Of Freeloaders and Hard Workers

Day #4: Tuesday 8th June., 22:30

Another really enyoable dau, even the last 23 miles. Yesterday ended
with 12 up hill from Monmouth to Pontrilas, in the cold and the rain
- and trust me there was a lot of steep up. As the cyclists among you
will know, when it starts raining your helping becomes a liquid salt
dispenser, depositing years of accumulated sweat into your eyesm. So I
finished last night blinded in one eye.

Today ended with Woody, Mike and myself cruising thru the leafy
Cheshire lanes listening to Dean Martin and Madness on Woody's
Blackberry. Though I could havee done without Woody and. Mike's
rendition of That's Amore - with much ringing of the bells on the
bikes at appropriate moments.

Dean had retired at this stage and Martin had done what Martin does
best - disappeared into the wild blue yonder.

So back to the title of this post.

This will come as a shock to many of you, but it is the view of Dean,
martin and myself that Woody and Mike are freeloaders. Dean despite
his injury has put in many hours at the front, martin has put many
hours in rediculously far out in front to render him useless for
drafting (look it up if you are not sure what I am talking about) -
but none the less working hard.

Woody and Mike on the other hand have spent 3.5 days at the back
getting a free ride. Everytime one of them end up in front breaking
wind (in every sense of the term) within 2 mins they have a little bit
of cramp, or an itch they need to address.

Finally today after much abuse from the 3 of us they put in a little
time at the front. Naturally they went rediculosly fast, breaking the
"peloton"(that's the 3 of us) up. But at least they were making an
effort for the hard workers Dean, .Martin and myself.

Woody crashed into a hedge twice today, for no obvious reason at all.
No one and nothing anywhere near him. Over tired - think.

Dean gets "king of the moutain" today, toping out several hills in the
lead (woody and mike in tow).

The day started late at 10:00 because Martin had to go to the bike
shop again to get his gears working again. Bought a new tyre but
Martin refused to fit it. Oh quelle surprise, he had a nother puncture
thru 1 of the 5 holes it now has. Enough said on that one, I might
start ranting.

Lunch was sandwiches from Tescos at the saw mill at Bucknell - very
interesting place.

We arrived at the Red Lion in Eellesmere at 1950, tired and hungyry

That's it f0r nw - too tired.
Simon

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