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At 09:50 the adventure began. Riding down to Penzance then down to Lizard Point on the B3315 was easy going. I had been warned about the hills down in Cornwall and Devon (very steep and lots of them) but as I sat down for a break at Lizard Point I was left wondering what all the fuss was about. I would soon see. Lizard Point was beautiful with amazing views out to sea and down the coast. I left Lizard Point just after midday, after applying another layer of suncream. One of the minor roads that I had planned to take on the way to the north coast of Cornwall was closed and navigating country lanes with a 1:250,000 scale road map is not easy. I happened to see a signpost that said 9.5miles to Falmouth, a harbour town that I knew very well. This was a little out of my way but I was feeling really good so I thought I would take a detour and have a pasty at Falmouth harbour. It was lovely. I then started making my way to Perranporth, which was supposed to be my destination for the day. I followed the A39 then the A393 to Redruth then the A30 north for a short way before turning off on the B3277 towards St Agnes. This is when the hills really started. Up, down, up down, repeat. Flat ground does not exist. The road either goes up or down. I was really noticing how much the extra weight of my panniers were slowing me down and made even the shallowest of hills much harder that they otherwise would be. I was carrying the bare minimum of equipment (I didn't even have a towel - I just drip dried after a shower) and felt very sorry for people who were carrying huge, fully packed panniers. There was a huge climb in the final few miles to Perranporth but I just span an easy gear and slowly worked my way to the top. I arrived at Perranporth youth hostel, from which there were magnificent views along the coast at about 17:00. It was full.
I could have just stayed in a B&B but I was still feeling fairly fresh and combined with my level of excitement from finally starting this trip and the good weather I thought I could make it to another youth hostel a way up the coast. Before I left Perranporth I rang ahead and found that there were spaces at Boscastle youth hostel. Off I set but it was much further than I thought. I went through Newquay, getting a little lost in the town centre, then onto the A39 through Wadebridge. The A39 was a fairly nice road to ride on as it was a nice surface and the traffic was not too bad. I turned off the A39 just before Camelford on the B3266 to Boscastle. I flew down the final descent into Boscastle and stepped off my bike to discover that I was shaking and could hardly walk. I had planned to cover about 70miles today, which would have eased me into the ride nicely. I had actually ridden 121mile over what is considered to be the toughest terrain of the whole ride. Lying in bed that night I was a little worried that I might have just jeopardised my whole ride by overdoing it on the first day. Tomorrow could be a tough day.
Day 2 (Boscastle - Minehead): The Day With The Crash
I woke up feeling like I had been run over by a truck and thinking that it was going to be a very tough day as there was still plenty of climbing to be done. The youth hostel didn't do breakfast so I went to a hotel just up the road and had a full English there then went to the bakery for a scone and fruit cake.
I left at about 10:00 and it was a long uphill right from the off along the B3263. I was in bottom gear and grinding my way up. I felt awful. I made it to the A39 which at first was a fast road but as soon as the hills started I was struggling big time. I stopped just after midday at a service station for food and drink and this revived me a little. I had planned to stop at Elmscott youth hostel on my second day but this was only about 35 miles from Boscastle so I thought I may as well just push on to what was supposed to be my 3rd nights stop, Minehead, putting myself a day ahead of schedule. I followed the A39 all the was to and through Bideford. I had not planned to but I took a cycle path into Barnstable, rather than carrying on along the A39. I had ridden it on holiday once and I happened to see a sign for it and knowing it was flat and fast I decided to follow it into Barnstable rather that taking the main road. I found the right road out of Barnstable easily and climbed up to Exmore Forest. This area was nice, although not as scenic as I thought it would be. About 20miles out from Minehead I was descending at about 25mph. A farmer shot out from a gap between the hedges on a quad bike right into my path. There was no time to break and on a narrow country land nowhere to swerve to. Bang. He smashed into me, hitting the side of my bike. I was on the ground in the blink of an eye and sliding across the tarmac. My first though was that if my bike was damaged then my ride was over - a ride that I had had planned for nearly 4 years. I jumped up and checked my bike over. Initially I thought the front wheel was buckled but it turned out the breaks had just been knocked to the side so that one of the pads rubbed against the wheel. A quick adjustment solved this problem. My bike seemed alright so I turned my attention to myself. I had some road rash on my left knee and both forearms. It stung but it was nothing that would prevent me from riding. I then discovered that one side of my pannier had ripped open. The farmer gave me some rope which I was able to secure the pannier with as he apologised profusely. Save your apologies, just LOOK next time your prick! I cautiously rode my was to the youth hostel at Minehead partly because the incident had shaken me up a little and partly because I was scared that the bike had been damaged and would give way at any minute, causing me to come off again. I'd checked it over but a something like a crack in the frame or wheel could easily have gone unnoticed. I had fish and chips for tea then went to bed.
