tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10163599428665816042024-03-13T09:06:46.119-07:00Greg & Toni's 'End to End' cycling tour of BritainGreg and Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18054572705833770736noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016359942866581604.post-90848199628125987552011-08-15T15:42:00.000-07:002011-08-15T15:42:13.531-07:00Post Script: maps & elevation profiles showing our journey<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">The data recorded on our Garmin GPS bike computers has enabled the compilation of a good geographic record to help us remember details of our bike ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats in June & July. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">The map below showing our route through Britain was developed by merging the individual GPS files for each of the 23 days we rode (double click on the image to enlarge it). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">There is an elevation profile below the map which confirms that the route was hilly. Total climbing was 16,900 vertical metres. The route fluctuated between sea level and about 460m, though curiously the composite profile doesn’t show the several high points that were over 400m and some that were over 300m. But the bumps are in the right areas.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Detailed maps and annotated elevation profiles for each day are on this separate page: <a href="http://www.gnte2emaps.blogspot.com/">http://www.gnte2emaps.blogspot.com/</a> They are displayed under the headings that were used in this blog to describe our trip but in reverse order. This means that the map & elevation profile for the first day’s ride appears at the very top of the page followed successively by those for later days under headings that broadly indicate the part of Britain we were in. The places and landmarks we passed through or near are underlined on the maps. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The URLs to the files stored on the Garmin Connect website are provided above the maps. By accessing those files it's possible to see more detail about the route we took as well as other information concerning each day’s ride.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VsvCVAu_zg1226ciGzEfq-jCTlZnMlnyVwwwvJu7Tn1hxuCGTmBZGYQledv-puiGjy52pLcbSwwLhSCw6iL4G75YrAxwOS3g-W_dL4RNt0h2YvcjlgGXZCN2CHSkPNObOaU-hTnUXPY/s1600/GnT+E2E+M1+-+revised+-+fl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VsvCVAu_zg1226ciGzEfq-jCTlZnMlnyVwwwvJu7Tn1hxuCGTmBZGYQledv-puiGjy52pLcbSwwLhSCw6iL4G75YrAxwOS3g-W_dL4RNt0h2YvcjlgGXZCN2CHSkPNObOaU-hTnUXPY/s640/GnT+E2E+M1+-+revised+-+fl.jpg" width="428px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0XTFHjZO19n-qiEvNfQssobXmNda6nuNxBwpcdnCGX_hx5VoLpSwnpnTFY3b0yWiLsAOGVCZkmGyv_jcxbppnBaXhblKbv1TQkWbXGwT3EflP0cQu_7TH0FB2ybQXems-fhjKQYidxgc/s1600/GnT+E2E+stats+%2526+elev+profile+-+abr+-+fl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0XTFHjZO19n-qiEvNfQssobXmNda6nuNxBwpcdnCGX_hx5VoLpSwnpnTFY3b0yWiLsAOGVCZkmGyv_jcxbppnBaXhblKbv1TQkWbXGwT3EflP0cQu_7TH0FB2ybQXems-fhjKQYidxgc/s640/GnT+E2E+stats+%2526+elev+profile+-+abr+-+fl.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div><br />
Greg and Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18054572705833770736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016359942866581604.post-87815309977712292502011-07-11T22:53:00.000-07:002011-07-11T22:53:59.786-07:00Finale: the ride to John O'Groats<b><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></b><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here are some shots of us enjoying finishing our 'end to end' after reaching John O'Groats late on Saturday (the 'official'<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>photographer's kiosk was closed):</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPlWBnG_fRZOOElFCP0XwXU_Pj0BTHJil59At7ux3igkseOTlGDFGtJoF5wlY7EQkHPuGHSaiUWXNY0DCYqwHw2kilNqZYg2e7R85wDA5L9WKiPDr9K3t_UR7eB6GCBxl4f0NfrVaEs5Q/s1600/IMG_3019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPlWBnG_fRZOOElFCP0XwXU_Pj0BTHJil59At7ux3igkseOTlGDFGtJoF5wlY7EQkHPuGHSaiUWXNY0DCYqwHw2kilNqZYg2e7R85wDA5L9WKiPDr9K3t_UR7eB6GCBxl4f0NfrVaEs5Q/s320/IMG_3019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8v7XzIzGiTYahyphenhyphenTrDCZjNJqlrehiPnRAk2Nh-Lv0DZAiGNS5L8h1bBLI1btxXQQYfBP_0uY8JhXSU3JL2MMa6B1NCrkDb3g3DAiMfmgzNNQw0k_w7S3m4kYDsjRVysfMFkK4jPs4vlII/s1600/IMG_3029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8v7XzIzGiTYahyphenhyphenTrDCZjNJqlrehiPnRAk2Nh-Lv0DZAiGNS5L8h1bBLI1btxXQQYfBP_0uY8JhXSU3JL2MMa6B1NCrkDb3g3DAiMfmgzNNQw0k_w7S3m4kYDsjRVysfMFkK4jPs4vlII/s320/IMG_3029.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">While we had a very nice sense of achievement in finally completing the 'end to end' journey, the arrival at John O'Groats was a bit of an anti-climax - there's not much there apart from a couple of cafes and tourist outlets, as well as the closed multi-coloured hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The landscape is unremarkable, unlike that at Duncansby Head 3 km away, which is the true northeasterly point on the British mainland (more on our visit there later).</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzLsTZQqIc6Zu57_UJ1PNxr46ZO98buOCeVM-ikemStsUos2RGt4VOfpRFJDouqwf05KUNwNaCz5R9JAXJvnMHNtnw-HLVIyDxBZVLk2p7a6PBebTlAFNMDFpfa2tzRgAx1Psz0Pcuao/s1600/IMG_3024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzLsTZQqIc6Zu57_UJ1PNxr46ZO98buOCeVM-ikemStsUos2RGt4VOfpRFJDouqwf05KUNwNaCz5R9JAXJvnMHNtnw-HLVIyDxBZVLk2p7a6PBebTlAFNMDFpfa2tzRgAx1Psz0Pcuao/s320/IMG_3024.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtRWiFg_uNc3rhuoIV7XXOj_J31ZfFAKHvc7xjeMiyQJxuVarSbMMC_NB3qOxL9xyu67LIqPlWTelufuCu_Of0Tq32blRfBjvfk6x5n-jzVIHTZtHNfy2Iqzbpsj6IC1zJ6v19lhyphenhyphen_C8/s1600/IMG_3023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtRWiFg_uNc3rhuoIV7XXOj_J31ZfFAKHvc7xjeMiyQJxuVarSbMMC_NB3qOxL9xyu67LIqPlWTelufuCu_Of0Tq32blRfBjvfk6x5n-jzVIHTZtHNfy2Iqzbpsj6IC1zJ6v19lhyphenhyphen_C8/s320/IMG_3023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0dHvmDBF2vKZpjcdKev1J4a_KwB-Rmo529eW4ZN7kyAdr9qNg0si6MYJRugQD7ws9dVqb9Lz-RiKbQ4iqIJhP277mZZz48geOiyIR9X8lpU0TzvgBaPGhfMKA-eVqxq7NO-P-KDamyY/s1600/IMG_3032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0dHvmDBF2vKZpjcdKev1J4a_KwB-Rmo529eW4ZN7kyAdr9qNg0si6MYJRugQD7ws9dVqb9Lz-RiKbQ4iqIJhP277mZZz48geOiyIR9X8lpU0TzvgBaPGhfMKA-eVqxq7NO-P-KDamyY/s320/IMG_3032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Still, we really enjoyed the day's ride to John O'Groats and then on to Wick about 30k south.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We first rode out to Dunnet Head, the most northerly point of mainland Britain, hoping to see the famous cliffs there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately there was a thick sea mist so we couldn't see much, though we did get a good idea of the views from areas where the mist had lifted a few kilometres before and after we reached the headland.</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HuxIbiUty6THbJciL10WSCbtHN02HFQNrKqjgv2CjGW7ucA6vroxIruxYhr3KNoZjzFLba3mIqoLD55WGsHla0d-FUSY8scH1O36jAaTgwNVijU8arvjXG5f859MpV72zkX5MSkWZf4/s1600/IMG_1537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HuxIbiUty6THbJciL10WSCbtHN02HFQNrKqjgv2CjGW7ucA6vroxIruxYhr3KNoZjzFLba3mIqoLD55WGsHla0d-FUSY8scH1O36jAaTgwNVijU8arvjXG5f859MpV72zkX5MSkWZf4/s320/IMG_1537.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYsPHlU8i9G-JzcT8A4s7gcdiWWZ0Y1W-qUUnuS19mRuR5r00jFFOweRy7ekuPzTvfwkH22haHNEL0hZBg7YSI2hrH64EUk53L3gFYleHSJspEtHofssReHimngY_4P6d96ZchSp5-DI/s1600/IMG_1539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYsPHlU8i9G-JzcT8A4s7gcdiWWZ0Y1W-qUUnuS19mRuR5r00jFFOweRy7ekuPzTvfwkH22haHNEL0hZBg7YSI2hrH64EUk53L3gFYleHSJspEtHofssReHimngY_4P6d96ZchSp5-DI/s320/IMG_1539.