(fire crackling) (logo whooshing)
(owl hoots)
(dramatic music)
- No real training and I can feel the difference,
but I definitely underpowered.
So challenging man.
Like, I'm having a real hard time.
I'm here in the mighty Forest of Dean
to go for a bicycle ride.
I'm going to attempt to Everest this hill.
At only a 108 meters elevation change per lap
I've got a long ride ahead of me.
Now what does that mean?
Well an Everest or Everesting,
is when you climb the equivalent height of Everest,
8,848 meters, in one sitting.
To do this, I'm going to do 82 laps
that consists of a fire road climb
and a technical downhill run.
This is average Joe's revenge, part two,
return of the medi-ocre.
(birds tweeting)
So running over
what I'm going to be eating and wearing tomorrow,
and it's kind of exciting you do, just to look at it,
get those butterflies in your stomach.
In terms of what I'll be wearing,
I'm just keeping it simple.
I'm just going for just a T-shirt
and some thin trail shorts.
I've got a gilet there as well.
Have got other spares,
but that's what I'll be wearing in the morning, at least.
Controversially, I know, I won't be wearing a chamois pad,
but in my mind chamois pads are for three types of people.
Road cyclists, which I'm not,
wimps, which I'm not and the well-endowed,
and well, that's none of your business.
In terms of food I mean,
it's predominantly Pringles and Oreos.
It's kind of on a cylindrical theme, if you will.
A mixed bag of loads of stuff in there.
We got Coca-Cola, we got crisps,
and to me it would be an absolute crime
not to be able to say thank you very much
and give it to you as to the guys behind the scenes
making this video at the end.
How well they go down for me personally
after eating all this is yet to be decided,
but that should hopefully
be something I can look forward to.
In terms of the bike, honestly,
I don't have the gall to stand here in front of you now
and say, "Oh, I needed to change this,
"then I needed to change that."
I'm running a bike that is so my preferences,
it's a super fun bike to ride,
but it's just how I think an all-mountain
or enduro bike should be,
and I haven't really got into worrying about anything
and I've changed nothing, compared to my normal spec.
But we're going to do a bike check on that,
so we're going to go into the nitty-gritty
of that another time.
Now it's just about, well, Oreos, chocolate milk
and Coca-Cola by the looks of it.
(relaxed music)
It's funny I do get a little bit, it's the moment,
it's like before getting into really cold water
and you're like is this what I actually enjoy? (laughs)
But nah, I'm all good.
I can't wait.
Once you get going it's all fine,
but standing on the precipice, a bit weird.
And it's really weird as well, having other people.
Normally I go through this process by myself
and it's quite strange, you know,
going through that kind of,
getting in that same mental space.
You know, lovely fellows it has to be said,
but even so it is quite peculiar.
But yeah, we leave in five minutes
and I'll be done it before I know it, so it's all good.
(camera crew laughing)
It's only the only time I actually do night riding,
is this now.
It's the only time I've done night riding
in a couple of years.
(sighs) Let's do it.
Nothing like doing it.
(yells) Into the night.
Right, I'll see you guys in a bit.
(somber music)
My phone's going off.
It's my alarm, it's the BBC!
That's my normal super early morning alarm
that I listen to for three hours before getting up.
Good.
It's super quickly in some places,
super greasy others.
Body feels okay.
Yeah, just going to tick through.
That's the cool thing about starting in the dark though,
is by the time it's light,
three hours later you're already done.
You feel like you got that for free.
- Yeah. - And that's
such a cool for me.
(relaxed music)
I think the beauty of Everesting
is just getting on your bike, finding a hill
and surrendering to the madness, the pain,
the mental boredom and the difficulty you will run into.
It was about humans expressing themselves
on the thing they loved, in a place that
they would remember forever.
I thought there was something so sincere
about the expression, something that was so unpretentious,
humble even.
It reminded me of the person I'd quite like to be
and of that attributes that I'd quite like to call my own.
Feeling really pretty good, but I'm definitely underpowered.
I've kind of done lots of riding
and really enjoyed my riding before this,
but no real training, and I can feel the difference.
But I just feel like a crap car with too many people in it.
That's the only way I can describe it.
Okay, now nobody tell Doddy this,
but I'm actually a bit saddle sore,
some grit got in there pretty early on.
But it's all right there's only 15 hours to go or something.
I do just feel underpowered
And I don't, it's just so bizarre. (groans)
(Henry yells)
How you doing Tom?
