Results
So how did we do!
This page tells you how much we raised for each of our chosen charities and a run down of how the ride went from day to day. In time we will also publish a few photographs.
This page tells you how much we raised for each of our chosen charities and a run down of how the ride went from day to day. In time we will also publish a few photographs.
British Malignant Hyperthermia Association
BMHA
Raised so far: £1583.20
Stairway To Heaven Memorial Trust
Artists Impression
Raised so far : £1560.00
Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK
Raised so far: £1388.00
26/07/2011
Day 1 - Lands End to Golant - 65 miles
Chris, Ronnie and John ready to start pedalling!
We set off at 9am, the weather was overcast and dull but luckily there was no wind! We arrived at Penzance quite quickly but from there on route to Golant were some serious hills!! We managed to pedal up all of them and freewheel back down but it was pretty relentless.
It then became very hot in the afternoon, reaching 24 degrees.We stopped regularly to put on sunscreen and to fill up our waterbottles wherever we could - in a Spar shop, a pub and a petrol station.
We arrived in Golant in 8pm, and although it has taken eleven hours (including getting lost on two occasions) the total pedalling time was only seven hours.
After arriving in Golant Chris said to me, “the next time you have an idea like this, keep it to yourself!”.
It then became very hot in the afternoon, reaching 24 degrees.We stopped regularly to put on sunscreen and to fill up our waterbottles wherever we could - in a Spar shop, a pub and a petrol station.
We arrived in Golant in 8pm, and although it has taken eleven hours (including getting lost on two occasions) the total pedalling time was only seven hours.
After arriving in Golant Chris said to me, “the next time you have an idea like this, keep it to yourself!”.
The following pictures were taken by Chris's son, Ben, as we set out on our journey:
27/07/2011
Day 2 - Golant to Yelverton - 48 miles
It has been a very hard day today! Hill after hill after hill! We left for Yelverton at 9am and straight away as we left the youth hostel it was uphill for half a mile. It has been hot and sunny for most of the day although cycling along the Plym Valley Cycle Trail provided some light relief as it was fairly shady.
We arrived in Yelverton at 6pm, having underestimated the mileage by ten miles, and are staying in a nice B&B where there are chickens running around in the garden.
We’ve heard today that our charity bike ride is going to feature in the Wiltshire Times! A reporter phoned Chris and did an interview over the phone.
Tomorrow is going to be another tough day, cycling across Dartmoor….
Day 2 - Golant to Yelverton - 48 miles
It has been a very hard day today! Hill after hill after hill! We left for Yelverton at 9am and straight away as we left the youth hostel it was uphill for half a mile. It has been hot and sunny for most of the day although cycling along the Plym Valley Cycle Trail provided some light relief as it was fairly shady.
We arrived in Yelverton at 6pm, having underestimated the mileage by ten miles, and are staying in a nice B&B where there are chickens running around in the garden.
We’ve heard today that our charity bike ride is going to feature in the Wiltshire Times! A reporter phoned Chris and did an interview over the phone.
Tomorrow is going to be another tough day, cycling across Dartmoor….
Ronnie and Chris
28/07/2011
Day 3 - Yelverton to Exeter - 56 miles
Today we have cycled across Dartmoor. The weather has been perfect for cycling, not too sunny and thankfully no wind!
Approximately six miles into Dartmoor we had a long climb up to Princetown but from then on it was a nice ride across the moor with plenty of wildlife to look at, however as we approached the edge of the moor there were yet more steep hills! On route we met two cyclists who are cycling from John O Groats to Lands End and they are on day 11 of their ride!
We made it to Exeter in good time, arriving at about 4pm. We had expected to arrive in the early evening. We are staying in the Globe Backpackers hostel, which is nice and is fully booked with people of all nationalities. It will be an early start tomorrow as we set off for Cheddar.
