It’s four days since 29 of the 30 Bliss Baby Bikers that set out from Cirencester last weekend completed our ride to Paris.  Given the ridiculously adverse weather conditions that plagued us most days, the extraordinarily challenging hills and general fatigue, it’s a small miracle we only lost one rider en route.

We arrived at Esplanade du Trocadero in front the Eiffel Tower in the rain (inevitably) around 6pm on Wednesday, after a scary couple of hours (least that’s what it felt like) negotiating Paris rush hour and crazy arsed French drivers, whilst really needing a wee (I did, anyway).

The last day of riding was not nearly as challenging as previous days … just 4 big hills (including a nice steep forested one that we didn’t actually need to climb, due to a slight navigational miscalc), all conquered before lunch.  The mood had an air of demob happy to it and we picked two thirds of the mileage off before lunch.  What should have been an easy 20 miles into Paris along the canal path after lunch actually took the best part of five hours due to 9 punctures, wet slippery surfaces (coupled with overall tiredness) causing several riders to spontaneously fall off their bikes, and the innumerable traffic lights through the city.

No-one really seemed to mind the hold ups though; the mood was so high, the team spirit so strong and there was a little bit of not wanting the journey to be over.  We stuck together through every obstacle and rounded the last roundabout en mass, oblivious to rain and traffic and making as much noise as possible.  It was the most incredible sense of achievement.

There were challenges, there were aches and pains, and there were times when humours waned, but these made the whole experience what it was … the most amazing few days, with the loveliest bunch of people.  I loved it.  And I now miss it!  I miss getting up and getting on the bike and I miss the team.  Admittedly, their bottoms are more familiar to me than their faces, so I’m looking forward to seeing them all properly dressed at the reunion!

There is so much I could say about the team, the amazing crew, the hotels, and Rusty Bob (who got me all 425 of the miles with only one puncture); and I have a whole load of Bob Cam footage to edit, but for now … some vaguely lucid memories of the after party:

• Champagne and happy faces
• Promising Abi really sincerely that I wouldn’t drink too much so as not to be really irritating on the ride back to Calais at 3am
• Immediately proceeding to drink several bottles of wine of a variety of colours
• Having what I hope was a coherent conversation with Kate’s mum
• Joining the drinking game and failing at the first hurdle
• Snorting vodka
• Charming rendition of Alouette, sung by every occupant of the bar, ably led by Ash
• A surprise visit by the cops, a period of drunken hush and placating of said officer by the bar manager
• Another round of Alouette
• A taxi ride, another bar, somewhere else
• Lucy and Kate dancing on the tables
• Walking, maybe even skipping down the street hand in hand with the Phils (sorry Phils)
• Not nearly enough Tequila!
• Heartfelt goodbyes and the best hugs
• A 2am taxi ride back to the hotel to meet up with a none too pleased Abi, a 3am taxi ride (of which I have no recollection) to collect the trucks and bikes (on the plus side, I am amazed I actually left on time!)
• Ellie puking out the window of Andy’s truck as we made our way back to Calais

I was going to tell you about the joys of cycling, after enjoying yesterday’s ride so much, but I didn’t feel much of the joy today. 85 miles we cycled, but it felt like so much more. Wind, spills, fatigue and more wind (of the meteorological variety) made for a horrible day of cycling.

Things I like about cycling:

• All the funny little hand signals that mean something very useful which, as yet, I do not comprehend
• All the shout outs back and forth through the pack warning of impending doom in the shape of pot holes, oncoming vehicles, slippery drains and other assorted obstacles
• Cycling along at the back of a group and riding their slipstream
• Lycra … yup, love it!
• The way everyone cycling in a pack looks out for each other and the team spirit
• Going fast down a hill (but only when you can see where it comes out, otherwise it’s just really scary)

Things I don’t like about cycling:

• Getting grit, flies, bugs, foliage, and random debris in your eyes
• Losing all feeling in your right foot from about 5 miles onwards
• Chuffing hills
• Helmets … yes, it has been proven that they are quite useful at keeping your head in tact in the event of a collision, but if done up tight enough to stay on your head, they are inevitably too tight for comfort and create several chins
• Ridiculous tan lines … such as panda eyes and interesting leg patterns
• Weather

We spent the entire day (the ENTIRE day) cycling into the most horrendous wind. Every mile felt like 5. It was relentless. I blame French agriculture. Mile upon mile of turnip fields stretching as far as the eye can see, all flat and open for the wind to howl through. (And the fields don’t smell too nice in the damp either).

