T -3 days and counting

I don't think there is anything more we can do to prepare...

...apart from:

• Pack bags
• Find drivers license and stuff
• Get first day snacks and drinks
• Start to prepare work to be able to stop at a reasonable time on Friday
• Erm, charge all batteries
• Err, Hmm, Re-Check some of the routes for travel
• And emmm, errr, mmmmm, check the weather forecast

"WEATHER FORECAST"! Woooh. Have you seen the weather forecast? A Heatwave. Just typical.

Since when do we forecast those in the UK? It's been a long time, but really, does it have to be at the start of the biggest ride of my life? On the bright side, no pun intended, it looks like it's going to be dry and not too windy. But I have found during practice that hot weather is not really the best thing for me to be riding in. Cooler tends to be way better with less chance of overheating and needing to carry less fluids.

But one thing is for sure, it's going to be great weather for pictures and video for the start of the ride.

We now have shirts supplied by our local brewery DarkStar who have recently started the DarkStar Foundation to help support local charities. I encourage you to visit their webpage and more importantly to drink their beer. It gets around all over the UK and well worth going that extra mile to find it. I can recommend the Summer Meltdown.

Although it is a 4.8% so you may want to start with something lower such as the Hophead or perhaps their new pint, The Art of Darkness. Which perhaps could be my new favorite pint since they stopped doing Chestnut.

Holly is fighting off some sniffles, although the chemist thinks it may be hay fever. And I have that slight tickle in my throat which I think is most likely over talking. Who? me? nah.

Got one final ride to make before we head off and that is to do a test run with heavier panniers attached to the bike to practice having the higher than normal centre of gravity. Not that that's been a problem for me.