Well I really enjoyed Christmas, and this is when you start paying for it. I was on the usual trooping round the country to visit relatives over Christmas and New Year and apart from a couple of turbo sessions and a short solo ride, this was my first long ride of the season. I knew what was coming. It is the same every year, so this is how my damage limitation exercise went.
It was a very cold morning and this probably turned back a few. There was plenty of ice and routes were altered accordingly to avoid small lanes in the early part of the ride. We had 10 on the B run a there were only 5 on the A run. Todger and Baywatch dropped to the B run, Todger had flu. Nick provided the amusement in the first half an hour with two punctures before Studley. Penny (Mrs Smith) provided a spare wheel which nearly fitted and had most of its spokes. After some desperate wheel swapping Darren ended up with the duffer, well he should have had mudguards on.
As soon as we hit the dual carriageway then some through and off started. This was a bit too early and as we headed down and through Bidford things were starting to hurt. As we then went out the other side things were hurting a lot and I dropped off the back for the first time. We re-grouped and calmed things down and that kept me alive. Some fairly icy roads kept things cautious for a while, but there was the occasional kick on some of the hills. Todger and Mick W set a great pace up to the Blue Boar, kept it all together nicely. Then Nick Hands got a bit of cramp and that slowed us down. China (the bike mechanic) had a loose headset and we almost waited for him too. Fortunately they were fairly close to Redditch and he to the route back to Dave's
There were 6 of us left to go back up through Ullenhall. Due a Northery breeze truce was called and a re-group was agreed over the top. Todger was suffering greatly on the hill, obviously the affects of flu, and led everyone up. We re-grouped and set tempo back to the A435. Once the 435 was reached then it was through and off for those who could get past Todger. I was feeling very tired by now and the legs were full of lactate. I lasted about a mile and then it was time to ease off. I rolled back the last couple of miles on my own. I felt knackered, and after picking up my track wheels (yes Dave I have finally done it) it was time to go home and collapse. Unfortunately I did not have that luxury as I had family round so I had to try and stay awake for the rest of the day.