A very bad day for The Beast. A very bad day indeed. The broken saddle quickly followed by a broken rack bolt followed by a broken man. More on that later. First, there’s nothing a cable tie can’t fix….
Steady climb out of Shrewsbury as we head home. More urgency today. We’ve missed our families. We’re also absolutely sick of the sight of each other. Apart from Gaz of course. He’s so off the back we haven’t seen him for three days. Oh, here he is!
Hi Gaz! Onwards. 25 miles into the ‘stage‘ we start to see signposts and mile markers for familiar places…..
Warrington Road Club legend Trevor Horton knows his way to these destinations better than he knows his way to his own home. We must be getting close. 8 years ago when I did the End to End I had an escort from another WRC member on this stage - Darrell Webster. We stopped at this pub for lunch. Steak pudding and chips. Now, sadly, closed.
Now only 25 miles from home, the unthinkable happens. No one saw it coming. Not even the man himself. The Beast bonks. Blows. Hits the wall. Too many miles and not enough fuel. By the time we meet up with our escort home at Frodsham - Ken Dodd (not the one from Knotty Ash, the one one from Orford in Warrington) - he can barely turn his legs. It’s like someone’s pulled the plug out. Down to 10mph. The other Jolly Boys, his so-called ‘mates’, are a mile up the road, wondering whether their leader is actually going to make it home. What would they do? How could they possible continue? Should they go back and help him? Nah. Leave him to die! Fortunately, Ken Dodd - the one from Orford - gives him a wheel and shepherds him home. A true gentleman. The kind of rider you want by your side in times of crisis.…