Day 10 - St Newlyn East to Lands End (41 miles)

Homeward bound

So, the answer to the question on everyone's lips is... yes, we made it back in time to watch the England v Slovenia game at 3pm. Oh, and we also made it to Lands End and completed our JOGLE challenge on schedule!

In truth, our last day's cycling was a bit of a rushed affair. We were aiming to cover the remaining 41 miles from St Newlyn East to Lands End in around 3 hours. We agreed to leave at 6.30am on the assumption that we would not have time for yet another fried breakfast (after 10 in a row, even James and Steve were getting a bit sick of them!) but the owners of the B&B were kind enough to prepare us full English breakfasts for 6.30am. We left just before 7pm, heading for the A30 and the final stretch down to Lands End.

We set off at a very quick pace down to Penzance, seemingly intent on finishing as quickly as possible. The hills continued, but in fairness, they were not a patch on what we had to endure the previous day. The A30 proved to be particularly busy, even at 7.15am - in fact we were amazed at how many cars were on the first B road we took to pick up the A30. Not many people cycling to work with those killer hills!

We had to move particularly quickly on one stretch of the A30 which was reduced to just one lane with no hard shoulder. The cars continued to bomb past us and we were just to pleased to finish the c. 5 mile section, puncture free and in one piece.

Shortly afterwards, one particular speedy driver shot past us faster than a speeding bullet, hooting her horn in the process. "Bloody Cornish drivers", Steve muttered to himself. 2 minutes later, James informed us all that it was actually his girlfriend Louise (who was meeting us at the finishing line) who had driven past...

As we passed through Penzance and started our last 10 miles to Lands End, our pace slowed. True, we had made very good time to Penzance and had time to spare, but we all agreed that, so near to the finishing line, it would be nice to enjoy the last bit of road. After all, we had spent too many days chasing our tails.

We passed the infamous "Last Inn in England" - oh, for a quick pint of Doombar, surely Cornwall's finest ale! 10.15am is though, just a bit too early, especially when there are people waiting for you at the finishing line. As we approached Lands End, Philip, our official last day photographer, got some great shots of us cycling as a trio. What a great feeling to have finally made it - even better when we spotted Louise, three pasties in hand (and no, this was not a an individual order from James!).

We just about had time for some group photos and champagne, including the all important ones next to the famous white post. We took in some of the coastal walk around Lands End which, on such a scorching hot day, was absolutely stunning. It has to be said that the weather really has been kind to us on this trip.

The three of us left Lands End in Louise's car confident that, with Louise at the wheel, we would get to our next port of call (Thurlestone, Devon) with time to spare before the "big" game. Isabelle and Philip followed closely behind hoping that the three bikes on the back of their Toyota Yaris would remain on the bike rack!

Made of Stone (well, not quite...)

We spent 3 days in Thurlestone taking it easy and reflecting on what we had achieved staying in an absolutely beautiful property, a short 10-minute walk from the amazing sandy beach at Thurlestone (enormous thanks must be extended to Sarah's colleague Nick who kindly let us stay in his family home - just what the doctor ordered!). The great weather continued and Steve's wife Sarah also joined us. It was just about warm enough to swim in the sea but definitely warm enough to justify a few pints of Doombar at the Village Inn in Thurlestone, barely a 5 minute walk from the house. Great fun was also had just throwing a ball around on the beach and playing table tennis.

Having so much sport to watch has also been good fun - what more could you ask for than a World Cup and Wimbledon at the same time! To think we had barely noticed that we had already won the latest ODI series against the Aussies!

Looking back over the 10 days of cycling (well, 9 and a half in fact), it is fair to say that it really could not have gone any better. Physically, our bodies held up fairly well, so maybe all the protein bars and shakes, pumpkin seeds, raisins and mackerel wraps really did make a difference! We are all carrying a little extra weight - the thighs have definitely bulked up and both James and Steve have slightly more contours than before - not surprising given the amount of food they have eaten over the 10 days.

There were only a few aches and pains and no bad saddle sores to report, particularly amazing for Steve who refuses to this day to acknowledge the benefits of padded shorts! The bikes held up really well and with the exception of the spoke incidents previously mentioned on the blog and a couple of punctures, we were really fortunate!

As our achievements begin to sink in, we are all beginning to realise just how lucky we are to have been able to go on such a fun adventure, and all for a really good cause (we have already exceeded £16,000 in donations and there will hopefully be more to come).

Highs of the trip

Finishing it.

Fish and Chips at the Mirage in Helmsdale - absolutely fantastic!

Hitting Loch Lochmond in the evening sun - amazing stuff.

Arriving in England.

Leaving Wigan, Warrington and Bristol.

