I thought there to be space for one final blog update, just to tie up some loose ends. And also because, once again, I find myself on a long train journey. And, if honest, because I rather enjoy this blogging.
When I last wrote we were stranded in Liskeard. After a four hour wait and plenty of confusion we finally managed to get through to Plymouth, after the engineers had declared one line of track safe to pass. After arriving at Plymouth we had hoped to catch a sleeper train, which was due to arrive into Bristol at 2am. Almost immediately it was announced that this train was 90 minutes late. Riding a fully-loaded bike is hard enough, but hauling it onto and off trains, while loading and unloading panniers is energy sapping. The prospect of cycling home through Bristol at 4am didn't fill us with excitement, whereas the prospect of a bed did. So we managed to get on an accommodation list and shortly after 1am we were marched to the nearest hotel. Naturally it rained.
I dread to think how much this whole episode must have cost the rail company, because not only did they put us up in a hotel, they put us up in a very nice hotel! With breakfast included. Also, extremely luckily, it was my turn to get a room to myself. Sorry boys. After an extremely welcome - but not quite long enough - sleep I met the guys for breakfast, which turned into quite the feast. Of course, if you're not paying a penny you're going to have some fun. A little while later, we were uncomfortably full and checked out, prepared for a second attempt to get to Bristol. This time it was easier. Our tickets were still valid AND we should get a full refund anyway. So, on reflection, the whole episode turned out rather nicely for us!
And then it was time to continue the interrupted and extended celebrations. These mostly involved collapsing on the sofa with a cup of tea upon making it to Jonny's house. It felt great though. We did muster the strength to play a round of crazy golf, which I lost. Badly. And then, there was time for a little more carb loading, as we devoured a selection of food that my girlfriend had had delivered to Jonny's house, as way of congratulations. With this much food and a few drinks, we were all soon falling asleep on the sofa.
Saturday, after an extended lie in, had a similar pattern. More sofa time, a round of golf, which I lost (again, very badly), and a few drinks. It culminated in a BBQ, which, due to our slow start to the day, finished in total darkness around 11pm. By this point we were simply hoping the meat was cooked. So far we all seem well. Today really hasn't been any different. Except that, once again, I'm now on a train. Destination Diss, where I shall see my sister for the first time in a year, after her return from New Zealand.
It's been lovely not to have to bike for a couple of days, although I am now discovering the full extent of some of my injuries. This was always going to happen as soon as I came off the Ibuprofen. The left knee doesn't seem to enjoy bending, while the right calf complains about stretching. Also, my whole body feels generally battered. All I can do now is rest. And I plan to.
It still hasn't really sunk it what we achieved. Like I said previously, cycling really became the norm. To the extent that it almost didn't feel as if we were doing anything special. We were all so focused we simply fell into a routine. Wake up, stretch, eat, cycle, eat, cycle, find place to stay, stretch, chill out, sleep. And then we would do it all over again the next day. I also think we had it very easy. The weather was smashing, with the slight exception of the last few days, particularly the second-last day. But, on another trip we could have had hell and damnation the whole time. Also, we didn't fall off our bikes once, get hit by a car, or, amazingly, get one single puncture. For all this we are hugely grateful.
We are also hugely grateful for the donations to Macmillan and the kind messages that people have sent us. This really helped and at last count we had raised nearly £1100, which we are hugely proud of. So thank you everyone for making the experience so rewarding and worthwhile. In return, I hope at least a few of you have found some entertainment through reading my blog. Additionally, we met plenty of lovely people along the way (the only real exception being Glasgow!) who added to the enjoyment. Before leaving, I will summarize the trip in a few short phrases...
Reclining chairs, not much sleep, slowest train ever, most northerly, JOG, interesting meal, getting started, massive hills, Great Glen, midges, Rannoch Moor, midges, Loch Lomond, Glasgow, youths, tricky navigating, knee trouble, legendary couple, escaping Scotland, Carlisle hotel, Carlisle curry, up and down, amazing fudge, Shap summit, A6, urban sprawl, funny butchers, escaping the north, A49, lunch with Jonny's parents, dinner with friends, are we in Wales?, going 'downhill' in the Wye valley, Severn, industry, cash machine race, easy to Exeter, hard after Exeter, Dartmoor, hills, leaving Dartmoor, hills, Cornwall, hills, sideways rain, soaked through, only B&B for miles around, eager to finish, LE, the struggle home.
