Day 12 - Tongue to John O'Groats

Today was a day of three halves if you'll excuse the mangled maths. The first was a hilly ride along the cliffs and north coast to Thurso for my lunch stop. The second was a 20 mile ride into a strong headwind to get to the destination of this entire trip, John O'Groats. The third was another 20 mile ride into the same strong headwind to get to my final overnight stop for the trip in Wick. Progress was slow.

I had an early night last night, going to bed before 10pm. When I woke at 6:30am I could have slept for another 8 hours! Breakfast was at 7:30 so I stocked up on cereal, porridge, scrambled eggs, toast, yoghurt, juice and coffee. A hearty breakfast and one I would require considering the effort I would need to put in for the rest of the day.

As I cycled up the hill from my hotel (the first of many in the next five hours) I spotted the first sign I had seen for John O'Groats. The journey was actually going to come to an end today!


The road followed the coast line and went up and down for mile after mile. None of the hills were particularly steep but at this stage of the trip they were sapping. I had to tell myself several times that I would not have to face any more after today. This might sound negative but it's only been a minor part of what's been an amazing journey. I've learnt as much about what my body is capable of going through on this trip as I have through marathon training.

12 miles after I start and I pass through the seaside village of Bettyhill. There appears to be a shop that's open 8 days a week! Either it's a deliberate error or they work on a totally different time scale around these parts.


The hills were making my progress slow and it felt like forever before I finally reached my lunch stop in the small town of Thurso (4 oatcakes and some dried apricots - meh!).

The sign out of Thurso said John O'Groats was 20 miles away. The hills disappeared only to allow a strong easterly wind to hit me in the face. Talk about taking with one hand and giving with the other!

All I could think about was trying to get to the end. As much as I wanted to reflect on how far I had cycled over the last twelve days I couldn't because all my energy was directed into cycling into this infernal gale (it probably wasn't a gale but you tell that to my legs!).

Eventually, after what seemed like an age the road signs started counting down; 15 miles, 9 miles, 7 miles, 6 miles, 1 mile and finally, the most magical sign of all, 1/4 mile. I turned left and coasted down to the car park dotted with souvenir shops and cafes that signalled the end of this whole trip. They have a signpost like the one at Land's End that shows the distance between the two points. There was a man there who charged £10 to take a photo that they send to you later. I asked him if I could give him £10 to just take a snap with my iPhone but he said that wasn't how it worked. Odd. I walked a little bit back down the path and asked a couple of bikers to take my photo with the signpost in the background which they duly obliged (and saved me a tenner, result!). I should have checked my hair first (check out my yellow jersey, a nod to Bradley Wiggins but is actually a London A-Z map).

The end of my journey? No. I now had to get to my hotel 20 miles away. There were no taxis about. There was a bus stop but I suspected they wouldn't take bicycles. There was only one choice, cycle it. Again into a headwind it took me another two hours to get to Wick. A shower, a pint and some food and I'm finally able to reflect on what I've achieved.

If you've been following this blog then thank you. I wrote it as much as a diary for myself as I did as a chance to pass on the experience to others who are either interested in doing this journey for themselves or just took an interest in why I should be doing this in the first place.

For those who sent me good wishes on here or on Facebook, thank you. They really helped.

Would I do this again? Maybe not in the same way. I've ticked off solo, unsupported. And I'd certainly alter the route; there are so many amazing things to see and places to go it would be silly to do it exactly the same way again. In all probability I won't do it again as I'm not sure the chance would arise again. It's not necessarily a once in a lifetime thing but for me it probably was.

My bike behaved impeccably. Not one thing went wrong. No chain snaps or punctures. I didn't even need to pump up the tyres once! A good service and fitting the right tyres shortly before starting were good moves.

Finally, I'd like to thank El. If it wasn't for her agreeing to let me do such a hair brained scheme then I'd not be able to share my experience on this blog.

I'll update the blog later to iron out imperfections that you can't really do on an iPhone. I'll also add route maps to each day and provide a list of the accommodation that I used.

Until next time! Or maybe not.

Day 12 route:

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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:High St,Wick,United Kingdom

Day 11 - Inverness to Tongue

The day started as the morning after the night before. With so much time on my hands the previous day that I did not know what to do with I spent it rather unwisely by drinking too much. I did meet some great people and chatted away but before I knew it it was 10:30pm and I'd put away 8 pints. This could get ugly so I went to bed.

The alarm sounded at 5:30am and I made the wise (I thought) decision to lie in for a bit. Eventually woke up again at 6:15 not feeling too bad considering, maybe a bit more tired than usual. Showered and headed downstairs for breakfast (cereal, porridge, yoghurt, toast, juice and coffee). I was on the road by 7:45am.
The road in question was the A82 again but only for a mile where I joined the A9 out of Inverness and said goodbye to the road that had guided me for the last two days.