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPf7cAyyix_T7Mtfj-0fSRG3YoX2UX_aHXH1NFDEMTBkxW0PK3ijh8-Sq0TJTZgd0YLmTJYun4TKkjh26xmRv_YrxV2nABWA8lEBNQuz7X7F9yXeOfpkUQlxJkf715E-Um-cJnmhqu4w/s1600/IMG_2968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPf7cAyyix_T7Mtfj-0fSRG3YoX2UX_aHXH1NFDEMTBkxW0PK3ijh8-Sq0TJTZgd0YLmTJYun4TKkjh26xmRv_YrxV2nABWA8lEBNQuz7X7F9yXeOfpkUQlxJkf715E-Um-cJnmhqu4w/s320/IMG_2968.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We saw some highland cattle along the way:</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJOeengbltWJyrN7QGbAzO0ryUFUuza2WjGFf9v9QGU6XHKCNPFUWm0EN5LkY7nZ7bytYiAp4g_UDE6rTv2hKQNI5D5zo4CCq1FfLbkth1j9zUCzwW2Rq01TCNG78-WaehlbPxAmrDR_c/s1600/IMG_2948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJOeengbltWJyrN7QGbAzO0ryUFUuza2WjGFf9v9QGU6XHKCNPFUWm0EN5LkY7nZ7bytYiAp4g_UDE6rTv2hKQNI5D5zo4CCq1FfLbkth1j9zUCzwW2Rq01TCNG78-WaehlbPxAmrDR_c/s320/IMG_2948.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then we visited Jamie at the small Highland Seal Hospital in the village of Scarfesferry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jamie is an ex-pat Australian and is a keen cyclist. He invited us to stop in for a cup of coffee after seeing a reference to our trip on the CTC forum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He looks after orphaned and/or injured young seals, and currentlly has 4 baby seals in his care which live in small ponds of fresh water in the hospital. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We watched while Jamie fed the seals and also listened while he chatted with a vet who visited to check on the health of one of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was fascinating to see the seals close up, to learn about them and to see first hand the great work that Jamie is doing to ensue the survival of those who come to the attention of the small facility run by marine animal enthusiasts.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWtsPcEuW9r_8Qz5i4OC2C9Ew4SAwQ5OjoFwerB_fjSQ1CPjLd7tITDbI1riLByD6QyLCJ1EKYgqa5VdjuNCg08INrqvaQ_bx0hcio0hyphenhyphen4tHodN-QCwvZRO86ZwhY_edsB9fXJydSVvFk/s1600/IMG_1585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWtsPcEuW9r_8Qz5i4OC2C9Ew4SAwQ5OjoFwerB_fjSQ1CPjLd7tITDbI1riLByD6QyLCJ1EKYgqa5VdjuNCg08INrqvaQ_bx0hcio0hyphenhyphen4tHodN-QCwvZRO86ZwhY_edsB9fXJydSVvFk/s320/IMG_1585.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After leaving Jamie we stopped for a late lunch at the nearby Castle of Mey, which was the late Queen Mother's summer residence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A visitor's centre was established in 2007 in her memory, enabling vistors to tour the castle and grounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately we didn't have time to go inside but it was nice to at least see the castle.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDZbV6Pj_oRxVPKPYUs_pf2FCJPIP6FgwPaw1Le-2JDsIPosX0jGxjrhPkkOM2wG-z0GeDY8ubeeUD1euzHjxB7KAk0VH9UYR_IjQG12boa5fCsVXvaltKHEgj0xLhGTWvGbrLS6OeFXo/s1600/IMG_2993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDZbV6Pj_oRxVPKPYUs_pf2FCJPIP6FgwPaw1Le-2JDsIPosX0jGxjrhPkkOM2wG-z0GeDY8ubeeUD1euzHjxB7KAk0VH9UYR_IjQG12boa5fCsVXvaltKHEgj0xLhGTWvGbrLS6OeFXo/s320/IMG_2993.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then it was off to John O'Groats in the rain, though it had just about stopped by the </span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">time we reached there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">We saw Dunnett head from a distance after the fog had lifted:</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD1ezfn_6kLpZePItF3fg2X8feTCIZzt8Ifbzb5ROu6SFycnum3wzZtLt7_NFdgt7KJGQYUkQ7VVceV3ZetuOud_vuwW1RgusHOweYsLbyGqGkhBPSpI1iidiFLlNYGaW-nDYA_hUMIiY/s1600/IMG_2992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD1ezfn_6kLpZePItF3fg2X8feTCIZzt8Ifbzb5ROu6SFycnum3wzZtLt7_NFdgt7KJGQYUkQ7VVceV3ZetuOud_vuwW1RgusHOweYsLbyGqGkhBPSpI1iidiFLlNYGaW-nDYA_hUMIiY/s320/IMG_2992.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As noted further below, our route following backroads and Sustrans routes had effectively been about 1850km compared with the most direct route of about 1400km following A roads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent 23 days riding and had 3 days off to do some sightseeing. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">While at John O'Groats we chatted with two other cyclists (& their support vehicle driver) from Reading near London.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had taken the most direct route and completed the ride in 9 days, averaging about 160km per day (see further below for information on 'end to end' records).</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Whle<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we admired their athleticism, we much prefer enjoying the scenery in the countryside by taking backroads and traffic-free trails rather than busy roads. Still, they were justifiably pleased with their achievement and had raised a significant sum for charity. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We're glad we are cycletourists and didn't have to rush our journey. Greg has also done lots of challenging audax 'fast touring' rides, including twice completing the 1200km 'Paris-Brest-Paris' event within the 90 hour time limit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After John O'Groats we rode the 3km to Duncansby Head, which is actually the most northeastery point in mainland Britain and has some spectacular scenery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are sea stacks similar to the 12 apostles off the Victorian coast, as well as two huge rock crevasses.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4lAXHrNxgnJdimgwJKu7DaUKuIDgJBm9lm9VWJDKdxsKhFuzSPL5VmV3u6s2_PYTwx2390BRytOEVEq43UC6WXnnY4gHhT9Ci-ZLVk-hyWKyl9KQoZpscgvmVzru_skKNO9Om35NTco/s1600/IMG_3036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4lAXHrNxgnJdimgwJKu7DaUKuIDgJBm9lm9VWJDKdxsKhFuzSPL5VmV3u6s2_PYTwx2390BRytOEVEq43UC6WXnnY4gHhT9Ci-ZLVk-hyWKyl9KQoZpscgvmVzru_skKNO9Om35NTco/s320/IMG_3036.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then we rode the 27km to our B&B in Wick, .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We celebrated by having dinner and a few drinks at a nice pub and then enjoying the music of the live band </span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(who played many songs we recognised). <b><i>[Saturday 9/7: distance 87 km;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>climbing: 711 m]</i></b></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ-pJkx0i9aPrv4jQq-69IuPc4Dli67SLfg56JxHKEU-4NxI-El3lU2r93mz1Y0QnIeqao53FeRpdXLx4uR_UVj30_TYFqGG20WFLkRL9wH3vb2dlTMqjHG6qlfZChNT_c3rnpJv0MDzg/s1600/IMG_3050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ-pJkx0i9aPrv4jQq-69IuPc4Dli67SLfg56JxHKEU-4NxI-El3lU2r93mz1Y0QnIeqao53FeRpdXLx4uR_UVj30_TYFqGG20WFLkRL9wH3vb2dlTMqjHG6qlfZChNT_c3rnpJv0MDzg/s320/IMG_3050.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpYYtuArdWsUBIMYFaJczZunKYkyvYs42v_6PFaG_DKzdhw9PI-NxIh7LVrv8UgAUyt0HPj6VuvYp6I9jXEg_lYbWlO-nED3tMdq3tPlsvYaR9kVpAUaI2boCzcIJrkJgwfnq7XjlTgFk/s1600/IMG_3076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpYYtuArdWsUBIMYFaJczZunKYkyvYs42v_6PFaG_DKzdhw9PI-NxIh7LVrv8UgAUyt0HPj6VuvYp6I9jXEg_lYbWlO-nED3tMdq3tPlsvYaR9kVpAUaI2boCzcIJrkJgwfnq7XjlTgFk/s320/IMG_3076.