A Chain of Unfortunate Events

Last week, in preparation for my four-day ride from London to Glasgow, I intended to cycle from London to Bath in one day, stopping at Stonehenge along the way. It did not go as planned, but I learned some valuable lessons.

My original route comprised a four day journey through Stonehenge, Bath, Cheddar Gorge, Bristol, and north towards Gloucester. However I was ill over the first three days, confined to resting at home. On the fourth day I felt somewhat better and was determined to do something despite being reliant on paracetamol and the Met Office forecasting “local torrential downpours.”

Leaving London

Approaching Windsor

My first mistake was setting off at 9:15 AM, much later than I should have. On my way out of London I got caught in traffic and seemed to hit every red light. Near Hounslow my rear reflector light fell off the bike and shattered – oops, make sure it’s properly secured next time. With low-flying jetliners bound for Heathrow overhead I finally started to gain speed on the A4, and soon enough saw Windsor Castle on the horizon. I stopped quickly for lunch (a few handfuls of trail mix) by the King George V Memorial Fountain then carried on.

Birds Warning of the Storm Ahead

I LOVE this repurposed phone box just south of Maidenhead!

Changing Course

After cycling through some beautiful English countryside roads and villages such as Datchet – spoiled only slightly by the local torrential downpours which I could not outrun – I made it to Reading around 3:00 PM. Riding through the beautiful Thames Valley Park alongside the Oracle Corporation campus, I realized I had to reevaluate my goals. Bath was off the table. The GPS app on my phone was estimating it would take about 6 hours to reach Stonehenge; probably doable before it got too dark. The problem was that the nearest train station, Salisbury, was about a 1.5 hour ride from there.  It would not be safe to cycle through dark country roads at night without a functioning rear light.

I saw three options: 3 hours to Oxford, 5.5 hours directly onward to Salisbury, or 5 hours to Southampton. I knew the sun would set at 8:40 PM so Southampton seemed like the most logical choice for making the most of the daylight hours (and frankly seemed to be a more interesting destination than Salisbury). So I turned south and made good time down the A33 towards the coast.

Then, disaster struck: on a narrow stretch of the A33 with cars speeding past I heard a loud snap and suddenly found my drivetrain ineffective. I would push the pedals, and the chain would move with the cassette as expected, but the rear wheel itself wasn’t turning. It seemed to have detached from the chain somehow.

I quickly got off the road and dismounted on a patch of grass to inspect the issue. Even though I’d made a point of brining plenty of tools with me, I was quickly reminded of the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowing all the facts in the world is useless if you lack the ability to apply them practically. Similarly, even the best tools will not make up for a lack of knowledge regarding bicycle repairs. I had no way of identifying the problem myself, let alone fixing it. Thus I was forced to abandon my ride around 6:00 PM. And just 4km short of my first metric century!

Walk of Disappointment

Rather than a 3 hour ride into Southampton, what followed was a 1.5 hour walk through woodland roads to the nearest train station in Basingstoke. On the plus side, I did see some fantastic brutalist architecture on my walk that I would have missed otherwise. Some call this area “Basinggrad” – even the local Waitrose seemed inspired by grey concrete. Yet there is something wonderous about how buildings bare of ornamentation or intricacy can still appear so magnificent. Function triumphs over form.

Back in London, I learned that the freehub had broken and consequently the wheel needed replacing. Certainly not a repair I would have been able to make on the road. Nonetheless I spent plenty of time learning more about how to fix any drivetrain issues that might occur later on.

More Lessons Learned:

• I loaded up my pannier bags as much as possible to simulate my upcoming four-day journey. Wow, what a difference all the weight makes! I’ll definitely be re-thinking some packing choices.
• Even short breaks have a compounding detrimental effect on overall time. Find a balance and rest/recover when necessary, but never longer than necessary.
• Rain, though annoying, is tolerable. A good poncho made all the difference.
• Check that your lights are functioning before departure.
• Gu hydration tabs and energy gels are seriously useful. I tried them for the first time on this ride and never felt significantly tired, sore, or dehydrated.

I have one week to go before my journey to Scotland and will be making final preparations over the next few days. I’m also going to continue raising awareness about health inequalities for vulnerable adults.

Update: the ride is over, but please do consider donating to Mencap here.