As you will have seen from yesterdays blog post - we made it.  But the final day was more than just getting to the end.

We had camped the previous night in Bettyhill up on the North coast of Scotland.  We had popped down to the pub at the bottom of the hill, and had a few pints and a meal each.  It was a nice little pub, but when we arrived, one of the locals in there was a little worse for wear.  20 minutes later though, we had a giggle, when his wife barged into the bar, virtually grabbing him by the ear and dragging him home - he'd only popped out for a pint of milk !!!!!  The cockney landlord in there had more tall drinking stories about the drunk man than a fisherman.  Like the night he had 72 pints, give or take a few, or the time when he drank 16 pints without even going for a pee.  And judging by the number of stories of lightning strikes in the area knocking out internet, telephones, tv and sky services, then surely this could be an area dedicated to the capture of green electrical energy !!!!

Me and Andy were on our way along the top at 7:30 in the morning.  It started off as a fine and relatively calm day, I even put a little suntan lotion on my face which as it turned out, proved to be a little premature.

My wife Ann was with us to transport us back down the road to Edinburgh, so there was little point in packing up all the tent and camping gear and loading it all on the bike - we did the gentlemanly thing of leaving all the gear on the campsite for Ann to pack up and load the van up with, so our final day along the top was pannier, and significant weight, free.

after such a long distance of carrying a load, the bikes felt completely different when unladen.  The first 12 miles were a little lumpy, but by this stage of the trip, we're quite happy to cycle up any gradient - put the bikes in the granny gear and plod up slowly. However with no bags - it was a bit of a doddle.

however, the winds then came.  We specifically chose to cycle South to North due to the prevailing south westerly winds, but in the 17 days of being on the roads, we've only had the wind in our favour for about 7 hours in total.  Rain hasn't been too bad, but the wind ............

Fair play to Andy, he took the lead and I stuck in behind him.  I thought to myself - about time too, it's just a shame that it's taken til the last day to do a significant spell up front, then it dawned on me, Ann was taking photos and a few video clips, so he wanted to appear to be the one in the front all the time !!!!!!  I hope his cycling training buddies make him pay over the coming weeks ;-)

On the way we had stopped for a coffee in Thurso - only to realise that nothing opens this far North on a Sunday.  It was at this point, that Andy chose to tell me that my cycle helmet wasn't sitting right and needed straightening up.  It's at a "jaunty angle" he told me, and said that it's often been at a jaunty angle.  It took him a thousand miles, but eventually he thought he'd get around to telling me I was looking a little camp !!!!!!!

we knocked off mile after mile, the rain came, the wind got stronger, the weather god was throwing everything at us and even the normally reserved Andy chose to swear out loud in the final straight towards John o 'Groats, but we would not be defeated.

As we cycled the last 100 meters down to the finish, we put our arms around each other as we cycled across the line.

a few pictures were taken, we were both chuffed to bits but for me it was tinged with the fact that our trip was over.  I dropped him off at the airport this morning, and for the first time in nearly 3 weeks, I haven't heard him chattering away.  I sort of miss him already !!!!!

It was a long 6 hour drive back from John O Groats to Edinburgh, and we followed the main A9 south, the route that many cyclists might take to do the journey.  Both Andy and myself have been over the moon with the route we chose.  It may be longer, it may take more days to complete, but with traffic free roads, scenery all around that you can look at and cherish, and take your time over, it could hardly get better.

what started out as a bit of a desire a few years ago, really turned out to be a great adventure, which along the way, we like to feel that we've done some good to the Parkinson's charity.  We're just shy of £1500, which will go to helping out the cause, so it really is a big thanks to all those great comments of support along the way, and to the charitable donations which will make a difference to hopefully one day finding a cure.  Thank you very much.

And of course a big thanks to both Ann and Donna who ferried us to the start and from the finish, and had to put up with us doing all the organising in the months running up to the trip, and for , well, just putting up with us !!!!

Whoo hoooo

Is that the Arctic I see ahead?

Well, after a very welcome rest day we managed to drag ourselves away from the bar in the clachaig inn and get on the road again. The weather as we left glencoe was superb, and we quickly got up to Fort William and started up the Great Glen way.

Once up past Fort Augustus, we hit Loch Ness. The first time Andy looked over to the water and said "quick look, is that something in the water", it was funny. The second time amusing. By the 65th time it was really grating on me, and I contemplated if Nessie might fancy a 'Thatcher burger' but I'd forgotten to pack a mincer !! Note to self - consider all eventualities in future when creating a packing list !

We stopped in Drumnadrochit, where we discovered that a pony and trap were also making the journey North, I envied the comfort of a carriage.


After my new tyre purchase, I quickly noticed that it would not bed in properly, even inflating it to concrete levels of firmness it would not pop out on the rim. Consequently, it was running with a flag spot. Is that a problem, I hear you ask? Well if you consider that I have ridden over 200 miles now where every 2 meters you get a bump pulsing up through the saddle, then yeah - I can tell you my arse is very tender. Ann arrived last night to follow us in the van for the last couple of days run in to John o groats, and brought a spare tyre with her. The 47 miles today were a pure pleasure with a smooth running wheel, despite the tyre being a monster sized mountain bike tyre !!!! Andy is now saying my bike looks like the Frankenstein of the cycle world, with a monster rear wheel and a skinny front wheel. I think it looks like a dragster ! Andy keeps joking that if we bump into any other cyclists heading south, they'll look at my steed and say 'and you've cycled here on THAT!!!!'

The back wheel really is possessed by the devil, so much so, that were it not for the fact that I hate littering, I would cast the effing thing into the sea at John o groats. And griping even more about the bike, the bottom bracket is knackered too now, despite that only having done about 2000 miles since new. The journey really does take its toll on man and machine.

