LEJOG - Day 14

 Tongue to John O'Groats. The final stage.

A sharp climb right at the start to get the legs and heart going for the day, we soon settled into a slow and steady pace, slowly uphills and quickly down them.

Until Jill broke a spoke in her back wheel.
This didn't stop her. I wound the broken spoke around its partner in the wheel and had her back up and cruising.

The forecast rain never materialised and the day stayed hot and sunny, with a very helpful tailwind pushing us up the climbs and taking the edge of the heat the sun was laying down.

The scenery in this part of Scotland is just beautiful, with sandy beaches and little coves dotted along the coastline. The fields are full of sheep and lambs, and the odd cow/bull rests wearily in the shade of a tree.

We stopped for a well-earned bacon and egg roll just before lunch, refilled our water and hurtled on through to Thurso, where Paddy's pannier rack decided to give up the go (again) - cable ties soon had it sorted out and us back on the road.

After Thurso the route flattened out and we got some miles behind us and speed in the legs. 

Not long to go now.

Soon signs for JOG were appearing and the energy levels spiked.

We wheeled into John O'Groats at 1617 and started taking the obligatory photos at the sign-post before making phone calls to friends and family around the world.

We've done it! We've cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats!
I'm so proud of Jill and Paddy, they have been a great pleasure to have around and have been splendid in motivating us all and making sure we achieved what we set out to do.

103km for the day.
Tomorrow we are sleeping in....

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LEJOG - Day 13

 Alness to Tongue.

Overnight rain cleared in time for us to depart, and we didn't see it again until a little later on in the day. And where there was an absence of rain, there was a head/cross wind in its place.

This made the going hard, battling this as well as "really well thought out" cycle paths that had us carrying our bikes down wet metal stairs and over a river - not good!

Loch's and rolling hills were the order of the day, until we stopped at the Shin Falls and watched the salmon leaping up big waterfalls.

The midges came out this afternoon and welcomed us the North - we couldn't stop for too long as they would descend on us the moment we did.

The miles ticked over slowly, and the road slowly tipped down towards the sea, we had made it to Tongue.

We were all a little flat this morning and the hostel tonight is a welcome sight, not to mention a warm haven away from the midges.

112km for the day - one more to go!

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And a MASSIVE thank you to those that have donated!

LEJOG - Day 12

 Aviemore to Alness.

Another beautiful day greeted us as we wheeled our bikes out of the hostel and onto the roadway. The forecast overnight rain had not materialised so we had dry roads and clear skies all day.

First point of interest was the stone bridge in Carrbridge, the oldest stone bridge in the Highlands. After that the road meandered through farmland and country lanes, until we stumbled across the ancient burial ruins of Clava - medieval stone burial mounds thousands of years old!

We took a quick walk about, took in the sites and were back on the bikes within 20 minutes. The road wound round to Inverness and dumped us at the foot of the Kessock bridge over the Beauly Firth.

The A9 was busy but it saved us valuable miles and time off the end of the day. The descent to the Cromarty bridge was exhilarating, big speeds achieved as we zoomed down it. 

The scenery continues to be amazing as we head northwards - 2 days left of this brilliant trip - I just hope that the weather holds out until Sunday - we have plans to swim once we reach the end.

94 km (60 miles) for the day, and an early finish - nice result.

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LEJOG - Day 11

Pitlochry to Aviemore.

A day that had us climbing for most of the day, as we reached our highest altitude (so far) on this trip.

We followed a beautiful trail out from Pitlochry and were soon running parallel to the A9, but on a dead quiet road that we had all to ourselves. The climbing was very gradual and we eventually reached the summit of the Drumochter pass, at 457m.

Lunch was on the lawn at the Dalwhinnie distillery and the afternoon was improved with the addition of a very nice tailwind. We zipped along, passed the ruined Ruthven Barracks, struggled over a few late-in-the-day hills that tested already-tired legs, before we rolled into Aviemore.

What a welcome sight!

