We travelled down by train without the bike, which had been sent down by post a few days previously. This was the simplest and most cost effective way of getting the tandem down there, as most train operators will not carry tandems. We had arranged for The Cycle Centre in Penzance to receive the bike and make it ready to ride. We picked up the bike from them and then rode the 10 miles to Sennen (close to Land's End) into the teeth of a strong wind and teeming rain. Nice. Dinner at hostel style hotel up the road from our B&B then a comprehensive soaking on the 10 minute walk back. Hoping weather will improve.
| Day 1 - Land's End to Truro
(42 miles, 13 mph ave)
Photos, signing the book and getting the form stamped at an incredibly windy Land's End followed by a brisk, heavily wind assisted ride to Truro via Penzance. Just after leaving we passed a suntanned man in a kilt who was just completing his walk from John O' Groats. He looked very happy. Got soaked as we arrived in Truro. Truro is a nice little town but was very quiet on a Sunday afternoon. We were lucky enough to catch the choir practice in the cathedral - very atmospheric - then Pizza Express for dinner and back to the B&B. Tempted by Stannah Stairlift at B&B but resisted.
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A tough day of seemingly constant climbing. Even though we stuck to A roads it felt as though the whole day was accomplished at walking pace. We started the day tackling the big hills quite aggressively - standing up and cranking hard (an acquired skill on a tandem) but by the afternoon we had concluded that it was better to drop into a really low gear and crawl up them slowly because we could keep going for longer. Proud to say that we haven't resorted to walking yet. Our tandem skills were tested first thing by the requirement to thread through the gridlock on the ring road round Truro which we managed without clobbering any wing mirrors. Liskeard memorable for having more than its fair share of strange people. Post Office would not stamp our 'end to end' form "because we handle money, you see?" so took it to Lloyd's bank who stamped it quite happily. Lunch in pub with apparently 'wierdos only' door policy. Got over the tough day's cycling quickly thanks to a really lovely B&B - four poster, French windows overlooking very picturesque river, nice bath etc. - and great curry in Tavistock.
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Day 3 - Tavistock to
Tiverton (50 miles, 10.6 mph ave.)
We were expecting today to be bad as we had to go over Dartmoor. The weather was awful while we were getting ready to leave - very heavy rain and very windy - and it looked like it would stay that way. We finally got going (after I found Sarah hiding in a cupboard wearing a rudimentary disguise). The ride up onto Dartmoor was so bad it was funny - like cycling up a river, with water cascading down the road towards us. Our shoes were full of water within minutes and it was far too cold and windy to stop. We cycled all the way over Dartmoor in one without stopping (attaining our highest speed so far - 49mph - absolutely terrifying as it was teaming with rain and the brakes weren't really slowing the bike down as we approached a sharpish corner). On the other side of the moor we poured ourselves into the cafe/bakery in Mortonhampstead for hot chocolate, lunch, cakes etc. We soon had an embarrassing puddle around our table but were mobbed with generosity - every single customer and staff member put something in our collecting tin without us asking any of them. We continued in better weather through beautiful wooded scenery to Tiverton via Exeter (deciding that the hillier, more direct route via Crediton looked like too much effort). Nice farmhouse B&B a little way out of Tiverton and an excellent Chinese for dinner.
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A very tough day. A combination of three factors made today very difficult: big mileage, hilly finish and the fact that it comes at the end of our first three days of cycling when we are at our least fit. We wanted to set off early, but actually didn't get going until about 9.15. The route from Tiverton to Taunton was flat and quite fast. Bridgewater was grim and busy and we had a dismal lunch by the side of an A road. Saddle soreness started to become an issue on the Somerset levels on the way to Cheddar, and we were starting to get tired. At Cheddar we decided to change our route to avoid the Mendips and some really steep hills into Bristol. Our revised route involved skirting to the west of the Mendips and then following the A38 towards Bristol. The A38 was busy and hilly and Ben's knee was starting to hurt a lot.
