Day 20

Phew! Just sat down to lunch at Costa Coffee in Ayr. I misread the distance from my camp to Ardrossan; thought 35-40 miles - it's 48! Never mind, cracked off 33 rapid miles to here in 3.5 hours; fast for me 'n' the Thorn. It's only 11:30 and just 15 miles to go for the ferry to Arran. Busy rehydrating with tea.

Well, that wasn't quite the plan. Due to various miscalculations it was 60 miles to Ardrossan. Exceeded my previous longest ride by 4 miles and still a few more to do once on Arran. Now waiting for 6pm ferry with two friendly Yorkshire lasses also on LEJOG, also camping.

Day 19 pt.2

Flippin' 'orrible ride into a headwind to Moniaive. Wore me out. Revived after an excellent lunch at the cafe, enough to manage the easy climb over a col to fabulous open moorland. Now at picturesque wild camp with view of Merrick, highest lump hereabouts. Coffee in the sun!
36.3 miles. Tomorrow's target: make Ardrossan in time for an afternoon ferry to Arran.

Day 19

Good night's sleep camped at Stewart and Kath Wallace's place. This morning Kath made me breakfast (excellent porage) and we had an enjoyable chat before I was packed off with the remainder of the Tullibardine malt I'd sampled last night. So pleasant to meet such a delightful couple. Thanks both.
Now in G&G Cycle Centre in Dumfries, checking a rubbing noise from front hub. Seems it's the plastic spacers and not important. Had tyres pumped up and now enjoying their superb, cheap Americano and free WiFi. Aiming for wild camp on moor past Moniaive.
Bright, dry day but irritating headwind. Turn it off will ya!

Day 18

Nice ride into Carlisle. In Starbucks, catching up with t'internet (no phone signal last night). In a short while I'll be crossing the border into Scotland. Hoping to wild camp near Annan.

Just met Alistair Wright (Hislop on CycleChat) who saw the Thorn outside Starbucks. Amazing coincidence. Great to meet you Alistair and thanks for the donation.
Camped near Annan on land owned by the lovely Stewart Wallace who, once I was settled, brought me a cheque for Cancer Research UK, a dram of malt whisky and homemade shortbread and toffee. Such kindness and generosity is truly heartwarming. Thanks Stewart. God bless you.

Day 17

I rolled through the heart of the Lakes today. Rain in the morning but a fine afternoon. My attempts to wild camp behind Blencathra were thwarted by officious signs but a farmer in Mosedale was happy to let me share a field with a few ewes and their lambs and some inquisitive hens. A good day of fairly easy cycling and a quiet night's sleep.

Day 16

Fabulous day! Only 24 miles but full of fun. Ian joined me on his folding Dahon and we rode to Wendy's in Carnforth for tea & flapjack. Wendy is the Mum of Nick, a CycleChat friend, and a delightful lady who sent me off armed with flapjack. Further along the road we met Tommy Page on his Thorn Raven Tour, on his stage by stage journey following the UK mainland coastline. Good luck Tommy. Now I'm with Ria and Bob in Kendal enjoying their fine hospitality. Life is good!

Day 15

32 miles through the Trough of Bowland, a strong headwind making it tough going.
Stopped at Bowland Pennine MRTs training hut on the way. 30 odd years since I was there last as a raw MR recruit. The guys painting the hut welcomed us in for tea and reminiscences. Then, off up to the Jubilee Tower; hard in that wind, and down into Lancaster and Morecambe to spend the night with Twitter friend Ian.

Day 14

A day of rest. A very comfy night in our van with Chrissie and Tilly and a day of r&r in the sunshine.
Having spent all night worrying about the noise from the bike, this morning I found ... it'd gone. Best guess, mud on a tyre which dried an' fell off overnight.
This morning I checked fixings on the bike and caressed it lovingly. I emptied and repacked my panniers, Chrissie having washed all my clothes and just enjoyed fiddlin' an' fettlin'.
We walked into Clitheroe for shopping and now, having relaxed in the sun, we await the arrival of our friends Kim & Hamish who're joining us with their van. Tomorrow Hamish is riding through the Trough of Bowland to Morecambe with me. Life is good :)

Big thank you

Sincere thanks to all of you out there who've donated to Cancer Research UK via my page at justgiving.com/geoff-crowther
Can't always manage to thank you individually as I travel but you folks need to know how much it means to me. Seeing donations arrive is a real spur to my success. Bless you all, and a big slobbery hug from Tilly.

