Prologue

A lot of people have asked what made me want to do this and there isn’t really a simple answer. Because it’s there as somebody famous once said, because I had an old bike sitting in the garage doing nothing, because I know of other people who have done it or similar long distance bike rides, because I fancied it as a bit of an adventure, because it’s one of the things I wanted to do before I die, because I wanted to see if I could as a challenge, and because I saw Ben Fogle on Countryfile once, cycling along a leafy road in Scotland and I thought, that looks like something I want to do.
I made a half-hearted attempt to get it organised for last year, telling people that I was going to cycle Land’s End to John O’Groats, checking websites and route planning, but it never got off the ground. By January 2010 I was more determined and with my wife’s blessing (although she kept telling me I was mad and never really thought it would happen!)route planning, web searches for information and possible accommodation began in earnest. I also intended to start training, not having ridden my bike, a 21 speed Raleigh Pioneer Elite LX for a good many years.
By February I had decided to use Youth Hostels for accommodation and had sorted out a rough route. This would change somewhat as I discovered more about terrain and fiddled with daily distances. Training however had not started. Street view on Google Maps proved to be very useful and I ‘travelled’ quite a lot of my eventual route virtually. This whetted my appetite for the ride even more. As I fine-tuned more aspects of the ride I started to consider how to get to Land’s End and back from John O’Groats; train was the obvious way so I checked the web for timetables and so on. Timetables are not active until twelve weeks prior so I was unable to make definite bookings for myself and my bike until late in May. My brother Andrew kindly offered to give me a lift to Land’s End so I only had to use a train to get home.
By March I had bought a variety of equipment such as a rack pack, handlebar bag, cycle shorts and shirts but still had not actually been out on the bike. I had decided on a route and booked all of the Youth Hostels I would be using. At last at the end of March I went out on my first training ride – an impressive 5 miles! I gradually built this up to around 25 miles by early May. Although the distances were not great I was riding in the Pennines, so hills were a prominent part of every route. I also tried to work hard and pedal every mile. I went out five days out of seven and finally made a couple of 40 plus milers.
I had my bike serviced at my local shop Surosa Cycles and changed the knobbly tyres I had been training on for slicker Schwalbe Marathons. I was ready.
My brother and I travelled down to Penzance where we stayed in the Youth Hostel, a palatial affair compared to when I last Hostelled in 1969.

Day One 25.7.10 Land's End to Golant

We had an early breakfast the following day and got to Land’s End at about 8.20 where there were several other end to enders. After photos at the signpost I set off at 8.45, waved off by Andy. A few miles later he was at St Buryan to cheer me on and run alongside feeding me Jaffa Cakes! The weather was overcast and a bit drizzly at first but gradually brightened up. It was easy going through Penzance and Marazion and on to the King Harry Ferry after which there were some sharp climbs, mercifully fairly short. A lack of signposts at some of the minor road junctions meant I ended up on a couple of unintended detours. Arrived at Golant Youth Hostel at 4.45 where I met two other cyclists Matt and Steve who were just as worn out as me! It turned out that we would be staying at a number of the same Hostels during the ride although our routes were different. After just over six and a half hours in the saddle, a distance of 70.6 miles and an average speed of 10.6 mph I showered, ate and turned in at 8.45.

Day Two 26.7.10 Golant to Exeter

Woke up with a dodgy stomach. I had a light breakfast and set out at 8.30 but couldn’t pedal more than lightly without my insides feeling as though they were going to explode. The weather was drizzly and misty but did gradually clear up. After about an hour and a half of cycling I started to feel somewhat better and stopped at Minions for a brew and a toasted teacake. I met four more end to enders who seemed to be much more proficient cyclists than me and soon disappeared into the distance. Once at Horsebridge the hills seemed to become much more relentless. Steep descents which took a matter of seconds were followed immediately by hard climbs of 15 minutes or more and this unfair pattern continued endlessly. I travelled around the north of Dartmoor with the intention of dropping down into Exeter. That’s the trouble with using road maps – no contours; the route into Exeter was mostly uphill with a particularly savage climb about 10 miles out. Exeter itself does have an excellent cycle path network, and I arrived at the Youth Hostel at 7.00 knackered. I found myself in the same dorm as Matt and Steve, and Andy another end to ender who was also at Golant. 81.56 miles cycled, over eight and a half hours in the saddle and an average speed of 9.3 mph.

