Day 15 - 07.06.09 Tongue to John O' Groats

Distance - 66 miles
Average speed - 10.5 mph
Total time - 8 hours

Stop Press !!!!! We reached John O' Groats and can now officially call ourselves 'Groaters' !!!!

Felt really good to be getting on the bikes for what we knew was our last day. Set off from Tongue and into the highlands for the final day, the first half of which compromised some rather large hills which nearly pushed me over the edge (Jo!) Still, the guy in the village shop had reassured us that when we crossed the border from Sutherland into Caithness the hills would end and it was almost all flat/down hill to J O'Groats. This did turn out to be the case, and although it was still a pretty windy day, there was no rain and the sun sparkled off the sea of the north coast of scotland and the views helped us along our way. We spotted the headland sticking out into the sea, spied our goal and sped along the last few miles to the village. The man was just about to take down the John O'Groats sign so we wizzed up and asked if we could take a few piccy's before he packed away. Stood on the stone by the sign and felt very proud of ourselves ! It has been a long 15 days but a really great trip that we will never forget. Has also been really great to have all the support of our family and friends and all the generous sponsorship that people have donated. We have raised over £2000 for the two charities which is brilliant. Thank you very much to everyone who has donated.

Hooray, no more cycling for a few days, oh, apart from tommorow when we have to cycle back the way we came to Thurso to get the train back to Inverness !! Looking forward to getting home and living out of more than a pannier, some clean clothes will be nice.

Day 14 - 06.06.09 Carbisdale to Tongue

Distance - 50 miles
Average speed - 9.3 mph
Time - 8 hours

Today was supposed to be more of a rest day with a shorter mileage, but turned into a very wearing day with full on northerly winds blowing into our faces the whole way, as we travelled high up over exposed moorlands. It felt as though the whole day was going up hill and made our progress very slow - slowest average speed of the trip ! Hostel was on Kyle of Tounge which was beautiful and the sun came out again in the afternoon as we approached and lit up Ben Loyal and Ben More, a very impressive sight and a very scenic corner of Scotland. Feeling pretty excited as tomorrow is the last day and can't believe we have come so far - can't wait to get there !! (Another bowl of pasta for tea!)

Day 13 - 05.06.09 Invermoriston to Carbisdale

Distance - 69 miles
Average speed - 10.9 mph
Total time - 9 hours

A difficult day today, 13 days of the routine of cycling is starting to get a bit wearing. Also, the weather broke today in true scottish style with heavy rain settling in and a strong northerly wind lashing the rain horizontally into our faces ! Made our progress much slower and moral was dipping as fingers and legs started to go numb ! The roads stretched on and on over the moors and heaths with no villages for miles making it hard to work out how far we were getting. However, on the occasions the mists did lift we got nice glimpses of Cromarty and Dornoch Firths and as we approached the youth hostel, the sun under leaden skies gave rise to a double rainbow. Carbisdale Castle youth hostel was very impressive, with a grand statue gallery and huge paintings on all the walls. We ate another bowl of pasta for tea and went to bed !

Day 12 - 04.06.09 Glen Coe to Invermoriston ( Loch Ness )

Distance - 57 miles
Average speed - 11.8 mph
Total time - 8 hours

A bit cooler and cloudier than yesterday but with a fairly stiff northerly breeze in our faces. Today was a shorter day and we made good time up The Great Glen, along the side of Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal. Alas, no monster sightings. We are getting a bit bored of being on the busy A82, with all the HGV's, coaches and caravans. Still, had some nice views of the lochs as we passed and the sun came out in the afternoon as we arrived at our b&b for the evening in Invermoriston.

Day 11 - 03.06.09 Loch Lomond to Glencoe

Distance: 66 miles
Average speed: 11.6 mph
Total time: 8.5 hrs

If yesterday was the day we least looked forward to, today was the day we most looked forward to, entering the highlands and cycling round the lochs and through the glens surrounded by mountains. Another gorgeous day, the road was busy but ok as we cycled the length of Loch Lomond and then climbed up high on to Rannoch Moor and descended almost 8 miles down Glencoe. The hostel is right by a pub, very convenient! Now there are fewer roads there are lots of would-be groaters, we saw a team of Marines, all with matching lycras, however they weren't even carrying their own stuff, light weights! Only 4 days left to go and feeling really close now, and our bikes and knees are holding up well.

