Day 19 - St. Ives to Land's End (view OS Map)
Well, two and a half weeks ago when I set off from John O'Groats the sky was blue, the sun was shining and I was wearing three layers of clothing. Today, when I finished at Land's End, I was shrouded in mist and wearing a T-shirt! The ride from St. Ives to Land's End was only 20 miles and was uneventful apart from a couple of cars that kept passing me with people leaning out taking photographs! It was Jan & Denise, Brian & Tina. When I got to Land's End they'd got several posters, some bunting, a horn and some champagne - no chance of a quiet finish then!!

Now that it's done, it's hard for me to realise what I've done. As M. Boik told me, it'll probably take a while for it to sink in. I know I have a number of people to thank but the biggest thanks must go to Jan - she managed my whole 'tour' magnificently and kept me going on the grotty days. She conquered several of her own personal challenges along the way and was utterly supportive all the way. I think it's fair to say that I couldn't have done it without her. She worked magic in getting to the right place at the right time and getting us some quality accommodation along the way. Once I get back home and can use my proper computer, I'll write in more detail about our adventure together. It's been a wonderful experience and has confirmed (once more) just how lucky I am to be married to Jan.

At the moment I"m on a bit of a high (nothing to do with the ciders I had whilst watching the England game) and can't think about all the things I want to write, so I'll sign off. Thanks everyone for sponsoring me and supporting me, it's helped me tremendously. Hopefully I've kept you entertained - keep coming back to the site as I hope to add a few more bits to it over the next few days.

Cheers, Bob.

Todays stats:

Accumulated mileage : 1001.9 miles

Todays mileage : 20.5 miles

Average speed : 12.6 mph

Maximum speed : 35.6 mph




Day 18 - Camelford to St. Ives (view OS Map)
More hills! I'm getting fed up with hills. Aren't there any flat bits in Cornwall? After taking ages to negotiate a few lanes just to the east of Bodmin, I've resolved to stick to A & B roads from now on - the lanes are nice but are too confusing (the signposting at best is vague and at worst is just plain wrong). I met Jan at a place called St. Columb Major where we had a pub lunch and heard the news that someone had tried to kick our front door in back at home! Hopefully the door is now secure and we can concentrate on completing the ride. The afternoon fairly flew by - I took Paul's advice and used the A30 and found I was going at about 20 to 25 mph most of the time. I soon arrived here in St.Ives and even managed to beat Brian, Tina and Denise here (mind you they had come all the way from Sussex). We had a nice evening starting with a four course meal and then went for a short walk during which Tina re-enacted the Marilyn Monroe subway grille scene and Brian was flashing like mad! Currently we're all gathered in Denise's room, me tapping away at the keyboard and everyone else watching the telly! In theory there's only about 19 miles to go and I should be able to ride that in a couple of hours, so I'm going for an early breakfast tomorrow and hope to arrive at Land's End before midday. That should leave me enough time to get back and watch the footy!



Accumulated mileage : 981 miles

Todays mileage : 62 miles

Todays average : 12.8 mph

Todays maximum : 38.6 mph




Day 17 - Crediton to Camelford (view OS Map)
Today was hot and full of hills again but I got on much better than yesterday. Jan dropped me off where I finished last night and it was straight into a set of hills through Crediton and on to Okehampton. Mick and Marilyn met Jan and I there and we spent the hottest part of the day chatting over a light lunch. We took a photo but I'm not looking quite my usual self..... Then it was back onto 'The Edge' and a stiff climb away. The next part of the ride was generally downhill along the old A30 which was smooth and wide and not at all busy. More steep hills followed but I tackled them by using my granny ring and occasional stops for ice-cream or a drink of water. Jan met me at a place called Egloskerry with a blueberry muffin and a litre of chilled water and the news that the B&B for tonight as well as the hotel for friday & saturday were all arranged. Reinvigorated, I enjoyed the last 14 miles and made a couple of phone calls whilst I rode along (hands free of course).

A quick word about tonights B&B - Jan has surpassed her already high standard with one that looks out over the Cornish coast. It's excellently appointed and we went down to a nearby pub where we took the sunset photos on the gallery page and had a chat with a nice couple from Newbury.

I had a text from my fellow end-to-ender, Paul, to say that he finished today at 17:15hrs. He has positively flown through Devon & Cornwall - I've asked him what route he used. Mind you I've got less than 100 miles to go, so I don't think it will make much difference. Depending on how I get on tomorrow, I may be able to finish by midday on saturday (but I've got sunday available just in case).

I've worked out why my speedo was playing up earlier in the trip - the signal from my mobile phone was interfering with the signal for my speedo. As far as I can make out the impact was only on the real time speed reading and not constant so didn't really have any effect on mileage/average/maximum. So, what I'm saying is that my official stats will remain those produced by my speedo - so there!

