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Well, I did it, I got there! My computer recorded 950.4 miles at an overall average speed of 13.0 mph. I had been somewhat apprehensive about the trip, as I hadn’t done more than about 60 miles in a day since Birmingham – Oxford in 2000. Now I was attempting nearly 1000 miles in 10 days. With organiser Frank and his friend Paul, plus drivers John and Brian in the support vehicle (a big people-carrier with trailer for luggage and bikes) we arrived at Lands End in the early evening of Saturday 10th August. After photographs and signing the log at the hotel we cycled just 12 miles to Penzance in bright sunshine. I should explain that the whole trip was done on an economy basis, we slept on camp beds in various church halls, schools and community centres where Frank had contacts. We also lived on cereals and fruit for breakfasts, coffee, biscuits, Mars bars and bananas during the day, and microwaved ready-meals each evening, mostly some sort of chicken dish with rice in my case.
Penzance – Okehampton (Sunday 11th). Breaks at Bodmin and Launceston, rain until 2pm but a following wind, straight along the A30. I had the first puncture of the trip almost as soon as we started. A very undulating route. Arrived by 3.45pm, showers at the local baths. Okehampton – Bath (Monday 12th). Breaks near Wellington and Glastonbury, bright sunshine and good progress via Tiverton (second puncture) and Taunton, but I have to get off and walk the steep bits after Wells. It’s a long day as we don’t finish until 6pm. Showers on premises, saves traipsing around! Bath – Coventry (Tuesday 13th). Breaks at Cirencester and Stow, still fine with a following wind. Apart from the long pull out of Bath and the undulations between Cirencester and Stow, a relatively easy day for two of us, but Paul suffers a succession of punctures and tells us to go on. Paul is 6’ 4", 19 stones and built like the proverbial brick out-house, not the best physique for long distance cycle rides. Arrive at Coventry 4pm and Brian gives me a lift home. Strangely I didn’t sleep particularly well in my own bed. Coventry – Oldham (Wednesday 14th). Breaks at Burton, Ashbourne and Buxton. Paul is still with us, now equipped with a heavy-duty rear tyre. Good progress to Buxton, including a stretch of the Tissington Trail from Ashbourne. This is quite well surfaced, flat and away from the traffic. A tough stage from Chapel-en-le Frith to Glossop (down to the 12" gear again, one step at a time) and very tedious through the built-up run-in to Oldham, arriving at 7pm. Bonus again, showers on the premises. Oldham – Penrith (Thursday 15th). Breaks at somewhere and Kirkby Lonsdale (the memory is going, Peter!). Still fine, still that following wind, tedious again through the urban areas until we pass Accrington. Over the moors from Slaidburn to High Bentham, more walking. At some point Paul’s rear mech falls apart, Frank and I press on to Sedburgh, Tebay, Shap and we arrive in Penrith just after 7, the toughest day yet, and sadly the scruffiest accommodation. Paul eventually rolls in 1˝ hours later, riding the spare mountain bike off the support vehicle. We are frequently in touch by mobile phone, couldn’t manage without them on this trip, marvellous inventions! Accommodation – NO showers at all this time, I make do with a strip wash in a tiny hand-basin, cold water only! Penrith – Galashiels (Friday 16th). Breaks at Longtown and Newmill. Paul’s gears are now mended, and we have a relatively easy day riding along an almost empty A7, finished by 3pm. Showers at the local baths, we then dine in style on fish and chips in stead of the usual microwaved meal. In general we were too tired in the evenings to do anything other than shower, feed, read and consider the challenge for the next day. Galashiels – Dunblane (Saturday 17th). One break at the south side of the Forth Road Bridge. This was an even easier day via the outskirts of Edinburgh and Alloa, we finished by 2.30pm (every day started at 8am). Showers at the Dunblane Hilton, very luxurious! Our accommodation today was a church where a wedding was just finishing as we arrived, can’t understand why we didn’t get an invite to the reception. Dunblane – Fort William (Sunday 18th). Breaks at Crianlarich and Glencoe, I have a premonition that it is going to be a tough day, turns out true. Rain until the first stop, heavy and cold while we grind up several long drags. Thankfully the rain stops as we cross Rannoch Moor, but then starts again later, the wind turns against us as we drop down into Glencoe. The last 14 miles into Fort William give us torrential rain, but tonight’s bonus is the accommodation, individual rooms in a huge presbytery with all mod cons and best of all, plenty of hot water for baths to soak weary bodies. The priest greets us with a pleasant evenings conversation, and we are ready to press on. Fort William – Tain (Monday 19th). Breaks at Fort Augustus and Kiltarlity. This should have been a relatively easy day, as there was again a strong following wind through the Great Glen, which we followed as far as Drumnadrochit. Unfortunately the road surface along the A82 was appalling, very uncomfortable riding! One huge climb, shortly before the second break, but the surface is better and we continued via Dingwall to the A9, with Tain 20 miles further up the road. OK, not quite training bash speed, but we managed to cover the last 15 miles into Tain at 22 mph, arriving at 4.30pm. Rooms are fairly small, but we have showers at our disposal again. Tain – John O’Groats (Tuesday 20th). Breaks at Helmsdale and Latheron. I’d had a bad night as my camp bed had collapsed and I ended up sleeping on the cold, hard floor. We started earlier today, 7.15, as we all wanted to get the journey over. Very slow progress crossing the causeway over Dornoch Firth, 8mph into a head wind, which eased when we reached the shelter of the hills. After Helmsdale came the longest climb of the route, when I was riding I was in 36 x 28, the rest I walked, for well over an hour. The reward came with a long run down the other side to our second break of the day. On to Wick, against the wind again for the final 17 miles, which seemed to go on for ever, past a dreary empty landscape, no trees, no hedges, just open pasture or bogs. We arrived finally at 4.15, celebrated with a wee dram in the Hotel where we logged off, the first drop to pass my lips since Cornwall. Returning to Thurso in the support vehicle, I find the digs just too poor, so I found a B&B in the town more to my liking. Bliss, proper bed to sleep in, steak and chips in the bar later, after the obligatory soak in the bath. Thurso – Coventry (Wednesday 21st). The easy bit! 600 miles in 12˝ hours, stopping only at Berriedale, Forth Bridge and Lancaster. We all wanted to get home after this mammoth ride, so no more overnight stops, we returned to Coventry about 9; I got home finally a half-hour later. Overall, I felt a great sense of achievement, we were lucky with the weather, and we had a group who all got on with each other, even though I had only met Frank shortly before the off. On consideration, I can’t see myself repeating the experience in a hurry. There should have been 10 of us at the start, but by Coventry the others had all chickened out and posted DNFs. |