Day 10 - 02.06.09 Leadhills to Loch Lomond

Distance: 67.8 miles
Average speed: 10.4 mph
Total time: 10 hours

Today was the day we least looked forward, it was almost all on busy roads, trying to navigate around the industrial hinterlands of Glasgow, the city centre and the tenements, places like the Gorbals, that strike fear in to every A-Level Geography students heart as we all learnt about them as examples of how cities go bad! It was hot and grimy but once we got in to the centre of Glasgow there was a 20 mile cycle track all the way to Loch Lomond, this went through more industrial estates on the Clyde and through more housing estates and mostly involved cycling over a path of broken glass. Anyway, we broke through to Loch Lomond and made it to the very impressive pseudo castle Youth Hostel over looking the loch, where we had wine on the lawn.

Day 9 - 01.06.09 Southwaite to Leadhills

Distance: 70 miles
Average speed: 11.3 mph
Total time: 9hrs

Today was a great day because we crossed the Scottish border, so we are felling like we have really made some progress. Went through Gretna where someone was actually getting married, even though it mostly looks like a theme park now full of coachloads of Japanese tourists. The road today was a B road that ran alongside the M74 almost all the way to Glasgow, so it wasn't very interesting but it was quick and flat so we made good progress. We stayed at an inn in Leadhills, an old mining town that stopped mining and started decaying some time ago!

Day 8 - 31.05.09 Slaidburn to Southwaite (Cumbria)

Distance : 70.2 miles
Average Speed : 10.6 mph
Toatl Time : 9.5 hours

After what seemed like a very short nights sleep and with weary legs from yesterday we set off with some trepidation into the Lake District, with the hills looming around us giving some indication of the day to come. It was a cruel start with a 6 mile climb, but the gorgeous weather and beautiful countryside raised our spirits as did the 6 mile descent the other side. It was very hot, the road was melting and blistering and it sounded like bubblewrap when you went over it. The roads were pretty busy, especially with motorbikes that kept screaming past, and horse drawn romany caravans.

Today marked the halfway stage, both in time and distance, we celebrated with a Ginsters pasty at Tebay services on the M6! When you have cycled all day everyday for 8 days and are only are halfway you realise we live in a long country.

Cumbria is hilly but we managed to make good progress and today was one of the rare occasions we finished before 7pm.

Day 7 - 30.05.09 Marford to Slaidburn (Lancashire)

Distance : 102 miles
Average Speed : 11 mph
Total Time : 15 hours !!

Today turned out to be a bit of an epic - one which I am glad is now over! We knew today would be a hard day and it was listed as being around 80 miles. However, we were staying south of Chester which added on a few extra miles and somewhere along the way we managed to add a few more. The day started well, setting off at just gone 8am on another hot day and with fairly flat roads we made good progress by lunch time. The route then became much more complicated and we were cycling through some pretty built up areas around Manchester and Preston with lots of traffic and round abouts. Time was ticking by and our legs were getting tired, by about 6 we had only just managed to navigate past Chorley, a few hours later and the route started getting hilly again. It became apparent that we were not going to reach the youth hostel in time for dinner, so we just had some chips at the side of the road and felt sorry for ourselves! The route then left the towns behind and headed off up into the hills of the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire - night was falling! A few more hours passed and we were getting worried that we would miss the last check in time at the hostel at half ten. We gave them a call and the warden said she would stay up for us! At this point it was dark so we had fitted the lights to the bikes and navigated along the dark country lanes hoping there were no potholes lurking. As we cycled up yet another impossibly steep hill in the pitch black we both agreed we were deserving of the sponsorship money. When finally we made it to the hostel at about 11.15pm - I have never been so glad to get into a bunk bed !!