Sarah's parents came out to meet us on the A38 and we refused their very tempting offer to take our panniers the rest of the way to their house. The last hour of the day was very tough and slow. Due to a navigational error in the grounds of Ashton Court we ended up having to climb a very steep hill to get into Clifton. We were extremely pleased to reach Sarah's parents' house, and very glad that the next day would be a rest day.
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Day 6 - Bristol to
Leominster (68 miles, 11.4 ave)
After a much needed rest day in Bristol with Sarah's parents we were feeling refreshed. We left Bristol via the industrial wasteland of Avonmouth and headed over the old Severn crossing. Before we left for our trip, we had been trying to exchange contracts on a house sale and purchase. Half way across the bridge we got the first of today's many calls from solicitors and estate agents relating to this transaction. By the end of the day we had managed to exchange contracts, so we had moving house to look forward to on our return.
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Our route continued up the Wye valley, which was picturesque but fairly hilly. We encountered a support car for another end-to-end cyclist who was also riding for Macmillan Cancer relief. We chatted to the driver and then about half an hour later met the cyclist himself. He was doing a fast (nine day) ride and was absolutely shattered when we met him. We saw several other cyclists doing 'fast' end-to-end runs during our ride, and each time we did, we were glad that we were doing it more slowly as none of them seemed to be enjoying themselves much.
The rest of the day was pleasant but uneventful - rolling fields full of sheep and cows. Our B&B in Leominster was nice, and there was a massive fair filling every nook and cranny of the town. We had trouble finding anywhere to eat except dull looking hotels which we eventually had to settle for.
Easy-ish, flat-ish and dry day today (our first completely dry day of the trip). Went through Ludlow which is a lovely town and then stopped for lunch in Shrewsbury which was lively and pleasant. We arrived in Whitchurch at about 4.30 and then had a bit of trouble finding our B&B due to some comedy directions from a mad local, who presumably spends a lot of her time lost in Whitchurch. We were due to meet some friends from Manchester - Cathy and Mark - so we headed into town to wait for them. It was Saturday night, and Whitchurch is clearly a bit of a mecca for a night out locally. The town was absolutely heaving with little single sex posses of teenagers, the girls wearing stringy tops and short skirts and the boys wearing short sleeved shirts and walking with a swagger. We definitely felt like outsiders, especially as we were both wearing waterproof cycling jackets complete with natty reflective strips. In six months everyone will be wearing them in Whitchurch. Had a curry with Cathy and Mark and then back to the B&B.
| Day 8 - Whitchurch to
Clitheroe (80 miles, 11.4 mph ave)
We were dreading today - around 80 miles through the industrial North West - and it lived up to our expectations. The first 30 miles to Warrington were straightforward and quite easy cycling. Warrington was busy and grim. We had lunch in a Macdonalds near Wigan, so that was nice. Hmmm. Somewhere near Wigan one of the bolts holding the cleats into Ben's shoe stripped its thread, leaving only one bolt holding the cleat on. This had the effect of allowing the cleat to rotate in the shoe, making it impossible to detach the shoe from the pedal so Ben had to take his shoes off to get off the bike. This happened in a petrol station at the edge of an evidently very rough estate and caused great hilarity among the locals (and Sarah). |
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It got a lot hillier than we had expected at this point, and the navigation was very complicated. We skirted round Blackburn and then had a really tedious slog to get to Clitheroe. We were absolutely shattered when we got there, but the B&B was great with a huge Victorian bath to soak in and an original Victorian toilet (pictured). Clitheroe is a really nice town and we had a great dinner in a restaurant that was also an interior design shop. All of the furnishings in the restaurant were beautiful, and were for sale.
Huge, huge, never ending hills to start the day. We had only done 15 miles by lunchtime which was very depressing. the scenery was beautiful, though - the first wild country we have seen since Dartmoor. We had sandwiches from a co-op for lunch, and shared our bench with a bunch of kids playing "that's your car, that is". This was a great example of making your own fun from limited resources. The game basically involves each kid in turn saying "the next car is my car" and then waiting for a car to appear round the corner. If it turns out to be a diesel Maestro, all the other kids laugh their heads off and pour scorn and derision on the Maestro kid. If it is a swanky new beemer, however, the kid earns big kudos. They played this for at least an hour without showing any signs of tiring. I will never be bored again.
