Eton Dorney - Venue 7

It looks like there's some kind of strange dance
move being demonstrated?

School Council members who invited bikewithJake
 to come to the school.

Thank you so much Eton Wick C.E. First School we had a fantastic time.  Thanks so much for the funds you've raised for our charities but most of all thanks for your welcome.

Jake walking into assembly - it was an amazing reception!

To all staff and pupils - you were great, especially to Mr Harris, Miss Westoby and the School Council.

After a great time at the school, the team headed off to Eton Dorney and were incredibly lucky to be escorted lake side by Andrew.  As one of the operations managers, it was fascinating to hear about how a venue like Eton Dorney gets transformed into a major Olympic site.  It really is all hands on deck (to use a boating phrase) and it must be incredibly exciting to be involved.

We particularly liked the TV coverage idea - let's just say the idea is visible from miles away!

Jake sitting outside the only part of the venue
that has the name on it.

The travelling taxi clocks up another venue overlooking
the stands at the finish line.
The team could only sit outside the perimeter fence here
because of the extent of the construction work at this end
of the venue.

As you can see, it was not raining so, the team treated itself to a visit to Windsor and an opportunity to get Jake's shoe and pedal fixed because one bit had broken off.  Good job done by the boys at Windsor cycle shop '700'.

Post ice-cream consumption (1st of trip)

Eton Dorney - Quick Note

Hi folks.

Have had a fantastic day

Thanks to Eton Wick C.E First School - amazing reception, incredibly generous £110 donation and wonderful time.

Thanks Eton Dorney, very thrilled to see Venue 7 and had fab time with great host, Andrew.

Thanks to bike shop in Windsor for fixing Jake's cleat.

Thanks to NHS Walk in Centre, Slough for removing Jake's stitches and patching him up with steri-strips.

Have spent evening planning tricky route Slough to Lea Valley will give full report with photos tomorrow.

Winchester to Slough (nearly)

After a night spent in a drying room the team woke to ... rain!

A very depressing sight and the bag packing and delaying tactics were to have a big impact later in the day.  At least we left with £10 sponsorship from a couple on a coach outing to Winchester.

Not far down the road we hit another milestone - 1000 miles cycled.

If it hadn't been for the heavy drizzle (rain), the whole journey would have been great as we sped through picturesque villages alongside the river Itchen, wooded areas, past the watercress beds and along unexplored bits of Hampshire.  We hit the edge of a real storm and were left to negotiate a lot of flooding and loose chippings washed onto the road - puncture!

Sedately does it

Jake detected some uncalled for bubbles
under his rear tyre - nice hole.

20 minute repair - good team work
Nic - replace inner tube
Jake - tools man and putting on wheel
Philip - puncture repair on damaged tube

More flood water

We made it to Basingstoke (NOT Nic's favourite place!). Fuelled up and got Jake's tyre pressure checked. Off to Reading and Slough.

The decision had been made to use cycle routes to get us to our destination.  Certainly quieter but also meandering to the point of distraction at times.

Reading was simple to negotiate and comes highly praised from a cyclist's point of view, the unfortunate bit was that Jake's cleat (the clip bit) in his shoe broke off in his new pedal - probably irrepairable.  The weather was closing in.  It was now 6:00pm, we were cycling like demons, it just felt like a very long day.

We tracked NCR4 into some back lanes and forests - it was very dark, big clouds above and now 7:45pm, Jake's cycling glasses went missing through the woods.  Just 10 miles from our destination (according to a local history group out for an evening tour) more bubbles under a tyre, this time Philip's front wheel.

More repairs completed

It threw it down with rain as Nic replaced the tube and the boys sorted all the necessary stuff out.  Enough was enough - the history group caught up with us again and told us of a local pub.  The team decided to find a local hotel which we did, just outside Maidenhead.  Lewis at Riders Country Hotel was a star and we are camped out in a room munching peanuts and consuming complimentary biscuits at some unfashionable hour.

Milford on Sea to Winchester

The team woke to drizzle but the clothes and shoes and bikes were clean and dry.  Sleep had not been good for any of us for a variety of reasons so off we went slightly bleary eyed.

Before long, spirits were lifted by the clocking up of an incredible 1500km.  It really is quite an achievement for a 12 year old.

A 'milestone' because 'kilometrestone' just doesn't quite cut it!

Then off we trolled through the forest, past the cattle, past the ponies, over some incredibly poor road surfaces (great for toning those flabby arms) and out towards the ferry.

Lush surroundings - must be the weather for greenery.

Hythe Ferry was incredibly busy and they very kindly offered us free passage.  So what was all the fuss?  Southampton was bursting with the entire P&O fleet of cruise ships for a 175th anniversary and people had braved the drizzle to see them all in port at the same time.

Large cruise ship, one of 7 P & O
vessels in port.

Out of the weather but still a water theme - on it not under it

As for us, interesting though this was, we were trying to make contact with the Birmingham Mail for an interview with Jake.  Tricky manoeuvring around Southampton trying to track down NCR23 and then towards Winchester.

Spitfire at Southampton Airport

Threatening to dry up ...

We made it as far as Lakeside Cafe just north of the airport when the deluge began.  Within minutes we were drenched, water was pouring down the roads and we had 5 miles of horrid, very busy roads travelling into Winchester.  We resorted to paths to avoid the large puddles and then had to negotiate Winchester.  By the way, Winchester without the traffic and the tipping it down rain is probably a lovely town.

Just as another aside, it's a strange rule of thumb that the rubbish weather makes the challenge harder but it also makes raising funds harder along the route as people keep their heads down and rush to get in the dry.

Made it to rather plush looking Holiday Inn and would love to report super sympathetic and helpful vibes...

Trying to dry out shoes, jackets and panniers etc

You should see the rest of the room!

Hoping for a better day tomorrow after about 45 mildly to very soggy miles today.