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsXzSQWWfbD43LUFzz4o0qXmX95bJMIeKrwAqvGZtjZzEa0vawzAXIuaym0BXX3lJxSgPDgn0lMMnbOx3LhagbK3oh3tbmFBaZu1N_6x-QSTRo6u65crfMReu92KxHy7dyL9n-gpsZhc/s1600/IMG_3065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsXzSQWWfbD43LUFzz4o0qXmX95bJMIeKrwAqvGZtjZzEa0vawzAXIuaym0BXX3lJxSgPDgn0lMMnbOx3LhagbK3oh3tbmFBaZu1N_6x-QSTRo6u65crfMReu92KxHy7dyL9n-gpsZhc/s320/IMG_3065.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We spent Sunday in Wick, resting, walking around the town and catching up on our washing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> On Monday, we caught a train to Inverness and today (Tuesday) we're taking a long train journey to Kings Lynn to visit some friends (Peter & Judith). A few days later we'll visit more friends in Braintree, Essex (Norma & Alan), before returning to London late on Friday until we fly home on 22 July.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Statistics</span></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here are some<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>statistics for our trip (including the sections totalling about 50km from Penzance to Lands End at the start and from John O'Groats to Wick at the end):</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">total days of riding: 23 (+ 3 days off);</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">total distance: 1909km, at an average of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>82km per day (the total is about 450km more than the shortest distance using mainly A roads, about 1400km,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>taking into account the extra bits that we rode at either end);</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">total climbing: 18,674m, about 810m per day;</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">total punctures: one on Toni's bike at Bettyhill<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(+ one gashed tyre on Greg's bike at Coleford in the Wye Valley - replaced with one of the two folding tyres we were carrying as spares, since our bikes have different sized wheels);</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: -18pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">weather: we had lots of great weather, particularly in the north, with probably only about two days of rain in total (mainly drizzle & showers) during the 23 days we rode. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">End to End records</span></u><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Further to the comments above about the riders who did a relatively quick time, it's worth noting that the record for cycling from Land's End to John O' Groats is held by UK time trial specialist Andy Wilkinson, who completed the journey in 41 hours, 4 minutes and 22 seconds on a Windcheetah recumbent in 1992 (needless to say, as part of a ride with vehicle and other support).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The record for rider on a conventional (ie, upright) bicycle is 44 hours, 4 minutes and 20 seconds, set by another noted UK time trialler Gethin Butler in 2001 on a supported ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">T<span style="color: black;">he Australian Sir Hubert Opperman once held the 'end to end' record, setting a time of 54 hours and 33 minute in 1934.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Garmin data issues</span></u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As mentioned in one of our early posts, we were hoping to post maps and elevation profiles of each day's stage downloaded from our Garmin GPS computers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But for reasons that remain unclear, we were unable to upload to the Garmin Connect site using our new netbook computer even though we can do so on our PCs at home. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is the error message we get, even after updating to the latest software on the devices and on Garmin Connect:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"UnsupportedDataTypeException: Your device is not supported by this application"<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We enquired on the Garmin forum about possible solutions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was suggested that we either upload the data manually or try a different internet browser like Firefox, but limited internet access meant that we did't get the time to explore these suggestions.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyway, after we get back to Canberra on 24 July we will upload the data and post the maps & elevation profiles. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many thanks for following the progress of our 'end to end' ride !!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Greg & Toni</span></i></b></span>Greg and Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18054572705833770736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016359942866581604.post-57767769729150974992011-07-10T13:21:00.000-07:002011-07-10T13:21:16.669-07:00Reaching the top of Scotland<span lang="">On Thursday we rode through fairly remote country on single track roads (ie, one vehicle width) from Lairg via Altnaharra, Loch Naver & Syre to Bettyhill on the northern coast of Scotland. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTa9TsKQ9qVWA_iTQYcamZj1zoTMc8K0iR0fWxicbTXrpKRA2kDMfifPPu50Y8qb0ml-KFp2TJIXViA_tWK4QZEnJkl2kuRDbP_8a3eG_ulVO9uuIB3agpSYs0hB6MEqlM-FngMnbe0A/s1600/IMG_1469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTa9TsKQ9qVWA_iTQYcamZj1zoTMc8K0iR0fWxicbTXrpKRA2kDMfifPPu50Y8qb0ml-KFp2TJIXViA_tWK4QZEnJkl2kuRDbP_8a3eG_ulVO9uuIB3agpSYs0hB6MEqlM-FngMnbe0A/s320/IMG_1469.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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We had a strong headwind, along with occasional showers, for about 2/3 of the journey, then a great tailwind when we turned north after the scenic ride east alongside Loch Naver. The road then followed the River Naver to the sea at Bettyhill. We stopped for morning tea at the Altnaharra Hotel then for an ice cream at a remote caravan club location (Grummore) on the edge of the loch. <br />
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Grummore was one of a range of locations along an historical trail that focussed on the controversial ‘clearances’ in the early 1800s. This involved the forced removal of peasant farmers to improve the efficiency of rented land by using hardier breeds of sheep that required little supervision and were able to endure the harsh Scottish winter. <br />
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The following day we rode past coastal settlements that were originally established to house forcibly removed farmers, who were then expected to live off fishing.<br />
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The hilly area around Bettyhill is very scenic, with long sandy beaches, and there are lots of low key historical sites that draw visitors. While it had been very windy the afternoon we arrived, Friday morning was sunny and still. It's a long way north and the winters are challenging. We were told that last winter there was snow on the ground for 94 days, with the river mouth freezing over at one point, and that during one week the temperature didn't rise above -8C. <b><i>[Thursday 7/7: distance 75 km; climbing 604 m]</i></b><br />
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.The photo above shows the Farr Bay Inn at Bettyhill, where we stayed. It was built in 1813<br />
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On Friday we rode east along the coast to Thurso, up & down lots of hills that gave a great view of beaches. There was some pretty desolate country, although it became much less hilly and more arable as we approached Thurso. We also passed close by the Dounreay nuclear power plant, which is being decommissioned (a process that apparently takes quite a few years).<br />
