There can be little more disconcerting to the notion of pain and suffering to arise on the morning of 'The Ride of the Falling Rain' to bright sunshine, warm weather, and a distinct absence of clouds. Is this really what we have worked towards for the whole year? Other than drawing a pretty map and printing vouchers for a free dram at Ardbeg Distillery, RotFR is rather delightfully free of organisation. There is no entry fee, no marshals, no feed stops, precious little technical support (i carried a multi-tool) and the dubious addition of a Land Rover with a brush sticking out the top for the broom wagon.
The Ride of the Falling Rain takes place on Islay on the first Sunday of August each year, leaving from Debbie's Cafe near Bruichladdich Distillery, and taking in a sizeable chunk of the island's roads, before returning to same. The entire route, if followed to the nearest pothole. will add 100 miles to your tyres, but there are various bail out points and shortcuts should you prefer more of an amble than a whizz.
The ride passes five distilleries and miles of wonderful countryside, enjoyed by a total of 39 participants, with an encouraging proportion of youngsters. If all this needs to mean something, having the small people pedal to half distance would bring a smile to a broken chain. And it teaches them to get wet on a bike.
Someone who should know better had me set off leading the 'fast' group - a rather higher tempo than I'd expected, so come the hill that is Bowmore Main Street, after about 35 miles, I lost contact with those of us following the 'proper' route. Cycling solo along the Low Road until catching up with a fixed wheel on a shortcut, by the time Ardbeg was reached you could already see the rainclouds gathering.
The Old Kiln Cafe at Ardbeg serves fine food and fine drams, and several riders sat down to a few courses of the former. Those of us with stamina, courage and no loose change, headed off into what truly became the Ride of the Falling Rain. Climbing the only lengthy hill after lunch, we were doused with increasingly heavier rain, though a brief stop to don waterproofs by those who still had them, gave at least some relief.
But this is what we had come for, and that's just what we got, all the way back to Debbie's. Those who are obviously beyond saving, shunned the thought of a soya milk cappuccino and carrot cake by heading further south to complete probably the hardest part of the route through Kilchiaran on down to Portnahaven. Us wimps called it a day at that point, though in mitigation, I did still have to cycle nine miles back home.
In order to meet those who had unceremoniously dropped me during the day, we had organised (relatively speaking) some welcome pasta and exceedingly fattening puddings for riders and their families in the evening, at the end of which, the rain had turned to a fine mist over Loch Indaal and encouraged a wee bit of a rainbow.
Now we start trying not to organise next year's event on 2nd August 2009.