Epilogue

Its now over 3 weeks since we finished and it seems ages ago. I have been out on my bike several times since but it may not come as a surprise to you to hear that Jane hasn't!

A happy postscript to our adventure is that we have found the owner of the camera that we found in Devon. We eventually resorted to taking it to the police and they tracked him down from the number plate on one of the pictures.

The amusing thing is that it belonged to his wife and he didnt even realise that he had lost it! He kindly made a donation to Macmillan on our justgiving page.

We have now raised over £3700 and have set our sights on £4000 as the donations are still coming in.

Peter

Is that it?

After 3 weeks of structure to our days and evenings there is a strange feeling now we have actually finished and achieved our goal.

No worry about drying the washbasin laundry, no searching around for enough sockets in the room to charge GPS, phone, camera etc. We don't even need to worry about getting enough calories on board for tomorrow (OK yes - we did reward ourselves with a massive cream tea!) We have even ordered continental breakfasts for tomorrow instead of the 'full English'

Today was an amazing day. Just the sort of finish I had dreamt about. Crystal blue skies, shimmering seas and a stonking following wind for the last 20 miles to Lands End.

On arrival at the finish we were met by friends Zanny & John Cooper with a bottle of champagne. They also kindly paid for the compulsory signpost picture. Thanks.

The 10 mile return ride to Penzance was into a stiff headwind.

Jane has made very nice compliments to me in her blog. I have enjoyed her blogs as much as everyone and I have been wondering every day what she would say about me. She never mentioned the time I put my GPS on the handlebars upside down and we nearly rode back to JOG.

It's amazing to think what we have done. Jane had hardly cycled more than 10 miles this time last year. When she announced her intention of coming along on my challenge last summer I must admit to a little scepticism. However as we did our training together it became clear that failure was not an option for her. Well done Jane.

We have been really lucky with the weather. We only had 2 wet half days and most days we had a following wind. However without those benefits we would still have finished it but it was just a lot more pleasant

Thanks to everyone who has supported us during the last 3 weeks. Hopefully see you all soon.

Peter

It is now!

(Yes you could see where I was going with that one)
Jane blogging.
Well we did it, and without oxygen or sherpas.
You might get the impression from all this light hearted banter that it was a stroll in the park. It wasn't. It was the hardest thing I've ever done but I'm glad I did. I wouldn't have missed it for the world but to paraphrase Sir Steve Redgrave, if anyone ever sees me going anywhere near a bike ever again you have my permission to shoot me.
I know I never miss an opportunity to take the mick out of Peter but without all his meticulous planning we would never have made it, so well done to him.
P. S.
Anyone want to buy a bike, well used?
Only joking.

We're there!

Drinking champers by the signpost

Some people are on the beach,they think it's all over.

Jane here.
We are safely in St Ives poised for the final assault on our target.
You know I told you about the camera we found,well there was nearly a heroic failure of epic proportions. This afternoon Peter left his own camera in a bar. All we would have had to show for our jogle efforts would have been 6 pictures of a random stranger's start of the ride at the wrong end. Luckily an alert local spotted it and returned it Phew

Hitting the wall at 1000 miles

It's just as well today was a short day as my legs had run out of pedal today and I "bonked" before we had left Perranporth (Jane has previously explained that term). The hills of yesterday continue unabated and it wasn't until I stocked up at lunchtime that I got my strength back (see picture). I don't know why this happened as we had a good meal last night.

We took some time to explore the impressive cliffs and beaches between Portreath and Gwythian.

As we were riding through Hayle we passed the magic 1000 mile mark and I rode too close to a wall and nearly amputated my nearside pannier!

A lady on a Dawes Galaxy showed us a backroads way through Lelant and we are staying in the Badger inn which is a nice real ale pub.

Off to the beach for a little R&R before the final leg tomorrow. We expect to be at Lands End around lunchtime.

Peter

Another coast - another sunset

Today was tough. The first half from Launceston to Padstow was an easy climb up the Tamar valley followed by a descent along the coast to Rock.

The Black Tor ferry over to Padstow kindly let us travel free because we were fundraising. Low spring tide meant an awkward push of the bikes up the steps from the beach

Padstow was a must for us because of so many memories of holidays going back 60 years!

We had lunch at "The Wheelwrights" where unbeknown to us one of the customers had a whip-round and presented us with over £20 for Macmillan.

We also met the Manchester area Macmillan manager who happened to be there on holiday.

After lunch we had another 20 miles to do through a series of small seaside bays each with it's own steep hill in and another out

By the time we reached Perranporth we were both shattered. There was the most fantastic sunset however.

We are now only 40 miles from Lands End but our plan is to take 2 days to do it. This is to allow us to get to LE at midday on Tuesday and also give us a bit of well earned relaxation.

Peter

Mis-taken Identity

Hi Jane Blogging

Yesterday Pete found a camera on the road. We thought we might be able to find out who it belonged to by looking at the pictures and quickly discovered it was lost by a fellow 'end to ender' with his pictures of himself proudly about to set off. We thought he might have put his name up on the famous signpost just as we had at the other end. Pete studied the picture and worked out how to zoom in on the detail. He got very excited and said with a masterful piece of amateur sleuthery 'Yes there is a name. I can just make it out. It's, yes I think I can read it it looks... Yes it's John something.' I grabbed it and studied it closely 'Yes' I said' It's John Ogroats and his friend 974 Miles'
Ah well. I'm sure that with the combined resources of Sherlock here and the internet we should be able to find the rightful owner. Who may be called John Miles, but probably isn't.