Really, I've loved it all. Thanks to everyone, especially Gareth and Jonny. You're both heroes.
Sunday, 10 July 2011
Thursday, 7 July 2011
Day 12 - Grampound to Land's End - Longest day
Distance - 48 miles
Total distance - 935 miles
Average speed - 11.3 mph
Maximum speed - 34.4 mph
Time - 4 hrs 15 mins
We finished! However, the day is far from over. More on that in a bit. For now, the most important thing is that we safely made it to Land's End.
The day started much like any other. After a fairly restless nights sleep, at least on my part, panniers were packed and breakfast was eaten. On reflection the B&B wasn't too bad, but we were all pretty eager to get away. Around 9am we were on the road.
The going was still fairly tough, littered with steep gradients. But with plenty of determination we ticked off town after town, passing Truro and Redruth within a couple of hours. The uphill sections were met with frustration more than fatigue. They were simply an annoyance, halting our progress. We simply wanted to get to Land's End.
The headwind wasn't quite as strong as yesterday and we only caught a couple of light showers in the first hour. So generally conditions were more favourable. We stopped for lunch in Penzanze and after a quick recharge readied for the final 10 miles. I had heard lots of people say the last 10 miles to Land's End were among the hardest on the whole trip. This is an exaggeration. The first 5 miles are tough, but no more difficult than much of the final two days. Then, the going was actually relatively easy for the final 5 miles. Or maybe that's called adrenaline.
We popped on our Macmilllan shirts a couple of miles shy and crossed the line in unison. We had clicked up 935 miles in total. It's hard to describe how I felt and I think I can speak for the boys. I was very happy, but I wouldn't say emotional, or elated. In a way cycling just seems to have become my day job. Scotland seems like a lifetime ago. It almost feels surreal to think how far we've come, almost unbelievable. I'm sure it will sink in, one day. Either way, it's satisfying to know you have accomplished it.
We thought the hard work was over, but it had barely begun. We had an adrenaline-missing 10 miles to Penzanze, before booking a seat on a train to Bristol, where we are going to stay at Jonny's for a few nights. The train left shortly after 5.30pm, making it as far as Liskeard, where it stumbled across a derailed passenger train. Luckily no one was hurt, but it has slowed progress somewhat. Over three hours later we're still in Liskeard, with the earliest arrival estimates into Bristol being 2am.
A fun end to a fun day. I don't really care too much. I'm one of the lucky ones. I don't have work tomorrow. And when I do finally get to sleep, I shall sleep sound in the knowledge that I have managed to do something pretty cool.
Total distance - 935 miles
Average speed - 11.3 mph
Maximum speed - 34.4 mph
Time - 4 hrs 15 mins
We finished! However, the day is far from over. More on that in a bit. For now, the most important thing is that we safely made it to Land's End.
The day started much like any other. After a fairly restless nights sleep, at least on my part, panniers were packed and breakfast was eaten. On reflection the B&B wasn't too bad, but we were all pretty eager to get away. Around 9am we were on the road.
The going was still fairly tough, littered with steep gradients. But with plenty of determination we ticked off town after town, passing Truro and Redruth within a couple of hours. The uphill sections were met with frustration more than fatigue. They were simply an annoyance, halting our progress. We simply wanted to get to Land's End.
The headwind wasn't quite as strong as yesterday and we only caught a couple of light showers in the first hour. So generally conditions were more favourable. We stopped for lunch in Penzanze and after a quick recharge readied for the final 10 miles. I had heard lots of people say the last 10 miles to Land's End were among the hardest on the whole trip. This is an exaggeration. The first 5 miles are tough, but no more difficult than much of the final two days. Then, the going was actually relatively easy for the final 5 miles. Or maybe that's called adrenaline.
We popped on our Macmilllan shirts a couple of miles shy and crossed the line in unison. We had clicked up 935 miles in total. It's hard to describe how I felt and I think I can speak for the boys. I was very happy, but I wouldn't say emotional, or elated. In a way cycling just seems to have become my day job. Scotland seems like a lifetime ago. It almost feels surreal to think how far we've come, almost unbelievable. I'm sure it will sink in, one day. Either way, it's satisfying to know you have accomplished it.
