Note for Cyclists

This is a brief note on my experience on a Land's End to John o'Groats trip in May 2011.

Bikes:
I was riding a Boardman Hybrid, my friend Robert had a LaPierre Audacio 300 road bike.
The main differences were with handlebars and pedals.

Robert's drop handlebars were great for long downhills and when pedalling into the wind, giving him a more comfortable position. I felt a bit cramped with my arms folded up to give me access to brakes.

My MTB-style handlebars worked well in towns, where I had a more upright position (better for seeing what the traffic was doing).

I also used MTB-style clipless pedals and shoes; Robert had Shimano road style pedals and cleats. I think the MTB-style were easier to use in stop-start condition for these reasons:
- double-sided pedal, so pedal was never upside-down
- flat-ish pedal top, so even if I didn't clip in immediately, it was easier to keep pedaling
- shoes better for walking around shops at lunchtime.
It's said that road style clipless pedals are more efficient, but for reasons I don't understand.

We both bought Brooks B17 leather saddles. While not armchair comfy, I found that the saddle did a great job absorbing vibration. Both our bikes had aluminium frames, not known for absorbing bumps and thumps. The standard saddle faithfully passed on all vibration and bumps, where the leather on the Brooks seemed to dissipate them and give me more confidence in going at speed over broken surfaces.

Before going, I changed the 11-32 cassette for an 11-34; I was mighty glad of the extra gearing for Devon and the Pennines.

I put rubber grips on my bar ends - this made them much more comfortable.

A special mention for the Zefal mirror I got (I think it's the Cyclop model). This was invaluable for town and knowing if there's someone behind when speeding down a hill. It took a bit of a battering over the fortnight, but is none the worse for wear.

Luggage
I had a pair of Ortlieb panniers - waterproof canvas with a roll-over top. These proved to be waterproof and very effective at keeping the water out. Closing the pannier top is a 20 second job, and not as quick as Robert's Vaude luggage that had more conventional clips.

I also had a Bontrager handlebar bag where I kept stuff like my camera, wallet, tissues, notepad, glasses. It too was good at keeping out the water (if you've read the rest of the blog, you'll know everything got well tested). I found it useful having the easy access to frequently-used things right in front of me. On the downside, there's no easy way to have a front light with the handlebar bag in place, without cramping the handgrips.

Food
I tried various combinations throughout the fortnight, and I reckon this was the optimum
- breakfast of cereal, porridge and toast
- snacks of bananas, dried fruits, nuts, cereal bars ("Eat natural" brand tasted the best)
- Sandwich with protein and flapjack at lunch
- Pint of milk just after finishing for the day
- Light dinner

We found that fudge made for a great quick energy boost - it seemed to have the perfect combination of calories, taste and didn't risk breaking teeth.

Clothing
I took two sets of cycle clothing (bib shorts, long-sleeved shirt, socks)
a set of clothes for the evening, including fleece jumper
Waterproof jacket
Gloves
pyjamas
Everything was synthetic fibre - I though about what to do for underwear and eventually took two pairs of running shorts to use as boxers / pyjamas along with two running t-shirts. This meant that everything I took could be washed and would be dry the next morning

It's worth remembering that Scotland is quite a bit further north than Cornwall. We started cycling in one shirt, and ended up wearing 3 layers and a decent waterproof. Because of the weather we met, we also got waterproof gloves and overshoes in Pitlochry.

Training and fitness
We started in the autumn and trained as best we could during the cold months. At the beginning of the year, we started adding 20 miles to our daily total each month. With busy lives and work that has me travelling, our training was borderline, especially as it was in a county with no discernible hills (certainly compared to Devon). What we did manage was invaluable, though, and I would not have survived beyond day 2 without it. If you're thinking of doing end2end, it's worth remembering that cycle training takes up quite a lot of time.

Route
Robert had planned out the route, used the pages from the Phillips atlas recommended by the CTC and used a highlighter to mark it out. We still ended up changing our route for various reasons.

