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Friday 18th July – Bettyhill - John O'Groats 51 Miles
The final stage
We all met for breakfast after our first lay in for 2 weeks at 8.30pm. We then met at the van with our "groupies" for a photo shoot and a big send off. Tom (Ians son) joined us for the last leg and we all thought today was going to be easy with it only being 51 miles but were rudely awakened immediately with a long climb up to a great view on this winding coastal road. After a lot of ups and downs and a few stops to catch our breath we all agreed it was wrong of us to assume it was going to be easy as Scotland had the last laugh. We had told David to stay close today as we weren't sure about a lunchtime break but instead we stocked up with more chocolate and jelly babies and refreshed our bottles and pushed on for Thurso the last major town on our journey. The support van and all of our families then passed us and we knew the finish was near. A few more long climbs and not many downs with the wind having changed direction overnight and blowing into our face the last 20 miles were tough and it was trying to rain and the temperature had dropped. As John O'Groats was approaching we rode in together to be met with screams and clapping from our families, strangers and Paul who we had met several times on the ride was there at the finish also. Well done to David Arnold who was sprayed with champagne at the end. We could not have done this without him. Thank you to all the people who have sent us blogs and monitored our progress on the website throughout our ride you kept us going and made us laugh.
A special thanks to our families who have had to put up with us through months of training and meetings we love you all xx.
The journey ends
Thursday 17th July – Alness - Bettyhill 62 Miles
We're almost sniffing it ! Quote - Arnie
Our latest start (10:15) was followed by one of the most rewarding days of the trip. We left Alness and headed directly North towards Bettyhill on the Northern coast of the Scottish Highlands. We had a mixture of weather as we crossed the Highlands but the views of the Lochs and Mountains more than made up for the rain and the midges. Not even 2 punctures could dampen the mood of anticipation as we approached our goal. The sun began to appear as we rode into Bettyhill. A beautiful Scottish Village with one of the most stunning beaches which should be the envy of the English Riviera. A faster ride today at just 4 hours in the saddle and an average speed of 14.9 MPH. 964 miles completed and 53 miles left to John O'Groats.
The final stage
We all met for breakfast after our first lay in for 2 weeks at 8.30pm. We then met at the van with our "groupies" for a photo shoot and a big send off. Tom (Ians son) joined us for the last leg and we all thought today was going to be easy with it only being 51 miles but were rudely awakened immediately with a long climb up to a great view on this winding coastal road. After a lot of ups and downs and a few stops to catch our breath we all agreed it was wrong of us to assume it was going to be easy as Scotland had the last laugh. We had told David to stay close today as we weren't sure about a lunchtime break but instead we stocked up with more chocolate and jelly babies and refreshed our bottles and pushed on for Thurso the last major town on our journey. The support van and all of our families then passed us and we knew the finish was near. A few more long climbs and not many downs with the wind having changed direction overnight and blowing into our face the last 20 miles were tough and it was trying to rain and the temperature had dropped. As John O'Groats was approaching we rode in together to be met with screams and clapping from our families, strangers and Paul who we had met several times on the ride was there at the finish also. Well done to David Arnold who was sprayed with champagne at the end. We could not have done this without him. Thank you to all the people who have sent us blogs and monitored our progress on the website throughout our ride you kept us going and made us laugh.
A special thanks to our families who have had to put up with us through months of training and meetings we love you all xx.
The journey ends
We're almost sniffing it ! Quote - Arnie
Our latest start (10:15) was followed by one of the most rewarding days of the trip. We left Alness and headed directly North towards Bettyhill on the Northern coast of the Scottish Highlands. We had a mixture of weather as we crossed the Highlands but the views of the Lochs and Mountains more than made up for the rain and the midges. Not even 2 punctures could dampen the mood of anticipation as we approached our goal. The sun began to appear as we rode into Bettyhill. A beautiful Scottish Village with one of the most stunning beaches which should be the envy of the English Riviera. A faster ride today at just 4 hours in the saddle and an average speed of 14.9 MPH. 964 miles completed and 53 miles left to John O'Groats.
Wednesday 16th July – Carrbridge - Alness 69 Miles
Aint no Mountain high enough!
We left Carrbridge at 9.45am and headed towards Inverness with the signs all having conflicting mileages. By lunchtime we had crossed the Moray firth and yet another suspension bridge. The wind was against us for a large part of the day and this made our pace a little slower than normal. After another lunch at the top of Mountgerald we set off for Alness. Time was with us so we cycled on a further 10 or so miles past Alness. This will give us a slightly shorter ride on Thursday. We finished the day's cycling at a viewpoint overlooking Bonar Bridge and the Dornoch firth. A fantastic finish to the day and we met a gentleman in the layby who had seen us begin the day at Carrbridge. After a quick catch up he was kind enough to donate our first Scottish £10 note towards the cause. We have now completed 902 miles on the trip. Just 2 days left to go.
Wednesday 16th July – Carrbridge - Alness 69 Miles
Aint no Mountain high enough!