Day Three 27.7.10 Exeter to Bristol

Exeter YH was very pleasant, I believe it is going to be closed which is a shame. Matt, Steve and Andy were off to Street, I’m heading for Bristol. We won’t meet up again until Carlisle. Felt much better this morning, light rain to start with and trouble with my pump , a local bike shop kindly sorted it out for me. The route was much flatter today and much more enjoyable although I did encounter three monster climbs and my chain came off during some urgent downshifting at Cheddar. Chafing set in as well so Vaseline and Sudocrem were used liberally. Bristol also has a superb cycle network and I arrived at the Youth Hostel at 6.15. Bristol YH seems to cater for a Bistro type clientele and the atmosphere was very impersonal. This was my least favourite stopover. Seven and a half hours pedalling, 84.09 miles and an average speed of 11.3 mph.

Day Four 28.7.10 Bristol to Leominster

I slept in this morning so didn’t get away until 9.00. A bright and sunny day but fortunately not too hot. It was a fairly flat ride until Monmouth. Crossing the Severn Bridge was spectacular and a highlight of the whole trip. At Monmouth I somehow ended up on the extremely busy A40 and dived off at the first opportunity which was about 3 miles later. It couldn’t really be called a junction and the road soon became single track and then little more than a cart track. I was expecting to have to turn back but after some sharp climbs I met someone mowing their grass who gave me directions and it turned out that I was not really far off course after all. It did get very hilly, somewhat like Devon again! Just short of Hereford I developed a slow rear puncture and decided to wimp out and call at a bike shop to get it sorted. Pulled into Leominster Youth Hostel at 5.45. My favourite YH of the trip, clean, airy and a really nice feel to the place. Walked into town for a meal. Six and three quarter hours pedalling, 71.9 miles and an average speed of 10.5 mph.

Day Five 29.7.10 Leominster to Ilam

My longest day so far at just over 90 miles so I set off at 7.15 after a skimpy breakfast, fully expecting to pass somewhere en route for a more substantial repast. Didn’t see a thing until Bridgenorth, I was starving! The terrain was mostly flat or undulating today and I made good progress. The sky was very threatening all day but I only suffered a few drops of rain on a couple of occasions. I did suffer my first strong headwind of the trip which made for hard work. Climbed Cannock Chase and crossed Blithfield Reservoir. The last 4 miles to Ilam were mostly uphill but the Youth Hostel was a spectacular National Trust property. A group of young women were terribly excited about staying there and wanted to know what the wine list was like!!! I started to adapt to the cycling today, I was less tired and found a 90 mile ride relatively ‘easy’! Ilam YH has an excellent restaurant. Eight hours ten minutes in the saddle, 90.64 miles and an average speed of 11.0 mph.

Day Six 30.7.10 Ilam to Oldham

After a good breakfast I set off at 8.30 in warm and sunny weather, two minutes later came a monster climb out of the village which was hard work as I hadn’t warmed up. (It generally took me 20 minutes or so to get my cycling legs each day.) I used the Tissington Trail, an old railway track, for the first 13 miles – nice and flat. On reaching Buxton I was not looking forward to the four mile climb of Long Hill that I had driven up a few weeks earlier. It was a mark of my increasing fitness that it was much less difficult than I was expecting, and the nice long descent that followed was worth any discomfort. As I approached Stockport it began to rain and this continued all the way to Oldham. I arrived home at 2.30 – best Hostel in the world! A short day of just over four and a half hours in the saddle, 52.5 miles and an average speed of 11.3 mph.