The Challenge begins

The 1st October and is it really white rabbits! Wet soggy ones by the state of the rain outside and what starts to the first tandem training ride. The challenge for next year really began on 3rd September with the announcement at the Alexander Stadium, Perry Barr. We had a room full of dignitaries, celebs, friends and the press, the challenge for next year, supporting Macmillan Cancer Support, Top 2 Toe was officially underway!
The running part of things is still going pretty well to plan, but this being the first tandem ride and i guess this is where the training starts in earnest. Mike Hopkins, principle of South Birmingham College, the tandem captain got his hands of the Dawes mountain bike tandem for the first time today. He sorted out the saddles, changing them to the racing type, no worries i'm still intending to go slow! Mike just believes these are the most comfortable, slim and hard my eyes are watering and i haven't sat on it yet! Changed the pedals from standard to the clop variety, mind shows what i know, i said they were the wrong ones, turns out you take out a plastic insert and there they are the right ones, Dave the answer, keep your nose out. Mind i.m not the only one it appears does things wrong, Mike put the cleat in my shoe the wrong way round, i'd have tried all day and it wouldn't have fit the pedal, reversed it and hey presto, it fitted, so for the first ride, the bike is pretty well set up, alterations i'm sure at the end of the ride.
Clothing, certainly not like running, when running i wear as little as possible, less on, the less to get wet and with running you soon warm up. Now cycling is a different kettle of fish with the state of the day fish being the operative word! A tandem, i think we needed a canoe! But I was advised by Mike to keep as warm and dry as possible, so the layers went on. Mind i must admit putting the cycling shorts on the the first time and adhering to the instructions that came with them. Assos shorts, the best there is, i'm told and the book said, Deb reading it to me with that smile in her voice, rub the cream into the areas that come into contact with the saddle, just didn't seem right, rubbing oil or cream into your rear end, putting shorts on it felt very soggy and a little uncomfortable! so the layers went on, shorts, socks,water proof leggings, vest, under layer, cycle top, water proof jacket, helmet and shoes with cleats and i nearly forgot, the gloves, so out into the rain we ventured, raring to go, it felt very sad taking my brand new bike into this foul weather!
Nearly ready to go, first a photo for the paper, Steve from the Express & Star, first with wide angle lens, what was he trying to say? Then with a long lens, smile he said, i did and now we're off, shoes clipped in, well nearly so now the first ride begins.

This tandem ride was a new experience for both of us, me venturing into the unexplored miles and Mike having a blind Satnav, me! We were heading for Bridgnorth and Mike coming from Worcester hadn't got a clue where we were heading so it was up to me to navigate, could be interesting. Good job we didn't need an A to Z or it would have got rather soggy, the route, well most of it was in my memory banks, so off through Tipton, turning right at Dudley Port, very appropriate with the rain as it was! Up to Sedgley, down through Wombourne. We then i'm told were in the country, this is where things got interesting, now I hadn't got a clue, so it was down to following the signs. We passed through Pattington, up a through Claverley, passing through Half Penny Green, passing the airport and up a very large incline, i'd call it a hill it was steep, long and made me breathe rather hard, then we acquired a squeak, plus my saddle, we think may have moved slightly, so at the top we would stop and take a look. We stopped, Mike said he was putting left foot down, i obviously miss heard him, i sat there still clipped in and then there was this falling sensation. Mike had got off, expecting me to do the same, i didn't , just sat there then the bike very slowly, in fact in slow motion along with me started toppling. Still holding onto the handle bars, connected with the grass verge, sideways on, feet still in the clips, bike on top, i knew it was happening but couldn't do a thing about it, no harm done to me or more so the bike, so after a quick alteration of the saddle, five minutes of laughter, we composed ourselves and got on our way,
We rode a few more miles, both now blind as to where we were, but salvation came in the form of a sign, Wolverhampton or Stourbridge, we chose Stourbridge, here we picked up signs for Dudley and then West Bromwich, so i was then back navigating we found home after 53 miles, wet, bum sore but a great experience and a great psychological boost, it took us just over three and a half hours, which wasn't bad, well i was pleased with it anyway.
Over the time we were cycling i was quite surprised at the attitude of some motorists, there were a couple of incidents i must admit i frowned at coming up one hill obviously being told this a car simply must have watched us coming up, well the driver anyway and as we literally got to the junction the car pulled straight out in front of us, then a while after coming through Stourbridge, a car came along side of us and the driver had got to have seen us decided to turn directly left almost taking the front wheel of the bike out i can only imagine some drivers need to go to Spec Savers! and cycle lanes, there appear to be more cars parked in them than bikes, at points there were more cars travelling in them too, the simple lack of consideration for cyclists is frightening.
But all said and done, it was a very interesting and positive 53 miles, now after a bite to eat, a shower and then out for a couple of well deserved pints.