- I'm good, how are you? - Yeah, yeah, good.
Did you have a little nap?
- Yeah. - Nice.
Oh man.
'Cause my hip is so bad, have to have my saddle really low.
Only had this bike for like, three rides,
think I've just gone a little bit to the extreme.
Going to go up, see how she goes.
I feel like garbage and I don't really know why.
I've been smashing these electrolyte drinks
which might just be the makings of very expensive urine,
I'm not sure. (Tom laughs)
(clears throat) Tastes pretty good.
Hopefully I'll start feeling a little bit better.
(relaxed rock music)
♪ We got to rock down to physio avenue ♪
♪ And then we'll take it higher ♪
Ah! (laughs)
I saw a video of a group of guys
on their own Everest mission,
with mountain bike gearing on their 10k road bikes,
riding a specifically chosen climb.
They clearly felt entitled to that achievement,
trying to ally themselves to qualities that,
I for one, deeply admire.
But in doing so they're holding too tight
and crippling that wonderful thing.
This isn't a race, this is just for the respect of yourself
and that of your peers.
Please don't twist my arm for my respect,
it's not going to happen.
Leave it up on that top shelf where it deserves to be,
right next to the marmalade.
Besides, the longer the odds then the greater the glory.
Oreos in.
And that is actually 2,950, so a third of the way.
And it's really important here, for me anyway,
not to get kind of to self congratulatory
and almost too hubristic here
because this next gap between a third and a half,
is a long one.
So this next 1,500 meters is going to be really important.
And then, yeah just, then I'm out as far as I'll be at sea,
just got to get back home.
So that's going to be nice
This is so physical.
My elbows.
Tennis elbow's really poor thing to complain about,
but oh my God!
So I'm trying to just get my knuckle in them.
Yeah, just there's so much front wheel compression.
Oh yeah, sweet, yeah let's do that next lap.
(machine beeping)
Actually got an old injury on this elbow, as well, funnily.
And I'm just losing all grip strength,
which means my hands vibrate on the bar
and then it's making it worse,
and it's just got very painful.
But obviously the problem is the pain hits you
under real high compression
and your hand just want to,
it just wants to spasm and let go,
but obviously you just like death gripping on.
Not the brake so much, it's just in the palm of my hand,
and I've got this little. - As long as you can
still pull the brake.
(all laughing)
- Yeah.
I've got this little ridge in my glove
- Yeah. - and it was
feeding on it as well.
It's super painful.
You know I saying musics a blanket?
I had been swaddling that blanket these last few hours.
Oh my god.
Right, cheers guys.
(upbeat rock music)
Lap 61, all done in dusted.
6,670.
Yeah, hard work.
If you would like to go and give it the beans on your bike
for 17 plus hours then, you know what, fair play.
Good on ya.
You have my support you crazy animal,
but please don't take pride in doing something difficult
by making it easy, it will be the end of something
that should be regarded as sacred.
I've done a few of these before around Queenstown,
and I really believe you should do it on a hill
that you feel you have a deep personal connection with.
It's not about finding a mountain
that's already Everest sized,
but transforming your local hill into Everest.
This small hill in the southwest of England,
by the time I'm done with it
it'll be the highest point on mother earth.
It's so challenging man.
I'm having a real hard time.
Combination of fatigue.
The tracks we're riding as well, they're not crazy steep,
but there's plenty of places to lose your front wheel,
to clip a pedal.
Yeah, they're pretty treacherous in a way,
although they're not necessarily that steep.
Though saying I think if a lot of people rode it,
they'd be surprised that someone rode this 82 times.
But, which I haven't done yet, so get ahead of myself.
(relaxed music)
Sorry it's so late.
Think it's going to be a one o'clock job.
Sorry lads.
- [Tom] It's absolutely fine.
It's our job, as we were saying earlier.
- Yeah, but even so.
Now here's the reasons why I cannot do it.
The loop is only a 108 meters of elevation,
so that would be 82 laps and that is obviously too many.
I haven't trained properly.
I've ridden a reasonable amount,
but nothing crazy and no specified training.
I've got gammy hip.
I'm riding a long travel, 160mm bike with proper tires.
I'm clearly not a climber and I'm riding flat pedals.
But now we've got that out the way, why am I going to do it?
Well I'm tougher than boot curry.
I'm more positive than a kids TV presenter
with their finger in the mains.
