Off Skirts and Off Bike

Saturday 19.05.2012.  Beaugency – Sully sur Loire   80kms

Although today the weather is pretty rubbish, we have had one quite nice day when I thought wearing my new shorts/skirt would draw a pretty picture. Alan had warned me that I would last no more than 10kms before it would become an encumbrance. 10 kms, huh, about 10 metres! An oncoming lorry was too big to share the road with two laden bikes, so a dismount was required. Hmmm. Skirt caught on the saddle, couldn’t dismount, leaned heavily to one side and with an undignified flourish I just managed to avoid an ignominious fall. Skirt off and Alan right, as usual! Just a little aside ‘cos today was back with nostril wind and not a lot of time for mirth. Not quite as destructive as last blow. My thanks to Deborah for her suggestions of a nose clip. However, all the bike shops I have visited with this request have been unable to oblige. I will keep trying.

The advantage of riding through alluvial forest in a nostril wind is that it does provide for a modicum of shelter. Today, however, the route designers have decreed we shall ride through alluvial plain which provides no shelter at all! Hey ho. Nonetheless, all was going well until the campsite we had in mind for an overnight stop was SHUT and a further 10 kms was required. At this point, Alan, concerned for my welfare, turned in his saddle and shouted, “ Are you okay for another ten k.” Before the ‘of course’ had left my lips, his trailer wheel caught a huge, and completely hidden tree stump and Mr. Concerned up-turned and fell, along with trailer and bike, in a crumpled heap in the dirt. There was a moment of panic while I tried to work out an evacuation plan, but in true manly spirit, he was up, hurting, but with trailer in better shape than he was, we carried on! His determination was to be admired, as were the efforts of my nephew Tom, who was competing this day in the Iron Man contest in Lanzarote.  We did find a four star camp site with only half a star open but in a lovely spot next to the river. As we pitched camp we received word that Tom had succeeded in completing the course in a very respectable time and we send our heartfelt congratulations.

 As long as Al kept his right arm low he could manage the pain in his arm but not the pain who arrived on his bike just before dark! A man from Leeds who at one time had worked for …………….PGL! After three large cans of ale, said man left for a bar in the nearest town and us oldies wriggled into sleeping bags. Well I wriggled, Alan sort of lurched. At 23.00 the fireworks in the local village sparked into life and at 23.30 sleep finally overwhelmed both of us. I just hope he can move in the morning! Another imponderable.