The bike shop came through. They got my new shifter and brake handle in and installed it by 5:00 on Friday. I was ready to roll Saturday morning as planned. They were terrific. If you are ever in Sheffield, England and need bike assistance, I highly recommend J.E.James Cycles.
Wow! What a day we had today. We gathered and loaded the car at 8:30. James’ family and friends met us to see us off and the local newspaper was there to take photos for a story. Dronfield is a small town, population 22, 000, and this ride was newsworthy. We stayed together the first part of the day to try to learn to navigate the round abouts (rotaries in England) which have multiple lanes and stop lights. There are only six riders, but we ride at different speeds, so keeping together to navigate the traffic and rotaries was a challenge. James had a couple of his friends join us for the first 20 miles to help us get out of town. We rode through several small villages and some mid-sized towns. The streets are narrow and the traffic was fast. It was a nerve racking experience. But once we got away from the towns, the countryside was gorgeous, a patchwork of wheat, soybean, and alfalfa fields flowing across the rolling hillsides. And hills there were. We had many climbs, the steepest of which was was 14% grade. Most of the of day was spent on hills of 3-9% grade that stretched on for miles and then crested to drop into a charming village with narrow winding streets. We are not riding the tourist spots of England. We are on backroads and and in small villages, and it is fun to stop and chat with the locals. Local pubs and cafes are community gathering points.
Our sag stop (Mile 20) was at King Williams Pub (no, we did not enjoy a pint) and lunch at mile 50 was at a family run cafe. After lunch the group split, three riders took a detour to stop at a bike shop for a problem with the electronic shifting on one of the bikes, two riders were going to take the last leg very slowly, so I rode the last 30 miles alone. In 30 miles I got lost three times, even using my Garmin and a printed cue sheet! And at every round about I kept chanting to myself “left, left, left”. It is just so confusing riding on the left side of the road. Just when I get it figured out we will be in France and back on the right! I am riding with a great group of friends. When we rode across the US we had one goal: to ride from coast to coast. This trip is more about the joy of riding and visiting new places. While this ride is more relaxed, the group is smaller, and we don’t have a tour company supporting us, one thing is the same. Seeing a country by bicycle is a fully immersive and incredibly fulfilling experience. I am tired and happy after just one day. Some days ahead will be f the days challenging riding, but today was a great start to an amazing adventure. The weather forecast for tomorrow is positive. Clear skies and high 70’s. We are reading about record heat ahead in Spain and Portugal. Hope it breaks before we get there.
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