Key stats:
Total distance – 1021 miles
Average daily distance – 68 miles (we kept it at under 70 by cycling on our “rest” day)
Highest point – 1514 feet (Drummochter Summit)
Total punctures: 2 (although we also had two blow-outs as a result of a worn tyre)
Total accidents: 0.5 (Brittany called it an accident, Simon called it an “emergency stop in a bush”. The bike remained vertical at all times, bar one collapse when neither of us were on it)
Monday, 25 May 2009
Day 15 – to John O'Groats (52 miles. 1021 in total)
We woke to spectacular views of the bay out of our windows – although, unfortunately, it was a lot greyer than yesterday. Four fellow LEJOG-ers joined us at breakfast, all keenly looking forward to their last day of the ride.
We were the first on our bike, and were soon on our way up and down the coastal road towards Thurso. There were lovely views across farm land to the sea, although not particularly good weather.
Sadly, the light drizzle was accompanied with an annoying head/cross wind. This did not stop us powering forward at a good speed knowing that we only had a short ride to the finish line.
Smiling and waving at various groups of riders heading the other way, we soon arrived at Thurso where we managed to find lunch (and the best sticky-toffee pudding we have had on our trip). We watched one of the LEJOG-ers pass our window as we ate.
We were quickly back on our way, stopping briefly to photograph our bike-computer as we reached 1000 miles (Simon prematurely photographed 999.99 miles). Given the increasingly heavy rain and the head wind, we decided against a 10 mile side trip to Dunnet Head (the actual northernmost point on the UK mainland). This is a possibility for tomorrow if the weather improves.
Our final LEJOG argument was over Brittany's urge to pop into Castle Mey, the Queen Mother's Scottish retreat, about 7 miles before John o'Groats. Simon was quite keen to just cross the finish line at this stage. It was a very pretty Castle with wonderful views across towards the Orkneys – but the one-way exit to the Castle added another 4 miles (Brittany would have gone back the way we came, but Simon insisted on following the rules).
We arrived at John o'Groats before 3:00 and after some quick photo's before the 'finish line' (next to the long-closed, decrepit John o'Groats Hotel) we took refuge in the Journey's End café. We chatted with a few other cyclists who had just finished and got our trip sheet stamped.
Friday, 22 May 2009
Day 14 – to Betty Hill, Scottish North coast (only 56 miles)
Despite the short ride, we had an earlier start this morning. Simon had ventured out before breakfast to get some cash (the B&B wouldn't take cards). Luckily, the local convenience store had a cash point and opened at 6:30.
We were on the road by 8:30 and quickly reached Lairg, a little town about 12 miles down the road. There appeared to be more B&Bs than in Betty Hill and slightly more restaurants/cafés – than Bonar Bridge only had two eating establishment. Unfortunately, there was no way of knowing this when we booked our accommodation for last night...
From Lairg, the “A” road narrowed down to a single lane, with frequent signposted passing points. The climb over to Loch Naver was long and gradual, an we quickly overtook our second solo cyclist for the trip. By 11:15 we had already covered over 33 miles and had reached Altnaharra, which some fellow LE-JOGers had told us was the only place for lunch before Betty Hill. The pub didn't look very open – we subsequently discovered that the place was closed down 3 years ago.
As we were both fairly cold and wet (there was intermittent rain with only occasional sunshine), and faced nothing but wilderness before Betty Hill, Simon decided to sprint to our final destination for a hot lunch before the pub kitchen closed. We made fairly good progress, although we had to stop a couple of times to re-inflate the front tyre as a result of a slow leak (a failed patching attempt).
When the sun came out, the views across Loch Naver to Ben Kilbreck were amazing. The only blight on the landscape were the occasional dense (and often rather sick-looking) pine plantations. The logging trucks scared us a little on the single lane roads – we heard one had overturned near to Bonar Bridge yesterday.
We reached our final destination at just after 1:00, where we both got a warm lunch while drying out in front of an open fire. On hindsight, it would have been good to push on for a further 30 miles or so this afternoon – but we booked our hotel over a month ago.
We ended up chatting to a local historian over lunch who recommended the local museum and some walks. In the end, we have had a relaxing afternoon learning about the McKay Clan and the Clearances followed by a walk across Farr beach in the sun.
Day 13 – to Bonar Bridge (68 miles)
We started the day's cycling with a small uphill climb (still paralleling the A9) to Slochd Summit before descending from the Cairngorms slowly towards Inverness. On the way, we stopped at some ancient burial grounds (the Clava Cairns), took some photos of cute highland cattle and passed by the Culloden battlefield. We got slightly lost in Inverness as the bike path signs seemed to have disappeared.
Once we got through Inverness, we headed north using the A9 bridge over the Moray Firth. We had lunch (soup and sandwiches) in a tea house with views of Inverness over the firth. From there, we used minor roads for a while before joining the busy A9 over the Black Isle and across the long bridge over the Cromarty Firth. We had great views of the surrounding mountains – including the one we were about to climb up.
Neither of us were particularly looking forward to the +800 foot climb across the lower parts of Easter Ross, but sunny weather and the rich smell of gorse made ascent more pleasant. For the first time in the trip, we decided to break the monotony of the slow ascent by playing travel games (I am going to John O'Groats and I am taking an apple, a Brittany... etc.). The views from the highest point down to the sea were fantastic, but it started raining heavily as soon as we started descending towards Dornoch Firth. The rain then turned to hail as we sped down the hill.
We were glad when we finally reached Bonar Bridge, where we met some fellow LEJOG cyclists in the local café (they actually started on the same day as us). We only stayed at our B&B long enough to shower and wash our cycling clothes before heading to dinner at one of the town's two eating establishments. Considering the lack of competition the food was excellent (Simon enjoyed another local Scottish beer).
We only got to eat as a the result of the kindly act of a fellow cyclist who offered to share his table – all the other tables were reserved. It was fun to share stories about our travels and talking football (he was a big ManU fan, despite being from near Birmingham) as we ate.