We thought the hard work was over, but it had barely begun. We had an adrenaline-missing 10 miles to Penzanze, before booking a seat on a train to Bristol, where we are going to stay at Jonny's for a few nights. The train left shortly after 5.30pm, making it as far as Liskeard, where it stumbled across a derailed passenger train. Luckily no one was hurt, but it has slowed progress somewhat. Over three hours later we're still in Liskeard, with the earliest arrival estimates into Bristol being 2am.
A fun end to a fun day. I don't really care too much. I'm one of the lucky ones. I don't have work tomorrow. And when I do finally get to sleep, I shall sleep sound in the knowledge that I have managed to do something pretty cool.
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
Day 11 - Moretonhampstead to Grampound - Hardest day
Distance - 65 miles
Total distance - 887 miles
Maximum speed - 38.2 mph
What. A. Day. Mother nature certainly decided that we had had it too easy so far. So not only was today the hilliest of days, it was also the day we experienced the strongest headwind and the heaviest rain. Quite a combination.
It all started in a rather mundane nature. Jonny kept to his bold promise that he would get up early to make a start on some bacon and eggs in the kitchen beneath the dorm. After a pretty heroic effort he supplied us with a filling breakfast and shortly afterwards we were packed up and on our way. The cycling today began much how it had finished yesterday. In other words there were plenty of hills. Most of them were in an upwards direction. But shortly we were cycling along open moorland, with wild ponies, sheep and cows to keep us company. Another new companion was a strong headwind, which made the going extremely tough. Even what downhill sections there were required plenty of effort.
But after struggling on for a couple of hours we made our way out of Dartmoor National Park. I'm never sure how I feel about Dartmoor. It's a weird blend of spectacular yet barren landscape. Either way it was good to leave and we assumed the going would get easier, which it didn't. After Tavistock we crossed into Cornwall, which coincided with a ridiculous hill. Initially descending, then ascending. The ascent was horrible, although at this point it was dry. The headwind was keeping us busy though.
We stopped for a slightly early lunch in Callington, where a young lad became very interested in what we were doing. Apparently he had a half day at school. Do kids get half days now? Either way he was a good lad and actually lead us out of the town on a shorter route than we would have taken. Half an hour after lunch was when the real fun started.
The rain began around Liskeard and was initially light. It didn't stay that way. Between the hours of 3pm and 4pm it rained very heavily. In fact I haven't seen it rain as hard in quite a while. And with the wind it truly rained sideways. Soon there were torrents of water flowing down the hills and we were soaked through. At times it was scary. With the rain straight into the eyes a few downhill sections were tackled with next-to-no visibility.
Eventually it became beyond wet so we stopped in Lostwithiel and found a cup of tea. It was perhaps the best cup of tea ever. Well, it probably wasn't, but it seemed so. After the rain eased we headed back out, keeping our heads down towards St Austells. Further showers came and went, but at least we went with the hope that we would be able to find somewhere to stay for the night. Or so we thought. We couldn't find a hotel, hostel or B&B for love nor money. Everywhere was fully booked. At this point we were cold and miserable. With a little work on the smartphone we found a B&B 5 miles along the road, luckily in the direction we planned to go. After covering the miles with gritted teeth we eventually found the B&B around 7pm. It isn't the nicest of B&B's, by any means, but it provides a roof and that's enough.
So a crazy and very tough day comes to an end. We had hoped to make it to Truro, but we are all satisfied with our effort today. We are about 50 miles from Land's End. That is the sole focus. I just want to get going.
Total distance - 887 miles
Maximum speed - 38.2 mph
What. A. Day. Mother nature certainly decided that we had had it too easy so far. So not only was today the hilliest of days, it was also the day we experienced the strongest headwind and the heaviest rain. Quite a combination.
It all started in a rather mundane nature. Jonny kept to his bold promise that he would get up early to make a start on some bacon and eggs in the kitchen beneath the dorm. After a pretty heroic effort he supplied us with a filling breakfast and shortly afterwards we were packed up and on our way. The cycling today began much how it had finished yesterday. In other words there were plenty of hills. Most of them were in an upwards direction. But shortly we were cycling along open moorland, with wild ponies, sheep and cows to keep us company. Another new companion was a strong headwind, which made the going extremely tough. Even what downhill sections there were required plenty of effort.