Todays stats:

Accumulated mileage : 919 miles

Todays mileage : 55.35 miles

Todays average : 12 mph

Todays maximum : 37.6 mph




Day 16 Lower Godney to Crediton (view OS Map)
Very hot day today with loads of hills - I'm so exhausted, I'll let Jan entrall you with another one of her masterpieces:

I can't believe we've come all this way - 863 miles. Well done Bob and well done me. Navman and I are getting along fine. We've had one or two dodgy moments and a few fallings out - just like a real relationship! Like the morning in St. Helens where he routed me round the one-way system and into the bus garage! I was trying to find my way out through loads of buses - none of which wanted to give way to me and a little green Scooby - sob, sob. Also on that day I had to turn back to meet Bob and Navman routed me onto what seemed like every motorway in the Northwest (I'm sure Navman didn't want Bob and I to meet up)! By the time I reached Bob in the pub car park I was really cross and I sulked in the car for a while (Bob had made the mistake of asking where I'd been).

While I'm on the subject of Navman, Bob keeps mentioning its gender - to me it's a man with a female voice - maybe it's my gay best friend?

I don't usually manage to surprise Bob, but I managed it on Sunday when Boik and Bev joined us at the lunch halt. We had a really good time together: flying a kite on top of The Long Mynd, Boik driving too fast down the lanes (I think I'm an expert now I've been driving for two weeks non-stop), having a nice meal and acting the goat at the restaurant. N.B. If you need to know what 'acting the goat' means, talk to Alison, Louise, or Louise's mi'Julies.

Anyway, to bring things up to date, I've been shopping in Glastonbury today to buy some more postcards and pay my usual visit to the Tourist Information centre (TIC). It's been really hot today and I know we shouldn't complain, especially as we were wishing for dry weather in Scotland, but today it was too hot for cycling and too hot for sitting in a car. We had a lovely long lunch break at a cider farm and neither of us really wanted to get going afterwards. In fact, sitting here in a pub on the northern edge of Dartmoor, I'm too tired to continue (I've missed my afternoon lie-down).So, love from the Bag Lady/mum/Jan

Bob says:I suspect I've miscalculated the mileages on my route cards - today should have been fairly easy and only 48 miles BUT it was VERY hard and even at 59 miles I was well short of my intended stopping point, still it was meant to be a rest day! Because we finished so late we couldn't do our planned evening jaunt to Ilfracombe to see Jans mum and Auntie Cec who are on holiday there. I can tell today has been hard work because I've only got two photos - one is a direct result of a request from Mick at work (he says he needed proof I was actually riding the bike) and the other is an attempt to demonstrate that even my bike was getting tired today. I think the things that slowed us down today were:

i) I serviced my bike, so we didn't start until 10:30

ii) we both got lost in Taunton

iii) we had a very long break at the Cider farm (and I was sampling the product)

iv) Devon is hill after hill after hill after hill etc. etc. etc.

Anyway, I'm feeling tempted to ride the A30 - no I'm not, that would be just too dangerous. Hopefully, tomorrow I'll meet up with Mick & Marilyn (although it'll now be 30 plus miles to the lunchtime pub rather than the 20 I thought when I arranged it with Mick). Hopefully I'll have a longish downhill run to the pub, so I'll be able to make it on time.

Anyway, just in case anyone thought otherwise, this ride is TOUGH - tonight, for instance, I'm so tired that I couldn't make my mind up what to have for tea ( in the end I had two pints of cider and apple pie with ice-cream), so now I'm going to sign off, night-night, Bob.

Todays stats:

Accumulated mileage : 863.5 miles

Todays mileage : 59.75 miles

Todays average : 12.8 mph

Todays maximum : 39.6 mph




Day 15 - Gloucester to Glastonbury (view OS Map)
Last nights stop was about 6 miles short of Gloucester and tonights is on a working farm about 4 miles west and north of Glastonbury.

Quite a tough day today - after Gloucester there was a tough climb up into the Cotswolds and then a downhill into Stroud before going back up again to return to the Cotswolds. We had lunch at a country pub and met some fellow cyclists who gave me a message for Roger Nash - They still have the big black dog with a swishing tail. Can Roger let them know when he'd like it back? I think they called themselves Mummy & Wupert.

Whilst I continued cycling through the afternoon, Jan went sightseeing at a picturesque village called Castle Combe and did a bit of present shopping. Meantime, the route took me on more ups and downs and then through Bath before a killer climb under the blazing sun. I stopped halfway up to refuel with some water and an energy bar. The hard work was followed by a nice downhill but all too soon there were yet more hills as I travelled through the Mendips. Finally there was two whole miles of downhill into Wells. Janice finally caught up with me at this point and says I was doing more than 40 mph (my speedo reckons it was 42.1 mph).

