Day 0 - getting to the start line....
Sat at the airport getting in some more important preparation, I notice the weather forecast..... severe storms coming in from the Altantic.... Hmm our route included hotels and ferry crossings to Aran to see the spectacular west coast and dodge Glasgow .... WRONG.... Time for a new plan...
One plane ride and a short taxi later, with a few beers to hand at the YHA in Inverness working out on an EAST coast route.... Never be too rigid in your route choices ... plus it makes for more of an adventure :)
Why JOG to LE ... because it's all down hill! ... more seriously to get the logistics of flying with bikes and getting to a seriously remote end of the road done at the start when are fresh and ready for anything. The subsequent head wind was not a consideration ... perhaps it should have been ... perhaps we'll do the LE-JOG next time to get a comparison ....
Day 1 - JOG to LAIRG
The true north east end of the road is...... Duncansby Head light-house .....
A truly wet windy end of the world feeling
As you can see from the bikes/gear we are unsupported but still a lightweight approach using hotels, shops & cafes along the route - no camping.
yes I am nearly nearly completely BLACK!! ... rather crazy ... to rethink for any future rides
somewhere along the northern most north coast
A last welcome, rather busy fuel stop before heading inland - only 500m off the main drag....
... but you have to know it's there!
A meal that Tony could not face - a big first ... a once in a life experience
One of the many quiet wild roads from the remote north of the north.
Not so BLACK from the back ... perhaps that's why I am still alive??
sign marking the end of day 1 .... only 9 more to do!
Stats from day 1 - not bad considering we didn't start riding until ~11h. Hence arriving late ~8pm at the hotel and the restaurant was CLOSED! ... then off to the local spar for cold food and to the hotel bar (still open) for liquids... it seemed to work :)
Day 2 - Lairg to Breakarchy & Crubenbeg
getting fueled up before the start of the day
Always nice to find the bikes are still there morning after
some spectacular views
another random bridge crossing
essential to keep the fuel intake up to spec.
I was expecting the A9 to be a nightmare .... but there are so many well marked parallel cycle lanes that you hardly notice the traffic.... nothing to fear when following the A9 ... not sure we would have had the same luck on the west coast route....
In fact, so many quiet back roads ... that it became a problem .... we did not pass enough small shops or cafes!!
finally a pizza .... but ... don't panic ... the combination lock code had changed during the stop ... ahhhh!! Throw in the little bro. with magic fingers to break the new code!! I thought a coded lock would avoid potential issues with lost keys....
.... run away...........
a fairly steady flow of pretty road side flowers from start to finish of the whole trip - impressive for the sheer volume as well as the individual beauty.
somewhat amusing blank pathway across a grassy heath ...
Looking at those stats a relatively easy day :0)
getting 'em lined up while we wait for lunch to arrive (important to stay hydrated)
The Roman way hotel ... somewhat neglected although evidence of a face-lift - still they let us put the bikes inside the large reception area and the room met all the requirements with a pub easily at hand so TICK that one :0)
A MacDo breakfast (a first for me) - fuel is fuel ;)
a typical English village church
A curious roadside attraction made me think of being on the Pacific coast of the USA
The English language doing it's best to keep us smiling :0)
Another hotel with bike in room service .... it's quite common ... albeit best to ask when booking
a random roundabout structure to distract you from what's going on, on the road in front of you!!
unfortunately no cafe with all day breakfast or cream teas that would have gone down very nicely....
and when you run out of cider .....
and so the day rolled on - road side flowers - closed roads (to cars) - coffee and cakes
Finally rolling into the campsite of a personal contact who had prepared a nice heated pod (the new rage) ... plus taxi service to local pub for all the other essentials.... good family ambiance with 'n' kids of all ages explaining the need for two dishwashers!!
the first time with a serious display from the poppies
and the return of the rain ... I am sure it could have been worse ... but still feel we had our fair share of it! .... Just have a good coat... put it on and ride on!
The ultimate ... a genuine Cornish pasty ... melts in your mouth with real steak and veg.
What's that ... did we miss a turn and end up in France ..... a castle on an island with a tidal causeway.
So we rolled on to the end and the weather turned to perfect blue skies and sunshine, as it is on Cornish all the postcards :)
We made it in 9.5 days.
yes yes yes ... a taxi back to Penzance and the YHA
a visit to a Turkish barber to remove 10 days of road grime...
yes another cream-tea as the first didn't meet the expectations of my youthful memory
what else can you do on a train ....
The welcome home committee
The centre of Scotland stone selfie
The Ordnance Survey calculated that the centre of Mainland Scotland is at NN7673153751 ( 56°39′33.86″N 4°0′40.37″W). The point is 5 km east of the mountain of Schiehallion, which is sometimes claimed to be at the centre of Scotland.
but....
the stone is NOT there .... it's near Laggan our end point of the day
After a very long day ... starting under cold clear skies and dry roads that gave way to more classical penetrating rain .... combined with nearly 200Km .... so arrived very tired ... and so very pleased with the warm reception of farmers James + Beinn .... saved again!