Considering how I should have been feeling I actually felt ok. An hour or so into this day's 89 miler and it was business as usual.

I headed towards Bonar Bridge with Lairg a further ten miles on as my planned lunch stop. The conditions were the same as yesterday, perfect for cycling.

The A9 is not the best cycling road but there was a cycle path that followed most of it which I took, eventually crossing the Cromarty Bridge before cycling inland and upwards for the next 10 miles. The road began to descend so I free wheeled about 3 miles into Bonar Bridge, crossing the bridge of the same name and stopping to take a photo of the war memorial.



Another 10 miles peddling uphill brought me to Lairg where I stopped for a lunch of 4 oatcakes and a banana (the oatcakes were dry but highly calorific).

Feeling better for a spot of food I began another 15 mile ascent towards the Crask Inn, possibly the most remote pub in Britain. Apparently they keep some great ales but I didn't stop except to take a picture.


By now the road had changed to a single track with regular points that allow for vehicles to pass. Being on a bicycle this didn't present too much of a problem although I did have to pull over to allow the odd transit van and truck to squeeze through.

The scenery had also changed. Gone were the valleys and lochs, instead I was surrounded by flat plains dotted with pine trees. Quite wild. At least the inclines weren't too steep!

Another 20 miles on brought me to my hotel, the Ben Loyal Hotel in Tongue. It sits on the very north coast of Scotland with spectacular views.


Tomorrow is the final push to John O'Groats. 60 miles along the north coast. The first half is quite hilly but it then calms down for an easy ride to destination's end. Except that for me it won't be the end since I need to get to Wick for my overnight stop. If I can't get a taxi or any other form of transport then it will mean another 16 mile cycle! I'll see what happens.

Breakfast is from 7:30am but I'm not in any great rush to get away early. I'm hoping to savour the day regardless of how many more hills there are on the way!

Day 11 route:

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Location:The Village,Lairg,United Kingdom

Day 10 - Fort William to Inverness

Today could not have been more different from yesterday. Blue skies, fluffy white clouds, a hint of sun and a fairly flat, easy and short cycle along the Caledonian canal and lochs that connect Fort William to Inverness.

A 7am breakfast of cereal, toast, yoghurt, juice, scrambled eggs and coffee and I was ready on the road by 8am.

Again I would be following the A82 all the way to Inverness. Although it's a main road it wasn't too busy and the lorries and buses that went past gave plenty of room. Probably comes from their experience of dealing with cyclists doing LEJOG all year round.
First port of call was at Spean Bridge 10 miles away. A short, steep hill led out of this village at the top of which is the Commando Memorial. A statue celebrating the commando's position in the armed forces and the sacrifices they made in World War II set against the dramatic landscape of the lochs and hills surrounding it.

A lovely couple of miles whizzing downhill brought me to the banks of Loch Lochy (so good they sort of named it twice!). Stopped and took a photo. I skirted the loch on flat roads and crossed the Caledonian canal (first time of four in total today as I zig-zagged my way up the waterway).



After 20 miles cycling up the valley that the lochs reside in I couldn't help but think how different today was from yesterday. It was stunning scenery and the conditions were perfect. Not too hot, not too cold. Goldilocks weather!
I rode into Fort Augustus and had to make the decision of flat busy road or quiet hilly road. Since the busy road wasn't particularly busy (today at least) I decided to give my legs a break and stay on the A82. I'm sure there'll be other times for my legs to complain.

I was now cycling alongside Loch Ness and my senses were primed to watch out for Nessie. I know ghosts and ghoulies are just superstitious nonsense but I still couldn't help myself from being on the lookout for the next 30 miles of Scotland's most infamous stretch of water (I didn't see anything, unsurprisingly).

I stopped for a spot of lunch by Urquhart Castle (massive oatmeal bar and a banana), where I took another photo.


Checking the NavFree app on my iPhone I saw I only had 16 miles left to go and it was only 12:30pm! Head down, pedal away. There were records to be broken!

Loch Ness finally came to an end and I was on the final half dozen miles to my hotel. I arrived at 1:55pm, a record that I will not break on the rest of this journey. 65 miles in 6 hours and probably the best and most enjoyable ride of the trip.

The hotel is a Premier Inn (looks very new) on the bank of the River Ness in the heart of Inverness and I had almost too much time on my hands. Drink and food it is then!

  They serve breakfast from 6:30am (get in!) and then I'm on my penultimate journey, 89 miles to Tongue on the very north coast of Scotland. There are a few hills but nothing that will shock me, or stop me. Onwards and upwards!

Day 10 route:

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Location:Bridge St,Inverness,United Kingdom

Day 9 - Balloch to Fort William

Today would see me ride for 85 miles up the A82, alongside the length of Loch Lomond, across the Glencoe mountains and finally hugging the coast of Loch Linnhe before ending up in the Cruachan hotel in Fort William.
Last night I ended up drinking and chatting with a German couple from Hamburg who were spending the next three weeks driving their motorbikes around Scotland. They were amused and slightly astonished that I should be cycling from one end of the country to the other. To be honest I hadn't thought about the distance I had already covered. A little over a week ago I was setting off from Land's End and now here I was four days from finishing! All through pedal power, the human body is capable of far more than you give it credit for.