I've attached a photo of the bird I spotted back in Scotland. Thanks everyone for your guesses and the photo (courtesy of M. Boik) is of a Stonechat. I've got a new one for you to identify - it's in the Gallery - let me know what you reckon it is.

Tomorrow was supposed to be a rest day but I'm going to ride a full day (I'm in the mood) so that I can hopefully bring my arrival at Land's End a day forward - with a bit of luck I'll finish at midday on Saturday leaving enough time to find somewhere to watch the England game.

Todays stats:

Accumulated mileage : 803 miles

Todays mileage : 71.5 miles

Average speed : 11.8 mph

Maximum speed : 42.1 mph




Day 14 - Church Stretton to Gloucester (view OS Map)
Amazingly enough, in spite of last nights cider I woke up clear headed and ready to go. As can be seen from one of the photos, Boik & Bev were there to wave me off and for the first half mile it was a nice fast downhill run. Unfortunately the next 15 miles were repeatedly up and down (including a climb over Wenlock Edge) as I went across the grain of the landscape. The countryside was archetypically English - green fields, lush woodlands, verdant hedges and birdsong everywhere. Lunch was a welcome break and was spent sitting in the sun in the garden of a restaurant in Tenbury Wells. On the way out of the village it seemed like two pubs were competing for 'Half-timbered pub leaning at the craziest angle' of the year - they were quaintly all over the place, unfortunately neither Jan nor myself managed to take a picture to prove it, so you'll just have to take my word or it. The route continued its up and down attitude all the way to Bromyard where I took the photo of the wall plaque and the carved wooden tower. Mind you, I wouldn't have seen either of them if I hadn't taken a wrong turning (which meant I had another steep hill to climb). The nest stretch was a little easier and took me to Ledbury which is situated at the southern end of the Malvern Hills. I popped into a greengocers there and had him cut a lovely big orange into two for me - delicious! After that I just had to plough on to Newent and then find the B&B Jan had booked for us, just short of Gloucester. At that point my phone rang and so it was that I was having a chat with my mother-in-law whilst waving to Jan when she took a picture of me - she admonished me for riding no-hands, I must admit I hadn't realised I was doing it!

As usual Jan has come up trumps - tonights B&B is new and has a health club in the grounds so I've been for a swim and relaxed my muscles in a hot tub. We'll shortly go back to Newent to find somewhere for tea and then we'll spend the rest of the evening doing some detailed planning for the Devon and Cornwall sections of the journey.

TTFN, Bob & Jan.

Whoops forgot to include anoraks corner:

Accumulated mileage : 731 miles

Todays mileage : 61.5 miles

Todays average : 12.5 mph

Todays maximum : 37.1 mph




Day 13 - Chester to Church Stretton (view OS Map)
Well, that's the 15th fried breakfast in a row - perhaps I should be having porridge instead. The sunny weather enticed my legs to venture forth in shorts today. Lashings of sun tan lotion were applied (thanks Jan) and away I cycled. I was soon out into the Cheshire countryside and plagued by thousands of small black flies. Still, I only swallowed one, so I didn't do too bad. After a day off it was actually nice to be back in the saddle. With the gloriously sunny weather the riding was very enjoyable. I soon found myself looking forward to lunch and but was feeling grumpy because I thought I was lost. I phoned Jan and she guided me in to the lake at Ellesmere (well not literally) where, unbeknownst to me, Boik and Bev had travelled all the way over to see us. What a pleasant surprise - it made my day! After lunch they kept Jan company on the journey down to Church Stretton whilst I explored the same route via the more minor roads. Just after Shrewsbury I met up with FredLambert

who is walking from John O'Groats to Land's End to raise funds for St.Lukes Hospice in Plymouth. We had a good chat and I was impressed with how cheerful and committed Fred is. Good luck Fred.

Bev and Boik have sorted out tonights B&B and very nice it is too, situated in the Cardington valley which cuts into the Long Mynd. Boik drove us up to the top where we had some fun flying his aerofoil kite. He then drove us over the edge (down a 1 in 4 hill) before we found a pub where we had some good food washed down with vats of wine (in Bevs case) and just a few ciders (in mine). Anyway, I suspect all that cider's had an effect on tonights report, so I will sign off now and hope I don't suffer (too much) tomorrow. Byeeeeee.