Aga Saga

Jane boggling
I've never been one of those people who lusted after an Aga, thinking them perhaps a bit of a faff, but I may have been converted. We stayed with Peter's brother Rob and his wife Meg last night who kindly allowed us to use their washing machine. My ancient and battered phone got washed in a pocket. When it came out it was very clean but mortally wounded. No vital signs such as a text from one of my offspring saying 'Where are you. What can I have to eat' I wasn't too distressed having been fancying a new one for a while. Anyway, we took it apart dried it off overnight on the Aga , reassembled it this morning, pressed the ON button and yes , up chirped that annoying little Nokia tune as chirpy as ever. Unbelievable. It's like the Top Gear Toyota, completely indestructible. I'll have to try dropping a caravan on it. I have a new respect for my old phone now. I think I'll hang on to it. I bet if it had been one of those fancy Blackberry and Apple thingies left in the oven all night it would have crumbled.
Oh dear.
Jane

Cornwall

We are now at Launceston just inside Cornwall

Had a good day. The dreaded and famed Devon hills proved to be easier than expected probably because our JOGLE route has already been hillier than most because of the minor roads we have used. So we are used to hills.

It was great to stay with Rob & Meg last night. Thanks

After lunch in Okehampton an old friend - the Granite Way - provided a painless way of ascending to over 1000ft. We last rode this section of the route during the Devon coast to coast 8 weeks ago.

The last section down the old A30 was a delight with quiet roads and long fast descents. It also brought back memories of grinding slowly along the same section in traffic jams before the new A30 was built. I think we probably did it quicker today on our bikes.

Just before we arrived in Launceston I found a Canon digital camera in the road. We think the owner will be gutted to lose it as the pictures show a cyclist leaving Lands End this morning. I am sure we will track him down through his sponsorship details so we are holding onto it for now. If it's yours then please contact us

We passed the 900 mile mark today and the end is very close. Unfortunately both of our cycle computers have reset themselves during the trip so we won't be able to photograph the 1000mile counter.

Heading to our old stamping ground at Padstow then on down the North Cornish coast tomorrow.

Peter

Laundry

We carry 2 days change of clothing and every night is occupied with the ritual of the nightly washbasin laundry.

Today we have the fortune of staying with my brother Rob in Exeter - with a proper washing machine. Just as the wash was finishing Jane announced that she had lost her phone. A hot wash didn't do it any good at all and it is currently drying out on the AGA.

Jane doesn't like hills. Fair enough but routes don't come much flatter than the Somerset Levels. After tackling some serious hills during this trip we now reach a bridge over a railway line and Jane will complain "I thought you said this wasn't hilly".

Oh well, tomorrow we start the 'proper' hills through Devon. There is a strange clicking noise coming from my bottom bracket bearing. Surely it can't be failing again as it's only 8 weeks since I last replaced it.

Peter

Blowing your own trumpet

Jane here
It 's always interesting to see what various counties and towns like to declare as you enter their area. 'Welcome to Somewhereshire home to the world's finest collection of potholes' say.
We have learned that Cheshire is proud of its gardens, Whitchurch of its clocktowers and Much Wenlock claims to be where the Olympics originated. They are nearly all an Ancient Market Town,some are fairtrade towns. Some claim something like Britain in Bloom runner up 1997 medium sized towns in the north west beginning with W.
One can only wonder though,at the head scratching that must go on when the wise civic dignitaries of certain places,sitting in council meetings far into the night, sucking their pencils, with colossal failure of imagination come up with '.... welcomes careful drivers' Whoa that'll really put them on the map.
After all it's not as though there's much else you're famous for, is there? Cheddar?

A spot of wind

Jane has lost one her England flags. To be precise I saw it fall off under the wheels of a foreign lorry a couple of days ago (Hope that isn't an allegory for England's fate in the world cup.

Although the remaining flag looks a bit sad on it's own it still performs as a weather forecasting device. Today the flag was pointing towards Jane at any speed under 14mph which was good as it indicated a following wind.

Most riders do the End2End from South to North because of the prevailing wind. Luckily, we chose the other way as we have had the wind behind us most of the way. Our friends Rob and Jon were not so lucky today as they were riding into the teeth of the gale on their way from LE to JOG. We met them at the services by the Severn Bridge and had a chance to compare notes. After a couple of coffees we were a bit behind schedule but the following wind helped us arrive at our B&B on time

Special thanks to the couple at Gordano services who went to the cashpoint specially so they could give us a £20 donation for Macmillan. A record so far on this trip.

Peter

Wife Eye

Jane again
Peter has been planning this expedition for months and months. I don't know where he would have been without all this techie stuff though. Every night over the winter he was to be found, poring over his laptop, pausing only to watch Eastenders, muttering things like 'Now, when we get to (insert name of obscure county) I'm not sure whether to go by the A 1234 which will save us 3.76 miles but has a 1 in 8 hill, or the B5678, which is a bit longer, but only has a 1 in 12 hill, or cross the river there and... I know, I'll zoom in on Google earth and have a look what it looks like...'
Me ZZzzzzzzzz

'WHAT DO YOU THINK JANEY?'

I jolt awake and answer perhaps a little too brightly, trying to pretend I was listening all along,
Err yep sounds good to me.
Which?
Erm the second one.
Mmm er yes, I think we'll go with the first one.
Why did you ask me then? I say
Well it's nice to have your input in the decision making process.
More soon Jane.

Wales

Hereford was a bit of a disappointment and decent eateries were hard to find. We ended up at an ASK pizza restaurant. We set off this morning with half our clothes still wet from yesterday. Fortunately the weather was kind to us and we soon dried out.

Today's route took us by back lanes (very hilly) to Monmouth and then down the Wye valley to Chepstow. Total distance 47 miles but with a knackering 5900 ft of total ascent.

The scenery was fantastic weaving in and out of Wales along the rivers Mono and Wye and we passed some interesting places including a castle where they filmed a recent episode of Dr Who.

