JOGLE continued.....

04/04/2010 0 Comment(s) Good Friday? My wife disagrees. We’re on the road at 8 am instead of sleeping in, en route for Mat’s. An hour later we’re in Godalming getting kitted up for a planned 75 mile trek to the New Forest, GPS on and ready to go. The weather forecast was horrendous! We enjoyed the first 90 minutes in the dry Hampshire lanes between Brook and Bordon but I was struggling with the GPS thanks to the almost sunny conditions because I couldn’t read the screen. I soon realised that tapping the touchscreen to bring up the map whilst holding both brakes on and steering into a junction was going to be tricky. Then it rained. Hard. For more than two hours between Alton and NewArlesford. Spirits were low and our fingers and toes were getting painfully cold and wet. The minor roads were awash and water was soaking down inside all of our many layers. After a rest stop, bananas, malt loaf, change of gloves, belated addition of waterproof leggings, and repeated use of a hot air hand dryer we picked up where we left off. Starting off again is always difficult, like getting into a cold swimming pool, but mercifully the rain had blown over and we made another 15 miles to Hedge End in relative comfort and looking for food. Right on cue and at 50.01 miles exactly, the Burger King sign was not a mirage. Time to try dry out! This is where we got too comfortable. Until we started off into the shopper traffic around the Retail Park, which was full of dopey idiots – sorry, impatient dopey idiots – we were glad to move on. We crossed the Woolston toll bridge towards Southampton and this was where the wind really strengthened. The Hythe Ferry had just left when we arrived at the Red Funnel terminal at five past four. So we didn’t get to Hythe until quarter to five. This felt like tedious progress, so we were keen to get a move on through the New Forest. Trouble was, the GPS led us astray in Hythe, then the battery gave up after seven hours, which was inconvenient - and left us unsure how far we had left. Beaulieu was a very welcome sight after a real struggle into the wind, but time was getting on and Brockenhurst was still five miles further. We caught up with a guy on a unicycle doing a 200 mile ride, which made us appreciate our two wheels all the more! After slip streaming a Winnebago campervan for as far as possible, Mat survived a cramp attack at Sway, and we eventually got to our heroes welcome from Mat’s very extended family in Barton on Sea. Job done and over 80 miles in total! Thanks to the whole De-Gruchy clan for a cheering reception and lots of chocolate. - Porks.

Authors Paul and Mat Archives June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 Categories All RSS Feed

---