Jon asked me if I would like to escort Mike, Joe and him on the safer/best cycle route to New Street Sta for the 8.5 miles from Halesowen to the city centre. I jumped at the chance, without even modifying the invitation by saying that it all depended on it being dry - it was not!
The showers were the least of our troubles. Things went awry from the outset. We left at 1230 instead of 1200 for the 1350 train to Euston. Next, my bypassing of a huge deep puddle on my cycle/footway route, unexpectedly for me, led us to a kerb that was not dropped to a smooth ramp back to the road. Mike said, "Roads, for my bike, Tim."
I managed to lose my party going down a hill, signalling left but none of the three saw it. As I hastily cycled back up the slope, I saw them flash past me. I caught them and we quickly had to cycle the wrong way down a one way residential road to get back on route.
Again in Harborne, we were delayed by Mike's chain coming off the big front wheel and jamming between the very bottom of the frame and the chainwheel. Joseph then Mike managed to free it without the much needed screwdriver. At that stop we noticed that Mike's rear tyre was soft. Joe quickly pumped it up. We had more stops for the re-inflation and my losing the others again until, just under a mile from the station further pumping was pointless. Jon quickly cycled ahead to get the tickets while I walked with Mike and Joe to the station - in the nick of time. Jon texted from the train that due to them loading the bikes on, it delayed the departure by one minute. In London they soon found a Halfords that fixed the problem. He texted, "This is turning into quite a challenge just getting through the UK!"
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