We met some interesting characters along the way including the regulars in the pub at Ewyas Harold who told us all about the goings on at the SAS base which we had just cycled past.

The landlord at 'The Sloop' pub in the Wye valley not only gave us a donation for Macmillan but also refused to accept payment for the tea and shortbread we had eaten - amazing, thanks.

At the end of the final climb into Chepstow we were rewarded by today's picture - a fantastic view of the river Wye with the Severn Bridge in the distance (tomorrow's target)

Just to finish today on a high our B&B has a drying room (we are easily pleased)

75% of our ride now completed - just the South West penninsula to do

Peter

Blazing Saddles

Jane wittering
Those of you lying awake at night worrying about how I'm going to keep my fluffy saddle cover dry in the unlikely event of rain will be relieved to know that I have managed to pilfer a shower cap from a B and B to cover it up. It looks Ridiculous. It has mainly been used so far when the bike has been parked up,for example at a coffee bothy. Today though, I stepped outside and someone threw a bucket of cold water over me. I realised that this was rain of a most serious and wetting kind and it was clear that Full Waterproof Kit would be have to be deployed. It could have been nasty though, plastic saddle cover, polyester waterproof trousers ,all that lycra, if it hadn't been so wet there could have been an unfortunate case of spontaneous combustion.

Well the rain eased off to a steady downpour, the sky began to clear I started to dry out. My gloves dried, my socks were less squelchy ,everything in fact except the double pant combo which was still saggy baggy and wet. When the sun eventually appeared, it actually got quite hot. Then I had a horrible thought . Ohmygod, what if I'm walking around genteel sedate Ludlow, and... my pants actually start Steaming?
P.S
We got separated at a T junction today. Miles from anywhere, very quiet and rural. I pinged my bell like mad and shouted very loudly 'which way?' A distant voice came from my right, 'LEFT'

Lordy

See you soon Jane

The Wrong Trousers

Jane has been 'Pimping her Ride'. First was the dead sheep draped over her saddle. She now sports a custom pair of England flags on the back of her bike. You may think that with the fluffy pink feathers it looks like a child's headband.
It is actually very useful when I follow behind her as it tells me what the weather is doing. If the pink fluffy bit is bedraggled and soggy then I know it is raining. If it is fluffy then I know it is fine. Today it is mostly soggy. Despite the appearance of the photo as we left Church Farm B&B in Wrockwardine it was chucking it down for most of the morning (that'll teach me for being smug yesterday).

We wore waterproof trousers. Mine are called Rainlegs and are brilliant. Janes were originally waterproof walking trousers but cut off at the knee. When she rides at any speed the wind blows them up so they look like one of those Sumo Wrestler suits when viewed from behind.

We stopped for lunch in Ludlow and in the afternoon the rain had eased off to a steady downpour.

In Ludlow an End2Ender with thighs the size of tree trunks warned us not to underestimate the serious hills between Herteford and Monmouth which cheered us up!

But that's for tomorrow. We are now in Hereford - home of the Mappa Mundi and not a lot else - with wet clothes and a B&B where the radiators don't work!

Peter

Pants

Jane here.
I wish to correct any erroneous impression which Peter may have given by his statement that I had left my pants in the Lake district. They were not lost behind a gorse bush, fallen off on a fell or even strung up, trophy style, from a flagpole in Keswick. It was nothing to do with any rural shenanigans or pastoral hanky panky. No the truth is much more boring. They got left behind at a B and B where they got left behind after drying. I'll probably never get them back as they are now probably home to a cat a cockerell and a family of fieldmice.

Of course these are not just any old pants. They are a highly technical piece of kit. Lycra engineering, hamstring durch technik and all that. The only solution was to go for a bit of retail therapy in Chester on our day off. I was greatly restored after this but Pete didn't think it was much of a day off. Anyway back on the road again today fully kitted out again and continuing our inexorable advance on our target. More soon. Jane

Off again

The rest day yesterday has done us good as we were off like rockets this morning and we covered today's 47 miles in record time

We are now in The Midlands staying on a farm near Telford. Almost the closest point to home. It's a very nice B&B and more than makes up for the dump we stayed in at Lancaster.

Fortunately we booked evening meal here as it turns out that Martin, our host has a rosette for his cooking.

Whitchurch is a strange town! I have cycled through it twice before, each time on a Sunday, so I expected nothing to be open. However today is Monday and everything was still closed. Perhaps they have their Bank Holidays a week late in these parts.

Today's weather forecast was dreadful but we have been very lucky with only a few spots of rain. There were several large storms that passed us by on either side. I took credit for my skilful GPS routing between the storms but Jane wasn't convinced!

Peter

Shopping

Jane with a few provisions for the rest of our trip

Rest Day

As you may have guessed that last Blog came from Jane after we got back from a nice meal with Helen & John last night. Thanks for the champagne Helen but Jane is feeling slightly precious this morning!

Yesterday was a long ride from Lancaster to Frodsham - over 70 miles after I had taken a wrong turn. For the most part it was flat but there are a couple of nasty hills at Appley Bridge.

It was incredibly hot but we managed to keep hydrated and arrived at Jane's Dad's in Frodsham at 7pm.

The Mersey crossing route we chose worked well and we followed the Trans-Pennine trail through a network of cycle paths called Sankey Bridges. There were a few dodgy characters including an obvious drug dealer but we got through in one piece and it was definitely better than traffic.

These cycle network paths are all very well and good but have the designers ever ridden a bike? Every few hundred yards there was an obstruction designed to let bikes through but not motor bikes. Trouble is that Jane's 'Butterfly' handlebars wouldn't fit requiring a two-person effort to lift it through. The other bug-bear is those oversized kissing gates that are designed to let bikes through. They may work OK with kids mountain bikes but not with tourers/panniers (Sustrans please note)

Today is a day off and we will probably get the train to Chester to try and find Jane some new cycling pants (she left a pair in the Lake District).

