This blog has been cut and pasted from an original blog, the passwords to which have been lost long ago. Some errors may have crept in through the cutting and pasting that has gone on.
What's interesting in recreating the blog of a journey taken in 2008, after 8 years or so have gone by, is to see just how life changing this was. I had considered myself a cyclist for many years prior to doing LEJoG but this was my first tour. It was not to be my last. Since then I've cycled across Spain and completed most of the North Sea Cycle Route; all of these written up into blogs too. Click for my full profile to see links to my other blogs. The fact is, as I've come to discover, I simply love to be going somewhere on my bike. Of course, I've had to add to my stable as the years have gone by! LEJoG was undertaken on my commuting bike, A Dawes Horizon. This was later replaced with another Dawes (A Karakum) which did stirling work carrying me across Spain, the Netherlands and Germany before my present steed, a Koga, arrived upon the scene. The Koga is my dream bike so I'm sticking at that, maybe......
Besides the long tours, I've crossed the country a few times and ridden a few of the recognised routes so maybe they will get written up too.
I'm hoping that I still have lots of miles to travel, new friends to meet and more memories to create. The plan for 2016 is to do the North Sea Cycle Route through Sweden and Norway.
I love cycling and always enjoy swapping tales and ideas so please get in touch.
david.gladman@gmail.com
I'll be pleased to hear from you.
Monday 11 January 2016
The Journey Day 16 Lybster to John O Groats
Day 16 Lybster to John O Groats
We had a leisurely breakfast and talked with our host about the place and the impact of oil in the area. On venturing out we had bright sunshine with a light breeze. Very different to the day before. We rolled down towards the sea before finally setting off for our final ride at about 9.30 – far later than normal!
We kept up a cracking pace to Wick being over 20 mph much of the time. It was through Wick and simply enjoying the wonderful weather and the coastline. We met quite a few cyclists just setting off in the other direction with much cheerful waving. Finally, the Orkney Islands came into view and there was just a nice gentle descent into John O Groats and we were there at about 12.30. The champagne came out and we had the obligatory photo before going into the Journeys End for a final lunch. Quite a few people came up ask if we had just complet
ed the E2E including a New Zealander who had finished a day or two before.
Andrew’s bike had developed a severe knocking on the back wheel over the last two days, so his bike was taken apart to put inside the car whilst the others went on the bike rack. We packed the panniers inside before setting off again. Travelling in a car seemed very strange at first! We stopped at Helmsdale again for coffee before finally going back to Carbisdale Castle to celebrate Richards birthday.
After dinner we discussed what next. The trip had given us all a taste for long distance cycling and we were all eager to op more. What and when are still being discussed.
We kept up a cracking pace to Wick being over 20 mph much of the time. It was through Wick and simply enjoying the wonderful weather and the coastline. We met quite a few cyclists just setting off in the other direction with much cheerful waving. Finally, the Orkney Islands came into view and there was just a nice gentle descent into John O Groats and we were there at about 12.30. The champagne came out and we had the obligatory photo before going into the Journeys End for a final lunch. Quite a few people came up ask if we had just complet
ed the E2E including a New Zealander who had finished a day or two before.Andrew’s bike had developed a severe knocking on the back wheel over the last two days, so his bike was taken apart to put inside the car whilst the others went on the bike rack. We packed the panniers inside before setting off again. Travelling in a car seemed very strange at first! We stopped at Helmsdale again for coffee before finally going back to Carbisdale Castle to celebrate Richards birthday.
After dinner we discussed what next. The trip had given us all a taste for long distance cycling and we were all eager to op more. What and when are still being discussed.
The Journey Day 15 Carbisdale Castle to Lybster
Day 15 Carbisdale Castle to Lybster
Another early start saw us deciding what to wear before we finally rolled off at 7.30 am. It was a wet morning with light rain. The rain got heavier during the course of the morning and we were well soaked. John and Andrew donned full wet weather gear. We headed back towards the A9 and found somewhere for breakfast as soon as we joined that road. We warmed up in the café before we set off again, still having the pleasure of steady rain. We were keeping our heads down and keeping going all the way up to Helmsdale where we stopped for lunch, Susan having found a nice café (Create!). Whilst in the café it stopped raining, which was good news, but as we looked across Helmsdale we could see the bottom of what I had seen described as “interesting hills after Helmsdale” but the rest was shrouded in heavy mist / low cloud.
Having no choice but to go on and the A9 being the only road available we set off. There followed a really difficult afternoon, and one which we took some pride in having read of the difficulties faced by other end to enders. Our journey so far had been mostly sunshine, so having a bad day to survive gave us some brownie points. The mist / cloud stayed with us the rest of the
afternoon and we ended up split into two pairs. Andrew and John well in front with Richard and me behind. We had all donned our brightest fluorescent jackets and fixed rear flashing lights on the bikes but we nevertheless realised the dangers as the A9 is a busy road. Traffic tended to come by in clusters, usually led by a coach or HGV. We were trying to ride on the white line at edge of the road. This was not easy as there were some good hills to climb (even though we couldn’t really see them). Where there were descents we kept speed down so that we could hear traffic behind and move off the road, where possible, to allow it to pass. To add to all of this, we kept getting strong head winds which also slowed progress without clearing the mist.
It was a long slow ride to Lybster and by the time we arrived at 6.30 pm I had nothing left. The wet, the cold and the terrain having drained me completely. The accommodation proved excellent (The Commercial Hotel) as we had a suite of rooms and a living room at our disposal. We were directed to a takeaway down the main street. By the time we were ready to eat, the list had cleared and we were left with a sunny evening, again, even if it was now quite a bit cooler.
A good nights sleep was had by all ready for the final 30 miles.
Having no choice but to go on and the A9 being the only road available we set off. There followed a really difficult afternoon, and one which we took some pride in having read of the difficulties faced by other end to enders. Our journey so far had been mostly sunshine, so having a bad day to survive gave us some brownie points. The mist / cloud stayed with us the rest of the
afternoon and we ended up split into two pairs. Andrew and John well in front with Richard and me behind. We had all donned our brightest fluorescent jackets and fixed rear flashing lights on the bikes but we nevertheless realised the dangers as the A9 is a busy road. Traffic tended to come by in clusters, usually led by a coach or HGV. We were trying to ride on the white line at edge of the road. This was not easy as there were some good hills to climb (even though we couldn’t really see them). Where there were descents we kept speed down so that we could hear traffic behind and move off the road, where possible, to allow it to pass. To add to all of this, we kept getting strong head winds which also slowed progress without clearing the mist.It was a long slow ride to Lybster and by the time we arrived at 6.30 pm I had nothing left. The wet, the cold and the terrain having drained me completely. The accommodation proved excellent (The Commercial Hotel) as we had a suite of rooms and a living room at our disposal. We were directed to a takeaway down the main street. By the time we were ready to eat, the list had cleared and we were left with a sunny evening, again, even if it was now quite a bit cooler.
A good nights sleep was had by all ready for the final 30 miles.
The Journey Day 14 Loch Ness to Carbisdale Castle
Day 14 Loch Ness to Carbisdale Castle
We were off bright and early again with two bowls of cereal in us. It wasn’t long before we hot our biggest hill to date. The landlady at Lancaster had asked us if we were going through somewhere with a name that seemed unpronounceable to me. I soon recognised this as Drumnadrochit and the hill was the biggest so far as we climbed over The Aird. It is only when you start to drop again that you realise just how high the climb was. The descent down to (and the views of) the Beauly Firth told us just how high we had climbed. I also had my fastest descent here, reaching 42 mph. We dropped down into rolling countryside and made our way to Dingwall where Susan was meeting us to give us some support over the last few days, and to help with the logistics of getting home again.
From Dingwall we made for the A9 and then onto the B9176 to Bonar Bridge. We found the A( somewhat mad after the quiet roads and it brought to mind a conversation with a Leeds teacher we had met when riding out from Loch Ness. He had ridden up to JoG from Leeds and told us that the A9 out from Inverness was the worst bit of road he had ridden.
Again we had climbs in the afternoon but were again rewarded with magnificent views over the Dornoch Firth and faster descending.
We turned off the main road at Bonar Bridge to take the 5 miles of minor roads to Carbisdale Castle. This was somewhere that we were looking forwards to and we were not disappointed. Sat in luxurious surroundings after dinner we discussed the route for the next day. Were we heading for the north coast and Bettyhill, or were we going up the shorter A9 towards Helmsdale? In then event, the A9 won and we phoned around to find accommodation in Lybster the following night.
