When approaching such a mammoth task as cycling 179 miles, training is very important. But training is challenging at the moment since I am riding a rickety mountain bike (I have been assured that it works perfectly well but it doesn't sound happy when I push the left pedal down.). As previously mentioned, I'll get a road bike in January and really get going, but if I don't cycle at all until then the chances of me doing this wild challenge diminish by the day.
So, to the point! I was out riding my rickety bike home from work, which should be an 11 and a half mile journey. Yesterday I was cycling into a strong headwind on the way home. And about 60% of my journey is uphill. And I tried a new route. And got lost. And I vowed never to cycle again. A vow I'm sure I'll make a fair few times between now and May the 5th. So I think I cycled about 12 miles because I got a little lost but (and now the good bit) my theory is that surely cycling 12 miles on a mountain bike, into the wind and going uphill is like cycling about 30 miles on a road bike on flat terrain with no wind. Based on this calculation I would only need to cycle 71.6 miles uphill with the wind against me on a mountain bike to match the Embo challenge.
Now that I read that back, I think I might rather 179 miles on a road bike. Unfortunately, I realise that large parts of the 179 miles will be uphill and there could well be a headwind.
Now that I read this back again I would like to vow never to cycle again.
Tim
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