Arriving in Shrewsbury.

Lunch at Live and Let Live with Simon and Chippy Nickson. Great local ales.

Supper at the Silverton Inn, Silverton with Andrew and Jane Stebbings. Surprisingly good steaks at ridiculously cheap prices.

Dartmoor - stunning.

Being at the top of hills in Devon and Cornwall.

England 1 Slovenia 0.

Lows of the trip

Finishing it!

Leaving Scotland.

England 0 Algeria 0 - shocking stuff.

Arriving in Wigan, Warrington and Bristol.

Being at the bottom of hills in Devon and Cornwall.

Thanks .....

In no particular order, we would like to thank:

Pippa and Robin and Philip and Isabelle for being such wonderful support teams and looking after us so well - we really could not have done it without you!

Chippy and Simon and Andrew and Jane for treating us to lunch and supper respectively. A real treat!

Louise for meeting us in Lands End, bringing champers and beer and pasties and driving three very smelly boys to Thurlestone in time to watch the football.

Everyone who has donated to our cause - your generosity has really overwhelmed us!



Next stop... France, Summer 2012 and a small football tournament

Day 9 - Silverton to St Newlyn East

Andrew and Jane (Guy's parents) joined us the evening for steaks all round and a few bottles of wine. As they left to go back to Somerset at around 10pm, the cycling team were getting carried away ordering another bottle of wine followed by a further one! Following the release of a number of unpleasant smells from James, Guy and James entertained Steve with a play fight, a closely fought battle which Guy possibly won with the more telling blows. However, in the morning, the signs of a good night showed with the morning starting in shakey fashion with hangovers all round.

With the sun beaming down on Devon and only a day and a half to go, butterflies were settling in. Unfortunately, the breakfast was the worst we have had yet and failed to settle the nerves. Feeling slightly ropey, we started off at a leisurely pace knowing full well that we had a tough day ahead. We had decided to take the tougher scenic route across Dartmoor rather than taking the dangerous A30 and after 16 miles we entered the unforgiving National Park. As soon as we passed the Dartmoor sign, the hills started and it was then that reality hit home, this was going to be tough!

Having shown our competitive streak yesterday by overtaking the King Sturge surveyors at great pace on a hill, we came across them again this morning. The competitiveness was still there and we yo-yoed with them all morning, overtaking, being over taken, and so on, and so on. Trying to race up hills certainly is a good challenge! Unfortunately for Steve, he was unable to hold off one of the girls who made her way past him as Steve's uphill speed could not get him up quick enough.

Guy clearly smelt bad this morning! He was hounded by flies which buzzed around his head for a good hour as we trudged up the never ending hills. After numerous climbs and descents, we made it to what we really expected from Dartmoor, open and baron land! The weather was truly fabulous and the landscape beautiful making those hills that bit more worthwhile despite the devastating heat! We were welcomed by Dartmoor's cows, horses and sheep who casually lay in the middle of the road and appeared unperturbed by our presence. Following a morning of very slow progress, another great lunch was provided by Philip and Isabelle (Steve's parents) which geared us up for a long afternoon ahead. Finishing up lunch at 3pm we still had another 60 miles to go, by 5pm we still had another 40 miles to go. Even after we had got off Dartmoor, the hills did not ease, soon after passing Tavistock we got to Gunnislake. It was here that we faced our toughest hill yet of the whole trip, a steep climb which took us around 40 minutes to get to the top of at a speed of around 4.5 mph.

We did eventually have to join the dreaded A30 for around 12 miles which was very hairy at points as lorries flew past us on the single carriageway pushing us ever closer to the verge. After Bodmin, we continued on the A30 where it became dual carriageway with vehicles travelling at even greater speeds. This was definitely a time for getting on the hard shoulder and risking punctures from the substancial amount of glass that they always seem to collect. We eventually turned off onto a B-road towards our b&b but with B-roads comes more hills. Every corner we turned, there seemed to be another hill! Tired minds and tired bodies led to another incident involving James going straight into the back of Steve, there was no architecture this time round for James to be distracted by so who knows what was occupying his mind. Aching knees were felt all round and the last 5 miles seemed to go on for way too long!

Enough was enough, or so James and Guy thought. Steve, having missed out on 15 miles due to bike problems insisted that he would catch up the miles at another point. He picked the worst day and the worst terrain! While James and Guy tucked into more food and a beer, Steve struggled on around the beautiful but hilly Cornish countryside. A huge amount of admiration must go to Steve for this, it really was great great effort after the day we had all had!! Brilliant effort!

We have been told by some 'End to Enders' that Scotland is the hardest bit. We do not believe that there is any truth in this. Our fitness levels have improved markedly over the past week and today has been by far and away the most challenging yet. If you want short sharp ascents or even long slow ascents, Cornwall is your place!

