Day 20 Betty Hill to John o'Groats Ending on a high note!

Started the morning inside a mountain cloud of heavy Scottish drizzle. As we scaled the early hills we were nearly blown sideways by gusting winds. We pushed on to Reay and shared a mug of warming mug of hot chocolate as we dripped onto the carpet in a tiny Spar shop. But nothing daunted us today as the weather started to improve we could see the final stretch of coastline on our way to John O'Groats.

We rolled together down the final stretch towards an amazing welcome from the massed family choir / orchestra performing Mervion and Mick's reworking of The Pushbike Song. What a great end to a brilliant experience.

So we've done! We're retiring now to spend more time with our families. If you've waiting for this moment before contributing to our causes then now's the time !

And thanks so much to everyone who's looked in and given us so much support.

Lots of love from Team GBR - Gig, Bobs and Rach

49 miles

Day 19- Recipe for a perfect day

1 Get up late
2 Leave castle after yummy breakfast
3 Cycle up 23 miles of spectacular scenery to top of Highland mountain but it is very gradual, nearly flat
4 Decide to set off for pub/hotel at bottom of 7 mile hill
5 Whizz down 7 miles like the Cresta Run - no pedals!
6 Find pub no longer open - nowhere else for 27 miles
7 Sit and eat malt loaf, hobnobs and cup of flask tea by bridge
8 Cycle along Loch Naver slightly downhill all the 27 miles
9 Arrive at destination really early and it is beautiful and by the sea
10 Have a husband with car coming to see us for the evening
11 Know you only have to do this for one more day and tomorrow night we will be on HOLIDAY!!!

53 miles - amazing country and easiest ride to date

Bobs x

Day 18 Inverness to Carbisdale Castle

A shortish mileage day, opting to go over the mountain instead of around it! We aint scared of those hills no more! Great to meet up with Mum, Mike and Marilyn who passed us on the road, heading up to end of cycle holiday cottage. Feels like the end of this cycling malarky is nigh! Tonight, staying in grandeur at the YHA run Carbisdale Castle. Photo shows us in all our newly toned glory, post shower.

Big thanks to Mick, and now Paul Weir, for helping update this blog with pics, when the smart phone wasn't being so smart.

43 miles today and our first sight of a John O'Groats sign.

Rachel

Day 17 - To Inverness!

Hi all,

Easy peesie day, lunch at lunchtime, sun in afternoon on cue, sailed down from Cairngorms to fab view of Inverness and the Sea unexpectedly appearing! Fab Youth Hostel in Inverness, hot showers, and LAUNDRY!!! Hurray!
Pic of the day is the Carr Bridge at Carr Bridge!
49 miles - easy going and lovely end
PS - Cycle path by the A9 all the way from Inverkeithing has been a winner with beautiful views. Well done Gig for sorting that one out!

Day 16~ The Highlands!

Stopped off at Pitlochry and then lunch at Blair Atholl, all interesting places to travel to. Saw many fabulous Salmon/trout rivers gor the fishermen among you, definately the place to be.....Paul and Peter take note!
Then a 20 mile climb up into the Highlands in a strong headwind that nearly finished us off! Nowhere to stop and too cold anyway. Eventually made it to the summit as you can see in todays 'pic of the day'! 20 miles downhill to Newtonmore where we once again collapsed in a heap! 4 days cycling left!
56 miles - spectacular scenery and climb to 1512 ft above sealevel.
Bobs x

Day 15 Inverkeithing to Dunkeld The Scenic Route

Started in the pouring rain again after our helpful B&B hosts got all our washing done and clothes dried out. We loved the porridge with cream and honey!
Rained solid as we climbed from the slough of despond to the Hill of B(D)eath. And then chain problems on my bike meant an hour in a bike shop. But then the scenery changed and the weather too. Tree lined dappled sunlit descent alongside river at Glen of Glenfarg. The Bridge of Earn and Perth -and Dunkeld, now we're here - remind us of european towns. In warm sun we lunched by the Tay in Perth and took the excellent advice of a local to change to a slightly longer but definitely more scenic route. Way out in the gorgeous countryside, and with noalternative route we whizzed down a hill and round a bend to find a whole huge tree accross the road! And Scotland still has heroes. Thanks Jim Allen!
52 miles - Fairly easy going (for us!)

day 14 abington to inverkeithing rain, rain and the forth bridge!

a service station breakfast bap and up and away, trying to race the enormous amount of forcasted rain due to pursue us eastward. Fair zipping along today, coffe and cake in a village bakery and hounded by the deluge into a dinner stop in a garden centre. Fab finale over tne forth bridge, but no photos yet cos of technical hitches. Have a new phone, same number, so am back communicado. 55 (bedraggled) miles. Rachel.