As we rode, so we got a feel for how fast we would go on different roads, depending on what we thought would be the gradient, how easy navigation would be (much easier to go along the main A-road than looking out for signposts for that next village whose name I can't now remember). As a consequence, we sometimes would take an A-road in the afternoon to do the miles, having had a pleasant morning on back roads (or vice-versa)

We also had to re-route because of severe weather.

Both of us had smart phones that were great for those occasions when the paper map either wasn't large enough scale, or when we weren't sure of just quite where we were. We relied on them for one day going round Glasgow when we didn't have maps. The iPhone has a 1:25000 OS map that is loaded on the phone, so doesn't need a network connection or download any data once it's installed.

Final thoughts
14 days was a good length - it gave us enough time to see a bit of the country and not have to be making best speed all the time. It also gave us flexibility to re-plan our route. Also, we did the training we could, which wasn't enough to allow us to go faster by the time we had panniers and it was the third or fourth day of continuous pedalling.

It was good to be travelling with one other person- finding accommodation wasn't extra difficult and the company and mutual encouragement was great. Having trained together, we also knew each other's strengths and speed. We met another pair doing end2end, one of whom was much faster than the other. It didn't seem to be a problem for them, but it could be for some people.

I started off thinking we could arrive in a place, find a B&B using my smartphone and be settled in 5 minutes. Wrong. Network connections are often poor, so it can take 5 minutes to load a web page. Battery life is rubbish on smartphones, so at the end of the day, having used the phone for a little bit of navigation / verification, I was also running out of juice. It worked much better when around 3/4 pm I got someone else to book accommodation, having told them where we thought we'd get to that day.

If you do go for it and do Land's End to John o'Groats, I wish you a great experience!

Douglas

End +3: The last post

This last post will gather some concluding thoughts and stuff that never made the daily posts. I'll write up some stuff aimed primarily at cyclists in another post.

One of the biggest surprises was what a sensory experience the ride was. At times, there was almost an overload- either there'd be a fantastic woodland smell and the sound of lots of songbirds while enjoying the dappled shade and pleasant temperature of a scenic forest road, or I'd be shaken from a poor road surface, deafened by the noise of cars and wind howling, soaked and cold from the rain and aware of traffic in every direction while going trough a town.

Being outside all day, I was much more aware of the cycle of the day than usual - the sun's position in the sky, when the next rain shower might come, when the temperature would drop in the evening.

Every part of the UK had a distinctive feel to it. It's easy to miss when travelling from town to town - a Marks and Spencer in Bristol looks much like the one in Bolton. It was fun seeing the clues to how people lived. One good example was in the middle of a small village in an area that appeared to be rather poor. There was in that village though a sumptuous soft furnishings shop, that would not have looked out of place in an expensive London neighbourhood. Any money in the area was not spent on show or visible trimmings, but inside people's private domains.

Every day had different challenges and a different pattern. There was usually
- a really enjoyable section because of scenery, a great downhill, a good climb, some sunshine.
- a tough section because of relentless hills, onset of fatigue, rain, going through a town
- a mileage section, usually on larger A roads where we did the miles to get on.

It was great cycling past so many farms and houses advertising local produce - asparagus, prize-winning beef, cider, honey, eggs, fruit, vegetables, bacon and sausages, jams and preserves. It was also a bit frustrating not being able to buy any.

We passed through 3 built up areas - east of Bristol, Knutsford to Chorley and round the east of Glasgow. Each time we came out the other side, it was like emerging into light, seeing hedges, hills and fields, hearing birds, smelling something other than exhaust fumes.

Random observations:
Cars are really noisy unless you're inside one. A passing car completely removed any chance of a normal conversation with Robert - we had to shout to be heard above the noise.

There are lots of bolts along Britain's roads in the space between the white line at the side of the road and the verge. They are of all shapes, sizes, lengths, diameters. I didn't see any nuts or washers, though - maybe they all accumulate on the southbound carriageway.

Bridges are amazing. We went over several, including the old Severn bridge. In a car, I never realised what big, tall, long and impressive structures they are. The exception was the bridge over the Manchester ship canal that felt decidedly fragile.

Things I liked:
+ The many, many other road users who showed patience and courtesy to us when we were the slowest things on the road.