43 miles to Lands End!! 6:30 departure time, we are so nearly there! To date, this really has been the most wonderful challenge and adventure so let's hope we can finish it all off in style tomorrow morning!!

Good night and see you on the finish line!!

Day 8 - Dursley to Silverton

The morning started as well as it could - at least in this strange cycling world. We felt it the best coooked breakfast of the trip. Local butcher's sausages and bacon by the truckload. Ok - are you bored now?!

Philip, keen to have a 'bloggable' moment, and Isabelle, very kindly drove with purpose to get some new yellow cleats (attachments to the cycling shoe that clips into the pedal) for Guy and James. Exemplary work from the support team!!

We left the favourite b&b that we have stayed in, past the sheep and the ponies in the fields, out of the long driveway and another 100 miles we go seeing different levels of patriotism!

It was the hottest morning of the journey and we feared the worst. Steve set of at Linford Christie speed - unfortunately for him there was a slight detour while 'Tom Tom' woke up (the machine, not Steve) and found the correct route to the A38.

Guy also got off to a surprisingly quick start - not being a quick starter normally - and we were soon into our usual routine.

The pace was relaxed compared to day 7, despite the late start. We soon hit Bristol - the worst bit, we hope. Then, just as all was going well, Steve's tyre stopped spinning and we had to stop as it jammed once again against the frame. Cue Philip, keen for another blog worthy moment, and Isabella, to help Steve change his tyre.

We pressed on, keen to arrive at our end destination as quickly as possible, as always. The headwinds and some of the the steepest hills we've encountered yet didn't help, but charged with our ever growing thighs, or at least we like to think, we motored on. The hills were so steep that it gave Guy, the 'prowling ginger cat', another opportunity to break the speed record - 46.7 mph into a headwind, despite having promised his mother that having hit 45.8 mph, he didn't need to take it any further. Slightly insane.

On we went - it felt like forever, we passed many a cider producer. We arrived at our final destination since day two, 6:45pm. Andrew and Jane (Guy's parents), and Philip and Isabelle (Steve's parents) were just warming up with their first drink when the slightly charged up trio arrived earlier than expected, thirstier than you can imagine. A steak and chips each and a few bottles of wine meant a merry evening was had by all. Surely this marathon will end soon. Salcombe, beware of the arrival of Guy Stebbings, he's on the rampage!

Day 7 - Shrewsbury to Dursley

Watching the wheels

The day started with a bang, quite literally. Steve had "topped" his front tyre up with air and returned to the room he was sharing with James when the most almighty crack was heard. Steve's front tyre had exploded and his poor father, Philip, who was within earshot of the offending tyre loading the car up, got the fright of his life. Tyre replaced and day 5 blog released, we left Shrewsbury. It was a shame we did not have more time to explore the historic market town which had a fabulous mix of period properties (apparently the town has over 660 listed buildings) and a toll bridge which you have to pay the princely sum of 10p to cross (except, seemingly, if you are on a bicycle)! We made great ground for the first couple of hours - again, it was turning about to be a very hot day with not a cloud in the sky.

We decided to stay on the A49 heading towards Leominster, some 40 miles south of Shrewsbury. Cycling so close to the Welsh border, we all had a good laugh when Steve received an email from Guy's sister-in-law Lucy which said (roughly): "You do realise that one wrong turn and you will be in Wales". Somewhat alarmed, we all perked up (especially Guy) to make sure we stayed on the right road.

Whilst on the A49, James had noticed an advertisement for a charity cricket match near Ludlow, involving a certain Freddie Flintoff and Steve Harmison. "I thought Freddie was injured!" remarked James.

At Leominster, we picked up the A44 into Herefordshire heading towards Worcester on what proved to be a tough road with long climbs - particularly tough given the searing heat. Still, spurred on by the prospect of our first pub lunch (see below), we pressed on with James setting a particularly fast pace with his unique standing-up, full weight behind climbing technique (I think he must have smelt blood - quite literally, as he was to have steak and kidney pie for lunch!).

Live and let live

James' parents, Simon and Chippy, found a great watering hole called "Live and Live" just off the A44 near to Worcester and we arranged to meet them for our first pub lunch of the trip. In typical fashion, James and Steve couldn't resist a couple of snifters - the local Marston ale was just too tempting on such a barmy day. A lady on the table next to us, with whom Steve had struck up a conversation, must have been quite surprised to see us tuck into our ales after Steve had impressed upon her the details of the trip so far (in particular, the training, discipline and abstinence (well, most of the time!)) - I think she was considering asking for the money back that she had kindly donated on the basis that she had been swindled!

