Day 10, Larkhall to Tyndrum

Tuesday 26th July 2022, 127.46km, 733m

Clyde cycle path

I was apprehensive about today as it meant riding through Glasgow. I shouldn’t have been worried, the cycle path alongside the Clyde is amazing. It took us through the city without ever being on a main road and onwards to Loch Lomond.

Ryan at the morning brew stop

An unfortunate puncture meant Ryan wasn’t miles ahead of everyone and we all made it to the brew stop at about the same time. Time for the only photo of the group with Ryan at a brew stop.

Loch Lomond

The Loch Lomond cycle path is at best a path and at worst a bone jarring network of tree roots. One of those sections you’re just glad to be off. We had occasional views of the Loch but not quite as nice as expected.

After the afternoon brew stop we had 2 climbs before arriving in Tyndrum. Neither was that bad and the last was a big ring effort all the way.

The hotel in Tyndrum is straight out of the 1970s! There is a kids pool table (none of the cues had tips) and a table tennis table. The bar doesn’t open until 5pm and the choice of drinks is limited. Martin compared it to the hotel in The Shining. They could make a fortune running themed weekends!

Day 9, Gretna to Larkhall

Monday 25th July 2022, 123.91km, 1,117m

The morning started well with me heading off the front to stretch my legs out. Because of a problem with someone else’s bike the team were trying to sort that out which meant we missed out on a morning brew stop. I was really getting used to a cuppa too.

Where the brew stop should have been

The road surfaces were rubbish with a lot of potholes and just a crap surface to ride a bike on.

A long climb after lunch strung the group out and then we descended towards the M74. This bit wasn’t much fun, the constant noise from the motorway combined with the poor road surface wasn’t making the day too enjoyable. And then the rain hit.

I could see it coming and when it hit I was instantly soaked. Vicky had gone for it and I had my head down and eventually caught her up; we rode together bemoaning the weather and the road surface. The rain was torrential, the worst we’ve had all trip but we rode really well together, taking turns on the front, just pushing through hoping for some respite.

A bright note was the cycle track as we got closer to Larkhall; it was a much nicer surface than the road. As the track ran out there was a sharp turn and Vicky touched the grass with her back wheel and her bike slid out from under her. Thankfully no real damage done.

Sign on the cycle path

We pushed on, were ahead of the van so missed the afternoon brew stop too and just headed for the hotel. Once there I ordered the strangest set of drinks…a latte in the largest cup you have and a Bunnahabhain whisky with a little ice.

A day to just get through rather than enjoy. It would have been pretty crappy without the rain; the soaking just completed the set of shitiness.

Day 8, Carnforth to Gretna

Sunday 24th July 2022, 140.18km, 1,708m

This was a big day, 142km and over 1600m of climbing as we traversed the Lake District to Scotland. It would have been a bad day to have a bad day and I started feeling like that was the case. I’d woken up feeling tired and yawning and the day’s cycling seemed daunting.

Riding in the Lake District

Some road closures meant we spent more time on some of the busier A roads than anyone would have liked but we also got to ride on some amazing back roads and lanes.

Castlerigg Stone Circle

Before lunch we stopped at Castlerigg Stone Circle to admire the views and look at the stones.

After lunch the climbing started in earnest. The climb out of Uldale was incredible. It was unrelenting for kilometre after kilometre. It was a case of gritting my teeth and somehow keeping the pedals moving, even if it meant my cadence was in the 50s.

The descent towards Carlisle was fantastic although the cross tail wind did make it a bit hair-raising at times. Getting through Carlisle was a case of head down and pushing as much power as I could sustain and then we were back on the country lanes heading for Gretna.

It was a little surreal riding on the road alongside the M6 as we approached Scotland. Then we saw the sign we’d all been looking for. We were finally in Scotland, we’d ridden the length of England in 8 days.

Welcome to Scotland

This was a hard day, not as hard as the day on Dartmoor but hard with 7 days of riding in the legs (and backside). It felt great to see the Scotland sign, and in 6 days time we’ll arrive in John O’Groats.

