The aim of the ride was to raise money and awareness for the Lavender Trust, a Breast Cancer Charity. Raising over £45K in the process.

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The Angel Ride

The first half-mile uphill revealed how much I’d come to rely on the Paramount’s two additional gears (oh, the decadence) and that 28” wheels take a lot more effort to ‘spin up’ than these new-fangled 26” jobs. After the Paramount’s high, wide handlebars and upright riding position, The Guv’nor’s more purposeful, head-down attitude felt cramped, and the huge steps between gears sparked a slightly guilty nostalgia for the younger bike’s five-speed hub – and even, briefly, heretical musings on the feasibility of fitting a Rohloff.

Once on the long straight out of town, though, I flicked up into Gear Three, the big cream tyres set up their familiar hollow rumble, and everything came alive. While he’s not fast by modern standards, The Guv’nor was built to race. As a result, he lopes along at a much livelier pace than the Paramount, which was originally designed as robust battlefield transport for airborne troops on D-Day. Within a couple of miles, we’d settled down into the familiar rhythms established over nine months and almost 2,000 miles together. The spinning spokes flashed silver in the sunshine as we romped up climbs, careened down descents and cruised along on the flat with the effortless elegance of a vintage Bentley. Even the saddle felt comfortable.

So while I cherish my memories of easy, meandering rides through the Breton countryside, it’s good to be home. And getting back up to speed again.

- Nick Moore

Follow the fully story of the Guv’nor here