Day 6 - 29.05.09 Ludlow to Marford (Chester)

Distance : 66 miles
Average Speed : 11.3 mph
Total Time : 9 hours

After a much needed evening of rest and relaxation at Mum and Dads house, Dad dropped us back at Ludlow to set off again, I was very tempted to stay and let Jolyon finish off the trip on his own ! It was another hot day and a scenic ride through rural Shropshire. A high point of the day, literally, was the climb up and over the Long Mynd which was very STEEP !! There was a brilliant view at the top though so it was worth it. We also went through the village of Weston Lullingfield where we used to live when I was about 6 and saw my old house ! Today turned out to be a bit shorter than we were expecting, and although we were tiring by the end we arrived at Marford by about half six. We stayed with friends of Jolyons parents, who were very kind, providing hot showers and a lovely dinner to help us recharge our batteries.

One of the hardest things about this 'holiday' is cycling past so many lovely looking country pubs, all with people outside in shorts, relaxing with a cold beer. When we have finished we will need a proper holiday.

Day 5 - 28.05.09 Welsh Bicknor to ludlow

Distance covered: 46 miles
Average speed: 10.8 mph
Time cycling: hours
Total time: 7 hours

Today was as close as it gets to a rest day with only 46 miles required. Jo still has a nasty cold so im still carrying most of the kit and my knees are getting a bit sore, but it was nice and sunny and not too hilly. Treated ourselves to two cafe stops today, I think I am putting on weight!

Jo's parents live near Ludlow so her mum picked us up and drove us back to their house for the evening. Its amazing how effortless driving up hills is, they really are a killer with a laden bike.

When you are in a youth hostel you dont mind getting up and out early, I think it will be harder tommorow!

Day 4 - 27.05.09 Wells to Welsh Bicknor

Distance covered: 67.5 miles
Average speed: 10mph
Time cycling: 6.42 hours
Total time: 11 hours

A pleasant start to the day, cycling up a 2.5 mile hill out of Wells over the Mendip Hills in the pouring rain and gales. It is the first proper rain we have had though so we have been pretty lucky. We carried on to Bristol and cycled over the Clifton Suspension Bridge and then went on to cross the Seven Bridge, which was hard work with the wind nearly blowing us over. Finding the youth hostel was something of an expedition, we decided on the short cut which involved lifting our bikes over fences and up steps ,wheeling them down footpaths covered with nettles and tree roots and going over an Indiana Jones type bridge over the River Wye. Eventually we found the hostel about an hour and a few nettle stings later.

Day 3 - 26.05.09 Exeter to Wells

Distance covered: 69 miles
Average speed: 10.7mph
Time cycling: 6.26
Total time: 10hrs

Groaters (the term given to those who have ridden end to end) say it is a cruel start to the ride and they are not wrong, after the first two days we were looking forward to leaving the hills of devon and cornwall behind. The weather was nice again, Jo looks like a liquorice allsort with all kinds of strange tan lines, but it was windy. We had to do about 9 miles on dual carriageways and the wind was blowing us out towards the trucks which was a bit unpleasant. Jo also seems to have got a cold, which doesn't make breathing up the hills any easier, so i'm carrying her panniers as well as my own!

After riding round glastonbury tor we arrived in Wells to a bit of luxury, staying in a B&B rather than a youth hostel. The woman tried to make us leave our bikes outside and with rain threathenng and the potential for them to get nicked. I pulled the old charity guilt trip and said lots of little badgers and children would suffer so she let me take them in.

Day Two – 25.05.09 Glant - Exeter

This was set to be the hardest day of the ride, and it did not fail to disappoint. After the lack of sleep Jolyon and Jo set off at 8.15am to spend the day cycling up and down hills. It even got to the point where they didn’t even look forward to going downhill because they knew they would only have to go straight back up again. However this was offset by the beautiful scenery and lovely weather as they passed Bodmin Moor and Dartmoor.
After cycling for 7 hours and covering 80 miles they arrived in Exeter at 7.15pm. Their average spend increased to 10.6mph on the second hay and the fastest speed reached was 36 mph.

At the end of the first two days they are both feeling good and confident about the rest of the journey. They are really pleased with the brilliant weather so far and even managed to avoid most of the showers on Tuesday morning. Jolyon and Jo are making great progress and after the first two days are still on schedule to finish on the 7th June.