Day 3 - Yelverton to Exeter - 56 miles
Today we have cycled across Dartmoor. The weather has been perfect for cycling, not too sunny and thankfully no wind!
Approximately six miles into Dartmoor we had a long climb up to Princetown but from then on it was a nice ride across the moor with plenty of wildlife to look at, however as we approached the edge of the moor there were yet more steep hills! On route we met two cyclists who are cycling from John O Groats to Lands End and they are on day 11 of their ride!
We made it to Exeter in good time, arriving at about 4pm. We had expected to arrive in the early evening. We are staying in the Globe Backpackers hostel, which is nice and is fully booked with people of all nationalities. It will be an early start tomorrow as we set off for Cheddar.
29/07/2011
Day 4 - Exeter to Cheddar - 61 miles
We left the Globe Backpackers hostel at 8am and it has been a much easier day cycling along the Somerset Levels, an area of wetland in the heart of Somerset between the Quantock and Mendip Hills. Unlike the previous three days there were very few hills to actually pedal up and we were also able to take our time, as we were unable to book into the hostel in Cheddar before 5pm. The weather has been ideal for cycling despite having a little rain at around 4.30pm.
We arrived at the Cheddar YHA just after 6pm and had Pot Mess for dinner - which consisted of baked beans, tinned tomatoes, corned beef, peas and potatoes all boiled together on a hob. This was followed by a beer and then off to bed in preparation for an early start in the morning.
The hardest thing so far about the ride (except for the hills of course!) has been living out of our panniers. We have to carry absolutely everything in them and the weight has to be distributed evenly between the two so that our bikes our balanced. We spend a lot of time searching through them as it is difficult to remember where we have put things!
Day 4 - Exeter to Cheddar - 61 miles
We left the Globe Backpackers hostel at 8am and it has been a much easier day cycling along the Somerset Levels, an area of wetland in the heart of Somerset between the Quantock and Mendip Hills. Unlike the previous three days there were very few hills to actually pedal up and we were also able to take our time, as we were unable to book into the hostel in Cheddar before 5pm. The weather has been ideal for cycling despite having a little rain at around 4.30pm.
We arrived at the Cheddar YHA just after 6pm and had Pot Mess for dinner - which consisted of baked beans, tinned tomatoes, corned beef, peas and potatoes all boiled together on a hob. This was followed by a beer and then off to bed in preparation for an early start in the morning.
The hardest thing so far about the ride (except for the hills of course!) has been living out of our panniers. We have to carry absolutely everything in them and the weight has to be distributed evenly between the two so that our bikes our balanced. We spend a lot of time searching through them as it is difficult to remember where we have put things!
Still smiling .... even after 40 miles!
30/07/2011
Day 5 - Cheddar to Welsh Bicknor - 67 miles
It was raining when we left the youth hostel at 8am this morning but thankfully it had stopped after about an an hour. It has been quite a bit colder today than previous days although it did warm up as the day went on.
We have cycled along the National Cycle Network track all the way to the Severn Bridge and again it has been a relatively easier ride with few hills.
We crossed the Severn Bridge at about 1.30pm and met Chris' wife Sheila and two friends on the other side, fairly close to Chepstow. By this time we had already cycled 40 miles! They had brought with them plenty of food including pasta, bananas, cake and chocolate and also water to fill up our waterbottles.
Day 5 - Cheddar to Welsh Bicknor - 67 miles
It was raining when we left the youth hostel at 8am this morning but thankfully it had stopped after about an an hour. It has been quite a bit colder today than previous days although it did warm up as the day went on.
We have cycled along the National Cycle Network track all the way to the Severn Bridge and again it has been a relatively easier ride with few hills.
We crossed the Severn Bridge at about 1.30pm and met Chris' wife Sheila and two friends on the other side, fairly close to Chepstow. By this time we had already cycled 40 miles! They had brought with them plenty of food including pasta, bananas, cake and chocolate and also water to fill up our waterbottles.
