29th April – Day 4

” To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle. ” George Orwell

The day had not started as early as the three previous as by now we were ready to afford ourselves the luxury of an extra half an hour in bed and a slightly less hurried preparation process that morning. We left at around half past ten and quickly got up a good pace of around 22/23mph which we kept up all the way to the Parisian suburbs some 35 miles further down the line. Neal was still unable to join us but was sat in ‘The Frog’ carefully studying the Paris A-Z plotting out our ride into the French Capital. It was main roads all the way that morning which meant that progress could be quickly made and by lunchtime we were perched nervously on the edge of Paris solemnly contemplating the task of cycling through it’s bustling sprawl.

A Nervous Lunch

This was something we were all feeling a bit edgy about but we donned our Tower2Tower team shirts and after a lunch stop/puncture repair break we were ready to give it a whirl. Thankfully Neal had an expert understanding of our route to the finish line and the final leg was by no means as complicated as we’d feared. Bearing left at the traffic lights on Avenue De New York and crossing the Pont D’Lena we were greeted in truly memorable fashion by friends and family waving banners and flags at us as we not so smoothly cycled in (we had to dismount and cross a road by foot). Hugs and congratulations between one and all ensued and whilst there was a lot to take in, the sense of achievement was worth the graft we had put in over the past 8 months or so.

Under The Tower

We would like to thank all of you who have donated your hard earned cash to sponsor us, it is really appreciated and has been generosity we couldn’t fathom when this started. It looks as though we will easily have exceeded our target of £5000 raised for the Children’s Hospital Red Balloon Appeal so a massive thank you to you all once again.

THE Tower2Tower Team

We would also like to make special mention and extend a huge thank you to Peter and Brian who made such a massive contribution to our trip we truly were a team of 7 as opposed to just the five of us and without your help this would not have been something we could have even considered doing. Your persistent encouragement and watchful eyes over us made the whole experience a more enjoyable one. Thank you again and a resounding Mangetout!

Tuesday 28th April – Day 3

It was miracle enough that no one’s dreams seemed to have been haunted or scarred by the day from hell that was Day 2, but what seemed even more miraculous was what greeted us as we threw back the curtains on Day 3, there was sunshine in Abbeville! Thank the good Lord for he hath smiled upon us this day and hath not charged the heavens to shitteth down and the wind to bloweth like a flatulent arse in our faces! Today we will go to Beauvais!

Bridge Over The Somme

Setting out on Day 3 was a joy, and feeling a tad invincible after what we had endured the previous day we knocked off ten miles in no time at all crossing The Somme and even pausing for photographs (most probably below) as if it were some sort of Busman’s holiday.

Being a couple of days in we now had leg muscles on leg muscles and were able to notch up a good pace to Hallencourt which was our first stop of the day. Neal at this point was struggling with a knee injury that had ruled him out of training for the two weeks before we set off so he took this stop as an opportunity to purchase some freeze spray before continuing. We were to meet ‘The Frog’ at Heucourt about another 5 miles on and as we emerged the other side of Allery Neal’s knee was not faring well and reluctantly he was left with no alternative but to sit the rest of the day out and rest up in ‘The Frog’.

Monty's Bost Knee

A little crestfallen to have lost one of our number we carried on determined to break the back of the day’s miles by lunch. This meant a slightly later stop than usual at around 3pm at Sarcus. Once again we were welcomed with cries of encouragement and of course the obligatory cheese and ham baguettes that we now insisted on. Following lunch we made short work of the rest of the day that had remained sunny and dry and sooner than we thought we passed a sign saying Beauvais 16km, this was amazing as we were under the impression at this point that it was still a great deal further and it spurred us on again until we were on the treacherously busy and narrow main road towards Beauvais with the town scape coming into view. We arrived in glorious sunshine and with plenty of time to pick our spot for dinner. What else could it be but an 800g steak and a series of beers to celebrate one more day to go.

Monday 27th April – Day 2

We woke on the second morning to the sound of rain pelting the windows and wind lashing the trees and generally as bad a weather situation to cycle 80 miles in as could possibly be imagined was waiting for us outside our hotel’s front door. As we set off it very quickly became apparent just how hard the day was going to be as the wind (25km/hr headwinds we would later learn) made it impossible to go any faster than about 10 miles an hour and once we’d cycled away from the shelter of the buildings of Coquelles the exposed landscape meant we were taking a battering from the elements.