Day 3 (Minehead - Welsh Bicknor): The Day Without A Map
I didn't get a great nights sleep because the roadrash on my knee kept sticking to the bed sheets and as they were ripped off as I moved it really stung. It had been raining all night but by the time I was ready to set off it was warm and sunny. I had only ridden for about an hour when I stopped to check my map, which I had placed in my panniers at the start of the day. The problem was it was no longer there. It must have fallen out where the pannier had ripped the day before in the crash. Luckily it was the last day that I needed this map and I knew roughly where I was going that day: A39 from Minehead - Chedder Gorge - Bristol - Seven Bridge - Welsh Bicknor. After a bit of guesswork I found a signpost to Chedder, so I followed it and was eventually directed to Chedder Gorge. The road climbes up and out of the gorge and as I felt fairly good at this point I cranked up the pace a little climbed the gorge at a good speed, reaching the top soaked in sweat. The road that winds its way out of the gorge is fairly steep at first but then the gradient eases off a little so it is not excessively steep, although it is fairly long. There were great views of the gorge all the way up and it was tempting to keep stopping for pictures but this would have interrupted my rhythm and made for slow going.
At the top of the Chedder Gorge I didn't really know which way to go but based on the wind direction I decided that I needed to take a left and eventually found a sign to Bristol. I was a little worried that the traffic would result in the ride through Bristol being dangerous. However, it was easy going and I followed the A4 right along the coast to the old Seven Bridge, where there is a cycle path across the bridge.
After crossing the bridge I went up the Wry valley which was very scenic. I had expected this to be all uphill but after an initial climb there were long periods of descending. It would be possible to fly down here at very high speeds but I was beginning to feel very tired so I just coasted down. About 20-25miles from the Welsh Bicknor I was out of food and running very low on energy. I eventually found a corner shop and stocked up on chocolate bars. On the final run in to the youth hostel I was feeling very tired and I found it very hard going, with the last 10miles or so seeming to take forever. By the time that I had arrived and showered the reception had closed and I hadn't seen anywhere to get food so I went to bed that night without an evening meal. I would pay for this the following day.
Day 4 (Welsh Bicknor - Bridges): The Day Of No Events
I felt awful when I woke up and a little sick. I think that the last few days had really taken a lot out of me. Thankfully I knew that I was in for a fairly short day today. I packed my bags then went to have breakfast. However, it was groups only till 08:30 (obviously they are more important here than individuals!). Not that it really mattered because I was not in any rush to get going but it was annoying that I had to hang around with nothing to do. Anyway, I had breakfast then got going at about 09:50.
The road from the youth hostel is unmade and not at all road bike friendly. I had no power in my legs at all, presumably from not eating the night before. I followed the A49 to Hereford where I stopped at a service station and ate a sandwich, a whole pack of biscuits and a can of red bull. As I sat munching my way through this mini feast I could feel myself waking up a little. A man in a truck pulled up at the petrol station and asked what I was doing. He told me that he and three others had done the end to end some years back and also climbed the three peaks on the way (Snowdon, Scafell Pike & Ben Nevis). He was one of many people who I would run into that had done or were doing the end to end and it was always nice to speak to these people. If followed the A4110 out of Hereford and gradually felt better as the day went on and due to the short distance that I had to cover and the fact that the youth hostel at Bridges did not open till 17:00 I just rolled along at a slow pace, making frequent stops. I arrived at Bridges just before it opened and was not at all tired. After three tough days it was nice to have an easy day and hopefully I should feel quite fresh tomorrow. My parents do not live far away from Bridges so they came over with my younger brother and we had a meal at a nearby pub, which was nice. At the youth hostel I met a guy named Martin who was also doing End to End and would arrive in JOG a few days after me. We had a good chat and as it would turn out I would bump into him again later.
