At the end of the ride on john o groats there is a sign and a bloke on a hut happy to record the moment ..any way this just arrived in the post :)
I couldn't resist the victory pose, it matches the trans American pose nicely don't you think ha ha!
Saturday 29 June 2013
The 'official' ride end photo
Saturday 22 June 2013
Friday 21 June 2013
Made it!!
The last few days have been good. Lots of hard riding. Since leaving lochranza I've had tecky issues with wi fi and this blogger app so the blog went a bit awol. The ride from lochranza to Glencoe was a hundred miles. At Glencoe the hostel was found at the end of the village, which is surrounded by amazing mountains. Then it was off to loch ness, a ride of about 66 miles ish . Then hostel at loch.ness is right on the loch with its own beach. I had expected some old Scots bloke in a kilt telling monster stories, but instead a rather odd bit friendly German student type was running the place. Riding along the various lochs was really great. The weather was mainly grey and drizzly but not over cold. I went down to loch ness for a swim but settled for a paddle to avoid hypothermic shock!
In any event Nessy didn't show up...I must have scared her away!
So next day it was off to the famous Urqhart castle and the inevitable tourists. We decided against leaving the bikes unattended and took pictures from afar and carried on riding. The weather changed and rain set in. We'd decided to modify the route and head up to helmsdale rather than the North coast. So.the ride took us 96 miles ish mostly along the A9. To be honest it became a bit of a mission to get there in the rain and cold on a bad road surface for my 120psi tyres ..once again I found myself singing that old time classic tune....shake rattle and roll!
So as soon as we were checked into.the hostel it was down to the village pub for dinner and sheep shagger beer...yep that is its real name. After
A conversation with drivers from hull, photos of antlers , good food, a game of chess, and some long haired cyclist playing guitar badly , it was crash out time.
This morning it was a case of get up and ride before eating...which is why the huge hill was put on between the hostel and breakfast.
We rode to wick ans found a nice bed ans breakfast for tonight, then set off on the final push to the summit ...john o groats.
The last 12 miles or so were a bit of a drag against the headwind and in the grey drizzle and light mist in places.
Then the final run down the hill to john o groats. Here at the finish it was time to take a breather, savour the moment and take some pictures.
I organized the official pictures and we also did our own.
John o groats isn't much really, but it's not charts there, but the journeys people make to get there that matter. There is an almost constant stream of travellers going in and out of this small bleak place.
Having taken the moment in, sent a few texts and bought a sticker for Celeste frame to commemorate the ride it was time to ride back to wick and a well earned rest.
Tonight I am at the clachan b&b in wick which is very homely ans comfortable for the last night.
So....another tick on the bucket list done!!!
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live"
For you Mum.
Thursday 20 June 2013
Sorry about blog post cock.ups..
The WiFi at Glencoe was pre historic so I'm in McDonalds on the free wi fi justvquickly adding the pictures that the technology gods rejected last night! So I don't have time now to add a commendation each one. They are all from yesterday's ride from Arran to glencoe, except a couple on arriving in fort William a few minutes ago this morning.
...right ...off to see messy!
Glencoe to loch ness
64 miles 882 metres ascent ave speed 14mph
The day started with breakfast at the hostel. For a fiver you get a good continental breakfast, wish must be because of the excess of continentals there! Thankfully victor meldrew (who had spent the precious evening, and two hours since 6am, shouting down a phone at some poor girl called Anna I don't beleeeeeve it in a call centre) had finally shut up leaving the forty or so other guests able to hear themselves think.
Heading off the wrong way up the A 82 was inevitable so having done what had to be done we turned around and heading in the right direction. My legs were ok once warmed up after yesterdays 100 mile ride, and progress was made
In the direction of fort William.
However once again the route was showing all the ominous signs of sending us up a never ending cycle path of doom along the Caledonian canal, which is exactly what it did.
How this path can be described as a cycle path is beyond me. It would be dangerous enough on a mountain bike but on road bikes its just not funny and could easily have wrecked them. If you are riding a proper road bike on this route stay off this path .
Riding along the path trying to protect our bikes from serious injury an old Scotsman stopped us and directed us onto the other side of the canal to avoid inevitable catastrophe up ahead. This change of tack provided us with the unique chance to discover the uncharted tunnel of dooooom under the canal.
This surface isn't even fit for a chieftain rank let alone a roadbike.
Eventually the path became more like a road and normal service was resumed.
Once again Scottish road surfaces were responsible for a serious derrierre pounding and a found myself grateful that more additions to the human race don't feature in my lifeplan.
Bacon and egg rolls were consumed at the well of the seven.heads cafe somewhere after the commando memorial, both of which were overrun by swarms of little yellow people with oversized cameras.
I mistook loch oich for loch ness, I wonder if there is a monster in it called oikey.
Arriving at loch ness we were greeting by tourist hell, so I rose as fast as I could out of the numpty gatherings and out onto the rode around the loch. This rode has an appalling surface and I shall revisiting to the Scottish minister for roads complaining about the damage its done to my bottom bracket.
The loch itself so far is hard to see from the road due to the trees, so I'll get more pictures in the morning at castle urqhart.
But stopping on a small bridge the old waterfalls and stone bridge came into view and were really picturesque. I bet 99.9% of car drivers just drive over the bridge ans don't even know it's there.
So for now here I am on the sofa at the loch ness syha protected from the heavy rain which has just started falling. But...no food...got to ride in rain to a shop...hmm...waiter!!!!
The tunnel of dark extreme dooom laddy!
This is where skinny road tyres need replacing with tank tracks.
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