Chester to Shrewsbury

Thursday 7th April 2011

44.97 Miles 3hr 42mins 12.08mph Average Speed 630.55 Total Miles

After a good night sleep and a cooked breakfast, Dad cleaned and re oiled the bikes as they were squeaking a bit from all the rain. Speaking of which it was spitting as we left despite the weather report telling us it was sunny outside. Just as I was about to leave I was resetting the Speedo for the day when I realised it had managed to change itself into kmh from mph and it was now in German rather than English. It took me a good 5 mins to change it back and I have no idea how it happened!

Today was a relatively easy day with no wind which was long overdue and a complete pleasure. We Googled our way through Chester and onto the small lane out of the town toward Farndon and the rest of the navigation for the day was easy. It was basically small lanes and small villages all day, all signposted and fairly flat.

We had one hill that we can remember, it had a short sharp steep descent where we were thrown in the wrong gear into a short sharp steep ascent of which we struggled to ride as our legs were burning badly and Dad sounded like a steam train! We all made it to the top after breaking through the pain barrier! Arriving in Ellesmere we had done 25 miles where we found a lovely pub in the high street. It was very trendy with chandeliers and comfy sofas and we found it tough to leave.

While we took our lunch break the sun came out so we removed a few layers and after a short while of riding we were down to t shirts! We never thought we would see the day, a few days ago this would have never have been imaginable. It was lovely to ride with the sun beating down although with sun come bugs flying in your face and mouth and intense nasty smells from the farms and their fields! We made our way through the country, village after village with long boats on tiny canals. One chap was drying out his laundry on the back of his motor boat as he passed underneath the bridge we were stood on.

We arrived in Shrewsbury at 3.30pm and the town was very similar to Chester. We rested in the hotel for an hour or so then went for a walk into the high street to The Square where we found an Italian restaurant for dinner. We gazed at all the Tudor style buildings on our way down to the edge of the river Severn which surrounds the town. It was lovely to have an easy sunny day and in bed early for rest and beauty sleep.

Just a few things I would like to mention, I thought it was great that the little old man working in his garage the other day gave us directions by the pubs in each village. He said, pass the sitting goose then pass the saddle then the next town you need to turn left but there’s no pub there! I nearly ran over a black chicken the other day, I thought it was a black sack caught against a fence then it ran across the road in front of me and I’m sure its wing touched my front wheel and scared the living daylights out of me!

We have seen black and white cows, sheep and their lambs, hairy cows with horns, lamas, pheasants, eagles, herons, jumping salmon etc all of which have been alive. We have also seen deer, badgers, hedgehogs, squirrels and fox’s etc all of which were road kill! We also heard but did not see a woody woodpecker this afternoon.

Eccleston to Chester

Wednesday 6th April 2011 43.03 Miles 4hr 07mins 10.25mph Average Speed 585.58 Total Miles Dad had a shocking night sleep as the man below his room was snoring incredibly loud, in fact Dad called me at 11pm and asked me to come in his room to listen to the snoring because I would not believe how loud it was if he had just told me! With a late blog entry last night we were very tired at breakfast and as the weather was looking much nicer today we figured a bit of a slower start would be ok so not on the road until 10am. Leaving Eccleston we had to climb a bit up and down for the first 10 miles to Up Holland which was certainly ‘Up’ in fact all three of us had to get off half way up a hill that the sign post said was 20% gradient! We continued on to St Helens before we stopped for lunch in a pub having done 21 miles. I had a panic attack in the loo when locked in a cubical the lights went out and it was pitch black with no windows! Not long after St Helens we came across some major roads with traffic at lights resembling a starting grid at the grand prix. Crossing the Runcorn Bridge we were joined by Brian who was concerned about crossing the bridge as there were two teenagers that he saw kicking a cyclist that was in front of him. Safety in numbers we crossed it fine. Then we had to make our way through Runcorn on smaller roads with the aid of Google as our map told us to follow a busy road that we did not fancy. Unfortunately, after climbing a hill we realised we needed the road underneath us and had to off road down some steps to reach it. Also, Google maps told us to go down a bus lane through a huge bus terminal the wrong way and with several busses heading straight for us with the drivers wagging their fingers at us and shaking their heads I had my second panic attack of the day! It was a huge relief to arrive in Frodsham back in little villages on quieter roads. We took a breather on the roadside to recover from the stressful episode when Mel another cyclist stopped to talk to us. He cycled LEJOG a few years ago and was swapping stories with us for a while. The next village we came across was Helsby where we could not resist a rest on the wall out the front of a pub and enjoyed sipping a shandy in the sun, lovely. With only 5 miles left we set off and found our B&B on the outskirts of Chester. We made ourselves at home and took a short taxi ride into Chester town centre. We walked all through the town and looked at the old style Tudor shops which were double level and then wandered down to the river edge to watch the herons surveying their supper and the Salmon jumping clear from the water making their way upstream. We dined in an authentic American style restaurant which made a nice change and we sat outside as it was so sunny today, we were even down to T shirts at one point.