From Dingwall we made for the A9 and then onto the B9176 to Bonar Bridge. We found the A( somewhat mad after the quiet roads and it brought to mind a conversation with a Leeds teacher we had met when riding out from Loch Ness. He had ridden up to JoG from Leeds and told us that the A9 out from Inverness was the worst bit of road he had ridden.
Again we had climbs in the afternoon but were again rewarded with magnificent views over the Dornoch Firth and faster descending.
We turned off the main road at Bonar Bridge to take the 5 miles of minor roads to Carbisdale Castle. This was somewhere that we were looking forwards to and we were not disappointed. Sat in luxurious surroundings after dinner we discussed the route for the next day. Were we heading for the north coast and Bettyhill, or were we going up the shorter A9 towards Helmsdale? In then event, the A9 won and we phoned around to find accommodation in Lybster the following night.
The Journey Day 13 Glencoe to Loch Ness
Day 13 Glencoe to Loch Ness
We knew that this was a relatively short day so we aimed to get to Loch Ness and have the afternoon off. That being the case we were up and off for 7.30 am, dropping down into Glencoe village and the local store for breakfast cereal bars. Luckily, the shop also had a good arrangement with the Hostel and they let me leave the key that I had brought with me from the hostel.
We followed the A82 again, stopping to take photo’s from the bridge at Ballacullish and then having the pleasure of riding alongside Loch Linnhe to Fort William where a real breakfast beckoned. There we found cyclists heaven – a café next door to a bike shop. After a look around the bike shop we were into the café and had breakfast chatting to some chaps who had been out on canoes for a few days.
Than back on the bikes with Andrew and I managing to do a full lap of the town centre before we caught up with John and Richard. Back onto the A82 our next stop was the Commando Memorial at Spean Bridge before riding along the banks of Loch Locky and through Invergarry to Fort Augustus. Again it was time to eat so we bought food from the local store and ate at the side of the locks of the Caledonian Canal. For the first time we found ourselves in a place filled with tourists but we enjoyed the atmosphere and it was the only time throughout the trip that we had the pleasure (?) of listening to a piper.
Richard had decided to cook a meal, seeing as we anticipated an early finish, so the ingredients were bought and we set off for the hostel at Loch Ness, for once arriving before 5.00 pm. Although we had not managed to have a free afternoon, we had enjoyed a good hour or so at Fort Augustus and we all relaxed into a pleasant evening. We all visited the loch side at some time, but found midges in abundance!
We followed the A82 again, stopping to take photo’s from the bridge at Ballacullish and then having the pleasure of riding alongside Loch Linnhe to Fort William where a real breakfast beckoned. There we found cyclists heaven – a café next door to a bike shop. After a look around the bike shop we were into the café and had breakfast chatting to some chaps who had been out on canoes for a few days.
Than back on the bikes with Andrew and I managing to do a full lap of the town centre before we caught up with John and Richard. Back onto the A82 our next stop was the Commando Memorial at Spean Bridge before riding along the banks of Loch Locky and through Invergarry to Fort Augustus. Again it was time to eat so we bought food from the local store and ate at the side of the locks of the Caledonian Canal. For the first time we found ourselves in a place filled with tourists but we enjoyed the atmosphere and it was the only time throughout the trip that we had the pleasure (?) of listening to a piper.
Richard had decided to cook a meal, seeing as we anticipated an early finish, so the ingredients were bought and we set off for the hostel at Loch Ness, for once arriving before 5.00 pm. Although we had not managed to have a free afternoon, we had enjoyed a good hour or so at Fort Augustus and we all relaxed into a pleasant evening. We all visited the loch side at some time, but found midges in abundance!
The Journey Day 12 Loch Lomond to Glencoe
Day 12 Loch Lomond to Glencoe
For once the day started with rain. The rain was fairly light and did little to spoil the day. At first we rode on the A82 but later discovered the Loch Lomond cycle trail down by the loch side. This gave us better opportunity for a pleasant ride and more opportunities for photo stops, of which there were several. The light rain and cloud made for some very moody photos.
There was some climbing to be done as we reached the end of the loch and started up to Crianlarich. By the time we reached Crainlarich it was lunchtime and we all felt low, although each one of us was keeping that to ourselves. We stopped for something to eat at a local store and sat at a picnic table outside. At that stage I felt exhausted and was seriously concerned
about my ability to go another 30 miles. In fact, we were all suffering the effects of the wrong food the evening before when we had fish and chips. As lunch kicked in we all perked up
We continued along the A82 through Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy. The scenery became grander as we passed Loch Tulla and entered Glencoe. Again the mixture of light, and cloud produced dramatic scenery and all of us had cameras at the ready. Our final descent past the Three Sisters finally split us up with Richard and I being well behind Andrew and John as we kept stopping to admire the views and take yet more photos. Eventually, we dropped off the A82 to join the old road down to the Youth Hostel.
Again we had a fine sunny, summers evening. Having washed clothes and got ourselves organised we set off for the walk back to the pub for a meal and realised that we were the meal. The place was a midgefest. There was a campsite close to the hostel where there was abundance of fires burning, no doubt to keep the little peskies away. When we got to the pub we would all have preferred to sit outside but that wasn’t an option.
Back at the hostel the midges continued to be a problem. I went to the toilets during the night. The window was open and as soon as I stepped inside I was swatting away. The room we were in also proved extremely hot, probably in part because the window was closed to keep midges out. I propped the door open to keep some air circulating but Andrew got up at about 5.00 am simply to get away from the heat.
There was some climbing to be done as we reached the end of the loch and started up to Crianlarich. By the time we reached Crainlarich it was lunchtime and we all felt low, although each one of us was keeping that to ourselves. We stopped for something to eat at a local store and sat at a picnic table outside. At that stage I felt exhausted and was seriously concerned
about my ability to go another 30 miles. In fact, we were all suffering the effects of the wrong food the evening before when we had fish and chips. As lunch kicked in we all perked upWe continued along the A82 through Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy. The scenery became grander as we passed Loch Tulla and entered Glencoe. Again the mixture of light, and cloud produced dramatic scenery and all of us had cameras at the ready. Our final descent past the Three Sisters finally split us up with Richard and I being well behind Andrew and John as we kept stopping to admire the views and take yet more photos. Eventually, we dropped off the A82 to join the old road down to the Youth Hostel.
Again we had a fine sunny, summers evening. Having washed clothes and got ourselves organised we set off for the walk back to the pub for a meal and realised that we were the meal. The place was a midgefest. There was a campsite close to the hostel where there was abundance of fires burning, no doubt to keep the little peskies away. When we got to the pub we would all have preferred to sit outside but that wasn’t an option.
Back at the hostel the midges continued to be a problem. I went to the toilets during the night. The window was open and as soon as I stepped inside I was swatting away. The room we were in also proved extremely hot, probably in part because the window was closed to keep midges out. I propped the door open to keep some air circulating but Andrew got up at about 5.00 am simply to get away from the heat.
The Journey Day 11 Wanlockhead to Loch Lomond
Day 11 Wanlockhead to Loch Lomond
We were unsure about the route to take and opted to rejoin NCN74, given that the facilities the day before had been so good. The alternative, which was longer, was to head towards Paisley and NCN7. Our chosen route took us through a more urban route going through Hamilton, Rutherglen and many smaller places. It was a fairly easy route to follow and took us direct into Glasgow. We had stopped in Larkhall to load up with food and sun cream (hot and sunny once again). Also on the list was midge repellent as we had started to see the little blighters and had already collected one or two bites. Whilst there we got into conversation with a couple of lads who were admiring the bikes(?). “wher’re yous going?”, asks one. “John O Groats” is the answer. “Where’s that than?” is the next question. Next question is “Wher’re yous from?”. “Leeds”! is the answer. Where’s that than?”!!!
Once into Glasgow we looked for cycle facilities by the Clyde, which we found and which took us in turn to NCN7 towards Loch Lomond. The day’s ride improved dramatically at this point as we headed off on a mixture of old railway lines, canal paths and riverside tracks up through Dumbarton and towards Alexandria. The second part of our day gave us lots of stops for sightseeing and photo’s.
Phoning ahead to the hostel to see what we could do regards food, it turned out there was catering for school parties only. We decided to eat in Alexandria and then go on to the hostel as this would avoid a lengthy walk back into town. We found a local chippy where staff seemed quite surprised that we wanted fish with our chips – Andrew having a surreal conversation about the need to cook some fish if that’s what we really wanted as it turned out, fish and chips was a mistake, but this was for us to discover the next day.