Checked in, showered and fed - this day is over.

100km for the day.

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LEJOG - Day 10

Queensferry to Pitlochry.

Hot and sunny, Scotland still putting on a superb weather show.

A morning of ups and downs on the hills before arriving in Perth for lunch, and meeting up with Sion.

The afternoon introduced us to the A9 road, busy, but we were on the bike path running alongside it.
Forests and little hills lead us into Pitlochry, early enough for us to grab dinner and eat in a relaxed manner before heading to bed.

105km.

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LEJOG - Day 9

 Moffat to Queensferry (Rosyth)

107km (66 miles) that started up a nice long climb out of Moffat. Once that was behind us, the views unfolded, the sun came out and Scotland put on a show.

Rolling green hills and quiet roads were the norm for most of the day, until we stopped in Cranwath for lunch.
The clouds then started to roll in, the air chilled a bit but the wind was still 'behind us' to a degree.

We made good progress, no major effort required for today, and we soon spied the Forth bridges spanning the Firth of Forth. After what seemed like an eternity, we rolled through Queensferry, up onto the bridge and wheeled our way across.

It was a great day on the bike and it is always a bonus arriving at your destination early in the evening rather than last thing - its gives us more time to relax and process the day.

On that note, I'm out. Tired.

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LEJOG - Day 8

 Askham to Moffat.

An absolutely stonking tailwind out of Penrith this morning, accompanied by rain, resulted in us smashing out the first 50km (30 miles) in no time at all, putting us ahead of schedule, so had a leisurely early lunch in Gretna.

We're now in Scotland!! How crazy is that?

More rain soon after lunch, which then cleared in around Lockerbie, but not before we had our second lunch on the station platform.

The final drag into Moffat was long and uneventful, with more rain and a pesky and annoying headwind.

We arrived at our accommodation, checked in, showered and headed out for dinner. The evening was great, the clouds had lifted and the wind has dropped.

120km (75miles) for the day. Here's to another good day tomorrow as we head towards Edinburgh.

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LEJOG - Rest Day

 We're halfway through the journey already so what better time for a rest day.

Having arrived in Askham last night, we proceeded to do absolutely nothing except eat and rest, unpack our bags and get laundry done.

Proper sleep, food and rest - both mentally and physically - has been sought after since day 1, and now we have it.

Askham, in the Lake District, is a beautiful little village perfect for resting. It's quiet and restful - we sauntered down to the pub for a pint, then back to the house to continue doing nothing - apart from cleaning the bikes and making sure they were set for the next stint of the journey.

LEJOG - Day 7

 Garstang to Askham.

Thanks to Dave we have managed to shave off some hills and miles, and keep our wheels on actual roads, not a canal or river path to be seen anywhere.
We also had rain - not heavy but constant.

The hills started early, nothing serious but enough to tell the legs to wake up quickly or suffer. The day was later classified as "lumpy" and rightly so.

Up hills and down dales,
in the drizzle
past covered hay bales.

Hot chocolate and a 'not-quite-lunch' lunch stop at Casterton Golf Club refueled us for the next stint.
More hills.

The cloud lifted enough for us to catch a glimpse of the countryside we were working through; rolling green hills and fields, hedges and rivers, little bridges over gurgling streams. Pure beauty.

Yorkshire Dales National Park is beautiful and went past us at the perfect speed, giving us the opportunity to take it all in. 

The Lune Gorge funneled train, car, truck and cyclist through it's narrow gap, giving us beautiful views of our path ahead, as well as the route options we had decided to, thankfully, ditch.

The miles kept ticking over and we soon wheeled our way into Askham, a place to park the bikes, rest the legs and do laundry, for tomorrow is a rest day. Perfectly timed as we are now half way through this amazing trip.

108km (66 miles) today.

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LEJOG - Day 6

 Nantwich to Garstang.

We woke to the dreaded sound of rain beating down on the windows. And heavy rain too!

Oh well, no way around it, get the wet weather gear on and lets get stuck in...
Lunches packed and bottles stowed, we headed out into the weather.