We left Carrbridge at 9.45am and headed towards Inverness with the signs all having conflicting mileages. By lunchtime we had crossed the Moray firth and yet another suspension bridge. The wind was against us for a large part of the day and this made our pace a little slower than normal. After another lunch at the top of Mountgerald we set off for Alness. Time was with us so we cycled on a further 10 or so miles past Alness. This will give us a slightly shorter ride on Thursday. We finished the day's cycling at a viewpoint overlooking Bonar Bridge and the Dornoch firth. A fantastic finish to the day and we met a gentleman in the layby who had seen us begin the day at Carrbridge. After a quick catch up he was kind enough to donate our first Scottish £10 note towards the cause. We have now completed 902 miles on the trip. Just 2 days left to go.
Tuesday 15th July – Luncarty to Carrbridge 86 Miles
Four seasons in one day
We left Perth & Luncarty early after yet another very good breakfast. We followed the Sustrains Cycle route 7 which ran alongside the main A9 throuh the Grampian and Gairngorm Mountains. The weather was varied. We saw sun, rain, snow on the mountains and a gusty wind which was in our faces for the first 25 miles of the ride. We past some fantastic towns on the route and made good speed once we turned with the wind behind us. Such good speed that Clive almost took his bike over a fence when he misjudged a bend in the cycle route. How he managed to stay on we will never know. The route was not ideal for road bikes and this was clear when Dave suffered a puncture just before lunch. Another great lunch menu provided by David helped us on for the rest of the day. Pork Pies, Ham & Cheese Cobs, Hot cross buns, muffins and doughnuts. The Perth Bakery had just had one of it's better days. We have covered 833 miles in total for the ride. Just 3 days to go.
Four seasons in one day
We left Perth & Luncarty early after yet another very good breakfast. We followed the Sustrains Cycle route 7 which ran alongside the main A9 throuh the Grampian and Gairngorm Mountains. The weather was varied. We saw sun, rain, snow on the mountains and a gusty wind which was in our faces for the first 25 miles of the ride. We past some fantastic towns on the route and made good speed once we turned with the wind behind us. Such good speed that Clive almost took his bike over a fence when he misjudged a bend in the cycle route. How he managed to stay on we will never know. The route was not ideal for road bikes and this was clear when Dave suffered a puncture just before lunch. Another great lunch menu provided by David helped us on for the rest of the day. Pork Pies, Ham & Cheese Cobs, Hot cross buns, muffins and doughnuts. The Perth Bakery had just had one of it's better days. We have covered 833 miles in total for the ride. Just 3 days to go.
Monday 14th July – Roslin to Luncarty 67 Miles
A Bridge too far
We left Roslin Early again and headed for Edinburgh. The roads were busy in the city but the trip to the castle was well worth while. From the Castle we rode on and over the Forth Road Bridge. Before the crossing we had a short stop at Queensferry. A lovely seaside village on the edge of the Forth and between the road and Rail bridges. Once crosssed we continued via Cowdenbeath and on to Luncarty. Today saw Dave wear his Leeds United top nand raise some more money towards the fund.
Sunday 13th July – Brampton to Roslin 94 Miles today & 680 in Total
I'll take the high road
Scotland, Bonnie, Scotland. Today saw us leave Brampton & England and journey into Scotland. It was our best day yet with the weather, and for once our wet weather gear did not make an appearance. We decided on a detour via the main A7 to try and speed things up. It turned out to be a great idea as there had been a landslide before Langholm and this resulted in very little traffic on a 20 miles stretch of road. Again the scenery was stunning with some great valley roads and a top lunch next to the River Tweed just north of Selkirk. The perfect afternoon was topped by a Pipe band playing in Innerleatehen where we stopped for a quick look and a ten minute break. The day ended in Roslin where we were met by Ian's better half Roslin !! An earlier dinner than of late gave us the chance for a quick stroll down to have a quick look at the Roslin Chapel as seen in the Da Vinci code.
Saturday 12th July – Slaidburn to Brampton 84 Miles
“The long and winding road”
What a day!! For once we awoke in glorious sunshine and could look forward to one of the most picturesque parts of our journey. The day would take us through the forest of Bowland and between the Pennines and Cumbrian Mountains to our finish at Brampton. What took us all by surprise was the hill climbs. We had expected one of our worst days to be in Devon, and it was tough, but today we had some of the most dramatic climbs of the ride so far. The climb from Slaidburn alone was over 6 miles long. Our reward though was some of the most stunning scenery we have seen. A very tough day which ended a little further on from Brampton in Newtown, on the site of Hadrian’s Wall. Just over 10 miles to Scotland. It is hard to believe that in just 7 days we have cycled from Land’s End to within sight of Scotland.
Friday 11th July – Middlewich to Slaidburn 82 Miles
“By Eck!! It’s grim up North”
After a very comfortable night in the Travelodge at Middlewich, and as the bikes had all been cleaned and set up the night before, we aimed for an early start. No surprise that we set off in rain and the rain continued for the whole day. Most of the day was set against a background of urban industrial Northern towns, passing Manchester, Bolton, Preston, Wigan and Blackburn. After a disagreement with one of the local bus drivers we left Blackburn we headed for our finish at Slaidburn. On route we took a small detour to Dunsop Bridge and a Telephone kiosk which marks the geographical centre of Great Britain.
