Yesterday, that’s Thursday, travelling from South Molton to Bridgewater seemed to mark a change in fortune in a day passing without delays and major problems.
It is true though, that Lee continued to have mechanical problems with his bike which made hillclimbing particularly difficult, and Chris was briefly stopped by the chain coming off.
By and large, keeping track of the riders and finding rendezvous points came relatively easy.
Google Maps has a feature which allows location to be shared and this made keeping track of the guys a breeze.
I arrived in Bridgewater early, and was able to ensure that they had a safe place for the bikes, there was a laundry service, and somewhere to park the car.
A special thanks goes to Amanda of the Tudor Hotel for going the extra mile and beyond, upgrading our rooms, promising to get the cycling gear washed, dried and returned by morning and staying late to ensure everything was in place for a successful stay and departure in the morning.
Amanda’s colleagues in the restaurant and on Reception in the morning were especially kind and helpful too.
Lee’s bike once again got the attention of a mechanic, but sadly it transpired later that even the straightening out of a wonky bit was not sufficient to cure what ails his steed.
I missed a rendezvous with the guys in Wedmore while I was parking the car and they decided to push on to Cheddar.
Unable to resist the draw of a café-deli there, I sat in the leafy shade of the front courtyard and sampled one of their cannoli with my flat-white.
Getting into a dog-based conversation with a couple, we moved on to the purpose of the ride and my role, and soon had two more sponsors wanting to support the project.
There is so much goodness in people.
We finished the day in Chepstow, which is almost home territory for me.
My lovely Kate drove over to meet briefly, and brought the dog too, a little reunion that put the icing on the cake.
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