We eventually arrived at the Loch Lomond hostel at about 7.3o pm being very impressed with the place and its facilities – apart from the drinks machine that is, as this seemed to have a grudge against Andrew.
Once into Glasgow we looked for cycle facilities by the Clyde, which we found and which took us in turn to NCN7 towards Loch Lomond. The day’s ride improved dramatically at this point as we headed off on a mixture of old railway lines, canal paths and riverside tracks up through Dumbarton and towards Alexandria. The second part of our day gave us lots of stops for sightseeing and photo’s.
Phoning ahead to the hostel to see what we could do regards food, it turned out there was catering for school parties only. We decided to eat in Alexandria and then go on to the hostel as this would avoid a lengthy walk back into town. We found a local chippy where staff seemed quite surprised that we wanted fish with our chips – Andrew having a surreal conversation about the need to cook some fish if that’s what we really wanted as it turned out, fish and chips was a mistake, but this was for us to discover the next day.
We eventually arrived at the Loch Lomond hostel at about 7.3o pm being very impressed with the place and its facilities – apart from the drinks machine that is, as this seemed to have a grudge against Andrew.
The Journey Day 10 Carlisle to Wanlockhead
Day 10 Carlisle to Wanlockhead
It was up at 6.45 feeling pretty tired after a poor nights sleep for a 7.30 depart. The plan was to follow the A74 to Gretna but we met signs telling us that cycling on this road was prohibited and redirecting us to the slightly longer A7/A6071. That said, it was flat ground and we made pretty good time arriving at Gretna before 9.00. There was a good stop at the Welcome to Scotland sign, and a real sense of achievement in just getting that far. I think we all found it quite difficult to believe that a mere week before we had just set off on the journey. We were joined by a couple from Essex and chatted to them for w while before they left us with a £10 donation.
By now, we were starting to get peckish and we found a sizeable retail park, but all shut up with no prospect of eating before 9.30. On that basis we decided to head for Lockerbie. By now we were following the old A74 (B7076) and we were joined by a couple of chaps who had done LEJoG a few weeks before having raised £7,000 for a cancer charity. Unfortunately, one of the chaps had lost his wife to the disease. They were both much younger and a lot fitter. The pace raised itself quickly, and, although they didn’t ride with us all the way to Lockerbie, they certainly helped us get there quicker. They did ask where we were staying and told us that there a few hills towards the end of the day to get to Wanlockhead.
On to Lockerbie where we found Café 91- a proper bikers café. We were instructed to take the bikes around to the yard at the back and then we tucked in to a grand breakfast. On leaving I was approached by a cyclist from California who had brought his bike across for a touring holiday and was trying to get back to Edinburgh. We then talked for a while with the chef who was, or had been, a bit of a cyclist himself. He had trouble stopping laughing when we told him where were stopping! He recommended taking a break at Moffat but suggested staying out of the town and heading for a Caravan park just out of time. This we did, but were less than impressed!
From Lockerbie we followed the A74 route and we were impressed with NCN74 and the facilities. Again we had sunshine and a traffic free environment. The climb up to Wanlockhead started as we went onto the B7040 but there was nothing harder than we had already ridden but the scenery was, again, tremendous.
We arrived at Wanlockhead about 6.00 pm and headed off into the village and the local pub for a meal. It was a perfect summers evening. The village impressed us as being wonderfully peaceful (that is when the quad bikes stopped) and the type that would grace any calendar. Perhaps that image was marred to some degree by the pub where the barman was kind enough to inform me in fairly strong terms that lime and lemon was not a man’s drink. Later as we sat outside, he had a long conversation with an older couple how may have been his parents. The whole conversation was shouted with liberal use of effing and jeffing. That said, the meal was good, and we hag a stroll around the village before heading back for the hostel and a good nights sleep, without road works, in a quiet rural location.
By now, we were starting to get peckish and we found a sizeable retail park, but all shut up with no prospect of eating before 9.30. On that basis we decided to head for Lockerbie. By now we were following the old A74 (B7076) and we were joined by a couple of chaps who had done LEJoG a few weeks before having raised £7,000 for a cancer charity. Unfortunately, one of the chaps had lost his wife to the disease. They were both much younger and a lot fitter. The pace raised itself quickly, and, although they didn’t ride with us all the way to Lockerbie, they certainly helped us get there quicker. They did ask where we were staying and told us that there a few hills towards the end of the day to get to Wanlockhead.
On to Lockerbie where we found Café 91- a proper bikers café. We were instructed to take the bikes around to the yard at the back and then we tucked in to a grand breakfast. On leaving I was approached by a cyclist from California who had brought his bike across for a touring holiday and was trying to get back to Edinburgh. We then talked for a while with the chef who was, or had been, a bit of a cyclist himself. He had trouble stopping laughing when we told him where were stopping! He recommended taking a break at Moffat but suggested staying out of the town and heading for a Caravan park just out of time. This we did, but were less than impressed!
From Lockerbie we followed the A74 route and we were impressed with NCN74 and the facilities. Again we had sunshine and a traffic free environment. The climb up to Wanlockhead started as we went onto the B7040 but there was nothing harder than we had already ridden but the scenery was, again, tremendous.
We arrived at Wanlockhead about 6.00 pm and headed off into the village and the local pub for a meal. It was a perfect summers evening. The village impressed us as being wonderfully peaceful (that is when the quad bikes stopped) and the type that would grace any calendar. Perhaps that image was marred to some degree by the pub where the barman was kind enough to inform me in fairly strong terms that lime and lemon was not a man’s drink. Later as we sat outside, he had a long conversation with an older couple how may have been his parents. The whole conversation was shouted with liberal use of effing and jeffing. That said, the meal was good, and we hag a stroll around the village before heading back for the hostel and a good nights sleep, without road works, in a quiet rural location.
The Journey Day 9 Lancaster to Carlisle
Day 9 Lancaster to Carlisle
A good nights sleep in a comfy bed. Bliss! And with a good breakfast to follow. What more could a cyclist ask for?
The morning proved fine and warm but with some cloud cover. The route today was a simple one – follow the A6. Unfortunately, on my cut up road atlas, the A^ followed a join in the pages which was stuck together with blue insulating tape. This meant that we were following a big blue motorway up the middle of the page.
Susan and Jackie came across for the day and we met at Milnthorpe where we lost the panniers to the back of the car for the day. Running light felt much easier and also like cheating as were real cyclists by now. The panniers seemed to get more credence from fellow bikers on the road, most of whom would have guessed where we were going.
The scenery started to change back from the urban environment that we had been riding through since Chester. Once again we were in a rural setting with wonderful scenery as we started the 1400 foot ascent of Shap Fell. In fairness, most of the climb was steady going, certainly nothing like the sharp climbs of Cornwall, although the last mile or so was getting on that way.
We played leap frog with Susan and Jackie who would drive in front and then wait for us to catch up. The climb up Shap was a bit unexpected as I had read on someone else’s blog that they had gone over the top without ever noticing a hill. I think my irony detector had not been working that day. Susan and Jackie were at the summit with the car complete with bananas and the like. Whilst there we got talking to a fellow cyclist from Holland who had come across to try a few hills, and also to a local chap who was out going off road on his new acquisition. We were also treated to a vintage aircraft suddenly appearing al low level. None of us were quick enough to get a camera out, but it looked truly spectacular as it climbed up the valley not more than half a mile from us. We think that the plane was a Dakota that had probably visited the Penrith Show.
Of course, what goes up must come down, so we had the pleasure of a good descent to Penrith. There we met with traffic from the Penrith Show and a slight brush with the law as a young lady PC pulled me for riding down the inside of the traffic. I was instructed to take a place in the queue, which, being a law abiding person, I did (for all of twenty yards anyway!).
After a break in Penrith for drinks etc, (and socks for me) we set off for Carlisle and our overnight stop at the YHA / halls of residence. We all had separate rooms here, but it was not that comfortable. I awoke early in the morning unable to make out what all the noise was and it turned out that the Council was doing some major resurfacing work nearby throughout the night. That, mixed with some other residents deciding to have a full scale row about a missing diary at 5 in the morning, made sure I was pretty tired next morning. However, before that, we went off for a posh meal at an Italian restaurant with Susan and Jackie. The food was good, but they had a bit of a problem getting the order right so overall we were less than pleased.
The morning proved fine and warm but with some cloud cover. The route today was a simple one – follow the A6. Unfortunately, on my cut up road atlas, the A^ followed a join in the pages which was stuck together with blue insulating tape. This meant that we were following a big blue motorway up the middle of the page.
