The magnicant seven tour riders (well actually eight) but seven has better music 🎵

 

The magnificent seven was an iconic Western cowboy movie with the big shootout and a very famous musical composer in Henry Mancini conducting and composing the movie music. I loved it as a kid. 

We had in our team 8 people but normally only 7 would be riding normally each day. 6 clients of cycle Britian and one support guide rider which alternated between Andy and Gwen or should I say Gwen and Andy as  Gwen started first day and had the odd days so 23 was an odd numbered day. 

On their "day off riding" they would   drive the van carrying our gear and do all the support work which was probably just as hard or harder than riding, with all the work they would do each day that we never saw, but reaped the rewards of (and they road non electric bikes !!!!!!). 

On this final stretch Andy, who was support that day, raced ahead in the Van and came back on his bike so we were actually 8 this final stretch. Was so fitting.

Well it feels a bit strange not getting up and going though the familiar routine of updating my blog  which often took hours as moving photos around was an ordeal time wise and a frustration if internet was poor or flaky. Getting a hairdryer and drying my clothes that I wash in the bath or shower with me the night before. Having breakfast trying and gear and then to morning briefing and away. Don't know how I managed on unsupported tours where distances were longer, no electric bikes and terrain generally tougher and food and accommodation was much more improvised. The photo above was staged as we wanted to do a Bonanza shot of the team riding off into the wide blue yonder.

Lyall likes playing his music and singing to himself. For about 10 days I had a tune in my head and sang to myself it continually. Go Kenny Logans and river run. Was an entirely appropriate song for the beauty we encountered.

Not everyone likes music and I understand that. nor may like my choices of music and I get that, how can not any like Cilla Black !😀. Private joke but Gwen understands and was done in good fun.

I decided to play this as I love this music and was so cowboys and lovely that I could not resist. I hope the video uploads and you set your sound and video on and up load. I love this piece. the video is not great as it didn't capture the beauty all around us as we were perhaps 10 minutes from the finish when I did this and we were all very quiet. I think I described as Jaw Dropping scenery. It was way better than I expected and sadly my GoPro only looked at the rode. yes that blaming the tools its entirely my fault as I should have aimed to the slide or set better settings 😀.

Least will give you a feel of the tarmac and what daily riding is about.

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I have cut and pasted this from Final day post day 23 as summary of our lovely team

Let me tell you about our team.

From the left. Andy Bevan-Top man and that understating it. Andy and his wife Gwen on the far right were our official guides and soon became our friends. They are superb people, have had previous careers and now are retired but this guiding life is their third career. both were Homicide detectives for 20 years in their last jobs. Andy in a very senior possible leading a team of about 300, so a big role.

He is welsh and Gwen is a Scot. We were so grateful that they were our guides. They are honestly the most customer forced team I ever encountered. They went way beyond what we ever expected and constantly were thinking of us. Just amazing and also very professional. I could just go on and on they were so good.

next to Andy I Nick Foreman, Nick was my buddy in crime. He is a retired Physics teacher over over 25 yrs and prior to that as a mountaineer and climbing and research and ski guide. He was our McGivor when ever we needed something fixed. he was also our tour commentator as he studied history and living n Scotland was able to tell us so much of the history as we traveled along. Nick lead me astray on a couple of occasions to see trails that lead along some more difficult territory. Now a strident Scot supporter but was born and raised in England.

Me in the red jacket.

On my Sid eof the pole is Dorothy Cox. Dorothy is turning 70 very soon and this was part of her motivation for doing this trip. Dorothy had a civil service background in the ministry of Defence, generally based around London and at ministerial level. Loved talking thru, in a general way, as she was discrete, about events she was involved with, which occurred at the time Lee -Anne and I were in UK. She did very well and thru the highlands lead the pack as she found her Rhythm. lovely lady and a good friend now.

in the yellow top is Caroline Bonnie. Caroline was nervous at the start as this  tour was something very new for her. She did so so  well and gained in confidence as the tour progressed. Caroline worked in some interesting jobs including for. record company and for the national Lawn Tennis federation., I hope I have this right . they organise Wimbledon and stuff like that.  Her bike didn't have the battery storage that ours had, so had a bit of range anxiety at times but always had something left at the end. Once only 1 % power. She displayed great word skills when it came to a reference we did for Andy and Gwen for which I was so grateful. Her daughter had a nasty head injury approx 18 months ago and was lovely to se her at the start with her husband both supporting her..

In the orange tops beside Caroline is Suzanne and Crawford Duncan. My fellow kiwis. we were all in the orange tops of Ground effect, a New Zealand cylce gear manufacturer. Suzanne worked in the IT side of the Health department and obviously had a pressure job during the pandemic. I loved them both. Suzanne looked after me when my lips cracked up yet again with a lip cream which I really appreciated an both kindly got up early to see me off this morning before my Taxi came at 6:30 am. Their daughter did a really cute thing and gave them cards to not to be opened until they were half way thru and then at the end of tour. They both were in Uk at the same time period we were in the early 18980's. They were I think 5 years here, so were had some similar recollections. they went on cycling holidays whilst here in both UK and Europe. they live now in raumati on the Kapiti coast and did live for most of their married life in Wellington. Crawford is in a cycling group out of Wellington and had done some of his own tours in nZ which we shared stories of. He did these with Suzanne as his support crew and in holidays. He is really Stoic character and had a fall at the end of the second and third day that I think probably broke a rib but he recovered and didn't mention it and know he had massive bruising. Made of tough stuff. Quietly spoken he was a character and had a special desert most nights that we all made fun of. Both really likeable and enjoyed their company.

Lastly Gwen Bevan on the far right. I really strong lady and very athletic. At times she picked up bikes and carried them easily it seemed for others over rocks and up and down  upstairs  stairs on the trails . No trouble for Gwen. She also took our bags and delivered them to our rooms again often in far away high rooms. Much appreciated. They operate so well together and a very much a team. In her own right was an interviewing specialist as a detective. You can only imagine the cases they both have been involved with. Both don't look their ages and are keen to make everyone's experiences the best they can be. 

All up we were team and all helped each other and was really nice to enjoy each others company for over three weeks.