2018 wasn’t the best of years for me! But on this day, 22nd-April-2018, I was heading home from the Isle of Wight after a stormy night. Not only had there been a big storm overnight, but this was the trip where I discovered that my new tent wasn’t waterproof!
It was also only a couple of months before my intensive care trip! I was already in a lot of pain and struggled to do any decent mileage. But I was determined to be out and about cycling.
Sunday 22nd-April-2018 Adgestone to Bognor Regis. 34 miles.
What a storm that was last night. I’ve not heard anything like that for a long time. I don’t think I’ve spent the night in a tent as bad as that. Well, apart from when I was in Spain in 2008 and got caught in a mini-tornado. I lost the tent that time. This time my tent has been leaking like a sieve. I’m so pissed off!
On the bright side (if you’ll pardon the pun), I didn’t need to use my headtorch with all that thunder and lightning around. I’m not too sure how long the storm lasted. I dozed off, despite being really pissed off with my tent. I think I was rather tired, especially as I hadn’t slept too well last night. But I woke up at about one o’clock, and the rain had stopped.
Lazy start to the day, I got up at my normal time of six o’clock. But didn’t rush to pack away. I thought I’d try and dry everything out before packing up. It didn’t work, and nothing dried out. But it was still good to be lazy.
I caught the Fastcat from the island back to Portsmouth. Then, it was a nice fast ride home with a good tailwind.
Once home, I had a quick couple of pints in the pub before coming home to dry the tent out and wash my clothes, ready for the off again tomorrow.