Todays stats:

Accumulated mileage : 670 miles

Todays mileage : 57.5 miles

Todays average : 13.3 mph

Todays max speed: 38.2 mph




Day 12 - Rest day in Chester (view OS Map)
After 11 days on the road (and our fourteenth away from home), it was good to have a day off here in Chester. Ali had booked us into a lovely hotel near the station (hence last nights photos of me in front of the station) and it was good to meet up with her and Darren for a meal last night before they went over to Manchester to watch the England friendly. Jan and I then spent the day strolling around the City. After an alfresco lunch I treated myself to a haircut and beard trim as I was looking a bit ragged after two weeks avoiding the shaver! Then we visited my Auntie and my cousin and his family and spent a very pleasant afternoon sitting in the sun reminiscing and chatting about this and that. We finished the day off with a visit to two of my other cousins where more reminiscing and tea-drinking took place. All in all today has been very therapeutic and we both feel fully refreshed and ready to carry on with our journey tomorrow. Todays photos are just a few snaps of Chester - it

's a lovely place to visit,


Day 11 - Little Ecclestone to Chester (view OS Map)
I added a few miles to yesterdays route in order to ride to the only B&B we could get booked into. So todays route was slightly different than intended. There were just a couple of small hills and the wind was generally from one side (rather than from the front) and that coupled with the use of a few A roads meant that I made fairly good progress. It didn't stop me getting lost in Preston and then later on in the lanes around Billinge. The most memorable features of today were the number of cars flying those cross of St. George flags, the sneakiness of a couple of traffic cops who were hiding in the shadows nicking motorists who were slowing down to the speed limit and the sight of the Runcorn-Widnes bridge. I met up with fellow end-to-ender Paul just as I was taking a photo of the bridge. We kept each other company as we worked out a way through Runcorn and had an ice-cream to celebrate making it to the Chester Road. We parted company after that as we each got into our different rid

ing paces (I was starting to feel the bumps and wanted to get to Chester fast). It seems like only yesterday that we were in Scotland but now we're well and truly in England. I've awarded myself a day off tomorrow (saturday) and hope to visit some relatives, stroll around the city centre and also get a haircut!

Last night we stayed at a country inn that is in the CAMRA good beer guide. Of all the ales on tap I just had to try the London Pride! My reasoning being that I know what a good Pride tastes like and I was curious to see how well it travelled so far from Chiswick. It tasted good but was served with a monster 'creamy' head - apparently that's how they like it in Lancashire! The landlady suggested that us Southerners preferred it 'flat' - cheeky monkey - it doesn't need an inch of creamy froth getting in the way of the beer if you ask me.Right by the pub was a Toll Bridge - free for pedestrians but 10p for a bike - I toyed with trying to sprint past the toll collector as a bit of entertainment but decided I didn't want to risk getting stranded the wrong side of the river facing a ten mile trek back. As I write this the sounds of a wedding reception being held in the hotel courtyard are coming through my window. Two observations: why do drunken men sporadically sing the same old footy song (di der da da, di der da da, di der di da da, di der da da)? And how much is the DJ getting for just putting the Best of Rod Stewart CD on repeat?

Anyway, time for tea, byeee.

Todays stats:

Accumulated mileage : 611 miles

Todays mileage: 67 miles

Todays average speed: 13.5 mph

Todays max speed: 35.9 mph




Day 10 - Glenridding to Little Ecclestone (view OS Map)
More thoughts from the bag lady.

I'm writing this at the top of Kirkstone Pass in the Lake District, waiting for Bob to come over the top - photo opportunity! We left the B&B together at about 10:00hrs and it took me half an hour to reach the top, stuck in a queue of traffic with a coach in front. It was a challenge in the car, down to first gear and the smell of burnt clutch hanging in the air. Sorry Bob. I don't know how long it will take Bob to ride to the top but it's a beautiful day and the views are wonderful. He is still doing a grand job with the cycling (ten days in the saddle). He's done over 500 miles so far but why is it that he still has trouble finding his socks/cotton wool buds/pants or anything else that doesn't come immediately to hand. But I suppose that's what I'm here for - to look after the old boy!

Navman and I are getting along fine although one day I thought he/she wasn't talking to me - then I realised I had the volume switched off. We have got lost together a few times, once in Stewarton when I was looking for a postbox and also in Carlisle when we went round and round a roundabout looking for the right exit! Navman takes no notice of no-right turn signs or no-entry signs so I have to be on the lookout all the time.

More best moments:

1. The warm welcome at Maureen and Jims in St. John's Town of Dalry.

2. The lovely evening meal at Bessiestown Farmhouse in Catlowdy.

3. Finding a Tesco's in Carlisle - I'm missing my larder!

My biggest challenge so far has been driving down from Kirkstone Pass to Windermere because the road was fast and winding with a sheer drop on the left hand side of the car. A quick note for Pat - our car is a Subaru and they're commonly known as Scooby's ( it doesn't mean anything else!!).

Biggest disappointment so far:Having to rush through the beautiful Lake District so quickly - Bob's riding like the wind at the moment!

