Friday 1 April 2011

Neilston to Drongan




Friday 1st April 2011


34.24 Miles 3hr 49mins 8.96mph Average Speed 332.31 Total Miles


The weather report this morning said it was raining until 11am but it was windy all day. So with only 40miles to cover we decided to make full use of the lovely Uplawmoor Hotel as checkout was also 11am. Dad did some bike maintenance cleaning and re oiling of the chains in the basement and the Hotel very kindly gave us some homemade shortbread to take away and £20 for the Lions Hospice, thank you!


Setting off we continued climbing up hill for about 5 miles on country lanes through lush green fields. The map said there was a 10 mile down hill next but we would never have known it as we had to cycle just as hard down hill as up hill as on the flat as the wind in our face and from the side was so strong. We arrived in Stewarton but had only done 15 miles and felt it was too early to stop so we carried on straight through.


Coming into Stewarton we had to go through some temporary traffic lights. We obviously waited for it to go green then set off but it was uphill so the lights had turned red before we made it through the other side. There just so happened to be a police car coming down that put its blue lights on pulled Sam over and said ‘The red lights apply to you too you know’ Sam replied ‘they were green when I went through’ the police replied ‘whatever!’ and drove off! It’s a good job they never pulled Dad or I over as we would probably have ended up in custody with our reply!


It was more of an effort to navigate today between towns but with the aid of the I phone and pedestrians we made our way in the end. We carried on through Kilmaurs toward Tarbolton were we arrived at about 3pm having done 24 miles and we had not stopped since 11am. The town was not so nice but we found a hotel with a lovely lady that took us and the bikes in and made us tea with hot scones even though they were not serving food. Thank you!


On the road at 4pm back into the wind we made it another 10 miles of which was a huge struggle and was agony. There were steep up hills in amongst the undulating lanes but the wind was horrendous. We just made it through Drongan and climbed another hill where we caught a glimpse of the horizon that was black and the wind blew us right into the grass verge. It was crazy to try to continue to our booked B&B another 10 miles on as it was already 5.30pm.


Not knowing which way to turn I knocked on the nearest house where a lovely couple Lindsey and Alan welcomed us in and rescued us! They phoned a hotel in a town 4 miles away but not on our route. We left our bikes in their shed and they drove us to the Hotel where we arrived at 6pm having cycled only 34 miles. We are not cheating as we will be picked up by them again in the morning to go back to the bikes and continue riding. Thanks so much to you both!


In the hotel we are looking at the weather forecast for the next few days and are thoroughly depressed. To top that we just saw on the news that there has been radiation detected in the rainfall here in Glasgow from Japan! I said to dad the other day that the rain did not taste too good! However, we are a third of the way to Lands End…roll on Cornwall.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Ali & Co., We are feeling for you all. Weather is going to get better - I hope for your sakes. Cody sends her whoofs and is fine. Thanks for the best wishes. Love Jackie & Freddy xx

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  2. Sounds like today (2/4/11) was a bit better. keep going people.

    My the force be with you.

    From the true
    bikebong!

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