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At one point we chatted with a Scottish couple from the Outer Hebrides islands off the north west coast of Scotland, who were riding their tandem to Spain and camping along the way. They have cyclecamped by tandem in Austraila, crossing from Perth to Newcastle via the Nullarbor and also going around Tasmania.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7f9LY_RHyD0N5FZb35U_vqURDJoYMpTDFCGQMsiq8RpOmi_BFjTOkTT7QtPCLqHAFigQzkf6oyHczR1WzFS8ZU_4-YsBPUYLSex0HH63Mx396_Zqbx2wgAw_KKyVaYSXWFHdQ6wASxg/s1600/IMG_2886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7f9LY_RHyD0N5FZb35U_vqURDJoYMpTDFCGQMsiq8RpOmi_BFjTOkTT7QtPCLqHAFigQzkf6oyHczR1WzFS8ZU_4-YsBPUYLSex0HH63Mx396_Zqbx2wgAw_KKyVaYSXWFHdQ6wASxg/s320/IMG_2886.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thurso is a large town next to the sea, with a sandy beach close to the shopping centre (though the beach was deserted) and views across the harbour entrance to a ruined castle and, in the distance, to the high cliffs of Dunnet Head, which is the most northerly point in mainland Britain. <b><i>[Friday 8/7: distance 48 km; climbing 617 m] </i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVs97eVKKYDh6KLgimc_QPUZcznvhEulpyE6udR6YljkXfL4WrMZetvuoT5LkqTNULIXdV_ki2TGPBAvGA0-04J5Pn323EzVYU-PJcP_dM9a8Yj_8XZFdDihkx7E4AhdxMyohX9fMX9E/s1600/IMG_2905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVs97eVKKYDh6KLgimc_QPUZcznvhEulpyE6udR6YljkXfL4WrMZetvuoT5LkqTNULIXdV_ki2TGPBAvGA0-04J5Pn323EzVYU-PJcP_dM9a8Yj_8XZFdDihkx7E4AhdxMyohX9fMX9E/s320/IMG_2905.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0-3bPJregvSrkMbesm2J_8dCxDci_oM6483z07QI5mxwW2MOzbLZU88pw3lUYL7wsujKx8fXce6OnU6WWKOGHoEv8GN8qTmW1wP0VXomeNdkEWsSojQYX-htGPbKyIySCrfa2Hq8D6I/s1600/IMG_1519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0-3bPJregvSrkMbesm2J_8dCxDci_oM6483z07QI5mxwW2MOzbLZU88pw3lUYL7wsujKx8fXce6OnU6WWKOGHoEv8GN8qTmW1wP0VXomeNdkEWsSojQYX-htGPbKyIySCrfa2Hq8D6I/s320/IMG_1519.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0g5pJj5Shay4cBEhx1_GTpNhnzqCA-g0lnYojCj4eGfaV5FECpm8tyWZGQj7HwKi7UPMaqSoUg9sXAKfaUvCrxbBbJqfO_QwPEaRFX9-KJm8UIzzCunEwCRCNZp5_gEexACI7JTZeL40/s1600/IMG_1529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0g5pJj5Shay4cBEhx1_GTpNhnzqCA-g0lnYojCj4eGfaV5FECpm8tyWZGQj7HwKi7UPMaqSoUg9sXAKfaUvCrxbBbJqfO_QwPEaRFX9-KJm8UIzzCunEwCRCNZp5_gEexACI7JTZeL40/s320/IMG_1529.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6dj8CWpDANFhgvgQkG09Ab6vveqH1OY9c1OQPCkld8bXZrgLU6oi2dHxw2PQvpebzkfm_PP8IVNXNImOCpxqacK-cbeUy8qWu2WRJJEI2T05TJ-KbuJxrzsp_EymHs3hjIOdrt7MIeUY/s1600/IMG_2930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6dj8CWpDANFhgvgQkG09Ab6vveqH1OY9c1OQPCkld8bXZrgLU6oi2dHxw2PQvpebzkfm_PP8IVNXNImOCpxqacK-cbeUy8qWu2WRJJEI2T05TJ-KbuJxrzsp_EymHs3hjIOdrt7MIeUY/s320/IMG_2930.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2qgIV0PoXXsBZi_7j5_oyqeGA9xmssi1aW1wNuMc3DAZr5KgdJjpjhd2gxktfC2xKsip99ytMSJ0AmMyTyI_79eNJMJOPWC18c8pxPDhgyMtDouuSHNuIg4W1RQ94S-q-HcJU7YDsHA/s1600/IMG_1533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2qgIV0PoXXsBZi_7j5_oyqeGA9xmssi1aW1wNuMc3DAZr5KgdJjpjhd2gxktfC2xKsip99ytMSJ0AmMyTyI_79eNJMJOPWC18c8pxPDhgyMtDouuSHNuIg4W1RQ94S-q-HcJU7YDsHA/s320/IMG_1533.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The photo above is the old well from which water was dispensed to Thurso's townspeople (the pump is preserved inside the stucture) and which was a social meeting place. The photo below is of a truck owned by a pigeon racing club in Peterborough, near London, that was ready to release pigeons for the journey back.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSTV1ttkqPyLCz4SDa0JmX9HqBBrnssw-32aJH_Tytq1lBcurvBdElQOPb5byCma5AK24P0CVMGF4eagZNQWaBbkDtPNzmuIDkmP9y4KkEMJAKuRPlro8IQrSML0mh-skefOdRlRAnj0/s1600/IMG_1525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSTV1ttkqPyLCz4SDa0JmX9HqBBrnssw-32aJH_Tytq1lBcurvBdElQOPb5byCma5AK24P0CVMGF4eagZNQWaBbkDtPNzmuIDkmP9y4KkEMJAKuRPlro8IQrSML0mh-skefOdRlRAnj0/s320/IMG_1525.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><b><i></i></b><i></i></span>Greg and Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18054572705833770736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016359942866581604.post-12384786724957695962011-07-07T13:27:00.000-07:002011-07-07T13:27:17.227-07:00Along the salmon run and into the highlands<span lang=""></span><span style="font-size: small;">Our ride from Perth on Monday followed 'The Salmon Run' route through Dunkeld to Pitlochry. This is a Sustrans route, originating in Dundee and generally following the River Tay. It is named after the salmon that return to spawning grounds upriver from Pitlochry. For the first 5 km after Perth the route follows a bike path alongside the river.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Dunkeld is in a nice position near forests next to the River Tay, with a crossing via an 1809 stone bridge designed by the famous British engineer Thomas Telford. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIm8rOeAGQDYIuAyvn4h9R_YRTCw_nacidUvxUOFgHAy2NA0Jrs0EkCBDWRGwgSblDk_l3CZb2gY4w_pvrFUidRjdCcfpy5hmNACFF5Z3nLChM3iJ1h2CB2qPHzOiQawnIgQWZsjm6SA/s1600/IMG_2507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIm8rOeAGQDYIuAyvn4h9R_YRTCw_nacidUvxUOFgHAy2NA0Jrs0EkCBDWRGwgSblDk_l3CZb2gY4w_pvrFUidRjdCcfpy5hmNACFF5Z3nLChM3iJ1h2CB2qPHzOiQawnIgQWZsjm6SA/s320/IMG_2507.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oK4RsQD_8JaTdridg9ZoW05sQtoWZvFZIBgc_iJ3tGQJf-3MK6F8lQRxci0XDNOr41J1Z-Gn4uaiR3t4wQmApFUuiFYMikCEcxKXP0pDAlVFFhqhxC7zrl2aCCgHi7LFAUa2nJRUJYg/s1600/IMG_1360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oK4RsQD_8JaTdridg9ZoW05sQtoWZvFZIBgc_iJ3tGQJf-3MK6F8lQRxci0XDNOr41J1Z-Gn4uaiR3t4wQmApFUuiFYMikCEcxKXP0pDAlVFFhqhxC7zrl2aCCgHi7LFAUa2nJRUJYg/s320/IMG_1360.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The busy tourism centre of Pitlochry is significant because the hydro-electric authority built a 'ladder' to enable salmon to get past the dam wall that otherwise blocks their progress upstream. <br />
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The ladder comprises a series of rectangular cement ponds each higher than the previous one, which are joined by underwater pipes. There is an underwater viewing platform for the public where two of the ponds are joined (we didn't see any salmon, though). About 5,000 salmon pass through the ladder annually; the counter at the information centre show that about 3,000 have already passed through this year.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWmJo2T9J1pTEAyy6ZnEJSL_ETIBFHyqCgiRuSKnlt1gV-Fs7JgfAgpu1YeCc-yzkQPpYu33QcBI5Jyz5Wk-C2gChTHGx-n560PIUbk0F0UNGiTiB8FaI29ZbHxtKPuS3rzbwvNFSYOA/s1600/IMG_1365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyWmJo2T9J1pTEAyy6ZnEJSL_ETIBFHyqCgiRuSKnlt1gV-Fs7JgfAgpu1YeCc-yzkQPpYu33QcBI5Jyz5Wk-C2gChTHGx-n560PIUbk0F0UNGiTiB8FaI29ZbHxtKPuS3rzbwvNFSYOA/s320/IMG_1365.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"> <br />
After Pitlochry we followed another Sustrans route, the most northern section of 'Lochs & Glens' via Blair Athol (where there is a striking castle) and the Drumochter Pass to Newtonmore in the beautiful Scottish Highlands. The welcome sign higlighted that we were entering the Gaelic language area of Northern Scotland, where many signs are bilingual in English & Gaelic. <b><i>[Monday 4/7: distance120 km; climbing 1023 m] </i></b><i></i> </span><br />