Breakfast was at the sensible time of 7am (cereal, scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, juice and coffee). I was ready for the off just before 8am. Unfortunately the rain came down and wouldn't let up until I arrived at Fort William so it was a full wet weather gear day.
I started on the 25 miles that would take me alongside Loch Lomond. Even with the rain it was very beautiful. Stopped and took a photo while trying to keep my iPhone dry.


I then began a steady 10 mile ascent up the Glencoe mountains. As I rose higher and higher the wind became stronger, the rain became harder to the point of stinging and the temperature dropped. Not ideal but at least I was wearing layers.

The road levelled out and wound its way through the glen with mountains looming from all sides. I tried to appreciate where I was even whilst soaked and cold. I've noticed that when riding on the bike that there are very few alternatives to get out of a situation other than just to keep on pedalling.

I did manage to take a photo for posterity whilst stopping for lunch (a massive raspberry oatmeal breakfast bar).


After about 20 miles winding my way along the glen the road started to descend. At last I thought! Unfortunately the wind had other ideas and decided to blow directly in my face to the point of having to pedal downhill. Where's the justice in that! I did see a great waterfall on the way down that I stopped and snapped.


Eventually I came to the bottom and started on my final 20 miles to my hotel. All on flat roads I'm pleased to say.

Crossed the Ballachulish bridge (see photo) and followed the road that hugged Loch Linnhe to my hotel where I arrived at 4:30pm.


Tomorrow is another 7am breakfast (twice in a row, amazing!). Then I have a 65 mile ride along the banks of Loch Ness to Inverness (yes, this is shorter than the 67 mile ride that I did on day 6 that I thought was the shortest of the trip. A nice surprise). My decision tomorrow is to choose which bank of Loch Ness to follow, the flatter but busier west or the hilly (a 5 mile killer rise to start with) but quieter east. I'll have to see how my body feels.

More things I've learnt
1 - A good saddle is a good friend
2 - Social media is brilliant on the road.
3 - Sometimes you need to stand up out of the saddle to give the glutes a rest. Unfortunately this looks to the car behind like you've just stood up to blow off.
4 - The countryside sometimes smells like diarrhoea.
5 - It is hard to sign your name at a hotel after 8 hours holding a handlebar.
6 - Experiences stay with you.
7 - An iPhone is all you need to stay in touch, find your way, update a blog, keep you entertained and so much more.
8 - Britain is more varied and beautiful than I ever thought. From the hills of Devon and Cornwall to the historical beauty of Monmouth and Shrewsbury and the stunning scenery of the Lake District not forgetting the untamed wilds of Scotland.
9 - To do this you just need a determination to get on your bike and ride. This sounds easier than the practicalities of actually doing it. Having run two marathons this requires a similar mindset. It's not as physically demanding but mentally it's very similar.
10 - It will feel odd to not get in the saddle the day after this is all over.

Day 9 route:

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Location:Achintore Rd,Fort William,United Kingdom

Day 8 - Thornhill to Balloch

An 84 mile ride up through Kilmarnock, skirting around Glasgow and ending up on the southern tip of Loch Lomond in the small town of Balloch.

8am breakfast of cereal, porridge, toast, juice and coffee and I was away by 9.

I've got into a rhythm with my day in the saddle. The first hour finds me wincing as my right knee is still angry with me and takes a while to settle down. Then I'm able to enjoy the next three or four hours until a 15-30 minute lunch stop. Then it's two hours or so of peddling whilst eating into the last 30 miles. Once the miles remaining get into single figures I put my head down and opt for the most direct route to my hotel (I can almost taste the sweet coffee at destination's end).
Today was slightly different. Possibly because of the long day yesterday and the relatively short time between finishing, sleeping and starting again I found the first 3 hours to be tricky physically and psychologically.
Then I found my legs and it all clicked. After 50 miles of flat cycling I entered Kilmarnock. Stopped to take a photo of an odd looking house/tower.

Cycled through Kilmarnock (bit dull, could do with a spruce up) and took lunch 8 miles later in Dunlop (cereal bars and biscuits).

16 miles of pretty much flat roads, alongside a train track found me at the Erskine Bridge where I stopped and took another photo.


The weather so far had been overcast, dry and cool. Perfect cycling weather. Now it started to drizzle but I only had 10 miles left. An hour in my cycling terms. I put on my jacket, got my head down and sped up the A82 to Balloch, where I was staying for the night. The A82 was not as bad as I had been led to believe by reading other people's blogs. Certainly not half as bad as the A49 which is the yardstick by which I judge all other busy dual carriageways.