Todays stats:

Accumulated mileage : 544 miles

Todays Mileage : 63.8 miles

Todays average : 12.2 mph

Todays maximum : 44 mph




Day 9 - Gretna Green to Glenridding (view OS Map)
We're back in England! Today was supposed to be a rest day but we'd planned to do the short run down to the Lake District anyway. Because I finished a little early yesterday, I had to ride those miles first so ended up doing some 41 miles ( not so short). The weather was good and the going was fairly easy. We'd arranged to meet for a tea break in Carlisle and it was quite a buzz for us to see so many people! Whilst there we met a fellow end-to-ender called Paul Clements. He's doing it in the same direction as us and left JOG the same day (but in the afternoon). He'd heard there was someone just ahead of him using a similar route and it was me! We had a good old chinwag and shared our experiences (the highs and the lows). He's completely solo and is using Youth Hostels and B&B's. He'd had a few mechanical problems, mainly related to broken/loose spokes and was having a day off to recharge his batteries a bit. His web address is wwwclemjogle06piczocom I've disguised it

just to avoid any spam engines spotting it, but I'm sure you can work out what to replace with!! We've also swapped numbers so we can keep in touch (& perhaps offer encouragement from time to time). I expect he'll pass me again in a couple of days. I'll have to buy the coffees next time - thanks Paul.

We had a bit of grief with Jans phone today - I added some credit to it via an ATM but Orange reckon the phone's not registered for that - that's news to us and I expect Orange will have some sorting out to do if they don't want me to start slagging them off - their poor signal coverage is already bugging me, so it won't take much to send me over the top!

Because of that malarkey Jan had trouble sorting out tonights B&B but as ever she came through and we've got a lovely room with a four poster bed and a magnificent view of Lake Ullswater. There's no phone signal on any network here so we'll have to move along the lake a bit to send tonights essay.

Tomorrow starts with a climb up Kirkstone Pass and may turn out to be quite a tough day but with the promise of improving weather, we're looking forward to it, We anticipate reaching Chester on Friday evening and will probably have a proper day off on saturday.

Oh, by the way, we didn't get to see the Led Zep tribute band in Fort William - the gig was cancelled due to them having an accident (although our landlady suspected lack of ticket sales).

My speedo is playing up a bit (in spite of me changing the batteries in both the transmitter and head unit) but the figures are pretty much correct - I'll try and get a replacement if I get a chance though.

Todays stats:

Accumulated mileage : 481 miles

Todays Mileage : 41.5 miles

Todays average : 12.9 mph

Todays maximum : 39 mph




Day8 (view OS Map)
Today was slightly shorter than intended. the weather has been sunny all day and the riding has been very enjoyable. Unfortunately I was enjoying it so much that I forgot to drink my water - this didn't seem to impact me until about 4pm when I suddenly ran out of steam, Jan and I had met for a cup of tea at Moniaive and for lunch at Dumfries (Scotch pie and chips washed down with a Tango) but when I got to the afternoon tea stop at Gretna Green I'd had enough. I was only four miles short of the revised target of Longtown, but I didn't fancy it. It'll have to wait until tomorrow. Tonights B&B is a lovely farmhouse about 8 miles northwest of Longtown. We'll drive back to Gretna Green for tomorrows restart. In theory it should be a short day tomorrow - about 30 odd miles down to Lake Ullswater. I fancy a rest. Within a few minutes of tomorrows restart I'll be back in England for (almost) all the rest of the ride.

Today we mainly travelled through the Southern Uplands of Scotland (having left Maureen and Jim at last nights B&B - what a lovely couple). After Dumfries (which reminded me slightly of Chester), there was some nice easy cycling south and east with views across the Solway Firth to tomorrows objective - the Lake District. I was possibly at my lowest ebb so far as I met up with Jan at Gretna Green and fair plays, she coped with my grumpiness and sorted me out with a cup of coffee and some shortbread. I'm all happy and rehydrated now following an excellent home-cooked meal of Steak pie and loads of vegetables washed down with a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Luvverley!

Jans highlights of the day include a lovely cup of tea at Moniaive and the panoramic views of the distant Lake District. She wasn't so impressed when I drove the last few miles to the B&B - it was so much fun to just use gentle pressure of my right foot to go quicker and slower (and to have a broad seat under my bottom for a change) and I just had to remind myself how good a Scooby is! A minor observation at this point: in the far north of Scotland they seem to prefer Subaru Foresters, in the Great Glen area they go for Subaru Legacy's and then further south it's the Impreza that gets the vote. But, apart from a white WRX that passed me in a car park in Fort William, Jan's been driving the only Impreza going my way so far.

Another observation I've made today is that for quite a few miles I was following the route of National Cycle Network (NCN) route 7. For some reason it kept on diving off the B road I was using to make a two mile loop where I was riding one! Couple that with some well-intentioned (but rubbish) cyclist routing at a couple of junctions and it would appear that the idea of this particular NCN route is to slow cyclists down and minimise any 'inconvenience' to motorists. This is the wrong approach in my book - inconvenience the motorist I say, because all they have to do is press a pedal with their right foot to deal with any situation, much easier than the effort us cyclists have to invest.