Day 13

A short ride today over some tough little climbs to Clitheroe. Along the way I called in at On Yer Bike in Blackburn where Ryan pumped up my tyres for me, let me use their loo and took a photo of me and the Thorn for their website.
Then a happy reunion with my girls.
Spent a pleasant hour or so cleaning the Thorn. Can't solve a funny rubbing noise :(
23.5 miles.

Great to meet Ben (from CycleChat), Sam & Alex tonight. Hope you had a great ride guys.

Day 12

Glorious weather! Crossing the Mersey at Warrington sees me back in t'north; back home.
I chanced upon a cafe run by Culcheth Community Church and spent a pleasant few minutes talking with Michael, the minister from Alabama. A lovely guy.
40.7 miles. On a pretty farm campsite, looking forward to seeing the two most important girls in my life tomorrow.

Who are you? Where are you?

In my excitement leaving home I realised I'd no contact for some kind soul who said they might join me for a ride around the Ardrossan area. So, are you out there? Try to contact me here or via contact details you'll find in an earlier post. Cheers ... whoever you are.

Day 11

Enjoyed a lovely overnight stay with Ian and Anne in their Cheshire (it's right on the border) farmhouse. Ian and I are about to head off up to Delamere Forest and the Camping Club site there. I'm probably as close to home now as I'll get here, on the far side of "Cheshire East", the other side being about 3 miles from home. Also watching BBC North West on t'telly, as at home. It feels strange.

Now at site. Great 34 miles. Got here 1pm and enjoying a proper rest.

Day 10

So I treated myself to a bed at Bridges YHA last AND dinner. Very comfy night. Today, cycled 42.5 miles through beautiful, mostly flat, Shropshire to Manor Farm, home of Ian & Anne who're feeding & accommodating me for the night. Many thanks to them. Following early showers it's been a great day of t shirt & shorts riding. Hopefully, Ian's riding with me up to Delamere Forest tomorrow.

Day 9 pt 2

Rode a while with two girls from Nottingham on road bikes; Nicky & Sarah (I think, apologies if wrong). They're on LEJOG too, covering around 100 miles a day. Well done and good luck girls.
Murderous hill before Clun. Recovering in a cafe with soup & coffee ... LOTS of coffee:)

Day 9

An early post today.10:45 at cafe NW of Leominster.
The joy of this journey is connecting with folk along the way. Folk like Ian & Ian, ceiling contractors from Knowsley. These funny, friendly scousers pitched next to me yesterday afternoon. We had great fun chatting & taking the p**s out of each other and they treated me to fish 'n' chips and forced me to drink their beer!
This morning on the road I shared a few moments with Adele on her road bike. Adele's off on her LEJOG in a coupla weeks. Good luck Adele!

Here's a pic of Ian & Ian. The second pics the two donkeys at the campsite :)
Ian, Ian & Adele, I'd love it if you left a comment here.
More later. Smile!

Day 8

39 miles or so. Not quite at campsite but takin' a break in a cafe in Hereford. Pleasant cycling this aft after morning rain. Found an appropriate sign along the road. Thanks to Zack, who took the photo. Herefordshire's lookin' very green (and yellow). I should think so after all this rain.
PS sign mileage doesn't reflect mine :)

Day 7

47.5 miles, longest day so far. Picked up waterproof boots in Bristol - Northwave Celsius Goretex. Saw SS Gt Britain and crossed the hideous, for me, Severn Bridge. Oh, just remembered, yesterday had 2 cash donations along the way.
Camped Beeches Farm nr Tiddenham Chase. I'm a quarter of the way!

