Mum5 impresses with a 4th placing.

Tour of the Bay Compulsory Event;

Attendees: Mum5

Apologies: Mum1, Mum3 

Mum5 consents to be interviewed against a flattering backdrop of portaloos and bins and explains in one concise sentence what happened to her bike. 

Mum5 had not ridden this bike before so I thought I would calm her nerves with a little pre-race pep talk

Mum5 pretends to listen to instruction
and friendly mingling.

Mum5 mingles

I though she would take a little time to get used to this bike but- wrong. Once we had worked out that the race had started she was gone, only sparing time to slow down and personally thank every single marshal on the course. She dropped me on the last km, producing an enviable sprint finish. Imagine what she could do on a better bike (not the lowest spec one available)—wonder where she could get one from?


                                                  
                                                 Mum5 Finishes Fourth in her Division

Lost bikes and comparison ratings.

Lost bike number 1.

Mum5 has lost her bike. In the week before the Tour of the Bay race; in which she has wisely entered the 20km event.  Wisely because two other Bikeonmums who were supposed to be riding in this race have made other plans thereby securing Mum5’s rating as my current favourite and winner of the prize of two bonus hill training sessions. (Including refreshments of her choice.) Mum3 has decided to leave the country for a week and Mum1, showing herself to be somewhat braver and also perhaps a touch defiant (considering this ride was her year’s goal) will be only thirty minutes away. By comparison this makes Mum5 look fantastic, especially since her bike is lost.

 (Someone quoted Roosevelt to me recently, and not for the first time, saying that comparison is the thief of joy which is, as everyone else knows, complete tosh because how else can we rank everything?) 

Mum5 left her bike in her shop and then someone sold it. And, to make it weirder, it was sold to someone who is going to ride it in the 50km event. But that doesn’t matter to Mum5 who trusts that she will have something to ride on race day. She is a star. Tactics were decided this afternoon and basically consist of not coming last and saving something for the last 5kms, whether that meant energy for a sprint or raspberry-cup-cake carb less bars I can’t remember, probably both.

Lost bike number 2.

In other race related news Bikeonmums gratefully received some believable and achievable training advice from a non-mum cyclist  for an upcoming event. This advice made such a positive impression on the Bikeonmums organisation that this person is now considered to be the official, (on our side anyway) Bikeonmums training advisor and his rating (still not as high as other similar people but closer,) has increased as a result.

Where is my bike?

Bikeonmums trainer wonders if bike was left by

this fascinating bench like structure. 

(And incidentally showing feminine side by considerately not taking up the entire seat, earning 5 extra rating points.)