Arrived at 5pm to the news that Bradley Wiggins had won the Tour De France. A brilliant achievement! British cycling is certainly on a high, hope it continues into the Olympics.

Breakfast is at 7am tomorrow (rejoice!). Then 85 miles on the A82 all the way to Fort William. I'm hoping for spectacular scenery as the route goes through Glencoe (as long as the weather holds off, it's very drizzly at the moment).

Day 8 route:

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Location:Balloch Rd,Alexandria,United Kingdom

Day 7 - Ambleside to Thornhill

I'm not quite sure how far I've cycled today. It's more than 94 miles but no more than 103. Why the uncertainty? Well, after I had made a note of the distance for my original route I altered it to avoid the A75 to Dumfries and this increased the distance from 94 to 103 miles. But, in the saddle I altered my journey on the fly so it's somewhere in between.

Why alter on the fly, you say? Good question, I reply. When planning my route I thought it might be a good idea to detour south of Dumfries to see Caerlaverock Castle as it looked pretty cool on the Google satellite image (look it up, you'll see). After about 80 miles of cycling this no longer seemed like even an average idea. What kind of idiot wants to go sightseeing on a 9 mile detour after 8 hours in the saddle (this is a rhetorical question!)? So I altered my route and cycled parallel to the A75 before joining it for 1 mile on the Dumfries city outskirts.

The day had started dry with white clouds, blue skies and a yellow sun. It made a change.

My initial task was to cycle the 40 something miles through the Lake District before hitting my first checkpoint, Carlisle.

Within a few miles I was faced with the first of three horrible climbs that would see me puff, pant, swear and sweat. But even after all the pain they induced they couldn't take away from the beauty of the Lakes which made it all worth it.



Through Keswick then two more back breaking climbs (still haven't pushed!) that came one after the other (who thought that was a good thing to do?) and I was out and on flat roads for the rest of the day.

Carlisle came quickly and since I was passing it I stopped to take a photo of the castle.



Next stop, Gretna for lunch.

By the time I got there it was 2:30pm and I was hungry. I stopped on the verge on the Scottish border and took the obligatory photos of the sign and the First House in Scotland Marriage Room.





Lunch eaten (cereal bars, biscuits, apple and banana) and I headed off on my abandoned folly of a trip to see Caerlaverock Castle as I've already said.

Reached the Thornhill Inn in Thornhill at 6:30pm. It's a pub with rooms that look pretty new and they have free wifi so I'm happy. I'm writing this in their restaurant having just eaten a fillet steak on haggis topped with blue cheese! Surprisingly nice.

Breakfast tomorrow is at 8am (again! Don't any of these places deal with business people?). So a probable 9am start with an 84 mile (only 84!) ride to Balloch on the southern tip of Loch Lomond.

Day 7 route:

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Location:Drumlanrig St,Thornhill,United Kingdom

Day 6 - Charnock Richard to Ambleside

Charnock where? Look, I'm not going to explain again, just read yesterday's entry. Today's journey was just under 70 miles but felt much shorter. It's an odd sensation that only a week ago a 70 mile cycle would have been the longest I have ever ridden and yet now it feels almost as though I have done a half day!

Formalities first, breakfast was at 7am (cereal, banana, yoghurt, toast, croissant, juice and coffee). Carried my bike downstairs from my room (only one flight fortunately) and I was on the road before 8 and headed towards Preston for a morning of more urban cycling. Negotiated my way through Preston (pretty non-descript, sorry Prestonites) and got onto the A6 which I would stick to for the best part of 40 miles. A mixture of semi-country and small towns littered the route towards my next checkpoint, Lancaster.

Lancaster was a surprise, a nice surprise. I had expected another industrial Northern town but instead was faced with a charming historical town. I'm not sure if it's famous for anything but it certainly looks the part.


Sadly the local road planners had decided to turn it into a one-way maze. I had to stop by a canal to get my bearings but styled it out by pretending to take a photo of some canal boats.


I realised where I had gone wrong and headed off. In completely the opposite direction! After half a mile I realised my second mistake, turned around and got back on track, having to cycle down the same streets for a second time (the shame). Turned off where I should have done the first time and I was back on track.

Lunch stop was by the side of the A6 (breakfast bars, biscuits purloined from the hotel and an apple from this morning's breakfast buffet). About 2 hours later I entered the outskirts of the Lake District. I decided to load up the Ultimate Country album on my iPhone and headed into the national park accompanied by Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette et al.

The Lake District turned out to be a mini-me version of Devon and Cornwall. Maybe the hills are smaller or I'm a bit fitter than I was at the start of the week but I didn't particularly struggle with any of them. About this time Billy Ray Cyrus was imploring me not to tell his heart something which gave me cause to question the Ultimate part of this Ultimate Country album.

After a fair bit of uphill I started coasting down towards Lake Windermere which is very beautiful.