Fuelled by the excellent food and booze, we continued towards Worcester and picked up the A38 heading towards Gloucester. By now it was seriously hot and James remarked how he was sweating all over - if ever Guy and Steve needed an excuse to pick up the pace, that was it. We had one final pit stop in Tewkesbury where we met Steve's parents, Isabelle and Philip, as well as Will. 2 support vehicles - what luxury! Tewkesbury was another interesting place and it would have been nice to stop there for longer (the photo is of Tewkesbury Abbey) but we were now quite keen on getting to our next port of call - a B&B called Waterend Farm near to Dursley, some 10 miles south of Gloucester.

One mile from the B&B, James let off a huge sudden scream and Guy and Steve feared the worst - torn hamstring? - no, he had been stung by a bee on his left thigh! A sting on an area that is already pink with sunburn is enough to bring a tear to your eye...

We finally arrived at the B&B at around 7.30pm - just enough time to shower and change, catch 30 mins of the Brazil v Ivory Coast game, and sneak a quick snifter in. We left for supper in 3 cars heading towards a nearby pub called the George Inn. We were 10 for supper - Simon and Chippy joined us as well as Jamie and (the soon to be) Nell Stebbings. It was great to see some more familiar faces. Chippy and Simon left at the same time as Jamie and Nell and we then realised that we had to get 6 of us in Isabelle and Philip's Toyota Yaris! Guy was the unlucky one who had to have Will on his lap.

Mind games

As we head into day 8, its fair to say that physically we are coping reasonably well - certainly the training we did seems to have paid off. The daily grind is, however, slowly beginning to take its toll and our fatigue levels are definitely rising - and with it a sense that we are slowly beginning to lose our minds. The days are long - we are waking up early at around 7am (although James has been waking up as early as 5 - 5.30am) and the period before breakfast, watching sky sports news and relaxing in bed, is really our only down time. From breakfast onwards, it always seems to be a race against the clock - preparing yourself for the ride (sun cream, chamois glide (don't ask!), protein shake, check route etc) and aiming to set off at around 9.30 fuelled by a big breakfast. We then tend to have 3 pit stops a day, roughly at 25-30 mile intervals. With the exception of yesterday's pub lunch, lunches are a quick affair and we then plough on through the afternoon focusing on winding the miles down to our next port of call. The earliest we have arrived is around 6.45 pm but we have also had a few days where we have arrived at around 8pm. The evenings always seem to be rushed affairs, quickly showering, applying sun cream etc before heading off for supper. Next to no chill out or footie time. A couple of pints over supper and we are pretty much spent and talking absolute nonsense - there have been a few classic lines along the way (for instance, James announcing that is was great that Graeme McDowell had won the Ryder Cup). Still, we are still very focused and I'm sure we will keep the banter up and get through these last few days, focusing on the finishing line and the real incentives for finishing the challenge - in James' case, that would appear to be a Cornish Pasty! (only kidding, Louise!).

We have become increasingly aware of each others routines and habits and the first thing to be said is that none of us are really morning people and this has become increasingly apparent with the early starts and the tiring days of cycling. You will be lucky to get a word out of Guy until about 2 hours into the day and James and Steve only start to wake up after a full English breakfast (and a bit more for good measure!) and a few cups of coffee. We are working well as a team though and morale is very good - no tantrums or temperaments getting in the way (so far!).

Our levels of fitness are all fairly similar and we tend to cycle at the same pace, although there are some interesting differences we have noted:

1. James seems to excel on uphill sections when he quite literally puts his full body weight into it - standing up and bobbing up and down like one of the meerkats in the famously annoying "compare the meerkat" adverts. He really does build up quite a sweat. His justification for this approach is that his bike is by some margin the heaviest of the three bikes and were he to sit down, he would probably end up going backwards down the hill. When he is stationary though it is advisable to stand well clear of him - today he managed to fall off his bike whilst not actually moving on it. Maybe he was admiring the local architecture again...

2. Guy is a speed-demon who loves the downhill stretches where he appears from nowhere and, prowling like a ginger cat, body low to reduce drag, he flies past James and Steve. He has hit 45.8mph on one downhill stretch and, when asked how it felt, described it as far more frightening than skiing at high speed because, in his words, if you fall you are "b******d"!.

3. Steve has a very unique cycling style - it appears almost as if he is riding a child's bike once his big frame is up and running on it - his knees stick out and he sways from side to side - not a good sign as most cyclists will tell you that is a sign of fatigue! Imagine John Wayne riding a bike. He does though, excel on the flat sections where his considerable bulk provides quite a slipstream for Guy and James to enjoy!

