epilogue back to thurso 24 miles

Nice and relaxed day, signed official end to end book and bought a fridge magnet. Met a group of ten that had done a relay ride over three days and also
3 Canadians that had done it over 24 days. Then an easy ride back to thurso with a tail wind. Found a chippy selling battered mars bars for 70p, so we had one each and agreed they were scrummy, I thinks a celebrations or heroes tempera would make a fab pud. Went to superstore to stock up on food and reading material for Tmrws mammoth 14hr train journey. Only 26 hrs from cat cuddles! Xx

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battered mars bar challenge complete!

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day 15 bettyhill to john o'groats 50 miles

Today was a.head wind all the way and early hills made it tough, lunch in thurso and then 19 miles later we're there! Personalized the sign post with our total 1017 miles, we had a big whoop and a coconut ice-cream to celebrate! Checked into the seaview hotel, and now getting ready for a slap up meal.
We were hoping for a cyclists tan, but instead we have bruises and midge bites! Mary commented that sanjs legs look like one of those purple and orange vision tests! Oh, apart from the wind, we were quite dry and the sun even popped out when we arrived :)
Looking forward to a short ride back to thurso and chill out day Tmrw. Once again thanks for all comments they really have kept us going these last 15 days xxxxxxxx

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we did it!

Yeeeessssss

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Nearly there! - keep pedalling - put out the flags. I am so proud of you both. Will long to see you when you have recovered. Lots of Love Mum xx

day 14, bonar bridge to bettyhill 56 miles

Today was a shorter day so we had a lie in and took it easy leaving bonar bridge, stocking up with food from the local shop, aware that it is Monday and we would be going thru some remote countryside. We came across some roadworks causing long delays for motorists, but we were allowed thru as long as we carried/ pushed the bikes avoiding the hot tarmac. This we did and got a round of applause from car at other end who commented "i wish we could carry our car over"! Then we stopped at the Falls of Shin, which had a cafe where we couldn't decide on one cake, so shared 3! Then some cycling thru rugged country long uphill, nice descent, and cycled along loch naver, then river naver to its mouth at bettyhill. The lambs here are very cute. Oh yeah, we stopped at very remote pub, which looked closed, but the owner kindly made us a cuppa, lit the fire and let us eat our packed lunch there. Bnb is v basic, had a mile treck to local pub for food. Can't wait to get going Tmrw, just over 50 miles and we'll have completed our challenge, woo-hoo xxx

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Nearly there !

Glad to hear that you are nearly there and finding lots of tearooms to keep you going ;) We are all really enjoying reading your blog and seeing the pictures. Lukes BBQ went well, he had 3 friends over and they all slept in the tent in the garden. Looking forward to a good chat.
Wendy, Malc & Luke xxx

day 13 invergarry to bonar bridge 77 miles

Firstly, day 12 seems be missing, which is weird but to summarize 76 miles, dry a.m. descent down glencoe WOW then rain, loch ochy and oich, some lovely veggie grub!
So onto today, fab cycling 26 miles along loch Ness, sun was out in morn, then some hills and tea rooms :) really hard long hilly bit with head wind, but rewarded with stunning views over the bonar bridge area. Cold wind made last 4 miles real hard for us both with achey feet, backs and bums! When we got here no where open for food so tea was crisps, nuts and jammy dodgers! Can't believe we are nearly there, we have 4 pages of maps left, out of 30, and just over 100 miles to go :)

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Mary stopped to adjust her tea wig

Ps we are at another tea room yum!

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tea room panic over !

At fort Augustus enjoying tea and cake, note that the brightness is not from the camera flash, but from a strange yellow orb in the sky ...

