INTRODUCING MALCOLM

22 May
Many thanks go to Malcolm Smith for taking over the management of this Peddling for Parkinson's blog site tomorrow, 23 May, until our pedallers throw their cycles away in Santiago de Compostela!
Over the past four years, from the day when The Route of Saint James was a tiny seed in Ben's brain, Malcolm has been a very large feature in Ben's cycling life - and an extremely good friend.
Malcolm's knowledge of bicycles, biking and the pitfalls of travelling on a bicycle has been invaluable to Ben. He has given up a great deal of his precious spare time (and, it has to be said, time at work) to advise and accompany Ben on long days of biking. I really admire the way that he has coached, motivated and cajoled Ben, understanding the nature and unpredictability of Parkinson's Disease. Malcolm's patience with Ben and determination that he would achieve this phenomenal Pilgrimage has never waivered. The Fens is the worst training ground imaginable for 'battling with hills and mountainous terrain' and biking in the Lincolnshire wolds proved to be a regular haunt for them.
It was during last year, whilst Ben was biking solo from the Orkneys to Weston, that Malcolm travelled up to the North, joining a despondent Ben on a long weekend. In so doing, he encouraged Ben - who had hit an all time 'low' motivation and confidence level - in conquering volumes of hills.
Where Malcolm, like the rest of us, has never succeeded with Ben is in the fine art of light packing when travelling on a bike. The only way that anyone pays for excess baggage on a bike is by laborious pedalling or coming to a complete halt whilst endeavouring to climb. Ben's idea of packing is to take his whole wardrobe, and more, on board.
Many, many thanks Malcolm for everything. I know that Ben would re-iterate and add so much more to what I have written here.

Jenny