Honourable withdrawal

For those following blog.  Just to let you know that I have decided to skip the next check Point.  Weather horrendous and too dangerous for me.

Weather on stelvio likely to be around 5 ° and decent on bike perilous.

Now on bus to Bolzano. Plan to get to Trieste and carry on.

Thank you for your support.

Postscript: Read on. Bolzano is as far as I allowed myself to be carried. This is a cycle journey, not a train ride. Cold or no cold.

Westminster Bridge to Newhaven Day 1

Standing on Westminster Bridge this morning was incredible. How often do you get a location like that closed just for you and 96 others like you.

The atmosphere was calm,  quiet almost.  There's no way you could turn up for this without a huge amount of preparation,  even if that manifested itself in the decision to take almost nothing,  as some have. I look forward to getting the pictures to you and will send them home in a minute. (Sorry still can't download Blogger app)

At the eighth strike of Big Ben after we had all been given brevet cards, musssettes and caps,  there was nothing else to do but. .. ride.

I've never entered a cycle race before. A mad start is awesome. Put a cycle race on your bucket list.  You don't have to be a racer, but you should experience the  camaraderie of a big bike event.  It'll make you smile.

The field split about 75% to Dover with the remainder,  me include heading for the South coast and Newhaven. It is accepted that with everyone stopping to wait for cross,  that on this occasion riding together is inevitable and therefore not frowned on as seriously as it will be from tomorrow. It was good to chat with some of the other riders. It's fair to say that most are in it to finish and that in public at least not many admit to racing. ..
But we'll see.

The navigation worked perfectly.  The bike is going like a dream,  just the head wind to contend with oh and a few hills.
 Especially the last little climb up over the South Downs. What a beautiful part of the country.

Brighton sea front is a suitably dynamic landmark to end the first day on. Loads of people enjoying themselves in the sunshine.

The sunshine before the storm.
That comes next apparently.

Signs of old age.

Friday.  Rest day,  but there's plenty to do for an aging competitor like me. So,  I realise that I can't ignore my deteriorating eye sight,  and not being able to read the small print on the packet of denture glue just confirmed it!  I figure it's also good to laugh at adversity and myself,  since I might have cause to do both over the next two weeks.

So a pair of glasses and some glue.  First purchases of the day.

Since I am about to otherwise detail a relaxing day in the big smoke I should precis what follows by thanking my family and Laura in particular for enabling me to do this.

She and anyone else who has children will be delighted to know that I woke at 05:30 this morning,  bright and bushy-tailed, frustrated that my plan to sleep until 10 had been thwarted by 4 year old Sam in his absence.

I downed a full English and loaded up the bike and rode to Westminster Bridge.  That's fun! Not quite like High Green in rural Hethersett.

The traffic was light. A cabby explained that half of London is on holiday in the first two weeks of August.  Worth remembering next time you want to bring the kids in.

I followed my planned route for the first couple of miles before heading back in to the city. At each red light the collection of cyclists all received a Transcontinental ad card,  as did the police officer who stopped his van next to me. I am pleased
to say that I have passed on all 800 cards. All you have to do is follow me.

I've never been a huge fan of London but you know,  when there's no agenda is not so bad.

On the way back to the hotel I bought a box in the post office. Significantly about half a mile from the hotel.


I  packed this with the clothes and shoes I no longer need and then had to call a cab to take me back to the PO since I couldn't walk there in socks. So that's it.  Laura gets a parcel in a couple of days of London worn clothes and trainers and I get to go to Turkey!

www.justgiving.com/john-bakewell

To write is to share.

There are so many levels upon which this journey is so, so selfish. How do you describe any expedition without scientific or social goals otherwise. But in all of us there is something that gets us up in the morning that is bigger than duty, hunger, survival even. Life itself and the need to live it to the full.

My oldest friend, Paul wrote me a good luck card in which he quoted Kilion Jornet, www.kilianjornet.cat/en/skyrunner. When asked, 'why?' He simply said, it is inside me, it is too strong. I have to be up there.

So if you don't feel the need or have the desire,  then at least let me share it with you.

