The cold air brought me round with a jolt. The sky was blurry, blossom blocking the suns feeble attempts to bring light to the enchanting land. I reached to put quiet to the manufactured noise that was shattering natures dawn chorus with its technical squawking. The timer was red with –10 written in the middle. Memories of an earlier cacophony faded in and out. I wonder if those Android geeks had envisaged an oversleeping audaxer when they added the auto-snooze to the timer.
I silenced it and rolled off the picnic bench. Sally was waiting faithfully, leaning against the table, neither eager or reluctant to continue but she tempted me non the less with her soft contoured seat and reliable charm.
I pushed her through the gravel car park that I had entered just fifty minutes earlier to the black road without.
As I resumed my climb I began to shiver, but I knew that with my waterproof on I’d be sweating soon enough.
Ahead I saw a figure emerge into the verge of the road. He pulled a large object from the hedge and tinkered with it. Red and white cut the dark. I was not alone.
Route - http://www.strava.com/activities/148122720
Last years REK was my first (and only) 400 and I was more than mildly anxious and found the ride extremely challenging. The long ride from Blackwater with nothing in Arklow but a sarcastic 24 hour sign was particularly tough. This years manned control was a welcome change.
This year I was much more relaxed about the whole thing and, despite the setbacks, enjoyed the ride much more. I think the feed stops are just perfect. Breakfast Dublin, 2’nd breakfast Carnew, Lunch New Ross, Snack Carick on Suir, dinner in Thomastown, supper in Blackwater and the much improved midnight feast in Arklow.
With a six o’clock start I would normally have travelled to Dublin the night before but with Mrs M out for a re-union my choice was a 2:30 coach or a 3:30 drive. I chose the coach. It forces focus on the time to leave and means I don’t need to worry about driving home. I’d sleep on the coach anyway. I knew this would make me tired later but beggars can’t be choosers.
The last of the revellers were clearing Dublin city centre. I sought McBreakfast but the queue and parking were not to my liking so I took chicken next door in Burger King. Strangely breakfast doesn’t start there ‘till six.
First to sign on and took over while Niall kindly returned to the house for my kit order that I had arranged to collect. I felt guilty asking for it but it was to be an essential part of my nocturnal closing and it was still very early. I signed on another rider, Horst. It seems the further you travel, the earlier you arrive.
The usual suspects and some unusual ones (in the sense that I’d not seen them before) presented by six. We rolled out. I found myself in the front group. Much as I wanted to catch up with those there, I had no intention of riding up the Djouce with them so I dropped back and joined with Jim who I had not seen since somewhere in the night on the Red Line Red Land last year.
I swung right and began the first serious climb. Others were calling to me but I knew there GPS’s were taking them up the return path and there minds were trying to talk them into following.
On the REK you always turn up.
There was a merry crowd. I stopped to turn off my 7am wakeup call and descended with some guys from Donegal who turned out to be from Limerick. As I slowed for a cross roads my front tyre blew with a bang. Sidewall split.
I busied myself. I was promised coffee in Carnew but it never emerged. Olivier stopped and waited. We discussed cheese and wine and bagdrops to Carnew where eggs and bacon were in order. Rolled out with Ronnie, Dave B, Robert, Olivier and John.
The group seemed to be pretty evenly matched which was good and it helped make our stops efficient. I was very wary of this after last year when bad mix of pace cost time.
New Ross – chowder and sarnies, coffee never arrived, garage into Carick, coffee (at last) and cake, Chinese in Thomastown, quick stop in Eniscorthy and then chicken sandwich in Blackwater.
I rode within my means other than when Ronnie, who looked like he could tackle the MF the next day, cajoled me into pushing it a bit. Even the two climbs between Thomastown and Enniscorthy that ground me last year passed pleasantly.
I left Blackwater with John and Olivier, Dave and Robert having gone ahead to find a gate. Olivier had been pacing himself well all day and I suspect he had decided, with 120km to go, he could start to power on as I know he likes to. He slowly disappeared over the horizon. My rear, that I had pumped it on the way into Blackwater, went flat again. I changed the tube but could find no cause which played lightly on my mind.
I was tired. I slept in a field for 15 minutes. John passed just as I rose. 10km up the road I realised I’d left my helmet but I decided I didn’t like it that much.
Arrived at Arklow and took on more coffee and a sandwich with John at Niall’s magical mobile emporium.
On the way to Laragh I stopped for another sleep. I had plenty of time and wanted to enjoy the rest of the ride. Another John emerged from the hedge just after I set off and the first John was just getting off a bench at Laragh when I arrived.
Seems I’m not the only one who likes to sleep under the stars.
I stopped to eat my pasta that had been weighing me down for a day and some flapjack to share that I had brought for the occasion.
At Roundwood I punctured again. Daylight enabled a thorough inspection of the tyre revealed a bad gashed with a small hole at the puncture point.
I repaired the tube with a patch to leave me with one spare and cut another tube and glued it to the inside of the tyre.
It went again about 10km out so I had no tubes left but I knew I could run in it in an hour if I had to – although I’m not sure what the ACP rules are on jogging with your bike.
Niall helped me out again with a spare tube and a boot if I needed it for the journey home, but I did the remaining 20km or so to and from the bus without incident.
So – I’ll be carrying my boot as well as a tube next time.
Oh yes, GPS froze at 396km and now wont boot with the SD card in. For such an expensive device the reliability of the Garmin 800 is a very unreliable and seems to have become more so since the last firmware release. When it works its great but mine has failed in some way on the last two long rides.
Thanks again to all who helped me along the way.
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