These pictures were taken by Sheila after crossing the Severn Bridge:
After a nice lunch we continued cycling through Tintern Abbey and onto Welsh Bicknor. We had a steep hill to climb leading up to the youth hostel and we arrived at 7pm.
Clun Mill Youth Hostel
31/07/2011
Day 6 – Welsh Bicknor to Clun Mill – 58 miles
We set off at 8am and began our ride by cycling along the Cycle Touring Club (CTC) route, but our progress was slow. The CTC route was a rough track and once we had pedalled up the hills we were unable to freewheel down them quickly due to the rough road surface, and the route was very winding so we had difficulty seeing around the corners. We therefore decided to cycle along the B-roads and once we were on them the ride was relatively easy. We made good progress, arriving at the Clun Mill Youth Hostel at 5pm. It is a nice hostel and is in fact an old mill.
All of the hostels we have stayed in offer self-catering facilities and most days we prepare our own meals. We have bought various herbs and spices along the way to enhance the flavour of our basic meals and our panniers are becoming rather like mobile spice racks!
Ronnie has already worn out the pedals on his bike, the bearings have gone and they have started squeaking and clicking. Tomorrow we are meeting my brother Paul in Chester and he will bring some new pedals for Ronnie.
Day 6 – Welsh Bicknor to Clun Mill – 58 miles
We set off at 8am and began our ride by cycling along the Cycle Touring Club (CTC) route, but our progress was slow. The CTC route was a rough track and once we had pedalled up the hills we were unable to freewheel down them quickly due to the rough road surface, and the route was very winding so we had difficulty seeing around the corners. We therefore decided to cycle along the B-roads and once we were on them the ride was relatively easy. We made good progress, arriving at the Clun Mill Youth Hostel at 5pm. It is a nice hostel and is in fact an old mill.
All of the hostels we have stayed in offer self-catering facilities and most days we prepare our own meals. We have bought various herbs and spices along the way to enhance the flavour of our basic meals and our panniers are becoming rather like mobile spice racks!
Ronnie has already worn out the pedals on his bike, the bearings have gone and they have started squeaking and clicking. Tomorrow we are meeting my brother Paul in Chester and he will bring some new pedals for Ronnie.
01/08/2011
Day 7 – Clun Mill to Chester – 70 miles We set off this morning at 8.15am. We were slightly delayed in leaving as Chris’ bike had a puncture (the first of the cycle ride so far!) and obviously had to be repaired before we could leave! It was drizzling as we left but the weather has not been too bad the rest of the day. We cycled through Shrewsbury and Wrexham and on to Chester. It has been a hard day today, not particularly hilly, but just the sheer distance we have cycled has really taken it out of our legs. However, there was a section near Shrewsbury that was downhill for about four miles, therefore not a great deal of pedalling was required, and this was a welcome relief!! We arrived in Chester at 5pm and met my brother Paul and his wife Pat. They had brought along the new pedals for Ronnies’ bike which he fitted and then we went for an Indian meal. We made our way back to the Chester Backpackers hostel just after 10pm as we have another long day ahead of us tomorrow. |
These photos were taken by my brother Paul when we went out for an Indian in Chester:
02/08/2011
Day 8 - Chester to Slaidburn - 85 miles
It has been a very long day today!
My brother Paul, and sister-in-law Pat, waved us off today at 8.30am and we didn't arrive in Slaidburn until 10pm! It has been a long and complicated day from a navigational point of view, and we have had to stop regularly to look at the map to make sure we were heading in the right direction!
The weather has been pretty good today although there was a serious downpour at about 1.30pm as we were nearing Bolton. Luckily at that time we had stopped in a pub ..... to have a cup of tea of course! From the pub we could see Bolton Wanderers FC, the Reebok Stadium.
The route has been quite hilly in places which has made our ride all the more challenging. There was a steady climb through Clitheroe and the final mile and a half was hard going as we had a steep climb into Slaidburn. We were thoroughly relieved to finally arrive at the Youth Hostel!