I reached my hotel just before 3pm (a record!) and within the hour I was unpacked, showered, washed my clothes and was downstairs making full use of the sauna, steam room, swimming pool and outdoor hot tub! For anyone else who wants to do this trip I recommend the Best Western hotel in Ambleside as a place to rest weary muscles and joints.


Tomorrow is another 8am breakfast unfortunately, especially since I will be doing my longest journey on the whole trip at 94 miles! A late finish is certain. I'm also aware from route guides that I will be faced with a right Jeremy Hunt, Culture Secretary of a hill to start with. Not much I can do about it except to grit my teeth and get on with the job in hand with the promise that the afternoon's cycling should be easier.

Here's a quick rundown of my average day:
• Wake up an hour before breakfast and get myself a coffee while watching the breakfast news.
• Shower, change and pack what I can ready.
• Breakfast with an eye on what I can take with me to eat on the road.
• Set off and cycle, cycle, cycle until my lunch stop, that is ideally at least 60% of my total day's journey.
• Lunch
• Cycle, cycle, cycle to my hotel destination for the night.
• Check in, lay down on my bed and drink a cup of sweet coffee (obviously).
• Shower whilst washing my cycle clothes used that day then put them on a radiator, towel rail or failing that use a desk fan to help dry them off.
• Change into evening wear and go and find a supermarket to buy some food for tomorrow's lunch.
• Find a pub and have a pint (or two or three or more) and if they serve food then eat there otherwise find a restaurant.
• Write my blog while drinking and eating then retire to my room.
• Read my book, set my alarm and collapse into my bed ready to face another day in the saddle.
• Repeat.

Day 6 route:

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Location:N Rd,Ambleside,United Kingdom

Day 5 - Shrewsbury to Charnock Richard

Charnock where? Richard, that's where. I had hoped to stay in Preston but there's some sort of golf tournament going on (the Open or something) so all the hotel rooms had tripled in price. Therefore I had to settle for slightly further south and booked a room at a Days Inn in Charnock Richard.
Breakfast was at 8am so I went down as soon as I could and ate alone as I was the only guest staying there that night (cereal, scrambled eggs, toast, juice, coffee).

Packed my stuff, picked my bike out of storage and was away by about 9am.

Today proved to be the flattest day so far but that didn't stop right knee from barking from the off. I ignored it (as usual, like a child throwing a tantrum I thought it best to pay it no attention) and set off over the Cheshire plains towards Chester.

The route criss-crossed the English/Welsh border several times and passed through some beautiful countryside and villages. The weather was overcast but dry so I was unhindered by wet weather gear.
Today's route was the most complicated of all since it meandered through some small lanes which had very few signs attached. So I consider it a success that I only went wrong once. Cycling down a road I thought I was on I came to a dead end. I looked at the map then the road then the map again and became confused. I took out my iPhone and fired up the NavFree app which soon told me that the map was wrong. I had been travelling parallel to the road I should have been on but had failed to mark the point of turning off on my instructions. A quick detour and I was back on track losing at most a mile or two.

I eventually arrived in the outskirts of Chester, an area I know well because my girlfriend lived there before she moved to London with me.

My next destination was Frodsham where I would be stopping for lunch. As I approached Frodsham a yellow clad figure was waving at me from a footbridge over the road. It turned out it was my girlfriend's brother-in-law (who I suppose this time next year will be my brother-in-law too) Carl. He lives in Frodsham and had been tracking my progress in the Where Am I tab on this blog.
We cycled together into Frodsham where I tucked into cereal bars and an apple while we talked about my progress and life in general. Carl then posed for a fetching photo.



Lunch over and Carl joined me for a couple of miles before heading back home. Buoyed by meeting up with a friendly face I started on the last 30 miles to get to my hotel for the night.
The cycling after lunch contrasted greatly with that before. Whereas I had been cycling through green, luscious countryside in the morning I was now heading into a decidedly more urban environment.

Urban cycling brings its own pleasures. The scenery is constantly changing so there's far more sense of making progress. The traffic is heavier but there's always cycle lanes about.
I headed through Warrington and crossed the Mersey without even needing a ferry.



Next up was Wigan before finally arriving at Charnock Richard. Due to my limited choice of hotels in the area this particular one is in a service station on the M6! The cultural delights of Monmouth and Shrewsbury seem very far away.



Breakfast tomorrow is from 7am so I should get away by 8. Then I head up through Preston, Lancaster and will be finishing in Ambleside in the Lake District where the hotel apparently has a swimming pool, sauna and steam room which I intend to make full use of. Also it will be the shortest journey in the entire trip at less than 70 miles so I hope to get there earlier than usual.