Peter

Sblogshed

Met up with Helen another old schoolfriend. Too blogged to slosh. .

Half Way There

Jane here
I was misled about the size of Scotland. I blame it on that ridiculously Londoncentric weather map the BBC used to show a couple of years ago, which showed the southeast of England taking up about 90 per cent of the tv screen with Scotland relegated to an insignificant blob at the top under a grey cloud. Then the Scots rightly objected and some degree of proportion was restored. Well it's still deceptive. Scotland is about fifty per cent of the length of GB. I thought after a few hours riding we'd be at Carlisle and then the ride would really start. Happily though, when you get to Cumbria you are half way there! So here we are now in England. Good. I can now safely pimp my bike with some of that England football merchandise. There was very little mention of the World Cup north of the border. Funny that. Jane

Cumbria

I have been told off by Rob (who organises the Stratford Macride) for not showing our Macride jerseys in the blog photos. Todays picture is for Rob. We have been wearing them, honest, but they were sometimes covered up on account of the cold Scottish weather.

Threlkeld was delightful and we set off in beautiful sunny weather. After 5 miles our route took us round the back of Thirlmere and we were surprised to find Scott's dad, Dave, waiting for us on his bike. He cycled with us for the rest of the day through Ambleside and Windermere - most welcome - thanks Dave.

Shortly after Dave left us we found Ali & Scott waiting for us en-route back from Arran. We had a nice tea-time stop with them.

I have observed over the past few days that 1 day's cycling equates to 1 hour's driving and this was confirmed when Ali told us that they had only taken 3 hours to get back from Arran.

We are now in Lancaster in by far the worst B&B of the trip. It is meant to be 4 star but we have been sent 500 yards down the road to their "annexe" which is a converted garage smelling of damp. We have been told they will deliver bacon sandwiches for our breakfast. Stand by for some interesting haggling over price tomorrow!

Tomorrow is a long ride to Frodsham where we will have a rest day.

Peter

J

Jane here
Pete is a genius at all this techie stuff but has great difficulty distinguishing his right from his left. This can lead to some interesting situations at junctions.
Picture the scene. I'm in front.
Me 'Which way?'
Him 'Right' (I point to the right with my thumb, just to check)
Him 'No, right'
Me 'That is right'
Him 'Left then'
Me 'Alright'
Him 'No left'
Good grief

Or at a T junction. Right or left I say. Straight on. I can't it's a river. Just follow the road round that way....So he goes ahead to show the way.
A half mile gap opens up and I finally catch up at a field gate, his bike is tossed carelessly in a bed of nettles,wheel still spinning, his head visible over the hedge. From this I deduce that he has taken the opportunity to go for an al fresco pee. At this point I see the farmer come tanking down the lane on his quad bike. At the same time an elderly lady with a poodle is approaching from the opposite direction. 'Best get a move on' I shout. 'I can't rush these things' he says. This has happened so often we now have no shame.

Sometimes in these fields there will be a sign up along the lines of 'Proudly growing British wheat for The Acme Bread Company' or some such.
Memo to self: Avoid Acme thick sliced for the next year or so. J.

Lakeland Falls

Jane only fell 3 times today which is quite an improvement. Of course it is my fault as I have set her saddle too high.

The first fall was rather spectacularly into a flowerbed at the Gretna Green blacksmith's forge - much to the amusement of the staff in the gift shop. I managed to record this on video and fortunately no injury resulted.

Gretna Green was as naff as expected but was a Must-See as the hoardes of Japanese and American tourists also thought. At £850 for a wedding it seemed quite a bargain. For a mere £30 you can also have a (non-legal) exchange of rings.

A mile or so south lies the English border with a rather unimpressive sign considering the effort expended to get there

Carlisle was better than expected but then started THE CLIMB. 1026 ft to be precise, on the hottest day of the year, but it was through the most beautiful countryside. The charming village of Hesket Newmarket has a village shop/tea room and a community pub frequented by Prince Charles (Great Alne please note)

We are now in Threlkeld feeling a bit smug when we meet cyclists who are ONLY doing the Coast to Coast.

The Lakes have never looked better

Peter

Bonking

Jane nattering

In cycling circles the verb to Bonk has a completely different meaning from that with which you may already be familiar. It means to completely run out of steam, to be absolutely exhausted and lacking all physical and mental motivation, like a marathon runner hitting 'the wall', in short to be like the England football team in an international friendly against a Restofthethirdworld under 16 girls B team. I was like that yesterday. I blame it on the pill I took to stop the itching from the midge bites from the chain incident. It's surprising, the restorative effect a home made supper courtesy of Rigg house B and B with Fresh Green Veg and 12 hours sleep can have. Today was different. Today I could laugh at the mountains. (As in I could look at the mountain, laugh, and say 'We're not going up that are we? Are we?') I think I've now got this sports nutrition thing sussed. Lots and often. Ha ha, no more bonking for me this trip.

Anyway the weather has now improved so much we can shed our bright yellow midge-magnet waterproofs which seem to attract every man eating bug in the northern hemisphere.

Jane

Burned out

This Robbie Burns chap is everywhere. We seem to have been following the Burns Heritage Trail and when I suggested to Jane that we might come back and visit some of the museums a sort of glazed look came over her face. We are now in Annan and even the local chippy has a plaque commemorating the poem he wrote there (honestly!)

Those of you who heard my 'Immortal Memory' address at the Burns night we had in Great Alne a few years ago will remember that his death was hastened by being immersed in the Solway Firth by his doctor. That is where we now are having traversed Scotland from it's North Coast to it's South Coast. The hillls we can see across the water are the Cumbrian Fells. (Don't tell Jane but we are crossing those tomorrow).

