The LEJOG was hard work, it lived up to the "challenge" tag, but I am absolutely delighted we did it. Even when it was difficult, even when the weather was foul, it was brilliant. And such a great sense of achievement afterwards.
Would I do something similar again? Perhaps, ask me in a little while. But i'd make sure I had a support vehicle, because boy did I resent the weight in those panniers on every hill. And also, without support an small setback might have caused us to abandon the challenge whereas with a support vehicle you have more resources and more options.
Would I recommend it? Yes, absolutely! With a little preparation and training many people could do a LEJOG or similar challenge. My advice - if you want to do it then go for it!
Thanks
Friday 24 July 2009
Stats
Here are some stats on the 14 days of the ride:
Day 1. Lands End to Wadebridge
67.8 miles
9 hours total time of which 5h 58m moving.
Avg speed 11.3mph, Max speed 36mph.
Day 2. Wadebridge to North Molton
75.1 miles
10h 30m total time of which 7h 28m moving.
Avg speed 10.0 mph, Max speed 41.4 mph.
Day 3. North Molton to Chew Stoke
75.6 miles
9 hours total time of which 7h 6m moving.
Avg speed 11.4 mph, Max speed 42.6 mph.
Day 4. Chew Stoke to How Caple
73.7 miles
10 hours total time of which 7h 3m moving.
Avg speed 10.4 mph, Max speed 39.3 mph.
Day 5. How Caple to Wrockwardine
66.7 miles.
9h 15m total time of which 6h 11m moving.
Avg speed 10.7mph, Max speed 35.7mph.
Day 6. Wrockwardine to Lostock
77.1 miles.
8 hours total time of which 6h 14m moving.
Avg speed 12.3mph, Max speed 24.1mph.
Day 7. Lostock to Sedburgh
75.5 miles.
10 hours total time of which 7h 20m moving.
Avg speed 10.2mph, Max speed 40.7mph.
Day 8. Sedburgh to Langholm
74.6 miles.
8 hours total time of which 6h 11m moving.
Avg speed 12.0 mph, Max speed 37.2 mph.
Day 9. Langholm to Edinburgh
74.6 miles.
8 hours total time of which 6h 4m moving.
Avg speed 12.2 mph, Max speed 39.6 mph.
Day 10. Edinburgh to Caputh
81.2 miles.
9 hours total time of which 6h 47m moving.
Avg speed 11.9 mph, Max speed 35.8 mph.
Day 11. Caputh to Corgarff
63.9 miles.
8h 45m total time of which 5h 29m moving.
Avg speed 11.6 mph, Max speed 43.1 mph.
Day 12. Corgarff to Culbokie.
73.6 miles.
?? total time of which 6h 29m moving.
Avg speed 11.3 mph, Max speed 41.2 mph.
Day 13. Colbokie to Tongue
77.0 miles.
8h 50m total time of which 6h 23m moving.
Avg speed 12.0 mph, Max speed 33 mph.
Day 14. Tongue to John O'Groats
65.6 miles.
7h 35m total time of which 6h 7m moving.
Avg speed 10.7 mph, Max speed 36.6mph.
Total Distance:
1,022 miles.
Day 1. Lands End to Wadebridge
67.8 miles
9 hours total time of which 5h 58m moving.
Avg speed 11.3mph, Max speed 36mph.
Day 2. Wadebridge to North Molton
75.1 miles
10h 30m total time of which 7h 28m moving.
Avg speed 10.0 mph, Max speed 41.4 mph.
Day 3. North Molton to Chew Stoke
75.6 miles
9 hours total time of which 7h 6m moving.
Avg speed 11.4 mph, Max speed 42.6 mph.
Day 4. Chew Stoke to How Caple
73.7 miles
10 hours total time of which 7h 3m moving.
Avg speed 10.4 mph, Max speed 39.3 mph.
Day 5. How Caple to Wrockwardine
66.7 miles.
9h 15m total time of which 6h 11m moving.
Avg speed 10.7mph, Max speed 35.7mph.
Day 6. Wrockwardine to Lostock
77.1 miles.
8 hours total time of which 6h 14m moving.
Avg speed 12.3mph, Max speed 24.1mph.
Day 7. Lostock to Sedburgh
75.5 miles.
10 hours total time of which 7h 20m moving.
Avg speed 10.2mph, Max speed 40.7mph.
Day 8. Sedburgh to Langholm
74.6 miles.
8 hours total time of which 6h 11m moving.
Avg speed 12.0 mph, Max speed 37.2 mph.
Day 9. Langholm to Edinburgh
74.6 miles.
8 hours total time of which 6h 4m moving.
Avg speed 12.2 mph, Max speed 39.6 mph.
Day 10. Edinburgh to Caputh
81.2 miles.
9 hours total time of which 6h 47m moving.
Avg speed 11.9 mph, Max speed 35.8 mph.
Day 11. Caputh to Corgarff
63.9 miles.
8h 45m total time of which 5h 29m moving.
Avg speed 11.6 mph, Max speed 43.1 mph.
Day 12. Corgarff to Culbokie.
73.6 miles.
?? total time of which 6h 29m moving.
Avg speed 11.3 mph, Max speed 41.2 mph.
Day 13. Colbokie to Tongue
77.0 miles.
8h 50m total time of which 6h 23m moving.
Avg speed 12.0 mph, Max speed 33 mph.
Day 14. Tongue to John O'Groats
65.6 miles.
7h 35m total time of which 6h 7m moving.
Avg speed 10.7 mph, Max speed 36.6mph.
Total Distance:
1,022 miles.
Route and Accommodation
The route we followed came from the CTC (Cyclists Touring Club). They publish 3 routes which are free to members and available for a modest fee to non-members. I don't want to infringe their copyright by re-publishing them here so I recommend you go to www.ctc.org.uk.
The route we chose was the one they call their "Bed & Breakfast" route. Which I divided into 14 roughly equal segments and my wife found us accommodation near those points.
The accommodation we stayed at is listed here:
Night Before: Penzance Youth Hostel, Castle Horneck, Alverton, Penzance, Cornwall, TR20 8TF (newly refurbished, well equipped).
1. Keresen B&B, St Giles Drive, Wadebridge, Cornwall, PL27 6DS
2. Zeales B&B, East Street, North Molton, Devon, EX36 3JQ (very friendly welcome)
3. Orchard house B&B, Bristol Rd, Chew Stoke, Bristol, BS40 8UB
4. Falcon House B&B, How Caple, Hereford, HR1 4TF (very friendly welcome, beautiful location)
5. Church Farm B&B, Wrockwardine, Wellington, Telford, TF6 5DG (more than a B&B, almost a hotel, super food)
6. B&B, 42 Chewmoor Lane, Lostock, Bolton, BL6 4EP
7. The Bull Hotel, Main St, Sedbergh, Cumbria, LA10 5BL (excellent comedy value)
8. Carnlea B&B, 16 Hillside Crescent, Langholm, DG13 0EE (very friendly welcome)
9. Edinburgh Central SYHA, 9 Haddington Place, Edinburgh, EH7 4AL (central location, well equipped, busy)
10. Wester Caputh Lodge, Manse Rd, Caputh, Perth, PH1 4JH (friendly small private hostel, take your own food)
11. Allargue Arms Hotel, Corgaff, Strathdon, AB36 8YP (very friendly, great meal)
12. Netherton Farm B&B, Culbokie, Ross-shire, IV7 8JH (very friendly welcome, stunning views)
13. Tongue SYHA, Tongue, By Lairg, IV27 4XH (basic Youth Hostel, take your own food)
14. Bellhaven B&B, Port Dunbar, Wick, KW1 4JJ
The route we chose was the one they call their "Bed & Breakfast" route. Which I divided into 14 roughly equal segments and my wife found us accommodation near those points.
