CYCLING EVENT GOES HORRIBLY WRONG!

EPISODE #139
I’m off to take on the famous “Hell Of The Ashdown” sportive over in Kent, UK. This is (hence the name) a hellish event, with a HELL of a lot of climbing on some treacherous roads at this time of the year… oh and its was freezing and wet too, just to add to the mix.
I don’t end up having a lot of luck and pick up more punctures in one ride than I ever have, amongst other bike failures… it certainly made this already difficult ride even harder.
Don’t let this put you off… definitely go check out this sportive if you get a chance, its a great day out… I just hope you get better luck than me if you do!
https://www.strava.com/activities/10834581751

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Um this don’t know if you can see that but that is meant to be attached to there make sure I charge my garment make sure I charge my lights make sure we get those bars in 10 miles and I’ll be more than starving nothing compared to the

Thrill under prepared for the hills I used to get wheels on air now I put air in my wheels chain stat train and cruise chains been L pace and move stra stats give man a heart attack but then my Pace improves and CAD are strong now my legs

Up my C are long it’s about time we do this sister cycle in Tourist what is up guys if you’re new here then welcome to the channel and if you’re regular then welcome back as you can see it is yet another absolutely beautiful day here in the UK and today we are going to be taking on the famous hell of the ashown spti in classic

Thomas style I’m running running late so I’m on it Todd let’s try and catch up with the Guys So if the weather wasn’t rubbish enough as it is I now just got caught out in the rain I’m hoping that it’s not like this all day cuz it’s going to be pretty miserable it is very cold 0° in fact right now and uh yeah the roads are moist to say the least

But we’re going to get this done anyway I actually done this sport I think about 2 or 3 years ago now uh for the first time and it is a great one considering the name hell of the ashown it’s uh yeah it’s definitely hellish there’s a lot of

Climbing uh 10 climbs I think something like that but uh yeah I’m just trying to ignore the fact that it’s Grim out and let’s enjoy it anyway So I am 38 km into this so just over a third the uh route is 100k exactly but it’s not an easy 100K and not only is there a lot of climbing but the route itself goes through some very questionable roads SL down exhibit a I definitely think you’re probably

Better off doing this on a gravel bike my road bike is taking a Bea in I probably said the exact same thing last time I done this ride but it was a while ago and I forgot just how rough it [Applause] is yep I’m walking if it wasn’t miserable enough now I’ve got a puncher oh oh God right uh this is absolutely tragic but in my rush to get to the start line it seems I forgot to put my alen key in my pocket so now I’m going to have to uh

Try and flag someone down and borrow an alen key do you ever get that feeling when you think I wish I would have bothered today I’m probably at the worst place to flag someone down as well cuz it’s going down a massive Hill so I don’t think

Anyone’s going to want to stop to be honest so I think I’m probably going to have to walk down and then try and catch someone excuse me mate don’t suppose you got six m in K could bar oh mate thanks so Much right more bad luck oh you can’t write this you really can’t um I didn’t even have time to get the camera out I was rolling again um thanks very much to that guy that helped me out Simon you’re an absolute Legend um he let me borrow everything I finally

Put a tube in my own tube and I punched it putting it in like an absolute amateur um so then gave me a tube um which didn’t have long enough valve so then luckily he had a a punch repair kit which we managed to sort out my old

Tube um and then I got about oh 200 M down the road and it went again so yeah I don’t supp you got a spare tube I’ve had uh two people stop and tried to give me tubes typically they’ve all got um tubes without removable valve cores so I can’t

Put my valve Extender on for my deep rims that I’m running oh it’s all fun in games I don’t suppose you know if it’s got a removable valve Co on no we are currently 54 km in so this all couldn’t have happened at worse a point right at the bloody fervice point away

From the start oh my God you gu youve got to laugh a you all right update I’ve got a tube with what I think is just about a long enough valve so let’s get this in and then then I’m going to have to flag someone else down for a pump or a CO2

