http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/LeJoggers/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from LeJoggers en-us Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:16:54 +0000 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:16:54 +0000 The final countdown.... de dah duh daaaaa de dah duh da daaaaaaaaaAfter 9 long days on the road we set out stiff and creaky for our final day's ride. We had somehow managed to get our sums wrong in that our intended route would have been somewhere in excess of 130 miles. This sort of distance could well have broken us. So we revisited the maps and managed to reduce the distance to 110 miles http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/blog-88374.html After the head wind heroics of yesterday Day 9 was due to be a relatively short day with reasonaby flat terrain loch side up the Great Glen and with a light tail wind. All went well initially as we hugged the edge of Loch Lochy for the first 30 miles but things started to go a little awry at Fort Augustus at the head of Loch Ness. We stopped for a cup of tea at the local sheep dog trials watch http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Inverness/blog-88333.html The weather improved overnight and we had good cycling conditions to go with the spectacular scenery of the Kintyre Peninsula and the Islands and then on to the start of the Great Glen. We also saw the tidal races of Loch Etive and went for our first swim of the trip in Loch Linnhe. Cold but refreshing. The day ended with an evening ride into Spean Bridge against the backdrop of Ben Nevis as the s http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Fort-William/blog-87605.html Ouch Today was hard work. A strong north westerly wind right in our faces made cycling very difficult especially as we had 4 or 5 big climbs to traverse.We left Ben and Silvy's at 8.15 am and arrived in Tarbert which is just north of Arran at about 8.30pm. Part of the reason the day was so long was because we had two ferry journeys one onto Arran and one off. The scenery around here is spect http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/Isle-of-Mull/blog-87414.html Finally crossed the border into Scotland today. We have taken it very steadily after yesterday's very long stretch 13 hours on the road and so have taken a slightly more direct route into Scotland. Weather has stayed pretty good. There was a storm in the night but we missed the rain. Wind has moved round to the west north west which means that we are into the wind at times. Drafting has bec http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/Scotland/blog-87013.html Wow What a day. We have really seen some of the country today and had a real treat along the way .... but some of the hills would not be out of place on Le Tour.The day started well and we made good head way around Manchester and up Northwards to Blackburn. We passed Ewood Park and then started our climb up into the Forest of Bowland. The road up from Clitheroe to the first peak was steep and lon http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Cumbria/Carlisle/blog-86988.html As usual we have arrived late and tired but happy. Another good day in and out of the saddle as we travelled through Shropshire and Greater Manchester finishing up in the Knutsford city limits. Weather was good the roads generally flat and morale reasonably high excpet when we tried to find a decent meal in Market Drayton don't bother it's all fried or frozen. We also had one puncture and on http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Cheshire/blog-86552.html A good day today. We've now covered just over 300 miles in 3 days. They've been long days we've been on the road around 8AM every day but haven't arrived at any of our destinations before 7PM and some have been harder than others see Day 2. Today we crossed over the Severn Bridge see photo briefly dipped into Wales and then on through the Wye Valley passed Tintern Abbey and the Monmouth http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Worcestershire/blog-86249.html We're writing this a day late in Simon's Uncle Willy's back garden and already the memory of yesterday's VERY WET ride is fading. But it was WET and hilly. Some of the hills south of Exmoor were so steep it felt like you were about to go on a rollercoaster ride. We had only managed 40 miles by 3pm having got lost had a broken spoke to deal with and also hill after hill after hill .... At our lun http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Somerset/blog-86243.html It's been a long long day so just a quick entry this evening. We left Land's End at about 9am after cycling there from our BB and taking the obligitory photographs see attached. Unfortunately we were too early for the Land's End sign post to be attached to the pole they take it away each evening to stop it being stolen Still the sun was shining and the wind in the right direction. We made http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Cornwall/blog-85835.html After 24 hours on a plane from New Zealand Andy has arrived in town along with his classic Italian steel frame. Not long to go now....... http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/blog-85291.html This time next Friday we will be waking up in our BB in Land's End and poking a wet finger out of the bed room window. If the damp digit detects a light south westerly breeze and a hint of morning sunshine then the gods of charity bike rides will be smiling upon us. Just 7 days to go now and we have all been training well. Those after work rides on the Richmomd Park roundabout over the past few http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/blog-84257.html