We stopped in the crask inn today on the way up to the north coast. A very strange experience at first, as the guy, who was just in from delivering a very tricky lamb invited us into the kitchen where it was warmer for a brew. We ended up chatting like old friends for about 45 minutes. It's amazing the hospitality of people we have met along the route.


Whilst I have been updating the blog (when we get appropriate signal !) Andy has been writing notes on a piece of paper. It dawned on me today the lengths he continues to go to in getting me to do all the carrying. Despite me never using the biro, he will still insist on me carrying it in my handle bar bag "as he knows where it is then"- its bloody 5 gramms - carry it yourself man !!!!!

Tonight we are in Bettyhill, right up on the North coast of Scotland and have just over 50 miles to go tomorrow to get to the end. I'm not sure how I will feel when I get to the end, but I'll gather my thoughts and let you all know I've the following days.

Photos to come tomorrow of us beaming no doubt at the top. and I know for a fact that Andy just can't wait to be back in Bristol with Donna and the kids on Monday. And there was me thinking I had been a great cycling and tent companion !

Blog addicts !!!!

We're still going - hope to update later :-). Currently negotiating the Larsen B ice shelf

Missing our wives

Being away from your loved ones for an extended period is never a pleasant experience. You miss their words of wisdom, reassurance, comfort and cuddles. Personally, I can't wait to see Ann in a few days when she comes to collect us, as i will not have seen her for 3 weeks. Andy also can't wait to rush back to Bristol to be back with Donna and the kids. Today however I think Andy finally broke, and sadly resorted to the comfort of another - Dolly the sheep. It took me ages to drag him away !!

And then we headed up the glencoe valley for a walk. We had intended to maybe do a quick run over the Aonach Eagach ridge, but a good covering of snow scuppered those plans as we have no space in our panniers for crampons !!! As I was walking, it dawned on me that Andy was tucked in right behind me again drafting. Is there any limit to the calorie and energy conservation methods he will adopt - shocking!!!!!

Highland life

Well, as we sit here in the Clachaig Inn in Glencoe, supping a pint after a meal, life is good.

We had a very short 35 mile day today after yesterday's ascent challenging route, which was very welcome. Just a few showers, but a fantastic run up from Oban, which has to have what is probably the best purpose built cycle route in the country.

So there were highland cows, castles, sea lochs and snow capped mountain peaks.

When cycling in the rain, we have been wearing our over trousers, and Andy has been holding his trousers tight at the legs with his 'lucky' elastic band. I had to console him today when 'lucky' snapped. He was gutted. 20 miles on though, his smile returned when the careless postman has dropped one of the red elastic bands that we all find mysteriously appearing near our front doors !!!!!! The simple pleasures in life :-)

The youths are in town

Despite me having substantially grey hair, and Andy thinning a little on top, we having returned to younger years and checked into the Oban youth hostel. And very nice it is too, an old Victorian mansion, refurbished last year and must better the your average travelodge/premier inn shoebox.

So today we did another 65 miles and put in probably the most amount of hill ascent so far- even more than cornwall.

Andy's bike continues to perform faultlessly. My bike continues on northwards despite the ongoing back wheel nightmare. The new spokes seem to be holding strong, but today the tyre wall started to give out on the rough roads. Luckily we found a bike store en route in lochgilphead and bought a new one. By this point the wall had shredded so much you could see daylight through one part, and we're sure it would have gone before getting to Oban. As Andy pointed out, all that's left now from originally starting is the rim and hub unit !!!

Tomorrow we have a short 35 miles run up to glencoe, where we will have a rest day, before the final push north.

We stopped today for coffee and a bacon roll in the small village of Tarbert.

A group of old ladies started chatting as we got ready to leave and the very Kind Frieda dipped into her purse and donated £5 to the charity. It's amazing the generosity you can find in people who don't even know you but are impressed by our trip. Frieda said we deserved it just cycling up the Oban road !

Sailing to the mainland again

Heading up the mainland peninsula today towards Oban

Island life

We managed to shake off the chill of this morning after a long downhill descent from Galloway Forrest and pushed on to Ayr, and up the coast through Prestwick, Troon, Irvine and the into Ardrossan.

Now for anyone unfamiliar with Ardrossan, it's only about 20 miles from Glasgow, so a day trip over to Arran on a weekend is a popular day out. Ann and myself witnessed the weekend sailings over to Arran once before, where a significant number of the passengers were, well to be brutally honest, completely pissed. Today didn't disappoint either, in fact the bar area on the ferry contained Scotland's entire obese population all on the lash. Think of the bar scene in Star wars and you won't be far wrong. Jabba the hutt was definitely sitting opposite us, swilling a pint of tennants and looking at me and Andy as if we were a couple of bar snacks.

Once on Arran, we cycled north, and saw a seal only a couple of miles up the road basking on a warm rock.

Then we hit "the HILL" renowned on Arran for its 200 metres of climb. Now being seasoned touring cyclists! We nailed it without lifting our arses up out of the saddle. A long ride downhill had us in Lochranza and Andy had the best moment of the day when he realised we could stay on a campsite and have a shower. My attempts to camp rough and to man him up a little failed today, but we will run out of showering options as we head further north.

After eating, ( another spam Thai curry) we headed for the only hotel in the village to get our fix on a sneaky pint. On the way there was a deer in the field, close enough to almost touch. Then came a herd of deer, casually walking down the road next to us.