Susan and Jackie came across for the day and we met at Milnthorpe where we lost the panniers to the back of the car for the day. Running light felt much easier and also like cheating as were real cyclists by now. The panniers seemed to get more credence from fellow bikers on the road, most of whom would have guessed where we were going.
The scenery started to change back from the urban environment that we had been riding through since Chester. Once again we were in a rural setting with wonderful scenery as we started the 1400 foot ascent of Shap Fell. In fairness, most of the climb was steady going, certainly nothing like the sharp climbs of Cornwall, although the last mile or so was getting on that way.
We played leap frog with Susan and Jackie who would drive in front and then wait for us to catch up. The climb up Shap was a bit unexpected as I had read on someone else’s blog that they had gone over the top without ever noticing a hill. I think my irony detector had not been working that day. Susan and Jackie were at the summit with the car complete with bananas and the like. Whilst there we got talking to a fellow cyclist from Holland who had come across to try a few hills, and also to a local chap who was out going off road on his new acquisition. We were also treated to a vintage aircraft suddenly appearing al low level. None of us were quick enough to get a camera out, but it looked truly spectacular as it climbed up the valley not more than half a mile from us. We think that the plane was a Dakota that had probably visited the Penrith Show.
Of course, what goes up must come down, so we had the pleasure of a good descent to Penrith. There we met with traffic from the Penrith Show and a slight brush with the law as a young lady PC pulled me for riding down the inside of the traffic. I was instructed to take a place in the queue, which, being a law abiding person, I did (for all of twenty yards anyway!).
After a break in Penrith for drinks etc, (and socks for me) we set off for Carlisle and our overnight stop at the YHA / halls of residence. We all had separate rooms here, but it was not that comfortable. I awoke early in the morning unable to make out what all the noise was and it turned out that the Council was doing some major resurfacing work nearby throughout the night. That, mixed with some other residents deciding to have a full scale row about a missing diary at 5 in the morning, made sure I was pretty tired next morning. However, before that, we went off for a posh meal at an Italian restaurant with Susan and Jackie. The food was good, but they had a bit of a problem getting the order right so overall we were less than pleased.
The Journey Day 8 Chester to Lancaster
Day 8 Chester to Lancaster
We had arranged to stay in a B&B in Lancaster from the road a couple of nights before thanks to Susan contacting the local Tourist Information, so we knew where we were headed. Today was a complete variation from the CTC route which would have taken us off towards Slaidburn. We found out later that the two ladies had gone this way and turned into 96 mile day, having got lost a few times.
It was another hot and sunny day. John decided to squeeze a few extra pounds into the tyre that had gone down the night before and off we went. After no more than 100 yards, john’s tyre was flat again so it was a stop for a tube change. There was no sign of damage to the tube and we decided that it was likely that the valve hadn’t been closed properly. Somehow we managed to go around Chester City centre the wrong way and eventually found our way out on back streets. Once we had found the A41 it was 20 easy miles to Birkenhead to catch the ferry to Liverpool. We all stopped to admire the view across the Mersey as we rode into Birkenhead. A passer by, obviously and old slat, told us proudly that there was only one better skyline and that was at Shangai, and he had seen it.
The ferry was just preparing to leave as we arrived so we embarked and were away. It was a very short crossing but an opportunity to text folk where we are. Good Old Bob called me back to play Gerry and the Pacemakers down the phone to me!
We followed the coast road out of Liverpool heading for the A59. Suddenly we were in a very urban and busy environment again. It came as a bit of a shock after so many days riding through open country. We pressed on, stopping for lunch at a small park in Ormskirk, then on through Preston towards Lancaster. We had our first rain as we ran into Lancaster over the last 5 miles or so. But the riding over the day had been almost entirely flat and all on A roads.
The town centre was a fair walk away and it still being a wet evening we just went as far as the local Pizza Hut, but we were all satisfied when we left. Then a good nights sleep in a proper bed. We even had a TV to fall asleep to!
It was another hot and sunny day. John decided to squeeze a few extra pounds into the tyre that had gone down the night before and off we went. After no more than 100 yards, john’s tyre was flat again so it was a stop for a tube change. There was no sign of damage to the tube and we decided that it was likely that the valve hadn’t been closed properly. Somehow we managed to go around Chester City centre the wrong way and eventually found our way out on back streets. Once we had found the A41 it was 20 easy miles to Birkenhead to catch the ferry to Liverpool. We all stopped to admire the view across the Mersey as we rode into Birkenhead. A passer by, obviously and old slat, told us proudly that there was only one better skyline and that was at Shangai, and he had seen it.
The ferry was just preparing to leave as we arrived so we embarked and were away. It was a very short crossing but an opportunity to text folk where we are. Good Old Bob called me back to play Gerry and the Pacemakers down the phone to me!
We followed the coast road out of Liverpool heading for the A59. Suddenly we were in a very urban and busy environment again. It came as a bit of a shock after so many days riding through open country. We pressed on, stopping for lunch at a small park in Ormskirk, then on through Preston towards Lancaster. We had our first rain as we ran into Lancaster over the last 5 miles or so. But the riding over the day had been almost entirely flat and all on A roads.
The town centre was a fair walk away and it still being a wet evening we just went as far as the local Pizza Hut, but we were all satisfied when we left. Then a good nights sleep in a proper bed. We even had a TV to fall asleep to!
The Journey Day 7 Clun to Chester
Day 7 Clun to Chester
Today there was a tactical change. Tactical change one was that we had seen two young ladies staying at the same hostels a couple of times. These two ladies always got home before us and they had been seen leaving at 6AM. This led to a decision to get up early and get off – there was some compromise as we considered being on then road by 7AM early enough. The second change was that we had realised that going on minor roads, though pleasant, led to a meandering route and one which needed frequent map checks. We also knew that we had spent quite a bit of time rerouting after missing junctions. The next decision was to stick to A & B roads to see how that went, and in preparation for going through Lancashire.
On this basis we left Clun at 7AM and headed for Bishops Castle for breakfast. The flaw in our logic was that Bishops Castle was pretty much still asleep when we got there so we continued through to Church Stoke on the A499. There we found Harry Tuffin’s and ate a very good breakfast. From Church Stoke we followed the A490 to Welshpool which we then skirted on the A483 to Oswestry where we had lunch in the park. We also found a good bike shop in Oswestry and I think we all bought something. From Oswestry we took the B5069 to Overton and then on to Bangor – on – Dee for an ice cream by the river before following the B5130 into Chester.
John had the one and only puncture a few miles out of Chester, although it was the valve seat that blew rather than a proper puncture. A quick tube change and we were off into the hustle and bustle of Chester at rush hour.
We soon found the hostel but were disappointed with the place. One of the chaps in our dorm told us that the place was soon to close, which perhaps explained why it felt a bit neglected. Not deterred, we walked down into the town centre and tucked into a grand meal at the Slug and Lettuce.
On this basis we left Clun at 7AM and headed for Bishops Castle for breakfast. The flaw in our logic was that Bishops Castle was pretty much still asleep when we got there so we continued through to Church Stoke on the A499. There we found Harry Tuffin’s and ate a very good breakfast. From Church Stoke we followed the A490 to Welshpool which we then skirted on the A483 to Oswestry where we had lunch in the park. We also found a good bike shop in Oswestry and I think we all bought something. From Oswestry we took the B5069 to Overton and then on to Bangor – on – Dee for an ice cream by the river before following the B5130 into Chester.
John had the one and only puncture a few miles out of Chester, although it was the valve seat that blew rather than a proper puncture. A quick tube change and we were off into the hustle and bustle of Chester at rush hour.
We soon found the hostel but were disappointed with the place. One of the chaps in our dorm told us that the place was soon to close, which perhaps explained why it felt a bit neglected. Not deterred, we walked down into the town centre and tucked into a grand meal at the Slug and Lettuce.
The Journey Day 6 Welsh Bicknor to Clun
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
Day 6 Welsh Bicknor to Clun
We awoke to find a mist had settled overnight but that burnt off very quickly as the sun poked through. We had breakfast at the hostel and we made enquiries about an alternative way out rather than to struggle up the track that we had descended the previous night. The CTC instructions mentioned an old railway bridge and it turned out that we could use a footpath and this bridge to get to the road – about a ten minute walk. Preferring this route we set off to walk. The bridge was a very rickety affair, stout enough, no doubt, but the walkway being much patched and having a distinct DIY air about it. Nevertheless, we were grateful to avoid the climb. On getting to the road side we saw the smallest of signs stating “Footpath to the Hostel” and wondered if we could have avoided the pain of the road route the night before.