Apologies for my lack of any sense of humor :(
thank you again James and Beinn.
Day 3 - a long push along the A9 to Edinburgh.
setting off after a good breakfast with our personal local guide on his roller skies, an easy10Km warm up for Beinn.
finally a pizza .... but ... don't panic ... the combination lock code had changed during the stop ... ahhhh!! Throw in the little bro. with magic fingers to break the new code!! I thought a coded lock would avoid potential issues with lost keys....
The hill from hell .... it may look flat in the video .... but the weaving rider tells another story....
And ..... the end of day ..... AirBnB from hell....
.... run away...........
the next morning breakfast and that look!! .... after the trauma of AirBnB!
Day 4 - Edinburgh to Penrith
Looks like a day of blues skies and endless open quiet roads ... bring it on!
a fairly steady flow of pretty road side flowers from start to finish of the whole trip - impressive for the sheer volume as well as the individual beauty.
Lovely riding but again faced with doubts about finding the next fueling up stop
Then stumble across these lovely ladies and their tea + soup + cake stop :)
and errrr well they did mention something about water on the road ahead ... up to wheel axle deep
The signs that mark the return to safety and the arrival of the cavalry .. well for Tony
This evenings stop-over could not have been any more black and white compared to the previous AirBnB .... Meadow View B&B where a 10/10 rating seems to be a mean rating! a proper BnB even covering laundry service :)
and pub only 50m away --> dinner with Dan (aka cavalry) and some random chap + dog in the pub!Life doesn't get much better.
Day 5 - Penrith to Eccleston
so the good cycle network continues
coupled with the occasional closed road
keeps the quiet country feeling rolling by
a typical fuel station fuel stop :)
somewhat amusing blank pathway across a grassy heath ...
without the sign you would not know it existed
Tony coming up trumps again with the bed for the night and nearby pub ...
we're on a roll .. keep it coming
Day 6 - Eccleston to Cannock
note: now starting the second half of the adventure
coffee and cakes yesss!
bike porn
both bikes running Schwalbe marathons - zero punctures in 10 days / 1000 miles
and for the rain to pass on ;)
Day 7 - Cannock to Tewkesbury
An over due recovery day - to sync up with the team groupie in Tewkesbury.
A MacDo breakfast (a first for me) - fuel is fuel ;)
A curious roadside attraction made me think of being on the Pacific coast of the USA
happily no need to measure the water levels today
The English language doing it's best to keep us smiling :0)
Another hotel with bike in room service .... it's quite common ... albeit best to ask when booking
Day 8 - Tewkesbury to Tiverton
back to the longer days >9,5hrs of actual pedaling.
a random roundabout structure to distract you from what's going on, on the road in front of you!!
unfortunately no cafe with all day breakfast or cream teas that would have gone down very nicely....
... but the farm shop did provide fresh fruits, bread pudding and cider!!
you have to take what you can get!
and when you run out of cider .....
and so the day rolled on - road side flowers - closed roads (to cars) - coffee and cakes
why do we do it to ourselves !!
Day 9 - Tiverton to Truro
Cornwall and the first day we break the 2000m of hills threshold by a good margin!!
The home straight ... well the beginning of the end ;)
and...... back to rain and cold, although it didn't seem to bother the little bro. who obviously has something that I don't!?
Finally rolling into the campsite of a personal contact who had prepared a nice heated pod (the new rage) ... plus taxi service to local pub for all the other essentials.... good family ambiance with 'n' kids of all ages explaining the need for two dishwashers!!
Day 10 - Truro to LE ... the end!
and the return of the rain ... I am sure it could have been worse ... but still feel we had our fair share of it! .... Just have a good coat... put it on and ride on!
What's that ... did we miss a turn and end up in France ..... a castle on an island with a tidal causeway.
We made it in 9.5 days.
Impossible to get directly to the lands end signpost due to hordes of tourists (we're different!!) and pro-photographer blocking access, so made do with a selfie grabbed from 10m away
Well don little bro you/we did it and in pretty good style for the old office working folks that we are.
Later that same day......
a short distance from the insanity of LE.
Bumped into some froggies heading to St.Ives on their nice road bikes who asked which way we were going and we mentioned the taxi to Penzance before the follow-up line of we left JOG 10 days ago.
yes yes yes ... a taxi back to Penzance and the YHA
then into town for the illusive cream tea (with coffee) a beer or two or more and the bizarre feeling of not wearing cycling shorts ... it's almost kinky swinging free.
a visit to a Turkish barber to remove 10 days of road grime...
The next day's long train ride back to Bracknell
The machines that had been between our sweaty legs for ten days
what else can you do on a train ....
The welcome home committee
So ... What's next ???