It was when we got to the castle that we had the strangest experience, as the caretaker came to lock up. As Andy was taking photos of the deer, I asked if he could hang on for a few moments, at which point he gave me the lock and said for us to have a good look around, and close the door and bolt it up when we leave !!!! How very trusting.

A frosty night !!!!!!

Woke to a chilli morning with frost on inside and outside of tent - cycling in the freezer this morning !!!!

Now I want you all to go out and hold a back of frozen peas for an hour - suffer the pain with us !

Ding dong the bells are going to chime

Today we rose early, and were back on the road by 8:30. This day was going to be another milestone day as we crossed over into Scotland about an hour later.

Many of you will know that the first town over the border is Gretna Green, famous for it's wedding ceremonies for impatient couples.

There's a big sculpture of hands clenching that Andy posed for a photo under. What a fine chap he looks. We did contemplate a quick civil ceremony :-) but were thwarted by them having a full quota of weddings already for the day. So Ann and Donna - you will be getting us back!!!!!!!

After Gretna came Dumfries where we stocked up on food for the night and grabbed a coffee, then we continued up through the middle of Dumfries and Galloway. About 84 miles cycled.

Andy loves to finish off the day with a shower, and is always on the lookout for a campsite. I've done too many adventure trips over the years and have become accustomed the wet wipes, so it was a shock to Andy that we were wildcamping this evening. We found a lovely little spot hidden behind some fir trees only just off the road - and Andy borrowed my wet wipes. Well actually thinking about it he didn't borrow them - I don't want them back !!!! What he doesn't really appreciate is that I have wildcamping planned for the rest of the trip - how's he going to cope with wet wipe rationing for the next 6 days !!!!

We are on slightly higher ground for the camp, and even had a brief moment of snow coming down which thankfully didn't last long.

A big meal of pasta in a chilli and tomatoe sauce, followed by a sticky cake and then in bed by 9;00 on a Saturday - its rock and roll on this trip !!!

All sing along now !!!!

A great old proclaimers tune "I would cycle 500 miles, then I would cycle 500 more".

Yep - we broke the 500 mile barrier today, and in fact we are now up in Carlisle and have done 570 miles.

A good hard day today, up over the high point between the lakes and the Pennines. The hill up over Shap is renowned to be awful, but to be honest we thought it easy, there were worse hills in Devon and Cornwall by far.

One great improvement on cycling today, I am very pleased to announce, is that Andy took the lead all the way from Shap to Carlisle. It's amazing the reduced amount of effort needed when drafting thus explaining why he still appears fresher then me. I think I may navigate from the rear tomorrow.

I forgot to mention yesterday the hail storm we got caught in- hail the size of broad beans. Luckily we sheltered under a large conifer as it passed, amused by the dead mole on the farmers gate post.

Which speaking of dead animals, today we added a mallard to the road kill count, as well as a blackbird!!! Also we saw a stoat hurtling up the road today in front of us dragging a small rabbit. And continuing the animal theme, we saw a pink bull, but I wouldn't point that out to its face !!!!

So tomorrow we cross the Scottish border and will be heading through Dumfries and Galloway on the way to Arran. Andy is gagging for a plate of haggis neeps and tatties.

The weather today has in fact been beautiful, and we are both glowing a little tonight. This was all helped by eating our lunch in the sun today, each of us sat on the steps of a style, like Compo and Clegg from last of the summer wine !!!

A set of bathroom scales for sale

We got up at the crack of dawn after a night of rain, then clear skies with a real chill in the air to a valley filled thick with fog. The tent has been soaking wet continuously since we started and would be packed away wet again.

On the road at 8:00, and only 3 miles in and guess what - yep another spoke pinged. I'm really getting frustrated about this. Something is seriously wrong. I attempt a fix at the side of the road, but alloy nipples really do not like being reused and i didn't have a new one. Our route is taking us through Blackburn, so we find the first bike shop to see about another repair.

I decide to buy a new wheel, but they have nothing suitable in store. Luckily, they have a wheel building expert in store named Jeff - a former 'best all round' cycle champion. He very kindly agrees to do a full strip down and rebuild completely with all new stainless steel spokes.

After sorting it out, I quizzed him about why the wheel kept breaking. He explained that it was a number of factors. Poor quality original spokes, not enough spokes, my disc brakes add extra strain, we are carrying a lot of kit, and the main point was "well you are a big chap aren't you"

So there you have it, another shout that I could do with losing weight. The brutal honesty of a man from Blackburn!!!  In all honesty though - if you are ever in need of great service from a cycle shop in Blackburn, head to EWOOD Bikes - they do know what they're talking about - thanks guys.

After that, we pushed on, and are now in north Yorkshire , just by settle, and camping for free again as we are charity riders !!!!

Pushing on up to Carlise tomorrow-up over some high ground, so another early start.

Badger county

Today was supposed to be a day of showers, heavy at times, and slow moving due to little wind. Another Micheal Fish type weather report as we only got caught in a five minute shower and the winds and sun have been battering our faces. In fact, we sit here in a lovely pub (Black Swan in Hollinfare near Warrington) with faces glowing like a pair of lava lamps.

In fact this is the second pub meal of the day, as we've had a productive day in terms of distance, gaining 30 miles on our planned route by taking a few short cuts.

Andy continues to chat incessantly, and today I learnt about his first big cycle trip, the precise route, destination and the bike he was riding (Raleigh Arena) all aged 11 and 3 months. I am wondering if he'll finish his life story by the time we finish the trip. Hopefully an abridged version will follow.

As we cycle through all the counties and towns, we have not come across a single hill, mountain or molehill that Andy has not had a race up and down. I am loving the full story of race position, where he stayed, the car he drived there in, what he had to eat and the weather. I cannot describe the disappointment I had today, when we came across the first hill to the east of our route that he had not climbed - it took over 400 miles to find it and I missed out on another tale. Gutted.