The blog has proved challenging and time-consuming. We try to start it in the evening but we always seem to be chasing our tail. The blog entries for the last few days have all been finished in the morning but I am sure you will understand.

Not long to go now...

Today promised to be interesting - we need to stay on the A38 which unfortunately means we wont be able to avoid Bristol (apologies to any Bristolian readers) - it would be great to avoid it and take a detour through Bath but with Steve "Tom-Tom" Mortimer in charge, that would just be too risky!

Our next port of call is Silverton - a village just north of Exeter, where we will be joined by Guy's parents, Andrew and Jane Stebbings. The good news is that we won't have far to go to eat as we are staying at an Inn that has a large restaurant.

Day 6 – Catterall to Shrewsbury

Will, Guy's brother, rejoined us yesterday evening to watch the England World Cup match, turning down the opportunity to have a night out in Durham. Thanks Will! That said, we were certainly apprehensive about his return. Will kindly drove us to John O’Groats at the beginning of our trip but was part of two unfortunate incidents, one including a lack of handbrake and one including a rear windscreen (see Day 1’s post – John O’Groats to Tain).

Last night Will found it tough to sleep as Guy started sleep talking, calling Will’s name before waking up and saying, ‘sorry Will, I was sleep talking’. Guy is not the only one struggling, by 9pm all three cyclists cannot string a coherent sentence together, the ride is taking its toll!

The terrific support team of Pippa and Robin unfortunately left us this morning leaving Will in charge, enough reason to be worried about the day ahead. The day kicked off in usual fashion, as Steve managed to leave another item behind, this time it was James’s pump. However, Will excelled in his first job collecting the forgotten pump.

The route took us through some of the least attractive scenery of the trip, cycling through Preston and then Wigan, with all due respect. Our mentality was to just keep cycling and get out the other side as soon as possible, after all the grass is always greener on the other side. On stopping in a bicycle shop in Preston, Steve mentioned that we were heading through Wigan, receiving a quick response of, ‘oh, why would you do that, it’s an absolute hole and they speak funny!’. Coming from a man with a strong Preston accent and given that Preston is about 15 miles from Wigan, we thought this was a bit rich to say the least! charge, enough reason to be worried about the day ahead.

The day kicked off in usual fashion, as Steve managed to leave another item behind, this time it was James’s pump. However, Will excelled in his first job collecting the forgotten pump.

Having met up with Will at lunch, we then ploughed on ... through the wraps and then cycled through Cheshire raising spirits with some fantastic scenery and truly beautiful properties. Into Shropshire we went but enthusiasm waned as the sight of more tarmac and overtaking cars continued. Nevertheless, our attention was caught by a field ‘splattered’ (onomatopoeia) with cows! On seeing a cow urinating, in typical James fashion, he commented, ‘there’s enough there to shower under!’ It can be tough keeping yourself entertained for 8 hours a day while saddle bound!

Despite that, this was definitely our most challenging day both mentally and physically! Tired legs never warmed up and we were constantly fighting a mental battle to keep going! However, the thought of a cold beer back at the B&B gave us the motivation to push on through at around 18mph for the last 20 miles. On arrival into Shrewsbury, ‘Tom Tom’ led us astray taking us around the houses and up another hill or two before reaching base. What a relief!

Day 5 - Ecclefechan to Catterall (95 miles)

Keen to get off to a quick start

Well, it didn't quite start as we meant it. First stop was a mad rush to a bike shop to fix one of Guy's spokes (which came loose in the last few miles at the end of day 4) . Once we had located the nearest bike shop - what turned out to be the back yard of Woolly, the local bearded handyman, the support team (Pippa and Robin) and Guy received a master class in how to repair your spokes.

Fortunately, little time was lost and we were able to leave at our usual time, around 9.30am. The A9 continued to surprise at just how poor a road surface can be, and we were bumping along as quickly as we could on what can only be described as a gravel track, without any road markings, and a 20 mph speed limit. We were averaging around 15mph so managed to keep within the speed limit!

Back in Blighty

It was only 12 miles until we reached the border - a good opportunity for a photo and a welcome sight to mark our progress. We switched our wee Scottish accents - Steve pointing out that James' was more like Irish - for a hearty Northern twang. The excitement of being back in our own country had clearly overcome us and Guy broke into hearty song. This was the first sign that Guy was now fully awake, having been mute all morning,

not being the best of morning starters. The roads started to improve and we were now able to make good progress after a start stop morning. It only took 10 mins of cycling in Cumbria before we saw the first England flags in recognition of the football World Cup - you can always rely on the English! From then on, there were flags everywhere, around every corner. We even passed one person wrapped in a England flag standing outside the pub at around 11am!

