Post Ride Update (posted 26th June)
Well we all came home after five hours of peddling and two hours of breaks. I didn't realise how much my Dutch style bike, built for comfort, was holding me back compared to those with lightweight road bikes or even mountain bikes with numerous gears until 14 miles out I had to swap after a puncture to one of the spare bikes from the support van. Put it this way, I asked the support team (Ben's mum and dad) to take their time with the repair and luckily I kept the much faster road bike for the rest of the ride.
Norfolk and Suffolk are more hilly places than one would think. My GPS was showing several rises and falls in altitude (+/- 45 m). Speeding down seemed cruelly short-lived in contrast to the ups. The rain had stopped by lunch at the 'Cherry Tree' pub in Yaxley (30 miles), by which time I needed a serious carbohydrate fix. The proprietor there is one of our supporters and we were expected. Three half pints of orange juice, one bread roll with sausages and another with bacon, followed by two cups of tea each with half a dozen sugars, oh and two sucrose tablets and a weird sweet fruit mush from a sachet handed to me. High as a kite, I sped off in the wrong direction and added a 3/4 mile, damn.
Great psychological fortune; the next stop, Helmingham Hall tea rooms (opened especially for us) was supposed to be 20 miles on but came after 15 (oh yes I was on a roll - or rather a large slice of coffee and walnut cake with two more sugary cups of tea). I broke away from the pack at the tea rooms for an external view of the beautiful moated hall where, I was told by the kind tea room lady ('the lovely Pat'), the Royal Family are guests here several times a year for private stays and some hunting. The pack had followed me on mass and then a lady crossed the moat bridge and headed my way with hand stretched out; "hello I am Lady Tollemache, who are you?". All was fine and she kindly posed for a photo with us. It is worth a look at the all website - the Tollemache family have lived there for 500 years.
Back over the two cattle grids we headed for the final push and were greeted by some passing cars flashing headlights and beeping horns (I think in a friendly encouraging way) and a few folks lining the road that must all have been tuned into the radio stations promoting the event and giving progress bulletins.
After three of the steepest rises/falls ("perfect Vs" as one of the riders had advised) then weaving through the town, we arrived at Portman Road, popped the champagne and posed for photos. Home to freshen up, then to the reception and prize auction excellently and hilariously run by one of the DJs. I am afraid the Desperados kicked in and I won the bidding for a round of golf x4 - I do not play the game. Some stabilising BBQ food consumed and so to bed, proud in the knowledge we raised several thousands for the children's charity.
Norfolk and Suffolk are more hilly places than one would think. My GPS was showing several rises and falls in altitude (+/- 45 m). Speeding down seemed cruelly short-lived in contrast to the ups. The rain had stopped by lunch at the 'Cherry Tree' pub in Yaxley (30 miles), by which time I needed a serious carbohydrate fix. The proprietor there is one of our supporters and we were expected. Three half pints of orange juice, one bread roll with sausages and another with bacon, followed by two cups of tea each with half a dozen sugars, oh and two sucrose tablets and a weird sweet fruit mush from a sachet handed to me. High as a kite, I sped off in the wrong direction and added a 3/4 mile, damn.
Great psychological fortune; the next stop, Helmingham Hall tea rooms (opened especially for us) was supposed to be 20 miles on but came after 15 (oh yes I was on a roll - or rather a large slice of coffee and walnut cake with two more sugary cups of tea). I broke away from the pack at the tea rooms for an external view of the beautiful moated hall where, I was told by the kind tea room lady ('the lovely Pat'), the Royal Family are guests here several times a year for private stays and some hunting. The pack had followed me on mass and then a lady crossed the moat bridge and headed my way with hand stretched out; "hello I am Lady Tollemache, who are you?". All was fine and she kindly posed for a photo with us. It is worth a look at the all website - the Tollemache family have lived there for 500 years.
Back over the two cattle grids we headed for the final push and were greeted by some passing cars flashing headlights and beeping horns (I think in a friendly encouraging way) and a few folks lining the road that must all have been tuned into the radio stations promoting the event and giving progress bulletins.
After three of the steepest rises/falls ("perfect Vs" as one of the riders had advised) then weaving through the town, we arrived at Portman Road, popped the champagne and posed for photos. Home to freshen up, then to the reception and prize auction excellently and hilariously run by one of the DJs. I am afraid the Desperados kicked in and I won the bidding for a round of golf x4 - I do not play the game. Some stabilising BBQ food consumed and so to bed, proud in the knowledge we raised several thousands for the children's charity.
Pre Ride Message
Hey thanks for supporting the cause; Thomas Wolsey School in Ipswich is as you may know a specialist centre for children, young people and adults with severe and complex medical and sensory disabilities and we aim to raise funds for the school to purchase a special chair for a three year old girl with cerebral palsy and to contribute to a 'sensory garden' project.
The 'Pedal Power Challenge' (PPC) event is scheduled for 25th June 2011 and involves we hope a manageable number of us cycling from Norwich City Football Ground to Ipswich Town Football Ground with a couple of stops along the way. My bike is new but only has three gears and first is a bit iffy now. An Aluminium frame sounded 'lightweight'. It must be the welds or maybe my hefty bike lock and cable but when I say 'heavy metal', I don't mean music. A flat-pack purchase from the internet wasn't the brightest idea either. After one recent 'training run' when my bike basically fell to bits, I was offered a ladies bike for the big day. I fixed it quick! Still only 2 ½ gears though.
Thanks also to Tindle Radio Group, owner and operator of Town 102 (and others) for facilitating and promoting the event through the Town 102 Kids Trust. In addition to our personal sponsorships through Just Giving, there are some experiences (not the sort that can get you into too much trouble as far as I am aware but nevertheless worth bidding for) donated by local organisations for an auction to take place at Church's Bistro & Wine Bar, The White House, Tower Churchyard, Ipswich on the evening of 25th June. Please come and join us - you should:
a) Mock the afflicted; straight after the 60 mile ride (we changed original 90 mile route!).
b) Bid in the auction for some ‘experiences’.
c) Donate as you drink with the kind support of Church's - every drink consumed means more for the cause.
Just Giving will pass the funds directly to the Town 102 Kids Trust.