Day 5 (Bridges - Preston): The Day With The A49
I woke up feeling very good after yesterdays easy day and once again the weather was sunny and warm. I hadn't planned to but I decided to ride over Long Mynd. It was a fairly long but not too steep climb to the top and once up there I was rewarded with fantastic views, probably the best since Lizard Point four days ago. The descent was very technical and there were sheer drops to the side. I took it easy and was on the breaks almost all the way down to Church Stretton.
From Church Stretton I found my way onto the A49 and just followed it north. I had planned to take minor and B roads that ran next to the A49 thinking the main road would be really busy and unpleasant to ride on. However, there was only light traffic so I decided to stay on the A49. I got to Warrington fairly quickly but then it was slow going due to all the roundabouts and traffic lights. I'm sure that traffic lights can sense when a cyclist is coming and immediately change to red! Riding through such built up areas did not seem dangerous and I had no problems with bad driving here. When I was nearly in Preston I had to wait 10 minutes at a roundabout because there had been a motorcycle accident and the Police had blocked it off. I could have found an alternative route but that would probably have added at least an extra 10 miles onto my journey and I was getting very tired by this point. Tonight I stayed in Preston at my university halls of residence and washed my clothes for the first and last time on the trip. I was expecting an easy day today due to the flat terrain (after Long Mynd). However, due to a constant headwind it was tough going and I had to ride fairly hard. I was also getting quite bad pains in the bottom of my right hamstring and top of my calf which meant I had to soft pedal with that leg on occasion.
Day 6 (Preston - Carlisle): The Day With The Lake District
I left Preston just before 10:00 and followed the A6 to and through Lancaster. I know this road very well as I do much of my training around here. Most of the time there is a tailwind going north and it is easy to roll along at 20mph or more along this road. Today I had a headwind. It was not too bad and I got to Lancaster fairly quickly and there had been no hills yet. This is a nice road to cycle on as on parts of it there is a cycle lane and it is not very busy. Once I hit Kendle the road surface deteriorated and the hills started. I began to suffer here and my right hamstring/calf was causing me a bit of trouble as was my right knee. I had discovered that it was really bruised and I think that I must have banged it on the frame or handle bar of my bike when I crashed as it was not grazed so it presumably wasn't caused by an impact with the ground.
I climbed up Kirkstone pass which is not the most difficult of the passes in the Lake District but with tired legs it was very tough. The descent was very fast and I had caught a car up by the time I got to the bottom. I continued to Glenridding then stopped for food and drink. I felt like I was overheating and this was causing me to feel a little sick so I had an ice cream to help cool me down. There were a couple of climbs from Glenridding but it was mainly downhill into Carlisle. I had a B&B booked for tonight as the youth hostel was not open at this time of year. I went out for a pub meal and watched the first half of a Euro 2008 game (can't remember which one) before going to bed feeling very tired.
Day 7 (Carlisle - Edinburgh): The Day I Entered Scotland
I had a good nights sleep at the B&B and the breakfast (Full English) was the best yet. I felt much better than yesterday and the sun was shining outside. I also knew that for most of the day I would have a tailwind. Just before I left I slapped on a layer of suncream and the sun promptly vanished behind a cloud. I found the A7 out of Carlisle easily enough and made good progress. On the outskirts of Carlisle I stopped at a petrol station and decided to stock up with a lot of food (usually I would just take what I needed at the time and then stop when I needed some more). Later I would be very thankful for this decision because I didn't see another shop until I was nearly in Edinburgh. I was glad to get off the A7 and onto the B709 that ran through the Eskdalemuir forest and here the scenery was beautiful. This was the first time I had been to Scotland and my initial impression was that I had been missing out. There were long but fairly gentle climbs followed by equal descents where I would go for 5 or more minutes without making a single pedal stroke. It would have been possible to fly down these descents with a bit of effort but as I was tired I just cruised down them at 20-25mph.