We had a lot to do in the afternoon, and the map appeared to show a fairly flat route along a river to Kirkby Stephen. In practice this road was quite hilly, and we were cycling into a strong headwind. This made life very difficult and we were not at all cheerful. Tomorrow is a rest day and we need it.
Kirkby Stephen is a nice town which is a key staging post on the classic Coast to Coast walking route. This is a very popular route and most of the people we met in the town were coast to coast walkers. We stayed in the Jolly Farmers guest house, which was very friendly and had the luxury of an en-suite spa bath. The town also boasts a holistic health centre which offers remedial massage. We booked ourselves in for a massage on our rest day and it was the best fifty quid we have ever spent.
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Day 11 - Kirkby
Stephen to Gretna (60 miles, 12.9 mph ave)
Quite an easy day's cycling today with just a few minor hills to contend with. Our legs felt like new after our massage in Kirkby Stephen and we made good progress today. We stopped for lunch in Brampton and were given 1p by an old man in the cafe. We met a few other end-to-enders today. A scottish guy was doing well over 100 miles a day without support, and seemed fed up and extremely tired. He was very jealous of our 60 mile a day approach and he was considering having a rest day the next day.
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Day 12 - Gretna to
Sanquhar (54 miles, 13.3 mph ave)
A really easy day in relative terms. We are now getting fitter so the miles are definitely getting easier. Also, the terrain was nice and flat and the distance was quite short so we reached Sanquhar at about 3.45. We spent quite a lot of time exploring the town looking for somewhere nice for dinner. We didn't find anywhere that looked even vaguely promising so returned to the B&B to ask for a recommendation. They told us of two places and we got quite excited by the news that one of them was quite expensive. We blazed a trail there - the Blackaddie Hotel - and had a really good meal.
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Another flat day, and we passed through some pretty grim looking towns. Most of the houses seem to be very grey and pebble dashed in this area, and there doesn't seem to be much that was built before 1950. We stopped to use the public toilet in Cumnock, and were approached outside by two lads of about 12 who asked us many questions about the bike and about our trip. Unfortunately we couldn't understand a single word they said throughout the whole exchange so they probably think we are complete idiots.
Ben freed a lamb that was stuck in a fence. Ten minutes later we found another one but this one managed to free itself through sheer panic when it saw a lycra clad Ben bearing down on it.
Just after lunch we heard a loud twang from the back wheel and an inspection revealed two broken spokes. Luckily we had planned for this eventuality and had some spare spokes and all the tools with us. We replaced the spokes and then tried to true the wheel, but the whole thing felt quite loose. About 10 miles later we lost another one, did a very quick replacement and got the wheel a lot straighter this time. We decided to get the wheel professionally trued the next day (a rest day) so that we could rely on it through the bike shop desert of northern Scotland.
Our B&B in Lochwinnoch was really a holiday cottage. It was very expensive - £60 a night - but pretty good. We would be there for two nights as we were having another rest day, and as we were close to Glasgow we decided to go into the city. We managed to hitch a lift all the way into the city (even though Ben was carrying a filthy bike wheel) and got dropped off outside a bike shop. We had a nice day in Glasgow and then headed back with a beautifully trued and tight wheel and cooked our own dinner in the cottage.
A bit of a slow start to the day - slow service at breakfast as the owners of the B&B were opening their gardens to the public that day, and were not really focussed on the B&B side of things. We got a good send off, however, and were given quite a few donations by the family and their friends.
We had only been going for a few miles when we had our first puncture of the trip. Fixed it quickly by changing the inner tube and then continued to the Erskine Bridge. We had a bit of trouble picking up our route at the other side of the bridge, but then made good progress to Balloch at the bottom of Loch Lomond. Then we had a very simple but very busy leg to Crianlarich on the A82. The scenery really started to change at this point to take on the character of the highlands, and the journey alongside the loch was stunning.