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On Tuesday the quiet Sustrans route took us through attractive scenery to Inverness, against the backdrop of various mountains, including the Cairngorms - a series of granite masses that comprise the largest national park in Britain and contain 6 of the 7 highest peaks in Scotland. <br />
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We passed through popular hiking and winter sport towns like Kingussie, Aviemore (which has Britain's only downhill skiing resort) and Carrbridge (where there is an unusual stone bridge). Aviemore is the largest of these towns and was crowded with people enjoying the highlands in summer. Closer to Inverness we viewed Bronze Age chambered burial cairns at Clave.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZfaKu6d9HMXl66UvyTjP-2mdLNw80BBeooH96HlswWbL8Q1zqtdbpZItamyjcobBOzdLoA9VTf6vhGlnxZAV8U5VMjHdCHwlVHP_LWmzYJhlTFYvNBsvO52IB5xP97qr6mo-sluYwUA/s1600/IMG_1391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZfaKu6d9HMXl66UvyTjP-2mdLNw80BBeooH96HlswWbL8Q1zqtdbpZItamyjcobBOzdLoA9VTf6vhGlnxZAV8U5VMjHdCHwlVHP_LWmzYJhlTFYvNBsvO52IB5xP97qr6mo-sluYwUA/s320/IMG_1391.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLBGc_AURa4fNoKdTRIBZxrQQx6iYjfgBP7XC9QWCZXAt0o-PevaaB5HR9nm48sSyTTeMX5AdbM6lTokxehIzdoislGa6QXMULNodtVHSBrp7qWuydiXiywoNA__3zIvVCCV5wNUiDvc/s1600/IMG_1395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKLBGc_AURa4fNoKdTRIBZxrQQx6iYjfgBP7XC9QWCZXAt0o-PevaaB5HR9nm48sSyTTeMX5AdbM6lTokxehIzdoislGa6QXMULNodtVHSBrp7qWuydiXiywoNA__3zIvVCCV5wNUiDvc/s320/IMG_1395.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Inverness is another attractive city, sited next to the River Ness with a castle on a hill right next to the centre. <b><i>[Tuesday 5/7: distance 85 km; climbing 584 m]</i></b><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The ride on Wednesday went from inverness north to Lairg via a ferry crossing at Cromarty, following Sustrans route 1. Just out of Inverness we crossed another major bridge, across the Moray Firth. <br />
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Then our luck with the weather finally ran out, as it rained for most of the morning - the first wet weather since we were in south west England two weeks earlier. On our way to Cromarty we passed through several coastal villages as well as riding along a ridge with great views.<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</div> In the early afternoon we were very fortunate to get a ferry ride across the Cromarty Firth to Nigg, the service having been suspended in the morning due to bad weather. <br />
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We and two other cycletourists (who we'd chatted to in previous days) were the only passengers on the crossing. It was a nice gesture, since due to the strong winds it was difficult for the ferry to dock on the ramp to pick us up and there were no vehicles waiting. This saved us riding an additional 48km that day had we not been able to cross on the ferry. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimo1cHGFbqntKm-_BlgKqEhTBbtrHJfj3iLioSrkssjI_Mwm_qHbBouTIbjPrEarSCdr2YVLtciGUJFacopxm4cpXMjF3GA4Yp9qDe-R-r5UWLoTKqsloxPNpFB4Jhn3QZF1jS1IROz3E/s1600/IMG_1458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimo1cHGFbqntKm-_BlgKqEhTBbtrHJfj3iLioSrkssjI_Mwm_qHbBouTIbjPrEarSCdr2YVLtciGUJFacopxm4cpXMjF3GA4Yp9qDe-R-r5UWLoTKqsloxPNpFB4Jhn3QZF1jS1IROz3E/s320/IMG_1458.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIomuwHOB9pPWx_9we2lPhTFAPqSJ2LZKwU1b1eyEDSvrug3hhH00gezXX35J7C3Dxt1t6GKJM0SmVI5rwBCBCpC2WBgFTfGfukr4SPGFvaZDC3h4vI4fzM36_i-TAtGR0xRwa673fC8/s1600/IMG_2755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIomuwHOB9pPWx_9we2lPhTFAPqSJ2LZKwU1b1eyEDSvrug3hhH00gezXX35J7C3Dxt1t6GKJM0SmVI5rwBCBCpC2WBgFTfGfukr4SPGFvaZDC3h4vI4fzM36_i-TAtGR0xRwa673fC8/s320/IMG_2755.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></span><span style="font-size: small;">After the ferry ride we again passed near the coastline, as well as close to a free range chicken farm. Later we had a scenic ride from Tain to the small town Lairg, mostly alongside Dornoch Firth. The roads were quite wet but it didn't rain again until after we reached Lairg. <i>[<b>Wednesday 6/7: distance 108 km; climbing 906 m]</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>Greg and Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18054572705833770736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016359942866581604.post-26849629435342480182011-07-05T23:42:00.000-07:002011-07-05T23:42:28.166-07:00Across the Scottish border<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yD1ZdV-LkFyFj28os5FI7Z0xRvM2r3LeiZXLlwXgWFjAW_nU7AJdZgeDWJtLJVbVZpvdm-X51FTRb0_-yud7gBb4D2MRKCacz1ADMojTH-b2-jPDa1fKHWxuv_Bi9kFlOu1g7PgPatw/s1600/IMG_2351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yD1ZdV-LkFyFj28os5FI7Z0xRvM2r3LeiZXLlwXgWFjAW_nU7AJdZgeDWJtLJVbVZpvdm-X51FTRb0_-yud7gBb4D2MRKCacz1ADMojTH-b2-jPDa1fKHWxuv_Bi9kFlOu1g7PgPatw/s320/IMG_2351.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span lang=""><span lang="">Last Friday morning we rode the 18km from Carlisle to Gretna, just across the Scottish border. While in Gretna over lunchtime we quickly became aware of the change in culture: as well as the lovely Scottish accent of those who served us in shops, we saw a kilt wearer (who appeared to be the groom at a wedding) and heard bagpipes when riding through backstreets on the way out of town. A great welcome to Scotland !<br />
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On the way into Gretna we were intrigued to see a suburban street called "Canberra Road". We later learned that Gretna had been built from scratch in 1915-1916 to house 30,000 inhabitants, near a munitions and cordite factory established at the same time. We read that Gretna is regarded as a landmark in the history of British town planning, including because it was the first township to have running water and electricity in each house.<br />
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We followed a B road on Sustrans' NCN route 74. There was mostly no traffic, the road has a good view of the hills to the east and there were a couple of points of interest. <br />
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These included passing through Ecclefechan (the birthplace of the author Thomas Carlyle, commemorated by a statue), afternoon tea at Lockerbie (a small town famous for the 1988 aircraft crash caused by terrorists) and our stay overnight at the unique Star Hotel in the pretty town of Moffat, which is surrounded by hills. The hotel dates from the 1700s and is striking because it is only 6.1 m wide 49.4 m long, which gave it an entry in the Guinness Book of records as the narroweast hotel in the world. <b><i>[Friday 1/7: distance 71 km; climbing 462 m] </i></b><i></i> </span></span><br />
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</div><span lang=""><span lang=""> <br />
We also followed NCN route 74 north west on Saturday morning, this time as it (& the nearby Motorway) weaved through attractive hill country. there was an odd sculppture next to one section of bike path. After lunch we cut a more direct path north via minor roads in undulating country to Bathgate, about 30 km southwest of Edinburgh, on the way to which we passed near an unusual collection of hills. <b><i>[Saturday 2/7: distance 100 km; climbing 950 m] </i></b></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIuyulGC8LJlWfztyWsgHhvozQubxbAsTQbjPFOE86wWPPryHdApvrjJuU7kh7LJN_CA3c96XsGVkjWPZCm3KKlmvqDAkiVlpKMXMkxMQs4FQEYm1KgHS5NtPYLESIL1etYFsTRL36E1Y/s1600/IMG_2420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIuyulGC8LJlWfztyWsgHhvozQubxbAsTQbjPFOE86wWPPryHdApvrjJuU7kh7LJN_CA3c96XsGVkjWPZCm3KKlmvqDAkiVlpKMXMkxMQs4FQEYm1KgHS5NtPYLESIL1etYFsTRL36E1Y/s320/IMG_2420.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span lang=""><span lang=""> <b><i> </i></b><br />
