There are just a few days to go now until we leave for Barcelona. All the prep is done, all that is left is to rest and check the packing.
The bike is fully prepped and gleaming ready for departure. At the weekend after the deepest clean it's had for years, I fitted a new chain, cassette and cabling for silky smooth shifting. The brake pads were replaced in expectation of the long final Pyrenean decent into Spain. During the previous week the rear wheel and the Eggbeater pedal bearings have been replaced and I've overhauled the headset. The finishing touch was a brand new set of Pirelli P-Zero Race TLR 28mm tyres. Throwing a leg over the Scultura this afternoon, it flew up the road, as the gears were purring contentedly beneath me. Seems a shame to weigh it down with all my bikepacking clobber!
Towards the end of lastweek I had fitted all my storage bags for a trial ride with the team. The Topeak Backloader under the saddle was full of clothes and was supported by a Wishbone to stop it swaying from side to side. We've all bought a Wishbone and mounted the bottles on either side. I was initially concerned about having the weight of all that water so high on the bike, but actually it didn't feel unbalanced on the test ride. The Topeak Midloader sits inside the frame, stashed with all my food, which consists mainly of Clif bars and GO Gels. The bag hangs above my tool kit which is fitted to the seatpost bottle mount. In fact it rests on in slightly, causing the bag to gape slightly, so I do occasionally brush my knees against the material. It didn't really bother me on the test ride, but I'll see if I can eliminate it with clever packing or taping it together. On the top tube is a small bag for easy to reach nibbles and treats, while out front the bar bag houses everything else! Wash stuff, spares, chain lube, power leads and all the other small essentials you need for a week.
I've done all the training I can now. The last few weeks have been a bit frustrating, as the weather and life have meant I wasn't been able to finish off with one last big ride. It does mean I'll set off without having ridden 100 miles in training, causing a slight nagging doubt in my mind. On the other hand I did ride 1000 miles in March. In my many years of cycling it's the first time I've ever reached that milestone, and in fact the first time I've cleared 900 miles! The last time I topped 800 miles in a month was in the summer nine years ago, when I was regularly commuting 100-120 miles a week to Portsmouth, on top of my weekend social rides.
The truth is I've put in a lot of hard work, about as much as I could around my job, kids and family commitments. I lie in bed every night stressing about all the things that could go wrong; getting enough to eat, saddle sores, bonking and letting the team down, mechanical failures, the weather. I should instead be looking forward to a week with nothing to do but ride my bike and make memories.
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