One thing we should have been a little more careful at recording, is the road kill count. Badgers topped the league today. We must be up to 25 badgers, 4 rats, 10 crows, 120 pheasant and I've really lost count on rabbits.

Which speaking of rabbits, Andy has named his bike Rabbie - hopefully something to do with the fact he bought it from Scotland rather than something vibrating all day between his legs - I wondered why he was smiling so much.

Peeing at the roadside has become a comfortable event, and as I have a few years on Andy, there is a sort of expectation that 'at my age' I would need to pee more. Andy doesn't however take a pee during the day which I find unusual. I think I am cycling with a water retaining desert geko.

My knee has been twinging a little yesterday and today, and I have finally managed to get Andy to carry a bit more of the joint kit - like the tent. I was chuffed to bits that he was going to carry something at last, until he handed over the stove, pans, fuel, the rest of the food and even some of his clothes. Ok, I lie about the clothes, but he may as well have handed them over , I'm carrying just as much as before !!!

Plodding north

So this morning, we got up early, packed our now dry kit, and headed to sainsburys for a lovely breakfast roll to start the day off well.

We then headed out to get my back wheel sorted. If anyone happens to be in Hereford and in need of cycling expertise, then I can thoroughly recommend calling in to see Nigel, at Mastercraft Cycles in Bridge Street. A traditional proper cycle shop, and he went out of his way to do a repair straight away. We're now plodding happily onward with a true and straight wheel.

On the trip, we have numerous bits of shared equipment, the main items being the tent and the stove and pans. Up until today, I have been carrying the tent, and Andy the cooking equipment, but because I had been a little wary of the weight on my temperamental wheel, Andy took the tent and I carried his sleeping bag. He immediately was texting his mate to moan about how he was carrying everything. Then he once again insisted I went in the front again so I could watch out for potholes more easily. I sense there's a theme to this trip. I wonder if he's elusive at front running when he's out with the rest of his cycling buddies!!!!

After yesterday's big 92 miler, we wanted a slightly easier day, so headed directly up to Shrewsbury. We got supplies and found a campsite just to the north of the town. Bizarrely they had no toilet facilities, so sent us away, even though I announced I was carrying a poo shovel !!!!!! So we found another site a few miles further on with a pub just around the corner ;-(

A couple of young chaos from Perth are on the site too, heading to lands end ! They had to put up with 2 inches of snow 8 days ago in John o groats - lets hope it's all melting fast.

Hosepipe Ban ??!!!!!!!

Now this is something I can't quite work out, there's a hosepipe ban in Englandshire yet me and Andy cycled 92 miles today over about 8 hours and it didn't stop raining once. All that water must be capable of being stored somewhere. Even we both managed to store a few pints in the bottom of our panniers !!!!

We rattled off the 40 odd miles up to Aust services on the Severn bridge in quick time and were greeted by a large group of family and friends waving as we cycled in. It was great to see them all and really appreciated, raising our spirits on such a damp rainy day. I could sense a little emotional tear in the eyes of a number of the people there, as we set off again, bellies full from all the food and cakes given to us.

Up to Monmouth we headed, past Tintern, and is was then that the spokes pinged again. Two have gone, and we limped gingerly on, up to Hereford where I can hopefully find a cycle shop that can rebuild the wheel in the morning.

We decided, mainly due to the continuing awful weather, but also as a treat for cycling so far, to stay in a travel lodge. So we are in the room, which is looking like a Chinese laundry with all our kit hanging up, both our bikes in the room with us, and having full bellies for the second time today having devoured an Indian takeaway!!!!

My knees are aching, helped by neurofen. Andys saddle sores are, well, sore, helped by sudocream. The bikes are groaning after all that rain and grit hopefully helped by a bit of oil and new spokes. But ultimately we are getting there as we clocked up nearly 300 miles already.

So far we have been taking a lot of the national cycle routes, which have been through some super country roads off the beaten track, but the next couple of days we plan to be a little more direct with the route to let the legs catch up a bit. Todays route up to Hereford was hardly what we would call an easy relaxing route and we will sleep soundly tonight in a comfy bed.

Fingers crossed we can get the wheel rebuilt in the morning.

One thing I found not too bad with the rain today was the fact that as my back wheel kicked up a lot of spray, Andy (who is still drafting in my slipstream all the way) is hanging back a little. This has the massive benefit of me not being able to hear his constant monologue about his life story year by year. I mean, is anyone really that interested about the time he had his first superman outfit aged 4 years and 6 months !!!!

Pounding out the miles

Today we hit the road a little earlier at 8:30 and rather than go via Exeter, opted for a more direct but 'lumpy' route North up over Exeter hill.

I must admit, after another massive hill right from the off, I thought we had made a mistake, but within a couple of hours, things had levelled, we entered Somerset and everything became flat. A very satisfying 82 miles completed and we're celebrating with a couple of beers (the first of the trip) and a hearty meal in Rodney Stoke not far from Cheddar. In fact a big thanks must go to the Inn which has a camp site attached to it, as we are camping free tonight as a gesture to the charity.

A few things of concern today which I thought I would pass on to you avid readers

I love pie and pasties which many of you will know, and Andy has now also adopted the trait as well - devouring pork pies on a daily basis as eagerly as a vampire might sink its teeth into human flesh!!!!

For some reason, whilst discussing the route today, I called Andy 'Hun' - he looked at me very strangely with a look of dread in his eyes. I wonder if I may push my luck by giving him a good night kiss tonight !!!!