Only one and half days left to go before our final destination – can't believe the past two weeks have gone so quickly.
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
Day 12 – to Carrbridge (68 miles)
Simon decided to have smoked haddock for breakfast this morning (delicious) – Brittany stuck to porridge. We were still quite nervous about the weather (it was raining) and the climb up to Drumochter Pass.
As it was, the weather improved quickly once we got going and the ride past Blair Castle up to Drumochter Pass was a long but very, very gradual climb. The route 7 bicycle path used cycle tracks and disused, replaced sections of the A9 which followed General Wade's military road through the Cairngorms (which the English used to subdue the Scottish Highlanders). The signs before we started the ascent warned of no food or shelter for 31 kilometres and possible snow.
The sections on the thin bicycle path running alongside the new, busy A9 were not very pleasant – but having whole sections of the old A9 to ourselves (and the long-horned sheep) was great. Simon is now quite good at cycling over cattle grids. Some of the narrow grids on the path were only inches wider than the bike.
The views from the summit were stunning and there was still snow on several of the highest peaks.
The gradual descent from the summit was fun and we averaged over 20 mph for over an hour. At one time we startled some sheep that ran just in front of us for over 200 metres as their lambs tried to keep up with them on the other side of the fence (we ended up changing up a gear to overtake them).
We grabbed a quick lunch at a roadside cafe/tourist information centre – we had intended to eat at Dalwhinnie, but it seemed like an abandoned town. After lunch, we joined a B road heading out of Kingussie, were stopped to look at Ruthven Barracks – ruined barracks that were originally built to subdue to Jacobites. The road then took us through the beautiful Inschrach forest/marshes to Aviemore – Scotland's premier skiing resort town.
Brittany spotted what she thought might be blueberry bushes under trees in the marshes – this was confirmed later by locals in the pub when we finally reached Carrbridge.
We finally received a decent amount of sunshine today – which was a welcome surprise. Here's hoping there will be more of the same as we head down to sea level at Inverness tomorrow morning.
As it was, the weather improved quickly once we got going and the ride past Blair Castle up to Drumochter Pass was a long but very, very gradual climb. The route 7 bicycle path used cycle tracks and disused, replaced sections of the A9 which followed General Wade's military road through the Cairngorms (which the English used to subdue the Scottish Highlanders). The signs before we started the ascent warned of no food or shelter for 31 kilometres and possible snow.
The sections on the thin bicycle path running alongside the new, busy A9 were not very pleasant – but having whole sections of the old A9 to ourselves (and the long-horned sheep) was great. Simon is now quite good at cycling over cattle grids. Some of the narrow grids on the path were only inches wider than the bike.
The views from the summit were stunning and there was still snow on several of the highest peaks.
The gradual descent from the summit was fun and we averaged over 20 mph for over an hour. At one time we startled some sheep that ran just in front of us for over 200 metres as their lambs tried to keep up with them on the other side of the fence (we ended up changing up a gear to overtake them).
We grabbed a quick lunch at a roadside cafe/tourist information centre – we had intended to eat at Dalwhinnie, but it seemed like an abandoned town. After lunch, we joined a B road heading out of Kingussie, were stopped to look at Ruthven Barracks – ruined barracks that were originally built to subdue to Jacobites. The road then took us through the beautiful Inschrach forest/marshes to Aviemore – Scotland's premier skiing resort town.
Brittany spotted what she thought might be blueberry bushes under trees in the marshes – this was confirmed later by locals in the pub when we finally reached Carrbridge.
We finally received a decent amount of sunshine today – which was a welcome surprise. Here's hoping there will be more of the same as we head down to sea level at Inverness tomorrow morning.
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
Day 11 – to Pitlochry (63 miles)
Today's ride is the first part of a three day journey along National Cycling Route No. 7, which zig-zags through the Trossachs, following lochs and glens to Inverness.
We started the ride fairly late(about 9:45), heading past the Rob Roy museum in Callander towards the start of the cycle path. The path followed an old railway track through Glen Ogle (Queen Victoria called it “Scotland's Khyber Pass”) over a beautiful viaduct. The cycle path included many gravel and dirt (i.e. mud) sections but it was nice not to have to worry about passing trucks and buses.
The gradient of the old railway track meant that the climbs were long but fairly easy and, despite the weather, the landscape was amazing. Hillsides were covered with waterfalls, bluebells, ferns and moss-covered rocks. We came across a deer, a red squirrel and plenty of interesting birds catching insects in the rain.
We stopped for lunch in the Falls of Dochan Inn, where we ate a hearty pub lunch in front of an open fire (Brittany had some locally caught Salmon). Outside, the rapids of the River Dochan roared towards Loch Tay. After lunch, we followed Loch Tay to Kenmore, where we found a cafe with internet access. From there on we followed the River Tay and then the River Tummel to Pitlochry via quiet minor roads. The rain meant that we were keen to push on without too many stops – although there were many attractions we would have stopped for on a sunny day (e.g. Rob Roy's grave, Castle Menzies and a 9000yr yew tree).
As if to mock us, the sun came out just as we arrived at our B&B. The owner hosed us and our bike down before we showered and set off for a quick walk around some of Pitlochry's main tourist attractions – including a hydro electric plant and an empty salmon ladder.
Simon finally found his Indian restaurant (the owner and chef were actually from Bangladesh), where they served him an eye-watering lamb curry.
Tomorrow, we are aiming to tackle the national cycle network's highest point before lunch. Hopefully, we will have better luck with the weather...
Day 10 – to Calander (59 miles)
Today was supposed to be our day off... but we have already spent a long weekend in Edinburgh and we were keen to get back to the countryside. By sneaking in an additional 59 miles, we are cutting ten miles a day off our remaining journey.
