Going for the triple

In a fit of pique some weeks ago I put my name forward for the King of the North Downs. This is an epic Sunday in late May covering 115 miles of South East countryside and every hill the organiser could muster. The South East is pretty flat but with 9,000ft of climbing this ride is not for the faint hearted.

The first time I rode the KOTD the weather was terrible and the experience ranks among one of the worst days on the bike I have ever had. I was wet, cold and hungry, finally hitting the wall (not literally) late in the afternoon and slowly limping home. As ever the pain of the day has morphed into legend upon my memory, hence this year's entry. On the second outing the ride had sold out so I had to take all of my own food and tag along. The weather got hot towards the end of the day and I was riding with some good cyclists which piled the pressure on even more. This year I will ride solo, I'm sure I will make some friends along the way. The weather looks hot so I may have some new delights to look forward to. I'll let you know how I get on.