But after struggling on for a couple of hours we made our way out of Dartmoor National Park. I'm never sure how I feel about Dartmoor. It's a weird blend of spectacular yet barren landscape. Either way it was good to leave and we assumed the going would get easier, which it didn't. After Tavistock we crossed into Cornwall, which coincided with a ridiculous hill. Initially descending, then ascending. The ascent was horrible, although at this point it was dry. The headwind was keeping us busy though.
We stopped for a slightly early lunch in Callington, where a young lad became very interested in what we were doing. Apparently he had a half day at school. Do kids get half days now? Either way he was a good lad and actually lead us out of the town on a shorter route than we would have taken. Half an hour after lunch was when the real fun started.
The rain began around Liskeard and was initially light. It didn't stay that way. Between the hours of 3pm and 4pm it rained very heavily. In fact I haven't seen it rain as hard in quite a while. And with the wind it truly rained sideways. Soon there were torrents of water flowing down the hills and we were soaked through. At times it was scary. With the rain straight into the eyes a few downhill sections were tackled with next-to-no visibility.
Eventually it became beyond wet so we stopped in Lostwithiel and found a cup of tea. It was perhaps the best cup of tea ever. Well, it probably wasn't, but it seemed so. After the rain eased we headed back out, keeping our heads down towards St Austells. Further showers came and went, but at least we went with the hope that we would be able to find somewhere to stay for the night. Or so we thought. We couldn't find a hotel, hostel or B&B for love nor money. Everywhere was fully booked. At this point we were cold and miserable. With a little work on the smartphone we found a B&B 5 miles along the road, luckily in the direction we planned to go. After covering the miles with gritted teeth we eventually found the B&B around 7pm. It isn't the nicest of B&B's, by any means, but it provides a roof and that's enough.
So a crazy and very tough day comes to an end. We had hoped to make it to Truro, but we are all satisfied with our effort today. We are about 50 miles from Land's End. That is the sole focus. I just want to get going.
Tuesday, 5 July 2011
Day 10 - Weston-Super-Mare to Moretonhampstead - Moor hills
Distance - 76 miles
Total distance - 822 miles
Average speed - 11.4 mph
Maximum speed - 36.3 mph
Time - 6 hrs 35 mins
My first thought on writing the title for this blog was how we've stayed in two towns with ridiculously long place-names. We didn't leave our B&B until quite late (by our standards) this morning. We were fully braced for the bad weather, which as it turned out never really arrived. Having navigated out of WSM, we saw just enough rain to make the road slick and make progress a little smoother. We followed the A38 for the most part, taking us through Bridgewater and Taunton, before stopping in Wellington for lunch. Having made good time, we made up for our lateish start. Riding across the spine of southwest England the countryside was attractive, yet the road quite busy.
After lunch we found a B-road that shadowed the M5. The road took us through some idyllic little villages, which looked increasingly expensive to live in as we neared Exeter. After working our way through Exeter we then stumbled upon an entirely different type of road. We knew that the road towards Dartmoor was going to involve a gain in altitude, but it was quite the gain in altitude. Having been averaging over 12 mph for the day, our speed dropped off dramatically as we crawled upwards towards Dartmoor. Whereas many of our climbs have entailed gradual uphill slopes, this climb was made up of very steep ups and downs. It's really demoralising when you struggle uphill for 15 minutes, just to lose the altitude again in 2 minutes.
After what seemed like a lifetime we stopped for the night in Moretonhampstead, one of the bigger towns within the National Park. We found a cheap backpackers, before preparing dinner and having a drink at the local. I write from the local now, so to be sociable I should sign out. After all, the barman is offering some 'entertaining' chat. Perhaps not the most interesting of blog updates tonight. Maybe progress is too smooth. I'm really looking forward to heading over the moor tomorrow and, with luck, ending the day within reaching distance of Land's End. Getting there. Getting there.
Total distance - 822 miles
Average speed - 11.4 mph
Maximum speed - 36.3 mph
Time - 6 hrs 35 mins
My first thought on writing the title for this blog was how we've stayed in two towns with ridiculously long place-names. We didn't leave our B&B until quite late (by our standards) this morning. We were fully braced for the bad weather, which as it turned out never really arrived. Having navigated out of WSM, we saw just enough rain to make the road slick and make progress a little smoother. We followed the A38 for the most part, taking us through Bridgewater and Taunton, before stopping in Wellington for lunch. Having made good time, we made up for our lateish start. Riding across the spine of southwest England the countryside was attractive, yet the road quite busy.