Day 6

A wake up call. This morning I woke at 5am with a headache. I don't get headaches. After suffering a while I took some paracetamol. It didn't work. I also felt quite nauseous. Seeing my foul state, Sally immediately diagnosed dehydration (I was thinking food poisoning) and force fed me some miracle hydration salts. Washed down with a couple of pints of water and an hour on the sofa cuddling either Charlie the dog or Scooby the cat, the miracle cure took effect.
SO, following advice from Ellen, Sally and, of course, Chrissie, I shall, henceforth, mostly be drinking and eating LOADS. You live 'n' learn. My sincere thanks to Ellen & Sally.
And, despite a dodgy start I covered my biggest mileage so far, 44 miles, and am now happily ensconced at a site near Cheddar.
Oh, you'll note my lovely Thorn has no truck with daft, instructions.

Day 5

A superb day. Easier cycling through East Devon then a short, sharp climb onto the Blackdown Hills to discover I was cycling along a WW2 runway. I'd stumbled upon the site of Upottery US airbase. The volunteer run Nissan Hut Heritage Centre was fascinating. Then on to stay with Twitter friend, Ellen & her sister Sally, Charlie the dog and Scooby Doo the Burmese.

Day 4

Windy night up on the moor. Showers & gales forecast but the wind's pushed me uphill for breakfast at the Fox Tor Cafe in Princetown.

Just shy of 40 miles today. Riding north of Exeter noticeably easier. Now at a site near Whimple. No aches or pains. Feeling good. The wind helped a lot; pushing and keeping me cool in my waterproofs (several showers). But, wet socks ... again. Looking toward to getting waterproof boots on Friday in Bristol :)

Day 3

Yay! Passed the first 100 miles! Wild camped on Dartmoor with a pony for company.
Techie stuff. Powergen recharging each day from SON dynohub, allowing me to charge satnav & phone each night from Powergen.
Today I shall mostly be feeling ... sickeningly organised.

Day 2

35 tough miles to Looe, with a few nasty, sneaky hills. High points: Stephan, a French stonecarver, who poured me an excellent coffee as I waited for the King Harry Ferry & the woman cop in St Austell who apologised for colleagues blocking the cycleway.

Here's a pic of the Bodinnick Ferry from Fowey.

Day 1

37.5 miles to farm site N of Falmouth. Rode 20 great miles with a fellow LEJOGer. Lots o' rain but beautiful countryside & peaceful roads. King Harry Ferry tomorrow.

Fri 1st May

Fuss free drive to Penzance then a 12 mile bimble out to the Lands End Hotel. Very comfy. It's bin a long day. Waiting for dinner but an early night's on the cards. Excited!

Thurs 30th April

Free upgrade of rental car from Astra to Insignia. Beautiful roomy car but you wouldn't believe how tight getting my gorgeous Thorn Sherpa in the back. Time for pre-departure drinks with friends.

Geoff's End to End, ready to roll

Save for a few unrelated houseworky chores, I'm ready.

Chrissie's backpacking across the Peak District this weekend so I've been able to settle to final prep. This afternoon I packed my clothes in the van, ready for when I meet up with Chrissie halfwayish at Clitheroe, but also for our hillwalking trip round the north west of Scotland once I've finished. Life's a bugger when you're retired.

Also, I packed up my panniers and stuck 'em on t'bike for these photos.

Here's the mess on the spare bed before I got it organised.

And here's my gorgeous bike loaded up (minus tent cos Chrissie's sleepin' in it as I write).

She looks great. Will I still think that after 1000 plus miles?

I was persuaded to try to raise some cash for Cancer Research UK and a number of kind souls have already donated. If you'd like to join in, please look here: www.justgiving.com/geoff-crowther

Also, following several requests, I've agreed to attempt to post on here along the way. Might only be a sentence or two, maybe the odd photo should internet access allow, so, if you've nowt else to do with your time, take a look now and again.

