Ride "Fat Boy" Ride by ratclima

Just a quick note to say WE MADE IT!! Having climbed through high mountain passes and across vast tundra, in extremes of weather, blame global warming, from the heat of the midday sun in the Cotswolds to the hurricane winds and monsoon rains across the Chilterns.

I've attached the online blog we did as we went round and contrary to what you might think it was not all cakes, coffee and beer!

There is still time to donate so please dig deep for the Teenage Cancer Trust and our no little feat of cycling from Birmingham to London. Many thanks again for all the support.

https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/sponsor/EtapeduPlastique

@17:00 Day 2

Finished after slogging the final miles and now in the Swan with Gerry and a pint! Cheers for all your support and donations. It's not too late to make a donation just look me up on the Teenage Cancer Trust website or we'll accept cash. Thanks again, it's off now to find a soft cushion and a warm bath.

@13.00 Day 2

Pudsey boy is just drying himself off in the toilets and the bar staff are mopping up the pools of water we've left! So second pint to finish off and we'll be off.

@12.30 Day 2

Another pint and a sandwich, we may be here for a while!!!

@12:00 Day 2 ....

After a steep climb out of Watlington and a great run down to the Thames, at last a beer en route. A pint of Brakespear in the home of Brakespear, Henley on Thames. All flat from here on in!!

@10:30 on Day 2 ....

After a full English we have set off in the wind and rain!! Two good knees between us we are now in Watlington for coffee and cake before taking on the Chiltern mountain range.

@17.10
Success, well at least we've completed day 1. Past Blenheim Palace but no time for sight seeing. A bit of a treacherous run into Oxford on the A44 but no bones broken. Quick shower and a few well earnt pints. Catch up tomorrow and see if we succeed and complete L'Etape du Plastique.

@15:00
It's like the tortoise aka fat boy and the hare aka Pudsey boy. The A3400 Shipton on Stour to Chipping Norton stretch has the two f*****g longest hills in mainland Britain. The Tour has hillocks in comparison.

Anyway, Ma Larkins on the A44/A3400 junction for our lunch stop. Very healthy, jacket pototoes with tuna and chicken then Pudsey boy goes and orders a side order of onion rings.

Final run in now, only 20 miles to Oxford and all downhill, well it must be after the mountain passes we've just climbed.

@13:37
Shipton on Stour @ 50 miles in. Coke and energy bars and Bob Dylan art exhibition. Simon could be here for a while!!

@12:00
Stratford, toilet stop, figuratively and practically, full of tourists! Saw the man himself cast in bronze but skipped the river boat trip on the Avon to press on to Chipping Norton and a well earned pie and pint.

@11:00
Latish start @ 8.30. But despite a slight mis route around the Birmingham canals we're now in Henley in Arden for cappuccino and cake! No sign of the forecasted rain yet just sun and a following wind.