June 4, 2024 to June 5, 2024
Torksey carboot
trying out Debbie's bike
Debbie arrives around 2:00 and I get a train across to Manchester Airport to meet her. It's a long and tiring flight from Taiwan, one which takes around 24 hours. The train journey back to Dave's house adds a few more hours to it. We'll see how she feels in the morning, but I hope to get her out for a short ride to Torksey carboot - it'll be a gentle test for the bike she'll be using while here for a couple of weeks.
In the morning I fit the Brooks seat with titanium rails, but the barends won't go inside the thick-walled handlebars. Luckily Dave has an old pair stuck in his garage that'll do, so I swap those and attach Ruby's barbag. All done.
After cycling along the path into Lincoln, we catch a two-carriage train to Saxilby then go to Ruby's place, which is just a minute from the station. She's up for a ride to the carboot and it'll be the first time we've cycled together since I arrived in the UK. I pump up her tyres before we all set off.
It's surprisingly cool for June and for Debbie, the contrast to hot and humid Taiwan is pretty stark. We've a few layers on as we ride west out of the village and I notice that the two bikes and Schwalbe tyre that were for sale last week have gone. Never mind.
The lane has practically zero traffic and it's flat all the way to Torksey. The bike is OK for Debbie - it's one she used a couple of years ago when here. When we get to the A57, there's a narrow path to ride along until we get to the field where the carboot is held. It's taken us about a 30 minutes.
We lock the three bikes together and start walking around the stalls. It's pretty busy again. Nothing grabs us, but my eagle eyes does spot a vintage cloth badge for The National Cyclists' Union - a now defunct organisation - and my guess is it's from the 1950s and was likely sewn to a canvas saddlebag at one time. It's only 50p = 60 cents. I'm not sure what I'll do with it, but it's a must-have for that money.
For lunch we have bacon and mushroom baps from a venor and I wash mine down with a can of Vimto, a drink that takes me back to my childhood. Carboots are not known for haute cuisine.
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The sky is looking iffy when we make our way to the canal and lock in Torkey, where we know there's a cafe. We know it's under 'new' management now, not that we've been for who knows how many years. As we get to the lock, rain starts coming down hard and we wedge our bikes under the soffit of the cafe's roof. A couple of staff come out and give us large nylon shopping bags to put over the three leather seats and we see the guy running it is wearing a Rapha cycling top. He seems very friendly.
Once we're sat and been served, we ask him about the business and he says he has two other shops, with the one in Newark combining a bike shop which specializes in vintage gear. I then show him the cloth badge and he likes it, and agrees it's likely from the 50s. As we leave I hand it to him for his collection and know it's found a good home. He tells us he'll add it to some others he has in a framed display.
The rain has eased off when we leave. It's now just intermittent drizzle - just enough to make us damp as we pedal back to Saxilby along the quiet lane.
When we get to Saxilby Station, we part ways as Ruby has to get Oscar from school, while we catch a train back to Lincoln, then ride to Dave's place.
The rain has stopped when we get to Lincoln and Debbie seems to have recovered from the long flight. Fresh air and a bit of exercise work wonders.
Today's ride: 30 km (19 miles)
Total: 659 km (409 miles)
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