If you're interested, here's an outline of my route, by landmarks, towns and villages along the way:

Lands End, Penzance, King Harry Ferry, St Austell, Fowey, Looe, Plymouth, Princetown, Moretonhampstead, Exeter, Corfe, Glastonbury, Wells, Bristol, Monmouth, Hereford, Clun, Shrewsbury, Delamere Forest, Runcorn, Warrington, Leigh, Bolton, Blackburn, Clitheroe, Slaidburn, Bentham, Kendal, Windermere, Keswick, Carlisle, Longtown, Annan, Dumfries, Moniaive, Dalmellington, Ardrossan, Arran, Kintyre, Oban, Mull, Ardnamurchan, Fort William, Great Glen Way, Inverness, Dingwall, Lairgs, Altnaharra, Bettyhill, John O'Groats ... phew!

I've already had an offer to join me for a short section. If you fancy doing that let me know by contacting me on here as I pass along the way. Or you can try texting or phoning me, 07785 790034, but be patient, the phone won't be on all the time ... battery conservation y'know. My email's geoff.kmrt@btinternet.com and I'm on Twitter: @GeoffCrowther1 And if you're along my route and have room on your lawn for a tiny tent, or might offer me crust of stale bread as I whizz past (kiddin') please do get in touch.

So, I think that's it. I'm leaving home next Friday, 1st May and the grand depart will be after a nice cooked breakfast at the Lands End Hotel on the Saturday morning, the 2nd. Please pray for a fine day.

Wish me well please and think of me when Carol Kirkwood (bless 'er) gives out a lousy forecast.

Should hit JOG early June, God willing.

Smile!

Just WHERE will it all fit?

I'm kicking my heels a little this afternoon and trying to take my mind off the cost of re-roofing our house, since that seemed to be the, almost inevitable conclusion after a roofer looked at our leak this morning.

Less than three weeks now 'til I set off on my epic bike ride. It's epic for me anyway; I've done nowt like it ever before. True, I've had a coupla cycle camping trips but really nothing on this scale. Over 1000 miles, on my own, camping all the way. I keep waking up at night contemplating silly little details, like coffee filters an' pee bottles. I'm not really worrying, it's just that it occupies a lot of my waking (and sleeping, it seems) thoughts.

A couple of weeks back I had a dry run packing, primarily cos my new Ortlieb panniers looked, nay ARE, somewhat smaller than my old Karrimors and there was a slight, nagging concern that all my stuff wouldn't fit in. Anyway, it did ... with room to spare once I'd worked out how to close the panniers prop'ly!

So, for my own amusement, and indeed, that of anyone else out in t'internet mush, I thought I'd detail; wot I'm takin' here.

Rohan merino long sleeve shirt              Food and drinks               

Rohan merino Union T shirts x 2           Pan & frying pan              

Humvee cycling shorts                           Alloy spork          

Endura cycling tights                              Scrubber              

Rohan Escapers trousers                         Multi-use detergent      

Rohan knickers x 3                                 Drying cloth        

Rohan socks x 3                                      Mug         

Hankies x 3                                             Plate        

Rohan Spark Top                                    Sea to Summit bowl/chopping board         

Berghaus Paclite waterproofs                 MSR coffee filter             

Neoprene overboots                                MSR Pocket Rocket stove              

Goretex shell mitts                                  Gas x 2   

Fleece gloves                                          Lighters + matches             

Fingerless cycling gloves                       Water filter          

Baseball cap                                            Emergency chlorine           

Buff                                                         Sea to Summit washing up bowl     

Bike shoes                                               2x2 litre Platypus + tops    

Sandals                                

                                                                 2 x Petzl E-lite headtorch        

                                                                Towel         

Helmet                                                    Toiletries  

Garmin Edge Touring satnav                 Baby wipes           

Cateye bike computer                             Mosiguard            

Bike repair kit                                         Loo roll etc              

First aid kit                                              Head net

Panniers                                                  Spare glasses         

3 x bike bottles                                        Kindle       

                                                                Tent & airbed repair kit       

                                                                Trash bags 

Compact digital camera                          Pee bottle             

Camera gorilla pod                                  Radio       

Camera batt charger                                2 x microfibre cloths         

Sunscreen                                               Terra Nova Superlite Voyager                 

Wallet                                                     Neoair XTherm max air bed              

Mobile                                                    S to S Aeros Premium pillow          

Notebook & pens                                    Rab Ascent 700 sleeping bag          

Powergen and charger                            Hayfever meds   

E-Werk charging device                         Helinox Ground chair  

Mains USB charger                                 Rear lamp batt 2xAAA      

                                                                Headtorch 2xCR2032           

                                                                Computer CR2032

(Sorry about the strange formatting with that list. Life's just too short to sort it out)

And, for completeness, here's how it fits in, complete with the scary bit ... what it all weighs.