The accommodation we stayed at is listed here:
Night Before: Penzance Youth Hostel, Castle Horneck, Alverton, Penzance, Cornwall, TR20 8TF (newly refurbished, well equipped).
1. Keresen B&B, St Giles Drive, Wadebridge, Cornwall, PL27 6DS
2. Zeales B&B, East Street, North Molton, Devon, EX36 3JQ (very friendly welcome)
3. Orchard house B&B, Bristol Rd, Chew Stoke, Bristol, BS40 8UB
4. Falcon House B&B, How Caple, Hereford, HR1 4TF (very friendly welcome, beautiful location)
5. Church Farm B&B, Wrockwardine, Wellington, Telford, TF6 5DG (more than a B&B, almost a hotel, super food)
6. B&B, 42 Chewmoor Lane, Lostock, Bolton, BL6 4EP
7. The Bull Hotel, Main St, Sedbergh, Cumbria, LA10 5BL (excellent comedy value)
8. Carnlea B&B, 16 Hillside Crescent, Langholm, DG13 0EE (very friendly welcome)
9. Edinburgh Central SYHA, 9 Haddington Place, Edinburgh, EH7 4AL (central location, well equipped, busy)
10. Wester Caputh Lodge, Manse Rd, Caputh, Perth, PH1 4JH (friendly small private hostel, take your own food)
11. Allargue Arms Hotel, Corgaff, Strathdon, AB36 8YP (very friendly, great meal)
12. Netherton Farm B&B, Culbokie, Ross-shire, IV7 8JH (very friendly welcome, stunning views)
13. Tongue SYHA, Tongue, By Lairg, IV27 4XH (basic Youth Hostel, take your own food)
14. Bellhaven B&B, Port Dunbar, Wick, KW1 4JJ
Pictures on Flickr
It is a week since we finished out LEJOG so I am wrapping this blog up with a couple of final posts.
First, I promised some photos which I have uploaded to my Flickr site here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7795411@N06/collections/72157621805309648/
First, I promised some photos which I have uploaded to my Flickr site here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7795411@N06/collections/72157621805309648/
Saturday 18 July 2009
Day 14
We woke up to a cloudy but dry morning in Tongue. This particular SYHA is self-catering only and we had missed the shop the previous evening so we raided our supply of muesli bars and bananas for breakfast, then when we set out bought some snacks for the road.
The skies soon cleared and we were presented with some super views of the coast.
The route from Tongue to John o' Groats is half in Sutherland and half in Caithness. The Sutherland half is very hilly and the Caithness part gently rolling.
The only downside to the morning was that now we had changed direction from North to East, the wind had changed too from a northerly to a strong, cold, buffeting easterly. Clearly the ride was not going to let us have it easy on the last day.
We both found the morning hard going. I think we were drained after yesterday afternoon, and we had not had a proper breakfast, and it was windy. I think too some psychological effect had come into play, we knew the end was within reach just 65 miles away, and we just wanted it to be over.
Andy jarred his knee with a missed gear-change and we didn't want to risk an injury at this late stage so we continued plugging away at a steady pace, counting off the miles.
Along the way we joined up for a while with a father and son. The son had just graduated and was doing a LEJOG and his father had joined him for the Scottish leg.
Lunch was baked potatoes with haggis and cheese (I recommend the combination) in Thurso before the final 20 mile push to John o' Groats.
In reading about other peoples LEJOG experiences a common theme is that John o' Groats is a bit of an anti-climax and I must agree. Although we had arrived at 4.15 the famous sign had been taken down for the day and the photographer who looks after it had no intention of returning until 9.00 the following morning. Both coffee shops were shut. All that was open were the gift shops so we had a celebratory Mars bar and of course we took some photos which I will upload soon.
We managed to hang around in John o' Groats for over an hour so decided to get a cab to Wick instead of cycling the last 17 miles, we had completed our challenge and had nothing left to prove.
Got some very nice congratulatory emails from friends, family and colleagues - thank you all!
So we've done it, Wow!, how does it feel? I think it has still to sink in but I feel proud, relieved, elated, tired, and a whole lot more. Although the cycling has been gruelling at times and the weather sometimes foul, the overall experience has been absolutely brilliant. Just having the opportunity to exercise all day long for 14 days in a row makes you feel so alive. We have seen some absolutely stunning scenery and wildlife. Met some brilliant people along the way, and generally had a great adventure.
It has been my great pleasure to share his experience with Andy. He definitely is a bit fitter and stronger than me which shows up mostly on the hills, but generally we are well matched as cyclists, so neither was holding the other up. And in temperament too we are well matched with a similar sense of humour. Even when the weather was at its most foul we would curse, grin, push down on the pedals, and sing "oh I do like to be beside the seaside" at the top of our voices while cycling through the rain and howling wind. Priceless! Thank you Andy.
Supper consisted of champagne, steak, chips, red wine and malt whisky.
This morning we hit the road in a transit van at 8.30. Seems odd not to be cycling!
The skies soon cleared and we were presented with some super views of the coast.
The route from Tongue to John o' Groats is half in Sutherland and half in Caithness. The Sutherland half is very hilly and the Caithness part gently rolling.
The only downside to the morning was that now we had changed direction from North to East, the wind had changed too from a northerly to a strong, cold, buffeting easterly. Clearly the ride was not going to let us have it easy on the last day.
We both found the morning hard going. I think we were drained after yesterday afternoon, and we had not had a proper breakfast, and it was windy. I think too some psychological effect had come into play, we knew the end was within reach just 65 miles away, and we just wanted it to be over.
Andy jarred his knee with a missed gear-change and we didn't want to risk an injury at this late stage so we continued plugging away at a steady pace, counting off the miles.
Along the way we joined up for a while with a father and son. The son had just graduated and was doing a LEJOG and his father had joined him for the Scottish leg.
Lunch was baked potatoes with haggis and cheese (I recommend the combination) in Thurso before the final 20 mile push to John o' Groats.
In reading about other peoples LEJOG experiences a common theme is that John o' Groats is a bit of an anti-climax and I must agree. Although we had arrived at 4.15 the famous sign had been taken down for the day and the photographer who looks after it had no intention of returning until 9.00 the following morning. Both coffee shops were shut. All that was open were the gift shops so we had a celebratory Mars bar and of course we took some photos which I will upload soon.
We managed to hang around in John o' Groats for over an hour so decided to get a cab to Wick instead of cycling the last 17 miles, we had completed our challenge and had nothing left to prove.
Got some very nice congratulatory emails from friends, family and colleagues - thank you all!
