c1985, age 14, ready to cycle about 2km to Samuel Whitbread School on a decent looking summer day, astride my sturdy Raleigh Grifter, in the days before I converted to 700c wheels. With two tennis raquets tucked in my Midland Bank bag...
Finally, c1988, with pal Ben on his slightly-too-big-for-him 61cm Raleigh Road-Ace, ready to leave Stranraer for a 4-day ride across the South of Scotland and down into the Lake District.
This was an absolutely fantastic ride that I'll never forget. I set off, with black woolly jumper under my Fagor jersey, knitted track mitts, 2 full rear panniers (I was the mule for the two of us), new brake levers, Avocet computer, a slightly improved hair style and a selection of scars on my left leg from a crash a few days before (I went off the road going too fast down a steep winding hill near Stranraer, did an endo over a stone wall and ended up upside-down in a bush with by bike on top of me and my feet still clipped in). The adrenalin rush was great!...
This was an absolutely fantastic ride that I'll never forget. I set off, with black woolly jumper under my Fagor jersey, knitted track mitts, 2 full rear panniers (I was the mule for the two of us), new brake levers, Avocet computer, a slightly improved hair style and a selection of scars on my left leg from a crash a few days before (I went off the road going too fast down a steep winding hill near Stranraer, did an endo over a stone wall and ended up upside-down in a bush with by bike on top of me and my feet still clipped in). The adrenalin rush was great!...
Before this ride I spent hours in my bedroom listening to ELO and closely analysing a huge Ordnance Survey map of the Lakes, to formulate a route that would cover all the main Passes in the area. I was looking to ride along roads with black arrows on them (indicating grades steeper than 1:10 or 10%).
Day 1 - Stranraer to Castle Douglas
Day 2 - Castle Douglas to Carlisle
Day 3 - Carlisle to N Lakes to Helvellyn YHA
Day 4 - Helvellyn YHA to S Lakes to Oxenholme
On Days 3 and 4 we conquered the ridiculously steep Hardknott, Honister and Kirkstone Passes. We might have done Wrynose or Whinlatter too. We did about 120-130km a day and I don't remember struggling up the hills...unlike these days...although I am more than double the age I was then!
And we played nomination Whist on the train all the way home!
*Stolen from outside Leeds Uni Civil Engineering Dept. in 1991-ish. I left it unlocked as I was rushing to the start of a lecture and decided to take the risk - I lost!
Day 1 - Stranraer to Castle Douglas
Day 2 - Castle Douglas to Carlisle
Day 3 - Carlisle to N Lakes to Helvellyn YHA
Day 4 - Helvellyn YHA to S Lakes to Oxenholme
On Days 3 and 4 we conquered the ridiculously steep Hardknott, Honister and Kirkstone Passes. We might have done Wrynose or Whinlatter too. We did about 120-130km a day and I don't remember struggling up the hills...unlike these days...although I am more than double the age I was then!
And we played nomination Whist on the train all the way home!
*Stolen from outside Leeds Uni Civil Engineering Dept. in 1991-ish. I left it unlocked as I was rushing to the start of a lecture and decided to take the risk - I lost!
2 comments:
Love the helmets - NOT! Sad to hear that the bike was nicked. WOW - look at Fergie - seems that there's been a rush of interest.
pergh... u've been riding all along..
I too had a bike during my A level days in northampton but I left the bike at the college.
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