Looking back

So it's now a couple of days since we completed the ride to London, time to look back on the ride.

We started about five minutes late from Caversham, and lost a little more time on the way here & there.  The first section of the ride, to Windsor, was much easier than previously, partly because we knew the route but also because there were no sponsored walkers - we could keep up a steady pace rather than constantly stopping and starting (very energy-sapping). We came up with a relay system for the hateful kissing gates, meaning we breezed through them.

The weather was perfect throughout the ride.  Twice there was moisture in the air but it never turned to rain; the weather was clear without being too sunny or cloudy, and the winds, such as they were, tended to blow with us.

Last Sunday's experience meant that the original lunch planned for Windsor was moved to Staines - good job too.  I was wearing the Help for Heroes T-shirt throughout the ride, so I was detailed to go round the pub shaking the collecting tin.  Luckily PWR had to carry the resulting sackful of coppers!

By the time we got to Sunbury Lock at 1410 we were back on schedule, but from then on we seemed to slow down a little.  Paul's big fall outside Richmond didn't help, nor did the two punctures suffered on Putney Bridge.

Peter Mandelson snubbed us outside Horse Guards Parade, but no matter as by then we were within sight of our destination.  We made it about an hour later than planned, tired but all happy and still talking to each other!

Photos of the start are here and we'll upload more later.