Thursday 26 July 2007

All but ready and raring to

Hi,

It has been a busy few days in the run up to our trip to Norfolk on Saturday and then on to Lands End. I have been laminating a sign for the bike, also laminating my CTC directions so that the pages don't dissolve in the rain!

I have fitted a carrier for my water bottle on the bike and tested out the recent repairs - new pedals and adjustment to gears so that I can get into bottom gear - essential for all those lovely Devon and Scottish Hills that await me!

I dodged the rains today but there has been some thunder just now and the BBC monthly weather forecast suggests that my first weekend will be wet and then the rest of the trip will be drier.

As I hail from Worcestershire I have been touched by the floods and of course also selfishly concerned about whether I will need to make a detour into the Welsh Hills, whether my B and B are flooded out etc. Hopefully there will be enough dry times for the waters to subside but I really feel for those who will wait days just to get their water back on.

Of course access to cheap clean water is a luxury for many people in Africa and elsewhere so maybe it is good to be reminded of these things and also to reflect on climate change caused by global warning. I am off to Kenya for a week early in September and have a sore left arm today as I have just had a typhoid vaccination in preparation.

Keith and Richard are all set to join me in Manchester and David will likely join me somewhere and now Steve, Becky and Walt and Joe are talking about joining in too. Its such fun to have such good companionship.

I have been studying my first days route on the map tonight and feeling excited. Me and the bike are at our fittest in years. All ready to go. And there is a heavy downpour of rain outside. I have had to modify my route to work to avoid huge puddles in the parks.

Best to all,

Bill on bike

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