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day 12 correction

We're not on loch Ness just yet its loch oich! Bedside here we come :)

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Hope things have improved. I looked at same forecast and thought good! Dad always said 'weather was not an exact science'!! Trust you got everything dry. It is windy here and showers. Dont know how Luke will get on with his BBQ tonight. Mum xx

day 11 kilsyth to tyndrum 66 miles

When we got up and watched the weather forecast before brekky carol (BBC) said we were in for sunshine and showers, after brekky she's only gone and changed her mind and dumped a huge rain cloud over the whole of Britain, hence, we've had a whole day cycling in pouring rain. This put us in foul moods to begin with, after a while and a quick rendition of club tropicana, we dug feep, or deep even, and got on with it. Initially thru country roads, starting with a huge hill, then on to main roads, no other option up here, but they weren't too bad, but by 66 miles we had had enough and decided to stop off at a town that inspired a Japan album ;-) all bnbs were full but found a nice hostel with a drying room, which is handy cos ALL our stuff is either soaked or damp :(. Have decided to try and get to fort Augustus Tmrw rather than drumnadochit, re worked mileage good job last 3 days were lower! Once again cheers for all the comments xxx

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day 10 moffat to kilsyth 72 miles

The day started with a hill climb out of moffat which was rewarded with great views, then onto the mpnotony of the m74 again, then cross-country, lunch at lanark, then weaved our way around Glasgow
2/3 way there now. Al though we were meant to be in doune tonight, which would've been 89 miles, we decided to stop at 72 as we were both flagging, found a nice farm bnb. Weather was good again only a small bit of rain.

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part 2

Finished the last one quick cos pizza arrived! We are staying at a nice b n b in moffat where we were greeted with tea and home baking :D now in an Italian restaurant digesting pizza and sticky toffee pudding, weather has been kind again with only about 10 mins of rain, oh yes we wentthru a village that was "the birthplace of carlysle" and Mary said "i wonder if that's Robert?" And I was wondering before I realised she was being silly night night x

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day 9 clifton to moffat 69 miles

Today started weird for two reasons, first there was a cycle event round penrith so we saw about 200 cyclists going in the other direction, we got some nods and "mornin"s and even a couple of "well done"s ! Then our morning stop was. M6 service station much to the amusements of some motorists! Then we entered Scotland :) quick lunch at gretna and then onto 34 miles of cycling on a b road that followed the a74(m) very monotonous :( xx

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Pleased you are feeling at last your on holiday, hope it lasts - the scenery helps. We had a good yesterday nice and sunny. I managed to get to Lewes - went to Bill's for lunch. Today is a bit overcast. On my way home tomorrow cant believe I have been down here 2 weeks. Take care Love Mum

day 8 ingleton to clifton(penrith) 45 miles

4 things came out today, the sun our knees the camera and our big cheesy grins. Today has felt like a real holiday, took the first half easy visiting two tea rooms the second half was tough but the scenery of the yorkshire dales, the lake district and the north penines. Wow, staying at a little chalet called the rebels hide, where we were given a v warm welcome, Scotland here we come xxx

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morning stop at Emilys 2-floor tea rooms :)

Lovely

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day 7 warrington to ingleton.86 miles

When we were planning this adventure we thought today would be the worst, but past days considering it was actually ok. Marys patient instructions reading and my back up map reading ensured we did not get lost in the urban bit and we even found an 'award winning' cafe that had such an array of cakes we nearly exploded! The scenery has been amazing especially when we rached the yorkshire dales. Last 8 miles were very hard. Weather has been good to us today and it was nice to arrive somewhere not dripping wet. Oh and we are now over halfway there at 503 miles ..

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day 6 bridges to warrington 71 miles

Still on track! Today was wet wet wet, and I don't mean marti pellow joined us! But on the upside we have had lots of tea and even a cake stop, yum. Tonight we are staying @ a fab motel called, aptly, happy guest, and we are very happy there's a bath and room service of pizza and ice cream woo-hoo. Gearing up for a hard day Tmrw thru urban lancashire but should end up at ingleton, which will be a reward Sanj n Mary xx

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day 6 halfway to warrington

Glad we blogged last night as there was no signal at the hostel. Today is very wet we are having lunch in ellesmere which is just under halfway to our destination. Cycling thru rainy puddly country lanes one highlight of conversation was Mary shouting out "Cockshutt"! A nearby village name that kept us amused for about 5 seconds xx

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day 5 monmouth to bridges 72 miles, hopefully!