+ The amazing hospitality and warmth we received from the people in hotels and B&Bs.

+ Hand driers

+ "Eat Natural" cereal bars - favourite sort was cranberries, macadamias and dark chocolate.

Things I didn't like:
- Even though I didn't have a cold, my nose was perpetually running. Now I know why there are 3 pockets in the back of cycling jerseys - one for a family size box of tissues, and two for used ones.

- Falling off my bike - I did this a few times (all at very low speed). It was mostly my pride that was hurt, but I carry a few bruises and scrapes.

- Being blown across the road by a gust of cross-wind.


Thanks for reading - my posts were mostly written on a mobile phone while battling to stay awake long enough to complete them, so it's a wonder if any of them make sense. I hope you've enjoyed a taste of end2end.

End +2: Train journey back

A bright end to our brief Thurso visit, with blue skies giving great views as we crossed the river to get from the hotel to the railway station.

It's felt odd watching the country unfold from the window, observing but detached from it, insulated by the glass of the carriage windows.

We've been glad to have booked our journeys and seats well in advance, as the trains have all been full.

I'll post an entry tomorrow with some final reflections.  I'll also write a bit for cyclists tomorrow or wednesday, depending on length of reflection. 

End +1: The rest day

It was great not having to worry about wind speeds, rainfall, gradients, directions or very much of anything today.  We took a stroll the 2 miles along the bay to Scrabster, watched the fishing boats and harbour activity before taking a bowl of soup at the hotel restaurant.  There were magnificent views of Dunnet and Orkney.  Waves crashing  against the cliffs sending great plumes of spray into the air. 

On the walk back (in the rain, somewhat inevitably) Orkney had completely disappeared from view, shrouded in mist, such was the rapidity with which the weather changed.

In the evening we met up with some friends for dinner (salmon in a lemon and caper sauce).  Walking back to the hotel in the evening felt like midday, the days are so long.  The light up here is amazing, it feels like late afternoon at 10:30, and at 4, it's already daybreak. 

What about the ride?  I'm still processing the experience, so more on that later, possibly when I have a real keyboard, rather than the on-screen thing on my mobile phone.  In the meantime, here's some details that didn't make it into earlier posts.
Distance travelled: 997 miles (approximately, neither of us had a cycle computer)
Time taken: 14 days
Average daily mileage=71.2
Shortest day =36 miles
Longest day=90 miles
Hours riding: about 8 hours per day, 9.5 including breaks= 112 hours total riding time.
Turns of the pedal crank= 537,600

It was fun seeing where our bikes ended up staying the nights. 
Tregony: annexe (would make a great
place for a holiday.)
Tavistock: Garage.
Taunton: relaxing by the pool.
Monmouth: Beer cellar
Tern hill: old farm outhouse
Old Langho: hotel housekeeping store.
Penrith: garage.
Moniaive: barn that was flooded in the morning, so our bikes were brought in for us and put in the bar.
Auchinleck: ballroom, secured to the bar.
Crieff: shed that was one half full of tools(his), the other half was a studio where the artist made the most amazing mosaics (hers).
Kingussie: shed overnight, bikes brought into the lounge in the morning.
BonarBridge: shed that was home to some swallows, feared missing in action in the high winds
Thurso: Boiler room

I realised that I hadn't posted the map for yesterday, so I've remedied the situation today.

Day 14 - Thurso to Dunnet Head and John o'Groats.

After the last few days, I had a mental picture of standing at John o'Groats in the pouring rain and howling wind, unable to see more than 3 feet in front of me. 

Imagine my delight to open the curtains today to sunshine.  Even better, the weather forecast was for an 18mph westerly wind.  We set off and went first to Dunnet Head- the northernmost point of the mainland.  It seemed like a long time since we stood at Lizard point, away in the distant south.  There were fantastic views of the Orkney islands and of the cliffs.  Sea birds were playing on the updrafts, gracefully riding the air currents with the smallest movement of their wings. 