Dinner was in a room laid out for a wedding reception, complete with chairs labelled Bride & Groom. Carmen and Mike played along.

Day 7, Leigh to Carnforth

Saturday 23rd July 2022, 108.06km, 1,643m

It was nice to start a day’s riding and not go immediately uphill. It didn’t take long until we did but at least it wasn’t from the get go.

After some pleasant country lane riding we dropped into Blackburn and its traffic. We obviously got the timing wrong as we seemed to hit every traffic light on red. Soon we were climbing out of the town and back into the countryside. One of the great things about this trip has been how little traffic we’ve seen overall, and some of the lanes have been stunning to ride on.

The climbing began straight after lunch and as we descended one hill we could see the daunting climb of The Cross of Greet laid out before us. On a clear day it would have looked majestic, clad in the mist it looked like a trial.

The Cross of Greet climb
Climbing The Cross of Greet

This was a beast of a climb with a gradient that never seemed to stay the same for very long. I huffed and puffed to the top and then enjoyed the descent before we got into more rolling hills.

Finally we rolled into Carnforth; the beer we had felt well deserved even if I got the location wrong and wondered why I was the only one in the hotel bar. Turned out everyone else was in the bar next door linked to the hotel.

Day 6, Shrewsbury to Leigh

Friday 22nd July 2022, 128.59km, 679m

It’s not all sunshine and country lanes riding LEJOG. Some days it rains all day, the country lanes are lined with gravel, the drivers are more aggressive and you’re glad to get to the hotel. Today was that day.

It wasn’t all bad news though, the rain was persistent but never torrential, we had a tail wind of sorts and our time on main roads was limited.

Despite being the flattest day of the ride I felt that my legs were heavy but that could also be because I was one of the last to start and then paced Olivia and John to Martin, Jasmine and Vicky who were some way up the road from us.

Surreal moment of the day was Olivia photographing my beans on toast lunch as she’d never seen it before.

It wasn’t much of a day for taking pictures and although we rode through Delamere Forest I was just counting down the kilometres until we’d get to the hotel.

The hotel were very accommodating, even going so far as to set up a hose for us to clean our bikes. My Wilier has never been that filthy and I’m massively grateful to have a clean bike to start tomorrow with.

The hotel is at Leigh Sports Village and tonight is the quarter final of the Women’s Euros between Sweden and Belgium. There are a lot of Swedish fans around and the location for dinner, the local pub, was packed when we arrived and pretty much empty at 8pm when the match kicked off.

Day 5, Hereford to Shrewsbury

Thursday 21st July 2022, 111.32km, 1,106m

Today I had Hywel join for the day. He’d driven to Hereford the previous evening and was going to head back on the train from Shrewsbury. We met for breakfast and he’d already met quite a lot of the riders and all the guys from Pedal Britain.

Getting out of Hereford was the usual mix of traffic, traffic lights and longing for the country lanes that would come.

The morning brew stop was at a very picturesque spot in Pembridge. I am finding a nice cup of tea is a perfect drink after a couple of hours on the bike.

Leaving the brew stop I ran over a pigeon! This was a surreal moment, I expected it to move and it didn’t.

Today was a much cooler day, almost perfect cycling conditions and we made Hywel work for his day out; he sat on the front for long parts of it.

Despite being an ”easier” day we still covered 111km and over 1000m of climbing. Easy is a very relative term when riding LEJOG.

As we got closer to Shrewsbury the group split as most were heading to the local bike shop to get various squeaks fixed or worn out parts replaced. Hywel and I headed to the hotel where Darren was still trying to check us all in despite already having been there for an hour and a half.

A cancelled later train meant Hywel had to dash to get the train but it had been great to see him and have him along for the day.

The route took us over a small bridge that reminded me very much of the one in Pitlochry. It certainly bounced around as much as that one.

Today was the last day that Darren would be with us. He’d stayed while the weather was hot to add an extra pair of hands, and an extra vehicle, making sure we had enough water and could stay hydrated. We said our goodbyes after dinner. It’s the Les and Brian show from now on.