Tewitfield to Eccleston

Tuesday 5th April 2011 46.62 Miles 4hr 22mins 10.65mph Average Speed 542.55 Total Miles We sat at breakfast very tired and depressed as we stared out of the window at the rain and a poor flag and flag pole that was bending over backwards in the opposite direction to the way we were heading. Debating whether to delay leaving in the hope it would improve we decided that we just needed to get on the road as the weather report did not imply that it was going to get any better. Also, I had plans to meet with best friend Helen for dinner in Preston and to have a cuddle with Goddaughter Flo and I wanted to spend as much time with them as possible on a selfish note. We were following country lanes from the start with the high hedges acting as a wind break in parts. We battled our way in the rain and wind for 5 miles into Nether Kellet where the rain actually stopped but the wind continued. With several bum breaks and stops to let our legs rest from the relentless wind we gradually progressed on to Lancaster. We negotiated our way through the town then when we knew our exit route we were confident enough that it was not going to rain anymore and we stopped to remove waterproofs and munch on energy bars on the roadside at a large roundabout. We made it up the road to Garstang having done 25 miles we found the first pub in the high street and took a lunch stop. This was quite extended as we decided we needed another round of tea and tired of waiting, Dad took a power nap. Finally feeling ready to press on, we left at 1.30pm and set off in pursuit of Preston. The road has been flat for most of the day which has been nice providing we could shelter from the wind. According to the weather report it could have been a lot worse than it actually was. With the aid of Google and a nice old chap who was working in his garage, we had the directions and made our way into Preston and through the other side. We had gone from tiny single traffic lanes to multiple lane highways so we were concentrating hard on staying safe as well as navigation. As we were on such busy roads it was not easy to stop so we carried on heads down through to Eccleston which looked like the first nice little town South of Preston. We rocked up and found the Parr Hall Farm which was a massive converted barn and was very nice, 4 stars. With no accommodation booked as we had not decided where to stay I had called the farm en route on the roadside while waiting at red traffic lights. The owners said we could stay but they were off hiking in Yorkshire but the rooms were open and we could let ourselves in! Helen and Flo met us in the Pub over the road for a quick drink then I left with them to go back to Hel’s for dinner while Sam and Dad dined in the pub. It was great catching up with Helen and putting Flo to bed, very surreal. Just to let you know that the watch that records our map data turned off inside my bar bag today so it only recorded part of the journey unfortunately!