We rode the short distance to Ross-on-Wye and there struck camp in the pretty town centre. We stocked up on sun cream as the sun was again blazing down on us, bought some pasta, sandwiches and drinks for lunch and set off on minor roads again. Much of the morning was spent on very quiet roads running close to the Wye. There were a few hills and we had lunch on one such hill close to Bodenham looking out over wonderful views across the Wye valley.
The journey resumed again mostly on minor roads as we rode towards Leominster eventually joining the A4110 and then the B4385 towards Clun. We rode down to Clun again enjoying the afternoon sun. I was a little behind the others and was aware of a car approaching from behind at the same time as a car coming towards me. There then followed a real screech of brakes as the car behind tried to stop and skidded along the road. I have no idea what happened but it was very unnerving. As the car going up passed, the car behind came around and the driver signalled to the other three that I was still Ok!
From there we found the hostel, which had to be one of the most pleasant that we had stayed in. The setting was wonderful and the accommodation equally good. After washing ourselves and clothes, we set off into the village and found the Sun Inn. The food was excellent but the pub also played host to a number of local folk music fans who came along and played together. Andrew recorded a chap playing the lute on his mobile phone. The recording was played back quite a few times over the next few days.
We rode the short distance to Ross-on-Wye and there struck camp in the pretty town centre. We stocked up on sun cream as the sun was again blazing down on us, bought some pasta, sandwiches and drinks for lunch and set off on minor roads again. Much of the morning was spent on very quiet roads running close to the Wye. There were a few hills and we had lunch on one such hill close to Bodenham looking out over wonderful views across the Wye valley.
The journey resumed again mostly on minor roads as we rode towards Leominster eventually joining the A4110 and then the B4385 towards Clun. We rode down to Clun again enjoying the afternoon sun. I was a little behind the others and was aware of a car approaching from behind at the same time as a car coming towards me. There then followed a real screech of brakes as the car behind tried to stop and skidded along the road. I have no idea what happened but it was very unnerving. As the car going up passed, the car behind came around and the driver signalled to the other three that I was still Ok!
From there we found the hostel, which had to be one of the most pleasant that we had stayed in. The setting was wonderful and the accommodation equally good. After washing ourselves and clothes, we set off into the village and found the Sun Inn. The food was excellent but the pub also played host to a number of local folk music fans who came along and played together. Andrew recorded a chap playing the lute on his mobile phone. The recording was played back quite a few times over the next few days.
The Journey Day 5 Street to Welsh Bicknor
Day 5 Street to Welsh Bicknor
There being no food at Street we had bought porridge the night before which Richard made up. For a change we started off going downhill into Street and then had flat riding on minor roads as we went through Glastonbury and on to Wells.
We managed to lose our bearings on the network of minor roads around Wells which led to Andrew and me consulting maps while John just had a look around and asked what that rather large building was over there, pointing towards the Cathedral. And so we found our way into Wells with a stop at Tesco’s to pick up food, and then along to have a look at the Cathedral, or the outside at least.
The CTC route took as out of Wells again on minor roads towards East Harptree and, in fact, took us straight up onto the Mendips. Up was the operative word here as we faced a long and steep climb. We stopped to eat our lunch and then progressed towards Chew Magna and the B3130 towards Bristol. As we approached Bristol we followed the CTC route at first and met a local cyclist on a cycle path. We asked how best to get into Bristol and to get to the Clifton Suspension Bridge as the CTC instructions were not that clear. He advised us to follow the path and to go through a large gatehouse and through a park to exit through a similar gatehouse on the other side. We found the first gatehouse and went through a very pleasant park where there was a children’s event going on with several hundred youngsters singing along with someone on a stage. We joined in but somehow managed to exit the park wrongly. We came out at the bottom of a rather steep climb towards the town centre and found the gatehouse at the top. All we had to do from there was find the Clifton Bridge, which somehow was there when we turned a corner. Very impressive it was too, demanding a good stop and look around. Whilst looking down into the Avon Gorge we spotted a couple of fellow hostellers and cyclists from Rugby who had been at Street the night before. To our surprise they saw us looking down and waved.
Leaving the Clifton Bridge behind we attempted to find our way towards the Severn Bridge but took a wrong turn somewhere. We all found Bristol difficult as there were very few signs giving directions using road numbers. We found that we had been heading away from the Bristol Channel and not towards it. In fact, we found ourselves in the St Paul’s district. Luckily, there were a lot of police around and one of their number gave us directions out. Again, we tried to navigate across the city but again found ourselves lost. Andrew went and bought a street map whilst John and I chatted with a local. From our chat we were given directions along the A38 so we decided that we would simply follow that road out to pick up minor roads towards
Olveston and the Severn Bridge. Although this was not as direct it proved to be a fast ride out, but it was still 5PM by the time we had reached the bridge, and with at least 30 miles still to go. As a precaution I phoned ahead to the hostel to ask them to save us some food.
Crossing the Severn Bridge was quite spectacular and we duly arrived in Chepstow to a long climb away from the bridge towards the A665 along the Wye valley. We were pleasantly surprised to find a very long descent into the Wye valley which perhaps just showed the extent of the climb from the bridge. The road along the valley was closed to through traffic because of road works so we had a very pleasant ride along the valley , made better by the evening being cool and still, although still sunny. Because we were running quite late we had no opportunity to stop and explore, so Tintern Abbey simply flashed by, although it would have been good to have been able to stop and explore. We did manage a brief stop towards the top of the valley as we were starting to run on empty and food was required.
Continuing our journey, we rode to Monmouth and joined the A40 to Great Doward where we joined the B4234. We came across the very welcome sign for the hostel but found we were still a couple of miles away. That last 2 miles consisted mostly of a steep climb up and once crested an equally steep descent, but the descent was on very broken road/track. None of us relished the prospect of climbing back out the same way.
We arrived at 8.15 and went straight in to eat the food that had been kept for us. We were all tired after what had been a very long and hot day. It was, perhaps, an indication of just how tired we were that I fell off just before we found the turn off for the hostel. Well, in truth, fell off isn’t quite right as I simply failed to get back on after a short break when I found myself on all fours on the grass and the bike on its side.
We managed to lose our bearings on the network of minor roads around Wells which led to Andrew and me consulting maps while John just had a look around and asked what that rather large building was over there, pointing towards the Cathedral. And so we found our way into Wells with a stop at Tesco’s to pick up food, and then along to have a look at the Cathedral, or the outside at least.
The CTC route took as out of Wells again on minor roads towards East Harptree and, in fact, took us straight up onto the Mendips. Up was the operative word here as we faced a long and steep climb. We stopped to eat our lunch and then progressed towards Chew Magna and the B3130 towards Bristol. As we approached Bristol we followed the CTC route at first and met a local cyclist on a cycle path. We asked how best to get into Bristol and to get to the Clifton Suspension Bridge as the CTC instructions were not that clear. He advised us to follow the path and to go through a large gatehouse and through a park to exit through a similar gatehouse on the other side. We found the first gatehouse and went through a very pleasant park where there was a children’s event going on with several hundred youngsters singing along with someone on a stage. We joined in but somehow managed to exit the park wrongly. We came out at the bottom of a rather steep climb towards the town centre and found the gatehouse at the top. All we had to do from there was find the Clifton Bridge, which somehow was there when we turned a corner. Very impressive it was too, demanding a good stop and look around. Whilst looking down into the Avon Gorge we spotted a couple of fellow hostellers and cyclists from Rugby who had been at Street the night before. To our surprise they saw us looking down and waved.
Leaving the Clifton Bridge behind we attempted to find our way towards the Severn Bridge but took a wrong turn somewhere. We all found Bristol difficult as there were very few signs giving directions using road numbers. We found that we had been heading away from the Bristol Channel and not towards it. In fact, we found ourselves in the St Paul’s district. Luckily, there were a lot of police around and one of their number gave us directions out. Again, we tried to navigate across the city but again found ourselves lost. Andrew went and bought a street map whilst John and I chatted with a local. From our chat we were given directions along the A38 so we decided that we would simply follow that road out to pick up minor roads towards
Olveston and the Severn Bridge. Although this was not as direct it proved to be a fast ride out, but it was still 5PM by the time we had reached the bridge, and with at least 30 miles still to go. As a precaution I phoned ahead to the hostel to ask them to save us some food.Crossing the Severn Bridge was quite spectacular and we duly arrived in Chepstow to a long climb away from the bridge towards the A665 along the Wye valley. We were pleasantly surprised to find a very long descent into the Wye valley which perhaps just showed the extent of the climb from the bridge. The road along the valley was closed to through traffic because of road works so we had a very pleasant ride along the valley , made better by the evening being cool and still, although still sunny. Because we were running quite late we had no opportunity to stop and explore, so Tintern Abbey simply flashed by, although it would have been good to have been able to stop and explore. We did manage a brief stop towards the top of the valley as we were starting to run on empty and food was required.
