Finally its here, a year after being stood at a standstill in Richmond park needing a lifejacket more than a cycle helmet, RideLondon 2015 has arrived.

Last year the tail end of hurricane Bertha severely tested the nations (and my) love of cycling to the limit. I honestly can’t remember ever being outside in quite such a downpour as on 10th August 2014. The rain played havoc with the route and before I had even crossed the start line I had heard that what I feared the most, the dreaded Leith and Box had been removed, PHEW. 87 miles in total last year, but this year would be different, this year I had unfinished business!!

First though lets talk training, registration and build up.

Last year in a move that has been described as ‘Hardcore’, ‘Crazy’, and ‘Stubborn’ (I prefer ‘Stupid’ by the way) I took on the challenge alone and on very little training. So this year was going to be much more fun as I had a fellow Roly to ride with (not the poor Roly with the record breaking saddle sores described in ‘Devastation’) but a fellow Roly none the less. In reality to describe him as Roly is unfair though so from here on in he is Mr Less Roly!! Names aside I had a partner on two wheels.

So first things first a bit of training background. This year was intrinsically different to last year in that I actually bothered to train (this had more to do with the cycle to Germany challenge than RideLondon though). For the last few months myself and various fellow friends could be found going up and down Newlands Corner and Box Hill (I never did find Leith though!!) with varying levels of success.

Ready for the off

Given that on sign up Mr Less Roly did not even own a bike, nor had he cycled more than a handful of miles on the road, he had a lot to learn. This learning curve was steep (like White Downs) and fast (unlike an ascent of White Downs!) and was to offer lots of laughs (for me) as he learnt the ways of the Road bike. Two bikes came and went for this Less Roly rider, ‘The Black Beast’ and ‘The Silver Fox’ both proved too large for the Hobbit esque stature of my fellow man but he was soon the proud owner of ‘The Great Grey Hope’. He learnt fast, Rainbow Stripes, Cobbles, and Mauillot Jaune are now all part of his vocabulary (though I kid you not last week he did mention that he didn’t know he could brake whilst in the drops!!).

Training miles done and ready for registration at the Excel. Well organised, easy and uncomplicated we had our numbers and instructions and off in to the show we went. I managed to spend a rather ludicrous number of pounds on Beetroot (but what a great product) and despite seemingly doing nothing but buy cycling products for the last 12 months I still managed to find all sorts of other ‘Essential’ goodies to purchase (Yes Mrs Rouleur I did really need the hard shell storage bottle!). Exhibits were enjoyed, bikes were feted and I was very star struck when seeing the ladies from Team Wiggle Honda walking around the show!

Channelling our inner Wiggins

All registered, next came check-in at our hotel on Liverpool Street (not too far to ride to the start in the morning) and after a slap up meal of burger and chips (and a cheeky beer) we were ready for bed. A flick through the TV channels brought us to the movie Troy where upon watching we decided that, yes, we did indeed have very much in common with the heroes Achilles and Odysseus. We went quietly to sleep safe in the knowledge that much like the invading Greeks we would smash things to bits in the morning, or at least I went to sleep. Unfortunately, I had neglected to inform Mr Less Roly that I have a slight snoring problem, I say slight but what I mean is I snore louder than most jumbo jets taking off. My fellow rider had to wake me more than once to politely (hmmm) ask me to stop snoring but he must have given up trying for when I woke in the morning a pillow was wrapped firmly around his head. But importantly he was still alive (though in a zombified state) and we were ready to head to the start.

But for now that is where I leave you (hopefully interested in finding about more). My alarm is set really rather early thanks to the need to get in to London tomorrow to avoid the striking tube drivers later in the day. So for now good night and pleasant dreams, and please spare a thought for Mrs Rouleur who will be sleeping next to a man making more noise than a freight train.