It's been a fantastic day with lovely weather and we feel great. Now it's just a small matter of getting across England.

Peter

False Summits

Jane here.
Peter has kindly provided a map for each day with squiggly green line at the top. This proves to be a profile of the contours of the day's ride. Good. I thought it was a particularly ominous ECG printout. (Especially the flat bit along the bottom, but that was the ferry ride.)

So I come puffing up to join Pete at a hill,and the conversation goes something like this:
Me. Are we at the summit yet?
Pete. Look at your profile. We're just at that little nipply bit before the shoulder leading to the plateau before that lump where it flattens out then dips a bit before the final pull to the top. Then there's a couple more like that today but a bit higher, and then we're done
Me. So that's a no then
Pete. (Incredulously) You can't possibly think this is steep?.
Me. (In a small but brave voice) Spose not.....
But he's gone in a cloud of dust and GT 85.
J.

Burns country

When I planned this route I didn't realise how many interesting places we would pass through. One of these was today when we were riding through a rather ordinary village called Tarbolton. We stopped at the village store to buy lunch and saw a National Trust property across the road. It turned out to be the house that Robbie Burns used to meet his mates to put the world to rights. They called themselves The Batchelors Club which bore more than a passing resemblance to GAGA (that's the Great Alne Gentlemens Association for those of you who are wondering).

Today did not start well. The weather was very wet and 100 yards after getting off the ferry from Arran, Jane ran into the back of me causing a little damage to both bikes. Fortunately it was repairable.

After lunch the weather improved but it was quite a tiring day. We are now at Kirkconnel which is a rather run-down mining community. The scenery however is beautiful.

Tomorrow is our last day in Scotland and we will soon be half way to Lands End.

Peter

Arran

What a good decision it was to come via Arran. OK it was a little hilly but the scenery is fantastic. We got a further £24 in donations today.

The short ferry crossing to Arran took us to a different world - so quiet.

Met up with Ali and Scott and had a rather bizarre chinese meal in what must be the worst and most chaotic restaurant we have eaten in. The staff gave half our meal to the wrong table and then blamed this on the fact that they were so busy (only 3 tables occupied). When we told someone in another bar about this we were cheerily told that her friend got food poisoning there last week.

Bought a packet of Imodium on the way back!

We have now done 350 miles and are South of Glasgow. Back to the mainland in the morning then head for Dumfries. Only 2 more days in Scotland.

Peter

Old Friends

Jane's Blog - Yesterday we bowled into Lochgilphead to be met by my old school friend Anne Wells (Shepherd) and her husband Peter. They were good enough to give us a hug even though we smelled of an alluring mixture of sweat ,midge repellent and GT85. They waited patiently while we changed out of the double cycling pants combo, the sartorial equivalent of Huggies, never a good look, then plied us with Champagne and treated us to supper at the Argyll Inn. We dined on Loch Fyne mussels, swapped travellers tales and made a drunken vow to cycle Big Sur!

Thanks Anne and Peter you are stars. (Loved the car by the way, very Thelma and Louise.)

Jane

Reunion on the Mull of Kintyre

Oban is a nice port on the West coast and gave us an amazing sunset last night.

We set off shortly after 9am but got no further than the drive of our B&B before my chain broke again! Luckily I had bought a spare chain yesterday but it took a little time to fix as it needed to be shortened.

The coast road South of Oban is beautiful with a couple of serious hill climbs.

One thing that has touched us during this trip is the generosity of people we have met along the way. We have had generous donations for our charity from landladies as well as random passers-by that we have met.

When we arrived in Lochgilpead we were met by a schoolfriend of Jane, Anne and her husband Peter who welcomed us with waving flags and champagne. We had a lovely meal and gossip in a local pub.

We have now completed almost 1/3 of our journey. Tomorrow we get to Arran.

Peter

On the road in Scotland

Jane here - Most of the roads haven't been resurfaced since Macadam was a lad.
Those which have were constructed using the latest surface which comes pre primed with baby potholes,ready to expand into whoppers at the first sign of rain or frost, and were completed by the work experience boy on an off day.

There are some funny old vehicles around too. We both thought we were being followed by a huge lorry yesterday, when it eventually rumbled past in a cloud of noise and fumes it turned out to be an ancient Citroen Dyan. Haven't they heard of the scrappage scheme up here? Just off for a curry see you soon. J.

A case of the Measles

It was a nice easy day today. 43 miles along the coast to Oban with spectacular scenery and a lovely flat road. There were some very smooth tarmac cycle paths which were a welcome relief from the poor road surface. Traffic much better than yesterday especially after Ballachulish.

As soon as we left Fort William I noticed an intermittent clicking noise coming from my rear cassette. This got steadily worse but as we were expecting to be in Oban by 3pm that left plenty of time to get it looked at by a bike shop on arrival.

15 miles from Oban my chain broke on a rather dangerous hill. I have never fixed a broken chain before 'in anger' so it was a big learning experience. After some struggling with a rather inadequate chain link tool we eventually got it fixed - but not before we had been eaten alive by the dreaded Scottish midges that surrounded us in swarms.

By the time we arrived in Oban (an hour late) we looked like we had Measles.

Staying in a very nice B&B in Oban. This is an important landmark as we have now done over 250 miles and are over 1/4 of the way.

Peter

Scotch Myths

Jane blatherin' on. I am beginning to suspect this whole Nessie thing may be nobbut a myth. We cycled the length of Loch Ness today. Nothing doing. We lurked behind a gorse bush,for at least 5 minutes, cameras at the ready. Dead quiet and everything. No sign.
Otters and Eagles
No sign of them either. Pete did think he saw an eagle on day 2 but as he once thought a Pine Marten was a type of bird, he may not be an entirely reliable witness
Darkness
We haven't seen that either. We're usually crashed out by 10.30 and up about 7 and it's always light.
Scotch
It's a myth that Scotch is good for you. It isn't. Jane. Bye for now.