Continuing our journey, we rode to Monmouth and joined the A40 to Great Doward where we joined the B4234. We came across the very welcome sign for the hostel but found we were still a couple of miles away. That last 2 miles consisted mostly of a steep climb up and once crested an equally steep descent, but the descent was on very broken road/track. None of us relished the prospect of climbing back out the same way.
We arrived at 8.15 and went straight in to eat the food that had been kept for us. We were all tired after what had been a very long and hot day. It was, perhaps, an indication of just how tired we were that I fell off just before we found the turn off for the hostel. Well, in truth, fell off isn’t quite right as I simply failed to get back on after a short break when I found myself on all fours on the grass and the bike on its side.
The Journey Day 4 Okehampton to Street
Day 4 Okehampton to Street
Day 3 had been a short ride in terms of distance (54 miles) and today was a long one at 80+ miles. When booking the accommodation I had the choice of two Travelodge hotels and my thoughts were that I had booked the wrong one, the second one being 10 miles on from where we stopped. As we rode out with an 8AM start behind us, we talked about this, but such were the hills on the first ten miles we were all of the view that we would all have struggled to do the extra mileage.
Again we were following minor roads to Crediton on the CTC route. As we approached Crediton I became aware that my back wheel was not running true and Andy confirmed that he had noticed it was running badly. It was decided to go the next few miles to Crediton, stop for a break and fix it then. On arriving at Crediton we went into a small park to look at what needed to be done. Instead of finding spokes needing adjustment we found that the rim had gone in about 4 places with spokes well and truly pulled out of the wheel. Clearly the wheel was beyond repair. Locals told us that there was a bike shop at the bottom of the town and it turned out to be a good one. The Bike Shed at Crediton deserves special mention here as, from the moment we walked in, their focus was on getting us back on the road. And they did so within the hour. They were unable to find a suitable wheel in stock so took one from a Galaxy to get us moving again.
The delay did mean that we were well behind schedule, having done only 22 miles by noon. We decided to have lunch before starting again and then resumed through Cullompton, Taunton and across the Somerset Levels to street, again almost entirely by minor roads.
We had our first falling off incident in Cullompton when Richard fell off having locked his foot into the cleat and then forgetting to set off! Andrew was able to produce a chemist shop and patch him up.
The only other incidents en route were that I managed to buy some shoes to replace those that fell apart on day 1, and Andrew found a very large Dragonfly attached to his bar bag just before we got to Street.
The flat ride across the Somerset Levels was very welcome after all the hills, but just to prevent any complacency creeping in, there was a little cracker of a hill to get to the YHA just to finish off an 82 mile day.
We had intended to buy food to cook, but we arrived at 19:45 and decided that the pub was a better prospect, so we had a taxi into Street and it was into Weatherspoons for a good refuel.
Again we were following minor roads to Crediton on the CTC route. As we approached Crediton I became aware that my back wheel was not running true and Andy confirmed that he had noticed it was running badly. It was decided to go the next few miles to Crediton, stop for a break and fix it then. On arriving at Crediton we went into a small park to look at what needed to be done. Instead of finding spokes needing adjustment we found that the rim had gone in about 4 places with spokes well and truly pulled out of the wheel. Clearly the wheel was beyond repair. Locals told us that there was a bike shop at the bottom of the town and it turned out to be a good one. The Bike Shed at Crediton deserves special mention here as, from the moment we walked in, their focus was on getting us back on the road. And they did so within the hour. They were unable to find a suitable wheel in stock so took one from a Galaxy to get us moving again.
The delay did mean that we were well behind schedule, having done only 22 miles by noon. We decided to have lunch before starting again and then resumed through Cullompton, Taunton and across the Somerset Levels to street, again almost entirely by minor roads.
We had our first falling off incident in Cullompton when Richard fell off having locked his foot into the cleat and then forgetting to set off! Andrew was able to produce a chemist shop and patch him up.
The only other incidents en route were that I managed to buy some shoes to replace those that fell apart on day 1, and Andrew found a very large Dragonfly attached to his bar bag just before we got to Street.
The flat ride across the Somerset Levels was very welcome after all the hills, but just to prevent any complacency creeping in, there was a little cracker of a hill to get to the YHA just to finish off an 82 mile day.
We had intended to buy food to cook, but we arrived at 19:45 and decided that the pub was a better prospect, so we had a taxi into Street and it was into Weatherspoons for a good refuel.
The Journey Day 3 Trayarnon Bay to Okehampton
Day 3 Treyarnon Bay to Okehampton
Our first thoughts were that much of the climbing would be behind us as we ambled along the cliffs before breakfast. I think we could all have stayed here for a few days as the hostel was comfortable and the weather was hot and sunny. The hills were still there.
As we ran out onto the coats road (B3276) we dropped at first and then came to a hill that I have driven up countless times and which I had thought was behind us. Just about every time I have driven up it I have thought what a horrible climb on a bike. I wasn’t wrong! After that, it was down hill to Padstow to join the Camel Trail to Wadebridge. Padstow offered us a bike shop just before we got onto the Camel Trail. Who can resist? Various bits and bobs were purchased including extra drinks bottles.
The Camel Trail to Wadebridge was enjoyable (and flat). We had made arrangements to meet MickF at Davidstow and set off with some confidence. Again, hills intervened. The climb into Camelford, whilst not as steep as some others that we had climbed, just seemed to go on forever, if not longer. In the end, MickF came towards us and we met him (and his Merlin) as we were leaving Camelford. From there Mick took us along back roads to Launceston (including another lunch on a grass verge) and then along the route of the old A30 to Okehampton before leaving us to return home.
Again, hills were a major feature of the day. There was plenty of climbing in the afternoon and we were all tired when we got to the Travelodge at Okehampton where we had arranged to stay. Perhaps the tiredness came from both the work rate and the hot sunshine. As were climbing the final hill, Mick came back down to me on escort duty. He had a Garmin fixed to his bike, so was able to read altitude in addition to speed and distance. I’m sure he was trying to motivate me with comments like, “just 300 feet to go”, but somehow that wasn’t the effect!
We ate that night (and next morning) at the Little Chef next door where the Custard Wars came to a head as Richards request for extra custard were rejected and I got extra helpings!
As we ran out onto the coats road (B3276) we dropped at first and then came to a hill that I have driven up countless times and which I had thought was behind us. Just about every time I have driven up it I have thought what a horrible climb on a bike. I wasn’t wrong! After that, it was down hill to Padstow to join the Camel Trail to Wadebridge. Padstow offered us a bike shop just before we got onto the Camel Trail. Who can resist? Various bits and bobs were purchased including extra drinks bottles.
The Camel Trail to Wadebridge was enjoyable (and flat). We had made arrangements to meet MickF at Davidstow and set off with some confidence. Again, hills intervened. The climb into Camelford, whilst not as steep as some others that we had climbed, just seemed to go on forever, if not longer. In the end, MickF came towards us and we met him (and his Merlin) as we were leaving Camelford. From there Mick took us along back roads to Launceston (including another lunch on a grass verge) and then along the route of the old A30 to Okehampton before leaving us to return home.
Again, hills were a major feature of the day. There was plenty of climbing in the afternoon and we were all tired when we got to the Travelodge at Okehampton where we had arranged to stay. Perhaps the tiredness came from both the work rate and the hot sunshine. As were climbing the final hill, Mick came back down to me on escort duty. He had a Garmin fixed to his bike, so was able to read altitude in addition to speed and distance. I’m sure he was trying to motivate me with comments like, “just 300 feet to go”, but somehow that wasn’t the effect!
We ate that night (and next morning) at the Little Chef next door where the Custard Wars came to a head as Richards request for extra custard were rejected and I got extra helpings!
