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Well, Wayne and another one of his friends, Sean, is doing his bike ride from Nottingham to Maidenhead this weekend....and he's talked me into doing the ride too!
I must be mad. It's ages since I last rode a bike, but if the old adage about bike riding is to be believed then I should have no trouble getting back on the saddle.
I'll be donning my lycra shorts and eating my energy bars. Nottingham to Maidenhead is 150 miles. Which doesn't sound too far does it? I've borrowed a bike from Dave the roofer, he's off to Canada soon and says I can have it on permanent loan since the ride is for such a good cause. Although, he said he wasn't going to sponsor me, since he does his own charity work - last weekend he did the roof of a local hospice for free.
I tell you what though, bikes have come on a bit since I had that Grifter. Dave's wheels weigh about the same as a small dog. Definitely heavier than Mrs Bradley's Raffles, but then he is a Burmese mountain dog, he probably weighs more than my old Grifter.
Remember the Grifter readers? They were launched onto the UK market as a competitor to the much cooler Chopper and just before the BMX craze swept the nation. I was the laughing stock of Lincoln on that boneshaker of a bike, I guess that's what put me off cycling. Dave's bike's got tiptronic gears!!! The saddle doesn't look to comfy, but I suppose comfort comes a distant second when you're riding a perfomance road bike.
I've been wathcing this hilarious video for inspiration.
I shall take some photos en route and blog about it next week.
Wish me, Wayne and Sean luck. I think we're going to need it.
Baz