After lunch we found a B-road that shadowed the M5. The road took us through some idyllic little villages, which looked increasingly expensive to live in as we neared Exeter. After working our way through Exeter we then stumbled upon an entirely different type of road. We knew that the road towards Dartmoor was going to involve a gain in altitude, but it was quite the gain in altitude. Having been averaging over 12 mph for the day, our speed dropped off dramatically as we crawled upwards towards Dartmoor. Whereas many of our climbs have entailed gradual uphill slopes, this climb was made up of very steep ups and downs. It's really demoralising when you struggle uphill for 15 minutes, just to lose the altitude again in 2 minutes.
After what seemed like a lifetime we stopped for the night in Moretonhampstead, one of the bigger towns within the National Park. We found a cheap backpackers, before preparing dinner and having a drink at the local. I write from the local now, so to be sociable I should sign out. After all, the barman is offering some 'entertaining' chat. Perhaps not the most interesting of blog updates tonight. Maybe progress is too smooth. I'm really looking forward to heading over the moor tomorrow and, with luck, ending the day within reaching distance of Land's End. Getting there. Getting there.
Monday, 4 July 2011
Day 9 - Wellington to Western-Super-Mare - Wye?
Distance - 80 miles
Total distance - 746 miles
Maximum speed - 35.0 mph
(Unfortunately other stats were lost today)
Day 9 began with a 6:30am alarm call. We had an early night last, so decided an early start wouldn't hurt us. And it didn't. We were away by 7:45am, after something approaching a breakfast. After a few miles we made it to Hereford. Again we found ourselves on the A49, but a few miles south of Hereford we abandoned our old friend and became acquainted with the A466. This is when the road became pretty...and pretty steep. Initially the road was undulating, but it became increasingly steep, culminating in a huge uphill section. We disagreed on exactly where it ranked with regards our steepest hill, bit I personally think it was the most challenging since day 1. Either way the surrounding views made the climb worthwhile.
With more lovely scenery to be viewed we made our way to Monmouth, in doing so crossing into Wales. Unfortunately there was no sign for us to celebrate our passing into a new country, so we instead took a photo of the England sign behind us. We picked up lunch in Monmouth, which struck me as another lovely yet expensive-to-live town. With lunch bought we continued confidently in the knowledge that it was all downhill through the Wye valley to Chepstow, because Jonny told us so. It wasn't quite. Although we did drop off, there was plenty of uphill to keep us busy. By this time it was very warm, probably the warmest it has been all trip. But the fair weather made the scenery even more special. It was one of my favourite sections of the trip.
After criss-crossing the Welsh-English border a little more we made it to Chepstow. Here Jonny took the lead. Jonny lives in Bristol and did some of his training in the area. To begin he lead us across the older of the two Severn bridges, which shook rather worringly. After crossing back into England we stopped for lunch, before expertly navigating our way around some very busy roads with the use of national cycling routes. After winding through the industrial heart of Avonmouth and collecting plenty of industry in my eyes, we found our way back to some roads. Thereafter we got out heads down and soon chalked up the miles, before making it to Western-Super-Mare, where we had booked a cheap B&B for the night. After showering we went for food. I currently write while sitting on the sea front enjoying a pint of cider.
We made a few more milestones today. We topped 700 miles, but more importantly topped £1000 for Macmillan Cancer Support. We're hugely proud of this and it has made us even more determined to get to the finish line.
And to test us a little more, tomorrow it should rain fairly heavily in the morning, while much of the day will be spent pedalling into a headwind. It wouldn't be fun without a test.
Total distance - 746 miles
Maximum speed - 35.0 mph
(Unfortunately other stats were lost today)
Day 9 began with a 6:30am alarm call. We had an early night last, so decided an early start wouldn't hurt us. And it didn't. We were away by 7:45am, after something approaching a breakfast. After a few miles we made it to Hereford. Again we found ourselves on the A49, but a few miles south of Hereford we abandoned our old friend and became acquainted with the A466. This is when the road became pretty...and pretty steep. Initially the road was undulating, but it became increasingly steep, culminating in a huge uphill section. We disagreed on exactly where it ranked with regards our steepest hill, bit I personally think it was the most challenging since day 1. Either way the surrounding views made the climb worthwhile.