<span lang="">On Sunday morning we rode across another major bridge - the Forth Road Bridge over the wide Firth of Forth estuary west of Edinburgh. The photos below taken from the shore to the west give the impression of one ornate bridge when there are in fact two - a railway bridge to the east and a more modern road bridge to the west of it.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39DTgO79G8Y8wFYZP26iO2Dv88izxlHApid3CBGJUxnoZFGCPDy1Ps6m35AIqB0NdZZqz6U7DPVTaQMpbzwDTklevDyxTn_eZVakmjy8t-budULiGvAY2OhkeNjXM1mfq6obSdr5Ml90/s1600/IMG_1315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39DTgO79G8Y8wFYZP26iO2Dv88izxlHApid3CBGJUxnoZFGCPDy1Ps6m35AIqB0NdZZqz6U7DPVTaQMpbzwDTklevDyxTn_eZVakmjy8t-budULiGvAY2OhkeNjXM1mfq6obSdr5Ml90/s320/IMG_1315.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<span lang=""><span lang="">After the Forth Bridge we rode through Dunfermline, where we were fortunate to cross paths with a local named Linda while we were resting in a park. Two weeks before she had completed a LEJOG ride raising funds for charity. Her group had followed a route similar to ours, and she had ridden most of the distance (including countless hills !) on a tandem with a vision-impaired person as 'stoker'. We had a nice chat about experiences on our respective rides and Linda also gave us some helpful tips about the rest of the route to Perth that day and the next day's intended course. <br />
<br />
The route we then took to Perth through Kingseat (which has lots of coalmining history) and Kinross was very scenic, and we rode into Perth next to the wide River Tay. We passed lots of cyclists going the other way, some out for a Sunday ride and others with panniers like us who may have been doing doing a 'JOGLE' - an 'end to end' ride in the opposite direction to ours, ie, starting at John O'Groats instead of Land's End. </span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5F9ef3rIPU-jnvvtGRjNIQAgI6vFwXhk5fq8K40NkylNdjzER0nBY3_yUGnNRvxC6cQ4PmLOd2aPp8PFVyQV6r6abHlMXmyEr5cgA3dOTdReJLGnwABVyn3rTfMDcmiTgehSK8Gs4xOg/s1600/IMG_1322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5F9ef3rIPU-jnvvtGRjNIQAgI6vFwXhk5fq8K40NkylNdjzER0nBY3_yUGnNRvxC6cQ4PmLOd2aPp8PFVyQV6r6abHlMXmyEr5cgA3dOTdReJLGnwABVyn3rTfMDcmiTgehSK8Gs4xOg/s320/IMG_1322.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">The centre of Perth is impressive, laid out on a grid next to the river with most of the buildings, old & new, made of similar coloured stone. <b><i>[Sunday 3/7: distance 83 km; climbing 616 m]</i></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPT2G_fM4WNvtHlXAJ2dDj8kL65dDwzv4iCIPH_DENt0HSADd7X_1S0Otay-w9l9MbOMR7jSVgbEurg2tXqrAh2hAmIppiSOX6jvBUf7V0Fx3Li6Z-Ak0PvafyFMgdedqh7aYTlnhjdk/s1600/IMG_1335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPT2G_fM4WNvtHlXAJ2dDj8kL65dDwzv4iCIPH_DENt0HSADd7X_1S0Otay-w9l9MbOMR7jSVgbEurg2tXqrAh2hAmIppiSOX6jvBUf7V0Fx3Li6Z-Ak0PvafyFMgdedqh7aYTlnhjdk/s320/IMG_1335.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3VK1ONI93cKlJhunaQj3jPmD0JJtu2uPEPmLGsRfdrSePWvArOQDYwFTAtrT8_jSla1JNIsbwvuYz0_Wz3bMKF_g6cdowW9NL4-NA7Zc8b4Kkynrvk1Zx-0aDKMfz6u-NWIbLX55xJQ/s1600/IMG_2490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3VK1ONI93cKlJhunaQj3jPmD0JJtu2uPEPmLGsRfdrSePWvArOQDYwFTAtrT8_jSla1JNIsbwvuYz0_Wz3bMKF_g6cdowW9NL4-NA7Zc8b4Kkynrvk1Zx-0aDKMfz6u-NWIbLX55xJQ/s320/IMG_2490.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</span></span>Greg and Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18054572705833770736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016359942866581604.post-39951890463919303892011-07-01T00:41:00.000-07:002011-07-01T00:41:43.569-07:00Towards Scotland<span lang=""></span><span style="font-size: small;">After encountering lots of steep hills on the way up the Ribble Valley we decided to take a different course further north, by following the signposted Lancashire Cycleway west and then a Sustrans NCN route north to Kendal and then Carlisle, before going into</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Scotland. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The plan now is to go to the Edinburgh area via Gretna, Moffat & Broxburn (instead of going the hillier route via Langholm, Eskdalemuir & Innerleithen). We plan to follow Sustrans' NCN routes 74 & 75.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> <br />
So after scaling some more steep hills in the Forest of Bowland, and being rewarded by spectacular scenery, we spent the rest of Tuesday’s ride meandering in attractive undulating country through lots of pretty Lancashire villages before overnighting at Kendal near the Lake District in hilly Cumbria.<b><i> [Tuesday 28/6: distance 67 km; climbing1089 m] </i></b><br />
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While having dinner at a bistro in Kendal we took this photo to illustrate what we've seen in various other parts of the country – an evening group bike ride, reflecting that it doesn’t get dark until after 10pm at this time of year (some photos of Kendal follow):<br />
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Wednesday's ride went from Kendal through the spectacular scenery of the Lake District in the Cumbrian Mountains to Carlisle, about 20km south of the Scottish border. <b><i>[Wednesday 29/6: distance 95 km; climbing 1186 m. Cumulative distance so far: 1133 km]</i></b><br />
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We found the centre of Carlisle attractive and busy.<br />
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On Thursday we took another day off to take a bus from Carlisle to visit the ruins of the Birdoswald Roman Fort, one of 16 forts built as part of Hadrian's Wall from 122 - 129 AD. The wall spanned 117kms between the sea at Newcastle in the east to Bowness on the Solway Firth in the west, and was occupied by the Romans for almost 300 years. <br />
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We are very pleased we followed the suggestion of a member of the CTC forum to visit this historic site and go through the museum.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRpbbOu_y1WYbYeQtg-r8D4VaSHlPvKSNgChF1DZ0zp4YrAP4Kfh4Vc4M2irqJFFIvwVc4-dKsRACzue6l1-DjIfe0lGw2krlsWIae_-5Oy8Ffv7XYwG3KKCPZU92Snx1jWKwNuHK12g/s1600/IMG_2340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRpbbOu_y1WYbYeQtg-r8D4VaSHlPvKSNgChF1DZ0zp4YrAP4Kfh4Vc4M2irqJFFIvwVc4-dKsRACzue6l1-DjIfe0lGw2krlsWIae_-5Oy8Ffv7XYwG3KKCPZU92Snx1jWKwNuHK12g/s320/IMG_2340.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></span>Greg and Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18054572705833770736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016359942866581604.post-20634515082589962812011-06-30T14:44:00.000-07:002011-06-30T14:44:46.344-07:00Meandering into the North of England<span style="font-size: small;">The ride from Ironbridge to the attractive market town of Nantwich last Saturday was largely through gently undulating farmland, with a visit to Market Drayton along the way. Both towns have the usual narrow streets lined partly with 400-500 year old buildings. Again, there were farmhouse buildings of this vintage along the way. <b><i>[Saturday 25/6: distance 84 km; climbing 661 m]</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">In Nantwich we stayed at the Railway Hotel, notable because of the live band playing loud seventies rock that night and also because of the Beatles imagery lining the inside & outside of the building. We could hear the music rather too clearly from our room, though we really enjoyed all the old songs from our era. </span><br />