Day One – 24.05.09 Lands End - Glant

Jolyon and Jo set off on their 1012 charity bike ride first thing on Sunday morning. After cycling from their Bed and Breakfast to Lands End to have their first picture taken (see right) they left the starting point at 9.15am for Glant. The first few miles were full of lovely scenery and mostly flat ground, however it soon started getting rather hilly. After their first successful day they reached their Youth Hostel just after 7pm on Sunday evening, arriving only just in time to get some dinner, and enjoyed a few well deserved beers.
In total they cycled for 6 hours and 45 minutes on the first day covering 68 miles with an average speed of 10mph and a maximum speed of 34mph.
Unfortunately the first nights sleep was disturbed by another person sleeping in the same dorm snoring loudly throughout the night resulting in Jo only being about to get 3 hours sleep.

19th May 2009

Our day of departure is getting ever closer and we are making the final preparations, the bikes are all serviced and gleaming, we have equipped ourselves with more lycra, power bars and anti-chafing creams than we can fit in our panniers and all we need to do now is actually plan the route on a map! We are obsessively eating pasta and checking the weather forecast. We are looking forward to getting going, it will be nice to stop planning and start peddling.

Thank you to all those who have so generously donated to our charities.
If you haven’t sponsored us but would like to it is not too late, please visit:
http://www.justgiving.com/jolyonandjo to sponsor us for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
http://www.justgiving.com/joandjolyon to sponsor us for Naomi House

The stats

For those interested in routes and mileages the below table gives an idea. We are following, more or less, the CTC Youth Hostel Route and will mostly be staying in Youth Hostels and with scattered friends and family, and the odd B&B as a special treat! Initial plans of camping were quickly shelved after a very wet and windy training ride when the thought of climbing in to little tent on a roadside verge really didn’t appeal.

24.05.09 : Lands End ---> Glant (65 miles)
25.05.09 : Glant ---> Exeter (84 miles)
26.05.09 : Exeter ---> Wells (70 miles)
27.05.09 : Wells ---> Welsh Bicknor (65 miles)
28.05.09 : Welsh Bicknor ---> Ludlow (45 miles)
29.05.09 : Ludlow ---> Marford (70 miles)
30.05.09 : Marford ---> Slaidburn (80 miles)
31.05.09 : Slaidburn ---> Calthwaite (75 miles)
01.06.09 : Calthwaite ---> Warnlockhead (80 miles)
02.06.09 : Warnlockhead ---> Loch Lomond (70 miles)
03.06.09 : Loch Lomond ---> Glen Coe (65 miles)
04.06.09 : Glen Coe ---> Loch Ness (66 miles)
05.06.09 : Loch Ness ---> Carbisdale (64 miles)
06.06.09 : Carbisdale ---> Tounge (49 miles)
07.06.09 : Tounge ---> John O' Groats (64 miles)

COMPLETE - Total 1012

Sponsorship

To help keep us going, and benefit others, we are asking for sponsorship for two local charities, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, who work to conserve our local wildlife, both on land and in the sea, and Naomi House, a local childrens Hospice that provides much needed respite care for sick children and their families.

Thank you to all those who have so generously donated to our charities.

If you haven’t sponsored us but would like to it is not too late, please visit:

http://www.justgiving.com/jolyonandjo to sponsor us for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
http://www.justgiving.com/joandjolyon to sponsor us for Naomi House

Background

After a long and not entirely unpleasant winter of drinking wine and watching TV we decided we needed a new challenge to encourage us to get outside and do some exercise. Not wishing to do things by halves we decided on the 1000 mile bike ride from one end of the country to the other.
The motivation, or rather dread, that the bike ride has inspired has meant we have been fairly busy getting on our bikes to get some training miles under our wheels. Although we both feel fitter, the training hasn’t quite instilled the confidence we had hoped it would; rather it has demonstrated that it will be more of a task than we first thought. Seventy miles a day for two consecutive days was tiring and we are trying not to think that we will have to average the same mileage for 15 consecutive days! Still, just like the pro cyclists training for the Tour De France, we are hoping to ‘ride in to fitness’.