Dinner was at a lovely pizza restaurant called Dough & Oil. Today was the first day without a pre-booked table so the group were free to do their own thing. Myself, James, Ian, Imogen, Vicky & Ryan all chose the pizza place; it was a good choice.

Day 4, Wookey Hole to Hereford

Wednesday 20th July 2022, 135.19km, 1,564m

Climbing Cheddar Gorge

Another uphill start to the day but it does get the legs warmed up. Today was going to be a day of iconic places and bridges. First up was Cheddar Gorge. One of only two climbs on the trip that feature in the UK’s top 100 climbs this was the one I was looking forward to. It is stunning to look at as you climb up through the gorge although the couple of steep corners take you breath away for a completely different reason. As it goes on it gets gradually easier but seems to go on forever.

The gang on the Clifton Suspension Bridge

After the morning brew stop we were onto the second of the day’s highlights, the Clifton Suspension Bridge. I found it very amusing that there is a tiny section of bike path to bypass the toll barriers and we all stopped to take pictures and admire the view and the drop down to the river and road below.

Onwards through Clifton heading towards Wales via the Severn Bridge. A closed road added a diversion but we were soon at the old bridge that used to carry the M4 to Wales. On the approach Jasmine had been sitting on the front when she flicked her elbow to say she wanted me to take over. She is such a good bike rider and this really amused me, it was a mini highlight of the day; someone who really knows about bike riding flicking the elbow.

I was disappointed not to see a Welcome to Wales sign, particularly as I’d have liked to photograph it!

More rain after lunch and then riding along the Wye Valley. At this point my Garmin decided to die and I had to quickly start Strava on my watch to capture the rest of the ride.

LEJOG signpost outside the village shop

The afternoon’s brew stop was at the top of a slight rise. This gave Stefan a chance to be the first up the hill until Martin unleashed Jasmine. She tore after him and easily beat him to the top.

Bizarrely the shop in St Weonards has a LEJOG signpost.

We were obviously taking a backroads route to Hereford as we were the opposite way to the road signs at least 3 times but it did mean we reached the hotel without having to cycle in a lot of traffic.

Today was a great day, we had a great group of riders again and saw some amazing sights.

In the hotel bar before dinner the sight of an ice frosted glass for Heineken made that the most popular drink.

Day 3, Moretonhampstead to Wookey Hole

Tuesday 19th July 2022, 133.30km, 1,352m

Rolling out of Mortenhampstead on day 3 I think we were all a little naive about what awaited us. The first couple of minutes were a gentle downhill and then it got serious. 2.9km and 130m of climbing before we’d really got warmed up. Worse was to come after the morning brew stop as the road pitched up to over 20% on a climb that is now just referred to as ”the climb”. This one was a beast, the only good thing was that yesterday’s heat had gone and it was now just a pleasantly warm day. We made good pace to lunch.

Glastonbury Tor

Lunch at the York Inn was great, Cornish pasties went down a treat but as we set off it started to rain. Still too warm to go for the rain jacket into the rain we rode. It was lovely, particularly because the roads were quiet and we could just roll along with the rain cooling us down. I was now in my happy place and was quite happy to sit on the front.

Like most things on this ride, this was not to last. As we approached Glastonbury we rode back into the heat. It suddenly got oppressively hot again and I could feel my fatigue growing. It is a horrible feeling when this happens, it’s a case of just keep turning the pedals.

4 go on an adventure

Wells provided some much needed rest from pedalling as we admired the Cathedral and the Bishop’s House and posed for the group selfie. We weren’t far from the finish now and I was very grateful to see the Wookey Hole hotel.

Wells Cathedral

I felt terrible once the ride was complete. I really struggled to eat at dinner and ended up making my excuses and heading back to the hotel in need of sleep. I was hoping I was just suffering a bit after another hot end to the day and would feel better in the morning.

Day 2, St Austell to Moretonhampstead

Monday 18th July 2022, 111.97km, 1,904m

Looe harbour

An early start to the day as there were 2 ferries to catch before lunch. The morning was a nice temperature and relatively calm for the first couple of hours. It wasn’t long before we were climbing again and then descending through some narrow country lanes and then descending very quickly to the brew stop at Looe.