We don't have an exact route plan, and are sort of making it up as we go. Today I made our first navigational error. A learning point is not to navigate in the centre of town by the sun - "it must be a right turn as the sun will be behind you" does not in fact mean you are heading North at Midday, when in a one way system in Taunton !!

My tactics of farting as we ride, to try and get Andy to take his turn at the front is no longer working. He now quietly drafts along with earplugs up his nostrils !

Continuing North tomorrow - crossing into Wales over the Severn Bridge by late morning - weather looking poor, but our happy smiling faces will brighten the day

Its a bit lumpy

Lumpy is how Andy describes the last couple of days. I would use a few choice expletives to reflect upon the relentless onslaught of steep hill after steep hill. The first day went well, avoiding the main A30, we took a circuitous route via Penzance, and St Austel, finishing up in Lanlivery and a lovely little campsite costing just £6 for the pair of us. No phone signal though, hence no blog update. Finished the day with a cracking meal of steak and pasta.

Waking to a drizzly morning, we packed up and set off on day two. Equally as punishing on the legs as Hill appeared after hill. Halfway through the day, I was burnt out. Completely sapped, and even the slightest incline had me beat. It was becoming clear the our calorie intake was still lacking after yesterday, despite the huge meal. After tucking into provisions, we pushed on, me still a little sluggish. Even Andy admitted that he was feeling a lack of his usual vigour. This made me feel better that the physical machine that he is also was feeling the pressure.

It is at this point, I must point out, that I have so far been solely responsible for navigating us this far. Andy was insistent from, well about lands end, that I should map read from the front and he would follow. He has of course been about 3 inches off my back wheel all the way drafting in my slipstream like the most cunning of foxes. When we stopped for supplies tonight, I bought us a pasty each, along with a bottle of coke, telling him it would see us through until later. Pasties and coke I have found do generate a significant amount of - hmmm - fart power. Finally he was no longer tucked into my slipstream, and has learnt a lesson. My turn to draft tomorrow !!!!!!

So two days down, about 135 miles done, climbed the equivalent of cycling to the top of Everest 5 times, and Andy still hasn't paused for breath from chatting.

Loving every minute of it :-)

Proof we were at lands end at least !!!

Last minute issues

Well - we are here in Cornwall, camping just about 3 miles from lands end ready to start in the morning. We're just back from a great pub in Sennen cove having filled up with a big meal and the obligatory couple of pints.

It's been a day of last minute panicking. The panniers that Andy had ordered from the web had still not been delivered, so he was rushing around this morning buying some from central Bristol. Me on the other hand broke a spoke yesterday, so spent a frantic evening and this morning tracking down the right sized spokes, nipples, and stripping and rebuilding my back wheel.

But we're here now, all set and soon to hit the sack, ready for a slap up breakfast in the morning.

weather watch

hmmmm - I've just been watching the news reports showing the storms in the North if the UK.

Ok, I know there is the typical sensationalist reporting endemic in journalism nowadays, but I have been wondering if my choice of slick tyres may have been the right one!!!!  Is it too late to switch to nobblies!!

at least its going to be about a week until we will be that far North, so it will no doubt be drought conditions by then, knowing the nature of the fickle weather

New Shirts

I popped in to visit Dad and Carol today, and they proudly handed over the new cycling tshirts. I think Dad is wondering if he can get enough training in to be able to join us on the ride !!!!!

For an 81 year old he's looking good I think - lets hope the youthful looks are in the genes for when I get to that age !!!!

Heading South

Today I spent the day packing my kit, and getting the car loaded up before I head south tomorrow.  I'm planning on having a couple of days catching up with folk down in Bristol, before Donna buses me and Andy down to Cornwall on Thursday.

So careful planning has reduced my kit down to the essentials, but as we are cycling unsupported and camping on route, there's still a lot to take.

On top of this, there will be food supplies, but hopefully, as we will be shopping on a daily basis as we go, for most of the journey we should only be carrying a days worth of food.  There are a couple of stretches in Scotland, further up in the highlands where we may have to plan for a couple of days, as there will be no places to restock as we go.

After I had got everything packed up, I did a swift 25 mile ride.  I took the lighter Marin bike, and headed out to North Queensferry.  I did actually feel strong today.  I'm not sure if it was because the bike is lighter, or because all this training has paid off - the latter I hope, but I did the trip in just over 1.5 hours.  This was my fastest time yet, so my confidence levels are high tonight.

Dad said to me the other day that he had been wondering how many pedal strokes I would be making throughout the trip.  This is obviously dependant on which gear you cycle in, but taking the middle front chainring, and the middle ring on the rear cassette as a rough basis for the gear I may be cycling in, and without boring you with the calculations, the number of pedal strokes will be roughly 420,000.  Hmmmmm - perhaps some nurofen for the knees may be needed !!!!

Cycling advice

In all walks of life, be that for professional purposes or for your own recreational activities, it's always good to seek advice from people more knowledgeable than you. 

I've read blogs, websites, and sought advice from other cyclists - all of which has given me a greater understanding of what I can expect as the trip progresses.

I have to give the biggest thanks for the advice I have received from the great cycling legend that is Norman Macleod - time trialling and long distance speed freak from the Outer Hebrides.

I received a heart felt good luck email message from him tonight passing on his final nuggets of wisdom and motivational advice, which I thought I would repeat here

Don`t force yourself on the first leg,but try to pace yourself, as we all would like to see you fit and well at the end of your trek.

You will probably be a few pounds lighter, but that would not do you any harm!!!

