I shall begin my contribution to the thread by saying...
'If any of you out there are contemplating going to Mayhem for the first time, or one of the other ride-outs throughout the year, but are in two minds as to whether you'd fit in - just do it. A nicer, friendlier bunch of people you couldn't hope to meet...' 
This was my first and certainly won't be the last - even though this time I was reduced to the role of mortified spectator after missing a gear on the Friday and aggravating an old knee injury - top marks to Chris for accepting my race-pack and putting in a lap...
Special mention also to Craig for not hating me when I pointed John in his direction when we were another man short -
and his lovely wife Amy for being such a good sport in the face of some decidedly dubious banter...
The 'Terrible Trio' on the
heckle-phone would have got a laugh out of a corpse! Whenever a particularly serious rider went steaming past it was 'IT'S NOT A RACE YOU KNOW!!' followed in the same breath by 'PEDAL! IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A RACE YOU KNOW!!' at a slower rider... Priceless
The Saturday evening/night sound & light show was awsome - Dr Feelgoods 'Back in the Night' blasting out at 11 o'clock at night was worth the trip by itself!
...and who would have thought watching a bunch of people in various stages of inebriation playing 'giant jenga' could have been so entertaining!
Following my own misfortune it fell to my boy Karl to restore the family pride when he stood in for another missing rider.
With absolutely
no preperation,
no previous experience and not even having ridden a bike for two years at least, he went out at half eleven and did a 1 hour 30 lap, in the dark, on a bike I finished only the day before!
Battered, bloodied and bruised
("I saw this bush giving me attitude and gave it a Glasgow Kiss on the way past!") but elated at five past one in the morning - complete with ice pack on his shoulder...
Special mention also to Jon for being such a great team captain (
and having to go out and do an extra lap wearing MY wristband so that the team got their time/medals!) and even giving me the medal I didn't deserve... Top man
It was a fantastic weekend (
too much to mention) and if I hadn't been there with the Retrobike crowd I'd have wished I was - what a great bunch you really are. We will
definitely be back next year...