It was drizzling as we left Edinburgh before breakfast. The YHA was quite pricey and breakfast was not included – for a double room, a B&B might have been better value. From the centre of Edinburgh, we headed towards Leith and then west along the coast line. The roads were not particularly well sign posted and we had the inevitable arguments about directions. When we found ourselves in an ASDA car park, we decided it was time for breakfast at the ASDA café. It was warm and breakfast was very inexpensive – Simon has finally decided that he likes black pudding.
Heading towards Queensferry by the busy main roads, we eventually spotted the sign for Route 1 of the National Cycling Network which we followed across the Forth Bridge. Even with the clouds and the rain, the views across the water were amazing and we watched a couple of trains pass over the old railway bridge before pushing on east towards Stirling.
At one point as we were cycling down a hill under trees the rain came down so hard that Simon could not see where we were going. The rain kept starting and stopping -but thankfully never as hard as that again. As we headed towards Stirling we eventually joined the 'Tower route'. We stopped in Aloa and Brittany went into the tower (while Simon watched the bike) – it dates from the 1300's and was originally used as a well fortified house with the walls around 10 feet thick. The tower was very run down before the local community decided to restore it. The sun came out briefly as Brittany looked from the top across the countryside -Stirling castle & the Wallace Memorial could be seen in the distance.
We had a light lunch (and cheap - £1.49 for a ¼ pounder) and were on our way. After Stirling we took some tiny little roads through fields for a few miles. As we pedalled along we saw lots of rabbits running this way and that. We also saw quite few pheasants. At Doune we decided to take the more direct “A” route for 8 miles to Callender. The road was not pleasant, with lorries and buses zipping along through the rain in both directions. We arrived safely and stopped for tea at a local café.
Simon has been craving Indian food for ages so we are going to give that a go tonight. (As we were heading out Simon, spoke to the B&B proprietors who said that the Indian was quite bad, so we went for a Chinese meal instead. It was good.)
It was drizzling as we left Edinburgh before breakfast. The YHA was quite pricey and breakfast was not included – for a double room, a B&B might have been better value. From the centre of Edinburgh, we headed towards Leith and then west along the coast line. The roads were not particularly well sign posted and we had the inevitable arguments about directions. When we found ourselves in an ASDA car park, we decided it was time for breakfast at the ASDA café. It was warm and breakfast was very inexpensive – Simon has finally decided that he likes black pudding.
Heading towards Queensferry by the busy main roads, we eventually spotted the sign for Route 1 of the National Cycling Network which we followed across the Forth Bridge. Even with the clouds and the rain, the views across the water were amazing and we watched a couple of trains pass over the old railway bridge before pushing on east towards Stirling.
At one point as we were cycling down a hill under trees the rain came down so hard that Simon could not see where we were going. The rain kept starting and stopping -but thankfully never as hard as that again. As we headed towards Stirling we eventually joined the 'Tower route'. We stopped in Aloa and Brittany went into the tower (while Simon watched the bike) – it dates from the 1300's and was originally used as a well fortified house with the walls around 10 feet thick. The tower was very run down before the local community decided to restore it. The sun came out briefly as Brittany looked from the top across the countryside -Stirling castle & the Wallace Memorial could be seen in the distance.
We had a light lunch (and cheap - £1.49 for a ¼ pounder) and were on our way. After Stirling we took some tiny little roads through fields for a few miles. As we pedalled along we saw lots of rabbits running this way and that. We also saw quite few pheasants. At Doune we decided to take the more direct “A” route for 8 miles to Callender. The road was not pleasant, with lorries and buses zipping along through the rain in both directions. We arrived safely and stopped for tea at a local café.
Simon has been craving Indian food for ages so we are going to give that a go tonight. (As we were heading out Simon, spoke to the B&B proprietors who said that the Indian was quite bad, so we went for a Chinese meal instead. It was good.)
Sunday, 17 May 2009
Our approximate route
You can find our route here
(unfortunately, we can't take the straight lines marked - the roads tend to be a little more bendy)
(unfortunately, we can't take the straight lines marked - the roads tend to be a little more bendy)
Day 9 – to Edinburgh, Scotland (75 miles)
Another great day on the road...
We woke to a beautiful, sunny day in Langholm. Brittany got her dream breakfast of porridge with cinnamon, cranberries and brown sugar while watching a woodpecker in the B&B garden (Simon had a full Scottish breakfast with really good black pudding).
We started our way through Eskdale at just before 9:00, following the Esk River and then the White Esk. The roads where nearly empty, and we spotted numerous birds of prey hunting on the grassy hillsides. The sheep and cattle seemed a lot less tame – most sheep began running for their lives as soon as we approached.
At Eskdalemuir, some Tibetan monks have built a monastery next to the river – quite a bizarre site in the middle of the Scottish wilderness. However, they did have a tea room which served excellent coffee and soya hot chocolate – it would have been rude not to stop.
From the Tibetan monastery, we headed up through plantation pine forests and one or two-house 'villages' to Traquair. By this stage, the sheep and cattle were free roam the road, with the houses and gardens being fenced in. We started noticing more and more different breeds of sheep, some with one lamb per ewe, some with two. Brittany was particularly fond of the white lambs with the black faces, and was impressed to see the local farms herding sheep with dogs.
The scenery was glorious in the sunshine and the cycling was wonderful – long, flat river valleys broken occasionally by slow steady climbs through the hills, often climbing over 1000 feet.
At Traquair, we stopped at the oldest continually inhabited house in Scotland (the Stuarts/Stewarts have lived there for over 900 years). We sat and had lunch in the garden, fending off a hungry pea-hen and chatting with some friendly locals. Our lunch was rounded off by the arrival of a peacock doing his display, which appeared to be for the benefit of the humans rather than the peahens (whom he completely ignored).
We had a quick tour of the house before heading off towards Peebles and then Edinburgh. Once through Peebles (which looked like a lovely town alongside the river Tweed ) we joined a busy A road for the last 17 and 7/8 miles /(that is what the old road marker said) into Edinburgh. Simon groaned various times but we made in safely an were at the YHA by 5 pm (Simon did almost maim himself getting the tandem down the long steep stairs to the store room) . The weather had turned cold though. We enjoyed the best shower we have had on the trip and are now ready to go find dinner!