The rolling hills of Cumbria really were stunning - and the sun was shining too. As we continued to cycle we passed our first pig smells of the trip. We were to see a lot of farmland in Cumbria, including many cattle. Guy, perhaps missing his orange haired brethren left behind in Scotland, decided it was time to make friends with a new animal, the local Friesian - now captured on camera.

Onwards in quick time

Guy, the downhill speedster, who has affectionately become known as the "prowling ginger cat" in recognition of the low down, crouched stance adopted, reached the fastest speed of the holiday - 45.8 mph. There were also many good opportunities to admire the beautiful countryside with outstanding open and long stretching views, particularly a few miles either side of

Kendal. We continued to make good progress into Lancashire with fitness levels and strength at an all time high for the trip.

Only 3.8 miles away from our B&B for the

evening, Steve, the bookies favourite, picked up the first puncture of the trip. It did not stop us arriving in time for the England World Cup football match (at around 6.45pm) and our mission was accomplished for the day.

Unfortunately the England football teams was not.

Day 4 - Balloch to Ecclefechan

Sunny Scotland


So, we continue to be blessed with good weather - particularly impressive given that we have been in Scotland for the last 3 days! Today was no exception and we all made the decision to ditch our gore-tex/wind-breaker tops before leaving Balloch (the benefits of having a support vehicle are becoming increasingly apparent!). Sun cream applied, our decision proved to be entirely vindicated as the day turned out to be a scorcher. As we neared Glasgow, the clouds cleared and it began to get very hot (even in just a T-shirt). We left the A82 for a quieter road just by the Erskine Bridge and straight away passed 3 Land's End to John O'Groaters - cue obligatory cycle chat. They were aiming to get to Fort William and, on a day like today, they would have seen Loch Lomond and Glencoe in all their glory. We pressed on, through the outskirts of Glasgow which seemed to go on for an eternity. The change in scenery seemed to be quite sudden as it slowly dawned on us that, on day 4, we were entering our first city. The sense of personal space that you got in the North of Scotland seemed to disappear more quickly than we were anticipating. We pressed through Glasgow on a road which was slightly too hair-raising for our liking. Tom-Tom came in very handy in the centre of Glasgow, particularly once we had crossed the River Clyde and it wasn't particularly clear which way we should be heading (even with the benefit of signposts!), although in hindsight it would have been preferable to buy the appliance to attach it to your handlebars as opposed to holding it in one hand whilst cycling (not great when cycling on dodgy roads full of pot-holes!).



The long and bumpy road


On the subject of roads, today was particularly painful. The trouble began once we left the A82 and picked up the A814 towards Glasgow. The road surface deteriorated rapidly - lots of pot-holes and broken glass - and on delicate bikes with wafer-thin, rock-hard tyres, that is not a good thing! Once through Glasgow, things did not get any better. The road to Hamilton and beyond was, as you can see from the photos, very hard going and the three of us were constantly bobbing up and down to protect our nether regions! When the surface was good, we were able to go like the clappers averaging around 20mph for 8 miles but once it started to deteriorate, we slowed down dramatically. We're hoping for good roads tomorrow so we can get to our next port of call in time for the England v Algeria game.

Fun and games in Hamilton

Having successfully navigated our way through Glasgow, we possibly got a bit ahead of ourselves as we entered our next large town, Hamilton. Hamilton is a very interesting place with impressive buildings and architecture but it also has a nightmare of a one way system. In following the one-way system rigidly it quickly dawned on us that things were starting to look familiar as we started our second lap of Hamilton. We quickly realised something wasn't right and Steve "Tom Tom" Mortimer, stopped to check the Tom-Tom. No sooner had he stopped, he got a nudge from behind - rear-ended by one of his own team (James Nickson). It isn't clear exactly what distracted James at that moment but it would seem that on such a beautiful day, he was simply too busy admiring the local architecture in all its glory. We pressed on knowing that lunch was, in theory, just round the corner! We stopped for a fantastic picnic lunch at a place called Chatelherault just outside Hamilton. Pippa and Robin again deserve special mention - they drove ahead and found a supermarket and picked up various goodies for us including a whole chicken. We had delicious chicken wraps with mayonnaise and prawns, along with fresh melon slices and strawberries, so thanks again to Pippa and Robin. They are making this challenge so much easier.

Midgie alert!

We had all heard the stories and been forewarned about the midgies in Scotland but today had our first experience and it felt like an ambush. Guy, who was at the front of the peloton, was the first to spot them and, selflessly turned to James and Steve to shout "midgies" and promptly got a mouthful of the little devils! We all emerged the other side (it felt like a sharp rain shower) bitten all over. We'll never take the little devils lightly again!

I can see for miles...