Yeh, we are nearly back on track, just stopped for something to eat 2 miles from the hostel. It has been a good but hard day. Weather mostly cloudy and sunny but we did have some rain and 30 seconds of hailstones. But as I sit here blogging the sun is out :D. And the moon!
Glad we stayed at monmouth cos we started the day with a slow ride round symons yat which would've.been hellish at the end of yesterdays ride. Some stunning views but we are both starting to feel it now, but we are nearly a third there xxx

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Day 4 Huntworth to monmouth 78 miles

Another day that started well, albeit a late start to stock up on some provisions and a waterproof jacket for Mary. Going was mostly flat, tail wind and cloudy, but as we made our way towards the Avon and severn bridges it chucked it down so plans scuppered again we called it a day at monmouth, stumbled across a lovely b n b and bought food from local shop what a funny way to spend a Friday night! Oh yeah severn bridges was an amazing experience and cycling down offas. Dyke from chepstow to monmouth was breathtaking thankfully it had stopped raining by then tired and feeling damp Sanj n Mary
Ps thanks for all the comments so far, it is keeping us going we have met 10 other crazy cyclists like us!

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Cream Cakes

Hi Sandra & Mary - I thought of you today as someone brought in some cream cakes to work - yummy. Hope you have managed to find some tearooms :) - Enjoying reading your daily blog - keep going - Wendy xxx

day 3 okehampton to huntworth 73 miles

Well not quite the 87 miles planned, we started off well with nice rolling.up.and downs and not feeling to bad from yesterday but then the heavens opened and we got soaked through. We made it to taunton and had a discussion and by this time rain had cleared, this was 6pm and with 30 miles still.to go, but we decided to dig deep and.carry on, all was well for about
10 miles, then the rain started again, then an oasis appeared in the shape of an inn. They had a spare room and served food, so.we decided to forgo cheddar and re jig tmrs route. Ones! I mean phew xx oh Mary got scared by a couple of swans that were guarding their cygnets they had already hissed at me and wouldn't let her pass under a canal bridge!

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Yet, tea rooms and this is the second today :)

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Day 2 Golant to Okehampton

Well what a day we thought it would be an easy 52 milder, but the first 5 miles were the worst ever! Steep narrow rocky up and downs which took about an hour! After we had more cornish treats in the form of up and downs still no tea rooms :( but did find a farm shop selling lovely Flapjacks. Chips and beans for lunch. Just as we were getting sick to the back teeth of hills, we stumbled across a traffic free cycle route on a dis used railytrack, all the way to okehampton.and over 2 fab viaducts what a treat, looking forward to 87 miles Tmrw xx

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Day 1 St Just - Lands End - Golant

Hilly and distinct lack of tea rooms :( today we did 71 miles of extremely undulating cornish countryside. We disapointingly did not see one tea room so lack of cake in legs means we went quite slow! This is being fixed by evening meal of.apple crumble. Weather was tail wind, showery in morn and sunny this arvo.
We did manage a cuppa at a pub along the way. Also exciting was our trip on king harry's ferry
Sanj n Mary xxx

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Day Zero + St Just Tba

Well today was an uneventful train journey from Brighton to penzance then very short 8 mile ride to the Yha at st just, raining in Brighton when we left, sunny but windy in cornwall. Yha is lovely, bunnys everywhere, Mary is singing bright-eyes! Sea and sunset views at no extra cost.
We can't wait to get started tomorrow.xx.Sanj n Mary

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Good Luck

Good Luck on your trip - have a fantastic time - Love Wendy, Malc & Luke xxx

Holiday Eve!

Well we are nearly at the starting block, tomorrow we get the train to Penzance so we are making lost of last minute preps! This week I bought a GPS (Memory Map 2800) for the bike, so hopefully we wil spend less time getting lost! We have packed the bags and made sure everything is small and as light-weight as poss.

Mum is down to cat sit for a couple of weeks - thanks Mum xx Today we went out for sunday lunch, including pud to build up our carbs! (Like we need extra calories- M)

can't wait to make our first proper posting tomorrow sanj x

I've managed to get a couple of travel bags that you can compress down by rolling the air out. So instead of rolling up individual items of clothing and painstakingly placing them tetris-style in my saddle bag I can now just put them in a couple of bags, roll them up and put the bags in the saddlebag. Everything just fits nicely. Mary