Need to Hurry
Posted: Jan 7th, '19, 14:33
Did this in 2017, was given a 2300 hrs start from OSM, riding one leg and handing over near the Marines camp at Lympstone. So far so good; got there, waited, and waited, then waited some more. Next rider never showed up so rode his relay leg to Teignmouth - THAT rider was also a no-show, more waiting - nowt, zip, zilch, so was then duty bound to ride his leg to Newton Abott. And no, not a peep was heard from either of these 'bikers' either before, during, or after the event, no apologies, nothing, they just never turned up.
Those extra unplanned hours screwed up the whole day following for me and made me think twice about doing it again. Not because of the extra riding - there's no such thing as too much biking in my book - but because I'm not sure I want to risk being let down again by flakes.
The organisors were apologetic but, sitting in an office in the midlands in the early hours, there was very little they could do except rely on the bods who were on-station to do the absentees' rides as well as their own. Apparently I wasn't the only one with no-shows during the event either.
Having said all the above, I sincerely hope it was a one-off, so don't let it stop you from doing something positive with your bike for charity.