a ride, a sleep and a ride *metric century 7/12

me and bike are cleaned. kit is in washing machine and i've eaten a hero's dinner. but brain is still not fully functioning. i realise now that this is probably why i like this long distance stuff. i have a ridiculous ability to forget and am really addicted to the sense of calm satisfaction that real physical tiredness brings.

this is how my tiny mind recalls the past two days.

thursday morning, get first train to cromford and meet red and trio at the start of the pennine bridleway.

lots of talk of kit and weighing each others bag. red won this contest. i name his sac 'the burden'. trio was positively lightweight this time with no sparkling wine or pillows.

the excitement of meeting up with these two was almost too much for my bike and the bottom bracket ceased complete. fixed temporarily by trio's suggestion of pedaling backwards every 3 forward revolutions and also having red push me along. thankfully when we reached parsley bike hire the problem was resolved by a really helpful mechanic. cleaned and tightened we were on our way. and i'd managed not to have a full blown paddy with my bike!

then it was basically a long some flat disused railway. up a bit then down a bit and then all of a sudden we were at hayfield. a little later than planned but it didn't matter. carbs and fizzy pop and off again.

i'm pretty sure it was flat again then a bit of up. there may have been some mud and a bit of contouring. lots of chatting and laughing and general bike riding fun. but all too soon it was time for trio to leave us and continue on her monster mileage home.

with words of warning about the sign posting around glossop being a bit hit and miss ringing in out ears, red and i flew off down the nearest hill. within minuets we were freestyling, not necessarily lost but not exactly on the right path.

error corrected and eyes now peeled for little acorn signs. there were some steep grassy zigzags, quiet a lot of pushing and some freewheeling. we both had a confusing moment in a local shop when our powers of decision making deserted us.

there may have been some gentle persuasion and some glycogen lows. but on we continued. realising that the original plan was not going to happen today but also realising that, again this didn't matter.

we choose our camp. not quiet on the proposed spot but somewhere near castleshaw moor. sheltered but with a view. chatting and eating until the stars were bright in the sky. red retired to his tent and me to my bag. despite my aching knees and fuzzy brain i couldn't sleep. the sky was so clear is demanded my attention.

it rained a little during the night but not enough for red to let me in the tent. after breakfast we were off again. plans re-organised and made more manageable. back to hayfield then to macclesfield and i'd get the train home while red would continue back to leek.

there seemed to be less hills on the way back. the descents weren't as long or as technical as i'd remembered the ascents to be. it rained and the sun shone. we didn't get lost and didn't run out things to talk about.

before i realised i was sat on a train. just me and my bike. covered in mud. not sure of exact mileage and those sorts of statistics that are normally important to me. i've just had a lot fun, despite being a little saddle sore.

the past two days feel like a weeks holiday. i'm already making plans for the next one.


*edit
day 1- approx. 123 km, 1 train and some hills
day 2- approx. 107 km, 3 trains and less hills