The scenery was much less spectacular then the Glencoe area but once we had left Glasgow and its surroundings, there were some impressive views of, erm, more of Scotland. In particular, a number of wind-farms hogged the horizon which were clearly visible miles away on such a clear day.

Onwards to England...

So, tomorrow we finally cross the border into England. We'll be covering just over 100 miles, hopefully on better quality roads and we will need to cycle like the wind so as to get to our next port of call (just outside Preston) in good time for the England game. Now there's an incentive...

Day 3 - Fort Augustus to Balloch (117miles)

The first thing that pierced Guy’s ears this morning was the voice of James singing ‘I want to be forever young’ in the shower. Well, all we can say to James is that those days have passed. Admittedly we were all a bit apprehensive about the day’s ride, 107 miles, unchartered territory for us all. Firstly none of us had cycled three days on the trot and secondly none of us had cycled more than 100 miles! Reason to be worried I think...

To Fort William and Steve ....
James and Steve flew off at the beginning of the day as though they had not cycled 152 miles in the last two days. The only way Guy was going to catch up was through default, after around 20 minutes on the bike Steve pulled up in a lay-by. The wheel was jamming against the frame and with our lack of bicycle repair knowledge, we were stumped, although we had noted that there was a broken spoke. The picture illustrates the problem! Again the ultra reliable support team were able to come to the rescue, pick Steve up and take him to the nearest bike shop in Fort William while James and Guy plodded on. The spoke turned out to be the cause of the problem so Steve had that replaced and he was back on the road. A big problem solved with relative ease. In fact, while Guy and James were admiring the spectacular views from the loch side, Steve decided to cycle back towards them in order to make up the miles he had lost.

Loch Linnhe and the highland struggle
Having met up, we battled on at a good speed stopping for lunch after 37 miles at Loch Linnhe where Pippa and Robin had found a fabulous spot overlooking the loch. After our first lunch stop, we got back onto the A82, a road renowned for its fast moving lorries and rash drivers. We headed back into the highlands where we were soon confronted by a 5 mile and 400m climb. To put our altitude in perspective, we cycled alongside a ski lift!! The scenery was breathtaking and it was this that gave us the enthusiasm to crack on.

Reality check...and more lunch
After around 60 miles we realised that actually we had more miles to do than initially thought, 117 miles, 10 more than anticipated. We had a second much needed food break after 84 miles at around 4:30pm leaving us with around 33 miles, a daunting task considering our condition! We powered on though with the sun emerging as we reached Loch Lomond. This gave us a brilliant excuse for regular photo stops. It was by far the most beautiful loch we have come across to date and we would urge everyone to make a visit (or check our photos)! The pleasure was not short lived as the glassy water stretched on and on and on!! Eventually, Loch Lomond came to an end but tired legs were definitely showing; however with the number of miles left falling quickly, our thoughts turned to more food, a take away and a well deserved beer!! Both the take away and beer provided a great incentive to get to the B&B, for the last 10 miles we cracked on at around 17-18 mph, not bad after 107 miles!!

Stats of the day
Distance – 117.15 miles
Average speed – 15.1 mph
Top speed – 41.2 mph
Fighter Jets flown within 300m – 1

Sore backsides - 3

Day 2 - Tain to Fort Augustus

After a good night's shut-eye, the day started with an excellent breakfast marred only by James' realisation that he had erred on the side of caution with his breakfast order the previous evening - none of us can say for sure why he opted for only one sausage instead of two (hopefully our decision-making is not being affected by our fatigue levels!).

Starting off...
We picked up the pace that we had set the previous day for the first 25 miles along the A9 which was pretty uneventful - very straight, busy and not much to see other than the road ahead and the the firth of Moray. We decided to take a less busy road to Loch Ness and stopped for a coffee and protein bar at Dingwall (thanks to Pippa and Robin for waiting for us!).

Onwards to Nessie
Having said goodbye to the coastline, the scenery began to change but was no less spectacular as the road went through a lovely forest area, the highlight of which was a 15% descent (thankfully, no 15% ascent!) down to the banks of Loch Ness. Fortunately, none of our brakes failed!

Banks of Loch Ness

After a quickish lunch we hit the delightful A82 which would take us all the way to Fort Augustus. Loch Ness failed to disappoint, both in its size as well as the surrounding scenery - mountainous, luscious and very green. We stopped briefly for photos by the Loch and then kept an eye out for Nessie whilst we were cycling but she was clearly not in the mood to come out and play! Bottoms were in dangerous territory as the deteriorating road caused the scenic ride to turn into a bumpy and very uncomfortable affair!