Kind of stuff you’d think this was my first bloody sport team oh let’s get this done oh and just quickly before I forget the first guy that helped me out Simon if you’re watching I’ve got your uh multitool I’m sorry mate um yeah if you’re watching

Please contact me so I can get this back to you I feel awful you helped me out massively and now I’ve L your tour as well oh man there’s only one toour around here right another update um this don’t if you can see that but that is meant to be attached to

There oh you cannot write this you just cannot so first of all I got the the new tube in which the valve wasn’t in fact long enough uh as you can see so I put my valve Extender on which was all hunky dory I managed to flag some down with a

Pump he had one of them uh little pocket rocket things which I hate but you know anything to get you out of trouble and then whilst using it I’ve snapped me uh valve extender off this is just unreal I don’t I’ve never known anything like this to be honest

Success I can’t believe I just managed to get that out do you have a spare CO2 I’ve had absolute nightmare is that more than one yeah yeah it is yeah all right thanks so much man good yeah all good man yeah thank you mate you’re life sa right that’s me back on the

Road thanks very much to another kind stranger who let me his pump we’re rolling again let’s see how much longer for this time see if I can get more than 200 M this time I don’t know why I’m jinxing it why am I saying this my legs feel absolutely terrible from being off

The bike for so long I’ve had too much time to cool down I’m not going to complain though because I’m moving that’s the main thing I’ll tell you what though if I have any more problems I’m calling it a day I’m going to get a taxi I’ve had Enough right I’m still rolling 65 km in now 35 to go I’m on the penultimate climb of the day I I’ll be uh glad when the climbing’s over my legs have had enough as I mentioned at the start of the video I was running late as per usual this

Morning which meant that uh the guys I was meant to meet up with they uh well they’ got bored waiting for me so they left I was however hoping by uh putting in a bit of work at the start I was going to catch up with him but obviously

After all my dramas there’s no chance of that now they’re probably uh they’re probably long finished and had a burger and a beer and gone home by now but oh well part of the fun of doing these sport tees is you get to meet other people and

I mean as it goes to show with all the people that help me out everyone is always super friendly at sportti so yeah if you’ve been thinking about doing one definitely go check one out they’re great fun just try not to get as many punches as I have So here we go this is the last climb of the day I’m so glad to be saying that oh I’m in bits I’m a broken man oh scoop me up and put me in my bed please there we go I can see the top ah all I can think about right now

Is that McDonald’s I’m going to have on the way huh oh judge me if you want I don’t care hi mate uh can I get a big tasty with bacon meal uh with a Diet Coke please okay so that’s it I’m all done and dusted I somehow managed to push on

And tick off hell of the ashown 2024 I’m glad I got that over done with I did have a good time but I think it’s fair to say I got dealt some pretty bad cards from the cycling Gods today I mean yeah who gets that many punches in one

Ride it’s just ridiculous the first in tube I had had four punches in one go I I didn’t even know that was possible but yeah I’m definitely glad now that I pushed through and got it finished because CU yeah believe me there was more than one moment where I was this

Close to calling a taxi and just calling it a day but I didn’t I pushed on and I got myself to the finish and yeah you can’t beat that feeling of conquering something it’s just it makes all of the suffering worth it as I mentioned earlier if you yourself have been

Thinking about doing a sport Eve and you haven’t I 100% recommend that you go and do one they are a great day out and it’s just great get getting out on the roads with loads of other people that all love cycling as much as you do with that

Being said I just want to say another massive thank you to all the people that helped me out today lending me tubes and tools and this that and the other I really couldn’t have got through that ride without you and I massively massively appreciate it that just goes

To show what these sport tees are really about there is such a great Vibe going on everyone’s looking out for one another and they just want to see their fellow cyclists having a great time I hope you guys have enjoyed this episode thanks very much for watching please

Like comment and subscribe and I’ll see you guys next Time