With more lovely scenery to be viewed we made our way to Monmouth, in doing so crossing into Wales. Unfortunately there was no sign for us to celebrate our passing into a new country, so we instead took a photo of the England sign behind us. We picked up lunch in Monmouth, which struck me as another lovely yet expensive-to-live town. With lunch bought we continued confidently in the knowledge that it was all downhill through the Wye valley to Chepstow, because Jonny told us so. It wasn't quite. Although we did drop off, there was plenty of uphill to keep us busy. By this time it was very warm, probably the warmest it has been all trip. But the fair weather made the scenery even more special. It was one of my favourite sections of the trip.
After criss-crossing the Welsh-English border a little more we made it to Chepstow. Here Jonny took the lead. Jonny lives in Bristol and did some of his training in the area. To begin he lead us across the older of the two Severn bridges, which shook rather worringly. After crossing back into England we stopped for lunch, before expertly navigating our way around some very busy roads with the use of national cycling routes. After winding through the industrial heart of Avonmouth and collecting plenty of industry in my eyes, we found our way back to some roads. Thereafter we got out heads down and soon chalked up the miles, before making it to Western-Super-Mare, where we had booked a cheap B&B for the night. After showering we went for food. I currently write while sitting on the sea front enjoying a pint of cider.
We made a few more milestones today. We topped 700 miles, but more importantly topped £1000 for Macmillan Cancer Support. We're hugely proud of this and it has made us even more determined to get to the finish line.
And to test us a little more, tomorrow it should rain fairly heavily in the morning, while much of the day will be spent pedalling into a headwind. It wouldn't be fun without a test.
Sunday, 3 July 2011
Day 8 - Prees to Wellington - Busy and quiet
Distance - 68 miles
Total distance - 666 miles
Average speed - 11.8 mph
Maximum speed - 33.9 mph
Time - 5 hrs 42 mins
No real drama to start today. I found the key to my lock straight away. We ate breakfast that had been bought the night before, packed away and went on our way. The main difficulty today was picking a route. Initially we hit the A49, a continuation of the previous day. The going was good, although perhaps not quite as good as yesterday. Fatigue is creeping in. After a little while we made it to Shrewsbury, which seemed like a pretty town, from what little we saw. After successfully navigating Shrewsbury we continued south on the A49. Our next target was Craven Arms, where food was waiting...
Before that we had to tackle a narrow, busy and ultimately tricky section of the A49. I can't say it was always fun, but we made it to our lunch stop, where Jonny's parents, spending the weekend in the area, awaited with a picnic. And what a picnic. They had very generously bought a bit of everything. On first sight it seemed a lot, but it didn't last too long! We're burning at least 1500 calories a day, which need to be replaced somehow. Usually, without the kindness of Jonny's parents, the calorie count is kept high by carbohydrate-rich meals and regular sugary snacks along the way. Thanks Barry and Anna.
With plenty of food stored away we turned off the A49, finally, and took a more scenic route towards Wellington, where we had booked a campsite for the night. The road was undulating, but the scenery was attractive, if not dramatic. After taking in a little more rolling Herefordshire countryside we made it to Wellington. We stopped a little sooner and earlier today, because we had arranged to meet a couple of friends, Claire and Lizzie. We were spoilt even more. They greeted us with cake and then treated us to a meal in Hereford. Another hugely generous act. Thanks girls. Everyone has been massively kind to us since we've been doing this. Therefore, we're soon off to bed, we don't want to let anyone down.
And yes, out total distance really is 666 miles!
Night.
Total distance - 666 miles
Average speed - 11.8 mph
Maximum speed - 33.9 mph
Time - 5 hrs 42 mins
No real drama to start today. I found the key to my lock straight away. We ate breakfast that had been bought the night before, packed away and went on our way. The main difficulty today was picking a route. Initially we hit the A49, a continuation of the previous day. The going was good, although perhaps not quite as good as yesterday. Fatigue is creeping in. After a little while we made it to Shrewsbury, which seemed like a pretty town, from what little we saw. After successfully navigating Shrewsbury we continued south on the A49. Our next target was Craven Arms, where food was waiting...
