The Easter Arrow 2014

The death of Gabriel Garcia Marquez broke the ice at the breakfast table.  'One hundred years of solitude' Arabella said with a rising inflection.  No, I have not read it, but I will now!

There was more education to come from our captain when she said she had been abstemious with the salt in the porridge.  Fantastic word.

Porridge, hot cross buns, coffee and tea made for a great start to the Easter Arrow weekend.  I would like to write that it was a sign of things to come, instead I can confirm that it turned out to be one of highlights.

Home made hot cross buns

The other highlight was the finish at the Punchbowl pub in York.

Me at the finish.
Never been so happy to wear pink and show it off!

We had no punctures, no mechanicals, no rain, no snow, no storms, no arguments, no delays, no detours, an excellent route, wonderful scenery .... so what can the matter be: the matter was a strong headwind, all the way.  I hardly came out of granny gear!

I had also underestimated the temperature.  By lunchtime I was already wearing all the layers I had with me.   I go in waves of buying from 'that'll do' cycling clothes to top of the range 'only the best will do' cycling clothes and back down again.  Unfortunately I'm in a 'that'll do' wave, and my jacket turned out to be a boil in the bag piece of plastic.  Every time we stopped cycling, I started shivering through a wet jersey.  A recipe for hypothermia, I thought, if the temperature drops further during the night section.  I was very worried.

Which brings me to another highlight: the 24 hour Asda at Newark.

Watching you, watching me

Oh yes, a 24 hours Asda in the middle of Newark at a time when all the drunk people spill out on the pavement and wonder the streets.  I could see a guy on the pavement losing his balance stepping backwards into the road just as Jo was cycling past.  A few expletives followed.  The sight of scantily dressed women made me feel even colder.  The 24 hour Asda, where we would have the floor of the entrance lobby all to ourselves, was a haven.  A haven with a clothes department where we could buy extra layers.  We were looking for fleeces, but Jo came back saying there was nothing suitable there.  We went back in, Jo to the boy's section and me aiming for the men's section.  But something in the women's section caught my eye that I thought 'if this thing doesn't keep me warm, at least it will make me smile'.  The pink bunny jumper saved my arrow.

Spot the fast laydiz

Unfortunately the arrow couldn't be saved for Lindsay.  Arabella had noted something was wrong.  'How come we're ahead for the fast laydiz?', she said.  But Lindsay had stopped to take a call, bad news, her cycling buddy on another team, had collapsed.  We could hear her agree: 'Yes, making sure he doesn't die is a priority'.  Lindsay has a way with words, and left us three with one: 'Bye!'.

Easter Bunny mascots, courtesy of fboab

Lindsay passed on her mascot to Jo, who had lost her own - it probably flew off in the wind!  Jo's forum name is 'rabbit', so she was very happy to be reunited with a bunny mascot.  Jo has a background in mountain biking.  When we went through Crowland with it's magnificent Trinity Bridge, I had wondered what the history behind the monument was.  Whereas Jo's thinking was what a great mountain biking feature it would be.

The Easter Arrow is a quirky event.  At least three of you (or three machines) need to get to the finish.  Unusually in audaxing, there is a winner.  The team that covers the longest distance in 24 hours is crowned the winner.  It's never a surprise who the winner is because the teams' intentions are often known beforehand.  It does mean that everybody puts a 24 hours effort in, regardless of ability.  And instead of recovered people leaving just as I arrive shattered at the finish,  everybody looks equally shattered at the end of an arrow, and stays for breakfast.  There is another quirky rule called the 22nd hour rule, and one of the reasons why I'm so happy to have Arabella as captain.

Wonder women CrinklyLion

There were many, many familiar faces at the finish - and a good reason to do the arrow again.  I love the 'how did it go for you' chats.  Everybody has a story to tell.  However, CrinklyLion, the cake supplier extraordinaire, will be abroad for Easter 2015.  Which is an equally good reason for not doing the arrow again next year.  Arabella and I had already agreed that we might skip an edition - because this one, truthfully, was an edition where you wouldn't mind getting your bike stolen.  When Denise insisted that I should captain a women's team, I insisted that I couldn't because I would never understand the 22nd hour rule.

The good moments were the villages, the fens, the guided bus, Jo saying 'epic' 14 times,  the food, the company, the chats, the birds, the lambs, the smell of nectar, CrinklyLion and Isaac providing the cake fest, the mountain bike feature and the sun rise.  Arabella said it wouldn't heat the earth, but I happily replied that it would warm my heart.

