Bike to the sea
I made it to the seaside under my own power, cycling from my front door to Brighton Pier on Saturday morning. That’s 60 miles on a single speed bike!
I set off in the pause for breath at 8am on a Saturday morning, just before London exploded into the sunshine and went to bbq itself in the parks and snatches of grass. I rode past the staggering still-ups clamping sunglasses to their faces and pulling up hoods as they fell out the off-licences and late clubs in Shoreditch… over London Bridge as the river shrugged off the mist and past Borough Market’s smells…
Brixton was skittering take-away boxes and old folk heading to the market then I was up the hill and rolling into pebble-dashed suburbia, out under the M25 and up for breath in the country. It took two hours to get that far!
The rolling hills and country lanes were beautiful – especially with nice reggae on the headphones and a Snickers bar coursing through my veins. And I was just loving the bike, loving the hypnotism of pedaling, the space to think… and the lure of a cold, crips cider sitting waiting on the beach in Brighton!
The weather couldn’t have been better, the bike behaved thanks to a last minute wheel re-build, and my thighs were ready for action… tho I might be nice to them next time and invest in a bike with some gears!
Big love to everyone who sponored me. See you at the FAF Village Fete on May 2nd I hope.
Ben
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