The ride along to John o'Groats was ludicrously easy.  With the wind at my back, I hardly needed to pedal.  Soon we were there- the end of the journey.  We had a celebratory hot chocolate and watched as a stream of motorcyclists turned up.  There were also a couple of other cyclists, but the non-motorised two wheelers were very much in the minority. 

We still had to get back to Thurso and that tail wind that had helped going was now a strong headwind.  We cycled to the castle of Mey for a fortifying tea and scone.  Headwinds and rain showers made sure that we worked for every mile back. 

That's it for today.  I'm sitting in the hotel with a pint of amber liquid in front of me, so my motivation to blog is likely to go down with the level in the glass. 

Tomorrow's a day off and Monday is the train journey south.  I'll post blog entries at least for those two days with some thoughts and reflections on the trip but until then... sláinte mhath!

Day 13 - Bonar Bridge to Thurso

We met our first end to enders today at breakfast- a couple of New Zealanders living in the UK fundraising for the survivors of the Christchurch earthquake.  We later saw another couple of people with the signature paniers on their bicycles. 

The bed and breakfast house we were in overnight was interesting - it had been built for a doctor and the current owner had some of the bills for medical services.  Some were for £5 which for 1905 would have been a lot of money.

After the drenching and freezing we got yesterday, we were delighted to start off the day with no rain and not much wind.  We took the old single track road to Lairg.  This goes past the falls of Shinn, reputed to be spectacular.  We cycled down the track we thought would take us to the falls, but ended back out on the road having only heard the falls.  Aware we still had a big distance to go, we pressed on.

Through Lairg and on we went, soon on the single track roads that lead to the north coast.  These roads also have the most enormous cattle grids.  We stopped for a break at the bridge at Altnaharra, with fantastic views over the river down to Loch Naver.

Up the side of the Loch then and up to Bettyhill on the north coast.  All morning we cycled through enchanting landscapes that unfolded before our eyes.  Free from the distractions of traffic and on mostly good surfaces, we made good time. 

The view of Torrisdale bay from Bettyhill was fantastic.  Great dark waves came crashing against the golden sands, while the coastline cliffs stand like sentinels watching out to sea.  We stood watching the view for about as long as it's taken you to read this paragraph before feeling cold in the cold wind and  going to find some shelter to finish our lunch.  Today, this came from the Bettyhill shop that stocks everything imaginable in a small space. It has to, given that it serves a very remote community.

While we were finishing lunch, the first few drops of rain fell. By the time half an hour had passed, the rain was well and truly on.  From then on, we were looking for bus shelters in which to take our breaks.  There was definitely no incentive to dawdle, and we pressed on to Thurso, arriving about 6.  On this our last big day of cycling we did 86 miles.

We are now 20 miles from John o'Groats- the end is in sight. 

Day 12 - Kingussie to Bonar Bridge

There was big excitement in Kingussie this  morning.  A dozen police were out, some with sniffer dogs, others with mirrors looking under cars.  Anyway, we made good our escape before they caught up with us. 

It rained and rained and rained and...... You get the idea.
We must be the cleanest people in Britain tonight.  The rain fell down from the sky and was often blown at us sideways with the wind.  There were splashes from the bicycle wheels, and any parts of us that were still dry got soaked by the spray from trucks. 

Heading up past Aviemore went fine, but the next few miles were tough up to Slochd summit.  There was a headwind, the rain was cold and the road was busy.  Just a few yards before a break in the roadside barrier,  a police car drove past.  The passenger wound down the window and told us of the cycle track nearby.  The timing was perfect and we got through the gap and onto the path.  Since this wasn't our planed route, we hadn't investigated the route options.  The cycle path was great and very well signposted. We went in towards Inverness and stopped for lunch and to try to defrost a bit.  There were times during the morning when our destination seemed like an unreachable goal.  Our speed had dropped as we battled with the rain, trying to keep warm and the traffic around us.

On then over the Black Isle to Dingwall, and on to Bonar Bridge.  Once again going over a hill; on top there was a headwind that was icy.  Still, the countryside was very atmospheric with low cloud and subdued lighting. 

We got a great view of the river Oykel as we were coming in to Bonar Bridge.  A vast dinner at the Bridge Hotel set us up for tomorrow.