Glenridding to Tewitfield

Monday 4th April 2011 38.23 Miles 4hr 14mins 9.04mph Average Speed 495.93 Total Miles The weather report told us to wake up at 6am and get on the road by 7am. With 2 slices of toast each we were off climbing into the foothills of Kirkstone Pass just after sunrise. Before we knew it we were seeing signs for 20% gradient and a summit of 1,500ft! We had beaten the rain and strong wind so it was a case of just plodding up and up as far as we could before the road felt vertical and we had to dismount and push for a bit. Unfortunately Sam’s chain came off and so she took a tumble as her cleats were locked in but seeing as we were climbing at probably less than 3mph it was not serious. Then near to the summit in amongst the cloud her chain snapped and she pushed the bike the last bit with chain dangling from her handle bar! Luckily at the summit we gathered by a closed pub to shelter from the cold and met a guy named Alex who was speeding up the hill towards us. He was on a mammoth cycle challenge of 110 miles in one day over all the passes in the area! Sounds mad to me! Fortunately the pub was his check in place and so he took a rest there and advised us that there was a cycle shop in Ambleside but not Windermere. We therefore changed our plan and Sam took dad’s bike and Dad scooted Sam’s bike the rest of the way to the town. It was mostly down a hill that ranged from 13% to 20% so he needed the breaks more than the chain! Arriving in the town we were pleased to see the bike shop but it did not open until 10am so we found the Apple Pie Café and waited with hot chocolate, lattes and tea and cakes of course until it opened. This was the perfect time to use their wifi to catch up from yesterday on the blog. While we waited the rain started just like the weather report had said and we were glad we were still not on top of the pass. In the bike shop the man was rude and unhelpful. He clearly did not want to be of any assistance and so barked at us instead. We managed to get him to replace the chain link that was broken before he directed us to another bike shop in the village that could help us. We went to Ghyllside Cycles and the guys there were great. They did a quick service on Sam’s bike which involved a new chain, new cassette and new middle cog. With air put in all our tyres he said that my rear tyre was well worn and replaced it too. He also said my front breaks were non existent so they got changed aswell! With our bikes feeling grand we set off in the pouring rain to Windermere 6 miles up the road. Windermere according to google is the half way point from LEJOG so hurrah to us!!! Having only done 15 miles but a lot of them terribly tough we stopped to warm up and dry out in a café. We left puddles everywhere while we had lunch. We sat in there for quite a while to let most of the rain pass over. Back on the road we had another stonking climb out of the town, just what our jelly legs needed! We were quite protected from the wind as the route was all small lanes and surprisingly the rain stopped which meant it was quite pleasant riding. We have had more stunning scenery again today from the top of the pass and the surrounding fields as we plodded our way through tiny villages, lovely. We stopped in Milnthorpe to munch on our cheese rolls and penguin bar and banana packed lunch that the B&B owner had made for us. We were sat on the side of the road in the town freezing cold as our sweat and rain had made every layer we were wearing wet and with the wind now directly on us it was chilly to say the least. Back on the road for the last 6 miles to Tewitfield we were heading straight into the wind. We crossed into the county Lancashire which was exciting and the sign said that ‘Lancashire is where every person natters’ but I think it once said ‘matters’ until vandalised, I hope!

Dumphries to Glenridding

Sunday 3rd April 2011 70.02 Miles 6hr 18mins 11.11mph Average Speed 457.70 Total Miles We went to breakfast and were greeted by a lovely bag of clean washing just outside our door. All packed we left at 9am and made our way through the town onto our correct route out with the use of google. Our map implied it was flat for 40 miles today then finishing with 20miles uphill however as we left Dumphries we started climbing already! Thankfully the sun was shining, the sky was blue and the gentle wind was behind us and we were flying along. We made it all the way to Gretna about 25 miles on with only a couple of bum break stops. The Gretna we found was a row of 8 tacky shops however an elderly gentleman stopped to talk to us and said follow me to Gretna Green, the real Scotland, as he jumped in his car, so we did. We found a little tourist trap where we grabbed a sandwich and takeaway tea and sat el fresco with a man in his kilt playing his bagpipes. Leaving Gretna we followed the road over the bridge which marks the border of Scotland and England! We stopped to photograph the last and first house in Scotland where thousands of marriages had taken place. We took a shortcut and a very unsuccessful diversion to Hadrians wall. We found the sign post that basically said Hadrians Wall Woz Ere! It used to run right the way through to Carlise but there were no remnants of it to be seen! Disappointing. We carried on through Carlise with google aid and found the black Lion Pub were we took a rest stop for Hot Chocolate Fudge Dessert in the middle of the day! We had done 46 miles at this point! We started climbing gradually and with a few spits of rain we arrived in Greystoke which was a lovely village that was very well kept. We stopped on the village green for a honey roll before continuing on towards the lake district. More uphill through campgrounds and then even more up hills with even larger hills all around we took a brief stop while Dad turned the air blue having done 65 miles and not being impressed with the steep climbs! We had a final steep descent in to Ullswater which was breathtaking. This is where all the postcards of the lake district are taken as it is the most picturesque place. Few photos of the sunset over the water then we arrived at our B&B where we were the only guests. We were all starving and headed straight over to dinner. We were turned away from one place as they took one look at us and said it was smart dress only and it was £40 a head so clearly we looked as though we were out of place! We found a pub with a roaring fire and enjoyed 3 courses including a well earned Sunday Roast. Pat on the back for us. PS. Happy Mother's Day xxx