So please get ANDY to take your photo at LANDS END,and again at JOHN O`GROATS so we can see your " BEFORE AND AFTER "

So yes - as you can see, and reading a little between the lines, cycling legend Norman is wishing me well, but is implying I am overweight and in need of losing weight, and wants photographic evidence to see my weight loss.

So I would like to thank Norman (who is incidentally my father in-law) for all his support.  I will certainly be enjoying a few full caloried ales with the kind donation he has made to our beer fund - Cheers Norm !!!

Incidentally - more donations from anyone else to our beer fund are always welcome :o)

Isn’t the sunny weather beautiful – or is it?

The sun was still beaming down as I left work, today, so I thought a slightly longer ride home was needed before the weather is set to change later in the week.  I headed out to Crammond along the waterfront for a quick 10 mile leg stretcher.

A large number of folk also had the same thoughts, enjoying the outdoors whilst the weather is good.  Children flying kites, dog walkers, cyclists, joggers, pram pushers, frisbee throwers, mini football games – all very pleasant and nice to see.

Then came the less glamorous side to the sunny conditions.  Crop tops and muffin tops.  PUT A JUMPER ON LOVE !!!!!  And then the skinny youths with their shirts off – as you emerge from the winter living in Scotland your skin isn’t white, but a pale blue colour !!!!  It burns your eyes as you cycle past.  And then the teenage girls swimming, in the Forth – COME ON – it’s still bloody March. 

Only mad dogs and Englishmen……..or should I say Scotsmen and all that !!!

What a week it’s been though – if only we had set off whilst the weather is so nice – is it too much to ask that it stays fine for another 3 weeks?  There’s talk of snow again in the far North of Scotland later in the week !!!!

Final preparations complete

Despite the weather being great for cycle training this weekend, I'm heading south next week, so I have spent the last couple of days doing all the final preparations rather than out cycling.

All the kit is out, and I've had a practise run at packing it all.  Thankfully, it all fits neatly into the panniers, so my aim of going as light as feasible, whilst still taking everything essential and avoiding taking superfluous items seems to have been successful.

The bike also received a major service today too.  The wheel bearings were fully stripped and re greased, as were the pedal bearings, and a new chain and jockey wheels have tightened up the drive train.

Inbetween all that, Ann and myself had a real good couple of days in the garden, spuds and onions are in, everything tidied, seeds are growing in greenhouse, new shrubs have been planted, and that border that only seems to be growing weeds has been transformed with new plants and bark chips.  Gardening is all the more pleasant when the sun beams down on your back !!!!

4 more days left, so hopefully I can get a few turbo trainer sessions in, or the odd hour out on the road after work, but I'm as ready as I'm going to get - bring on Lands End

summer commeth

The last couple of days here in Edinburgh have been superb, with hardly a cloud in the sky.  I took the opportunity to get out on both days doing a 62 mile ride East yesterday and a 60 mile ride west today.  As I sit here typing this up, my legs do feel pumped up and a little knackered, but I would be happy to jump on the bike again tomorrow. 

When I do these big distances, I do feel constantly hungry though.  Andy has promised me that he is a nutritional guru, and that he'll be ensuring we get the daily calorie intake into us.  I do really hope that it's not all about carbs and protein balancing.  I'm sure I can balance everything with porridge, pies and beer, but I'll let Andy work his magic !!!

So many of the plants are in full bloom now - the Daffodils are out, as are the tulips, cherry blossom, azaleas etc and I've even seen the odd bumble bee making its merry pollen collecting round.
Unfortunately, it also brings the annoying swarms of flies that I inadvertently cycled though today, gulping in a mouthful of them just as a whale shark might do as it patrols the oceans sucking in plankton.  I tried to extradite them from clinging to my tonsils by clearing my throat as a 40 a day smoker might - the woman on the pavement clearly thought that cycling was not doing me much good !!!

Even though the sun was out, there's still a chill in the air, and I've been returning from my rides with a reddish weather beaten face, so I'll really be needing to remember to slap on the moisturiser when we're on the trip - yep - us modern men do moisturise you know !!!

I have a week left before I head down to Bristol prior to the trip, and I still hope to get out for a few more rides, but I have a busy weekend, so may not do any big rides.  Hopefully I've done enough to condition the legs enough for what is to come - only time will tell.

Not long now !!!!

Since I started my training rides back at the beginning of January, I've been keeping a log of the distances I've been cycling.  With only a week and a bit to go til I head south, tonight I wondered how many miles I'd pedalled since starting.  A bit of tapping on the calculator revealed a total of 940 miles.  On top of that, there was half a dozen sessions on the turbo trainer, where the equivalent miles cycled, would have taken me well over 1000 miles.

So there we have it - I've cycled the distance already.  Seems easy when I look back at it now - quite a few tough sessions in there, but also some easier days.  All I need to do it compress that into a couple of weeks.

Andy has bought a new touring bike this week which he'll be using on the trip, so hopefully my old beast of burden won't look too shabby against his.  He was out over the weekend cycling with a good mate of ours Matt Illes, and rode from Warmley over the Severn Bridge to Usk in South Wales, checking out some of the route we will be taking.  Some impressive stats were posted - 4676 ft of climbs, 67 miles averaging 15.1mph and reaching an impressive top speed of 41.6mph.

With stats like that, is there any wonder that I'll be the one in his slip stream and not the other way around !!!!

Isn't it a bit f***ing cold for cycle touring.......

I'd just pitched my tent in the Creag Meagaidh nature reserve and a guy wandered over questioning my timing for cycle touring in Scotland.  Fortunately, I had brought one of my warmer sleeping bags, as the mercury did drop to near freezing during the evening.

