2006 Northamptonshire

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Total distance: 174 miles (278.4 kilometres)

This ride was another two day event, starting and stopping in Brackley, just outside Buckingham, with the overnight stop at the Oak Inn at Easton on the Hill.

It rained.

Then it hailed.

Then it rained again.

Most memorable moment? Cycling in single file along a completely unprotected road with open fields on either side. No hedges, fences, rails or anything. The rain was just turning to hail, the wind was picking up, and coming in from the right. We were all soaked to the skin, and the thunder was rumbling louder and more frequently.

The hail started to bounce off the road and my helmet, and it suddenly struck me as incredibly funny that the guy in front of me was cycling along while leaning at a 20 degree angle to the right just to stay upright against the howling gale. In fact we were all doing it.

I think it's called character forming.

Or just stupid.