Day 9 -The Last Leg and the last Puncture

The morning started like any other... Several alarms, sleep button, alarms. The shaking of tents to rouse the sleepy heads and a hearty breakfast of, you guessed it, Porridge and bacon.

10 miles down of 80 and we had our next puncture, again it was Mr Diegans bicycle and a threatening piece of glass. Once fixed the quote was ‘I’m pretty sure I can see Inner Tube through my tyre right now’, not good for a road bike, trust me!

It turned out that Grant had been keeping a few secrets from the group about the last day, since he drove up to the north a few months ago he knew the layout of the land. The Secrets he kept was about the total amount of hills. We followed the A9 coastal road all day and for every long downhill there was a steep run back up the other side. Not what we really wanted but we soldiered on with the finish line fresh on our minds.

The last puncture happened on one of these hills, not through tyre damage, rim damage or a foreign object but hilariously through overheating! As a group we hit one particularly downhill with the words ‘She’s a record breaker’ and flew down trying to beat our own top speeds. Then we hit traffic, very slow moving traffic which turns our saved us from a sudden hairpin bend in the road which would have almost definitely seem at least one bike pile straight into the safety barrier. 


Hitting the brakes and slowing from 45mph to about 10mph (whilst thinking we still wouldn’t stop in time) caused a certain amount of friction on the wheels and tyres. The second we started pedalling up the other side of the hill Ede’s wheel blew out completely and much to his disappointment left Grant as the only contender left in the ‘no punctures from LE-JOG’ challenge.

After lunch we knew the end was just around the corner(even though it was still 45 miles away). We drew upon every last ounce of strength in our muscles and bikes and cracked out some amazing teamwork. Riding in a pack and clocking 30mph on the flats without feeling the strain too much was quite an achievement.

What can we say, we cruised the last few miles knowing we were there, it was finished, the end! We all cheered our way into the harbour at John O’Groat’s stopping by the legendary sign for a photo; Nick promptly didn’t stop and cycled straight down the slipway into the North Sea.

How to end such a challenge though? 903 Miles covered in less than 9 days of cycling. Sunshine, Torrential Rain and Headwinds halfway there. Managing to wipe the smug looks of a group of cyclist’s faces who took great pride in telling us they had overtaken us and completed it in 14 days?

No we ended it in style; we loaded up the car and drove straight to the nearest Wetherspoons. Steaks, Starters and large amounts of alcohol were drunk to celebrate the night away before camping back at the train shaken campsite for a few hours, waking everyone up in a hungover state and driving the 600Miles back home.

Done and Dusted, What’s next year?

Day 8 – Waking in the Shadow of the Mountain!

It was the beginning of our second full day in Scotland, and the weather yet again was crisp and dry. Definitely not what we were expecting from the Bonnie Highlands! We had camped in a little place called ‘Lochy Holiday Park’ which sat directly in the shadow of Ben Nevis, what can we say? The views were spectacular.

There was a filling breakfast from the camping stove of Porridge, Bacon and Beans before the group set off, leaving behind Diegan and Nick to take old creaky (Nicks Bike) to the nearest shop for some new parts. Fear for her survivability was on his mind but thankfully a new bolt here and a new crank there and they were back on track.

The day took us along the beautiful rolling ‘A82’ which meandered alongside a collection of Lochs, from the original named ‘Loch Lochy’ to the famous ‘Loch Ness’. There were quaint little towns, and coaches of tourists all keeping their eyes out for ‘Nessie’. One of the biggest surprises of the day came from the Royal Air Force who apparently enjoy flying low over the surface of the Lochs and the ‘boom’ of the jet engines frightening the life out of unsuspecting cyclists.

The afternoon gave us our steepest hill of the entire challenge, straight from a town call ‘Drummadrochit.’ A wonderful ‘Grade 3’ hill which was two miles long. A Real leg burner! But there was a reward afterwards of some substantial and straight downhills.

What is there to be said for the rest of day 8? The end was in sight, less than 100Miles to go. Everyone was buzzing and couldn’t wait to pull into the evening’s campsite in ‘Dornoch Firth’ just the other side of Tain. A delightful little strip of land with a main road on one side which was frequented by Trucks, and an hourly train line the other side which successfully set off car alarms every time it came through.


Thanks for Reading, Frazer

Day 7 - Into the Highlands!

So the start of Day 7 started basically the same as any other day, wake up stupidly early to shower, coffee, breakfast get changed and leave and head for the hills!