Before that we had to tackle a narrow, busy and ultimately tricky section of the A49. I can't say it was always fun, but we made it to our lunch stop, where Jonny's parents, spending the weekend in the area, awaited with a picnic. And what a picnic. They had very generously bought a bit of everything. On first sight it seemed a lot, but it didn't last too long! We're burning at least 1500 calories a day, which need to be replaced somehow. Usually, without the kindness of Jonny's parents, the calorie count is kept high by carbohydrate-rich meals and regular sugary snacks along the way. Thanks Barry and Anna.
With plenty of food stored away we turned off the A49, finally, and took a more scenic route towards Wellington, where we had booked a campsite for the night. The road was undulating, but the scenery was attractive, if not dramatic. After taking in a little more rolling Herefordshire countryside we made it to Wellington. We stopped a little sooner and earlier today, because we had arranged to meet a couple of friends, Claire and Lizzie. We were spoilt even more. They greeted us with cake and then treated us to a meal in Hereford. Another hugely generous act. Thanks girls. Everyone has been massively kind to us since we've been doing this. Therefore, we're soon off to bed, we don't want to let anyone down.
And yes, out total distance really is 666 miles!
Night.
Saturday, 2 July 2011
Day 7 - Cabus to Prees - Urban sprawl
Distance - 83 miles
Total distance - 598 miles
Average speed - 11.6 mph
Maximum speed - 31.6 mph
Time - 7 hrs 9 mins
The day started with a panic, at least on my part. Every night we camp we lock the bikes together outside the temt. This morning my bike was locked to Jonny's and I couldn't find the key to my lock. After a 15 minute search, which culminated in emptying the entire contents of my panniers, I located my one remaining key (I have already lost the other!) and the panic was over. For breakfast we pulled over at a nearby food van and loaded up on bacon and egg butties. Fuelled with these, we made very quick progress initially, soon making it to Preston and onwards to Wigan. It was a little busy on the road at times, the road mainly being the A6, but again nothing to obscene.
After plugging along the A6, then the A49, for a little longer we made it to Warrington, via Wigan. In Warrington, after our good progress, we had an extended lunch break. This involved rather a lot of faffing about as we hunted for a place to stay this evening. As the boys went to the tourist information office I managed to get into a rather entertaining chat with a couple of butchers. As you do in Warrington. If honest, I didn't understand all that they said, but they were nice chaps nonetheless.
After Warrington, the air became cleaner and the countryside prettier. In other words we were leaving the North. The road became a little more undulating and the pace dropped a bit. With the urban sprawl of northeast England behind us we centered down to Shropshire, finding a campsite in Prees. It's getting chilly so to the tent I should go.
Before I leave though, for those interested, I have seen some average sporting stadia so far. The exception was Celtic Park. However, other 'highlights' have included the Inverness Caledonian Thistle stadium, Deepdale, The Halliwell Jones stadium (that may require some research) and, not forgetting, the home of Wick FC.
Night.
Total distance - 598 miles
Average speed - 11.6 mph
Maximum speed - 31.6 mph
Time - 7 hrs 9 mins
The day started with a panic, at least on my part. Every night we camp we lock the bikes together outside the temt. This morning my bike was locked to Jonny's and I couldn't find the key to my lock. After a 15 minute search, which culminated in emptying the entire contents of my panniers, I located my one remaining key (I have already lost the other!) and the panic was over. For breakfast we pulled over at a nearby food van and loaded up on bacon and egg butties. Fuelled with these, we made very quick progress initially, soon making it to Preston and onwards to Wigan. It was a little busy on the road at times, the road mainly being the A6, but again nothing to obscene.
After plugging along the A6, then the A49, for a little longer we made it to Warrington, via Wigan. In Warrington, after our good progress, we had an extended lunch break. This involved rather a lot of faffing about as we hunted for a place to stay this evening. As the boys went to the tourist information office I managed to get into a rather entertaining chat with a couple of butchers. As you do in Warrington. If honest, I didn't understand all that they said, but they were nice chaps nonetheless.