(Not so) Great Glen

I was looking forward to the ride down the Great Glen from Loch Ness to Fort William but the reality did not really come up to expectation. The scenery is fantastic but the traffic was awful. The A82 is full of buses, lorries and idiot drivers. We tried the cycle route but it really was not nice on touring bikes as the surface was really rough. So we used the A82 the rest of the way which added on 5 miles. A bonus was that we passed the Commando memorial which has fantastic views of Ben Nevis.

We are now in Fort William with over 200 miles under our belts and everything is going well.

Peter

D'Israeli Gears

Jane chatting. I have a problem with my rear gear. No not my trousers, that cog thing at the back of the bike. When I change gear it takes so long to whir and clunk into place that I've forgotten about it and my foot slips off the pedal and causes me great consternation. Must get it fixed.

Sometimes when we're bowling along,Pete will shout 'Big chain ring! '. Having established that this is not some imminent anatomical catastrophe, I've realised he wants me to change to top gear so I can continue pedalling downhill. Why on earth would I want to pedal downhill? Isn't that what gravity is for? I guess I haven't got the cycling gene.

Mind you only a few months ago I used to derail my chain every time I went out on the bike so I have improved a bit since then. More soon. Jane

No sign of Nessie (yet!)

I have realised that I didn't say where we were last night. We stayed in Bonar Bridge and had an excellent meal at a Bistro called Crannag. The food was first class and the family who run it were very friendly.

I had a slight disaster yesterday as I discovered that an entire can of GT85 cycle lubricant had discharged itself in my pannier and all my spare cycle clothing was soaked and very strange-smelling.

Today's weather was not as bad as expected but we got caught in a couple of hailstorms. The chilly north wind is helping us. We had 2 big hills to get over but as we move South we are finding the traffic heavier and are seeing 'real' shops again.

We are now in Drumnadrochit on Loch Ness but no sign of monsters yet (apart from the one in the picture). We have covered 150 miles so far with 850 to go. Tomorrow we ride down the length of Loch Ness and the Great Glen to Fort William. I will have my camera at the ready in case we spot Nessie.

Peter

T

Up and down

Hooray we are finally heading South. Only trouble is The Highlands that stand between us and our goal.

We left Bettyhill with a following wind and rode up the beautiful Strathnaver valley. It didn't look so beautiful in 1820 as this was the site of the notorious Highland clearances. Some walls from the original settlements are still visible by the road.

The road gradually climbs up to 900ft. This the first time I have ridden steadily uphill for 30 miles but thankfully it is a gentle gradient. We stopped for a picnic lunch (taking no risks today) and got caught in a hailstorm. After a reviving coffee at the Altnahara hotel we continue to the col and were rewarded by a 20 mile descent.

Sadly we arrived at the Shin Falls just as the tearoom was shutting but were able to look at the falls (see picture)

Unfortunately the weather forecast for tomorrow is for rain, hail, snow (!) And thunder.

Peter

Doom Rays

Jane blogging.

Once upon a time on a wild uninhabited and ruggedly beautiful stretch of the Caithness coast, someone thought 'What can we do to improve this place? I know, let's build a nuclear power station.' Thus Dounreay came into being. Anyway they are now decommissioning it, and you can buy a commemorative mug in Thurso to mark the occasion. Yes really.

Apparently there is a doping scandal in cycling. I want to know what they are taking and how to get hold of it. Sadly with nothing stronger than battered deep fried haggis, weapons grade coffee and whatever is in the air from Dounreay we inched our way across the map to Bettyhill where there is a gobsmackingly beautiful beach and not much else.

Off to the bar now for a wee dram. One should always seek out locally sourced products. Jane

One small step

Someone once said 'A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step' and so we find ourselves here in Bettyhill 50 miles from John O' Groats with only 950 left to do.

It has been a really good day with mainly sunshine and only 1 brief shower. The cold wind persists and has been in our face all day.

Unfortunately no eating establishments seem to know about Monday or Tuesday up here so we never found anywhere for lunch. Although closed, the Strathy Inn took pity on us and made us coffee which, together with a bag of peanuts was our lunch.

We were passed by a group of soldiers doing JOGLE in just over a week. They were collecting for 'Help for heroes'. Despite the fact that they were on lightweight carbon fibre racers, were half our age and had 2 support vehicles carrying all their luggage we caught up with them again later but they soon sped off again.

Bettyhill has one of the most beautiful beaches we have ever seen (see picture) and an interesting museum about the Highland Clearances in 1820.

So far, our journey has taken us due west but tomorrow we start heading south at last. (Memo to self - take sandwiches!)

Peter

Incarceration

Hello, this is the Jane half of the team. Well we've finally started. Buffy has been packed off to the cattery where she will probably spend the next three weeks pacing up and down with her baseball and glove whistling that irritating tune and trying to figure out how to get under the wire and onto the motorbike.

We headed off on a tar meltingly hot day to Euston for the sleeper. We had a couple of beers and sat in the shade in Euston square gardens, in Pete's case under the flight path of an incontinent crow.

The sleeper bunk was a bit like sleeping in an M R I scanner, claustrophobic noisy. but without the soothing radio2 on the headphones.

John O' Groats,ancient Norse for Arse end O' Nowhere, was full of interesting characters arriving and departing on various heroic missions. Took the obligatory photos and at last done the first day. Just off to seek out the nightlife of Thurso.

Jane

We're off

We finally arrived at JOG at midday in the rain. The journey up here went without a hitch. The Caledonian Sleeper to Inverness was comfortable. The only concern was when the train was split at Edinburgh and we hoped we were going to the same place as our bikes! Luckily both bikes and riders arrived on time at Inverness where we were met by van driver Kyle for onward transfer to JOG.