So we've done it, Wow!, how does it feel? I think it has still to sink in but I feel proud, relieved, elated, tired, and a whole lot more. Although the cycling has been gruelling at times and the weather sometimes foul, the overall experience has been absolutely brilliant. Just having the opportunity to exercise all day long for 14 days in a row makes you feel so alive. We have seen some absolutely stunning scenery and wildlife. Met some brilliant people along the way, and generally had a great adventure.
It has been my great pleasure to share his experience with Andy. He definitely is a bit fitter and stronger than me which shows up mostly on the hills, but generally we are well matched as cyclists, so neither was holding the other up. And in temperament too we are well matched with a similar sense of humour. Even when the weather was at its most foul we would curse, grin, push down on the pedals, and sing "oh I do like to be beside the seaside" at the top of our voices while cycling through the rain and howling wind. Priceless! Thank you Andy.
Supper consisted of champagne, steak, chips, red wine and malt whisky.
This morning we hit the road in a transit van at 8.30. Seems odd not to be cycling!
Friday 17 July 2009
Thursday 16 July 2009
Day 13
Today started out well with clear skies and stunning views over the bay towards the mainland.
I had left my cycling shoes in the B&B's drying room but they were still sopping so we put them in the Aga for 20 minutes. As a result they were still sopping wet but hot instead of cold which made it more bearable.
The morning was easy riding, with a gradual easy uphill climb for 20 miles or so. I got to thinking how to describe what it is like to my readers back home, and this is what I came up with. Imagine you went to the gym and set the exercise bike on a random program but at a low difficulty and pedalled without stopping for the same length of time as your morning at work. Well that is what it was like, a long but un-demanding aerobic workout. I will come back to this analogy later.
We stopped for a sandwich for lunch at Lairg which was nice. Andy suggested a game of pool because I think he was piqued that I beat him last time (I play about once every 5 years), and I beat him again. I also had a pint of Irn Bru, big mistake, it is disgusting unless you are aged 7 or under.
After lunch we were feeling pretty confident and had about 37 miles left to go before arriving in Tongue. We started climbing again but nothing we couldn't handle. But of course soon the rain came. About 25 miles to go and we were being drenched yet again (5th time this trip, on 4 different days). We stopped at a pub for a coffee and cake, but mostly to dry off. The locals told us that shortly ahead we would enjoy an 8 mile descent followed by a 3 mile challenging climb. We were cheated of the descent because of the headwind, we had to pedal all the way to make any progress. But fortunately they were wrong abut the climb, it was a doddle.
By this time we were nearing Loch Loyal and being absolutley drenched. So I will return to my exercise bike analogy.
Imagine that after your easy morning on the exercise bike you have short lunch break then return to the bike. Only this time some sadist has turned the aircon to max so it is quite cold, and has one of those massive fans which TV companies use blowing at your face, and is spraying you with cold water and occassionally throwing the odd bucket at you too to simulate cars going past, and has taken over the controls of your exercise bike and turned it up from easy to hard. That was our afternoon. Towards the end we were really cold and the only way to stay warm was to cycle harder so while our natural impulse was to find the shelter of a tree to hide under we pushed harder and harder to finish the ride.
We were pretty bedraggled by the time we arrived but delighted to have finished another day, next stop John o Groats!
At Lairg we met another couple of cyclists who gave us £10 each for our charities - Thank You!
I don't want to make today sound all bad. Tongue is beautiful and so peaceful, walking to the hotel this evening the mountains were lit up by the sunset - absolutly stunning.
I had left my cycling shoes in the B&B's drying room but they were still sopping so we put them in the Aga for 20 minutes. As a result they were still sopping wet but hot instead of cold which made it more bearable.
The morning was easy riding, with a gradual easy uphill climb for 20 miles or so. I got to thinking how to describe what it is like to my readers back home, and this is what I came up with. Imagine you went to the gym and set the exercise bike on a random program but at a low difficulty and pedalled without stopping for the same length of time as your morning at work. Well that is what it was like, a long but un-demanding aerobic workout. I will come back to this analogy later.
We stopped for a sandwich for lunch at Lairg which was nice. Andy suggested a game of pool because I think he was piqued that I beat him last time (I play about once every 5 years), and I beat him again. I also had a pint of Irn Bru, big mistake, it is disgusting unless you are aged 7 or under.
After lunch we were feeling pretty confident and had about 37 miles left to go before arriving in Tongue. We started climbing again but nothing we couldn't handle. But of course soon the rain came. About 25 miles to go and we were being drenched yet again (5th time this trip, on 4 different days). We stopped at a pub for a coffee and cake, but mostly to dry off. The locals told us that shortly ahead we would enjoy an 8 mile descent followed by a 3 mile challenging climb. We were cheated of the descent because of the headwind, we had to pedal all the way to make any progress. But fortunately they were wrong abut the climb, it was a doddle.
By this time we were nearing Loch Loyal and being absolutley drenched. So I will return to my exercise bike analogy.
Imagine that after your easy morning on the exercise bike you have short lunch break then return to the bike. Only this time some sadist has turned the aircon to max so it is quite cold, and has one of those massive fans which TV companies use blowing at your face, and is spraying you with cold water and occassionally throwing the odd bucket at you too to simulate cars going past, and has taken over the controls of your exercise bike and turned it up from easy to hard. That was our afternoon. Towards the end we were really cold and the only way to stay warm was to cycle harder so while our natural impulse was to find the shelter of a tree to hide under we pushed harder and harder to finish the ride.
We were pretty bedraggled by the time we arrived but delighted to have finished another day, next stop John o Groats!
At Lairg we met another couple of cyclists who gave us £10 each for our charities - Thank You!
I don't want to make today sound all bad. Tongue is beautiful and so peaceful, walking to the hotel this evening the mountains were lit up by the sunset - absolutly stunning.
Wednesday 15 July 2009
Day 12
We were expecting a tough first half to today, and indeed the driveway from last night's hotel ended at the bottom of a long, killer hill - so no chance of a gentle warm up!
We followed the road through a few tough climbs through Tomintoul and Grantown on Spey. It has hard going but no worse than yesterday.
After Grantown things were supposed to get easier because we were leaving the Cairngorms. And sure enough the hills thinned out and we were cycling along relatively level roads across high moors. We knew that there would be no shops or pubs after Grantown until Culloden so we bought some pasta salad and cakes to eat along the way. Around 2 when we decided to stop our "challenging" afternoon began. It had started raining so we had our lunch sheltering from the rain under a tree. About half an hour later Andy realised he had a puncture and repaired it by the side of the road while I helpfully took a photo of him. While doing so we heard thunder nearby and soon we were cycling along in torrential rain in the middle of a thunder storm. Unfortunately the repair to Andy's tyre didn't take so he had to repair it again while sheltering from the rain in a barn. By this time the rain had stopped but the roads were running with water like rivers. We cycled through some areas of road where the water was above our pedals, needless to say we were soaked through again.
As we approached Culloden again it was clear Andy still had a slow puncture in his tyre so we sought out a Halfords in Inverness to buy a couple of new tubes. After Inverness we crossed by suspension bridge to the Black Isle where we are staying tonight. We had to cross to the North coast of the Black Isle and while we were climbing over the inevitable hill, just as we were beginning to dry out, the heavens opened again and we turned up at our B&B soaked through and dripping all over the place like a couple of drowned rats.