More reliable than Samwise Gamgee
with that posh Elvish bread.
What I'm saying is, I stand here ready
for whatever is coming my way.
So after their lap, it's just the 10 to go.
That's pretty cool.
Probably even cooler is getting down into single figures.
And it's just like, "Nine, eight seven."
Trying not to get freaked out by the fact
there's I still 10 laps, I'm actually quite happy.
Body all right.
I mean, that's to be expected,
my knees starting to hurt a bit now.
But it means I can't feel my elbow, which is great.
(relaxed music)
Eeh-oh.
I want it, desperately badly,
my riding is where I express myself and it's who I truly am.
You couldn't ever really know me as a person
without seeing me in that 11th hour.
My nose seemingly glued to my stem
and my eyes casting through my brow,
as I keep my gaze fixed upon the horizon.
This stuff is what excites me,
if I wasn't there wouldn't be any point.
I'm nervous whilst confident,
but if you're not scared at least a little
you're not doing the good stuff and I promise you that.
Bicycles my friends, the only chain that will set you free.
(Henry groans)
It's really annoying, 'cause on this
it says I'm going to hit in three laps,
but then if I trust it to be that accurate.
Yeah, I'm just going to crack on,
I'm going to do four laps.
- Cool. - No messing about.
Well, that's only one hour.
(dramatic music)
Last lap, I'm just going to go straight on.
(man whooping)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!
The last time I got to go up this bloody climb.
Been talking about this for so long, this bloody Everest.
Whoever's editing this I'm sorry for just leaving camera on.
I'm having a simply lovely time.
Yeah!
Yes!
Oh my god, I can't believe it!
I did it and I didn't bloody die on any of it.
Ah!
(Henry yelling)
Oh my god.
(man whooping)
I don't believe it.
Oh my god!
That honestly.
Like, I once ate 36 Petits Filous in one sitting
I know a challenge, but that,
that was like nothing else.
That was the most physical day, in every regard,
I've ever had on a bike.
When my hand was bad, I thought, to be honest,
I sound so stupid.
I'd of tried to buy some handle tape if I was by myself,
and then I was just going to duct tape it to the bar.
And I was thinking, "This is going to suck."
You know?
And once it got passed the elbow thing,
I thought, "We're onto a winner here."
There were some times where, perhaps,
you know, I went through a real bad spot with nutrition
for no real reason.
I think sometimes your body takes a while to adapt,
the way it wants to be,
and I was having a horrid time, eh?
I was having a really nasty time.
And I just can't believe it.
That was so gnarly.
I can't believe it man.
Oh my god.
Oh my god, let's get, you got to get some beers there boys.
- Yes.
- [Henry] Oh my God, thank you so, I am so grateful.
Thank you very much. - You absolutely nailed it
actually.
- Cheers. - Cheers.
- Cheers boys, thank you so much.
Honestly, that has meant the world to me.
Oh. (sighs)
(upbeat music)
You know it's funny, a wiser person than myself
would probably have prepared better.
Wiser still, then they probably wouldn't have
trash talked so much beforehand.
"It's going to be a right laugh,"
I would tell my bewildered colleagues.
This wasn't just a needless indulgence of bravado
and watered down born brawn,
but rather a way to assert myself upon this challenge.
This was my way to say to the ride, "You can't hurt me.
"And if you try well, bring the kitchen sink,
"because I'm going to be able to stomach it."
To be honest, this is kind of the extent
of the reaches of my personality.
What you see before you is what I am,
this is kind of it.
Just a man-shaped boy
with an enjoyment of riding bicycles in the outdoors.
It's that soft gooey mess of nostalgia and sentiment
that was protecting.
That attitude although perhaps churlish,
gave my morale and my resolve a much needed leg up.
Standing here now after doing it,
well that delayed satisfaction
really did distill throughout the whole day
and upon reflection.
It's really precious to me.
82 laps.
I just can't quite believe it!
Well that's it guys.
Now honestly, if you don't think all this
toil and tribulations is worth
one like, a little bit of subscribe
and hitting that notification bell, well god help you.
I am so tired I can't really think of content suggest,
I might make stuff up.
If you want to see my collection of
porcelain Vinnie Jones dolls, click down here
And oh, the bike.
If want to see my bike check, click down there,
Both such beautiful options.
Wowie, you're in for a treat of the aesthetic kind.
But yeah, hang tight, thank you very much.