After a fast descent the road has to go up again (it’s the rule on LEJOG…what goes down must go back up). Climbing out of Looe I found myself on the wheel of John from the US. We rode until the next ferry together; he’s 73 and a retired architect. We came across a great sign “No through road, your sat nav is lying”. I wonder how many people had driven down that track before realising that something wasn’t right.

Ferry to Plymouth

The second ferry crossing of the day took us to Plymouth and the lunch break. From here it was a gradual climb to the start of Dartmoor along the Plym Valley. We’re still not sure where we went wrong but we found ourselves walking our bikes through some woods before we found tarmac again. We’d also formed a nice little group; myself, Martin, Jasmine, Vicky, James, Paul & Stef. It was great riding with other people and chatting about the ride and commenting on how hot it was getting. Thankfully, the trail was pretty shady but that was about to change.

The climb to Dartmoor

Once off the trail and onto the road we were in full sun and it was hot. The heat was physically draining and I was exhausted by the time we got to the afternoon brew stop. I sat in the open door of the van with my eyes closed for about 5 minutes. Looking back we could see how far we’d climbed but knew the climbing wasn’t over.

The descent from the brew stop on Dartmoor

A long brew stop meant the rest of the group had left before I was ready to go but eventually I got back on the bike and set off. There were still hills to climb but there were also descents to fly down. I love descending so this became fun with occasional interruptions as the road headed upwards again.

In the shady garden outside the hotel I tried to drink a pint with Vicky, John & Olivia but as soon as it hit my stomach I felt like it might come straight back up again. A pint of water was a much better idea.

This was without doubt the hardest day’s riding I’d ever done. The heat was stifling and climbing over 1900m in the heat was draining. However, the toughest day is now done.

Day 1, Land’s End to St Austell

Sunday 17th July 2022, 96.06km, 1,510m

Where it all starts

An early breakfast followed by a short taxi ride to Land’s End to collect our bikes and have the obligatory photo with the famous signpost. Last check of tyres, make sure the course was loaded onto the Garmin and we were off.

Coastal path at Penzance

The road to Penzance was described as undulating. This seems to be code for “never flat”! The first few miles sped by and we were soon back in Penzance and cycling along a lovely coastal path to the first brew stop. The brew stop is a marvellous thing, good cups of tea and so much food. Fruit, nuts, crisps, jelly babies, malt loaf, fig rolls, biscuits, oat bars, everything a cyclist might need to keep the pedals turning. I was one of the last to leave and set off into the headwind at a comfortable pace. I soon caught some of the others up and rode for a while with a couple from Florida just having a chat about riding on ”the wrong side of the road”. Sticking with anyone was quite hard as everyone rides at their own pace on the hills and there were a lot of hills. Given the headwind and the heat the choice seemed to be a) up hill into block headwind or b) up a hedge lined hill in a sauna.

As we approached the lunch spot I was starting to feel it as I’d run out of water a few kms earlier despite leaving the brew stop with 2 full bottles. Lunch was at Linden Hey Garden Tea Rooms. This is a lovely little place with the most wonderful hosts, nothing was too much trouble. By lunch we’d travelled just over 60km but already climbed 850m. I was starting to be less enthusiastic about descents than normal, they just meant I’d be facing another climb.

King Harry Ferry

From lunch another hill and then down to the King Harry Ferry, one of only 5 chain operated ferries in the UK. Straight after the ferry is a steep climb, the first of many scattered across the afternoon. Coming off the ferry I missed my pedal and knocked my saddle nose down. Despite multiple attempts to get it level again I couldn’t quite get it right. The afternoon was a pretty much solo session, riding at my own pace and spinning up the hills. The sting in the tail was the 2km 6% climb to the hotel, it had a couple of ramps just to add to the fun and I have never been happier to see a Premier Inn.

An amazing first day. I can’t quite believe I’ve started this adventure.