To add to these challenges we had some equipment failures this afternoon. The Satmap screen went dead and I assumed the battery had simply run out. But when I put normal AA batteries in in Inverness the Satmap refused to come to life. It is dead as a Dodo. I am leaving it in the airing cupboard tonight to see if it dries out and works tomorrow. This is a device the manufacturer assured me was waterproof and could be dropped in water and would keep working.
So we were reliant on Andy's HTC Touch HD phone with Memory Map on it but the phone is not waterproof and eventually that failed too.
On a positive note the B&B is very friendly and has super views. And we had a very nice pub meal again this evening. I think I am going to have to make a conscious effort to cut back on my eating after this trip - 2-3 cooked meals a day is fine when you are cycling all day but I will blow up like a balloon of I continue eating like this.
We followed the road through a few tough climbs through Tomintoul and Grantown on Spey. It has hard going but no worse than yesterday.
After Grantown things were supposed to get easier because we were leaving the Cairngorms. And sure enough the hills thinned out and we were cycling along relatively level roads across high moors. We knew that there would be no shops or pubs after Grantown until Culloden so we bought some pasta salad and cakes to eat along the way. Around 2 when we decided to stop our "challenging" afternoon began. It had started raining so we had our lunch sheltering from the rain under a tree. About half an hour later Andy realised he had a puncture and repaired it by the side of the road while I helpfully took a photo of him. While doing so we heard thunder nearby and soon we were cycling along in torrential rain in the middle of a thunder storm. Unfortunately the repair to Andy's tyre didn't take so he had to repair it again while sheltering from the rain in a barn. By this time the rain had stopped but the roads were running with water like rivers. We cycled through some areas of road where the water was above our pedals, needless to say we were soaked through again.
As we approached Culloden again it was clear Andy still had a slow puncture in his tyre so we sought out a Halfords in Inverness to buy a couple of new tubes. After Inverness we crossed by suspension bridge to the Black Isle where we are staying tonight. We had to cross to the North coast of the Black Isle and while we were climbing over the inevitable hill, just as we were beginning to dry out, the heavens opened again and we turned up at our B&B soaked through and dripping all over the place like a couple of drowned rats.
To add to these challenges we had some equipment failures this afternoon. The Satmap screen went dead and I assumed the battery had simply run out. But when I put normal AA batteries in in Inverness the Satmap refused to come to life. It is dead as a Dodo. I am leaving it in the airing cupboard tonight to see if it dries out and works tomorrow. This is a device the manufacturer assured me was waterproof and could be dropped in water and would keep working.
So we were reliant on Andy's HTC Touch HD phone with Memory Map on it but the phone is not waterproof and eventually that failed too.
On a positive note the B&B is very friendly and has super views. And we had a very nice pub meal again this evening. I think I am going to have to make a conscious effort to cut back on my eating after this trip - 2-3 cooked meals a day is fine when you are cycling all day but I will blow up like a balloon of I continue eating like this.
Tuesday 14 July 2009
Day 11
A lot of people have told us that Cornwall is the hardest bit of a LEJOG but I'm not sure I agree. Today was a relatively short 63 miles but boy was it tough. It started off easily enough with a few miles of easy riding to Blairgowrie then we were heading up Glenshee. Looking at the map, to my uneducated eye, it seemed we were following a river valley bottom so that has to be level, right? I was wrong, there were plenty of hills along the way. Then 10 miles out from our planned lunch stop at the Spittal of Glenshee (love the name) the heavens opened and we got absolutely soaked, shoes full of water soaked, for the second time on this trip. Had lunch at the Spittal hotel and dried my shoes and socks by holding them repeatedly under the hand drier in the men's loo. Fortunately it had dried up a bit by the time we we left but we were soon presented with the first punishing climb of the day, up to the Glenshee ski centre. After that we we were rewarded with a superb descent all the way to Braemar, we reached 43mph and virtually didn't need to turn a pedal all the way to Braemar. Then along the valley to Balmoral which is unfortunately completely hidden by trees, then along an old military road towards Tomintoul.
Some of the scenery was absolutely stunning in Glenshee and on the road to Tomintoul. We took some photos but I doubt whether they will capture the splendour. And some of the descents were great fun and went on forever.
I have been looking out since we arrived in Scotland to see a Red Squirrel. I saw my first on today but sadly it was roadkill. I will keep on looking. I did today see some highland cattle which made me feel we like we were "really" in Scotland.
Everyone is telling me tomorrow will be tougher than today, gulp, better get a good nights sleep and not too many beers!
Some of the scenery was absolutely stunning in Glenshee and on the road to Tomintoul. We took some photos but I doubt whether they will capture the splendour. And some of the descents were great fun and went on forever.
I have been looking out since we arrived in Scotland to see a Red Squirrel. I saw my first on today but sadly it was roadkill. I will keep on looking. I did today see some highland cattle which made me feel we like we were "really" in Scotland.
Everyone is telling me tomorrow will be tougher than today, gulp, better get a good nights sleep and not too many beers!
Day 10 - part 2
(sorry, accidentally hit send too soon).
Met a few other long distance cyclists including two Danes who were cycling around the whole North Sea rim, 6,000km spread out over 7 years. And another guy doing a LEJOG like us but alone, and doing up to 100 miles a day.
The weather at the start of the day was pretty good but we had a couple of very long climbs to contend with. The first from the Forth to Cowdenbeath, and the second up through Glen Devon to just before Dunning. Had lunch in Dunning which is famous for being burnt to the ground by the Jacobites and for a monument to a burnt witch which is mysteriously repainted each year. After Dunning there was some pretty fast cycling to and through the wonderfully named Yetts O' Muckle. Where the BBC's T in the Park is being staged. After that the going got harder but still not a problem.
We knew we were staying tonight somewhere with no catering so bought a couple of ready meals. The private hostel in Caputh is very friendly and homely, a pleasant change to sit down and chat with other holiday makers.
It really feels like we are on the home straight now. We reach John O'Groats 3/4 through Friday's ride, so less than 4 days left to our goal!
Today was a tough one at over 80 miles but we are feeling now we can take whatever the trip throws at us.
Met a few other long distance cyclists including two Danes who were cycling around the whole North Sea rim, 6,000km spread out over 7 years. And another guy doing a LEJOG like us but alone, and doing up to 100 miles a day.
The weather at the start of the day was pretty good but we had a couple of very long climbs to contend with. The first from the Forth to Cowdenbeath, and the second up through Glen Devon to just before Dunning. Had lunch in Dunning which is famous for being burnt to the ground by the Jacobites and for a monument to a burnt witch which is mysteriously repainted each year. After Dunning there was some pretty fast cycling to and through the wonderfully named Yetts O' Muckle. Where the BBC's T in the Park is being staged. After that the going got harder but still not a problem.
We knew we were staying tonight somewhere with no catering so bought a couple of ready meals. The private hostel in Caputh is very friendly and homely, a pleasant change to sit down and chat with other holiday makers.
It really feels like we are on the home straight now. We reach John O'Groats 3/4 through Friday's ride, so less than 4 days left to our goal!