We woke to a beautiful, sunny day in Langholm. Brittany got her dream breakfast of porridge with cinnamon, cranberries and brown sugar while watching a woodpecker in the B&B garden (Simon had a full Scottish breakfast with really good black pudding).
We started our way through Eskdale at just before 9:00, following the Esk River and then the White Esk. The roads where nearly empty, and we spotted numerous birds of prey hunting on the grassy hillsides. The sheep and cattle seemed a lot less tame – most sheep began running for their lives as soon as we approached.
At Eskdalemuir, some Tibetan monks have built a monastery next to the river – quite a bizarre site in the middle of the Scottish wilderness. However, they did have a tea room which served excellent coffee and soya hot chocolate – it would have been rude not to stop.
From the Tibetan monastery, we headed up through plantation pine forests and one or two-house 'villages' to Traquair. By this stage, the sheep and cattle were free roam the road, with the houses and gardens being fenced in. We started noticing more and more different breeds of sheep, some with one lamb per ewe, some with two. Brittany was particularly fond of the white lambs with the black faces, and was impressed to see the local farms herding sheep with dogs.
The scenery was glorious in the sunshine and the cycling was wonderful – long, flat river valleys broken occasionally by slow steady climbs through the hills, often climbing over 1000 feet.
At Traquair, we stopped at the oldest continually inhabited house in Scotland (the Stuarts/Stewarts have lived there for over 900 years). We sat and had lunch in the garden, fending off a hungry pea-hen and chatting with some friendly locals. Our lunch was rounded off by the arrival of a peacock doing his display, which appeared to be for the benefit of the humans rather than the peahens (whom he completely ignored).
We had a quick tour of the house before heading off towards Peebles and then Edinburgh. Once through Peebles (which looked like a lovely town alongside the river Tweed ) we joined a busy A road for the last 17 and 7/8 miles /(that is what the old road marker said) into Edinburgh. Simon groaned various times but we made in safely an were at the YHA by 5 pm (Simon did almost maim himself getting the tandem down the long steep stairs to the store room) . The weather had turned cold though. We enjoyed the best shower we have had on the trip and are now ready to go find dinner!
Day 8 – Langholm, Scotland (65 miles)
Thanks to our decision to follow the baker's advice yesterday, we had an easy ride today. After a reasonably early breakfast (the YHA started serving at 7:30) our refreshed legs made light work of the +1000 foot climb over Shap Fell on the A6. Even with low cloud and a light drizzle, the ascent was exhilarating and the views of the surrounding countryside was spectacular. (Brittany was intrigued by the “Road liable to icing” signs – what flavour icing?)
We had a quick coffee/'erbal tea stop at Shap - Brittany managed to force her way between some pensioners and the wood fire by starting a conversation about the weather – before following the A6 through Penrith to Carlisle. Being a Saturday, the roads were relatively free of traffic and we appeared to be going down hill for most of the way. The racing tandem was in its element and we averaged over 25 mph past fields full of bemused sheep and cattle.
Carlisle wasn't that impressive, and we opted for a quick and easy lunch break at a Subway sandwich on the main street. On the way out we received the second abusive tirade for the trip from a driver who thought we should be using a (poxy, shabbily-paved, 30-metre isolated strip of) cycling path to make his trip quicker – a tirade that would only ever come from a 18-25yr old male in a car with tinted windows, alloys and sports trim.
We rang and booked a B & B in Langholm from Carlisle saying that we would arrive at 4 pm – we reached the town by 3:15 and spend a relaxing half hour having a drink and writing this...
Dinner was expensive but really good - best pub food so far, with good local produce. We then had a hard choice between a night in with Eurovision song contest / Match of the Day – and a David Bowie tribute band at the local theatre. The night in only won only because it was free, and we had already spent far too much on dinner.
(posted a day late by some bins next to a Starbucks Edinburgh - using the wireless network without buying overpriced coffee)
We had a quick coffee/'erbal tea stop at Shap - Brittany managed to force her way between some pensioners and the wood fire by starting a conversation about the weather – before following the A6 through Penrith to Carlisle. Being a Saturday, the roads were relatively free of traffic and we appeared to be going down hill for most of the way. The racing tandem was in its element and we averaged over 25 mph past fields full of bemused sheep and cattle.
Carlisle wasn't that impressive, and we opted for a quick and easy lunch break at a Subway sandwich on the main street. On the way out we received the second abusive tirade for the trip from a driver who thought we should be using a (poxy, shabbily-paved, 30-metre isolated strip of) cycling path to make his trip quicker – a tirade that would only ever come from a 18-25yr old male in a car with tinted windows, alloys and sports trim.
We rang and booked a B & B in Langholm from Carlisle saying that we would arrive at 4 pm – we reached the town by 3:15 and spend a relaxing half hour having a drink and writing this...
Dinner was expensive but really good - best pub food so far, with good local produce. We then had a hard choice between a night in with Eurovision song contest / Match of the Day – and a David Bowie tribute band at the local theatre. The night in only won only because it was free, and we had already spent far too much on dinner.
(posted a day late by some bins next to a Starbucks Edinburgh - using the wireless network without buying overpriced coffee)
Friday, 15 May 2009
Day 7 – to Kendal (70 miles)
After a hot night in a hotel with an out-of-control heating system, we woke up to torrential rain – having been heading further northward each day, the rain clouds had finally caught up with us. As the stingy hotel didn't include breakfast, we hit the road fairly early kitted in full wet weather gear. The first ten miles was hard going, with morning rush hour traffic hampering our progress. Things started getting easier once we passed the Reebok stadium (home of the Bolton Wanders football club for those who didn't know) although we were disturbed by the fact that we couldn't find anywhere for breakfast.