Sunrise in Selby

Many thanks to Arabella and fboab for planning the route.  Thanks to all three laydiz for a fantastic effort.  I can feel the Tuesday blues kicking in, because I want to thank everybody: Crinkly, Isaac, the teams, the staff at Spoons and the guy calling me 'effing weirdo' as I tried to get my bike out of the beer garden.  You are all wonderful.  Best wishes to Chris, hope you get a diagnosis.

Photos are here: MyPhotos

Other thoughts:

• Seems my Easter Arrow charm worked again when I asked a second time of we could use the 'shut' toilets at the 24 hours Asda.  I figured they were blocked off to discourage the drunks coming in.  The trick was to ask the guy who had given me eye contact rather than the 'shut' guy who was busy reading 'a paper'.
• Once it got light, seeing parked cars with a layer of ice on the windows made me realise it was much colder than just freezing
• I spared a thought for John Radford
• Me singing (!) to pass the night time, prevent the dozies and cheer us up.  Jo must have been pleased when Arabella took over! 'Oh, what a beautiful morning ...!'

Congratulations to Jo 'rabbit' - on riding her longest distance.

The Easter Arrow 2012

The best of the Easter Arrow 2012 was meeting other teams on the way to York.  Less than 20 miles after setting off and we spotted 'an arrow' flying by and across to Lavenham.  This was just after us surprising a deer in the middle of a field. Apparently four of the six native deer can be found in Suffolk. Then John pointed out a buzzard sitting on top of a post.  It flew off and around us for a while.  The morning was fantastic in spring  sunshine, excellent countryside to cycle through.

Spring!

In Sleaford, we bumped into the Essex team lead by tomsk, who were using the same Packhorse Inn as control.  That was a big morale booster, because we were a bit low after being headwinded all the way.  Just being able to compare notes gives you a pick-me-up.

Suffolking Slow was our team name.  And we were!  While a couple of us started to watch the clock, arabella remained her cool, confident self.  A motley crew we were also: arabella was on a fixed ladies bike a la Sophie Matter, me on single speed, Marcus on fixed, Jane on trike and John on a geared bike.

Suffolking Slow

I had decided to use my single speed, because my memory from last year was that the route was flat as a pancake.  Only, when you use a single speed, you realise that, although pancakes are flat, sometimes they come in stacks. So I had to get off and walk one of the stacks.

Several times we were shouted at from cars.  Often it is done just to give you a fright.  But it appears that one of them was very angry.  In his efforts to let his feelings be known, he stuck his head out of the window and delivered his expletives in such an animated way that his sunglasses fell off onto the ground.  Marcus managed to avoid cycling over them which is a shame.  It could have been such a good 'oh ooops sorry' gem of a moment.

My mind was playing tricks again.  I could not see one advert without reading something else into it.  The first was 'free range eggs £1.20'.  How can they be free when you charge £1.20.  The next was 'Live singer on Saturday'.   Imagine a dead singer on Saturday.  'Sunday roast being served now.'  Liers! It's Friday and you're closed anyway'.  

I have a proposal for Paul Smith and Rapha.  The items will come as the 'SR Series' of Den Coureur (£600), Den Derailleur (£400), Den Soigneur (£300) and Den Vapeur (£200).  You can go all out and get the Den Primeur for £1200.  I'm talking about a cycling friendly camera.  A camera which will respond to touch and voice.  The body will have an 'arm' coming down on the right hand side (for right handed people).  As soon as you grab the arm, the camera will be on, just like the iPad switches on as soon as you take the cover off.   Then you can customise your 'Vitessen' (gears).  I only need three (which is what you get with Den Soigneur at £300): normal, sunny, dark. Those will be voice recognised.  So you're cycling along, see a deer coming out of the bushes, you grab the camera which sits nicely in an angled pocket at the front of your Rapha top.  You say 'vitesse donker' - to continue the west-flemish language theme - and press the button with your thumb, as the button is on the front of the arm.  All done in one seamless action and in less than a second. 'Innovate' says Graeme Obree'.

Other thoughts:

• Thanks to arabella and the team for a wonderful start to the Easter weekend
• Meeting so many audaxers/yacfers at the Punchbowl
• Great journey back on the train
• Congratulations to simonp for completing the 25000 brevet
• Congratulations to John for completing a first 400, and Jane on trike
• Best of luck to the Things for their next adventure

Photos are on the slideshow till the next ride or here: Clicky