Today was a tough one at over 80 miles but we are feeling now we can take whatever the trip throws at us.
Monday 13 July 2009
Day 10
They are digging up all the roads in Edinburgh in preparation for a new tram systen which is due to open in a few years time. So the traffic is a bit chaotic but we found our way through ok to South Queensferry where the Forth Road Bridge starts. We got loads of pictures of the road and rail bridges in the sunshine.
Sunday 12 July 2009
Day 9
I forgot to mention, on leaving the pub yesterday evening a nice couple got talking to us about our LEJOG T-shirts and gave us £10, £5 for each of our charities. Thank you!
After yesterday's super riding conditions I imagined today would be payback time. A feeling not dispelled when we woke up to grey skies and drizzle. But after yet another excellent full English - sorry, Full Scottish Breakfast we set off into the rain yet again.
On tired legs the first few hills came as a bit of a shock but we soon noticed a difference in these Scottish hills. Whilst they sometimes went on for a couple of miles they were not steep. I could often go up them on the middle front chain ring at 6 to 10 mph. And afterwards we were always rewarded with a similarly long downhill slope.
The scenery was absolutely stunning, especially Eskdale where we spent the first part of the morning.
The morning continued like this and we were making good progress so around 1.00 we stopped at a pub for lunch. This must have been the least economically viable pub in all of Scotland because there was a barmaid and a chef but until we arrived there were absolutely no customers. We wanted a sandwich but they were only serving Sunday lunches so we opted to share salmon and vegetables. We must have seemed like a couple of pensioners "ooh, that's too much for me, can we have one to share?".
The afternoon was a bit drier and continued to be easy going and we got to Edinburgh before 6.00. Had a quick shower and went to do some sightseeing. Then had the obligatory haggis, neeps and tatties on the Royal Mile.
Edinburgh is beautiful and there is so much to see. Made mental note, must come back and spend some time here.
Tomorrow we cross the Forth Road Bridge, hope the weather is good and we get some good photos.
After yesterday's super riding conditions I imagined today would be payback time. A feeling not dispelled when we woke up to grey skies and drizzle. But after yet another excellent full English - sorry, Full Scottish Breakfast we set off into the rain yet again.
On tired legs the first few hills came as a bit of a shock but we soon noticed a difference in these Scottish hills. Whilst they sometimes went on for a couple of miles they were not steep. I could often go up them on the middle front chain ring at 6 to 10 mph. And afterwards we were always rewarded with a similarly long downhill slope.
The scenery was absolutely stunning, especially Eskdale where we spent the first part of the morning.
The morning continued like this and we were making good progress so around 1.00 we stopped at a pub for lunch. This must have been the least economically viable pub in all of Scotland because there was a barmaid and a chef but until we arrived there were absolutely no customers. We wanted a sandwich but they were only serving Sunday lunches so we opted to share salmon and vegetables. We must have seemed like a couple of pensioners "ooh, that's too much for me, can we have one to share?".
The afternoon was a bit drier and continued to be easy going and we got to Edinburgh before 6.00. Had a quick shower and went to do some sightseeing. Then had the obligatory haggis, neeps and tatties on the Royal Mile.
Edinburgh is beautiful and there is so much to see. Made mental note, must come back and spend some time here.
Tomorrow we cross the Forth Road Bridge, hope the weather is good and we get some good photos.
Saturday 11 July 2009
Day 8
Last night we stayed in The Bull in Sedburgh. it can probably best be summed up as in need of a refurb, friendly, and a bit of a shambles. My room was tiny, the bathroom flooded when I had a shower, and I got a neck ache looking at the tv which was on the ceiling. Andy was kept awake all night by a noisy air con unit. We checked in at around 7.30 and checking the information in the room found out they served meals until 9.00 but when we went down at 8.40 we were told the chef had already gone home. On checking in we were told breakfast was from 8.00 to 9.00, but at 8.00 the restaurant was deserted of staff. At around 8.10 a lady poked her head around the door and saw us and said "I am only the cleaner, I hate it when this happens, I never know what to say". Andy was outside and saw someone nonchalantly crossing the road at 8.15 and the receptionist shouted at him "hurry up, we have people in the dining room", he said "what, already?".
Finally on checking out I asked who to make the cheque out to, the receptionist said "hang on a minute, I know this one". They have missed their calling, they should be a comedy show.
After this we set off just after 9.00 and all I can say is "Wow! What a fantastic days cycling!".
The sun shone all day. What little wind there was was a tail wind. We had a couple of tough climbs before Tebay and after Orton. Then after that it was fast rolling countryside. We were cycling through a delightful area with the Lake District in the distance to our left and the wall of hills which are the start of the Pennines to our right.
We stopped for lunch at Langwathby and ate it on a village green outside a pub in the sunshine. We were met by Andy's wife Lisa who kindly agreed to carry our panniers and rucksack to our next B&B. So I had the pleasure of cycling luggage-free this afternoon. Lisa also bought a squishy gel saddle cover for Andy and some ointment. I hope this helps because Andy has been suffering. I feel for him - metaphorically, not literally of course. I suggested to Lisa perhaps Andy should use Surgical Spirit, always interesting on open wounds ;).
We passed into Scotland around 5.00. It is amazing to think that over 6 of the 14 days of this trip will be in Scotland, I am ashamed to admit I forgot how huge Scotland is.
We finished the day with a nice pub meal near our B&B in Langholm.
I suspect tomorrow will be tougher than today but it has been such a pleasure to have an easier day.
Tomorrow - Edinburgh.
Finally on checking out I asked who to make the cheque out to, the receptionist said "hang on a minute, I know this one". They have missed their calling, they should be a comedy show.
After this we set off just after 9.00 and all I can say is "Wow! What a fantastic days cycling!".
The sun shone all day. What little wind there was was a tail wind. We had a couple of tough climbs before Tebay and after Orton. Then after that it was fast rolling countryside. We were cycling through a delightful area with the Lake District in the distance to our left and the wall of hills which are the start of the Pennines to our right.
We stopped for lunch at Langwathby and ate it on a village green outside a pub in the sunshine. We were met by Andy's wife Lisa who kindly agreed to carry our panniers and rucksack to our next B&B. So I had the pleasure of cycling luggage-free this afternoon. Lisa also bought a squishy gel saddle cover for Andy and some ointment. I hope this helps because Andy has been suffering. I feel for him - metaphorically, not literally of course. I suggested to Lisa perhaps Andy should use Surgical Spirit, always interesting on open wounds ;).
We passed into Scotland around 5.00. It is amazing to think that over 6 of the 14 days of this trip will be in Scotland, I am ashamed to admit I forgot how huge Scotland is.
We finished the day with a nice pub meal near our B&B in Langholm.
I suspect tomorrow will be tougher than today but it has been such a pleasure to have an easier day.
Tomorrow - Edinburgh.
Friday 10 July 2009
Day 7
This morning we got away quite promptly around 9 and of course there were three of us, two Andy's and myself.
Once we got out of Bolton's industrial hinterland the country opened up into rolling hills and fields. I would rate the first half of the day during as in the middle of the days so far, not the hardest but by no means the easiest either. It gave Andy a good sense of the ride to date. I think he was concerned he might hold us up, but to be honest we have not been racing along, this is an endurance event rather than a sprint. Andy was very complimentary about how well we looked and were holding up - I think he feared he was going to find us physical wrecks.
