July 2008

SUMMARY

We have once again completed the end to end. In 2007 we cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats ( www.aalejog.org.uk ). We very much enjoyed the experience and found it most interesting to see the different scenery as we cycled through the counties of England, Wales and Scotland. It was the first time that we had done anything like that and the challenge of cycling almost a thousand miles was great. It was made extra special, however, because we were aiming to raise funds to help terminally ill children.

So in 2008 we got on our bikes again in support of the Children's Hospice South West. This time we started at John O'Groats and finished at Land's End and we also varied our route through Scotland and south west England. In Scotland we cycled along by Loch Ness in the hopes of seeing the Monster, but it must have been having a rest at the bottom of the Loch as we didn't see any sign of it at all!. Also, we took the route up through Glencoe which we enjoyed very much. The different route in the South West took us through Dartmoor. Unfortunately it was rather misty and wet for that part of the journey, so we couldn't see the nice views. However the hills were quite a challenge and they were the steepest and longest out of the whole ride but it was well worth the effort.

Fortunately, we did not have any breakdowns with the bikes this year; no broken spokes or punctures as in 2007. Arthur had a split in one of his pedals but it was useable and we were able to change it at our stop in Dundry. We both felt fit and healthy throughout and were able to cycle up all the hills without getting off.

With the wind in our faces for most of the journey and with particularly strong headwinds in Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, we have proved that cycling from top to bottom is more difficult than from bottom to top. However, we can't complain about the weather at all. Over all it was very kind to us and we only had part of one day with rain and drizzle; that was when we cycled through Dartmoor.

Bearing in mind the different route we took in 2008, the statistics are very close to those of 2007 - we recorded 5 miles more in 2008 (at 933 miles), we averaged 0.2 miles an hour faster (at 11.2 mph) and our actual cycling time was 1hr 27 mins less (at 83 hrs 18 mins). Our maximum speed was an eye popping 43.7 mph !!

We were very fortunate with the B & Bs where we stayed, mostly nice rooms and breakfasts, with hosts who were interested in our cycle ride. Also, we met walkers and other cyclist with whom we exchanged details of our progress and experiences.

We were surprised at the number of Herons and Buzzards we saw along the way and the large number of Oystercatchers in Scotland.

We are most grateful to all the kind people who have sponsored us and we are pleased to have done what we can to help the children at the Hospice. Also, thanks to those people who sent us e-mail messages to encourage us on our way.