The only new challenge this morning was navigating our way out of Glasgow, which although having a terrible reputation it is a lovely city. Its a bit like London in that there are bits which are horrible and neglected but then there are other areas which are developed and lovely and the people were very nice and friendly, some trying to race Nick, others shouting and all very happy to help with our navigational issues. After successfully escaping Glasgow we started to head towards Loch Lomond.

The views from the side of the road were amazing and for the first time in a while there were very few dark clouds in the sky and although still windy and chilly, the day was a nice enough day. We also struck some serious luck on the road along side Loch Lomond (the A82), it had a road surface which was less than favourable to bikes, however on the side their was a lovely super smooth path which was wide enough for a bike... made the morning fly by and before we new it, we were meeting Laura for lunch.

When in Rome...

The afternoon started off badly, massive hill after massive hill, with almost no downhill, it felt like we were going to keep on climbing forever! Finally, we reached the top. What then followed was possibly everyone's favourite moment of the trip so far, its started amazingly when we were just about to leave to start finally going down hill and Diegan fell over when his foot got stuck in his pedal, almost taking Frazer with him... everyone was in stitches and I almost could not breathe. We then composed ourselves and started going downhill for what seemed like an eternity, it was amazing, surrounded by the most amazing scenery and with very little cars we had an amazing journey down towards Ballachulish. Deffo one of my highlights of the trips so far.

(Reading this back it sounds like a very simple thing to get excited about when you read, but trust me if you were there... it was very special.) Photo shows it all...

Happy Bikers

After the long down hill, we had a swooping journey around Loch Linnhe into Fort William where we made camp and dinner and are getting ready for or penultimate day tomorrow!

In fact I am currently writing this blog at the camp site, laptop perched on top a washing machine in a WiFi hotspot, which also doubles as a washing room. Very very random!

Last thing I wanted to add was that I know I keep going on and on, but everyone knows the reason we are doing this... so please please please can you take a moment to donate any amount which you can... 213 people read this blog about day 6 yesterday, if everyone who reads this newest blog today donated just £1 then that would be huge! So please donate a couple of quid to help raise our total, I promise it really is a massive motivator for us!

Our just giving is http://www.justgiving.com/WAMDSAD-e2e

Thanks again,

Lynch

Day 6 - A long hard slog into Scotland!

Awoke for the start of day 6 at 6am, how apt. Unfortunately Nick was map reading this morning, so it meant that we did not actually leave Penrith until half 8 as we went on a 5 mile de tour and arrived back where we started an hour later. Not what you need on an already 116 mile day!

After Nick turned the map the right way around we started heading towards Glasgow! It was only 35 miles into our day that we finally crossed the border into Scotland! It was very exciting and another amazing milestone which we had overcome.

Unfortunately the remainder of the day was not so as enthusiastic. Firstly, it was very very windy, right in our faces. Which means that we were fighting into the wind all day, from the start of the day to the end. It then started raining very very hard, almost as soon as we crossed the Scotish border! Typical! We also had the reappearance of a few injuries, frazer grant and I had problems with our knees just from pure repetition and Diegan had a problem with his shoulders.

The other thing which we had not planned on today was that the roads in Scotland are as bumpy as anything and should be avoided on bikes at all costs. After a day of riding on them half of our group cnt feel their hands and all of us are walking slightly more bow legged! We spent most of the day on this road called the B7085, truly the worst road laid in history. Terrible!  

In the late afternoon the rain cleared up and we even saw this yellow ball of light in the sky for a short while and we made good time and eventually made it to Glasgow. Which is massive! Once we entered the city we thought we would be nearly done, in fact the hotel was still 5 miles away! So after a long journey dodging many taffic lights (“she’s a goer!”) an annoying some more traffic, we finally made it to the hotel, ate, met up with Laura (our new driver) and are now all tucked up in bed ready for another early start tomorrow!

Sorry today was not a very exciting day, we had a lot of miles to cover and did not stop very often due to the rain, maybe tomorrow would be better… only one way to find out! Come back and read tomorrow, internet and signal depending!

Please also don’t forget to give to our just giving page at, http://www.justgiving.com/WAMDSAD-e2e even the smallest amount will make such a big difference to our total and so many peoples lives! 

Thank you so much!

Lynch

Day 5 - Shap Hill / Last Night In England!

Today was a big day for our group of travellers, today we broke the half way point of our journey to John O’Groats, physically and mentally!

Not a moment too soon either. Wear and tear has started to hit bodies as well as bikes now, mainly on the knees and shoulders. Muscles not very often used in the shoulders and lots of repetitive motions for the knees are causing some problems.

Edes made us all have a laughing fit about a town we passed through called ‘Haweswater’ Saying “ I wouldn’t trust the water from there” (It is amazing what will make you laugh after 5 days in a bike!