Anyway, England have just won 3-1 and I'm ready for bed, so it's off the soapbox and time to hit the sack. Cheery-bye,Bob & Jan.

Todays stats:

Accumulated mileage : 439 miles

Todays mileage : 51 miles

Todays average : 14 mph

Todays Maximum : 31.6 mph




Day 7 - Uplawmoor to Carsphairn (view OS Map)
A fine day with only two short showers (one of hail). We had a lovely meal at the hotel last night and so couldn't manage a full breakfast this morning - Jan went for porridge and I had an Arbroath Smokie. The countryside was a bit softer but with loads of ups and downs and also more choice of routes, I got lost and then followed a signpost that I subsequently found out was pointing in completely the wrong direction! Anyway, with an extra five miles and an unnecessary climb under my belt I was very happy to see Jan at our lunchtime halt - The Stair Inn. The food was great and we had a pleasant time sitting in the sun. It was hard leaving the pub and a few miles down the road, Jan overtook me for the second time since lunch - she'd got lost (I think her and Navman weren't talking to each other). Incidentally I know all about their affair and I must point out that Navman is a she!

The route was now going up (again) and into the Southern Uplands. We were concerned that we might not get a B&B at Carsphairn and we were right - Jan had to travel on down to St. John's Town of Dalry where she found a lovely B&B run by a very sweet lady called Maureen. As this was not on my planned cycle route, I finished the days riding at a place called The High Bridge of Ken and Jan picked me up and took me to the B&B. Tomorrow she'll drive me back out there - hope I can find my bike! Just kidding - it's safely in the boot of the car at the moment.

My left ankle continues to feel a bit sore and todays roads didn't help it any - one of the photos shows the kind of surface that's giving me trouble. Whilst I was taking that photo, I heard a 12 bore gunshot on the hill behind me and thought I'd better skedaddle, quick. The photo with a loch in the foreground shows Loch Kendoon and the mountains in the background are the Rhinns of Kells - they're about 2500 feet above sea level. Tomorrow should see us finally enter England as our route takes us out of the Southern Uplands, through Dumfries, Annan, Gretna and on to Longtown, just to the north of Carlisle.

Todays stats:Accumulated mileage : 388 milesTodays mileage : 57 milesAverage speed : 13.5 mphMaximum speed : 37.3




Day 6 Crianlarich to Uplawmoor (view OS Map)
Hello everybodypeeps,today it's been mainly not raining!! After yesterdays hard slog up Glencoe and the brutal wind and rain across Rannoch Moor, today was a piece of cake (except that it was sixty-four miles), We came down the A82 alongside Loch Lomond - we both decided to tak the low road. The going was good although the road surface was very choppy in places and my wrists and ankles were aching for a while. The picture of the two of us was taken at Tarbet and I think that may be Ben Lomond in the background.

Last nights B&B was in a fabulous setting and the picture with cars in it was taken from our room (hope you can't see any reflection of a naked cyclist in the window - ughh!). We drove a couple of miles back up our route last night to a pub in Tyndrum for a meal. The food was good and there was a live band on - The Ragin' Bullfrogs - but after setting up and tuning for about an hour, most of the crowd had gone and we only lasted 3 covers - Lou Reed, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Simon & Garfunkle. Jan hustled me out when I was trying to shout for some Devo or Buzzcocks!!

Thanks everyone for the e-mails, I'm trying to reply to them all but I'm pretty tired each evening and it's as much as I can do to write the blog but I WILL answer them all sooner or later. I'd like you all to sing a simple song that keeps me going for miles and miles. I'm sure you can work out the tune and the words are:One Scooby passed me, there's only one Scooby passed me, one Scooby passed me, there's only one Scooby passed me. And it was ....... Jan. She's been absolutely tops in sorting out the B&B's and keeping me fed and watered and feeling keen. Mind you, yesterday and today I surprised her and beat her to a couple of our rendezvous points. I even managed an astounding 30 mph on the A82 approaching the Erskine Bridge (a strong wind was behind me).

I met a local group of roadies (road cyclists) after the bridge and had a good chat with one of their number - he gave me some good route advice to get me through Paisley, then at Barrhead I met a couple of roadies doing the end-to-end - they'd set out from JOG 3 days ago and were already ahead of me (they were doing over 100 miles a day), mind you I showed them a clean pair of heels on the drag up from Neilston to Uplawmoor (Jan had waved the promise of a beer under my nose).

Todays stats (the government will set a test on these):Total miles so far : 330 milesTodays Mileage : 64.5 milesTodays Average : 13.3 mphTodays max speed : 39.2 mph

Yesterday we grappled with the Grampians, today we tangled with the Trossachs, tomorrow we dive into Dumfries and Galloway.

Bob & Jan




Day 5 - Fort William to Crianlarich (view OS Map)
Bob has asked me to write a few words giving my side of the great adventure. My thoughts, as usual, are all over the place but I will try to sum up our first few days.