Day 5 route:

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Location:Park Hall Rd,Charnock Richard,United Kingdom

Day 4 - Monmouth to Shrewsbury

By the time I set out at 9am it had started to rain and didn't really stop until about 6 hours later by which time I was so wet I didn't care.
Breakfast had been at 8am as promised (porridge, scrambled eggs, lots of toast, juice and coffee). I packed my stuff, carried it and my bike downstairs when the rain came down. So I put on the whole wet weather gear (jacket, trousers, overshoes, cap) whilst chatting to the hotel owner about what I was doing, how far, what time etc. He asked me what was worse, rain or wind. My answer and probably most cyclists is that wind is far worse since you can't accommodate for it in any way whereas you can always put on waterproofs.
Anyway, I set off into the rain on a steady climb out of Monmouth. I soon passed a (I presume) husband and wife with full panniers and waterproofs. Turns out they started the same day as me and travelled from Taunton to Monmouth yesterday as well. They were heading to Whitchurch which is about 20 miles further on than Shrewsbury. We chatted for a few miles about the hills of Devon and Cornwall and how beautiful the Wye Valley was as well as the descent that preceded it. They pressed on and I carried on cycling to my first checkpoint, Hereford.
Today I had decided, or to be honest because of the rain it was decided for me, not to wear headphones all day. Since I was travelling up through the Welsh Marches and passing through beautiful English and Welsh villages and countryside I thought it would be nice to listen to what was going on around me. Lots it appears. Birds twittering away, farm animals mooing and baaing and cars and lorries zooming past.

I had planned a circuitous route that bypassed the A49 which would be the most direct and boring route to take. Even though some of my journey did take me onto the A49 for a few miles. Before I got onto it I was wondering whether I should just take the A49 all the way considering that I had started late, it was miserably wet and it would cut about 20 miles of cycling out which is roughly 2 hours.
Once I got onto the A49 my mind was again made up for me. Hairy and in parts truly frightening would be the best way to describe it. 18 wheel lorries flying past 6 feet from me was not pleasant. I would stick to my original plan and give my chances of living a significant boost.
I came into Hereford about 2 hours after I had set off and made a quick detour to get a quick photo of Hereford Cathedral wherein is housed the Hereford Mappa Mundi which is the largest medieval map of its type in the world (I didn't go to see it what with being soaked and keen to push on and everything).


I left Hereford and headed towards my lunch stop at Craven Arms. It was still raining heavily and every part of me was soaked but once you're wet you can't get more wet so I just kept cycling on. I can't remember the names of all the villages I passed through but they were very pretty. I did pass through Mortimer's Cross which was made famous by the War of the Roses (the battles not the film). I think Yorkshire won this particular battle, sorry Lancashire fans.
Finally arrived at Craven Arms and sat opposite the pub of the same name (chicken or egg?) and ate my lunch (7 mini flapjacks, a couple of biscuits nabbed from last night's hotel and a bag of nuts and raisins).

Again avoided the A49 and headed on my last leg of the trip via Bishops Cross. On the way I passed some Romany gypsies with a cool horse drawn caravan enjoying a spot of outdoor cookery (didn't take a photo, didn't think they'd appreciate it).
At Bishops Cross I began a 6 mile ascent that wasn't too taxing but seemed to go on forever. The payoff being that this was followed by a 4 mile descent where I didn't have to turn my pedals once. The wind sizzled past my ears as I flew down some beautiful scenery. There's worse things you could be doing on a Wednesday.
All day left knee had behaved himself and even right knee was more cowed than usual. But now fatigue was setting in and they both started to shout angrily. Fortunately it was a relatively flat 10 miles into Shrewsbury so neither was put under too much stress.
I reached my hotel at 6pm which is not ideal as it doesn't give me much time to recover in the evening. Also I don't like to eat too soon after finishing because I haven't got my appetite back yet so end up forcing myself to eat.

Had a wander and found Shrewsbury to be similar to Monmouth albeit slightly larger. Found the statue unveiled 3 years ago in honour of Charles Darwin (religion confuser and the city's most famous son). I think it looks like a giant slinky but it's meant to represent DNA (I thought that was Watson and Crick but who am I to argue?).



Tomorrow is another later start (8am breakfast), and then I head over the Cheshire plains and up towards Preston.

Day 4 route:

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Location:Shrewsbury,United Kingdom

Day 3 - Taunton to Monmouth

The morning started with a self made breakfast in my room (porridge pot x 2, banana, orange juice x 2, coffee). Wheeled the bike out and was on the road just before 8am. Eventually found my way out of Taunton and hit the A38 which I would follow for the next 40 miles all the way to Bristol. The sun was shining, there was a cooling breeze and my left knee no longer hurt. Right knee was still not playing ball but I've decided to call its bluff. I can live with pain so unless it decides to explode then it needs to start obeying me. We'll see who wins, and it won't be the knee. Or maybe it will.
Better news was that the roads were like normal roads with none of those ridiculous lumps put in them that force me to wince and swear and select the lowest gear possible. In fact there were no hills of note until I reached just before Bristol airport. But now as a seasoned king of the hills I took it in my stride and wheeled down the other side into Bristol. I sat and had lunch underneath the magnificent Clifton Suspension Bridge (9 mini flapjacks, a banana and an orange juice).