The photos below were taken at the Chester Backpackers :
03/08/2011
Day 9 - Slaidburn to Windermere - 47 miles
The weather has been perfect for cycling today, sunny intervals but no wind or rain!
We left Slaidburn at 9am and as soon as we had left the Youth Hostel we had a seven mile climb! Just what our legs needed after pedalling for 85 miles yesterday! The day has been uneventful, quite hilly in places and we arrived in Windermere just before 5pm. This stopover is not on the Cycle Touring Club route as it is an extra stop we decided to make having cycled extremely long distances the previous two days (not to mention the six days of cycling before that!). Tonight we are staying at the Windermere YHA.
Day 9 - Slaidburn to Windermere - 47 miles
The weather has been perfect for cycling today, sunny intervals but no wind or rain!
We left Slaidburn at 9am and as soon as we had left the Youth Hostel we had a seven mile climb! Just what our legs needed after pedalling for 85 miles yesterday! The day has been uneventful, quite hilly in places and we arrived in Windermere just before 5pm. This stopover is not on the Cycle Touring Club route as it is an extra stop we decided to make having cycled extremely long distances the previous two days (not to mention the six days of cycling before that!). Tonight we are staying at the Windermere YHA.
04/08/2011
Day 10 - Windermere to Carlisle - 51 miles
It was absolutely pouring with rain when we left this morning and it rained continuously until 3pm! From Windermere we cycled up and over the Kirkstone Pass and cycling down the other side of the Pass has worn out the brake blocks on Ronnies bike and my own. We cycled around the Ullswater Lake and onto Penrith where we bought two sets of brake blocks and decided to stop for a nice healthy lunch in MacDonalds!
From Penrith we cycled along the National Cycle Network route onto Carlisle and we arrived at about 4pm. We are staying in the Travel Lodge and even though our bikes are filthy we have had to keep them in our room, as the Travel Lodge does not have a secure bike storage area. This evening we have eaten in Wetherspoons as it is curry night, which meant we could have a curry and a drink for just £5! (and didn’t have to worry about doing the washing up afterwards!).
Tomorrow we shall be crossing the Scottish border on route to New Lanark!
A selection of photos taken since the start of our journey up until Day 10 when we reached Windermere:
Welcome to Scotland!
05/08/2011
Day 11 - Carlisle to New Lanark - 82 miles
We left Carlisle at 7.30am this morning and it has been a very long day, much longer than we had anticipated!! We decided not to have breakfast in the Travel Lodge as it is pretty expensive and instead cycled to a big Asda for breakfast. Whilst we were there we bought food for our evening meal and for our breakfast tomorrow.
We travelled on to Gretna and by 9.30am we had crossed the border into Scotland, where Ronnie insisted on having his photo taken stood next to the Scotland sign wearing his England shirt!!
We ended up getting slightly lost in Gretna but eventually found our way onto the National Cycle Network route 74 and we followed this from Gretna for 59 miles .... what a slog!! The route was awful! The track was rough and difficult to cycle along and we had the wind in our faces for most of the way. It was a boring cycle ride as the track followed the motorway and was very monotonous. We stopped in Beatock for a pub lunch and as we reached the end of the cycle way we got lost again! Thankfully we ended up on the right route and continued on to New Lanark and we finally arrived at about 8.10pm, what a day!
Day 11 - Carlisle to New Lanark - 82 miles
We left Carlisle at 7.30am this morning and it has been a very long day, much longer than we had anticipated!! We decided not to have breakfast in the Travel Lodge as it is pretty expensive and instead cycled to a big Asda for breakfast. Whilst we were there we bought food for our evening meal and for our breakfast tomorrow.
We travelled on to Gretna and by 9.30am we had crossed the border into Scotland, where Ronnie insisted on having his photo taken stood next to the Scotland sign wearing his England shirt!!