Day 13 carlisle to Abington Crossing the border

Cranked up the pace today making great time and milage alpng a little road with cycle path that winds around the M74 nearly all the way. Thanks for the photo goes to a woman who was at Gretna for her sisters wedding and was passing by. If you're reading this then hope it was a great day and congrats to your sister!
Sun shone all day but with the slight northern nip in the air that we first noticed in Lancashire. Now we're surrounded by huge desrted green hillsides and the sheep have changed back into cows. It's been fascinating to see the gradual changes of earth and stone colours as well as scenery as we've ridden up the country.Uh Oh rain forecast for tomorrow in Scotland - but another sunny day in England! Think of us!
from Gig
60 miles

Day 12 - Kirkby Stephen to Carlisle - not too hard, tomorrow Scotland!!

Hi all

After great Chinese Takeaway last night to sustain us, peddalled off into the unknown again. We're never quite sure what county we're in! Was it Cumbria, Cumberland, Westmoreland or North Yorkshire today? Or all 4! Perhaps you can tell us!

Lunch in pub where we met another end to ender, who decided to do it on impulse and much speedier then us, armed with a road map and a lot of confidence. Today is the last day Brian will be pedalling with us, he joined us at Slaidburn but he's back to Bradford tomorrow for a bit of a rest! It's been lovely having extra company to keep us going and see you at JOG Brian!

Highlight of the day (apart from getting to the other end of the days cycle) was running into a herd of sheep being sheperded along by a dog and motoring friend. They seemed to lose half the sheep down a lane and left the rest to run wild down the roads!!

Out for a night on the town (wish) in Carlisle. Actually quick meal and straight, once again, for a very early night as we just can't keep up the pace these days.

BIG THANKS FOR ALL CONTRIBUTIONS we have received for our donation sites. It is so wonderful that you are all supporting us and we love reading the comments when we reach a place where the signal works!

See you same place tomorrow!
Bobs
x

48 miles - not too bad!

day 11 slaidburn to kirkby stephen. Sheeps in the mist.

our first diy breakfast and into the drizzle. Heading way up into the hills and to the most awesome and desolate scenery yet. Left my mobile to admire the view! So if anyone wants to offer words of encouragement, please do so via the blog until i sort out another. Misty, remote, spectacular continued all day,dotted with sheep and tiny methodist chapels. Agonising climbs and rollercoaster thrill descents. Past over the 500 mile half way point, yee ha! Rachel 48 miles

Day 10 Blackrod to Slaidburn- Short milage and hardest work

We should have known when our our host chuckled that we'd enjoy the hills he knew what he was talking about. We set off into the rain and mist and 5 hours later arrived at alunch stop having achieved the grand total of 23 miles! After being revived by the enthusiasm of a couple in the Whalley tea rooms we were off again up hills - 900 ft - and down dales to the remotest outpost of the Forest of Bowland.
This really is another country and another time.
I'm standing typing this half way into a field. The only place I can get a signal! From Gig x
39 miles

Day 9 Wybunbury to Blackrod Northern hospitality

Sarted today in the gently rolling countryside of Cheshire. So flat that when we tried to take a photo of it we couldn't get a view past two fields away! We were picking our way on country lanes between various local towns. Amazing routing from Bobs. And on a Sunday the roads were wonderfully quiet. We started heading up again at Leigh in Lancashire and I said I'd like a cup of tea. Round the corner, like Harry Potter's Room of Requirement, appeared the most amazing Victorian Tea room an sweet shop! We were served tea and gorgeous cakes with Willow pattern tea service on a silver tray by 'maids' dressed in black! As we left the proprietress insisted on giving us a box of chocolates to keep us going!

Thanks also to cyclist Peter who runs our B&B and made sure all our washing and puncture repair needs were met. And great to see Brian, Rachel's boyfriend, who took us for a quick car trip for an Indian meal. The magic was at work again! At Raani in Adlington, Slick, our host, extended the 'All you can eat buffet' for us and then introduced us to Judith and Roy, local regulars who recently walked and ran the E2E ! A great day.
52 miles

day8. Much wenlock to wybunbury. On easy street!

never thought it would be said, but Only 40 miles today, and after a week of mostly 60's, how eaaygoing and pleasant was that! Great to see mick last night, cheering me in as i came charging down the final hill, thankyou. Doddly doddly today, but could do with an england map to see where the heck we are! Rachel