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We then weaved our way north between Manchester & Liverpool via minor roads, country lanes and suburban arterial roads. We had carefully designed our circuitous route to stay away from the heavily-trafficked A roads on the western edge of Manchester. <br />
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As with the routes followed on most days, we had downloaded the course to our GPS bike computers so that they beeped & showed the required turns in text on the screen. Greg’s bike computer also displays a detailed map showing exactly where we are, and we are also carrying hardcopy strip maps printed back to back (to save space & weight) showing our route. We also have these maps on our netbook computer.<br />
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We passed through or near several smaller towns that had very familiar names (Wigan, Bolton & Warrington) because they either have English Premier League soccer clubs or national super league teams, or both in the case of Wigan. The next day we would also pass close to Blackburn, another EPL town. <br />
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At one point we rode along a minor toll road and crossed an attractive bridge over the Manchester to Liverpool ship canal. For the last part of journey to overnight at Chorley, west of Manchester, we rode alongside a canal in the early evening. <b><i>[Sunday 26/6: distance106 km; climbing 511 m]</i></b><br />
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Monday was a relatively short but hilly day, again mostly in hot weather. The first part again involved steering clear of busy roads in the Greater Manchester area, chiefly avoiding Blackburn, although we had a great view of the town while riding along a ridge through farmland nearby before heading into the Ribble Valley.<br />
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Then we headed up the valley and over some steep hills on the Forest of Bowland (not a forest at all, but rather a mountain moor covered in low-level heather vegetation) and then 'dived' into the village of Slaidburn far below. <br />
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We stayed overnight in Slaidburn at the 'Hark the Bounty', an inn that dates from 1310. At dinner we were served by an Australian waitress from Brisbane who had lived in the remote town for 5 years after marrying a Briton. The next morning we chatted with a young New Zealander who had cycletoured from Thailand to Europe over the past 2.5 years and was due to return to NZ in August. <b><i>[Monday 27/6: distance 63 km; climbing 984 m]</i></b><br />
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<b><i></i></b><i></i></span>Greg and Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18054572705833770736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016359942866581604.post-875421247525340432011-06-25T11:24:00.000-07:002011-06-25T11:24:07.611-07:00Into Wales for a day then back to England<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">We had a nice afternoon wandering around Bath on Monday, visting the Roman Baths as well as the Royal Crescent and the Jane Austen museum. </span></div><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
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Our ride from Bristol to Chepstow in Wales on Tuesday was notable for the major bridges we crossed or passed near. From Bristol we followed bike paths and tracks alongside the River Avon, out to Avonmouth. <br />
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Soon after leaving the city we passed under the historic (& very striking) Clifton Suspension Bridge (1864) spanning the Avon Gorge, which was designed by the famous British engineer I K Brunel. <br />
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Then we crossed the river on a cycleway separate from the carriageway on the large bridge on the M5 Motorway. Riding north along linked cyclepaths we saw the 1.6km-long new bridge (1996) across the River Severn estuary, near the top of the Bristol Channel. <br />
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Then, buffetted by a strong crosswind funnelling up the estuary, we went over to Chepstow on the old Severn Bridge (1966), again on a separate cycleway. This bridge is also 1.6km long; on the Welsh side it also crosses the River Wye near its mouth to the estuary. The Wye forms the first part of the border with England. <b><i> [Tuesday 21/6: distance 43 km; climbing 284 m]</i></b><br />
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Late in the day, after arranging a B&B at Chepstow, we walked back to England over rhe border on an elegant cast iron bridge built in 1816 across the Wye, which was at low tide and showed evidence (eg, boats marooned on the mud, and the high tide mark on the opposite bank) of up to 14m difference in tides that occurs daily in this part of the river. This is the 2nd largest tidal difference experienced anywhere in the world. The bridge also gives wonderful views of the Chepstow castle, which dates from 1068.<br />
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The owners of our B&B at Chepstow were also keen cyclists, with a room full of bikes in the basement (just like us!). We had a nice chat with them at breakfast about cycling experiences. The breakfast room had a wonderful view out to the castle, which is at the very back of the row of Georgian houses.<br />
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On Wednesday we rode alongside the meandering River Wye through various towns on our way to Hereford (which gave its name to the white-faced breed of cattle, and has an impressive cathedral) . As well as experiencing beautiful views in the valley, we visited the spectacular ruined abbey at Tintern (just north of Chepstow). <b><i> [Wednesday 22/6: distance 80 km; climbing 977 m]</i></b><i></i> <br />
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The theme of Thursday's ride from Hereford to Ironbridge was "historic market towns": this is the description given to the key towns that we passed through (Leominster, Ludlow & Much Wenlock) that have compact medieval centres with narrow winding streets, lined in part with black & white timber-framed buildings and other buildings also dating from the 15th & 16th centuries. We also passed old buildings like these in villages on our ride on backroads through the pretty countryside. <br />
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At the end of the day we rode down a 25% gradient into the beautiful Ironbridge Gorge, through which runs the Severn River. <b><i>[Thursday 23/6: distance 90 km; climbing 904 m]</i></b><i></i> <br />
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We spent Friday looking around Ironbridge & Coalbrookdale and took in a few museums (there are 10 in total in the area) that show why this valley is variously described as "the birthplace of industry" and "the cradle of the Industrial Revolution". It was here in 1709 that coke (rather than charcoal) was first used by Abraham Darby to smelt iron ore, paving the way for cheaper, mass-produced iron products. <br />
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It is also the location of the first bridge in the world built with cast iron, completed in 1779. (Many thanks to our friend Alan, in Essex, for alerting us about the great museums here and suggesting that we take some time to look around the area.) <br />