Then it was a 15 mile ride along the Avon, up the Severn Beach (less a beach, more a playground for articulated lorries to whizz past you in frightening fashion, thank goodness for cycle paths) and then onto the old (but still the best, the new one cheats by having all those pillars underneath) Severn Bridge. It was a blustery crossing and there were several other cyclists crossing too including one with the same cycling top that I was wearing (oh the embarrassment, he should have rang beforehand).


Once back home into lovely, lovely Wales I turned up into Chepstow and faced the second hill of the day. I was tired by now and in no mood for hills but up it I went and was glad that I did because the descent that followed into the Wye Valley was amazing. 4 or 5 miles continuous downhill on the smoothest road I've ever cycled on. No bumps, no cracks, no brakes! After what seemed like ages I rolled down into Tintern and took a snap of the famous abbey (with added cows).


Wye Valley is very pretty and great for cycling as the rest of the day was pretty much flat with the odd slope here and there. I arrived in Monmouth before 4pm which allowing for a few stops along the way is easily the quickest of my journeys so far which goes to show what a killer those hills were. Monmouth is the only Wikipedia town in the world. All its historical sites have QR codes that you can scan and will take you to the Wikipedia entry! It also has free wifi all over the town.



Tomorrow is supposed to be of a similar level as today. Let's hope. The hotel (Bistro Prego - an Italian restaurant that also rents rooms) doesn't do breakfast until 8:30 but they have said they might be able to do 8am for me so I hope to be on the road by 9am.

Things I have learnt so far -
1 - Hills are evil
2 - Drivers are pretty much kind to cyclists and leave plenty of room even on the narrowest roads. Except for the bastard in the Clio who almost clipped me on the way into Bristol (you know who you are!)
3 - There is nothing better at the end of a day's cycling than lying on your hotel bed drinking a cup of sweet coffee. NOTHING!
4 - You don't have to eat like a pig. Just eat enough of the right foods and you'll be ok. The body has enough stores of fat to provide the energy you need.
5 - If you are wearing cleats remember the fact that you are wearing cleats! Otherwise you might find yourself at a red light in a race against gravity to see if you can twist your foot out of the pedal before gravity wins!
6 - The body adapts and recovers quicker than you think. A good meal and a sleep and you're ready to go again.
7 - The days in the saddle are shorter and longer than you think. Continually moving to your next checkpoint breaks the journey up and makes the full journey far more achievable (and quicker) and yet thinking of those things that you listened to or thought or saw in the morning can feel like they happened yesterday.
8 - Sometimes it's better to take the headphones out. I cycled for 10 miles through the Wye Valley just listening to the noises of nature around me. Bliss.
9 - Having said that, nothing puts a smile on the face or speeds up the pedals like Neil Diamond (I will try this out with other artists as I go).
10 - Hills are evil. This cannot be stated enough.

Day 3 route:

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Location:Agincourt Square,Monmouth,United Kingdom

Day 2 - Liskeard to Taunton

Wash, rinse, repeat. Today carried on where yesterday left off. I woke at 5:30 to try to get away as early as possible. Unfortunately as soon as I woke up both my knees were killing me. A bit of a walk around later and they were at least manageable although standing up was still painful.
Nevertheless I managed to get away at 7am (another healthy breakfast, this time with porridge).

Immediately I was faced with the same hills as yesterday. Progress was slow, not helped by my knees but at least they weren't preventing me from cycling which makes me hopeful that they are adjusting and will eventually subside.
Hill after hill after hill. And then I went into Dartmoor. Up until now the weather had been overcast with showers but this all changed. The mist came down and the temperature dropped. On with the waterproofs and overshoes. Grit my teeth and carry on. It was a penetrating wet that the photo below can only hint at.


To be honest Dartmoor in the sunshine just wouldn't be the same. I'm a big Sherlock Holmes fan and the thought of Baskerville Hall existing here seemed a very real possibility.

I eventually exited Dartmoor and peddled my way to my lunch stop in Exeter.

Then a miracle happened! The hills melted away and I was finally able to cycle on the flat for miles at a time. Taunton was 30 miles away, so I put my head down and tried to get there as soon as I could.

It was now late in the afternoon and my body was aching, I was cold, wet and tired. I put on some Neil Diamond to help me along. I don't know if it was the music or the flatter roads of Somerset but before I knew it I passed the Welcome To Taunton sign when I thought I still had about 10 miles to go. Result! Cracklin' Rosie kicked in and I was beaming. After a total of 10 hours in the saddle (hills and bad knees to blame for today's poor speed) I found my hotel for the night, a Travelodge, and headed out for food and a pint.