Just as people had told me, the climbs in Scotland tended to be much longer than the ones in south-west England but more gentle. I much prefer these climbs as it is possible to get into a rhythm and I was really enjoying some of the climbing today. On the descents I was very wary of sheep at the side (or sometimes the middle) of the road. The ones that were looking at me were OK because they could see me coming and wouldn't jump straight into my path (I'm presuming sheep don't have suicidal tendencies). It was the sheep that had their backs to me that bothered me because a bike is almost silent and I would get very close to them before they saw me and suddenly bolted. I was just praying that one wouldn't be so startled that it ran out across my path. Thankfully this did not happen. I followed the B709 all day until it rejoined with the A7 just outside Edinburgh. The final run in to Edinburgh was fast and the only problem was I didn't really know how to get the the youth hostel. I knew the street name that it was on and that was all. I decided to just keep following signs to the city centre and after a bit of riding around in circles I just happened upon the street name that I knew and from there found the youth hostel. There were no signs though like there were for all the other youth hostels I had stayed at.
The youth hostel was very nice although due to its huge size a little impersonal. I had a burger and chips in the cafe at the youth hostel then had a quick venture to find the castle, which I walked a little way around before returning to go to bed. Today my right calf/hamstring felt better, as did my bruised knee. The roadrash on my left knee looks infected though but there is not much I can do other than apply antiseptic cream whilst I am out on the road.
Day 8 (Edinburgh - Caputh): The Day With The Forth Road Bridge
I initially found my way to the Forth Road Bridge easily enough and I was on the right road heading straight towards it. However, there was a sign that said cyclists and pedestrians couldn't continue along the road that I was on. The road seemed perfectly safe to me so I ignored this one but then there was a huge sign with warning triangles on so I thought I had better obey it otherwise I might get into trouble. So, I had to take the slip road off the main road that I was on and ended up in a small town called Kirkliston with no signposts to where I was going. I eventually found a National Cycle Network sign that pointed to the Forth Road bridge and this took me on an off road route. I felt sure that I would get a puncture but my tires held up. Unfortunately this route was closed at one point due to renovation works and there were no diversion signs so I was once again lost. I decided that the best thing to do would be to ride down to the coast then try and work my way onto the bridge. Eventually I found and crossed it but by this time I was really annoyed with the lack of signposts and directions and I had wasted at least an hour. Once into Wales the plan was to follow NCN 1 and I did for a bit but once again the signposting was appalling and I was left in a little village in the middle of nowhere. Because I was following what should have been a well signposted route I had not been looking at my map and now that the signposts had stopped I had no idea where I was. I just rode around in random directions until I found a main road at which point I was able to work out where I was.
Towards the end of the day I passed the Meikleour Beach hedge. This is the worlds largest hedge and stands 120 feet at its highest and runs for 580ft. It's hardly the most spectacular sight in the world but it was interesting to see. There was a strong headwind or sometimes crosswind all day which made for very hard going. I was hoping that this would be an easy day, giving me a chance to recover after a couple of long hard days. This was not the case and even though it was a fairly short day with very little climbing I found this the hardest day yet. This was also mentally the lowest day of the whole ride. The wind was really taking it out of me and I was beginning to worry that I physically wouldn't be able to manage the next day, which was more than 90 miles long compared with only 70 today. There was nowhere to get a hot meal from tonight so I walked about a mile to a Spar and got a selection of food there (sausage rolls, pork pies, fruit etc.)
Day 9 (Caputh - Fort William): The Day It Rained For The First Time
I had a whole loaf of freshly baked bread waiting for me when I woke up. I sat eating what I could of it chatting to a couple who were using the hostel as a base to do some cycling from. I couldn't finish the whole loaf and the woman offered to make me sandwiches with the rest of it. I couldn't believe how kind she was and the sandwiches were great to have along the way. I set off at 9:45 into yet another headwind, although not as strong as the previous day. I followed a cycle path from near Caputh which at first had a tarmac surface. This soon turned to a stony surface and at one point it was just sand. It's impossible to ride a road bike on deep, dry sand and I toppled straight over. Of course it didn't hurt (and no one was looking so my pride was also left unhurt) but it was hardly the ideal way for a cycle path to go. I was getting fed up with the quality of the cycle path so I did the last few miles to Pitlochy on the busy A9 road.
