WheelMeat! An adventure blog by Doo: Snowdroping 2018

Saturday, 24 February 2018

Snowdroping 2018

Toll, Chris, Doo, Trev, Phil and Jamie at Start of Snowdrop (2018)

This week started great. Kinda great anyway. Monday morning saw me cycle to Roger's. It was a wet, misty morning and visibility was poor. Decided to tackle Cobley Hill on route and felt suitably warned up once I had reached Roger's domicile. My legs looked tanned, but it was mud rather than sun burn.

Swapped bikes at Roger's. If we were to cycle together then the tandem was a definite requirement. Once we set off the rain had mostly stopped. We cycled a nice loop to Whitlenge Tea Rooms and back. The hilliness profile looked like a skate ramp. Was great, as always, chatting with Roger. He has recruited 3-4 new chaps to pilot his tandem. Such great news after putting out his urgent tandem appeal.

From Roger's, I cycled home up and over Rose Hill. I then cycled a part of TROAD and had a nice climb up to Astwood Bank. Nice descent then took me back back home. Great start to the week.

Tuesday saw me catch up with Ron. We had a good night cycling our Deer Route. Just like old times.

Wednesday and Friday were regular cycle to work and back commute days. I have usually rested my legs before a big event but not this week, oh no. I think it's good practice for TAW to complete as much 'back to back' stuff as I can.

Thursday was an odd day. Odd because I ran instead of cycling. Nice 5k jaunt around my village.

Saturday was the Snowdrop. A 120k audax. This was the first audax cycle event I ever completed and this effort today saw me complete my 125th audax to date.

I cycled from home to the start of the Snowdrop, all on my lonesome. However, once there, saw the beaming smiles of Toll, Chris, Trev, Jamie, Jez, Phil and Andy Genders which was awesome. A few of my buddies DNS.

The A Team: Toll, Jamie, Doo and Chris (and Trev - not pictured)

It was super nice to see Chris - we weren't sure if he was going to be a no show. In turned out he was probably the most prepared. Just check out his kicks...

Chris's kicks

The Snowdrop was a cold affair but at least it was dry. It was good to see Mark Rigby at the first control in Upton. This control was crowded and it took a while before I got served my cheese toastie.

Raphael's cafe was now open again (after a fire the previous year) in Evesham. The premises looked pretty great. The food, however, was awful. My fish (and chips) came complete with spinal cord. Ugh! It was good to see the B Team here.

The B Team: Jezz, Andy and Phil

The final leg was great. This was the hilly section. Pig Hill remains 'Phil's Hill'. Super nice to get rewarded with 'free food' (sausage sarnie and tea for me) at the finish. Job done - awesomeness. I flew back home with Chris, who'd have thought, wasn't that a pip!

Below is a series of pics from the Snowdrop over the years. Nostalgia and all that. Aces!