. We had a few slightly stressful moments getting bikes on and off trains and into a small wardrobe-sized bike compartment, but eventually arrived in a very blustery Barmouth.
We quickly orientated ourselves onto the Mawdach trail to Dolgellau and set off over a wooden bridge over the estuary. It was a pleasant cycling along an easy track for about 10 miles to Dolgellau. We arrived at the hostel to be greeted with a cuppa and offers of help to fit my new hardy tyres. Plas Isa hostel is very comfortable and well worth a visit – one to remember for future group trips. We then headed to the Italian restaurant for a pasta meal (or a vampire pizza – bloody hot! – Well done Jude – the German hostess was very impressed and apparently you were the first person to devour one!).

5th April:

Miles: 45ish
Punctures 1? (re-pumping of tyres due to a dodgy valve or slow puncture: about 4!)
Alcohol the night before: less than previous rides – very good!

Well, our last cycle ride before the big Barmouth-Yarmouth challenge over Easter, we were planning a ride out on Sunday afternoon, starting around 11. I arrived at Em’s before anyone else so started a little phone round to see who was coming along – mustered up 3 other recruits, Stav, Charlie (who thought it might be wise to do at least one cycle ride before the big challenge), and Dave – on a proper mountain bike! After the customary faff, a cup of coffee and pumping up of tyres, we set out at 12, via Kirby Muxloe, Newtown Unthank, Kirby Mallory towards Market Bosworth. The sun was shining so conditions were good, although Dave seemed to be giving his legs a good work-out on the mountain cogs! It’s quite hard getting out of the bowl Leicester seems to be sitting in. We stopped at Bosworth Fields after 12 miles for a cuppa, sausage roll and home-made pecan pie. Then all refreshed, headed onwards through some lovely little villages, passing through Twycross (with revelations that Twycross zoo was in Leicestershire’s Twycross!) Barton-in-the-beans (good name!), Thornton, Merry Leas (where we indulged in an afternoon ale and some potato snacks, since it was good enough to have a pub that was open) then homewards via Heathley Park for some food and a beer as a little reward for the afternoon’s activity. So just need to double the daily mileage next week and we’ll be fine!