Front left pannier: Clothes, sandals, baseball cap 

In pocket: spare glasses, headtorches

Weight: 3.2kg

Front right pannier: Paclite jacket & trousers (including elastic for cuffs), overshoes, duvet, kindle, wash kit, towel, toilet kit

In pocket: Buff, warm gloves, warm hat, overmitts

Weight: 3.2kg

Rear left pannier: Sleeping bag, sleeping mat, pillow, pee bottle, FM radio,camera charger,mains usb charger,headnet, bike repair kit, 2 x cleaning cloths,Helinox chair 

In pocket: Powergen mains charger, spare spokes, long tie wraps

Weight: 5.8kg

Rear right pannier: Cooking kit, 2 x 2 litre water carriers, food, gas, sink, rubbish bags, water filter,

In pocket: Emergency food,Spork, gas holder, grater, 3xbag clips,spatula, frypan handle

Weight: 6.2kg

Bar bag: Route guide, snacks, notebook & pens, lock key, first-aid kit, camera, tripod, sunscreen, Mosiguard, Powergen, E-WERK  & leads, wallet, Swiss Army knife

Weight: 2.5kg

Rear luggage rack: Tent

Weight: 1.9kg

Total weight of luggage: 22.8kg plus 3 x 750ml of water (1.5l) equals 25.05kg

In clothes pockets: phone

NB Bike, with racks, lock, pump & computer weighs 15.6kg

Total load, bike & luggage = 40.7kg

No prizes for spotting if the two lists don't quite match; they're near enough. I actually have that second list reduced in text size and laminated. It comes out small enough to fit in the front of my bar bag so I can remind myself a.where stuff is in an emergency and b.how to repack. Much of my camping experience comes from backpacking in the hills but you don't normally have five separate rucsacs plus a luggage rack to sort your gear into, so I see this as essential. Maybe I'll have memorised locations by the end of the trip?

Although my trip doesn't quite match up to most of those in the book, I've found Stephen Lord's, Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook invaluable for hints an' tips, especially re stuff to carry in my bike toolkit. It's also an inspiring read. It was on Stephen's recommendation that I bought a Leatherman Crunch, with it's superb, self-locking pliers (like a mini Mole wrench).

I've booked a rental car to get to Penzance and also a room at the Lands End Hotel for the night before my departure. A little pre-trip luxury won't do me any harm. And, simply cos it'll be May Day Bank Holiday weekend, I've booked campsites for the first two nights and, if all goes to plan, three weeks today I'll be spending my third night wild camping on Dartmoor, looking forward to a full, cooked breakfast at The Fox Tor Cafe in Princetown on Tuesday morning; bin there before - highly recommended.

Following several requests from friends I've decided I'll post brief updates on here along the journey so anyone interested can follow my progress. It won't be anything lengthy; just a sentence or two an' maybe a photo if I find free Wifi along the way. Hopefully, I'll expand that into a proper trip report once I'm home, which'll be a while away since Chrissie's meeting me in the camper at John O'Groats and she and I, an' Tilly our lab, plan on enjoying some hillwalking in the beautiful north west of Scotland for a while before returning home.

Finally, if you feel like supporting Cancer Research UK, please go to my Just Giving page here

Cheers!

Cancer Research UK

Just a quick note to say I have decided to try to raise some cash for Cancer Research UK during my End to End ride. If you'd like to make a donation it's very easy; just go to my page:

www.justgiving.com/geoff-crowther
Even easier, click on the link on the top left side of this blog.

Cheers all.