SAM ENOUGH

This was how it was to be all day and there was little we could do but keep chipping away at the route we had set towards Abbeville. Crawling along the D127 stooping for a breather at Desvres where upon leaving, an error of judgment caused us to stop and turn back on ourselves and as we did so gravity claimed it’s second victim of the trip and Dan toppled down a bank leaving his legs up in the air at the bottom of a grassy verge.

Progress was slow but steady to our lunch stop at Montreuil and there waiting for us at the top of the hill the town is sat on was ‘The Frog’ and as Pete bundled us into the back of the van out of the rain Chef Sneydy rustled up baguette after baguette crammed full of cheese and ham until we were suitably refuelled and ready to attack the afternoon miles.

Alas there was still no let up in the weather and after lunch this was psychologically a bit soul destroying but we stuck with it and ploughed on in the rain and the hail cycling through Crecy and on to our next water stop at Domvast where Peter and Brian were waiting for us with just the encouragement we needed to keep our spirits up. As we pulled up they appeared from ‘The Frog’ brandishing their A-Z pointing out just how far we had travelled that day, there was a stunned expression on everyones face as it looked even further than we had realised, this was a boost (not the chocolate bar although there were countless of these on hand at all times) we needed badly and it really felt like quite an achievement especially as we were starting to forget what it felt like to not be battered constantly by wind and rain.

Revitalised upon hearing this news and giddy on Powerade we nailed the final 5 or 6 miles to Abbeville. I think everyone would agree that this was a day we were glad to see the back of. We hurriedly checked into our F1 lodgings for the night showered and changed and headed for the adjacent Buffallo Grill to bask in the luxury of Steak Hache and une grande 1664.

Sunday 26th April – Day 1

So it was finally upon us and as the phone rang at 6:30am in our hotel room it could only have been one man, Sam of course had dutifully taken it upon himself to call everyone’s room just to make sure no one was getting a wink more sleep than him. A taxi was called and we set off with ‘The Frog’ in tow to our start line at Woolich Common with a rabble of butterflies in each of our bellies. The weather was great and as we got closer to The Common we saw officials already shutting off roads in preparation for the London Marathon also that day.

Woolwich Common

Fearful our route would be effected we quickly applied Sudacrem and stocked up on Powerade and got on with the job in hand. Thankfully getting out of London was not the nightmare we’d envisaged and the roads were relatively quiet and we were quickly out into the countryside making great progress. The whole day actually went incredibly smoothly and we ploughed through the 85 miles we had to do at an impressive pace winding our course along Pilgrim’s Way towards Dover. Just before our penultimate stop at Bridge we had our first noteworthy incident cycling uphill a pedal clipped the curb and the sound of Jamie hurtling headfirst into a clump of stinging nettles ensued, no real damage was done apart from a clunk on the konk so we pressed on to the next stop.

Feeling a little weary and sunbeaten by now we were all really looking forward to calling it a day and getting to Dover as soon as we could. After getting lost briefly we once again made great time to the port and arrived at 5 o’clock waved in by Peter and Brian with The Channel in full view. A tough day but we relaxed in style with pints and a meal as we crossed. Our evening ended in Coquelles just outside of Calais.

Leaving England

Saturday April 25th

A nervy day that started with the first introduction to our beloved ‘Frog’ (our tech van). Mr and Mrs Webb arrived to help us load the van early that morning and  everything was quickly packed before we were left minus our bikes to make our way to Dartford where we were to spend the night prior to our early start at Woolwich Common the next morning.

The Frog

On arriving in London we stopped for an hour or two to steady our hands with a couple of pints at a Marylebone boozer with our good pal Baskers. Sat outside the pub with the sun on our backs and in our eyes the trusty grog tasted better than ever, what cruel twist of fate was this that we could not commit to an afternoon of getting slowly steamed! but today was all about preparation and we had a date with destiny looming large at some ungodly hour the next day.

London Boozer

So back on the train we clambered bladders weakened by our afternoon distraction and with Manchester United 2-0 down to Spurs we headed to Dartford.  On arrival we opted to find a place to eat prior to going to our hotel whilst loitering at the bus stop waiting for a bus to the Bluewater Centre we heard a torrent of abuse directed at us spew forth from an open window on the top deck of a passing bus, ”Bus Wankers” a somewhat confusing but totally original insult  this was our welcome to Dartford.