It started to rain fairly soon after I left the hostel for the first time since I started this trip. I would get heavy showers throughout the rest of the day. I found NCN 7 after Pitlochy which was again a very poor surface that was totally unsuitable for a road bike. It runs parallel to the A9 and I kept thinking that it was probably just better to be on the road but I stayed on it for the best part of 15 miles thinking that the A9 would be too dangerous. However, the surface got so bad that I was sure to puncture so I decided to use the A9, which turned out to not be too bad. It was not for long because I turned off onto the A889 at Dalwhinnie, which was a fairly quiet road. The A889 shortly joined the A86, which I followed all of the way to Fort William. The final 20 miles or so into Fort William seemed to take forever and I felt that I had no power in my legs at all. Luckily large sections of this road were downhill, although I still had to pedal thanks to the wind. I had a B&B booked for tonight and it was on the top of the steepest hill of the whole trip! I arrived at 18:45, much earlier than I had expected to. I had the biggest meal of the whole trip in Fort William - Cod, chips and steak pie (not small portions either).
Day 10 (Fort William - Inverness): The Day With The Search For Nessi
I walked down to the Spar in the morning to stock up on food. I was feeling very tired this morning and drank a can of Red Bull, which revived me a little. After having breakfast I left at about 10:00 and retraced my steps to Spean Bridge, covering the 10 miles in about 40 minutes. After a quick break here I pushed onto Fort Augustus before having another stop for lunch. I had been warned by a number of people that the A82 is a bad road to cycle on due to the heavy traffic but I had no problems at all. There was a fairly constant flow of traffic but people gave me room and it was not in any way dangerous or even unpleasant. Here I had a choice of taking the A82 road down the west side of Loch Ness or taking the B862 down the east side. I knew that there would be a huge climb on the B862 but I decided to take it anyway because it would avoid traffic (not that there seemed to be much anyway, despite all of the warnings I had gotten) and I should get some really good views. The climb was long and steep and I struggled up it, mostly in bottom gear. On the top the views were great so it was well worth it. And, what goes up must come down - the descent was fast and long. As the road turned to run parallel to Loch Ness it was rolling terrain and I was making fairly good time along here.
I arrived in Inverness at about 16:00 after an easy day on the bike. I didn't really like this youth hostel much as it didn't seem as well kept as some of the others. I was caring a pair of flip flops on top of my panniers so that I had something on my feet in the evenings. Unfortunately they must have fallen out somewhere along the way today. I knew that I would find a pair in Inverness so I tramped into the town centre bare foot in search of some flip flops. I got a few funny looks but I didn't care. I eventually found some that weren't too expensive then had a KFC in the shopping centre and then went to Morrisons to get more food to eat that evening..
Day 11 (Inverness - Tongue): The Day I Was Nearly Blow Back To Lands End
I slept badly last night due to a chorus of snorers but thankfully I didn't feel too tired in the morning. Knowing that I would have the wind in my face all day I set of earlier than usual, at about 9:00. As I was about to leave I met two gentlemen who were also doing LEJOG. They said that they saw me a couple of days ago, although I hadn't seen them. They were going around east coast, via Helmsdale rather than through the middle like me and arriving in JOG the same day as me. I would meet up with them again in JOG. I nearly missed the bridge out of Inverness that crosses the Beauly Firth and I could see it in the distance as I was running parallel to it. If I'd have carried on I would have gone right round the mouth of the river rather than across it, adding lots of extra miles. I backtracked and found the A9, which I followed to Drummond before taking a left onto the B817. I had been told me a number of people that the A9 was a dangerous road but again, I had no problems. The duel carriageway section was very busy and hardly the most enjoyable road to ride on but it did not last for long and there was plenty of room at the side of the road so I did not feel threatened at any point. There was a strong headwind and heavy showers and as I was approaching Lairg (about halfway to Tongue) I was contemplating that I might not make it to Tongue today. I had the option of taking an extra day as I was a day ahead of schedule but I really didn't want to. I saw a sign that said 37 miles to Tongue and I thought that I would make it, even at 10mph it would only be 4 hours.