Finally, at Chorley, we found an open bakery. Unusually Brittany enjoyed an egg and brown sauce bap and simon was forced to have an egg, bacon and sausage baton as there was no available fruit and muesli. Although we enjoyed the breakfast, neither of us were looking forward to our scenic (hilly) route in the pouring rain.
As we were finishing up, a man in lycra wandered out from the back of the shop and started talking to us. He was the owner of the bakery, and had done the lejog last year! (he was on his way out for one last training run before a triathlon tomorrow). He told Brittany that she looked cold and insisted that the women behind the counter give us a bag of free flapjacks (thick square oatmeal cakes/ cookies) and a cup of soup. He proceeded to discuss our route with us and suggested a much more direct route, that he had taken on his 120-130 mile a day lejog (i.e. clearly part of the carbon- fibre water-bottle holder brigade). The route took us on the A6 straight to Lancaster via Preston. The road was not too busy as two M roads (motorways) pretty much paralleled it.
We were in Lancaster by lunch, having averaged over 18 miles per hour most of the way! We found a cheap Chinese and then headed to the bike store. With a new back tyre fitted we were soon back out in the rain and on our way to Kendal. (We thought of David and Miriam as we passed the sign to Halton - but decided to push on rather than camp on their doorstep until they returned from London)
The scenery should have been beautiful, but with the rain stinging our eyes and the trucks racing past on the A roads, it has been hard to appreciate the views. However, despite the awful weather, we have managed to travel further north than we had originally planned and will be having a shorter ride tomorrow as a result.
We are writing this instalment from a restaurant in the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal, just behind the YHA where we are staying for the night. We are warm, clean and dry, and have just eaten some fairly decent pizzas. Simon has enjoyed a prize -winning local stout (“Station Porter”) and is likely to enjoy another one before we head out to watch the new Star Trek movie.
Live long and prosper...
Finally, at Chorley, we found an open bakery. Unusually Brittany enjoyed an egg and brown sauce bap and simon was forced to have an egg, bacon and sausage baton as there was no available fruit and muesli. Although we enjoyed the breakfast, neither of us were looking forward to our scenic (hilly) route in the pouring rain.
As we were finishing up, a man in lycra wandered out from the back of the shop and started talking to us. He was the owner of the bakery, and had done the lejog last year! (he was on his way out for one last training run before a triathlon tomorrow). He told Brittany that she looked cold and insisted that the women behind the counter give us a bag of free flapjacks (thick square oatmeal cakes/ cookies) and a cup of soup. He proceeded to discuss our route with us and suggested a much more direct route, that he had taken on his 120-130 mile a day lejog (i.e. clearly part of the carbon- fibre water-bottle holder brigade). The route took us on the A6 straight to Lancaster via Preston. The road was not too busy as two M roads (motorways) pretty much paralleled it.
We were in Lancaster by lunch, having averaged over 18 miles per hour most of the way! We found a cheap Chinese and then headed to the bike store. With a new back tyre fitted we were soon back out in the rain and on our way to Kendal. (We thought of David and Miriam as we passed the sign to Halton - but decided to push on rather than camp on their doorstep until they returned from London)
The scenery should have been beautiful, but with the rain stinging our eyes and the trucks racing past on the A roads, it has been hard to appreciate the views. However, despite the awful weather, we have managed to travel further north than we had originally planned and will be having a shorter ride tomorrow as a result.
We are writing this instalment from a restaurant in the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal, just behind the YHA where we are staying for the night. We are warm, clean and dry, and have just eaten some fairly decent pizzas. Simon has enjoyed a prize -winning local stout (“Station Porter”) and is likely to enjoy another one before we head out to watch the new Star Trek movie.
Live long and prosper...
Thursday, 14 May 2009
Day 6 - to Leigh,Gtr Manchester (78 miles)
It was a day of two halves. In the morning, we struggled first with a climb out of Ironbridge Gorge and then with various mechanical problems. Two innertubes exploded in fairly quick succession and we had to remove the back wheel (including the drag brake) both times. In the end we decided to change the rear tyre, which was on its last legs. We stopped the first time next to a group of people felling and pruning trees too near power cables and the second time across from a prison! By midday, we had barely covered 25 miles.
We stopped for lunch in Audlem just inside Cheshire border at a pub alongside a canal - one of many that we crossed over. The barman/waiter mentioned that he had been serving a number of people doing le-jog.
Once we reached the flat Cheshire countryside we really started moving. We averaged between 15 and 18 mph for several hours, and only started slowing down once hit rush hour traffic in Greater Manchester. Traffic was almost at a standstill at the Warburton toll bridge over the Manchester Ship Canal, where they were charging a 12 pence toll (bikes excluded). I am not sure they have been keeping up with inflation.
As a result of our speedy cycling, we reached Leigh ahead of the heavy rain which is heading northward. Unfortunately, we are going to have to contend with the heavy rain tomorrow instead...
We stopped for lunch in Audlem just inside Cheshire border at a pub alongside a canal - one of many that we crossed over. The barman/waiter mentioned that he had been serving a number of people doing le-jog.
Once we reached the flat Cheshire countryside we really started moving. We averaged between 15 and 18 mph for several hours, and only started slowing down once hit rush hour traffic in Greater Manchester. Traffic was almost at a standstill at the Warburton toll bridge over the Manchester Ship Canal, where they were charging a 12 pence toll (bikes excluded). I am not sure they have been keeping up with inflation.
As a result of our speedy cycling, we reached Leigh ahead of the heavy rain which is heading northward. Unfortunately, we are going to have to contend with the heavy rain tomorrow instead...
Day 5 – to Ironbridge, Shropshire (68 miles)
After a fairly late breakfast, we we started our ride up the Severn valley under a steady drizzle of rain. To be honest, the rain was preferable to the howling winds that we had seen in the previous couple of days, and our wet weather gear was more than up to the job.