This was a big trip for me mentally.  For a while now I've been mulling over my ability to do the distance day after day.  Additionally, there's the issue of carrying a huge amount of kit needed for an unsupported end to end trip.  This was always going to be a burden to swift pedal powered progress.

So my 2 day trip was planned.  I decided to drive north with the bike and all the kit I would be taking on the tour, park up and head up into the highlands for a good hilly 2 day test.  This would be consecutive days, in mountainous terrain and loaded up.  This would really test my mettle.

Here's the bike fully loaded.

The route out of Blair Atholl where I had parked is level at first and then slowly climbs uphill for about 15 miles up and over the Drumocter Pass.  The main road North through the East of Scotland is the A9 and this pass is the highest point of the route, regularly affected by road closures due to snow during the winter.  Fortunately, there in another great national cycle route which runs alongside the A9 to keep cyclists clear of the dangers of the traffic.

The clement weather of late meant that I needn't worry too much about the foreboding nature of the sign warning early season cyclists !!!!

Once over the top of the pass, the route climbs again around the back of Dalwhinnie before descending around to Laggan.  All of the way up, progress was slow but steady, hampered by a headwind, but once over the pass, the wind switched direction to give me a gentle helping hand.

By 4pm I was pitching my tent and getting organised after cycling 50 miles, and I was pleased with the day - a hilly route, fully laden and done in 4.5 hours.

After a huge meal, I was in my sleeping bag and sound asleep by 8:30 !!!!  Going to sleep at this time does however mean that you wake earlier, so by 4:00 am I was already rousing.  I managed to drop off to sleep again for a while, but by 5:30, I was up as the day was dawning, drinking coffee and making porridge.  After more coffee and striking camp, I was on the road again by 7:30 retracing my route back to the car.

The hills out of Laggan and back up onto the plateau proved to be more challenging, being shorter but steeper.  Within an hour though, I'd done the worst of it, and pushing on into Dalwhinnie, I knew it was downhill all the way.  3 hours 15 mins later I was back at the car - it's amazing what 15 miles of downhill can do for your speeds !!!

So whilst there's still a few weeks of training still to go, still some long days in the saddle to be put in, I feel buoyed by the 2 day test run.

As to that leather Brooks saddle -yep - I think things are definitely improving as to comfort.  I'm not convinced it's molding into the contours of my arse though, more like my arse is molding to the shape of the saddle !!!

I spoke to Andy today, and he too is putting in the miles and getting good distances under his belt.  He talked about a great sports massage he had been given and how it had done him the world of good.  I may get a little concerned if I find out he's added a bottle of baby oil to his packing list !!!!

Doing the hard yards

As the alarm went off this morning, I pulled the duvet up over my shoulders and pushed the snooze button.  Ann has been in Germany, so my normal routine of snuggling in for a last cuddle before we get up was not on offer.

The weather front that passed last night was stormier than anticipated, and the wind had been whistling it's merry tune down the chimney for hours.  As I lay enveloped by the comfort of the duvet, I could still hear the wind blowing a gale, and my enthusiasm for another long cycling training day wained.

I had done a big ride on Friday all the way up to Kincardine, which I has repeated again on Monday.  My plan was to get in a descent ride on Wednesday and Friday this week as well.  There's a term used frequently in rugby that you have to 'do the hard yards' in order to win the battle.  It's all about putting in the effort, the grunt, the energy, and only if you do that will you succeed.  So with that lodged in my mind, I donned the cycling gear and headed out to face the storm.

Now which way should I head? - into the wind on the way out, with an obviously easier run back was the option I chose, and so it was out to Kincardine again.  Heading along towards Crammond it became clear that the wind had been even stronger than I thought in the night, with another tree down along the water front.  Later in the journey, a bough of a tree had also blown down blocking the track. 

So as I headed out, the first 30 miles were through gritted teeth as I pounded away, sapping my reserves and really not doing the sort of speeds that the energy expenditure warranted.  But I was getting closer and closer to the turnaround point at the Kincardine Bridge, and the thought of a sudden switch from ridiculous head wind to a speed enhancing tail wind kept me motivated.

Now the route up both the north and south sides of the Forth using the two bridges is a popular cycling route and is actually one of the National cycling routes (no 76), so large parts of the journey are on either very quiet roads, or purpose built cycle paths.  When I crossed the bridge however, I forgot all about the quiet cycling route and largely stuck to the main road, as when I got up to speed, I didn't want to slow up for the inevitable pedestrians and dog walkers on the track.  I hit top gear and largely stayed there all the way home apart from the odd hill to climb. 

I'm now hoping for a super strong tail wind for the whole of the journey, which on today's performance on the return leg, would mean we could complete the trip in about 4 days !!!!  Well you can hope eh !!

After this week, I've only got 3 more weeks left to train before I head south to start the tour.  I still have concerns about doing big distances every day for 2 weeks, and hopefully I can do a number of consecutive cycling days in the coming weeks to start getting used to it, but I do feel I'm getting there.  It's etched on my mind now - DO THE HARD YARDS

Amazing !!!!!

Amazing - that's how I am feeling about the level of sponsorship money that has been coming in for the Parkinson's Charity.  As at this morning, a total of £360 has been donated which both Andy and myself are really over the moon about.  It makes all these training rides all the more worthwhile.

I spoke to my dad and Carol this morning, they were giving me an update on their fund raising activities.  It turned out that they have resorted to hostage tactics.  By all accounts they were at the Parkinson's support group in Bristol yesterday, and before letting anyone leave, Dad was handing out details of this blog for people to read.  Reports have been received that some people attempted to leave by an alternative door only to be thwarted by Carol sprinting over to cut them off at the pass !!!! So fast was she, that Britains olympic gold medal prospects have improved !!

