Cycling John O'Groats-1

10/04/17

As much as I'd love to moan about the crashes, the loosened cleat, a few odd punctures, broken pump, the trailers and cars passing from inches away, the lost route and longer detour and NOT reaching the destination- London(I just somehow kept going farther from it), this day showed me the better side of UK when I was fixing my bike at an odd rural area and a lady started having a conversation with me which ended up in she saying, "If you have nothing planned, will you please stay here with us for the night? We'd love to host you..I'd love to have my daughter and her friends hear about your stories so they end up being as brave as you..". This made my day.. To those of you who asked me, "WHY?", this is why! #JustTheBeginning #NeverTakeA31 #LessonLearnt

11/07/17

This day has managed to convince me that it's all in the head. I remember someone telling me to forget the distance, forget the destination and just enjoy riding the bike. I did, and it was beautiful. Everything was so beautiful today..Some things did go wrong like every other time but then it doesn't even matter anymore. After Rolling hills, infinite punctures, panicky situation on the main footbridge at Reading, getting sick 5 miles from Reading for 2-3 times, missed lunch and not-so-crash-but-still-a-crash later I am finally at Oxford... and I can't describe how lovely this place is!! #GimmeThatBurrito #AndAPlaceToShower

12/07/17

If you think life is difficult you have never changed the tyres of your bike by yourself(for the first time at least) !

So I wake up to the realisation that my tyres need to be changed because the rear tyre has a split and Oxford is a good place to do so because it has loads of bike shops of decent quality. I end up in a shop a kilometre away from where I stayed the night and tell the owner exactly what I need. He finds the options available and shows them to me. Then he tells me the price. I bargain and somehow end up buying Schwalbe Marathon tyres 28 x 700c instead of what I had originally planned. At this point, the guy decides to ask me if I need his workshop guys to change it and I quickly deny because, well, I can change it all by myself, can't I!? I ask him if I can use the space outside shop, leave the bike there, grab a coffee and get to my job. He smirks and says he can get me some coffee. 

"How do you have your coffee?""Very strong with 3 sugars and a lil bit milk"He gives me a total 'what the fuck' look which I notice but ignore. I swiftly do the initial part of the job and start off with installing the new tyre on the rim. It never gets easier. It only gets worse. I don't stop trying. I reach to the point where only a last patch is remaining to be fit inside the rim. I realise that it's still only the front tyre that I'm struggling with. The guy gets coffee and says "£5 each tyre, it's not that hard for the workshop guys, I reckon?" and smiles and walks off when I say that I'm gonna be fine and I'm gonna keep trying. Later in time, a guy from workshop gets there and says,"you haven't done this ever, have you?" and I shake my head. He helps me with the last bit and goes away. Then he sees me install it on my bike after filling in air and when I'm done with fixing the quick release asks me, " have you ever fallen over the bar?" and I tell him that I have on several occasions. He tells me then how I fix the quick release wrong and how it could get me to fall otb. We have a good laugh after which I straight off start with the rear tyre. I do everything faster and struggle with the same last bit. I don't stop trying. Now I'm enjoying this thing where I try and fail and never stop. The owner gets me another coffee and comments, "You, lady, don't just give up" . The workshop guy sees me struggling and when I'm almost done with the last bit he gets there to have a chat and lend a hand. I'm almost in tears. Next, he says that I've put it on the wrong direction and then tells me how to install it in the right direction. The tears roll down my cheeks and I feel weak, tired, dejected all at once but I manage to laugh at my "silly" mistake. He says,"Have you had anything to eat? It's almost 1 in the afternoon " "Oh, is it? I lost the track of time. Nope. Not since the dinner yesterday evening" "Go to the shop next door and get yourself a panini, trust me, it's heaven on earth. Meanwhile, I'll change the tyre the right way."I go to the shop and get myself a panini and by the time I'm back he's already done changing it and has kept my bike at a safer place along with my stuff which was spread alongside and also put on a chair for me. Now the owner gets a third coffee for me, gets his son and two workshop guys and we all have a good chat. The owner suggests me to wash my greasy and dirty hands and there's a weirdo soap/oil/whatever with which he shows me how to wash my hands after they're dirty. I am 11 years old all over again. Before I put the bag on and leave he asks me to check my bike and it's parts properly. I do so and after another long chat, I leave. The road is pretty busy and there are fast cars and huge lorries passing by. I tell myself that I'm not scared although I'm moved from the inside. I just keep pedalling until the suggestion of forgetting the destination and distance and enjoying the ride comes back to me. I remind myself that I'm brave. And strong. Very strong. But I am scared and I was crying a while ago, wasn't I? Probably being brave isn't about not being scared. Probably it's just being scared with a little courage to go on. Probably it's fooling the heart of calling all the dangerous things beautiful. Or probably it's just being insane? I remember being scared of being in middle of nowhere and having my resources screwed up there and being helpless. Now I'm not after facing that thing the other night. Probably THIS is what it's all about. Facing my fears until I'm no longer scared.