We ended up getting slightly lost in Gretna but eventually found our way onto the National Cycle Network route 74 and we followed this from Gretna for 59 miles .... what a slog!! The route was awful! The track was rough and difficult to cycle along and we had the wind in our faces for most of the way. It was a boring cycle ride as the track followed the motorway and was very monotonous. We stopped in Beatock for a pub lunch and as we reached the end of the cycle way we got lost again! Thankfully we ended up on the right route and continued on to New Lanark and we finally arrived at about 8.10pm, what a day!
06/08/2011
Day 12 - New Lanark to Stirling - 47 miles
After leaving New Lanark we cycled up through Aidrie towards Stirling. The weather has been nice although it did start to rain at about 3pm but by this time we were only an hour from the hostel. The scenery hasn't been particularly special so far due to the fact that the route we have taken is the main belt between Glasgow and Edinburgh, and it is densely populated and built up. We did however, see two baby deer in a field and spent some time watching a sheepdog round up sheep! We arrived at the hostel in Stirling at around 4pm.
Although we have now been cycling for 12 days we are still very much enjoying the challenge.... having said that though it is forecast to rain tomorrow .... a lot... and we have approximately 82 miles to cover!!
Today our cycle ride featured in the Wiltshire Times! http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/9168064.
Day 12 - New Lanark to Stirling - 47 miles
After leaving New Lanark we cycled up through Aidrie towards Stirling. The weather has been nice although it did start to rain at about 3pm but by this time we were only an hour from the hostel. The scenery hasn't been particularly special so far due to the fact that the route we have taken is the main belt between Glasgow and Edinburgh, and it is densely populated and built up. We did however, see two baby deer in a field and spent some time watching a sheepdog round up sheep! We arrived at the hostel in Stirling at around 4pm.
Although we have now been cycling for 12 days we are still very much enjoying the challenge.... having said that though it is forecast to rain tomorrow .... a lot... and we have approximately 82 miles to cover!!
Today our cycle ride featured in the Wiltshire Times! http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/9168064.
07/08/2011
Day 13 - Stirling to Glencoe - 81 miles
We left Stirling at 7.30am today and as forecast it has rained nearly all day!! We pedalled for about one and a half hours then stopped for breakfast in a cafe at the side of a pub, by this point we had covered approximately 20 miles. Whilst we were there we had our photo taken by a man on his holiday and hopefully he will email this to us.
We have cycled into the Scottish Highlands and the scenery is spectacular however due to the rain there was a lot of low level cloud over the mountains. It was also very cold and we had to stop to put on more layers, and as the day went on we stopped less and less to look at the scenery because we were getting colder and colder! The ride itself was relatively straightforward. We cycled along roads rather than farm tracks and although we were cycling uphill it was a gradual ascent, not at all like the hills in the West Country!
We are staying at the Youth Hostel in Glencoe and we arrived at about 7pm. The hostel is nice with good facilities and thankfully has a well equipped drying room as most of our clothes are wet! Tomorrow we shall be cycling on to Loch Ness.
Day 13 - Stirling to Glencoe - 81 miles
We left Stirling at 7.30am today and as forecast it has rained nearly all day!! We pedalled for about one and a half hours then stopped for breakfast in a cafe at the side of a pub, by this point we had covered approximately 20 miles. Whilst we were there we had our photo taken by a man on his holiday and hopefully he will email this to us.
We have cycled into the Scottish Highlands and the scenery is spectacular however due to the rain there was a lot of low level cloud over the mountains. It was also very cold and we had to stop to put on more layers, and as the day went on we stopped less and less to look at the scenery because we were getting colder and colder! The ride itself was relatively straightforward. We cycled along roads rather than farm tracks and although we were cycling uphill it was a gradual ascent, not at all like the hills in the West Country!