So, if you're one of those people who are now randomly reading this blog after being given details of it by Dad and Carol, welcome, and hopefully our tales along with some photos of our trip will keep you amused.

About Time !!!!

I finally managed to get out on the bike today for the first time in 2 weeks - I really can't believe it was that long and that I'd only done an hour on the indoor trainer in between - and that was 10 day ago!!!!

I do have a sort of excuse, in that I had been ill last week with a hemorrhagic fever akin to Ebola.  Well OK it was man flu, but it did knock the energy out of me.  And then, Ann and myself were off to Glencoe for 4 days and the rest of the time I have been working, so this was the first opportunity to get out.

When I set off, a heavy dew still encrusted the lawn, and whilst there was still a little chill in the air, it was probably the warmest day so far that I had been out on the bike.  The sun was out and I felt good.  As soon as I dropped down onto the waterfront, I could see the Haar running up the length of the Forth.  For all you southerners unfamiliar with the term Haar, it's what the Scots call the sea fog that hangs like a thick blanket around the coast, and prior to moving up here, is something I'd never seen before.  Here's a few shots along the coast and over the Forth road bridge.

So my route plan for today was a big ride, from home here on the north shore of Edinburgh, out to South Queensferry, over the Bridge, past Rosyth and follow the Forth up to the Kincardine Bridge, cross back over the Forth and head back home through Grangemouth and Boness.  So all in all today, a satisfying 57 miles. 

As I sit here now - I do feel a little weary, and even though I was taking it a little easier today, the cycling time was about 4 and a half hours, which engenders a little more confidence that when doing the daily distances, it will be only about another hour in the saddle.

Speaking of saddles, I have just remembered that I hadn't previously posted about the new leather Brooks saddle that I bought for the bike.  My old saddle had been really great and comfortable for many years, but ever since a minor escapade when I fell off the bike in the ice, and the saddle popped off the rails, it's never been the same.  In choosing a replacement, I sought advice from the websites of the long distance tourers out there.  It seems that by far and away the favourite was the Brooks B17 leather saddle.  The advice came with the caveat, that they need to be broken in before the leather molds itself to the contours of your arse.  I guess I've only done a couple of hundred miles on the saddle so far, but I can report that so far, the saddle and my arse are still different shapes and comfort factor is still very low !!!!!  I am really hoping things improve before starting the tour.  Either that, or I hope Andy is brushing up on his massage technique ;o)

Route reconnaisance

Ann and myself headed up to Glencoe for a few days to celebrate our birthdays with a bit of climbing, drinking, eating and lazing around (not necessarily in that order).  The big thaw has really taken a grip on the highlands and on pulling up and checking the route conditions on Beinn Udlaidh, there was not a single ice route left.  The wind was so strong, that the waterfalls were in fact blowing back up over the top of the mountain.  This was a weather pattern that was to stick with us for the whole weekend.

The rest of Friday, we spent on the road down to Oban to see how the cycle path was developing.  What I saw of this section of the trip was looking good - large parts of it a purpose made cycle path running alongside the waters edge - a few sneak previews for you..... with the obligatory castle thrown in for good measure !!!

Sunday turned out to be the worst day of the lot, and after the drenching we got on Saturday, we really didn't fancy another soaking, so had a lazy day having a drive around.  Another possible detour off the main highway, is to take the Corran ferry over to Ardgour and take the quiet road from there up to Fort William.  This really is a quiet road - in fact we only saw one other car the whole way !!!,  So subject to ferry times, this could be a possibility.

I'm really getting excited about this section on the tour along the western coast line.

As for Saturday - we headed up onto summit buttress on Stob Corie Nan Lochan - yeah, we did get wet, it rained for much of the day, but it in no way dampened our enthusiasm - it's what Scottish winter mountaineering is all about !!!!!

Happy Birthday to me !!!

Well - after Monday, the cold got worse.  I even got up for work on Tuesday, showered, got ready and then felt so rough as I was about to leave the house that I went back to bed and stayed there all day.  One thing I did manage to check on though was some of the daily distances we will be cycling, and I've modified a few places where we might stay to equal the days out a little.

Today is my birthday however, and so I've made the effort to get up even though the lurgy is holding firmly on.  I did get my pressies delivered today from my gorgeous wife Ann.  I say 'pressies' as they were paid for out of her ebay account, although I ordered them myself, but she can have all the credit for getting them ;)

So after a bit of fitting and setting it up, the BEAST of BURDEN is now nearly ready for action with new panniers and handlebar bag

It was only when I was taking the photos, did it dawn on me that I have matching handlebar bag, pedals and panniers - it must be my feminine side coming out !!!!!

It has been a little bit of a tricky decision as to what bike to ride.  The speed merchants will obviously go for the racing bike, lightweight, fast bumpy ride, watching the tarmac with their head down all the way and normally having their luggage transported by a van in support. 

Now I do have a lightweight trialthlon bike but that has carbon forks and carbon seatstays, so is totally useless for carrying panniers, but I've used it before cycling around the Scottish Islands towing a trailer and it worked very well.  But a 1000 miles towing would be a different ball game, so I've opted for the trusty mountain bike - and it's looking like a true workhorse now.

There's still a few jobs to do on it.  I've made some bespoke mudguards, I have some slighly skinnier slick tyres for it, and with the addition of an adjustable stem for the steering, I think I'll be great - maybe a little heavier than some bikes, but I know it will be comfy.  I'll have to think of a name for it - so any suggestions welcome !!!

Ann said I should get a new cycling top as well - now would I look daft with a red and white king of the mountains top on though - hmmmmm