First of all I must say (and I mean this most sincerely folks) my admiration for Bob in doing this ride is tremendous. I have seen him riding up mountain roads that I've had trouble driving up. Plus the weather in the last two days has been dreadful but through it all he has been as cheerful and upbeat as ever. He keeps saying that he is enjoying himself and not to worry - I'm trying to do that. For my part, I'm having a really good time and although the weather is bad, the scenery and friendly welcome everywhere is more than making up for it. We'll definitely be coming back to Scotland for a proper holiday!

My main role is support driver and sorter of carrier bags. My driving is getting better: I've coped with single track roads with tiny passing places, steep downhills (on which Bob goes faster on his bike), and loads of sharp bends. Perhaps now is a good time to mention the affair I'm having with NavMan. While Bob is cycling all those miles NavMan and I have managed to get to all the destinations without too much trouble. I've only overshot one B&B and today I stopped at the wrong visitor centre: after sitting there for 10 minutes I got a call from Bob asking where I was. NavMan and I sheepishly drove on to meet him.

Getting back to the carrier bags (my girls will really laugh at this) I've been carting half a dozen of them in and out of every B&B we've stayed at. They're all Tesco's bags apart from one posh one from Tods. But at least I haven't forgotten anything as most of my worldly goods are packed in the car.

My best moments so far have been:1. Laughing so much on realising I'd packed the fake apple.2. The view from the B&B at Fort William.3. The views of the mountains as I drove along Strathnaver.4. The huge skies forever changing.5. Hearing The Buzzcocks' "Ever Fallen in Love With Someone" being sung country style in a Scottish/Italian restaurant.

This is Jan signing off and I love you all.

Here's the boring statistics bit:Accumulated mileage: 265 milesTodays Mileage : 52 milesTodays average : 12.8 mphTodays max speed : 30.7 mph


Day 4 - Fort Augustus to Fort William (view OS Map)
We were supposed to have a rest day today but as we were unable to book tomorrow nights accommodation and there's nowhere else close by, we're having to rejig the timetable. So we've travelled the 30 odd miles down the Great Glen to Fort William (however, in geological terms we've gone 10 miles backwards!! - look up about the Great glen Fault if you don't understand wat I'm on about).

The rain has been omnipresent and the low cloud has obscured any view of Britains highest peak, Ben Nevis. The first two-thirds of the journey was on the fairly busy A82 and I'd just like to go on record as saying "I hope your engine blows up" to the drivers of a silver Porsche Cayenne and a silver Megane with a boot - two feet off my handlebar is NOT enough clearance. Other than those two twerps, all the other drivers have been most considerate to the drowned rat crawling along into the headwind.

A possible reason for being unable to book tomorrow night intended B&B is that a round of the Mountain Biking World Cup is being held here this weekend, so Jan has done very well getting us into a very nice B&B. Mind you, I reckon the landlady may have had second thoughts when I turned up on her doorstep. To make my ride easier, I'd ridden the last 10 miles on the canal towpath alongside the Caledonian Canal - good move in that there were no gradients to deal with, bad move in that it was a loose sandy/stony surface and the bike and me became absolutely covered in sandy dirt! Still after Janice emptied a bucket of water over me I looked vaguely human again. I then spent the next half hour washing the bike down and lubing it up. Still, if I hadn't gone down the towpath I wouldn't have seen the heart-warming sight of ten Scotsmen striding through the rain in their kilts! They were nearing the end of their charity walk along the Great Glen raising money for children suffering from Leuk

emia.

I must apologise for the spelling error that crept into yesterdays blog - Janice was not going to "run me down" but instead was going to "rub me down". Anyway, as predicted, I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. My legs were aching last night but they've been fine today.

We might go and see a Led Zeppelin tribute band tonight as they're playing the local civic centre - dunno whether we can get tickets though. Also, I fancy some Italian food, so we may try hunting some down.

Todays stats:Accumulated mileage: 213 milesTodays mileage: 34 milesTodays average speed: 11.8 mphTodays max speed: 31.4 mph

Cheers my dears, Bob & Jan


Day 3 - Bonar Bridge to Fort Augustus (view OS Map)
The day started wet and windy, so it was on with the waterproofs right from the start. Four miles later and into the first climb: the rain has gone and the sun is blazing- off with the Gore-tex! I'd met up with a party of cyclists from an Edinburgh school yesterday and there they were on the hill (leaving me behind). However, one had a technical problem and lo and behold Bicyclerepairman swung into action. Quickly changing into flat hat and brown dustcoat behind a convenient sheep, I appeared brandishing my multitool. One of the teachers intervened but I managed to adjust a full set of spokes before sending the young lad on his way!