I managed to settle into a rhythm after Lairg on the A836 and it was not too bad, although the wind had reduced me to a crawl. The biggest problem I had was that I was soaked through and if I stopped for more than half a minute or so I would get very cold. Therefore I had to eat and drink on the move and couldn't take any breaks to rest my legs. There was very little traffic on the A836, just a handful of cars all the time I was on it and it was nice to feel like I was completely away from all the hustle and bustle of normal life. The sun came out as I was approaching Tongue and I saw the sea for the first time. The scenery was beautiful here.
Day 12 (Tongue - John
O'Groats): The Day I Completed My Dream
I left at 9:00 because I was a little worried that I wouldn't make it to John O'Groats in time to have an official photograph by the signpost. Map reading would be easy as all I had to do was follow the A836 all day, remembering to make a quick detour to Dunnet Head. The ride to Thurso was a little hilly but I was making fairly good time and after a couple of hours riding I knew that I would make it in time for the Photographer. Just outside Thurso I met a father and son (Brendan & Blair) in a petrol station. They were completing their LEJOG ride today and had stopped for food like me. We had a quick chat and then pressed on. We left the petrol station at just the wrong time because we got caught in a very heavy shower just as we left. The road from Thurso was flat and fast and knowing that I didn't have to ride tomorrow I just rode as hard as I could, and after 11 days on the road I felt surprising good. I rode out to Dunnet Head (most northerly point of mainland Britain) which was four miles from the road that I was on. Riding uphill and into the head wind it took half an hour to get out there. It took no more than 10 minutes on the way back! The views were nice from Dunnet Head although I didn't stop for long because it was too cold and I was eager to get to JOG. I went all out for the last 12 miles to JOG and arrived with a huge smile on my face and nothing else left to give. I wanted to have my picture taken in the same clothes that I left in (shorts and short sleeved jersey). It was freezing but I stripped down quickly for the photo, which we got done just before it started raining. I didn't really look around JOG much because I was too cold and once again it was poring with rain. I had a quick chat to a woman who had walked from Lands End in about 3 months - an amazing achievement before getting under some shelter.
I met up again with Brendan and Blair and we sat in the cafe drinking Tea for about three hours - I arrived at 14:15 and the youth hostel didn't open till 17:00. The two people that I had met in Inverness also turned up in the cafe and it was nice to share stories of our journey. We had to ride 2.5 miles to the youth hostel, which seemed like the longest 2.5 miles of the trip. Mother nature also decided that we would be rained on for one last time too. I also realised that I had lost another flip flop (just one this time). That evening I went to a local pub (barefoot) for a meal and a few celebratory pints with Brendan and Blair as we tried to take in what we had achieved.
Epilogue
(Lands End - Preston): Final Thoughts
Getting Back Home It was raining hard in Inverness and I had no shoes. The first thing I did was to go and get another pair of flip flops then I went to the train station as I thought that I would be able to catch a train to Edinburgh and then onto Preston, which was the route I would have taken the next day. However I was told that I couldn't do this. This was crazy because I had pied for a ticket (even though it was for the next day) and the train was no where near full. So, I had a day in Inverness, where I stayed at the youth hostel overnight. Here I bumped into Martin, the chap that I had first met at Bridges about a week before. He was riding into Inverness for a nights stop and had two days left before he reached JOG. We went out to get something to eat and then had a few drinks and a good chat in the Pub. It's amazing that after so many miles you can run into the same person twice. The next day I caught the train back to Edinburgh and then onto Preston, which for once was on time.
After Thoughts I had seen some amazing sights on my way but for me, what made the trip were the people that I met along the way. It made me realise how genuinely nice people can be. For instance, the woman in Caputh who offered to make me sandwiches, or Brendon and Blair who I had dinner with in JOG. Would I recommend Lands End to John O'Groats. YES! It's achievable by anyone because you can make it as hard or easy as you want. Along the way you see some amazing things and meet some amazing people. Would I do it again? Probably not. Not because I didn't enjoy it, because I did. It was one of the best things I have ever done. But because I have completed this challenge now and there would have to be a very good reason for me to want to do it again. Now I have to attempt something bigger and harder. So, what next? The obvious one would be coast to coast of the US, or perhaps Canada, or maybe top to bottom of New Zealand. We'll see... |
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