After Warrington, the air became cleaner and the countryside prettier. In other words we were leaving the North. The road became a little more undulating and the pace dropped a bit. With the urban sprawl of northeast England behind us we centered down to Shropshire, finding a campsite in Prees. It's getting chilly so to the tent I should go.
Before I leave though, for those interested, I have seen some average sporting stadia so far. The exception was Celtic Park. However, other 'highlights' have included the Inverness Caledonian Thistle stadium, Deepdale, The Halliwell Jones stadium (that may require some research) and, not forgetting, the home of Wick FC.
Night.
Friday, 1 July 2011
Day 6 - Carlisle to Cabus - Up and down
Distance - 76 miles
Total distance - 515 miles
Average speed - 11.8 mph
Maximum speed - 35.0 mph
Time - 6 hrs 25 mins
Another 7am alarm call greeted us in our Ibis room in central Carlisle. A tricky decision had to be made last night. Close the room window and roast, because we couldn't get the air con to work, or leave it open and struggle to sleep, because the Carlisle revellers were being a bit lairy and noisy. In the end the window was left open, until it got closed again 5 minutes later! In all honesty a decent sleep was had by all and after tucking into a breakfast that had been bought from Tesco the night before we went on our way.
We spent virtually the entire day on the A6, the traffic on which varied greatly. Initially it was very frustrating, very up and down. Therefore it was difficult to get into any real momentum. To quell this frustration I made a stop at the Toffee Shop in Penrith to refuel on some vanilla fudge. Some of the best fudge around. Then we headed towards Shap, vaguely aware that there may be a more sustained climb ahead. And there was. Bigger than we were expecting. In a way this ignorance made it easier and we simply launched into the climb. And climbed a bit more. Then more. Eventually we reached 1400ft, our highest point on the journey so far. Hopefully it will stay that way. But the view across the Eden Valley and towards the Pennines was pretty spectacular and made it all worthwhile.
From then we had an enjoyable downhill section, soon making it to Kendal where we stopped for lunch. Then it was onwards to Lancaster. Here the road became a bit dull, if honest. With little more of note we made it to our pre-booked campsite just outside Cabus, in Lancashire. We made it just in time to watch Andy Murray lose, while having some lovely pub grub. The tent awaits. But first I must stretch, ready for tackling another urban section tomorrow. Hopefully it'll be more fun than Glasgow.
Lastly, the eagle-eyed amongst you readers will have noticed that we have topped 500 miles. So unless something goes badly wrong, we're over halfway. Another milestone. Milestones are good.
Total distance - 515 miles
Average speed - 11.8 mph
Maximum speed - 35.0 mph
Time - 6 hrs 25 mins
Another 7am alarm call greeted us in our Ibis room in central Carlisle. A tricky decision had to be made last night. Close the room window and roast, because we couldn't get the air con to work, or leave it open and struggle to sleep, because the Carlisle revellers were being a bit lairy and noisy. In the end the window was left open, until it got closed again 5 minutes later! In all honesty a decent sleep was had by all and after tucking into a breakfast that had been bought from Tesco the night before we went on our way.
We spent virtually the entire day on the A6, the traffic on which varied greatly. Initially it was very frustrating, very up and down. Therefore it was difficult to get into any real momentum. To quell this frustration I made a stop at the Toffee Shop in Penrith to refuel on some vanilla fudge. Some of the best fudge around. Then we headed towards Shap, vaguely aware that there may be a more sustained climb ahead. And there was. Bigger than we were expecting. In a way this ignorance made it easier and we simply launched into the climb. And climbed a bit more. Then more. Eventually we reached 1400ft, our highest point on the journey so far. Hopefully it will stay that way. But the view across the Eden Valley and towards the Pennines was pretty spectacular and made it all worthwhile.
From then we had an enjoyable downhill section, soon making it to Kendal where we stopped for lunch. Then it was onwards to Lancaster. Here the road became a bit dull, if honest. With little more of note we made it to our pre-booked campsite just outside Cabus, in Lancashire. We made it just in time to watch Andy Murray lose, while having some lovely pub grub. The tent awaits. But first I must stretch, ready for tackling another urban section tomorrow. Hopefully it'll be more fun than Glasgow.
Lastly, the eagle-eyed amongst you readers will have noticed that we have topped 500 miles. So unless something goes badly wrong, we're over halfway. Another milestone. Milestones are good.
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