We had lunch together at Great Mitton before Andy peeled off towards Clitheroe to get the train back to Bolton.
After that we continued along our ride to Sedburgh. I think we knew it was going to be tough and boy were we right. We gradually climbed up and first the arable land gave way to grazing then finally we were up on the fells with only sparse grazing, few trees, windswept sheep and drystone walls.
Some of the climbs were killers. The one to the Cross of Greet stands out. 200 metres climb in about 1 mile and a cruel headwind.
The last 10 miles were easier with gentler countryside and a tailwind for a change. But Andy was not able to enjoy this fully due to neck ache from his rucksack and saddle sores.
As for me I am tired and achy but no serious problems (touch wood).
Although it was tough this afternoon we were treated to some spectacular panoramic views of this stunning scenery. Sorry to keep you waiting but I will upload them on my return.
Got to the Inn around 7.30 which was a good achievement.
Over dinner we discussed whether to change our daily routines to allow more time for the challenging days to come. We will try and get away earlier, and try for shorter lunches. Sitting down for a pub lunch is proving to be a killer. Our legs seize up and the first half hour riding afterwards is difficult and painful. We will experiment with shorter, stand up lunches.
Sadly Alex will not be able to rejoin us, he has been advised to take it easy with no exercise for the next three weeks. So our band is down to two.
I cannot believe we are half way! There are still over 500 miles to go and I am sure Scotland has some hills for us. But I cannot help feeling thrilled and elated at what we have done so far.
Once we got out of Bolton's industrial hinterland the country opened up into rolling hills and fields. I would rate the first half of the day during as in the middle of the days so far, not the hardest but by no means the easiest either. It gave Andy a good sense of the ride to date. I think he was concerned he might hold us up, but to be honest we have not been racing along, this is an endurance event rather than a sprint. Andy was very complimentary about how well we looked and were holding up - I think he feared he was going to find us physical wrecks.
We had lunch together at Great Mitton before Andy peeled off towards Clitheroe to get the train back to Bolton.
After that we continued along our ride to Sedburgh. I think we knew it was going to be tough and boy were we right. We gradually climbed up and first the arable land gave way to grazing then finally we were up on the fells with only sparse grazing, few trees, windswept sheep and drystone walls.
Some of the climbs were killers. The one to the Cross of Greet stands out. 200 metres climb in about 1 mile and a cruel headwind.
The last 10 miles were easier with gentler countryside and a tailwind for a change. But Andy was not able to enjoy this fully due to neck ache from his rucksack and saddle sores.
As for me I am tired and achy but no serious problems (touch wood).
Although it was tough this afternoon we were treated to some spectacular panoramic views of this stunning scenery. Sorry to keep you waiting but I will upload them on my return.
Got to the Inn around 7.30 which was a good achievement.
Over dinner we discussed whether to change our daily routines to allow more time for the challenging days to come. We will try and get away earlier, and try for shorter lunches. Sitting down for a pub lunch is proving to be a killer. Our legs seize up and the first half hour riding afterwards is difficult and painful. We will experiment with shorter, stand up lunches.
Sadly Alex will not be able to rejoin us, he has been advised to take it easy with no exercise for the next three weeks. So our band is down to two.
I cannot believe we are half way! There are still over 500 miles to go and I am sure Scotland has some hills for us. But I cannot help feeling thrilled and elated at what we have done so far.
Thursday 9 July 2009
Day 6
The Church Farm B&B topped off a super evening meal with an equally delicious breakfast. Highly recommended! But as with every day we could not put off the need to do our daily miles.
Even though Andy and I had cycled most of yesterday alone it was still strange starting the day without Alex.
We set ourselves a target of getting 40 miles underr our belt in time to stop for a pub lunch. Fortunately the countryside was gently rolling with no serious hills to slow us down. The wind during the morning was North Westerley and we were heading generally North. So as we zigzagged along country lames sometimes it was a hinderance and sometimes not a problem. It might seem I am going on a lot about wind speed and direction, all I can say is "believe me, it does make a big difference".
We hit our target of 40 miles by 1.00 and had a baked potato pub lunch.
The afternoon was similarly straightforward cycling athough the wind moved around a bit. At one stage for around 10 miles after Knutsford it was behind us and we flew along - it was the Somerset Levels all over again. At other times it became a Northerly and really slowed us down.
We made it to our B&B in Lostock by 5.15 which was our fastest day yet. 76 miles in about 7 hours cycling. It was a day of serious mile eating.
Steve our support driver met us for the last time tonight which means that Andy will be carrying a ruck sack from now on which will even up the loads a bit.
And Andy from work joined us this evening and will be sharing the first half of tomorrows ride with us. We had a hearty Italian meal together this evening and that coupled with the company tomorrow is a real morale booster.
I need to revise my earlier assessment of the Satmap. It is not the battery life which is poor but the battery indicator. There is no indication while charging of how full the battery is and as a result I was taking it off charge too early. Since then I have been charging it all night and it does last a complete day. The second problem with the battery charge indicator is that it is inaccurate when the device is in use. With 4 bars of battery life most people would expect them to equate roughly to 100%, 75%, 50% and 25% of remaining battery life, but no. It stays on 4 bars for hours, then on 3 bars for hours, then almost immediately dies.
Final gripe about Satmap is the button to the right of the joystick has not worked for 3 day. Fortunately I can still get to map screens but not to the compass screen. I cannot even trun it off. But it is proving useful all the same, so I will stop griping.
Looking forward to tomrorrow. We will be heading off into bleaker wilder country which will make a change. And the end of tomorrow is our half way point, a major achievement.
Even though Andy and I had cycled most of yesterday alone it was still strange starting the day without Alex.
We set ourselves a target of getting 40 miles underr our belt in time to stop for a pub lunch. Fortunately the countryside was gently rolling with no serious hills to slow us down. The wind during the morning was North Westerley and we were heading generally North. So as we zigzagged along country lames sometimes it was a hinderance and sometimes not a problem. It might seem I am going on a lot about wind speed and direction, all I can say is "believe me, it does make a big difference".
We hit our target of 40 miles by 1.00 and had a baked potato pub lunch.
The afternoon was similarly straightforward cycling athough the wind moved around a bit. At one stage for around 10 miles after Knutsford it was behind us and we flew along - it was the Somerset Levels all over again. At other times it became a Northerly and really slowed us down.
We made it to our B&B in Lostock by 5.15 which was our fastest day yet. 76 miles in about 7 hours cycling. It was a day of serious mile eating.
Steve our support driver met us for the last time tonight which means that Andy will be carrying a ruck sack from now on which will even up the loads a bit.
And Andy from work joined us this evening and will be sharing the first half of tomorrows ride with us. We had a hearty Italian meal together this evening and that coupled with the company tomorrow is a real morale booster.
I need to revise my earlier assessment of the Satmap. It is not the battery life which is poor but the battery indicator. There is no indication while charging of how full the battery is and as a result I was taking it off charge too early. Since then I have been charging it all night and it does last a complete day. The second problem with the battery charge indicator is that it is inaccurate when the device is in use. With 4 bars of battery life most people would expect them to equate roughly to 100%, 75%, 50% and 25% of remaining battery life, but no. It stays on 4 bars for hours, then on 3 bars for hours, then almost immediately dies.