We are staying at the Youth Hostel in Glencoe and we arrived at about 7pm. The hostel is nice with good facilities and thankfully has a well equipped drying room as most of our clothes are wet! Tomorrow we shall be cycling on to Loch Ness.
08/08/2011
Day 14 - Glencoe to Loch Ness - 59 miles
Today has been a fairly easy ride, mostly flat and the weather has been kind to us except for the odd shower here and there. We left Glencoe and cycled up to Fort William where we stopped in Morrisons to buy our dinner for this evening and tomorrows breakfast. Chris bought a pork belly joint, pasta and spaghetti, and we "borrowed" some of the plastic knives and forks from the restaurant there!
We stopped at about 1.30pm for lunch at Loch Lochy, a large freshwater loch in Lochaber, and from there pedalled on towards Loch Ness. We stopped in a cafe about 10 miles south of Loch Ness for a cup of tea and then continued onto the Youth Hostel at which we arrived at about 5.10pm. The Hostel is situated next to the Loch and although we haven't yet encountered the Loch Ness Monster we have encountered midges and lots of them! We have had to cover ourselves in mosquito repellant!
Ronnie has cooked our dinner this evening and we have spoken to the lady working here who has told us that the weather is looking good for tomorrow when we shall be cycling to Bonar Bridge!
Dingwall in the Highlands
09/08/2011
Day 15 - Loch Ness to Bonar Bridge - 61 miles
We left this morning at 8.15am and its been cold and windy for most of the day with a little bit of rain. The ride itself has been fairly smooth although there has been a strong headwind which has made it quite hard going at times. Thankfully the roads have been good.
Ten miles into our ride we came to the steepest hill since leaving Lands End! It was one mile and 1:6 and it was impossible to pedal up although we did give it a go! After reaching the top of the hill we cycled on a bit further and then stopped for coffee and cake in a cafe where we met two other 'End to Enders' travelling in the same direction, they are taking 21 days to cover the full distance.
We stopped for lunch in a cafe and we met a friend of Sheila's (Chris' wife) in a place called Dingwall where she took the photos below. After cycling through Dingwall we carried on towards Bonar Bridge. We had hoped to stay at Carbisdale Castle however this was damaged in a flood earlier in the year so we decided to stay at the Kyle House B&B. We had our evening meal in the local pub and it is so cold here at the moment there is a roaring log fire burning!
Day 15 - Loch Ness to Bonar Bridge - 61 miles
We left this morning at 8.15am and its been cold and windy for most of the day with a little bit of rain. The ride itself has been fairly smooth although there has been a strong headwind which has made it quite hard going at times. Thankfully the roads have been good.
Ten miles into our ride we came to the steepest hill since leaving Lands End! It was one mile and 1:6 and it was impossible to pedal up although we did give it a go! After reaching the top of the hill we cycled on a bit further and then stopped for coffee and cake in a cafe where we met two other 'End to Enders' travelling in the same direction, they are taking 21 days to cover the full distance.
We stopped for lunch in a cafe and we met a friend of Sheila's (Chris' wife) in a place called Dingwall where she took the photos below. After cycling through Dingwall we carried on towards Bonar Bridge. We had hoped to stay at Carbisdale Castle however this was damaged in a flood earlier in the year so we decided to stay at the Kyle House B&B. We had our evening meal in the local pub and it is so cold here at the moment there is a roaring log fire burning!
10/08/2011
Day 16 - Bonar Bridge to Tongue - 51 miles
We left the B&B at 8.45am this morning. On route to Tongue we stopped at the Falls of Shin, which is supposed to be an excellent place to watch leaping salmon, but although we watched for some time we didn't see any at all!!
It has been the worst day in terms of weather today. We have had torrential rain, horizontal at times because of the wind, and it has been very cold! The route hasn't been particularly hilly and it should have a been a relatively easy ride but the awful weather conditions have made it a very tough day!
