Day 4 – Friday 27th May 2011
Reality hits. It’s tough. Yesterday’s escapade is now a distant memory. It was going to happen at some point and today’s the day... or is it just the start? I’d cycled 37 miles – probably only 15, as the crow flies – navigating my way through the Southern suburbs of Paris. A useless map, no compass, just a sense of direction which was hopefully in working order. I’d got to Clamant and found a tourist office. I asked for directions and was given a map... much better than my own. I asked how far it was to Nemours and the guy looked at me in amazement: 80 or 90 kilometres. I told him where I’d been yesterday and put it in context of the whole trip. He clearly thought I was a nutter. I got directions to a Decathlon to buy a compass... and needed it to find my way out of the place! An hour and a half detour and I’m back at Clamant. No time to lose; must press on.
Then it happened. Ol’ Betsy conked out. I thought the chain had come off, but it was worse. The whole rear cassette was loose. The bearings had given up. Not a job I can fix by the roadside. Luckily I was in an urbanised area. There was a garage nearby and I asked where I could get another rear wheel. The guy smiled at me. “Up to the roundabout, take a left and continue down, down, down, continuing down some more and it’s right in front of you.” A 2 or 3 kilometre walk up and down hills. It’s 4.20pm and I’m barely half-way.
I took the wheel with me in case they needed to measure anything. The guy in the bike shop looked at it, took it and reappeared a few minutes later. There was my wheel, complete with a shiny new gear set. I didn’t care about the price, I just wanted to get on.
When something like that happens, it’s easy to start asking the questions, “Why me?” and, “Why now?” But the real questions are, “Why not me?” and, “Why not now?” You see, I knew something like this was going to happen; it was just a matter of time. Difficulties come – that’s part of life – and we have to deal with them. Would it really be easier if it was a different day? Or would we really rather it happen to someone else? How selfish. I think there are 3 types of people in this situation.
The person who wishes all the bad stuff in life would happen to others, as if they have some “right” to live easy. There’s the person who accepts that bad stuff happens and just gets on with it when it comes. And there’s the person who wishes other people’s bad stuff would happen to them instead, as if they could take away the pain. These people are more likely to go out of their way to help others: “Your problems are my problems, let’s work through it together.” I think I’m at person 2, but I want to be like person 3. Where are you?
Anyway, the wheel is put back on, together with the luggage and I’m off again. Ol’ Betsy is creaking more than an unoiled door. What’s going to go next? The bottom bracket or the rack?
I press on. Fontainbleu comes and goes and I start to see signs to Nemours, but I must go further still. At 8.30pm I roll up to a campsite in Bagneaux-sur-Loing. The office is closed but I get round the barrier. I’ll just pay in the morning.
My right heel is starting to play up and I’m strongly considering having a day off cycling: a day to rest and check the bike over. But if possible, I want to wait a couple of days. For this leg of the journey I’m headed to a campsite in Beaune. The last time I was there they did this fantastic duck salad in blackcurrant sauce. Seriously, it was second to none and I want some more! I’ll happily spend 2 nights at that campsite.
It’s also dad’s birthday today (I had bought, written and posted a card over the previous days). I hope he’s had a better day than me.
You’ve probably guessed by now that I’ve started to call my bike “Ol’ Betsy.” There is a reason... In Disney’s version of Robin Hood, there are 2 vultures guarding the prison and one of them calls his crossbow “Ol’ Betsy.” My brother and I would quote lines from that film (including that part) and so it’s stuck in my mind. Plus my bike is old and “Betsy” begins with the same letter as “Banana.” It’s quite sad really, but there you go. Welcome to my world!
Stats
Mileage = 67.61 miles
Riding time = 6 hours 9 minutes
Average speed = 10.9 mph
Top speed = 36.9 mph
Total mileage since start = 267.3
Reality hits. It’s tough. Yesterday’s escapade is now a distant memory. It was going to happen at some point and today’s the day... or is it just the start? I’d cycled 37 miles – probably only 15, as the crow flies – navigating my way through the Southern suburbs of Paris. A useless map, no compass, just a sense of direction which was hopefully in working order. I’d got to Clamant and found a tourist office. I asked for directions and was given a map... much better than my own. I asked how far it was to Nemours and the guy looked at me in amazement: 80 or 90 kilometres. I told him where I’d been yesterday and put it in context of the whole trip. He clearly thought I was a nutter. I got directions to a Decathlon to buy a compass... and needed it to find my way out of the place! An hour and a half detour and I’m back at Clamant. No time to lose; must press on.
Then it happened. Ol’ Betsy conked out. I thought the chain had come off, but it was worse. The whole rear cassette was loose. The bearings had given up. Not a job I can fix by the roadside. Luckily I was in an urbanised area. There was a garage nearby and I asked where I could get another rear wheel. The guy smiled at me. “Up to the roundabout, take a left and continue down, down, down, continuing down some more and it’s right in front of you.” A 2 or 3 kilometre walk up and down hills. It’s 4.20pm and I’m barely half-way.
I took the wheel with me in case they needed to measure anything. The guy in the bike shop looked at it, took it and reappeared a few minutes later. There was my wheel, complete with a shiny new gear set. I didn’t care about the price, I just wanted to get on.
When something like that happens, it’s easy to start asking the questions, “Why me?” and, “Why now?” But the real questions are, “Why not me?” and, “Why not now?” You see, I knew something like this was going to happen; it was just a matter of time. Difficulties come – that’s part of life – and we have to deal with them. Would it really be easier if it was a different day? Or would we really rather it happen to someone else? How selfish. I think there are 3 types of people in this situation.
The person who wishes all the bad stuff in life would happen to others, as if they have some “right” to live easy. There’s the person who accepts that bad stuff happens and just gets on with it when it comes. And there’s the person who wishes other people’s bad stuff would happen to them instead, as if they could take away the pain. These people are more likely to go out of their way to help others: “Your problems are my problems, let’s work through it together.” I think I’m at person 2, but I want to be like person 3. Where are you?Anyway, the wheel is put back on, together with the luggage and I’m off again. Ol’ Betsy is creaking more than an unoiled door. What’s going to go next? The bottom bracket or the rack?
I press on. Fontainbleu comes and goes and I start to see signs to Nemours, but I must go further still. At 8.30pm I roll up to a campsite in Bagneaux-sur-Loing. The office is closed but I get round the barrier. I’ll just pay in the morning.
My right heel is starting to play up and I’m strongly considering having a day off cycling: a day to rest and check the bike over. But if possible, I want to wait a couple of days. For this leg of the journey I’m headed to a campsite in Beaune. The last time I was there they did this fantastic duck salad in blackcurrant sauce. Seriously, it was second to none and I want some more! I’ll happily spend 2 nights at that campsite.It’s also dad’s birthday today (I had bought, written and posted a card over the previous days). I hope he’s had a better day than me.
You’ve probably guessed by now that I’ve started to call my bike “Ol’ Betsy.” There is a reason... In Disney’s version of Robin Hood, there are 2 vultures guarding the prison and one of them calls his crossbow “Ol’ Betsy.” My brother and I would quote lines from that film (including that part) and so it’s stuck in my mind. Plus my bike is old and “Betsy” begins with the same letter as “Banana.” It’s quite sad really, but there you go. Welcome to my world!
Stats
Mileage = 67.61 miles
Riding time = 6 hours 9 minutes
Average speed = 10.9 mph
Top speed = 36.9 mph
Total mileage since start = 267.3
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