Final gripe about Satmap is the button to the right of the joystick has not worked for 3 day. Fortunately I can still get to map screens but not to the compass screen. I cannot even trun it off. But it is proving useful all the same, so I will stop griping.
Looking forward to tomrorrow. We will be heading off into bleaker wilder country which will make a change. And the end of tomorrow is our half way point, a major achievement.
Wednesday 8 July 2009
Day 5
The Falcon House B&B in How Caple was so friendly and relaxing that we did not want to leave. The breakfast was superb with their own eggs from the chickens that roamed all around the yard and local bacon and sausages.
This brings me to one of the minor challenges of a LEJOG. It is easy to think you can eat as much as you want with impunity, but my waistline right now tells a different story. I may need to switch from Full English to Muesli.
We got away a bit late at 10.15 and soon reached our 300 mile mark and took the usual photos.
Unfortunately it had become clear that Alex's knee problems were not going to clear up, added to which he now had achiles tendon pains. He and Andy decided the best thing was for him to return home to Leicester and see a doctor. If the doctor advises it is safe to continue with pain relief Alex will rejoin the ride and complete the missing sections afterwards. But if the doctor advises that to continue risks serious injury he will have to withdraw.
When we were planning the ride my son Tom was going to be the fourth member of the group but he had to pull out during training due to continuous back pain. It just goes to show what a big ask it is, for a teenager to try something like this. Alex rode on for days with knee pain, but the challenge is not worth risking a permanent injury.
After Alex left we pressed on and had an early pub lunch as we didn't fancy eating standing up putside a supermarket again. But beacuase we ate only 25 miles into the day we had about 45 to go. The terrain was quite easy but we had a continuous headwind which made it a hard grind.
Finally arrived at Wrockwardine aroind 7.30 so we made good time.
I've discovered that saddle sore is worse off the hills. So there is a dilemma - wishing for the hills to stop is wishing for a sore bum, and wishing for a less sore bum is wishing for hills.
Thanks for the nipple advice, I tried microporous tape and it worked a treat. But I had to shave my chest first, or a couple of doughnut shapes at least, not some thing I planned to do this holiday.
This brings me to one of the minor challenges of a LEJOG. It is easy to think you can eat as much as you want with impunity, but my waistline right now tells a different story. I may need to switch from Full English to Muesli.
We got away a bit late at 10.15 and soon reached our 300 mile mark and took the usual photos.
Unfortunately it had become clear that Alex's knee problems were not going to clear up, added to which he now had achiles tendon pains. He and Andy decided the best thing was for him to return home to Leicester and see a doctor. If the doctor advises it is safe to continue with pain relief Alex will rejoin the ride and complete the missing sections afterwards. But if the doctor advises that to continue risks serious injury he will have to withdraw.
When we were planning the ride my son Tom was going to be the fourth member of the group but he had to pull out during training due to continuous back pain. It just goes to show what a big ask it is, for a teenager to try something like this. Alex rode on for days with knee pain, but the challenge is not worth risking a permanent injury.
After Alex left we pressed on and had an early pub lunch as we didn't fancy eating standing up putside a supermarket again. But beacuase we ate only 25 miles into the day we had about 45 to go. The terrain was quite easy but we had a continuous headwind which made it a hard grind.
Finally arrived at Wrockwardine aroind 7.30 so we made good time.
I've discovered that saddle sore is worse off the hills. So there is a dilemma - wishing for the hills to stop is wishing for a sore bum, and wishing for a less sore bum is wishing for hills.
Thanks for the nipple advice, I tried microporous tape and it worked a treat. But I had to shave my chest first, or a couple of doughnut shapes at least, not some thing I planned to do this holiday.
Day 4
Its fair to say we had a challenging start to Day 4. It started wet again and almost from the beginning Alex was complaining of the knee problems which had plagued him on previous days. After a short way cross country we picked up the Bristol to Bath cycle path at Saltford and took it to Warmley.
At Warmely we went to Webbs cycle shop and picked up some essential supplies like brake pads, energy gels and a lairy orange cycle jersery for me, then went to the chemist and got some stuff for Alex's knee. Turned out the chemist was a keen cyclist and had recently done a 500k ride in South Africa.
Cross country and over the M4 and we had our first two punctures in quick succession then a bit of a slog in the wind and rain (it had not stopped raining) to the Severn Bridge. Even in spite of the rain it is a special treat to cross the bridge with cars roaring by on one side, a drop to the muddy waters of the Severn on the other and the new Severn crossing in the distance.
We ate lunch standing up outside a Spar store in Chepstow then headed up the Wye valley. By this stage the weather had brightened up and it was great zooming down the long hill to Tintern.
Sadly I had not studied the route in advance. I imagined a long leisurely afternoon following the Wye to Ross, but no. Shortly after Tintern we crossed the Wye and went up the longest steepest hill I have ever seen in my life. After that there was a lot of rolling countryside through the Forest of Dean to Ross and eventually on to our B&B at How Caple.
I was more tired today than any other day to date. At the end I was struggling with every turn of the pedals. And had a bit of muscle pain in my right thigh.
But to round off the day we had a treat, Andy's friend Steve who has been providing a support service for the first few days of the ride took us out for a steak near Ross - superb!
At Warmely we went to Webbs cycle shop and picked up some essential supplies like brake pads, energy gels and a lairy orange cycle jersery for me, then went to the chemist and got some stuff for Alex's knee. Turned out the chemist was a keen cyclist and had recently done a 500k ride in South Africa.
Cross country and over the M4 and we had our first two punctures in quick succession then a bit of a slog in the wind and rain (it had not stopped raining) to the Severn Bridge. Even in spite of the rain it is a special treat to cross the bridge with cars roaring by on one side, a drop to the muddy waters of the Severn on the other and the new Severn crossing in the distance.
We ate lunch standing up outside a Spar store in Chepstow then headed up the Wye valley. By this stage the weather had brightened up and it was great zooming down the long hill to Tintern.
Sadly I had not studied the route in advance. I imagined a long leisurely afternoon following the Wye to Ross, but no. Shortly after Tintern we crossed the Wye and went up the longest steepest hill I have ever seen in my life. After that there was a lot of rolling countryside through the Forest of Dean to Ross and eventually on to our B&B at How Caple.
I was more tired today than any other day to date. At the end I was struggling with every turn of the pedals. And had a bit of muscle pain in my right thigh.
But to round off the day we had a treat, Andy's friend Steve who has been providing a support service for the first few days of the ride took us out for a steak near Ross - superb!
Monday 6 July 2009
Photos from Day 1
Andrew and Alex: the riding companions
Spot the difference in luggage!
At the start.Day 3
I love Devon, some of my happiest childhood memories are from when I lived here between the ages of 3 and 10. But I have to seriously question the ability of Devonians to give directions or describe a route. It started yesterday when we were in South Molton and asked to locals for directions to North Molton - the next village. I was met with blank incomprehension, head scratching and comments like "I know i've been there but i'm not sure how to get there. I felt like I had stepped into Royston Veysey. Eventually a nice lady gave us directions and we got to our B&B at 8.30, 11 hours after setting out.
