Following on last night’s rain theme, Malcolm has just drowned the Editor with  yesterday’s pictures (get the pun?) and here are some from Tuesday’s precipitous ride:

Starting off another rainy ride

Lydia keeping an eye on her boys

…and an especially close eye on Mick!

Denese enjoying the weather in Oberamaga

The Four Mikes evaluate alternative transport modes at the end of the day.

The Tour is raising money for the London & Slough Run; you can make a donation at
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/4mikesonbikes

The title above should have included Sundays and Tuesdays, as the Four Mikes on Bikes have been battling some wet and wild weather the past few days.  Having reached Donaueschingen Germany (82 mi) on Sunday, they rode 110 miles to Kempten on Monday, and a further 60 miles to Garmisch-Partenkirchen today.  All in the rain.  Mike Burton reported Monday’s ride as “the hardest day of our lives.”  (We have no reports on Tuesday yet, so that statement may no longer hold!)  We will let the pictures speak for themselves….

Starting the day’s ride

Mike Carney

Fr Michael

Last week this was a creek…..

Are we there yet?

Happy (and dry!) in Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany

The Tour is raising money for the London & Slough Run; you can make a donation at
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/4mikesonbikes

As the Four Musketeers continue their cycling adventure on behalf of the London and Slough Run, we ask readers to spare a thought for an unheralded member of the troupe: Lydia, the LASR van.  When told she was going on a trip to southern Europe, Lydia envisioned whirling down La Grande Corniche into Monte Carlo, or sauntering down Amalfi Drive in Campania.   Her spirits were somewhat dampened by the 500-mile motorway drive on Saturday and the subsequent rainy days in Germany.  But hope springs eternal…… and Malcolm has promised an adventure (or two) for her.  The LASR looks forward to stories – and real pictures  – of their journey.

The Tour is raising money for the London & Slough Run; you can make a donation at
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/4mikesonbikes

Malcolm sent this nice photo of the Four Mikes before they set off for Donaueschingen Germany (82 miles) this morning.  This is the first time the Editor has been able to lay hands on a group photo of the foursome for this trip  – they have been rarer than hen’s teeth – and the LASR hopes to receive more pictures over the coming weeks.

(P.S.  The resemblance to Dumas’ Four Musketeers is clear – the Editor hopes they do not meet anyone named Milady or Richelieu on their travels).

Having done the fair thing and given the Two Mikes a decent head start, the rest of the Four Mikes on Bikes team (Mike Burton, Fr Michael Spain, Malcolm Johnstone and Denese Kennedy-Diggins) set off  this morning in the plucky LASR van to catch them up.

They were all smiling at departure, which is always the best way to start a long car journey.

The team reached Rheinmunster Germany in good time for an evening reunion with the Two Mikes and celebrated in traditional German fashion!  

The Tour is raising money for the London & Slough Run; you can make a donation at
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/4mikesonbikes

The LASR was delighted to receive photos today from the Two Mikes, which arrived courtesy of  their preferred postal method (see image to right).  Apparently they would have been here sooner had the courier not been blown off course somewhere around Lowestoft  – the Editor apologises for the inconvenience.  With no further ado, a pictorial diary of their trip to date:

Day 1:  Leaving Northolt, packed like Santa’s helpers

Day 1:  Being Good Samaritans at Park Royal on the A40!

Day 1:  Passing the Britain Fission Attrition Commission

Day 1: Checking out one of LASR food delivery sites in London

Day 2:  Just off the ferry in Rotterdam

Day 2:  Remember the gambolling?  Not completely wrong!

After yesterday’s single transmission We have arrived in Koblenz (in Morse code), the LASR was delighted to receive a lengthy message from the Two Mikes that confirmed their journey was indeed GX to Harwich Ferry to Rotterdam to Venlo to Koblenz.  Those rumours of a detour to John O’Groats were simply untrue.  The stalwart pair described teeth rattling roads and swarms of fleas along the Nieuwe Maas river,  and claimed to have ignored the siren call of country pubs en route.

Mick C said the Day 3 ride from Venlo to Koblenz was the BEST ride he’d ever done in his life, cycling along the Rhine on the longest bike path on the planet. The Editor is looking this one up – another holiday planned!)  With a strong tailwind the duo made very good time, and filmed the scenery (briefly) while riding at 25+ mph.  (Warning:  Readers should not try this at home.)  Over the three days they have ridden 341 miles and climbed over 7000 feet  – equivalent to climbing Snowdonia twice!

The Tour is raising money for the London & Slough Run; you can make a donation at:
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/4mikesonbikes

The Two Mikes whizzed into Germany today (115 miles) and arrived in Koblenz in time to take in a few sights.  The city has a storied medieval history and occupies a strategic location (along the Mosel and Rhine rivers) that made it a hotly disputed property between Germany and France.  It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a beautiful cobbled city centre and the Fortress of Ehrenbreitstein, which  guarded the most valuable relic of the Trier See, the Holy Tunic, from  1657 to 1794.  There are also two schlosses nearby  – Stolzenfels Castle and Schloss Koblenz.  Descriptions of the city make for such good reading that the Editor is now planning a holiday there.

The Tour is raising money for the London & Slough Run; you can make a donation at
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/4mikesonbikes

The Two Mikes have been on the road now for two nights – 105 miles to Harwich Ferry on Tuesday and 125 miles yesterday to Urbanusweg Venlo (Holland).  The Internet waves have gone silent…. the LASR imagines them gambolling along sunlit canals past gently rotating windmills.  Breaks, of course, will be enjoyed in a sunny field of tulips, which [in the Editor’s mind] exist everywhere in Holland outside of Amsterdam.

The LASR looks forward to an update from the Mikes, who are riding 115 miles today towards Koblenz, Germany.  Given their blinding pace, we suspect their description of the past few days may not match the above!

The Tour is raising money for the London & Slough Run; you can make a donation at
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/4mikesonbikes

The LASR has many people who give selflessly to help the charity deliver food, comfort, advice and shelter throughout the year.  The Monday Volunteers pack for the ‘evening run’ week in and week out.  It is a pleasure to share a photo of them in action – with some additional assistance from local Waitrose manager Ian and Sandra.