After the climb and some undulating moorland there was a nice fast downhill - unfortunately limited to 16mph due to a ferocious headwind - whose idea was it to do the JOGLE rather than the LEJOG? Next the Cromarty Firth swam into view, populated by three oil rigs and several seals (I took pictures of one of each).

With the wind constantly in my face as well as occasional squally showers, I plodded on south through Muir of Ord to Beauly where I had a late lunch of tuna sandwiches washed down with three cups of tea. The sky looked clear, so I gambled and discarded all my waterproofs and ancillary gear (I kept my Gore-Tex jacket tied round my waist though) in order to sprint the final 32 miles in the dry. Wrong choice! The first twenty odd miles were fine & dry but then the rain came and I got a tad wet. The wet chilled my muscles and for the first time I ended the day with an aching ......... bottom. I'm hoping for a nice run down from Jan but I suspect I'll be asleep as soon as I lie down. Doh!

Todays stats:-Accumulated mileage : 179 milesTodays mileage : 69 milesTodays average speed : 12.6 mphTodays max speed : 42 mph

p.s. M.Boik informs me that the "Skip Lorry denial of service attack" has been repulsed and the website is firing on all cylinders. Hurrah for M.Boik.

p.p.s. Any ornithologists out there? I saw a bird today that had a black head, white chin (or possibly cheeks) and a crimson chest. Size-wise it was mid way between a Robin and a Blackbird. I saw it up on the moors - heather and small scrub. Please let me know what it is via my normal e-mail address.

Cheers, Bob and Jan


Day 2 - Bettyhill to Bonar Bridge (view OS Map)
We spent the night at a lovely place called The Farr Bay Hotel in a large spacious and luxurious room. Their food, like everywhere we've been so far was excellent and mine was washed down with a couple of pints of cider.

Another large breakfast set us on our way, although I stopped as soon as I managed to get a mobile phone signal so that I could get & send various e-mails. The journey up Strathnaver was breathtakingly beautiful - I hope the photos do it justice. The weather has been alternating between sunshine and wintry showers but I've been smiling all the way. The six miles south from Altnaharra were all uphill and into the wind but once over the summit, there, in the middle of absolutely nowhere, was The Crask Inn. A friendly landlord offered beer, lager, spirits, hot food and accommodation for those that wanted it - we went for the beer and hot food option. The rest of the day was downhill(ish) so fairly whistled by (although it did get a bit wetter) and the wind was less in my face.

There were a lot of 'end-to-enders' on the road today and I stopped to chat with about seven of them! One however wasn't stopping at John O'Groats, but was taking the ferry to The Orkneys, then on to The Shetlands and finally across to Bergen! I suspect he was then going to work his way back south to France (he was French after all).

All those of you who wish you'd come along on this ride, just look at the pictures and then kick yourselves - it's fantastic up here and 50 -60 miles in a day doesn't seem too hard (mind you I've got a very tough climb tomorrow, so let's see how I feel after that).
I must mention the fact that Jan has been driving the sort of roads she has nightmares about - narrow, hilly, winding, remote - and has done a fantastic job. Plus she's the fastest Scooby I've seen all day.
Todays stats:
Todays MIleage: 57 miles
Average speed: 12.8 mph
Maximum speed: 29.1 mph
Cheers, Bob & Jan


Day 1: John O'Groats to Bettyhill (view OS Map)
Left John O'Groats at 11:00 and encountered sunshine, rain, hailstones and a barking dog. Fortunately one minute of sunshine beats 20 minutes of rain. This is truly beautiful country with magnificent vistas and I would recommend it to anyone. I was most impressed with how close The Orkneys are and how clear the air is (apart from when the hail's coming down). The first part of the ride over the Flow Country was easy going apart from the strong wind blowing straight into my face - who's idea was it to go from North to South? Doh! It was me!

Jan and I met for lunch at the Dounreay visitor centre and I had vegetable soup in the hope I would be turbo-powered for the afternoon. I needed it -the road went up and down like West Ham United for the next twenty-odd miles! Whilst at the visitor centre we learnt that, weather-wise, there's never any heat until after the May Gobs (hail/heavy rain), so we're hopeful for the rest of the ride (in spite of the gloomy weather forecast for tomorrow).

I must mention the fact that, without exception, the people of Scotland have been very nice, friendly, helpful and generous - we've collected another £332 in sponsorship without even asking. It took us two days to travel up here and we stopped at two B&B establishments that I would recommend to anyone - The Bridge House in Moffat and Loch Watten House in Watten (about 16 miles from JO'G).
Tomorrow sees us turning South and into the mountains. We're hoping to reach Bonar Bridge which is about 56 miles away.
For the statisticians amongst you, my speedo has the following readings:
Distance Travelled: 52 miles
Average Speed: 13.9 mph
Maximum Speed: 39.2 mph

I'll see if I can do a lunchtime missive tomorrow, but now I can hear dinner calling me. Byee, Bob & Jan.