We covered the first half of the day's journey in just less than two hours and took breaks in Upton upon Severn (we needed Ibuprofen for the aches and pains) and Worcester (a hot drink stop). Brittany desperately wanted a soya hot chocolate, which we have struggled to find in cafés in the smaller towns. We took a minor A road out of Worcester (much quieter than the one we took yesterday) and we were soon crossing into Shropshire.
Lunch was a couple of sandwiches at a nice café in Bewdley, and then it was just another 22 miles over the rolling Shropshire countryside to Ironbridge via Bridgnorth. At one stage we found ourselves being overtaken by a steam train (with the compulsory toot on the whistle) on the Severn valley railway.
We rejoined the Severn at Ironbridge at around 4:30 and cycled as far as the bridge after which the village has been named. The village has a great bike shop which specialises in tandems, with friendly staff who sold us waterproof socks and helped us to replace a brake cable (which was beginning to fray) and adjust and tighten the timing chain.
All in all, its been a fairly easy day which is exactly what we needed after yesterday. Our quads are still feeling quite tired, and we have quite a long way to cover tomorrow.
Heavy rain and flood warnings are forecast... (we hope they are wrong)
We covered the first half of the day's journey in just less than two hours and took breaks in Upton upon Severn (we needed Ibuprofen for the aches and pains) and Worcester (a hot drink stop). Brittany desperately wanted a soya hot chocolate, which we have struggled to find in cafés in the smaller towns. We took a minor A road out of Worcester (much quieter than the one we took yesterday) and we were soon crossing into Shropshire.
Lunch was a couple of sandwiches at a nice café in Bewdley, and then it was just another 22 miles over the rolling Shropshire countryside to Ironbridge via Bridgnorth. At one stage we found ourselves being overtaken by a steam train (with the compulsory toot on the whistle) on the Severn valley railway.
We rejoined the Severn at Ironbridge at around 4:30 and cycled as far as the bridge after which the village has been named. The village has a great bike shop which specialises in tandems, with friendly staff who sold us waterproof socks and helped us to replace a brake cable (which was beginning to fray) and adjust and tighten the timing chain.
All in all, its been a fairly easy day which is exactly what we needed after yesterday. Our quads are still feeling quite tired, and we have quite a long way to cover tomorrow.
Heavy rain and flood warnings are forecast... (we hope they are wrong)
Day 4 – to Hartpury, Gloucestershire (84 long miles)
Today, we cycled further than either of us have cycled before. We started fairly late (9:20), having only gained access to the B&B's wireless network at breakfast.
Our first challenge was Cheddar Gorge, which took us up into the Mendip Hills. It was a slow slog, made harder by the fact that the Gorge was channelling a strong head wind. The views from the top, however, were fantastic and the descent was quick (if not a little scary).
From there on, we took a fairly circuitous and very hilly route around Bristol, stopping for a quick lunch stop at a café in the picturesque village of Chew Magna at around 2pm (apparently the name has to do with its location by the river Chew, rather than any local habit of eating Japanese family- size cars). Brittany had really begun to fade, and was rather annoyed that we had not even reached half way. We both cheered up after a sandwich, and we had soon reached the Severn Bridge.
Unfortunately the bicycle path over the Severn Bridge was blocked by double parked maintenance vehicles. Brittany ended up climbing onto the motorway with the panniers, and Simon managed to lift the tandem around the road barriers. Soon we reached Wales, where we turned onto the A48 back towards England (I.e. Gloucester).
While a quick trip down the A48 sounded good during planning, in reality the A48 didn't really avoid any hills and the traffic was quite scary. We were constantly being overtaken by lorries and fuel tankers. Being an A road, there were no hedges to provide any protection against the strong winds.
Eventually, around 5pm (we had covered 60 miles), Simon's blood sugar began to get low and he started to pick fights with Brittany. Luckily, before too much damage was done, we found a roadside café and made peace over a rock cake and a chocolate brownie.
We were very glad when we turned off the A48 onto narrow country lanes through the Gloucestershire countryside. The wind had begun to die down and the sun was shining – but we still spent the last 15 miles wishing we had finished already.
Our final destination, Hartpury, was reached just after 7pm – over 7 hours in the saddle. We headed straight to the nearest pub, where Simon undid all the hard work by consuming a 32oz t-bone steak, washed down with pint of local Perry. It was the friendliest pub we have experienced on our trip, with chatty locals, a folk music band practising in a corner, and a dog and a cat both eager for attention.
Rain is forecast tomorrow :-(
Our first challenge was Cheddar Gorge, which took us up into the Mendip Hills. It was a slow slog, made harder by the fact that the Gorge was channelling a strong head wind. The views from the top, however, were fantastic and the descent was quick (if not a little scary).
From there on, we took a fairly circuitous and very hilly route around Bristol, stopping for a quick lunch stop at a café in the picturesque village of Chew Magna at around 2pm (apparently the name has to do with its location by the river Chew, rather than any local habit of eating Japanese family- size cars). Brittany had really begun to fade, and was rather annoyed that we had not even reached half way. We both cheered up after a sandwich, and we had soon reached the Severn Bridge.
Unfortunately the bicycle path over the Severn Bridge was blocked by double parked maintenance vehicles. Brittany ended up climbing onto the motorway with the panniers, and Simon managed to lift the tandem around the road barriers. Soon we reached Wales, where we turned onto the A48 back towards England (I.e. Gloucester).
While a quick trip down the A48 sounded good during planning, in reality the A48 didn't really avoid any hills and the traffic was quite scary. We were constantly being overtaken by lorries and fuel tankers. Being an A road, there were no hedges to provide any protection against the strong winds.
Eventually, around 5pm (we had covered 60 miles), Simon's blood sugar began to get low and he started to pick fights with Brittany. Luckily, before too much damage was done, we found a roadside café and made peace over a rock cake and a chocolate brownie.
We were very glad when we turned off the A48 onto narrow country lanes through the Gloucestershire countryside. The wind had begun to die down and the sun was shining – but we still spent the last 15 miles wishing we had finished already.