The Journey Day 2 St Just to Tryarnon Bay
Day 2 St Just to Treyarnon Bay
Bright sunshine greeted us after our first night in a YHA. I had the time to walk down to the cove again and call home before breakfast in the hostel. After getting back onto the road again (B3306) we climbed through St Just – a good climb to start the day. The height gain gave us a view back towards Lands End and we watched a small plane take off from the air strip below us. We headed towards Penzance on the A3071. We crested the hill as we left the village and looked out through clear skies across Cornwall. We could clearly see Mounts Bay twinkling at us as we enjoyed the long and fast descent, reaching speeds of approaching 40 mph (37.5 was my max). From Penzance we ambled towards Marazion, managing to lose each other between Morrison’s and Tesco’s supermarkets. We were in a holiday mood and felt no rush at all. That soon changed as we left Marazion on minor roads (mostly part on NCN3) and experienced the severe hills of Cornwall. We soon got used to hurtling down steep descents, crossing a bridge then hitting an equally steep ascent.
The down then up routine continued throughout the day as we progressed through Cambourne, Redruth and the many, many minor roads going through villages such as Chacewater, Shortlandsend, St Allen, St Columb before finally arriving at Treyarnon Bay YHA. We stopped countless times for drinks and collapsed on a verge by a minor road for lunch, all of the time baking under a very hot sun. We enjoyed splendid views across Newquay and even pondered dropping down towards Mawgan Porth in search of memories from holidays past.
We arrived in the afternoon at Treyarnon Bay. What a welcome sight as we dropped down into the cove to see a sandy beach with Atlantic rollers crashing in. The bikes were stowed away in the bike shed and Richard, Andrew and I all went fort a quick dip in the sea. We ate in the hostel and then enjoyed a wonderful summer evening strolling along the cliff tops watching the kind of sunset that only Cornwall can offer.
In the evening I phoned Mick F, another CTC contact, who had offered to meet us the day following and we made arrangements to meet next day.
The down then up routine continued throughout the day as we progressed through Cambourne, Redruth and the many, many minor roads going through villages such as Chacewater, Shortlandsend, St Allen, St Columb before finally arriving at Treyarnon Bay YHA. We stopped countless times for drinks and collapsed on a verge by a minor road for lunch, all of the time baking under a very hot sun. We enjoyed splendid views across Newquay and even pondered dropping down towards Mawgan Porth in search of memories from holidays past.
We arrived in the afternoon at Treyarnon Bay. What a welcome sight as we dropped down into the cove to see a sandy beach with Atlantic rollers crashing in. The bikes were stowed away in the bike shed and Richard, Andrew and I all went fort a quick dip in the sea. We ate in the hostel and then enjoyed a wonderful summer evening strolling along the cliff tops watching the kind of sunset that only Cornwall can offer.
In the evening I phoned Mick F, another CTC contact, who had offered to meet us the day following and we made arrangements to meet next day.
The Journey - Day 1 Leeds to St Just
Day 1 Leeds to St Just
The majority of day 1 was spent just getting to Penzance.
To get to Lands End we had booked a hire car. This was after many attempts at finding a company that did one way van hire, but without success. All of the companies applied a one way surcharge that took the cost to over £300. When we went to pick up the car we were unsure about getting 3 bikes in and mentioned that a van would be better. Hey presto, we got a Transit sized van for £99.
At 4 am on Day 1, I was up after a poor nights sleep – it was like being a kid again and trying to get to sleep before Santa came. A quick text message to John and Andrew at 5AM to say I was on my way to pick them up and we were off on the long, long drive down to Penzance.
The drive down was without incident but we were weather watching as we got further south. As we travelled down the A30 there were quite heavy showers and blustery winds. We overtook a few hardy cyclists going our way musing whether or not they were doing JoGLE.
Arriving in Penzance about 2PM we dropped the van in the station car park, loaded up the bikes and waited for Richard to arrive on the 3:15 train from London. Richard arrived on time to tell us that he had been “nicked” for speeding on Clapham Common on the way to catch the train. He had been let off on telling the understanding Policeman that he was just setting off to do LEJoG and what a good start a speeding ticket would be!
I had also made contact with a cyclist in Penzance (PeterM) through the CTC website and Peter came down to wish us well. He told us what I hoped would not turn out to be a prophetic story about one of his expeditions into North Yorkshire when he had met a group of 38 cyclists. There had been 40 the day before but one had died climbing a hill and his brother had decided to drop out whilst the others carried on. That story came back to me just 4 miles out of Penzance and many more times during the trip.
By 3.30PM we turned the first pedal, leaving Penzance along the sea front under Peter’s guidance. Peter left us and we headed for Mousehole and the first experience of a Cornish hill as we climbed out of that place. We hadn’t even started the trip proper and already I was wondering if I should have had some bigger gears on the Dawes Horizon! Another thing I realised was that pushing a loaded bike up hills was simply not an option – they all had to be pedalled up as pushing would be like hauling a wheel barrow uphill. Perhaps, then, I should not have panniers that would have done justice to Eddie Stobart and left some of that stuff at home?
Our trip nearly came to a premature end as we arrived at Sennen when John and I misread each others intentions and almost crashed into each other. John had a severe bit of “cleat strain” from pulling out very quickly.
We arrived al Lands End in light rain and mist to have the obligatory photo, and then it was into the café for a warm drink. The cyclists that we had passed on the A£) came in having
just completed JoGLE so joined in their party. We offered a job to their support crew but they didn’t seem to want to do it again! We also met a young man doing it solo on and brand new Galaxy with an unbroken Brookes saddle. We saw him again a few times but never had the chance to speak to him and ask how the saddle was!
It was a short haul from Lands End to St Just. John and Andrew were a few hundred yards in front of Richard and I. Sad then, that they missed the sign for the YHA and rode straight through the village having to come back over a couple of decent climbs! We were too late for food so we walked across the fields to the village and ate in The Wellington. There was carnival or fete going on despite the poor weather. The whole village was out and there was live music in the village square.
The evening did buck up a bit to allow Richard and me to walk down to the cove. My shoes disintegrated (which meant that I was looking for shoes for the next few days). There were a few people camping out at the bottom which was quite remote. We were both in a reflective frame of mind, for my part, wondering what the next couple of weeks would bring.
To get to Lands End we had booked a hire car. This was after many attempts at finding a company that did one way van hire, but without success. All of the companies applied a one way surcharge that took the cost to over £300. When we went to pick up the car we were unsure about getting 3 bikes in and mentioned that a van would be better. Hey presto, we got a Transit sized van for £99.
At 4 am on Day 1, I was up after a poor nights sleep – it was like being a kid again and trying to get to sleep before Santa came. A quick text message to John and Andrew at 5AM to say I was on my way to pick them up and we were off on the long, long drive down to Penzance.
The drive down was without incident but we were weather watching as we got further south. As we travelled down the A30 there were quite heavy showers and blustery winds. We overtook a few hardy cyclists going our way musing whether or not they were doing JoGLE.
Arriving in Penzance about 2PM we dropped the van in the station car park, loaded up the bikes and waited for Richard to arrive on the 3:15 train from London. Richard arrived on time to tell us that he had been “nicked” for speeding on Clapham Common on the way to catch the train. He had been let off on telling the understanding Policeman that he was just setting off to do LEJoG and what a good start a speeding ticket would be!
I had also made contact with a cyclist in Penzance (PeterM) through the CTC website and Peter came down to wish us well. He told us what I hoped would not turn out to be a prophetic story about one of his expeditions into North Yorkshire when he had met a group of 38 cyclists. There had been 40 the day before but one had died climbing a hill and his brother had decided to drop out whilst the others carried on. That story came back to me just 4 miles out of Penzance and many more times during the trip.
By 3.30PM we turned the first pedal, leaving Penzance along the sea front under Peter’s guidance. Peter left us and we headed for Mousehole and the first experience of a Cornish hill as we climbed out of that place. We hadn’t even started the trip proper and already I was wondering if I should have had some bigger gears on the Dawes Horizon! Another thing I realised was that pushing a loaded bike up hills was simply not an option – they all had to be pedalled up as pushing would be like hauling a wheel barrow uphill. Perhaps, then, I should not have panniers that would have done justice to Eddie Stobart and left some of that stuff at home?
Our trip nearly came to a premature end as we arrived at Sennen when John and I misread each others intentions and almost crashed into each other. John had a severe bit of “cleat strain” from pulling out very quickly.
