September 15th 2013 The London Bikeathon is organised in aid of Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research. There are options for 26, 50 and 100 miles, and a group of friends and I opted for the 100-mile challenge. This was more of a leisurely ride for us rather than a race, but we still tried to be as prepared as possible. I opted to take a saddle bag with an inner and other key repair items as well as a waterproof, some energy gels, cereal bars and two large bottles of fluid. This seemed about right for the ride. The start, once we'd made it into central London (not easy at 07:00 on a Sunday!) was a very muddy affair. Personally, I don't think cycling shoes and mud mix well, and I began the ride with decidedly muddy cleats, spending the rest of the day having a few issues clipping in. Had I noticed this was the problem I probably would have taken the time to stop and wipe them down! The first ten miles or so were very busy and it was difficult to keep even a group of four tog...