Having sat  on the train to London relaxing into my new found freedom. ..I miss you all family,  I was immediately entertained by a little 4 month old who came and sat next to me. He did not,  however cry or chuck up all over me,  so I was pleased to have his company.

Did nothing for blog writing though, as indeed most children are not good for achieving much,  but they are good for the soul and their smiles would light any dull day.

It has been a full 4 years since my last mini expedition/holiday/escape,  whatever you wish to call it and so I was thankful that most of London appears to be on holiday.  The remainder were remarkably tolerant of a country boy on a bike who kept stopping to read a map!  Not one single honk!

It helps too that there are now cycle super highways marked by wide Blue tracks.  The shear volume of bikes seems also to make it safer.

There will be by all accounts 60, 000 taking part in this weekends Prudential Ride London  event that is part of the Olympic legacy and includes a top ranked professional race ending on the Mall, including Sir Bradley Wiggins who rejoins Team Sky for the event.

In the evening after dropping the bike off at the hotel I headed to Look Mum no Hands, cafe and bar on Mare St, where I met last year's winner, Kristoff, since we were both early. Once everyone had arrived. .. from all over the world it seemed,  Mike held Court,  distributed
trackers and finally let us loose on free pizza.

One more free day to go.

www.justgiving.com/john-bakewell

Can I just go please !

The bike rests against the kitchen wall where it has lived for the last 4 months or so. I have been through every bag...all three of them about 5 times already. I have charged the GPS, the GoPro video camera and the phone.

The inflatable mattress has made a reappearance under the cross bar, whilst I have found space for spare socks and high viz jacket under the saddle.

In total, this is what is coming with me:

Waterproof jacket, leggings and over-shoes
Helmet
Shoes
Gloves
Cycle top
Shades night and day lenses (No more moths in the eye for me!)
Shorts + Spare shorts. (Being allergic to latex, I can't afford to not be able to find a replacement pair.)
Socks + Spare socks.
Warm long-sleeved cycle top

Survival bag
Inflatable mattress. (V small and light.)
The legs only of a pair of tracksuit trousers.

3 Tubes of electrolyte replacement tablets
1 Tube of Chamois cream
Paracetamol
Small pot of vaseline
Small pot of Suntan cream
Toothpaste and the head of a tooth brush. (Handle cut off.)

Spare tyre
Puncture repair kit
Tools
Chain links
Chain Oil
2 Spare inner tubes
Bike lock
Spare batteries for tracker

2 x 1Ltr water bottles.

Necessary documentation

That is it! Let's go!

Testing, testing 123

Final preparations include checking that I can post a blog from the phone. This much seems fine but no pictures! ? Can't work out how to download pictures onto blogger from phone, so if anyone knows how to do this please get in touch asap via johnnybakewell@hotmail.com.

Bear with me over the next 3 days as I finish my preparations and hope that this groin injury settles enough.

Thanks all.

john

6 days to go

Actually 4 days until I leave for London and the briefing at the 'Look Mum No Hands!' cafe.It will be fun meeting all the other 95 competitors, though also not unlike going into an exam. You know how people ask each other about what revision they've done and then panic because they suddenly realise they didn't do that bit!!

Well I can admit to one thing. I have not done 25,000 km of training. I could have, but I would also be divorced and probably not be at work either, so now is probably a good time to thank both my employer for some of the time that I have inevitably spent planning whilst it was 'less busy', and my wife, Laura, who has had to live with the constant reminder that I am about to launch myself into something of a hazardous journey.

This last week has been busy with working my way around the various media organisations locally and am grateful to the Norwich evening news for publishing a good length article on Friday this week.

Fund-raising, always the hardest part has been slow, but to be honest I'm more interested in getting the message out there about the need for more support for people caring with their relatives with dementia and or giving your children the chance to follow a mad bike race on their computers. If that gets them into cycling, then that would be fantastic.

Race website will be following us all live from 9th August at www.transcontinentalrace.com

Look out for number 52 and if you don't think I'm going fast enough send me a tweet @johnnymbakewell

Finally, if you want to sponsoir the Alzheimer's Society please do so through my page:- www.justgiving.com/john-bakewell

Thanks All

More to come, I promise.