Day 7 Much Marcle to Much Wenlock The longest day

BTW this is Gig! Coz Bobs created the blog it's aways her initials but it's usually been me writing so hoping tohear from some friends in the comments
After anearly start I got two punctures this morning and what with thatand getting seriosly lost for (amazingly!) the first time around Ludlow it was a really longday. But help was at hand as the Birmingham Search and Rescue Service - my in-laws - Patsy, Patrick, Helen and Baby Luis met us at Pedlars Rest Junction! We plied them with Rachel's amazing thermos of coffee and they whisked our horrendouly heavy paniers off to our digs for the night. Without them we positively flew the last 12 miles! Cheating ? Of coursenot! Most of the Cycling Vikings who do 70miles plus per day have a support vehicle! It was 8.30 when we whizzed down our final hill to a round of applause from Rachel's friend who came to see us.Thanks for the dinner, Mick! Along day but beautiful towns, villages and gogeous rolling countryside. All v happy.
60 miles

Day 6 Another day another county

Hi all our friends out there in the comfort of your homes! While you have been relaxing, we have visited these counties since Saturday!
Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Bristol and Avon, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire and here we are in Herefordshire!
Started in Bristol, had a pitstop after a mile where nifty fingered Rob sorted Rach's paniers threatening to lock the chain (sorry Brian it didnt work)! Followed by fuel stop for us. No more pitstops hopefully as we're all in full working order now!
Sorry JamesCracken didn't beat our speed record for LEJOG!Apparantly saddle sore by Glasgow? So our speedy times still stand. I think we were down to about 10 hours today!

60 miles - flattish, stuck on A road quite a bit.:(

Day 5 - Taunton to Bristol

Sunny! Sang here comes the sun as we set off! Washed bikes off from muck from yesterdays Devon Lanes and straight to bike shop for repairs to all our bikes. Luckily bike shop - Kings Cycles has the fastest bike mechanic in the west working there - on his way to a meeting apparantly but swiftly whisked our bikes away for a quick workover. 3 bikes in 10 minutes!! My bike is back to it's fab self (Bobs)!

Off on the Bridgewater Canal to Bridgewater, nice start to the day. Our kids will remember that from a holiday where we looked at the planets along the way! Judith, please note I did not fall in the Canal (unlike some!) (Bobs)

Slogged along to Highbridge where we met another E to E going in the opposite direction. Told us all about the midges in Scotland so that's something to look forward to....... Good luck Graham, nearly finished!

Completely knackered by 10 miles to go to Bristol, but OMG, what a wow place to arrive at. The INTERNATIONAL YHA is right on the dockside, beautiful views all the way, only problem, had no idea where to go and SatMap not helping!

60 miles and 10 hours slogging!! Flat! Are we taking longer????? PS my bike has littler wheels THATS why I'm slower (Bobs).

Day 4 Lots of memories Okehampton to Taunton

As we went further into Devon the place names became familiar and we remimded each other of things that happened whenwe were kids in Coldridge. We didn't go through the village, much too hilly, but had a lovely distant view.

Just a bit less wet today and plenty more hills. Many thanks from Gig to Jane of Lewisham cyclists who suffered my slowness ona couple of long hilly rides. Also Bob at the Lee High road cycle shop who made this possible for my gears and brakes!
The end of the day brought some more memories as we visited the apple tree planted for Alyn at the Weyhouse where he spent his last years.

Thanks so much to The Winchester Arms in Trull who let us wash all our smelly washing and dry it too! Nothing too much trouble! Sorry about the muddy footprints left behind!

56 miles

Day3 Golant to Okehampton-Rain and fog but some very bright periods

Dreadful weather the whoe day. Hilly too and we arrived at a friendly cafe in Minion soaked and dripping all over the chairs! Cheers from family Yorwerth who are doing E to E with two kids and a tandem. They've been beating us to every stop so far, but tomorrow are off on a different route.

Later Bobs had brake trouble . Nigel and Lisa at The bike shop in Launceston were fabulous! Immediate attention and they made us tea and gave us cake too! End to Enders - NOTE!!
On the last section of the ride the view was amazing, particularly the Meldon Viaduct! Wow! The Granite Way - route 27 I think.

And then we were joined by our families ,staying at the Woolsery Folk Camp for a brilliant evening!

51 miles

Day 2-Musketeers help out-Penzance to Golant

Met some real cornish hills today and after our first puncture discovered Rach's pump adaptor was broken. Luckily the 10 musketeers were passing by - the one for all local cycling club and did their good deed for the day! 56 miles later we were nearly finished off by the last hill! Lovely countryside but hills down always followed by longer one going up! Golant YHA very friendly and welcome.

Day 1 - Lands End to Penzance

To 'B' or not to 'B' - roads that is - was the 1st controversy. Eventually settled with a compromise, we did a bit of each.at
Lovely woman at the hotel stamped our record cards and never seems to tire of the E 2 E stories. Turned out sunny after predicted rain so a lovely start. Locals tooted and waved encouragement as we passed by. Not too hilly start. Thanks to Chris and Cliff for a great evening at The Crown in Penzance. Bobs owes you a beer, Cliff, Sorry!
10.72 miles. Hills mostly down.