Rest & Recouparation in Fort Augustus

The B&B seems fine and Fort Augustus is an interesting place with a series of locks and great views of the loch. We grabbed an early meal and made it back in time for Brazil v North Korea and a hopefully a good nights sleep - tomorrow will be a long day - around 107 miles!

Stats for the day

Number of miles - 67 miles

Top Speed - 38 mph

Average speed - 14.1mph

Number of items left behind (by Mortimer) - 6

Number of items left on the car roof (by Guy) - 2

Day 1 - John O'Groats to Tain

An interesting start to the day...
We started keenly at 7am with cooked breakfast all around. On our 15 mile drive from the Castletown Hotel to John O'Groats things took a turn for the worse. Firstly, Steve realized halfway to John O’Groats that he had left his sunglasses in the hotel. Pippa and Robin, ultra reliable in the support vehicle, kindly went back to pick them up while we prepared our bikes for our short little jolly of a ride – some 950 odd miles. Secondly, Will Stebbings, who had driven us up from Durham managed to park the car without the handbrake. We wondered who was trying to steal our car with bikes still attached but realised that the handbrake had not been put on and so Will and Steve took a run for it just stopping it from rolling back into a wall, 2o metres from where the car was originally parked. What drama! But the drama wasn't over! Thirdly, Will, the star of the day, managed to smash the rear windscreen with the bike rack. So Will then drove back Inverness (121 miles) without a rear windscreen to get it fixed!

Getting going...
Finally we got our photo by the famous sign post but with the sign having been stolen it was, simply, a white post. The message on the post was in memory of a cyclist who died cycling to Lands End - a reassuring message after a morning of drama!

We started pedalling like mad men. The long six months of preparation has created much excited energy. But once we’d remembered our fitness levels and overall abilities we slowed down.

Beautiful scenery and decent roads
Most surprising was how well the roads had been maintained - much better than most in England. Phone reception has also been surprisingly good - a full 5 bars at John O'Groats. Most of the days route was surprisingly flat with only three major uphill challenges all day. [One of which we can show you if we can get this damned blog would work properly.]

We left Buzz messages where we could - but the GPS must have been a bit dodgy as some maps weren't quite right - most were though. You can check our daily progress at http://www.google.com/profiles/111913016175762020082#buzz

We covered some fast ground which led to suspicions that we’d got a lift. One such accusation coming in from one Peter John Stebbings in Abu Dhabi.

Lunch was a massive portion of fish and chips – they give you two bits when they see you are healthy eaters. It was good enough for TV’s two fat ladies – who rated the restaurant in their top six fish and chip shops in the country – so it was good enough for us.

We tired in the afternoon but wind assisted by the baked beans from breakfast, we kept going. There were some stunning views, wonderful properties and the sun made a temporary appearance too. We had fun making videos with the mini camcorder, but can’t work out the technology for putting them in the blog.

Ready for tomorrow…
After a good first day we’ve been a little overconfident and tucked into a mixture of beer and wine for supper. Things are looking good for tomorrow though with a sunny forecast. I’ll believe it when I see it in Northern Scotland, a fabulous place.

Today’s Stats
Distance – 86 miles
Average speed – 14.7mph
Top speed – 40.8mph
Sunset – 10:50pm

Hello from nowhere.

Following a day's drive to Durham on Saturday, we headed North up to Thurso, on Scotland's North east coast. Yes, it takes a while..... around 9 hours. The bikes had just about managed to cling onto the car despite initial worries. We had, in fact, driven much of our first days ride in reverse which will no doubt lead to a sleepless night. Too many steep hills for our liking...

On arrival, a stench of school food greeted us in the car park from the hotel kitchen. However, at £12.50 we were not shy about making full use of the 3 course 'all you can eat' policy, after all we will certainly need the energy!

7am breakfast tomorrow, aiming to leave for John O'Groats by 8am, but if there is an all you can eat policy again then we may struggle leave before 10 knowing James and Steve!

Time for a good kip. Hope to update tomorrow providing we make it!

Also find us at

You can also follow our progress at:

http://www.google.com/profiles/111913016175762020082#buzz

3 Days to go!

Time has run out. The opportunity to prepare ourselves physically for this challenge has passed. The last two weeks have in fact been perfect, we were thankfully advised that we needed to eat and sleep, tapering the training considerably! We accepted this advice with ease and continue to act upon it.

Last minute plans are being put together and shopping is required so that we can, at the very least, look the part. Our team nutritionist, Vinny Mortimer, has recommended the following very appetising snacks and drinks: seeds, nuts ...... oh and beetroot juice. What we'll do to get this done is extraordinary!

The excitement is with us and we have almost reached the point of no return, we are heading north in less than 2 days!

Are we ready? Only time will tell...