Day 5 Shrewsbury to Preston - pain and waxing the under carriage? (82 miles)

Headed off at a brisk pace, weather cool and cloudy but bone dry. Shrewsbury to Cheshire then Lancashire whizzing through places with names like Wem (home of Eckford Sweet Pea society), Whixall, Whitchurch and Wirswall. The terrain is flat and our pace is about 16mph for the morning (20mph for the long flat bits). Quite exhilarating!

However, I'm aware of right-sided 'undercarriage' pain. The sun breaks through the haze and the riding pain steps up a notch. Although initially tolerable, I've made an error and have used Sudocrem too liberally, perhaps thinking of nappy changing days. My cycle shorts are plastered to me. Each revolution of a pedal produces a tugging perineal pain localised to the right.

The pain severity score is 5/10 or just below. We stop for coffee and buttery shortbread at The Wild Boar, a bizarre ornate mock Tudor hotel, built 1886 by two brother timber merchants, John and Robert Naylor, who coincidentally were the first to be recorded walking Lands End to John O'Groats.

As we arrive for lunch, I've employed various strategies to minimise the chafing, including selecting a 'big' gear with less revolutions per minute; free wheeling when possible; and hanging slightly to the right. As we leave the pain score is 6-7/10. Our next and final stop before Preston is at a big bike shop. All I can think of is gel-padded cycle shorts. They have them under the brand name, 'Funkier'. Not one I'm familiar with. I try them on and thinking they are £40, tear off the labels and go to pay. "£85 sir for the carbon shorts that is". They feel like oversized nappies, not sure where carbon comes in. I downgrade to the non-carbon variety and waddle out wearing old and new, one on top of the other.

I cycle into Preston alone, pain score 7+ and realise I'm passing Max's house (friend from Medical School days), stop for tea. We've planned to meet for supper but I'm offered a bath and bed as well. I apologise to my group and indulge in a freezing bath in Max's Canadian Rainforest bathroom with colour changing lights (see photo of controller). Fine supper with Max and kids.

I'll leave you with a finishing thought - a friend reminded me of how pro cyclists ease chafing by waxing the under carriage. Tempting...

Statistics
Distance: 82 miles
Riding time: 5:47
Climbing: 836m
Ave speed 14.1mph, ave heart rate 100bpm
Road kill: x4 badgers, x1 rabbit, pheasant (female), large unidentified mustelid
High points: coffee in mock ornate Tudor hotel (Wild Boar); cold bath in Max's iron tub
Low point: progressive pain in undercarriage region
Burning question: Why would I possibly imagine that this was not going to be painful?