We arrived al Lands End in light rain and mist to have the obligatory photo, and then it was into the café for a warm drink. The cyclists that we had passed on the A£) came in having
just completed JoGLE so joined in their party. We offered a job to their support crew but they didn’t seem to want to do it again! We also met a young man doing it solo on and brand new Galaxy with an unbroken Brookes saddle. We saw him again a few times but never had the chance to speak to him and ask how the saddle was!It was a short haul from Lands End to St Just. John and Andrew were a few hundred yards in front of Richard and I. Sad then, that they missed the sign for the YHA and rode straight through the village having to come back over a couple of decent climbs! We were too late for food so we walked across the fields to the village and ate in The Wellington. There was carnival or fete going on despite the poor weather. The whole village was out and there was live music in the village square.
The evening did buck up a bit to allow Richard and me to walk down to the cove. My shoes disintegrated (which meant that I was looking for shoes for the next few days). There were a few people camping out at the bottom which was quite remote. We were both in a reflective frame of mind, for my part, wondering what the next couple of weeks would bring.
Scotland
Wednesday, 30 July 2008
Scotland is amazing - and not just because we've managed to find two nights of internet in three days!
We've had some amazing riding over the last few days, the highlight being a long freewheeling drop into what looked like a very atmospheric abyss heading into Glencoe yesterday. Having never been to the Highlands before I can truly say they live up to everything I'd heard before.
Everyone's feeling a little drained at the moment and the next few days could be testing, although we're all still confident of making it for Saturday. And a bit of midge relief would be appreciated - why does Scotland have so many?
Photos of the ride (and there are thousands to bore you all with) will be loaded onto a Flickr page for everyone to browse at their leisure - see me for prices of prints of my legs post-ride.
The donations are coming in from folks on the street as well - we've had some from a couple we met on the Scottish border at Gretna Green, and some more today from some guys breakfasting next to us in a great cafe on the High Street.
I still can't believe we've cycled this far in such a short space of time and that I'm still racing up the hills! More to come very soon...
Rich, and everyone else
We've had some amazing riding over the last few days, the highlight being a long freewheeling drop into what looked like a very atmospheric abyss heading into Glencoe yesterday. Having never been to the Highlands before I can truly say they live up to everything I'd heard before.
Everyone's feeling a little drained at the moment and the next few days could be testing, although we're all still confident of making it for Saturday. And a bit of midge relief would be appreciated - why does Scotland have so many?
Photos of the ride (and there are thousands to bore you all with) will be loaded onto a Flickr page for everyone to browse at their leisure - see me for prices of prints of my legs post-ride.
The donations are coming in from folks on the street as well - we've had some from a couple we met on the Scottish border at Gretna Green, and some more today from some guys breakfasting next to us in a great cafe on the High Street.
I still can't believe we've cycled this far in such a short space of time and that I'm still racing up the hills! More to come very soon...
Rich, and everyone else
Found Some Internet!
Monday, 28 July 2008
Found Some Internet!
Hi All,
And thanks for checking back when we obviously haven't updated since the first day!
That was in Padstow and we're now overlooking the shores of Loch Lomond only 10 days later! This is also the first time we've had any access to the internet since then, so a quick chance for me to say that the main story and plenty of photos will be up after we've finished.
No major incidents so far, a couple of punctures and a broken back wheel between the four of us is not too bad. But this is when the going gets tough and the roads get rocky; in the Scottish Highlands. Mostly flat running today but the hills in the distance look beautiful but ominous.
We've had some long days, on the road for 12 hours. Distances varied between approx 55 and 85 miles a day, and I know my legs are tired - but still comfortable to do the rest. Over 700 miles done in total, just 300 to go!
Should be finished on Saturday, and back at work on Monday! Photos, stories, messages to follow.
Cheers,
Richard
And thanks for checking back when we obviously haven't updated since the first day!
That was in Padstow and we're now overlooking the shores of Loch Lomond only 10 days later! This is also the first time we've had any access to the internet since then, so a quick chance for me to say that the main story and plenty of photos will be up after we've finished.
No major incidents so far, a couple of punctures and a broken back wheel between the four of us is not too bad. But this is when the going gets tough and the roads get rocky; in the Scottish Highlands. Mostly flat running today but the hills in the distance look beautiful but ominous.
We've had some long days, on the road for 12 hours. Distances varied between approx 55 and 85 miles a day, and I know my legs are tired - but still comfortable to do the rest. Over 700 miles done in total, just 300 to go!
Should be finished on Saturday, and back at work on Monday! Photos, stories, messages to follow.
Cheers,
Richard
3 comments:
- bob mee said...
- It has been wonderful to share your epic ride over the mobile.I have felt that i have been part of it.But not feeling the pain.Looking forward to the finished report.
- 28 July 2008 at 14:55
- sue said...
- You all did well getting up those climbs in the lake district - did not know you could eat so much! keep going
- 29 July 2008 at 00:18
- JohnD said...
- Fantastic effort guys! You have done brilliantly. Sorry that most of us missed your detailed blog updates on the way North. Can't believe you didn't have a laptop and a 3G wireless card with you... See you soon...
John
Day 1 Hils, Hills and more hills
Saturday, 19 July 2008
Hills, hills, hills
Day 1!
63 miles of constant up then down then up then down, a road roller coaster. Imagine cycling up Snowdon, or some other big hill, to go straight back down, then back up, then back down and back up again and you might have an idea of what we put ourselves through today!
It was nearly all over me me only one mile in for me, when I got pulled over by the bill on Clapham Common for speeding and dangerous driving! Supposedly there's a 5 mile an hour speed limit and no overtaking on the Common, both of which I breached overtaking the plump bloke in front whose low trousers where giving me a good view of the whole of the moon.
Anyway. tonight (Saturday) we're in what is easily the best place Youth Hostel in the country - overlooking Treyarnon Bay, with some good, good surf - I took a long dip in a very cold sea earlier. This is hard work, honestly, but I don't believe it yet. We're knackered after a day of constant hill climbing but it's well worth it to get here.
There's a load of photos to show, but no chance of loading them tonight, so you'll have to wait. Tomorrow night is Oakhampton, another 70 miles away... Whoop whoop
Everyone's good, and hope you are... and cheers for logging on! Email with any suggestions of places we should go, photos we should take or things we should wear along the trip to landsendjohnogroats@gmail.com
Until very soon and hopefully tomorrow,
Richard (and the others)
63 miles of constant up then down then up then down, a road roller coaster. Imagine cycling up Snowdon, or some other big hill, to go straight back down, then back up, then back down and back up again and you might have an idea of what we put ourselves through today!
It was nearly all over me me only one mile in for me, when I got pulled over by the bill on Clapham Common for speeding and dangerous driving! Supposedly there's a 5 mile an hour speed limit and no overtaking on the Common, both of which I breached overtaking the plump bloke in front whose low trousers where giving me a good view of the whole of the moon.
Anyway. tonight (Saturday) we're in what is easily the best place Youth Hostel in the country - overlooking Treyarnon Bay, with some good, good surf - I took a long dip in a very cold sea earlier. This is hard work, honestly, but I don't believe it yet. We're knackered after a day of constant hill climbing but it's well worth it to get here.
There's a load of photos to show, but no chance of loading them tonight, so you'll have to wait. Tomorrow night is Oakhampton, another 70 miles away... Whoop whoop
Everyone's good, and hope you are... and cheers for logging on! Email with any suggestions of places we should go, photos we should take or things we should wear along the trip to landsendjohnogroats@gmail.com
Until very soon and hopefully tomorrow,
Richard (and the others)
6 comments:
- bob mee said...
- A BIG WELL DONE RICHARD.This ride is going to be a mental challenge also.But you will look back with pride at what you did.
- 19 July 2008 at 14:36
- sue said...
- well you are all doing bril and started clocking up the miles - just a few more to go you even got a mention in church today - sue
- 20 July 2008 at 14:07
- s spellman said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- 21 July 2008 at 10:32
- s spellman said...
- Well done to you all, we envy you the site seeing but not the pain.
remember how it felt being at work David and how easy your life is now you are retired. there dosent that make you feel better. keep up the good pace
love and best wishes
second attempt with my left hand blog because my right hand in stitches after carpel tunnel surgery. - 21 July 2008 at 10:39
- Glenda Down said...
- Hey guys,
thinking of you all! Hope you enjoyed beautiful Devon, my hometown is spelt Okehampton by the way. Enjoy the pasties & clotted cream while you can.
Keep those legs going!
Glenda x
p.s. was wondering who has the yellow jersey at present... - 22 July 2008 at 03:32
- gammo said...
- Really great to see you all yesterday!
Don't know how you are managing it in this heat like, so keep it up! After all only a few more days to go...
Jackie
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1 comment:
I bet you're all worn out!
Can't wait to see all the pics!
Miss you all!
Lots of Love
Alice xxxx