The next episode of bad directions came from the locals in the pub that night. We asked about the next days route and they described quite accurately a 4 mile climb onto Exmoor then said it was "flat all the way to Bristol". I think what they had in mind was the M5 motorway which is pretty flat. But the route we followed, like the 2 previous days, was a bit more undulating. Not that i'm complaining (I don't want this blog to be a whinge) but after Exmoor which is stunningly beautiful but also a bit hilly came the Quantocks - another range of picturesque hills.
Still, the going was considerably easier than days 1 and 2 and we made much better time and had lunch shortly after 2 sheltering from the rain outside a Tesco One Stop in Bridgewater. After that we finally found the Somerset levels and flew along all the way to Cheddar.
The South end of Cheddar Gorge is a bit of an eyesore but once you get past the tat shops it is a natural wonder, but also quite a climb.
Finally after leaving the Gorge we had quite a short fast ride past Chew Valley Reservoir to our B&B in Chew Stoke. We got here around 6 which felt much better than an 8.30 end.
As tonights stop was the closest to home my wife and daughter came out and had a meal with us which was lovely but made me feel a little home sick. We went to the Crown Inn in Regil which is very friendly and does massive portions of superb home cooked pub grub. We got hopelessly lost in both directions, but if you can find the Crown Inn I thoroughly recommend it.
Part way through the Somerset levels we stopped and photographed Alex's speedo showing 200 miles - a landmark. And a short way into tomorrows ride we will pass the quarter way mark. Although we have had some tough times we have not thought once of giving up - and 25% through makes me think "hey, we can actually do this!".
The next episode of bad directions came from the locals in the pub that night. We asked about the next days route and they described quite accurately a 4 mile climb onto Exmoor then said it was "flat all the way to Bristol". I think what they had in mind was the M5 motorway which is pretty flat. But the route we followed, like the 2 previous days, was a bit more undulating. Not that i'm complaining (I don't want this blog to be a whinge) but after Exmoor which is stunningly beautiful but also a bit hilly came the Quantocks - another range of picturesque hills.
Still, the going was considerably easier than days 1 and 2 and we made much better time and had lunch shortly after 2 sheltering from the rain outside a Tesco One Stop in Bridgewater. After that we finally found the Somerset levels and flew along all the way to Cheddar.
The South end of Cheddar Gorge is a bit of an eyesore but once you get past the tat shops it is a natural wonder, but also quite a climb.
Finally after leaving the Gorge we had quite a short fast ride past Chew Valley Reservoir to our B&B in Chew Stoke. We got here around 6 which felt much better than an 8.30 end.
As tonights stop was the closest to home my wife and daughter came out and had a meal with us which was lovely but made me feel a little home sick. We went to the Crown Inn in Regil which is very friendly and does massive portions of superb home cooked pub grub. We got hopelessly lost in both directions, but if you can find the Crown Inn I thoroughly recommend it.
Part way through the Somerset levels we stopped and photographed Alex's speedo showing 200 miles - a landmark. And a short way into tomorrows ride we will pass the quarter way mark. Although we have had some tough times we have not thought once of giving up - and 25% through makes me think "hey, we can actually do this!".
A couple of comments about cycling hygeine. Weve not bothered with waterproofs and modern man-made cycling gear dries out pretty quickly once the rain stops (although the shoes full of water take longer). But the problem with cycling in wet clothes is chaffing. If a video of me appears on YouTube standing by the side of a road with a pot of Vaseline in one hand and the other down my shorts - it chaffing, right! And can somebody please recommend a solution for sore nipples.
Tomorrow is day 4 and I pass within 17 miles of home but I will carry on with the challenge. Looking forwards to cycling over the old Severn bridge and up the Wye valley past Tintern to Ross on Wye.
Day 2
OK, perhaps I was being a little too cocky when I blogged yesterday and said "Bring it on!". The end of day 1 the hilly bits of Cornwall gave way to rolling countryside and maybe I fooled myself into thinking today would be more of the same. Sadly I was wrong. Anyone who has visited north Cornwall will know that the coast road through places like Boscastle and Tintagel goes up and down like a roller coaster. And it got to the stage that every time we saw a 30% descent sign we just said "oh no!" because we knew there was a 30% climb coming up the other side of the valley. That coupled with tired legs after yesterday and getting wetter than I have ever been outside of a swimming pool made today very gruelling.
Some of the gadgets we have brought with us have been a bit of a letdown. Satmap rechargeable batteries only lasted a few hours then 3 AA batteries a similar period. It simply cannot be relied on for a full days navigation. Andy's Windows Mobile handheld lasted better but was less waterproof. Thank god we printed maps on Tyvek, they are our ultimate fallback.
I cannot believe we are 25 miles north of Exeter and near the M5. Im thinking tomorrow will be Somerset Levels easy. But don't want to make the same mistake as yesterday, just hope for the best.
Some of the gadgets we have brought with us have been a bit of a letdown. Satmap rechargeable batteries only lasted a few hours then 3 AA batteries a similar period. It simply cannot be relied on for a full days navigation. Andy's Windows Mobile handheld lasted better but was less waterproof. Thank god we printed maps on Tyvek, they are our ultimate fallback.
I cannot believe we are 25 miles north of Exeter and near the M5. Im thinking tomorrow will be Somerset Levels easy. But don't want to make the same mistake as yesterday, just hope for the best.
Saturday 4 July 2009
Day 1
Everyone told us to expect Cornwall to be one of the hardest days. So we were feeling a little nervous when we set off. I was feeling especially nervous because looking at our bikes it was clear that Andy and Alex had taken completely the opposite approach to luggage to me. I had bulging rear panniers and they had skinny ruck sacks and were due to pick up more luggage along the way, crucially after Cornwall and Devon. The first few hills really showed the difference. They were going up them faster and a couple of gears higher and I was frankly struggling. I resolved to leave some of my luggage in the bin at the B&B.
The thing about Cornwall is that there is only hills, if you are not going down you are going up.
We reached Penzance after about an hour and the weather turned to quite heavy rain. Didn't bother with waterproofs (although I had packed them). And it soon cleared up. Past St Michael's Mount and inland.
I think we were getting used to the hills because although hard work there was none we could not cycle.
We eventually arrived in Wadebridge around 7pm in one final heavy shower and retired to the pub for a Lasagne and beer. I think we are all feeling a little bit cocky with an "if Cornwall is the worst you have then there is nothing to worry about - bring it on!" lets see how we feel tomorrow when we are cycling on tired legs.
The thing about Cornwall is that there is only hills, if you are not going down you are going up.
We reached Penzance after about an hour and the weather turned to quite heavy rain. Didn't bother with waterproofs (although I had packed them). And it soon cleared up. Past St Michael's Mount and inland.
I think we were getting used to the hills because although hard work there was none we could not cycle.
We eventually arrived in Wadebridge around 7pm in one final heavy shower and retired to the pub for a Lasagne and beer. I think we are all feeling a little bit cocky with an "if Cornwall is the worst you have then there is nothing to worry about - bring it on!" lets see how we feel tomorrow when we are cycling on tired legs.
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