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Brilliant! Last night hit 33 miles, and a killer head wind too.

It was a bad night for the pride though.

First, another nice Audi driver. I could be wrong about my theory.
Second, a girl with her buddies, each with various challenging hair designs, decided they didn’t like me travelling at 30mph down a 30mph road at about 1.5m from the curb. This is uk moped speed. But this girl didn’t like it, forced her way passed beeping her horn. Obviously trying to make me fall. Things are definitely worse than they used to be. In 4 years of regularly cycling in London I only encountered 1 aggressive driver who objected to my turning right at the end of the road.

But perhaps my greatest embarrassment was in the first 5 miles. I was pulling up the 2 mike drag of the first hill into a headwind, and I was overtaken by a racing bike, 50year old grinding away. I decided to make use of the opportunity and dropped in behind. I had to spin hard to match his grind and I couldn’t find a middle gear, but it felt good, so far.

The guy then started to slow, still grinding, so I confidently went past, offering to ‘do some of the work.’

Prat. Me, that is.

I kept spinning as we sailed around another couple of road bikes. And it was then that two things happened. First, that I had left him standing. Second that as I hit a steep rise over the railway bridge, about 200yds of much steeper road, I just burnt out. Legs went, lungs hurt, couldn’t make it work. I couldn’t manage it and I had to drop the gears, as grinding-man ground past me, for a second time, and wobbled up the road on well carved calves and quads.
He stopped to talk to a mate at the top of the hill by the time I reached him, and I said a polite thank you, he grunted. Can’t blame him really!

So, decision is, start going out with a mate and learn to do this sharing the work thing in the safe knowledge any laughter will be shared and not be ridicule!