Friday 11th July – Middlewich to Slaidburn 82 Miles
“By Eck!! It’s grim up North”
After a very comfortable night in the Travelodge at Middlewich, and as the bikes had all been cleaned and set up the night before, we aimed for an early start. No surprise that we set off in rain and the rain continued for the whole day. Most of the day was set against a background of urban industrial Northern towns, passing Manchester, Bolton, Preston, Wigan and Blackburn. After a disagreement with one of the local bus drivers we left Blackburn we headed for our finish at Slaidburn. On route we took a small detour to Dunsop Bridge and a Telephone kiosk which marks the geographical centre of Great Britain.
Thursday 10th July - Ludlow to Middlewich 83 Miles
Breakfast, Bike, Bath, Bed !!!!!!!
Breakfast, Bike, Bath , Bed. The ride is beginning to feel repetitive. Every day is an early start, a late finish with barely time for a meal and a bath in between. Today was much different though. We set off from ludlow at 09:40 and had a great day's cycling. Everything went really well apart from the heavy showers and Yogi almost ending up on the M54. Highlight of the day was a short detour to Ironbridge which was stunning. We met an old guy whilst stood on the bridge who was really interested in our ride. After a short chat it turned out that he knew Hinckley well and had sang at the Baptist Church some 20 years ago. Small world !! From Ironbridge we set off and instead of going " Round the Wrekin " we decided to go over the top. A tough climb but we are getting used to them. David provided Cheese burgers and pork pie for lunch. We are told that we are burning around 6000 calories a day so the health food diet has gone right out the window. We finished tonight in Middlewich at the end of the rush hour. Roads have certainly got busier as we have travelled Northward. 83 miles completed today with an average speed of 14.7 miles an hour. Total for the trip is 420 miles. Total time in the saddle to date is 32 hours and YES it does hurt !!
Wednesday 9th July - Yate to Ludlow 88 Miles
Rain, Rain and more Rain !!!
We set off from Yate at around 09:00. It was raining when we set off and it continued to rain for the rest of the day. From Yate we headed for the Severn Road bridge but only found the services. Luckily Ian had spotted the correct path that kept us off the motorway. The view from the bridge was fantastic, even in pouring rain. From there we entered Gwent and Wales. After a short visit to Wales we cycled alongside the river Wye through Monmouth, Gloucestershire and into Herefordshire. Most memorable part of the rainy day was the pork pie & sandwiches provided by David at Lunch. We finished in ludlow town Centre after passing through the South Gate of the town and approaching the castle. Wednesday night was a special night for Dave. He was met at the Hotel by Denise and the kids along with the rest of his family. We all ate together in the Clive hotel to celebrate Mary's ( Dave's mum ) Birthday. Happy Birthday from all of us.
Tuesday 8th July - Exmoor to Yate 93 miles
Breaking the 200 mile mark
After a fantastic nights stop packed with good home cooking we set off from Stockleigh Hotel, Exford at around 08.30. David had got up particularly early to give the bikes some much needed TLC. Thanks David. The day started where we had finished the day before. More climbing. 7 miles step climbing was not the start that we had hoped for. We travelled out of the Exmoor National park only to find the Quantock hills. From there we headed towards Cheddar Gorge where David had set up camp for lunch. As you can see below, we are being well looked after. From Cheddar we continued through Somerset and eventually into Gloucestershire and The Cross Hands Inn at Old Sodbury. 94 miles for the day and we have managed to improve our average speed for the whole trip. Oh! and we have now completed 249 miles.
Monday 7th July - Tintagel to Exmoor 71 miles
4 Cyclists and the support driver gets cramp.
We set off after a hearty breakfast at around 09.00. It was still raining in Tintagel when we left but soon after the clouds parted and the rest of the day was a pleasant mixture of sunshine and showers. We had thought that Cornwall was difficult but even this was surpassed with the amount of hills we found in Devon. I am sure there were more up's than downs. The weather made for a more enjoyable day though. We saw some wonderful sites from Boscastle to the Exmoor National park where we ended our second day at Exford near to Withypool. 72 miles completed by 18:00. The first 2 days have been really tough but we have now cleared both Cornwall & Devon. We are now in Somerset and are hoping for some flatter riding tomorrow and that the support team are feeling fitter.
Sunday July 6th - Lands End to Tintagel 85 miles
The talking stops and the action starts!
The idea was to set off from Lands End at 8.30am but after all the photo shoots it was around 10. We had a few family members to wave us all off which made the start memorable for all of us. The first day saw a little sun and a whole lot of rain. Near to 6 hours of constant rain made the difficult roads of Cornwall almost impossible at times. However we managed to complete the day, 84 miles in total, by just after 6.20. A long day and a tough day, but nobody said that this was going to be easy.
Saturday July 5th
And we're off to Lands End!!!
Thursday July 3rd
With only a couple of days to go the nerves and excitement are kicking in. Leicester Radio came today to interview all three of us at Business Print about the ride and its dawning on us now that it's actually going to happen. Keep up to date with this news page and use the blog to contact us with your views and remember keep the money coming in too....!
KEEP THE WHEELS TURNING!