Our final destination, Hartpury, was reached just after 7pm – over 7 hours in the saddle. We headed straight to the nearest pub, where Simon undid all the hard work by consuming a 32oz t-bone steak, washed down with pint of local Perry. It was the friendliest pub we have experienced on our trip, with chatty locals, a folk music band practising in a corner, and a dog and a cat both eager for attention.
Rain is forecast tomorrow :-(
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Day 3 – to Cheddar (66 windy miles)
Having seen the look shared by the couple who ran the B&B when we explained our planned route via Exmoor, Simon decided to ask for some advice on the easiest route to Cheddar. As there was a strong head wind, we decided against the 'scenic' route in favour of a slightly longer, less hilly route.
Slowly, the vicious hills of Cornwall and Devon gave way to the calm, rolling hills of Somerset. The hedges provided welcome protection against the wind and the views of the countryside in spring were stunning. (Side note – another advantage of riding on the back of the tandem, other than views of Simon's behind, is that Simon provides protection against both wind and insects which he eats with surprising regularity)
For lunch, we stopped for sandwiches in a beer garden a couple of miles before Taunton. We then headed down the A38/A39 towards Cheddar battling what seemed like gale force winds and an army of rude white van drivers. Eventually, we turned onto some quiet country lanes where we found a “cider mill” for a quick break over a bottle of dry apple juice.
We reached our B&B at 4pm - less than 5 ½ hours in the saddle, compared to over 8 hours yesterday. Simon is writing this over a Cheddar Valley cider in one of the many pubs in town (Brittany is on J20 with soda water) and we are about to have an early Chinese meal (yes, a 'cheeky Chinese' - including deep fried chicken with salt and chilli – I may have actually earned it this time) in one of Cheddar's two (2) fine eat-in Chinese restaurants.
Slowly, the vicious hills of Cornwall and Devon gave way to the calm, rolling hills of Somerset. The hedges provided welcome protection against the wind and the views of the countryside in spring were stunning. (Side note – another advantage of riding on the back of the tandem, other than views of Simon's behind, is that Simon provides protection against both wind and insects which he eats with surprising regularity)
For lunch, we stopped for sandwiches in a beer garden a couple of miles before Taunton. We then headed down the A38/A39 towards Cheddar battling what seemed like gale force winds and an army of rude white van drivers. Eventually, we turned onto some quiet country lanes where we found a “cider mill” for a quick break over a bottle of dry apple juice.
We reached our B&B at 4pm - less than 5 ½ hours in the saddle, compared to over 8 hours yesterday. Simon is writing this over a Cheddar Valley cider in one of the many pubs in town (Brittany is on J20 with soda water) and we are about to have an early Chinese meal (yes, a 'cheeky Chinese' - including deep fried chicken with salt and chilli – I may have actually earned it this time) in one of Cheddar's two (2) fine eat-in Chinese restaurants.
Monday, 11 May 2009
Day 2 – to South Molton (71 painful miles)
They say that the second day of Land's End to John O'Groats is the hardest. We certainly hope so...
Although Simon had been up fairly early to 'borrow' access to an open wireless network, we took our time over breakfast (Simon succumbed to his first full English for the journey). At just after 9, we started our way towards the scenic coastal route recommended by the Lonely Planet Cycling Britain guide. Although very hilly, the views out to the sea between Gonvena, Tintagel and Boscastle were amazing. The +850 foot climb out of Boscastle was quite a slog and, at some times, we were cycling so slowly that our GPS (which has an arrow based on direction of travel) told us we were going backwards. We celebrated our arrival at the highest point as though we had done the lion's share of the day's work. Little did we know....
The scenic route soon turned nasty, with the gradients of descents and climbs becoming more and more severe. 15% gradients had been the norm earlier in the day, but this quickly became 20, 24 and then 30% (at which point we got off the bike, photographed the sign and started walking). Brittany kindly reminded Simon of his decision to take the scenic route instead of a busier A road several times over the course of the morning.
By 1 O'Clock, it clear that we both desperately needed refuelling and we stopped at the first pub we came to. It was quite posh, and Brittany ended up having a Miso and vegetable soup with local scallops – Simon went for a Sunday roast with a (well deserved) lager. Disheartened by the fact that we had not even done half the day's distance, we decided to head to the nearest 'A' road as soon as possible. This gave us brief respite from the worst of the hills (we managed 44 miles/hr on one long downhill section) before we took some B roads towards South Molton.
Nothing could really prepare us for Cornwall and Devon's B roads. Every second hill seemed to be a 20% gradient, and we were permanently stuck in our lowest “granny” gear at about 5-6 miles/hr. We completely ran out of energy at Torrington and we thankfully found a local supermarket to stock up on sports drink, icecream and a mars bar. The final section to South Molton was more of the same. We knew that our B&B was slightly outside South Molton – we hadn't realised it was on the top of another bloody hill!
The owner of the B&B was outside enjoying the garden, and helpfully pointed out that we both looked absolutely exhausted. The offer of a jug of water and some lemon drizzle cake was eagerly accepted before we headed into town for a quick dinner.
Although Simon had been up fairly early to 'borrow' access to an open wireless network, we took our time over breakfast (Simon succumbed to his first full English for the journey). At just after 9, we started our way towards the scenic coastal route recommended by the Lonely Planet Cycling Britain guide. Although very hilly, the views out to the sea between Gonvena, Tintagel and Boscastle were amazing. The +850 foot climb out of Boscastle was quite a slog and, at some times, we were cycling so slowly that our GPS (which has an arrow based on direction of travel) told us we were going backwards. We celebrated our arrival at the highest point as though we had done the lion's share of the day's work. Little did we know....
The scenic route soon turned nasty, with the gradients of descents and climbs becoming more and more severe. 15% gradients had been the norm earlier in the day, but this quickly became 20, 24 and then 30% (at which point we got off the bike, photographed the sign and started walking). Brittany kindly reminded Simon of his decision to take the scenic route instead of a busier A road several times over the course of the morning.