We continued North across the bleak, windswept moorlands and eventually arrived at the Youth Hostel at about 5.30pm. By this time we were soaked through and absolutely freezing!! Despite the hostel being in such a remote place it is fully booked with people on holiday - cycling holidays, fishing holidays and foreign travellers.
We cannot believe that we have nearly completed our journey and we are very much looking forward to tomorrow when we shall cycle the final 66 miles to John O Groats!!
We continued North across the bleak, windswept moorlands and eventually arrived at the Youth Hostel at about 5.30pm. By this time we were soaked through and absolutely freezing!! Despite the hostel being in such a remote place it is fully booked with people on holiday - cycling holidays, fishing holidays and foreign travellers.
We cannot believe that we have nearly completed our journey and we are very much looking forward to tomorrow when we shall cycle the final 66 miles to John O Groats!!
NEWS UPDATE: 11/08/11 - 7.10pm - They have done it!!! John, Ronnie and Chris have just crossed the finishing line at John O Groats!! Daily update coming shortly.
At the Finish Line!!
11/08/11
Day 17 - Tongue to John O Groats! - 64 miles
We've made it, after a long, hard day of cycling we arrived in John O Groats at just after 7pm! We left this morning at 8.15am and it has been tough going! It has been sunny but cold, and for most of the ride there has been a strong headwind which has meant that we haven't been able to travel at any significant speed. As we cycled away from Tongue the terrain became very hilly and by the time we stopped for lunch at 1.30pm we had only covered about 20-25 miles. Lunch today was a sandwich in a pub.
After lunch we called in at the bike shop in Thurso, to confirm that we are still able to leave our bikes here tomorrow to be posted home, and we then went to the Tourist Information for train times, as once we have dropped off our bikes we shall be travelling by train to Inverness.
Towards the end of the ride the terrain flattened out and after cycling 1,053 miles we eventually reached John O Groats!! We had our photos taken at the Finish Line but unfortunately there was no sign! The John O Groats sign is privately owned and the owner is only there during working hours so by the time we had arrived he had gone home! Once we had taken enough photos we headed off in search of the Youth Hostel which meant that we had to cycle a further 2-3 miles. There is nothing in the area apart from the hostel so we had our dinner and then it was off to bed! We will go out tomorrow night for a meal and a beer to celebrate!
We are looking forward to going home now as it has been a long 17 days, everything we have with us is damp and worn, and Ronnie's panniers are falling apart! We have all thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of cycling the length of the country and it has certainly been an experience we will not forget!!
Day 17 - Tongue to John O Groats! - 64 miles
We've made it, after a long, hard day of cycling we arrived in John O Groats at just after 7pm! We left this morning at 8.15am and it has been tough going! It has been sunny but cold, and for most of the ride there has been a strong headwind which has meant that we haven't been able to travel at any significant speed. As we cycled away from Tongue the terrain became very hilly and by the time we stopped for lunch at 1.30pm we had only covered about 20-25 miles. Lunch today was a sandwich in a pub.
After lunch we called in at the bike shop in Thurso, to confirm that we are still able to leave our bikes here tomorrow to be posted home, and we then went to the Tourist Information for train times, as once we have dropped off our bikes we shall be travelling by train to Inverness.
Towards the end of the ride the terrain flattened out and after cycling 1,053 miles we eventually reached John O Groats!! We had our photos taken at the Finish Line but unfortunately there was no sign! The John O Groats sign is privately owned and the owner is only there during working hours so by the time we had arrived he had gone home! Once we had taken enough photos we headed off in search of the Youth Hostel which meant that we had to cycle a further 2-3 miles. There is nothing in the area apart from the hostel so we had our dinner and then it was off to bed! We will go out tomorrow night for a meal and a beer to celebrate!
We are looking forward to going home now as it has been a long 17 days, everything we have with us is damp and worn, and Ronnie's panniers are falling apart! We have all thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of cycling the length of the country and it has certainly been an experience we will not forget!!