A Great Feeling ...

... now that it's over. The colleagues and I had a fine time last Saturday riding round Arran on our bicycles. The day started off pishing with rain and we were well soaked by the time we reach Kildonan at the south end. But we were making good progress and feeling good about the success of our fund-raising. Then near-disaster; my chain slipped off the rear cogs as I was changing gear and the derailleur got chewed up and snapped. Bastard thing was totalled. We pulled into a house by the side of the road and the old couple and daughter there provided us with shelter in their shed while we tried to think out our next move. Eventually, while we were scratching our heads and thinking that I would have to retire altogether, the old guy, Terry, volunteered to drive me and my bike back to Brodick.

The colleagues pressed on regardless and I was whisked back to the Cycle Shop in Brodick which was fortunately open. Within half an hour the mechanic there had fitted a new derailleur and I was in a taxi van heading over the String Road in the middle of the island towards Machrie. We caught up with the others just north of Machrie and I was back in the game.

I was absolutely delighted to be re-joining them as I would just have hated to have to quit, having got this far. Anyway we were soon enjoying better weather as we cruised up the west coast towards Lochranza. Which is where is situated Arran Distillery where they make a fine single malt. We had a wee look round but didn't get the full tour as it was near the end of the day, but we bought a bottle of the ten year old just in case we needed a nightcap back at the digs.

After the distillery we were back on the bikes for the long drag up the west side of Glen Chalmadale. This is a near two mile gradient rising to about, fuck I don't know. Anyway I was nearly pegging out by the time I reached the summit. And then! What a fucking rush freewheeling down the other side towards Sannox. It was mental! We were nearly clocking forty miles an hour. If we had come off we'd surely be brown bread. But it was great. I felt terrific at that point which was just as well because eight miles further on as we dragged our sore arses over the finishing line at Brodick I was well knackered.

But we did it, and we have raised over £2,500 for Cancer Research UK. Not bad, eh.