Managed to get up and get organised to bring Toby's card out (thanks to all those who signed it). Rolled out with a small 17s group which included Rogan's Dad (did you spell that Booley? sorry brain not working well) on his flash bike matching Rogan's (what a poseur... ). Unfortunately I think we were too fast and Booley dropped back, I hoped, to be picked up by the next group. I feel really bad that you weren't even though you said you were glad you weren't caught by the tourists... (I won't mention that not only were you dropped by tourist but they were female )
The rest of the group managed to stay together though I'm sure we were at the higher end of the 17 mark for the ride average down to Charlwood - maybe I'll do the 18s next week. Grahame took the card from me at Reigate to the cafe as he was taking a shorter route; Pete Nobes was doing his usual pace powering off the front and blaming his friend Guy for not moving up to the 18s and the guy who was whingeing about wet feet after his girlfriend failed to return his overshoes faded completely on the climb from Rusper golf course. Sorry can't remember the other guy's name but he hung off the back of Pete and Guy, as they ploughed through that heavy downpour to get to the cafe, to wait for me - I slowed down because I could barely seen with the rain stinging my eyes.
Got to the counter only to find that Rogan's dad had made it following the road signs to Charlwood and had got there ages before us!! Unfortunately I couldn't escort him back as I was off to my parents near Esher to adjust the timer on the hot water/heating
Took a fairly direct route to Leatherhead via Dorking but as I pulled out of Leatherhead towards Oxshott there was a bl00dy big bang and I came to fairly abrubt halt to find that a spoke had gone in my rear wheel - the 2nd one to go on those wheels Managed to secure them with some thread meanwhile a car pulled up and for a brief moment I thought they were going to ask if I was OK .... then they said: "We're looking for Chessington..." I did ask if they had any tape
My makeshift repair got me to Esher where two cars U-turned in front of me and a cyclist overtook me and didn't even acknowledge me... Bought some zinc oxide tape in a pharmacy and rode the last bit to my parents. Almost managed to sneak out without my dad realising I'd done something to my bike but of course he noticed my backwheel was catching - he thought it was a problem with my mudguard...
Managed to find Cyclepedia in Surbiton but they didn't have my spokes in stock - a customer offered me a Scirocco wheel to get me home but I had to decline because it would've rather difficult getting it back to him. So I continued on carefully - the rubbing seemed to get worse even though I'd let the quick release off and the guy at the shop had eased the brake off even more. Got to Pearsons where - guess what!! - they didn't have the spokes in either The wheel is now due to be sent back to Roval and I've got a Vento back wheel on loan.
So what do people think of Mavic wheels (the top end ones ending in -irium - see Kit review thread)?