Baby steps

A weekend later we decided to go for our first ride together not too great a distance so that Steve could get the feel of the bike. The route was to be a jaunt into kingston from my place followed by lunch beside the Thames and then a ride home through Molesey. Nowhere near the distances we would be covering but hopefully it would give Steve a little more confidence on the bike. He was still a little unsure about cycling on roads with cars whizzing by. The route would be just about 13 miles.

By coincidence I had got a very basic trip computer free in a cereal packet. Although basic it did report speed, distance and cumulative distance which was all I really needed. I attached this to the bike and calibrated it to my wheel circumference before we set off to confirm my distance calculations.

By the time we had reached our break point by the Thames over Kingston bridge just after mile 6 Steve had realised that cycling was going to need different leg muscles to those we had been trying to get into shape for a charity run. I think he was grateful for the lunch break and I was quite enjoying the break too given the lovely weather and watching the river life drift by.

After maybe an hour we set off again as our legs had received a nice break and recovered somewhat. Shortly in to the homeward leg Steve found that it was temporary and as soon as he was back on the bike his leg muscles were complaining again.

Eventually we made it home but I think we both knew we needed serious training to get ready for a weeks worth of cycling around 35miles every day. However we were both quite chuffed. The bikes had stood up to the journey well and all our repairs on Steves new steed held fast. Steve had gone for his first ride in maybe 10 years and felt it wasnt quite as terrifying as he had built it up to be in his head. Next thing for me to do would be to find a longer route for us to do to get into serious training for the trek ahead.