In 2007 two friends and I all suffering from a mid-life crisis in just the same way, took it upon ourselves to cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats in seven days. Whilst this trip proved both successful and memorable on many levels; the ride through Glencoe one misty May morning being particularly unforgettable, it was a disappointment in one important respect - it failed utterly in curing the mid-life crisis. In fact it made it rather worse, rekindling an enthusiasm for bicycles none of us had experienced since we were ten years old.
In spite of wise council from our wives who reminded us that when the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy “there is always gardening”, here we are three years later about to do it all over again, only this time we’re being a little more ambitious. The plan is to ride from Streatley-on-Thames, a sleepy village nestling under the Berkshire Downs to Venice. Not only is the journey some 150 miles further than ‘LEJOG’ at a little over 1000 miles, but of course there is the small matter of the Alps and as last time, all has to be done in the 7 days that we’ve been allowed out for (relatively) good behaviour.
For this trip the team has grown from three to four. There’s myself, Sam, a sometime marathon runner and management consultant with a perverse attraction for working in African military dictatorships. There’s Chris, one of nature’s natural accountants, what ever he may say to the contrary. Chris is sickeningly athletic, running the 79 mile Jurassic Coast Challenge last year because no one would go with him on “a big bike ride”. Graham who since our last expedition has acquired a garden maintenance business and is now the proud owner of no less than five white vans and finally the newcomer Jeremy, a frightful grown up with an enormous software company who believes that there’ll always be a gadget available to help answer even the most profound questions of life, the universe and cycling.
What follows is a record of our training and hopefully of the ride itself – planned to start on Friday 4th June 2010. I thought I might start this blog today not only because rather appropriately it’s April fools day, but also because it’s been something of a seminal week in our preparations as myself and Chris have taken possession of our new bikes, a Ridley Orion and a Basso Laguna respectively, joining Graham’s Kuota Kebel and Jeremy’s Lynksey - for those interested in such things.
In spite of wise council from our wives who reminded us that when the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy “there is always gardening”, here we are three years later about to do it all over again, only this time we’re being a little more ambitious. The plan is to ride from Streatley-on-Thames, a sleepy village nestling under the Berkshire Downs to Venice. Not only is the journey some 150 miles further than ‘LEJOG’ at a little over 1000 miles, but of course there is the small matter of the Alps and as last time, all has to be done in the 7 days that we’ve been allowed out for (relatively) good behaviour.
For this trip the team has grown from three to four. There’s myself, Sam, a sometime marathon runner and management consultant with a perverse attraction for working in African military dictatorships. There’s Chris, one of nature’s natural accountants, what ever he may say to the contrary. Chris is sickeningly athletic, running the 79 mile Jurassic Coast Challenge last year because no one would go with him on “a big bike ride”. Graham who since our last expedition has acquired a garden maintenance business and is now the proud owner of no less than five white vans and finally the newcomer Jeremy, a frightful grown up with an enormous software company who believes that there’ll always be a gadget available to help answer even the most profound questions of life, the universe and cycling.
What follows is a record of our training and hopefully of the ride itself – planned to start on Friday 4th June 2010. I thought I might start this blog today not only because rather appropriately it’s April fools day, but also because it’s been something of a seminal week in our preparations as myself and Chris have taken possession of our new bikes, a Ridley Orion and a Basso Laguna respectively, joining Graham’s Kuota Kebel and Jeremy’s Lynksey - for those interested in such things.
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