Packed the car in the rain. Drove an hour in the rain. Assembled the bike and registered in the rain. Set off in the rain. Rode all the way around in the rain. Finished in the rain.
Got home, rain stopped.
The organisers had already cut out the Long Route option - 80miles+ in rain just wouldn't be fun. I switched to the 30 mile Short option to keep my exposure down to a couple of hours.
Event HQ was in a forest, down a track which meant the first/last 200metres of the course was on forest gravel track. Well jacketed up I had a brief briefing and then sent on my way - just about the last one to leave but caught up various soggy participants pretty soon.
Have I mentioned the rain? Not cold, not windy but after a while it got to me - you kind of shrivel up inside your rain jacket and "cope". Unfortunately that means you aren't going very fast and that means you start to get cold.
Luckily the food stop arrived just in time (about an hour in) and re-energised with jelly beans I resolved to "push on" in an attempt to generate some internal warmth, and finish the event off as quickly as possible.
 |
| Another soggy rider completes |
I'd have got less wet inside a washing machine.
Pretty low key end was fine and Evans had set up a rough changing room so it was possible to get dry. Immediately on finishing I experienced the only pleasure such a ride affords - the pleasure of it being over - "I'm glad that's over" and then once changed the intense pleasure of having dry socks and a hot cup of coffee - life made simple, forget your worries, you've got dry socks and that's enough for now.