Crianlarich is quite a small place but was busy with walkers. We had a good chili in the Rod and Reel and then walked back to the guest house as the sun set. Today was the first day that really felt like a holiday. The guesthouse owner was a really friendly chap with a racing Austin Healey Sprite in the garage which we had a good chat about (I think Sarah found it particularly fascinating).
| Day 16 - Crianlarich
to Fort William (52 miles, 13.9 mph ave)
An amazing day today. The scenery we have cycled through took our breath away. The roads were quite flat but were threading through some very dramatic countryside. We had particularly surreal braveheart moment when a piper, who was accompanying a tour bus full of American tourists, decided to serenade us up a steep climb from a distance. Very memorable. The descent through Glencoe was magnificent - it must be one of the most eerie places in the British Isles. We arrived in Fort William early, and had time to walk round the town while the shops were open. Our B&B was great, though unfortunately at the top of an exceptionally steep hill. It was run by a classic Scottish character complete with kilt and tassled sock garters who kept up a constant comedy banter throughout breakfast. |
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Quite a long day today, but most of the distance was on straight, flat roads along the side of the lochs that traverse Scotland at this point. Sarah pointed at Loch Ness and shouted "look at that big serpent thing" and laughed for the rest of the day because I slowed down and said "where". Hilarious.
We had a good lunch and then headed out of the Highlands towards Drumnadrochit. Just after the town we encountered the worst hill of the trip - a 13% incline for 3/4 of a mile. This was extremely hard especially as it was towards the end of the day, but we managed to climb it without walking. This took us up onto a moor and we spent half an hour going as fast as we could - both of us tucked right down and pedalling really fast to keep the speed well over 30. This worked out brilliantly because unbeknown to us we were being observed from a hill by a group of six end-to-enders who were going the other way. When we reached them they commented on our pace and style. Obviously we didn't mention that 95% of the time we plod along like donkeys.
We stopped for a cup of tea in Bewley before tackling the last hour to Dingwall, meaning that we arrived at Dingwall at about 6. We had a really good curry in Dingwall at the India Cafe and then crashed out.
| Day 18 - Dingwall to
Helmsdale (69 miles, 13.0 mph ave)
Much more gentle scenery now that we are out of the highlands, but we could see the sea for most of the day. The day was fairly uneventful - people and settlements are fairly thin on the ground up here, so much so that we had to make quite a detour to find somewhere to have lunch. Somewhere along the way we came across this sign which caused us to do a u-turn to check that we hadn't imagined it. After lunch we had stopped to adjust Sarah's saddle (which has a habit of slowly sinking) and we were passed by three guys on mountain bikes. We soon overhauled them and established that they were also heading for John O' Groats. We then had to pedal like maniacs to Helmsdale just in case they tried to catch up with us. Our B&B in Helmsdale was great - overlooking a really picturesque little harbour. For dinner we went to a locally famous restaurant called 'La Mirage' owned by a real character who models herself on Barbara Cartland. All the walls are covered with pictures of Nancy with various celebrities including Sally off of Corrie, Victoria Wood, Dale Winton and many more. There was also a lifesize dummy of Alexis Carrington from Dynasty. Great place. |
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Day 19 - Dingwall to
Helmsdale (54 miles, 11.0 mph ave)
LAST DAY! An eventful night during which a fellow resident, who had got blind drunk watching the final of the UEFA Cup, managed to fall down the stairs in a very spectacular way at 3am. Ben's breakfast was enough for four. The route was quite hilly today, especially the infamous descent and climb at Berrydale. We finally managed to beat the magic 50 going down it - reaching a top speed of 52mph much to the surprise of the minibus that was trying to keep up with us. We also managed to get up the other side without walking (or stopping). After that it was quite a slog to the finish as there was a strong headwind blowing. We were encouraged on our way by Jan, the sister of a colleague of Sarah's, and John, her husband, who were to act as our welcoming committee. We finally drew in to john O' Groats at about 4 to a really warm welcome, not only from Jan and John but also from some of the tourists and other end to enders. We had bought a bottle of champagne and some plastic glasses, and Jan supplied a big 'congratulations' banner, so everyone knew what we were up to. All that remained was photos, signing in and heading off to the hotel to phone all our friends and family. |