Drongan to Dumphries

Saturday 2nd April 2011 55.37 Miles 4hr 40mins 11.80mph Average Speed 387.68 Total Miles After eating half our cooked breakfast and stashing the other half in our empty cereal boxes for the road, we were picked up by Lindsey at 9am. We loaded up the bikes and thanked her and Alan for their generosity and they also donated £10 to the Lions Hospice… thanks for everything you really saved the day! We were pleasantly surprised to see that the weather had turned completely for the better. We had to stop just up the road to remove waterproofs which felt good. The sun was trying to come out and the wind had completely died down, it was a pleasure to ride taking in the exceptional scenery. It was like a different world to yesterday! We almost flew to Dallmellington despite being mostly uphill. It felt so much easier to ride in these conditions. Continuing on up we made it to 1,000ft and enjoyed a great long downhill into Carsphairn. This was a tiny little village with a lovely tea room that we were overjoyed to see having cycled 20 miles it was time for our first stop. Nice tea cakes and rich hot chocolate. The next section of our ride was climbing back up to 1,000 ft but strangely it felt like a nice challenge with the sun now beating down on us. The road was tiny with only a handful of cars passing us in 18 miles. The road snaked through fields of dry line walls and thousands of sheep and their lambs, it was the best days riding so far. From the top there was an awesome downhill that was the perfect gradient as we did not have to pedal or brake for more than 5 miles, brilliant. We literally rolled into Moniaive after stopping for several photo opportunities. We stopped to watch some more sheep and lambs in a field where we petted a 2 year old dog named Tess who laid on her back in the road for a belly tickle, I miss Cody! The lady owner said we should be careful as the next road was the main road into Dumphries and there will be more traffic. We found a picnic bench by the river and munched on our takeaway cooked breakfast and fresh roll. Fearing that the wind may pick up we cracked on to Dumphries. Well for the final 16 miles into Dumphries we saw approximately two busses and 10 cars?! With only one more hill to climb we sprinted to the top and rolled all the way down into the town. However, Dads bike had developed a rhythmic clonking noise when he pedalled so we googled the Halfords in town and headed straight for it. After a quick assessment it was clear that the smallest chain ring was hanging on by one bolt where it should have 5 bolts holding it there. The other four had managed to work their way loose and get lost on route. Halfords directed us to Kirkpatrick Cycles who stocked these bolts and we got to sign the visitor book for all the Lands End John O Groats (LEJOG) riders that come into the shop. Ross said that in the summer they get approximately 3 a day and we were the first this year so he fixed it for free! Thanks Ross! We made our way to the hotel where Lynne offered to put all our clothes into the wash for us! It was definitely time for a laundry, and I think she knew it when we walked in, we did not even have to ask! Dinner in the Bistro over the road we crashed having done 15 miles longer today than we were meant to having made up for yesterday so we are back on track which feels good. Yesterday was the worst day so far and today was the best! What a difference a day makes.

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.