Day 1: Land’s End to
Distance: 207 miles Max speed for the trip: 51.8mph
The weather was hot all day and there was a slight tailwind, which helped. The journey was quite straightforward to Bath, mostly along the A30. Glad to be doing day 1 on a Sunday. The road looked like it could be quite busy and fast on weekdays. Team support was top notch. As anyone who does any moderate exercise knows, the right quality and quantity of food and at the right time is of paramount importance. Throughout this trip most of the food I’d be eating would be slow-releasing carbohydrates: brown pasta, nuts, oatcakes, etc. Nick (my brother and team support for the trip) would be aiming for exactly the opposite foodstuffs, seizing upon any opportunity to eat pies, pastries, pasties (in Cornwall) and fried goods (in Scotland).
Day 2: Bath to Tarporley (Cheshire)
Distance: 167 miles
Weather was hot once again. Wind changed direction and was now a side or headwind, which slowed down progression quite considerably. I was hoping to get the other side of Manchester on day 2 but didn’t want to attempt it late in the day. Decided to leave it until the morning. Team support didn’t waver. Once again the food en route, campsite and dinner were fantastic - tea was vegetarian (mild) curry with walnut bread. Nick’s ability to consume pastry-based products showed no signs of abatement!
Day 3: Tarporley to Langholm (A7 just below Edinburgh)
Distance: 163 miles Weather predominately dry, with light showers going through Cumbria. Slow getting through Manchester area (as expected) but after that the day was good. Some great cycling with big hills and some excellent views over the Cumbrian countryside. Also met a group of three cyclists doing the same trip. Didn’t stay with them long but nice to chat. Had the first and only puncture of the journey in Kendal. Team support was once again excellent. When I arrived at the campsite, dinner was waiting: salmon, new potatoes, asparagus, barbequed peppers and brown pasta!
Day 4: Langholm to Dalwhinnie (A9, Grampian Mountains, Scotland)
Distance: 180 miles
This was by far the hardest day. Edinburgh was time consuming and frustrating to get through. Once past Perth the roads and traffic became considerably easier to negotiate. As I went up into the highlands of Scotland the weather became inconsistent. Rain and gales could become bright sunshine in a matter of minutes. Probably the best views and scenery of the entire trip. The last 50 miles were memorable for the steep up-hills, slow down-hills and horizontal rain. Team support was once again excellent, providing hot drinks, food and an attention to safety and visibility that had seemed to pass me by in the final hours of the day.
Distance 182 miles
Starting in the highlands was for the most part down-hill. Wind from behind was very welcomed and reasonably warm from the offset. The A9 (the road I’d picked up from Perth) dropped down into Inverness. The final leg followed the east coast of Scotland up to the finish. The final 70 miles were deceptively hilly although good to cycle on. Once again, some lovely views. Nick had taken on a reddish hue. I’d initially put this down to him catching the sun but slowly came to the conclusion that it was heightened blood pressure! He had turned his attention to the traditional fried foods found in Scotland, over the pastry goods of the south! I arrived at John O’Groats at around 8.30pm, chuffed to bits that I’d completed the journey that I’d been planning since the previous year.
Many thanks to the following:
My partner Anna who was a constant source of support throughout the trip and during the long training that went before it.
My Brother Nick who took a week out of his holiday to eat pastry-based products and to team support me on my trip.
Rocky Mountain Cycles (Talbot Green, South Wales) for their help and support.
All the people that generously donated money and good wishes. I was overwhelmed by the support received.
I would welcome any contact regarding the above. Please forward any thoughts or comments to the following email address: woodworkwill@hotmail.co.uk
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Hello and thanks for taking the time to take a look at my Just Giving page.
I’m planning to cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats and wanted to take the opportunity to raise some money for a charity that I've been doing some voluntary work for. The Valleys Kids project in South Wales is a small organisation, which provides a wide range of support services for young people in the local community. Have a look at their website for more info:
The route I have chosen for the trip is just under nine hundred miles long. My brother, Nick, has foolishly agreed to be the support driver and will be accompanying me on the journey. I will be setting off on Sunday 4 July.
Journey time will be heavily dependent upon the weather, wind direction and my legs. I'll be trying to complete it as quickly as possible. The record for this trip is an impressive 44 hours, 4 minutes and 20 seconds. Most people take anywhere from five to 10 days.
I will be financing the trip myself and any donations received will go straight to Valleys Kids. If you'd like to make a donation, it would be much appreciated.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you’d like any further information and I’ll do my best to get back to you as soon as I can.
Thanks once again
Will x
Contact: woodworkwill@hotmail.co.uk
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