By 1 O'Clock, it clear that we both desperately needed refuelling and we stopped at the first pub we came to. It was quite posh, and Brittany ended up having a Miso and vegetable soup with local scallops – Simon went for a Sunday roast with a (well deserved) lager. Disheartened by the fact that we had not even done half the day's distance, we decided to head to the nearest 'A' road as soon as possible. This gave us brief respite from the worst of the hills (we managed 44 miles/hr on one long downhill section) before we took some B roads towards South Molton.
Nothing could really prepare us for Cornwall and Devon's B roads. Every second hill seemed to be a 20% gradient, and we were permanently stuck in our lowest “granny” gear at about 5-6 miles/hr. We completely ran out of energy at Torrington and we thankfully found a local supermarket to stock up on sports drink, icecream and a mars bar. The final section to South Molton was more of the same. We knew that our B&B was slightly outside South Molton – we hadn't realised it was on the top of another bloody hill!
The owner of the B&B was outside enjoying the garden, and helpfully pointed out that we both looked absolutely exhausted. The offer of a jug of water and some lemon drizzle cake was eagerly accepted before we headed into town for a quick dinner.
Saturday, 9 May 2009
Day 1 – to Wadebridge (77 miles including detours)
After a fairly light breakfast (decided to give the 'Full English' a miss), we got on the road just after 9. It was a 6 mile cycle trip down to Land End, which was very touristy, trashy and closed at 9:30 on a Saturday morning. So we took the standard photo and the Land's End to John O'Groats signpost and cycled our way to Penzance. The roadside hedges were beautiful, covered with flowers from top to bottom.
From Penzance, we headed past St Michaels Mount towards Redruth where we had lunch at a busy “greasy spoon” truck stop serving super-size all-day breakfasts (we decided on something a little less calorific). From there we headed downhill (max. speed 44 miles/hr) to Newquay and then to Padstow via an insanely hilly coastal route. Simon needs to work on his gear changes – we lost the chain at a couple of key times heading up +15% gradient hills.
At Padstow, we refuelled with ice cream and some fish and salad from Rick Stein's takeaway shop. Although it had been quite cloudy for most of the rest of the day, Padstow was sunny and we enjoyed watching the tourists and seagulls around the marina. At one stage a complete stranger patted us on the back – he had been on a bus which had overtaken us twice along the way.
We finally arrived in Wadebridge at about 6:45pm via a quick ride by the side of the river Camel. Britt was still hungry so we walked into town for some sticky toffee pudding and to experience Wadebridge on a Saturday night (we managed to leave before things got messy).
From Penzance, we headed past St Michaels Mount towards Redruth where we had lunch at a busy “greasy spoon” truck stop serving super-size all-day breakfasts (we decided on something a little less calorific). From there we headed downhill (max. speed 44 miles/hr) to Newquay and then to Padstow via an insanely hilly coastal route. Simon needs to work on his gear changes – we lost the chain at a couple of key times heading up +15% gradient hills.
At Padstow, we refuelled with ice cream and some fish and salad from Rick Stein's takeaway shop. Although it had been quite cloudy for most of the rest of the day, Padstow was sunny and we enjoyed watching the tourists and seagulls around the marina. At one stage a complete stranger patted us on the back – he had been on a bus which had overtaken us twice along the way.
We finally arrived in Wadebridge at about 6:45pm via a quick ride by the side of the river Camel. Britt was still hungry so we walked into town for some sticky toffee pudding and to experience Wadebridge on a Saturday night (we managed to leave before things got messy).
Day 0
Despite the great farewell party last night (and Simon's hangover), we managed to get up reasonably early to finalise our packing. Simon spent half an hour in the local salon having his ruggedly hairy legs waxed – ouch. His legs now look as though they could belong to a hard-core cyclist (just a shame about the rest of him....).
While we planned the trip for months, neither of us had ever looked at a map to work out how to cycle to Paddington station via the back streets. We ended up fighting with double decker buses (and each other) down Edgeware Road.
Fortunately, the tandem went straight onto the train and the 5-hour trip to Penzance was relaxing and uneventful.
Once in Penzance we undertook short but hilly 7 mile ride to St. Just. After our safe arrival we took a stroll along a footpath to the town centre. The old fashioned rock ' cattle grates' were cool and the views out to sea were stunning. We randomly chose one of the 3 pubs and sat down to eat. Britt's fresh crab salad was delicious and really big! We skipped dessert and headed back to the B& B for an early night.
While we planned the trip for months, neither of us had ever looked at a map to work out how to cycle to Paddington station via the back streets. We ended up fighting with double decker buses (and each other) down Edgeware Road.
Fortunately, the tandem went straight onto the train and the 5-hour trip to Penzance was relaxing and uneventful.
Once in Penzance we undertook short but hilly 7 mile ride to St. Just. After our safe arrival we took a stroll along a footpath to the town centre. The old fashioned rock ' cattle grates' were cool and the views out to sea were stunning. We randomly chose one of the 3 pubs and sat down to eat. Britt's fresh crab salad was delicious and really big! We skipped dessert and headed back to the B& B for an early night.
The Journey
We are basically planning to travel from Land's End to John O'Groats using the CTC 'bed and breakfast' route, with a couple of scenic detours recommended by other guidebooks. Rather than taking maps, we have programmed our route into a GPS unit which should (fingers crossed) tell us every turn we need to make. The total length of the journey will be around 1050 miles. Daily lengths vary from 65 to 88 miles.
We are travelling on touring tandem with special couplings which allow us to separate the frame into sections for storage/transport. We are carrying two panniers, a handlebar bag and a small rack bag – we have tried to travel light, but we still think we might be carrying too much. Our first couple of days climbing the hills of Cornwall and Devon will be the real test....
Thursday, 7 May 2009
we are off tomorrow
The journey starts tomorrow. We will catch the 12:06 train from Paddington. We stay the fist in a B & B near St. Just Cornwall. -Britt
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
