What a day!

I've been delaying this post, hoping that people would forget the events of the 22nd of July. They haven't. So here is what happened, it does not bode well for the 3000km in two weeks time! With too much to explain in one post I will try and sum up the events with bullet points and photographs.

PART 1 setting off.

- I spend an hour giving my bike a good going over! removing a thorn from the previous ride and meticulously repairing the puncture. (puncture No.1)

-Training partner Panda arrives and we set off to meet Phil 'gunny gun' Redgate at 5.30pm

-I propose taking the slightly quicker, but rougher back road route to Stainton.

-I get a puncture in my rear wheel (puncture No.2) and push my bike to Phil's house for repairs and to find a spanner as I have track nuts on my rear wheel, (I left mine at home)

-Find a rusty regate wrench perfect for the job, repair the tyre, put it back on (not easy, gatorskins are tough to put on especially with spoons....)

-Hsssssssssssss (Puncture No.3)

-We all laugh, 'Good ol' Harvey!' how did that happen, It's  getting late but I'll have another go....

-Off it comes.

Repair.

-Back on, 'right lets go!'

-Hsssssssss (Puncture No.4)

- !?*#!!?# !!!!!!  sake!!!  

 (It is now 7pm)

-The lads kindly offer to take me to halfords for a new inner tube.

-Come Back With inner tube.

-Suddenly realise that my ridiculous rear track wheel has very deep rims and I needed an extra long valve!?!?!? so the one just bought doesn't fit.

-Chris and Phil finally begin to loose their patience, I ask them to just leave me to cope alone at this dark time.

-I have one more go at repairing the old inner tube and it works! We can set off !!!!!! ) 50 miles before dark?

(7.45pm) no problem!


PART 2 The ride to Faugh.


-20miles in, my tyre is flat.

-After seeming OK it is now apparent that I have a slow puncture.

-Put some air in, 'it'll be fine til Faugh!'

-Put more air in..

-Put more  air in...

-Get to Faugh (Gethin's house) and have a laugh at my misfortune, eat some Pizza, and meatballs, have a quick pint, It's only 9.45 after all. We've got loads of time to get back to Perith before it gets dark.

-We finish pints. Its now dark.

-Set off for the return journey, slightly drunk, 2 lights between us, and Gethin bidding us fair well.

-15miles in...

- Hssssssss (Puncture No.5)

-with one puncture repair left to fix the now sad, worn and deflated inner tube in the pitch black, I look up to see the equally sad worn and deflated Panda and Phil, now desperately holding on to their moral boosting smiles and our one, nearly dead front light.

- Repair, Wheel Back on.

_ Hssssssss (Puncture No.6) surprisingly it hasn't worked.


SitRep:11pm, 3 of us in the middle of nowhere, one phone with little signal, A flat tyre, no repair kits, no spare inner tube. No hope.

-We are freezing cold and now cows and calfs have spotted the flashing rear light and start charging us.

-After deciding the cows are  getting  ' a bit eggy' Panda clips in and disappears down the road, will we ever see him again?

-Me and Gun try and stay warm.

We play on some hay bails, whilst trying to find signal, but also take lots of pictures with a flash, further draining what little battery resource we have remaining.

-We get signal, and make an SOS call to our saviour Ali Jack, 40minutes later he arrives in his van.

- at 12.05am I arrive home, lie in my bed and hope that I don't have to repair another inner tube until October.

What a day!

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Thanks go out to  Phil Redgate and Chris Brzozowski for their patience.
Phil's mum for unknowingly lending me her expensive talc.
Ali Jack for his petrol and time donation.
Gethin for the half way point food stop, but not for his 'did you get back OK' text but then turning his phone off.
and Mel noble for offering a backup rescue.

Cheers,

Harvey.