At JOG we had lunch with a guy who was 2700 miles through his coastal circumnavigation of UK and another who had cycled from London and was now setting off back home - to Australia!! And we thought our challenge was impressive.

One thing the journey up here has taught us is how far we have to cycle back.

Anyway, after the obligatory photos we set off for Thurso - a fairly modest 20 miles. There was a freezing headwind but the sun came out and we had an enjoyable ride down quiet and scenic back lanes.

We had some difficulty locating our B&B and got caught in a shower.

Tomorrow we have a rather hilly 30 miles to Bettyhill.

Peter

Apologies to Jane Austen

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man in possession of a pension must be in need of a wife to accompany him on some madcap escapade. So it was that I found myself agreeing to cycle from JOG to LE. A thousand miles, give or take. It was either that or go along in a support vehicle. Been there, done that and, between you and me, it can get a bit tedious. And unhealthy. All the cakes and none of the achievement.

So, with a few days to go and 8 months of preparation behind us, where have we got to?

Those of a nervous disposition (and/or men) look away now.

Knickers. After much research I have realised that the only way to go is with two pairs of padded pants, a thinner one to wash out easily and a thicker one with industrial strength padding. So if my bum looks big in this, it’s all padding, honest. Also I have acquired a sheepskin saddle cover to hoots of derision, no doubt, from ‘serious cyclists'. It does look faintly hilarious, like a misshapen B.B.C. microphone cover. Wish I’d bought it months ago.

Pete has been very busy with his new toy, a video camera. stand by for lots of footage of my bum receding into the distance with cheesy soundtrack. We are thinking of remaking ‘Touching the Void’ involving bicycles and potholes. Are you listening Gloucestershire County Council?

Have got to pack tomorrow. It’s more a case of what to leave out. Can I manage without mascara? Yes yes,I know, a hairdryer, but most B&Bs provide one, and those who don’t will be publicly named and shamed in these pages.  Will wind up now. Stand by for more meanderings soon. (Memo to my husband: Large charcoal grey lumps of cumulus with vertical stripes coming out of them are NOT fine weather clouds.)

Goodnight.Jane

Final preparations

Only 1 week to go!  We went on our final long training ride today.  52 miles to Edgehill carrying full panniers.   this was quite a hard day’s riding with some serious climbs but it went well.  Lunch at the National Herb Centre was excellent.  Weather was fantastic once again although we worry that it can’t last.  The Daily Mail today is forecasting a further 4 weeks of fine weather – we shall see!  Unfortunately for us the prevailing wind has moved from the North to the South West.  although this makes it warmer,  we will not be wind-assisted coming South :-(

Tomorrow we will take the bikes to be serviced and possibly do a short ride on Wednesday to check they are OK.  the remainder of the week will be spent resting and getting packed ready to leave on Sunday. 

Sponsorship has started to pick up and we are only £100 short of our target. 

Peter

3 weeks to go

It seems amazing that it's only 3 weeks till we start the MacJOGLE ride.  Thats the same length of time since we did the Devon C2C.  The Devon ride was a very useful training and reality check and reassured us that we are pretty much ready both in fitness and preparation.

We went to see Mark Beaumont last week in Malvern.  He gave an excellent talk on his record-breaking round the world trip and also on his cycle trip from Alaska to the southern tip of South America that was recently shown on TV.  He is a very approachable chap and Jane managed to speak to him in the interval and give him one of our MacJOGLE cards

            Jane speaking to Mark Beaumont

The weather has been lovely.  The only problem is that we feel we need some bad weather training.  We must be the only people who are looking forward to some rain to go cycling in!  Yesterday was forecast to be wet but by the time we got ready the sun had come out.  It was extremely windy however and quite cold.

We have ramped up the publicity and sponsorship drive.  There are going to be pieces in the Redditch Advertiser and Stratford Herald.   We are also sending out a lot of begging letters!!  We are now up to £1200 and are optimistic that we will exceed our £2000 target.

Peter

Devon Coast to Coast Day 4

After a cold and misty start the sun came out and we had a wonderful day's cycling, arriving back at Ilfracombe around 4 pm.

The excellent little cafe on the Tarka Trail at Yarde opened as we arrived at 11 am and provided delicious coffee and cake. The long ride along the Tarka trail was generally into the wind.
This trip has been excellent training for the MacJOGLE although we have not experienced any adverse weather.

Highlights were the weather, Raymont House B&B at Hatherleigh, Yarde cafe and Platters seafood restaurant in Plymouth.

Lowlights were the puncture on day 1 that almost ended the whole venture, the awful state of route 27 between Tavistock and Yelverton and the pubs in Plymouth that didn't seem to have heard of real ale!

We took the correct kit (mostly) although we forgot a cheque book which is necessary in many B&Bs.

Five weeks today we will have started the MacJOGLE!

Peter

Devon Coast to Coast Day 3

We ate far too much last night at a fantastic fish restaurant on The Barbican in Plymouth called Platters. We apparently narrowly missed sitting down next to John Prescott!

Today was a lovely day with sunshine but not too warm. As a result we made good time and are now back in Hatherleigh.

We stopped for coffee at Yelverton where a friendly couple gave us £10 for Macmillan. We decided to avoid the nasty section of the Sustrans route and took the A386 which was a good decision. We reached Tavistock very quickly and decided to continue on the A386 until we could rejoin the Granite way near Bridestowe. The long climb up to 1000 ft over Dartmoor gave us spectacular views.

Looking forward to the final leg back to Ilfracombe tomorrow.

Peter

Devon Coast to Coast Day 2

Once again it started so well. After an excellent breakfast we set off a little late. There was a chilly wind as far as Okehampton where we stopped for coffee.
From Okehampton the ride round Dartmoor on the Granite Way was delightful in warm sunshine. Stopped for lunch by the impressive Brentor church.