People were struggling, the going was hard. The few miles after the last drink stop, where people were questioning whether they could go on, were a relentless soggy climb. The rain set in. Not refreshing drizzle, but hard, wet torrential rain that turned the roads to rivers and soaked us to the bone. Still, those last 20 wet miles were a bit exhilarating.

Just 61 miles to go tomorrow before we reach Paris …

Bienvenue a France!

Sat in the dining room of our hotel, looking around at the team eating their breakfasts … there are a few sunburned faces, talk of rain (par for the course now really), and speculation about how many of our refreshment stops will provide loo facilities versus the hunt for a suitable spot for a jungle wee.  (Yesterday the catering crew simply designated a spot in the village square car park for wees, and set up the soup kitchen the other side of the car park.  The locals thought them most intriguing.

Clearly the team has bonded and the shared sense of endurance has loosened inhibitions for discussions of piles, boils and raw bits abound.

Despite the unexpected and horrendously long, steep hill out of Folkstone, yesterday was a thoroughly enjoyable cycle through the Northern French countryside, in sunshine until late afternoon when the rain set in and soaked the jelly babies in my jersey pocket!  There were a few hills, just to remind us how much we enjoy them, but mostly smooth rolling.  A fair bit of fannying about at various points with ferry terminals, to regroup with lost crew and lost cyclists, to fix punctures and administer roadside massages, meant it was a long day.

I don’t think too many people woke up this morning thinking ‘I really fancy an 85 mile cycle ride today’.  But cycle we must, and it’s time to lycra up and head off, so more of this later …

I’ve never been so pleased to be tucked up in a decrepit British seaside hotel; the overcooked sprouts at the dinner buffet, the smell of burning when you switch the electric heater on to fend off the chill, the unidentifiable stains on the ceilings, walls and carpets.

I have also never been so proud of a team effort.  30 wonderful, wet, cold, bedraggled, muddy, tired, aching cyclists finally made it to the hotel at 7.30pm, mostly with humours in tact, after a twelve hour day tackling the streets of London, hill upon hill upon steep fecking hill, lashing rain and a howling gale.

There has been an amazing team spirit today.  We rode together all day, everybody looking out for each other, those at the front stopping to wait for those bringing up the rear; the fitter among us (not me, I hasten to add) going back to help those requiring support getting up hills, massaging cramps and changing tyres; keeping up spirits when the going got tough.

98 arduous, ridiculously hilly (undulating, my arse, Mr Hammond!), cold, wet, windy (and for the last hour, dark) miles … that’s day 2 done!


So in celebration, a song or two I think …

• Keeping your head out of the loo (yes, this is a song, google it) … how my day started, after a sleepless night spent throwing up.
•  London calling … yes, they want their streets back, they appear to be riddled with cyclists riding three abreast, no less.
• It’s raining men … in tights!  I have never seen so many men in tights.  One doesn’t know where to look.
• The hills are alive with the sound of … 30 knackered cyclists, creaking, groaning and pedalling like fury up so many hills.
• Windy Miller, Windy Miller can you grind the corn … no, but I can summon a ferocious wind to bitch slap you about a bit on your bikes … and I’m talking a real hoolie, like 30mph gusts blowing in all directions.
• It’s a long way to Tipperary … it may be, but not as bloody long as it is from West London to Folkestone via a few navigational cock ups.
• I’m singing in the rain, just singing in the rain … we were, at one point (Oh I do like to be beside the seaside) in a spontaneous outbreak of morale.
• This bed is on fire … no, it’s not, but my arse is.
• I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike … actually, no I don’t, not really!  Don’t even want to look at it.
• We are sailing, we are sailing … at least we will be in the morning, providing the storm abates and the ferries are running, that’s a puke fest waiting to happen if the sea was anything to go by tonight.
• I love Paris in the springtime … ‘cept it’s Autumn.  And cold and wet.
  

