My last post shared the news that I’d published a book, Riders of the Storm, about last year’s dramatic London Edinburgh London cycling event. Every author relishes creating an emotional response from their readers, and I couldn’t resist sharing some precious feedback from a reader.

In the book, I tell the story of how my morale and wellbeing were boosted by what I called roadside angels. This came on the first day, when a persistent headwind was grinding me down:

‘I was drinking more water than expected, thanks to my exertions against the wind, and I was concerned that I would end up without a drop left. Yet suddenly I saw a miraculous sight: a group of volunteers near Whittlesey, who’d set out water, melons and bananas on a picnic table at a lay-by. I could have cried with joy and gratitude. I enjoyed a coffee and fruit, and more importantly filled my water bottles. Thank you, Diva and friends. You really made this bunch of suffering cyclists much happier.’

A week or so after the book went on sale on Amazon, I was thrilled to see a comment on my London Edinburgh London Facebook group post from Paul:

‘Just got it, Wife (Diva) was one of “Roadside angels in Whittlesey”!’

I was so pleased that Diva and her friends saw that their kindness had been recognised in my book. I was unable to include a photo of the Whittlesey stop in the book, but I can do so here.

Remembering another kind helper

Earlier in the book, I recalled the kindness of another roadside angel. I rode the Bryan Chapman memorial 600km audax as part of my training for LEL, and made a complete mess of it. I ran out of energy on the road between Llanidloes and Machynlleth, and was relieved to stop briefly to get my brevet card stamped at Dylife to show I’d passed here. The control was on the wild Machynlleth mountain road, and a friendly Audax Club Bristol member explained that his fellow volunteer was taking a nap in the car. He then gave me an orange Club biscuit – a favourite during my 1970s childhood in Cardiff. This kind man was Jon Banks, and I was saddened to read later that he had died suddenly just four days after our encounter. I’d like to pass on my sympathies to his wife Barbara and Jon’s friends in Audax Club Bristol. Arrivée, Audax UK’s magazine, paid a lovely tribute to him in its autumn 2025 edition.

You can buy Riders of the Storm as a paperback and Kindle ebook from Amazon’s UK and international stores.