When we got to Tavistock the signs for the Sustrans route 27 disappeared and we wasted a lot of time looking for the correct road.
We wished we hadn't! The route took us to a very deep valley where the route (now called Drakes Way) had been diverted along the river then up an incredibly steep rocky scramble which would have been a challenge in walking boots but was almost impossible with fully laden touring bikes.
After this difficult section the route down into Plymouth was a very pleasant 15 mile descent.
After getting lost in Plymouth we finally arrived at our B&B rather late. Tomorrow is a rest day bfore the return leg on Sunday
Peter

Devon Coast to Coast day 1

What a day! It started off well when we left Ilfracombe in the sunshine (keeping an eye open for clouds of volcanic ash!)

After only 6 miles while going down a steep descent into Woolacombe there was a deafening bang from Peter's bike - like a gunshot. The front tyre had had a catastrophic failure leaving the inner tube in shreds and a 4cm long tear in the sidewall. It looked like "game over" but after replacing the inner tube, tucking the torn sidewall into the rim and not over-inflating it seemed to be rideable.

A passing cyclist told us it was 8 miles to the nearest bike shop in Braunton. We managed to limp there but being distracted Peter missed a turning with the result that we had an unexpected 25% hill to negotiate. The bike shop South Fork in Braunton was brilliant and soon had us on our way again.

The rest of the day was lovely with easy cycling along the Tarka Trail and some nasty hills in the last 5 miles before Hatherleigh where we are staying in a fantastic B&B (Raymont House)

Peter

Retirement and broken bikes

Only 6 weeks to go!  We finally got confirmation of the bike booking on the Inverness sleeper but are now worried about the possibility of industrial action.

Peter’s retirement on April 1st has coincided with an improvement in the weather so we have managed to get out and do a number of long training runs. Jane appreciates the fact that she gets taken out to lunch but not the fact that she has to cycle 25 miles to get there!

Lunch at Bourton On the Water

Peter has been practising with bricks in his panniers.  12.5Kg to be precise which should make the 6Kg we are expecting to carry on the actual ride seem easy.

Kit lists are getting finalised in readiness for this weeks Devon Coast to Coast which we start on Thursday. 

The only downside is that Peter’s Dawes Galaxy started making an ominous creaking noise this week.  Further investigation revealed that this was due to a failed bottom bracket bearing which is a bit surprising considering the fact that the bike is only 6 months old and has done 1500 miles.  In addition, one of the gear cables was frayed.  Still – it’s better failing now rather than in the middle of the Scottish Highlands.  Anyway it’s now fixed and both bikes are running smoothly.

 

Training & Planning

Its now only 10 weeks till we start the MacJOGLE.  Thankfully the improved weather has meant that we can get out and do some training at last.  We have managed to do two 50 milers a week for the past 3 weeks.  Over the next few weeks we will fit in some shorter rides in between.

At the end of April we have planned a “reality check” practise ride across Devon.  We are planning to do the Sustrans Devon Coast to Coast route which runs 100 miles from Ilfracombe to Plymouth.  We will do the 200 miles in 4 days with a rest day in Plymouth in the middle.  This will provide a useful extension of our training regime with the added benefit of checking just what we need to take with us on the MacJOGLE.

Many evenings have been spent planning the details of the route and booking accommodation.  The route is finalised and can be found here.  We have made a few changes from the original proposed route in The Lakes and The Midlands.

We have also booked our transport to John O’Groats.  We have managed to book £39 bargain berths on the London to Inverness Sleeper and “a man with a van” otherwise known as Highland Bicycle Transfers is taking us on to JOG where we will arrive in time for lunch and therefore allow us to get to Thurso on the same day. 

The only slight concern is that “the computer is down” at Scotrail and will not let us book our bikes yet.  Hopefully we can confirm the bike booking but if there is a problem we may have to send our bikes ahead by courier.  Fingers crossed!

Peter

Only 3 months to go!

The weather hasn’t been any kinder recently and it has been very difficult to get much training in.

Our route is now finalised and we have booked all our accommodation down as far as Herefordshire.  We had a slight problem with the Mull of Kintyre as it turns out that our arrival there coincides with a large yacht regatta but it is now sorted and we have somewhere to stay.   We are also planning a training ride at the end of April along the length of the Devon Coast to Coast which runs 100 miles from Ilfracombe to Plymouth

We are now going to start the sponsorship campaign so please get your cheque books out and sponsor us.  We are doing the MacJOGLE at the same time as Jon and Rob are doing Lands End to John O Groats and hope to meet along the route  (see http://www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk/index.php?view=details&id=3%3Arob-a-jons-lejog&option=com_eventlist&Itemid=109)

Several people have asked what MacJOGLE means.  JOGLE is a standard shorthand for John O Groats to Lands End.  Our ride is in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support– hence MacJOGLE. 

Snow, skiing, beer and falls

Since New Year the snowy weather has been so bad that it has been impossible to get out on our bikes.  I used a Wiggle voucher that I was given for Christmas and put it towards a static trainer and Jane and I have been “burning the miles” in front of the TV of an evening.  Not quite the same as going out but it  does help maintain fitness.

The last week we have been off skiing in Austria during which time I reached my 60th birthday. Fortunately we came back without any injuries.  However, today we took advantage of the “warmer” weather to go out on a ride and I fell over at a junction when my pedal SPD clips didn’t disengage.  It could have been very nasty but I survived with a few bruises and battered pride. Having just read Mark Beaumont's book about cycling the world, I knew that he would have carried on – so did I!

Jane said not to mention that we were on our way back from the brewery where we had just ordered beer for my party on Saturday.  (didn't partake – promise!)

Peter