Thursday, 11th May saw Jason ride to Terry's, then both head off through Holystone Farm to meet John by the side of the A1056 at High Farm. John had already done about 12 miles on his own after getting an early start from his Cramlington home, but didn't look the least bit worse for wear, having embarked on a fitness regime that's seen him almost STOP EATING CHOCOLATE! We left via the bridleway towards Killingworth Village but turned west through the New Town to West Moor, crossing the A189 into Gosforth Park. We rode past the Racecourse and popped out the other side, crossing the Great North Road and heading up through Brunton to Newcastle Great Park.

We turned north along the bridleway through the Country Park at Hazlerigg and were powering along it when there was a subdued squeal from the back. That was John, and he'd dismounted, looking down at the Saracen and shaking his head. You can't see Jason's face here but he was howling with laughter. Had the frame finally collapsed after a year of abuse from an overweight, big-gear-pushing Creme Egg Eater? No, nothing so earth shattering. Just a puncture, but hey, get a load of these pix - not every day you get a double-ended knitting needle poked through your tyre!

Straightened out, it was about six inches long, but you'll have to take my word for that, as in the shot above of the weapon lying on John's knee I had to chop off the measuring stick we were using for decency's sake.

Luckily, John had the only spare tube being carried between the three of us, so Terry got it swapped and we managed to get the thing inflated with John's toy pump, taking it in shifts. We rode through Brunswick village, under the A1 into Wideopen, then over to Dudley on tarmac, the two Wacky Racers pushing me along far faster than I was comfortably able to go, sods. In the middle of Dudley we parted company with John who headed east towards Crammy High School and home, while I followed Jason up the gentle incline to Burradon. We hopped onto the C2C route into Killingworth and just as we got to Morrisons Supermarket the sky went black as heavy mist just dropped onto us with no warning. Luckily, it was only a short squirt along the top of Killy until we were at the Holystone Farm bridleway and safety from car drivers.

We'd done about two hours and covered sixteen miles. I was absolutely shattered, but Jay the Athlete had already spent the bulk of his day doing three laps of Newcastleton Forest before arriving at my place - hero!

Thursday 18th May (even less interesting, but a diary is a diary is a...)

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