dst. (km) Today 65.0 Trip total 65.0 Today’s distance estimated.
Day the first, long and arduous. Out of Heathrow and found that the airline had ripped off the speedo cables — finally, after years of the cables looking “nearly ready to rip off.” Then I managed to twist the valve while trying to pump up the rear tyre and flattened it — always the rear. After removing wheel and tyre I repaired it and finally got on my way. Straight out into 8 am A-road London traffic. I also discovered to my dismay that the notes I had on how to exit Heathrow by bike all referred to people arriving in the other terminal!
Norky bike doing the tourist thing at Windsor castle
I escaped London easily enough. A few hints from an old man standing at a roundabout had me headed the right way towards, but not onto, the A30.
Stanwell, Ashford, Staynes, Wraysbury, Datchet. A pause for a beer in Datchet, the all important first beer of the trip…
Ceremonial first beer of the bike trip
Datchet to Windsor — then around Windsor a dozen times. Gray and overcast I was lost immediately, then popped out at the castle; sat and watched the tourists for a bit, then out onto the B3024 to Reading(51.4333333,-1.0). Leafy and green, very green, and not much traffic. Not much elbow room on the road either. I got to Reading(51.4333333,-1.0) to find that the YHA I thought was in Reading(51.4333333,-1.0) is 8 miles up the river at Goring (51° 31’ 0.0"N, 1° 7’ 60.0"E), so by when I got here I was tired, a little stressed, and still wearing some of the clothes from Sunday as there hadn’t seemed to be the time or place to change them at the airport.
The hostel is a big old house, sitting quietly on its lawn. Most of Goring seems to be doing that as well — just sitting quietly.
Then at ; first beer in Goring while I wait for the hostel to open.
I’ve got aircraft hair and aircraft neck — will probably feel terrible tomorrow.
The girl with the bike on the flight had returned to Aus. for a few weeks to see family before returning to the UK to continue her “big trip”. She was taking her bike because she missed it, and the rental ones she’d tried are terrible.
Where?
Heathrow, Stanwell, Ashford, Staynes, Wraysbury, Datchet, Windsor, Reading(51.4333333,-1.0), Goring(51.5166667,-1.1333333).
