Action100: the day before!
Day before the ride. Hadn't realised how nervous I am. Knowing I'm one big ride down isn't helping.
Checked the hotel voucher and realised that there was no mention of the children staying in the room - went into a bit of a panic. The room was booked in early June by my PA, who I know had asked for them to be included. Anyway, a couple of calls to the hotel and we were back in business, setting off via the bike shop, where I changed my gloves. My weight was being thrown onto my hands when cycling, so I was hoping they'd have something a bit thicker padded - and they did.
They also suggested that the handle bar was too low down, but having taken the bike in for a quick adjustment, it transiped that on these old bikes the brake 'cord' is in the wrong place for adjustments - not a quick adjustment, so decided to live with it - the thought of not making the start line was more than I could bear.
We were off!
The next challenge was the bike carrier. All my previous big rides have been out to a set place, coming back late at night (in the dark) or circular, so the bike carrier, although it had been tested, hadn't been tested to the max. One junction down the M4 we had to stop and get a new bungee spider. Even then the bike was lifting, so progress to Bath was slow - 60 mph all the way. The kids slept most of the way.
Despite the small set back, we arrived in Bath in one piece. Parking with bike on the back was a challenge, but the Hilton did us proud, taking the bike into the luggage room and smoothing the way.
They had also, despite being fully booked for a wedding (it felt very wrong wheeling in a bike following a bride in full regalia), managed to sort out the room booking, and our room was lovely (although my spoilt infants were saying -"isn't there another room, then?" - it was quite small, but this is the centre of Bath!)
We took the kids out to Pizza Hut (I was hoping for pasta, which is supposed to help with energy release), expecting it to be quick and be able to follow on into the Baths, which are open until 10. We were thwarted. Pizza Hut seemed to have no staff, there was something going as the police were in, and two hours later we came out - we might as well have gone somewhere nice!
Anyway, it was too late for the Baths, which would take 90 mins to tour, and our little monkeys misbehave if it gets past their bed time, but help was at hand in the form of a horse and cart taxi. It was a wonderfully touristy way to spend an evening, and we topped it off by letting the kids run around the riverside maze, which exhausted them to the point where we all got a good night's sleep.
But not until we'd replaced the slats in the sofa bed which had been left out when it was made up meaning you diappeared down a hole in the middle every time you sat on it: ah well, nobody's perfect!
Checked the hotel voucher and realised that there was no mention of the children staying in the room - went into a bit of a panic. The room was booked in early June by my PA, who I know had asked for them to be included. Anyway, a couple of calls to the hotel and we were back in business, setting off via the bike shop, where I changed my gloves. My weight was being thrown onto my hands when cycling, so I was hoping they'd have something a bit thicker padded - and they did.
They also suggested that the handle bar was too low down, but having taken the bike in for a quick adjustment, it transiped that on these old bikes the brake 'cord' is in the wrong place for adjustments - not a quick adjustment, so decided to live with it - the thought of not making the start line was more than I could bear.
We were off!
The next challenge was the bike carrier. All my previous big rides have been out to a set place, coming back late at night (in the dark) or circular, so the bike carrier, although it had been tested, hadn't been tested to the max. One junction down the M4 we had to stop and get a new bungee spider. Even then the bike was lifting, so progress to Bath was slow - 60 mph all the way. The kids slept most of the way.
Despite the small set back, we arrived in Bath in one piece. Parking with bike on the back was a challenge, but the Hilton did us proud, taking the bike into the luggage room and smoothing the way.
They had also, despite being fully booked for a wedding (it felt very wrong wheeling in a bike following a bride in full regalia), managed to sort out the room booking, and our room was lovely (although my spoilt infants were saying -"isn't there another room, then?" - it was quite small, but this is the centre of Bath!)
We took the kids out to Pizza Hut (I was hoping for pasta, which is supposed to help with energy release), expecting it to be quick and be able to follow on into the Baths, which are open until 10. We were thwarted. Pizza Hut seemed to have no staff, there was something going as the police were in, and two hours later we came out - we might as well have gone somewhere nice!
Anyway, it was too late for the Baths, which would take 90 mins to tour, and our little monkeys misbehave if it gets past their bed time, but help was at hand in the form of a horse and cart taxi. It was a wonderfully touristy way to spend an evening, and we topped it off by letting the kids run around the riverside maze, which exhausted them to the point where we all got a good night's sleep.
But not until we'd replaced the slats in the sofa bed which had been left out when it was made up meaning you diappeared down a hole in the middle every time you sat on it: ah well, nobody's perfect!
posted by Waving hello! @ 11:39 pm
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