I signed up for this ride because I wanted to challenge myself; take on something I’d not tried before and push my limits.  Done that.  So over that.  Can I go home now?  No, I can’t.  Because I also signed up to this ride to raise money for Bliss.  To help them provide vital support and care to premature and poorly babies and their families.  So please, if you can spare a few pennies, or a few pounds, please donate at www.justgiving.com/rebecca-pointer and help spur us on.

What an amazing first day – Cirencester to West Drayton (75 miles ish)!  Felt very emotional this morning as it all came together, and the bikers, crew and hoards of supporters gathered in the Market Place to begin our journey.  Forgot to check the bus times, so slight delay as we waited for the number 10 to pull out, but then we were on our way to cheers from the crowd.

There were spills, there were far too many hills, there were punctures, there were cramps, there were stragglers, there were wrong turns but we all made it safe to the end of day 1.  The crew have been incredible; feeding us, fixing us, fixing our bikes.  Ellie is sat next to me right now making an appointment book for massages, she’s in high demand already.

So on behalf of all my fellow Bliss Baby Bikers, a little poem …

Ode to my bum!

Bump , bump, bump
Went my poor, sorry bum,
Bouncing in the saddle
All day long.

It’s the end of day one,
And my what a farce,
My legs won’t stand, but
I can’t sit on my arse.

Every muscle is sore,
The pain is quite rotten,
But the one that aches most
Is my poor, battered bottom.

The scenery is nice,
The road mostly smooth,
But the occasional rut
Jolts every nerve in my butt.

I admit it’s quite squishy,
And prepared to do battle
But the bones in my tushi,
My how they rattle.

The only relief,
From the pains in my arse,
Is born from a grape
And comes in a glass.

Just over a year ago a friend had the idea of a little cycle ride down to Paris, to raise money for Bliss, a charity very close to his heart (his son Joshua, now a healthy 20 month old, was born prematurely and spent two weeks in the neo-natal unit).  He stuck the idea on Facebook, got an avalanche of responses, and so Bliss Baby Bikers was born!

I immediately took leave of my senses and signed up, both to cycle and to be part of the small committee of volunteers who have put this whole thing together (Andy, Ringo, Ed, Abi, it’s been quite a journey already).

It has taken us a year of planning, researching, organising, begging, cajoling and fretting to pull it off.  Our 30 riders and 11 volunteer crew members have so far raised an amazing £28,000 for Bliss, 80% of our £35,000 target.  (Crikey, my eyes just started leaking, must be the carb overload!)

All that remains now is for the pedalling to begin.  I’m as ready as I’ll ever be, and the essential items are packed!

For my sponsors, and those who might consider sponsoring me a few pennies, I just wanted to share an email the team received from Bliss this morning, wishing us luck and saying what our £28,000 means to Bliss.

Just wanted to wish you all the very best of luck with your cycling challenge this weekend! I hope that the weather stays dry for you and that you have a fantastic time cycling together to Paris.

You’ve already raised an incredible amount to help the most vulnerable and poorly babies and I know this is thanks to a lot of hard work so thank you so much for all you have done so far!

I wanted to give you an idea of the difference that the money you’ve raised can make to the families that we work with. At the last look you guys had raised over £27,500.

It costs Bliss £10,000 to provide free counselling sessions to 40 families who are grieving or suffering from stress and anxiety following a traumatic birth.

It costs Bliss £15,000 to train 30 Bliss Champions who go in to hospitals to talk to parents about their experiences and let them know how Bliss is able to help them. These Bliss Champions are volunteers and many are parents whose babies started off needing life saving hospital care as well, who were supported by Bliss at that time.

It costs Bliss £500 to provide 250 families with the Bliss Family Handbook which is a life line and constant source of support and information for parents while their baby is in hospital.

Every year in the UK 80,000 babies are born too soon, too small or too sick. Bliss aims to reach out to every single family with a baby who stays on a neonatal unit. This is only possible with the amazing fundraising support we receive from people like yourselves so on behalf of Bliss and all of our babies and families, let me say a huge thank you for making our work possible.

I hope that thinking about the difference you make keeps your spirits up during any difficult parts of the bike ride.

I will be posting updates as we pedal our way to Paris over the next few days so you can follow our journey.  Your support and encouragement means a great deal and will keep me going through the tough bits, so thank you!

www.justgiving.com/rebecca-pointer