Riding in the rain is a great experience; the rain releases the smells of the road/countryside and gives the senses a different element to deal with. Some of the farms are quite 'ripe' but we soon got used to that. Roses in bloom smell amazing too.

More canal paths today, something we are not enjoying as they are constantly battering our bikes and bodies with vibration, and they are quite slow too, not to mention adding in miles to the day.

We arrived in Garstang late in the day, battered and weary, and in need of food, shower and sleep.

We got all three from our Warmshowers host, Dave, who then offered us route variations to shave off some miles and hills from tomorrow's journey.

127km today.

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LEJOG - Day 5

 Worcester to Nantwich.

We wheeled out of the hotel later today, about 0830, and started the ride northwards. 132km on the cards for today.

Nothing massive to report on the day apart from lots of canal paths, overcast weather and a small tail-wind.

My left buttock has decided to start hurting, although hurting is a strong word, more discomfort than pain, so pushing up hills has become a chore. Getting off the bike and walking eases it, as do stretches while on the bike.

Arrived in Nantwich quite late; Jill and Paddy did a shop for food and I ordered dinner. Once sandwiches were made and eggs were boiled, we demolished our Chinese takeaway.

Fed and watered, we collapsed into bed.

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LEJOG - Day 4

 Yatton to Worcester.

Always a long day at 150km (96 miles), but manageable without the relentless climbing of Cornwall and Devon. 

We left on time and made very good progress through Bristol and beyond thanks to the prevailing south-wester that was blowing, and bringing in a substantial storm front at the same time.

The miles zipped by and before we knew it we were in Gloucester, and a bit like Dr Foster, arrived in a shower of rain. We sat if out by having lunch under cover then proceeded on our way.

Gloucestershire gave way to Worcestershire, and with it a few more hills. But, the target was in sight and we homed in on the accommodation for the night, and not a moment too soon. 
Paddy and I were toasted, Jill was leading well, but we were all very tired.

Dinner, fed and watered, we're done for today.

Another big day tomorrow - eeek.

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LEJOG - Day 3

Sandford (Crediton) to Yatton.

The day dawned clear and sunny, a sign of the heat to come. None of us were mentally ready for the day so it took us a little time to gather momentum and actually leave the BnB.

Some hills to start the day but they slowly fell behind us and the day started to flatten out. The pace was good, the legs were improving, but still the hangover of yesterday's heat hampered us.

Converted railway lines and amazing bike paths (some not so amazing) had us off the main roads and away from traffic, and the miles zipped by.

A quick refuel stop about 40km from Yatton had us back on the pedals again, and finally the Strawberry Line delivered us to our accommodation for the evening.

Cold shower followed by beer and dinner. Day done.

130km today, tomorrow is longer.

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LEJOG - Day 2

Fowey to Sandford.

108 km (67 miles) of Cornwall and Devon on the hottest day of the year, or the century. Whatever it was, it was almost unbearable on the road, our backs getting baked from the sun, and the road reflecting heat back towards us, cooking us all over.

We drank enough, ate enough, stopped at the top of each sharp climb, and basically survived the day in the insane heat. 

We were all certainly glad to be done with the bike for today after 12 hours in the saddle.

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LEJOG - Day 1

 Land's End to Fowey (pronounced Foy) was a journey.

103 km (65 miles) of Cornish countryside that saw us climbing and descending on more than one occasion, in the sweltering heat too.

The team did well, encouraging each other to push that little bit more to get through the day.

I was certainly glad to be at the BnB last night after 7+ hours in the saddle.

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LEJOG: Only a few days to go...

Its not long to go now before our first pedal strokes take us out of Land's End.

Last minute packing lists and bike checks, making sure all is in order and that nothing extra is being taken, although a cricket bat is proving hard to put aside.
Train tickets are booked, accommodation is sorted, all that is left to do now is get to Penzance in good time on Saturday to allow the pre-ride nerves to settle down.

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