The Bluewater Centre is an odious creation nestled in what appears to be a quarry  or enormous crater but aesthetically pleasing or not we were here and we hungrily paced the artificially lit monstrosity before settling for a dismal interpretation of lasagne in one of the many eateries it housed. This of course did us absolutely fine though as we just now needed carbs and a lots of them! Following the meal we headed straight back to the hotel and met up with Peter and Brian who were to be our 6th and 7th team members on hand to guide us to Paris avec ‘La Grenouille’ (The Frog). We milled around the foyer before finally cutting the crap to hit the sack! ”see you at 6:30am” was the parting verbal shot.

Bluewater

Live Day One Pictures

All The Best

All The Best

Right we’re off to London tomorrow afternoon, so this is the last bog entry prior to us going. Thanks for all the good luck messages and sponsorship dosh… it’s now time some some blood, lots of sweat and maybe a few tears!

P.S. Remember to visit our Twitter page for ‘in-ride’ updates , sent via SMS from our mobile phones!

Lots of Love,

Nick, Sam, Jamie, Dan and Monty xx

Follow Us ‘In-Ride’ on Twitter

Hello,

While we are traveling it is unlikely that we will get the opportunity to update the blog, however we will endeavor to keep you updated with the latest happenings via our Twitter page. Just click on the big ‘t’ below, to find out more.

Twitter Link

Keeping Our Heads In The Final Throws

Easter weekend meant fragmented training as we all had different Easter bonnet parades to attend but with our trip now under two weeks away there was no chance we’d be easing up and allowing ourselves a weekend off. Conscientious as ever Sam was keen to get out and make the most of his last opportunity for a training ride before the trip (as he is off to put the ‘pest’ in Budapest next weekend) and put in the most concerted effort, an astonishing 75 miles over the course of the weekend! A gold star for that man please teacher!

Stratford

Dan braved the Bridgnorth to Birmingham route for the second week running shaving an impressive three quarters of an hour off the previous week’s return journey and Neal, Nick and I completed a 54 mile round trip to Stratford and back complete with detours and bathed in glorious sunshine. For the four of us this paragraph bears the names of we have one more weekend excursion to go whilst someone parades along the banks of the Danube dressed as a wizard! Casting his spell upon countless pints of lager making them vanish in seconds in his presence. We will get you a photo of this for sure.

Happy Campers

A Plague on your House!

‘’his nose runs like a common sewer’’, Ben Jonson, Volpone.

What chicks like to call ‘Man Flu’ has torn through the ranks this week and we are bravely keeping it together amidst the excruciating pain of sore throats and runny noses a shipment of lemsip has been called in and we can’t imagine we will ever endure suffering on this scale ever again.

Parisian Apparel

‘’Apes are apes though clothed in scarlet’’, Ben Jonson Poetaster (act 5, scene 3)

Keep your eyes on the blog for some exciting fashion news over the next few days. We here at Tower2Tower have teamed up with top fashion house Yves Saint Lamont to develop an exciting new range of Cycling apparel (think Ethel Austin meets Country Casuals) and we will be unveiling it on here soon.

‘’It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’’ Charles Dickens ‘’A Tale Of Two Cities’’

As we reach the final stages of our preparation for the trip on the 26th we are starting to feel a little sad at the prospect of it all being over, in a bid to keep the dream alive we may even embark on some Forest Gump style antics and just keep cycling on and on forever and ever until one day our beards get so long they become caught in the gears and we see it fit to stop. It is of course all still to do and we have an epic closing chapter to pedal through before we can dedicate too much time to this chain of thought. We are busying ourselves getting bikes in for last minute services and compiling shopping lists of Sudacrem, Deep Heat, Tracker Bars and inner tubes whilst quietly getting progressively more and more nervous! We’ll drop in for one last visit next week before we take this blog to Paris.

A huge thank you to all who have sponsored and supported us we are really proud that we have been able to raise as much money as we have for The Children’s Hospital and it is all down to your generosity. We will be blogging the trip each night whilst we are away so at least you will be getting some evidence of pain for your money once more we extend our sincerest gratitude to you all.

Jamie, Nick, Neal, Dan, Sam.X

Bob The Bikeman

Hello,

A nice chap called Bob left a comment (as you can all do) on our ‘About Us’ page, which prompted me to take a look at his blog.

It would seem that we have lots in common with Bob, as he too is cycling from London to Paris later this year in aid of a local charity. Like us, he records where he has been on his blog, where many of the places we visit on our rides also appear.

So if you find yourself yearning for more Birmingham-charity-cycling related action take a look at Bob’s blog.

http://www.bobthebikeman.co.uk