No breakfast here tomorrow so I popped into Sainsbury's for bananas, juice, some instant porridge in a pot and some flapjacks for lunch.

I am hoping that tomorrow will be flatter than the last two days (they say the first two are the worst). Also I'm looking forward to cycling over the old Severn Bridge to get back into Wales (no guesses on which top I'll be wearing).

Day 2 route:

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Location:Hankridge Way,Taunton,United Kingdom

Day 1 - Land's End to Liskeard

Three words can sum up today - hills, hills and hills!

I managed to get away from my hotel at 8:15 (healthy breakfast eschewing the full English and instead going for fruit, cereal and toast) and started my 6 mile detour to get to Land's End. I arrived about half an hour later and cycled around the back to where the signpost is. There was a steady stream of cyclists coming and going. Some in groups, some solo, some supported with cars to carry their stuff, others not. We all chatted about routes, initial destinations and whether to avoid the dreaded A30 or not (me - avoid, others - not, the fools!). One of the other riders was kind enough to take my photo (see below, check out the natty Welsh cycling top!) and then that was it. I was away and starting the first of nine hundred odd miles to John O'Groats!


I headed towards Penzance and then along the cycle path towards St. Michael's Mount (see arty photo below and other close up).


As you can see the weather was overcast with hints of sunshine. This together with a south-westerly wind behind me made perfect conditions for cycling. This isn't that tough I thought. Ten miles down and another seventy to go for the day, if it's like this all day then I don't know why everyone doesn't do this ride. Then came the hills! Big hills, short hills, long sloping hills, snappy steep hills and worst of all long steep hills. There was little respite because as quick as I came down a hill there was another one to go up! Low gears were deployed and I even got out of the saddle several times. Sweat poured and thighs burned but I managed to do them all without walking which I consider a minor victory. Not that the hills care. They just sit there waiting for their next victim.

Then there are the descents. I'm a bit of a chicken when it comes to speeding downhill, especially with a bike that's out of balance with a full pannier and handlebar bag. But all of this went to the wall after the first screaming downhill run. Thrilling, exhilarating and slightly terrifying all rolled up in one. But what fun and sure to put a smile on the face.

After what felt like ages I started seeing signs for Liskeard, my destination for the night. By this time I was getting tired as for lunch I had eaten a flapjack and blueberry muffin (figuring sweet, calorific things would help out my energy levels) and their effects were starting to wear off. Once the sign said 6 miles I don't think I've ever been happier to see a road sign. Finally rolled into the Premier Inn with help from my GPS map app on the iPhone. They've let me take the bike into the room and, best of all, breakfast is served from 6:30 so I should be able to get an early start. It's the usual Premier Inn type of thing, next to a major road with nothing around except a pub next door that provided the evening meal and breakfast. But I'm not complaining, I had a hot bath, washed my clothes and popped to the pub next door for a pint of Tribute (again) and a meal.

Saw this family of swallows just above the entrance to the pub.


The bad news is that the weather forecast is poor for tomorrow and traditionally there are even more hills than today. Joy.

Day 1 route:

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Location:Haviland Rd,Liskeard,United Kingdom

Day 0 - London to Land's End

An early start to pack my pannier, double checking that I'd got everything and then onto the train at West Ealing heading into Paddington.

I was over an hour early to make sure that I picked up my bike reservation from the ticket office but also to make use of the First Class lounge at Paddington. When I booked my ticket two months ago it was only ten pounds more for first so I figured why not? To my chagrin the lounge is closed on Saturdays so I had to sit outside WH Smiths holding onto my bike for the next hour. The train finally left (with my bike in the guard's van) and I settled down for a five hour journey determined to eat and drink more than ten pounds' worth of complimentary coffee and biscuits from the buffet car.

I struck up a conversation with the man in the seat next to me. He was in his sixties and had just come back from South Africa on business. After about 30 minutes the topics of conversation dried up so I put in my headphones to listen to my iPod while he read his book - 50 Shades Darker! I assume he'd already read 50 Shades of Grey. Just goes to show you can't tell a book by its cover, except in this case when it's actually on the cover.

Train arrived in Penzance on time and a short taxi ride later and I'm in my first hotel of the trip in the small village of St. Just. Actually it's a pub with rooms (see photo below) but will suffice. I've wheeled my bike into the room since I didn't fancy leaving it outside all night.


I took a tour of St Just which took about 5 minutes then I bought my first Cornish pastie whilst in Cornwall. Tasted exactly like those ones outside Cornwall.

Now I am drinking a pint of Cornish bitter (Tribute, see photo below) and using the free wifi in the pub opposite the one I'm staying in. For such a tiny village it is well served by pubs. I've counted four since I've been here; I'm surprised everyone isn't legless all the time.


Hopefully an early-ish night tonight and then I hope to get away before 9am tomorrow. It would preferably be sooner but breakfast is served between 8am and 9am.
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Location:New Rd,Penzance,United Kingdom