As I did not go on today's training ride, there is little I can say about it. Turned out Ollie and Dirk never did get my messages to take pictures as both of them forgot to take their phones. Something they are unlikely to do in future as today's experiences showed them how vital such equipment can be. I won't say more - instead I will pass you over to Ollie, who will tell you about what actually happened that day. It was not pleasant...
Best of all today I’m sporting my brand spanking new Specialized Tarmac, full carbon fibre, all the bells and whistles etc, etc - this is the closest I've come, or probably ever will come, to owning a proper racing bike, bought with aid of Mr. Brown’s Cycle-to-Work scheme. I've been getting used to my new pocket rocket over the last week or so, the steering feels a bit twitchy being such a fast bike, requiring 100% concentration, but my daily commute to Canary Wharf has given me some very fun run-in time. Frankly I’ve have simply been ripping it up, leaving all for dust on the Embankment, passing 6ft ‘Cervelo’ racers with calves the size of Argentina and even mad fixie dudes. So I'm raring to go - then a call from Jorrin at 9.23 he has been "working" late and can't make it - to be fair Jorrin has over last few weeks put a massive amount into the ride, sorting out sponsorship, drivers, cameraman, and a host of other extras, as well of course giving us all invaluable cycling advice in one form or another - so I give him a break. However, Damian can't make it, and no word form Deuan, and Dirk, whilst he can make it, has forgotten his cycling kit! Hmmmm, where is the dedication with a week to go? So it looks like I'm going it alone today, and hence why I'm writing the blog rather the resident Flying Dutchman. Jorrin sorts Dirk out with some cycling kit and they both turn up at my house with a whole load of goodies from one of our sponsors, Brixton cycles (socks, bottles, tee-shirt etc) – good effort BC! The ride kicks off well, and I am really looking forward to the climb and view at Box Hill. I'm leading most of the way and am probably going a bit faster than usual, its approx 25 miles to BH, so I reckon we should keep the speed up as we are not doing too many miles today. I have in my mind that I should really enjoy today and also remain safe, and not repeat my spectacular somersault shenanigans on the last team ride - in attempt to avoid a non-signalling Mercedes (nice), I hit the breaks at the bottom of Kingston Hill, however, having borrowed Jorrin's bike with continental placement of the brake levers (i.e. front and back brake levers reversed), I grabbed a fist full of front brake! - a definite YouTube moment. Damian was drafting behind me - the look on his face said it all.
Past Esher and a few steady climbs as we start to get into the Surrey Countryside proper, we head up toward Polsden Lacy (National Trust), followed by a few more climbs and then a nice fast down hill before we get to the bottom of Box Hill for the climb up. Dirk is doing a good job of keeping up and I point to the 20% sign as we descend into Westhumble (just before Box Hill), we whizz past a couple of leisure cyclists who are freewheeling down whilst squeezing their brakes hard, we pick up optimum speed and then there is a steep turn to the right, I am anticipating this and have both breaks covered and on, but clearly not enough, the road surface is covered with loose gravel and as I don't want to lose control by losing grip I ominously start drifting out to the left. I notice a collection of leaves, twigs and roadside debris, and in that split second I realise it's decision time - either lean down further and try to make the corner at risk of losing the wheels from underneath me (serious road rash), or carry on and run out of road, but using the high dirt bank in a sort of "wall of death" type effort - being the daredevil type I decided on the latter - I mount the steep dirt curb – ‘I can make this’...then the tell tale sign, everything starts to go into slow motion, my mind is one with the moment and starts musing, 'right, I in fact, am not going to make this, so how bad is this going to be? Are we talking broken bones? Possibly, lets then try and somehow avoid those trees and barbed wire fence, as much as I love the Surrey country side I would quite like not to be part of it’ - then DOOOSH, AARRGH, TWANG, SPLURG (banana in back pocket), PING PANG PING (most spokes in back wheel), SCCARG (the sound skin makes when it is taken from your body and laid on tarmac), THWUMP! 'Oh hi Dirk' - SMASH, CRUMPLE. 'Oh hi smug leisure cyclists, no, no I'm just fine, no I like to wear my bones on the outside, what, the bike?, yes it is new, no I'm sure its fine too, in anycase, I need ed a new carbon fibre windchime. Oh yes, and my lovely Aksium rear wheel, would now make a great Dream Catcher, great idea, thanks'.
After scraping myself and my now not so new looking Tarmac off the tarmac (yes, yes I see the irony), I realise that I was in fact very lucky, my knee has seen better days and my Achilles is screaming at me, but all in all it could have been a lot worse - unfortunately no action camera shots again, but here are some post 'ride' pics to show you what blood looks like on Carbon Fibre forks .
As I resign myself to picking out the mixture of earth, banana and grease from my wounds over the following days, I reflect on this most recent of crashes - I have all the usual feelings of embarrassment, bruised pride, self loathing/stupidity and anger, but most of all it make me laugh - what a p*at!...and moreover I must have another go at that decent!
The Specialized has not faired so well though and looks a rather sorry for itself. It's currently at Brixton Cycles being looked after by the doctors. And put it this way, I'm not so worried about scratching the frame on the bike rack at work now!
What a day...and it had started off so well... Wiping out at 27/30 MPH, trashing my new bike and my old knee, - all in all great preparation for the 1000 miler. I will probably have to revert back to my old Ribble for the ride (unless Brixton cycles can work some magic), I'm currently nursing the leg, and if my achilles doesn't heal in 5 days I think I might be relegated to driver/cook etc....
PS Many thanks to the White man van/mountain bike rider who gave us a lift to the Westhumble station - we owe you one.
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