It's been a week now since I finished and it has been none stop since I got back late on Wednesday evening. We went to the cricket to see Scotland versus New Zealand (unfortunetly Scotland lost), a wedding, the Game Fair and since then Emily has had me busy in the garden. Driving back up the road it really brought home how far some of the days were and how high some of the hills were.The total JoGLE miles was 1031 over 100 hours at an average speed of 10.4 mph. Saw 50 LEJoGers (4 on one bike) and only 3 JoGLErs. No punctures, but one broken spoke, a strained right achilles and ulnar nerve neuropathy in my right hand. At least the injuries aren't serious.
Thank you to everyone who sponsored me;
Dylan and Laura, Sheila and Steve, Samantha and Thomas and Marishka, Kevin, Anne and Robin, Iain and Emma, Angus and Frances, Gareth, Wattie, Phil, Neil and Ann, Karyn and Frank, Brian, Di, Bruce, Duncan, The Stewartry Diabetes Support Group, Emily, The Maersk Charity Committee, Christine, Roger and Meg, John, Gillian, Julie, Jonas, Keith, Scott, Joyce, Carolyn and Kevin, Calum
Thank you for everyones supportive comments during the trip and to the guys at Jogle for Alzheimers, Geoff Preston, Regie and the Smiley Milers for their advice and support. Also for Demijohn for a mention in their Newsletter.
Thanks to Anne and Robin for putting me up for a night especially since they had just moved in and to Henrietta and Duncan for letting me stay at Glenlair and dry out. And thank you especially to Emily for putting up with me planning this trip and having to suffer her own cooking for 2 weeks
Here are some of the best B&Bs I stayed in;
- Blar Mhor, Golspie
- 1A Auchingramont Road, Hamilton
- The Willows, Buckenll
- The White Horse Inn, Stogumber
- Capella B&B, Okehampton
- Chichester, Newquay
I'm glad I did the trip but am also glad that it is over. I felt a lot older after walking the West Highland Way and now I feel even older. You can cycle the length of the country in less time than myself, but I wanted to see some of it as I went by and would have prefered to explore more. Here are some of the highlights (and lowlights);
- The rain - It rained on all but 2 of the days and even with waterproofs, I would have been drier jumping in a Loch.
- Achilles strain - My own fault from changing my toe clips 2 days before I left.
- Energy - It's ridiculous how much energy you need. You might as well strap a bag of Tate and Lyle to your handlebars and use a shovel.
- Caithness Flow Country - Great scenery and cycling. A bit lonely.
- East side of Loch Ness - Great cycling on quiet roads.
- Glen Coe - Great scenery. Traffic a bit busy and some tough climbs.
- Trossachs and the Campsie Fells - Not my planned route. Great scenery, but a killer hill before Glasgow instead of a nice flat day down Loch Lomond.
- South of Glasgow - A slooow gradual climb.
- The sleet/hail on the moor above Dunscore.
- Having a day off to dry out and see Ems
- Solway Firth - Fantastic flat cycling.
- Middle of England - Because of the flatness of the countryside and the hedgerows there wasn't much to see.
- Devon - A lot hiller than expected.
- Cornwall - Not as hilly as people make out.
- The courteous drivers who were in the majority.
- Meeting great people along the way.
Anyone up for the North Sea Cycle Route next year?
