Hard Day in January '23

Yep on the 7:50

They do say never meet your heros, they'll only let you down. So it's probably just as well.

So is this why you've not texted me since the 300, oh OK I see now

It's distance that keeps us apart. I can't bare the heartbreak so I have to stay away

HDiJ - an inverted concept of The Four Horsemen

I'll always remember meeting YAL

He read poetry

Here we go again.

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And there I was thinking 5:17 was bad

Looks like tributes from different places

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Very regrettably out, crank arm decided to give up and strip the bolts on the way over. At least it wasn't on the ride

Have a good day all

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Last of the late brakers, I'm on the 8:20. Should be with you guys just before 9:00.

@WhitleyJay - gutted, was looking forward to catching up.

Incredible commitment, see you later

Pre-ride briefing and depart!

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❤️

Lots of this

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Screenshots of photos?

I tried to find a nice steel bike to come on this, but there was literally nothing on eBay for months! Had to go on a very painful ‘xc’ ride instead

Safely on the train back up North. As always, huge thanks to @youramericanlover for organising. Also to @Josh012 and @Lucybee for making me push myself, plying me with delicious banana bread, and generally being delightful people (rest of you are alright too I guess).

Managed to take one photo. It was really. Bloody. Cold.

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Thanks for the organisation and the spoke card. A good crew out there with several folk who had something closer to summer legs, rather than winter legs.

The loan of a wheel before lunch was much more pleasant than freezing fingers roadside. Who was the unlucky fellow who punctured a wheel a few minutes after me? @clubman is a good egg all round.

Sorry to head home separately after lunch. Spent a bit of time afterwards on the Phoenix Trail pretending to be a first-aider until the ambulance turned up. An old fellow fell off his bike, banged his head, lost consciousness and some memory. Glad to leave it to the professionals but he seemed to be gradually pulling it all together by the time the ambos arrived, quicker than I expected.

cheers all, but especially @youramericanlover and @clubman for making it happen. first and hopefully only time Ill arrive at the cafe with an icicle off my beard.

Good to see some familiar faces and nice to meet everyone else for the first time! Looking forward to the pics and ride reports - hopefully I’ll be up for the full distance again one day. Sorry I couldn’t get over for the post-ride beer. OH came home with a sick child so couldn’t really get out of that one. Hope the pub choice was ok.

I have no words

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