We then cycled straight through Kendal, the home of the famous mint cake, where Grant had a run in with a particularly annoying Audi driver and of course we bought some mint Cake too all try!

Talking of cars actually, you may be interested to know that whilst I really do hate stereotyping… BMW drivers have for long been known as the worst drivers etc etc, well from this trip we can say so far that this is sooooooo true! BUT, they are not alone, the white van men are up there as well and I am ashamed to say it, as I drive one myself, but Honda drivers are not doing too well either. Just a massive side not for you all!

Shap Hill was next for us on day 5, it is a 15 mile hill just after Kendal which saw us climbing for nearly an hour and half! But what views… I know in yesterday’s blog it sounded like I was bashing the north a bit, but it is beautiful. We passed through some lovely towns and even some of the cities and they are all typical old quaint and refined. But then pedal a few more miles and you end up in areas I was scared to signal with my left hand in case I brought in my hand and my watch was gone! But anyway I digress, the views from  the top of the hill were amazing.

SHap hill also for a lot of us was a technical half way point as well, it’s the hardest hill on the ride and once we had done it we felt that it was all down hill to Scotland from there!

Tonight we are staying in lovely hostel (but no wifi) called FellFoot hostel which is well worth a stay if you are ever in the area, or just crazy enough to be cycling through.

Another long day tomorrow! So bed and up at 6am, my body clock does not know what the hell is going on anymore, I think its given up!

Tonight is out last night in England, from around 11am, we shall be in Scotland! Hope everyone brought their passports!

Please also remember that this week is pay week, so if you have not given anything to our just giving site, then maybe this week is the week to do it!

The address is http://www.justgiving.com/WAMDSAD-e2e

Thanks so much,

Lynch

Day 4 - The long ass day!

Day 4 was a particularly long 120 mile day from Pershaw to Warrington, we left Diegans aunts house stupidily full of amazing food at 8 in the morning and didn’t arrive at the hotel until 9pm! Long old day indeed!

It was just a long kind of falt kind of boring long day really, most exciting news was that we got 4 punctures, the first we have had for almost a day and a half. I got one one on some terribly serficed A road  without realising for about 2 miles (“this road seems stupidly bumpy”) Diegan had 3, one 2 miles from finish in Warrington city centre when it started raining and getting dark!.

Nick had some family friends come visit and were cheering us on at the side of the road when we passed

We passed the time chatting and playing games and had fun trying to act like proper cyclists and riding in trains keeping very close to each other! Scary stuff but when it works it is very cool.

By the end of the day I was starting to get a little tired and pissed off with cycling, but a quick stop in Over soon sorted this problem. We stopped outside of a petrol station for a sausage roll and no sooner had we stopped a woman dressed in a dressing gown popped out of her house and shouted something almost incomprehensible back through the door and walked out, we were finally in the north! Other northern attributes that I had only heard of before today started happening all around me as we travelled further and further. I saw things such as a car on bricks, a man wearing a flat cap (without it being a joke) and so many pie shops my stomach hurt from laughing at each one we passed.

Finally arrived in hotel at 9, too late to make or go out for food, so ordered in pizza and went to bed!

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Day 3 - Leaving The West Country

Day three, an enjoyable ride from our campsite in Bridgwater onwards and upwards into the midlands. We got all of a mile up the road before we pulled into a lay by for Bacon, Sausage and Egg baps from a truck stop. During this stop we realised that we had a problem with Lynch's brakes. When we say problem, we mean that they didn't work a great deal. Oh well, on we went.

The morning was dry and windy but thankfully the rain held off. We made good time to Bristol, conquering our first grade 4 hill of the trip and racing down into the city with a new top speed clocked by Grant at 52mph. It was Bristol were we got stuck... 2 hours of waiting in a quaint little second hand cycle shop called 'Jakes Cycles'. If you ever in Bristol then go here! It's the best place in town. They didn't try to sell us anything we didn't need, they insulted all the major branded cycle shops and went above and beyond what we had asked to fix two of our bikes and get us back on the road.

The afternoon consisted of just one road. the A48 for miles, a short stop for food and a new driver as Mummy Stops pased on the keys after an outstanding job and looking after us and feeding us, All through Gloucester and down into a little historic town called Tewkesbury. where we then navigated our way up into Wick (Pershore) for our sleep stop at Aunty Diegans house. They fed us until we were bursting, laundered our clothes and gave us several warm beds for the night, we are eternally grateful!

Tomorrow is a big one so off to bed now!

Frazer