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We continue to have good luck with the weather. While it has looked threatening at times during recent days, with long overcast periods, we have not had any further rain whilst riding. </span>Greg and Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18054572705833770736noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016359942866581604.post-924509875293408082011-06-21T03:25:00.000-07:002011-06-21T03:25:48.302-07:00Our ride along the West Country Way<span lang=""></span><span style="font-size: small;">We had a day off in Bristol on Monday to visit nearby Bath by train, after riding 500km over the previous 6 days. But since our last post we've taken a rather different route than we'd planned. After seeing lots of the scenic Cornwall coast (& climbing too many steep coastal hills !) we decided to head inland for the ride through the rest of Cornwall and into Devon and Somerset. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> <br />
While this revised route would partly follow disused rail corridors (called 'rail trails' in Australia) there would also be more sharp hills in other parts, but we reasoned that at least there would be far less traffic to deal with while grinding away uphill.<br />
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So since Padstow we've mostly followed the West Country Way, a signed cycling route developed by Sustrans, a lottery-funded 'sustainable transport' charity that has coordinated the development of the signposted National Cycling Network (NCN) during the last 15 years. <br />
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These routes largely follow lightly-trafficked minor roads and country lanes as well as traffic-free rail trails, bike paths (through towns & cities), canal tow paths and other tracks. Most of the off-road trails are compacted gravel or earth, though some sections are sealed.<br />
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After leaving Wadebridge on Thursday we continued on the Camel Trail (a rail trail) that follows the Camel River east to Bodmin and then north, after which we followed the NCN on minor roads to Holsworthy for an overnight stay at a nice pub. <b><i>[Thursday: 84 km; 911 m of climbing]</i></b><br />
<b><i> </i></b><i></i><br />
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On Friday we followed the NCN from Holsworthy to the Tarka Trail (another rail trail) and followed it for 30km to Barnstaple, where we enjoyed a lovely evening staying with Toni's friends from Moruya Hospital days, John & Carol and their daughters Amie & Rachel. The've been based in Barnstaple for 8 or 9 years. <b><i> [Friday: 64 km; 604 m of climbing]</i></b><br />
<b><i> </i></b><br />
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The Tarka Trail passes through geographical feaures (signedposted along the way) that were used in the fictional account of the life of an otter in Henry Williamson's 1927 novel 'Tarka the Otter', which Greg read as part of the English curriculum in his first year at high school in 1967.<br />
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After leaving Barnstaple on Saturday morning we became lost in some sharp hills for a while then from South Molton followed a the wonderful B3227, a very lightly trafficked minor road near the southern edge of the hilly Exmoor area that took us all the way (about 65 km) to Taunton in Somerset. <br />
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Our map showed the B3227 as the only minor road thoroughfare in this region that was free of the chevron markings that indicate steep hills. It largely traversed the top of a ridge for the first 2/3 of the journey and when it did drop into a valley a couple of times the long climbs out were of moderate gradient. On the rest of the way to Taunton it went along a valley floor on mostly flat terrain. <br />
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Around Bampton we passed lots of cyclists going the other way as part of an event, some of whom commented on our good fortune to have a strong tailwind while they had a corresponding stiff headwind. As with the previous day, we experienced a few showers but were pretty lucky with the weather, which had been forecast to be unpleasant throughout the Southwest over the weekend. <b><i> [Saturday: 89 km;1135 xm of climbing] </i></b><br />
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</div> In Taunton we had the good fortune to find a B&B at a dairy farm just outside the town; we had a wonderful loft room with exposed wooden beams in an old farmhouse.<br />
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From Taunton we largely followed the NCN to Bristol, first alongside the canal that runs to Bridgwater for about 25km and then on minor roads that took us in the vicinity of Gladstonbury (where the legendary annual music festival takes place next weekend). We then followed the Strawberry Line rail trail for much of the way into Bristol.<b><i> [Sunday: 116 km; 643 m of climbing]</i></b><br />
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After having lunch in Bridgwater on Sunday we managed to locate the St John Sreet Cycles (SJS) bike shop, from which we bought (over the internet) the Thorn 'Sherpa' frame for Toni's new touring bike (& which Greg has used for many online bike component purchases over the past 13 years). <br />
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SJS is a touring, audax & tandem specialist but the visit was a disappointment. The shop doesn't open on Saturday or Sunday and peeking through the front window revealed that there was minimal stock of bikes on the floor of the shop and few accessories on the shelves, presumably reflecting its online focus, so we didn't miss much. <br />
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Not that we were looking to make any more cycling purchases. We had just wanted to 'kick some tyres' in a shop that caters exclusively for cycletourists, but still it was interesting to at least see the shop 'in the flesh'. <br />
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</span>Greg and Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18054572705833770736noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016359942866581604.post-23871658865243959942011-06-16T15:22:00.000-07:002011-06-16T15:22:35.532-07:00Beginning of our 'end to end' cycling tour<span style="font-size: small;">Here we are at the 'official' start of our LEJOG at Land's End on Tuesday morning: </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRr-c772Tg_u3We3jZ4p7nIt8EPQ4ZCmk0lj0Ar17BtmxWXlPN9jIjiYmRM6IcxpDRO_5jo3E1A24bg0pqEPxZT50n3NHko5zO8rwNeh7zTo_cmB2_B2J_brisfJRXZ2QRlP5mVNM2iO0/s1600/IMG_0790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRr-c772Tg_u3We3jZ4p7nIt8EPQ4ZCmk0lj0Ar17BtmxWXlPN9jIjiYmRM6IcxpDRO_5jo3E1A24bg0pqEPxZT50n3NHko5zO8rwNeh7zTo_cmB2_B2J_brisfJRXZ2QRlP5mVNM2iO0/s320/IMG_0790.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>We had hoped to provide the maps & elevation profiles from our Garmin GPS computers, but we have been unable to download the data - we'll post them when we solve the technical issue. <br />
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In essence, in the first two days we rode around the Cornish coast from Penzance via Newlyn, St Buryan, Land's End, St Just, St Ives & Hayle to St Agnes (Tuesday), and then via Newquay and Padstow to Wadebridge (Wednesday). There were lots of hills - vertical climbing of about 1300m over the 90km on Tuesday and about 800m over 58km on Wednesday.<br />
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While both rides were hard, we were rewarded with great scenery: stunning coastal cliffs; beautiful sandy beaches, complete with surfers riding the waves (& surf shops everywhere); patchwork-like farmland, with stone farm cottages and sometimes dry stone fences rather than hedges; quaint country villages; and busy medieval towns with narrow winding streets fronting a harbour (St Ives, Newquay & Padstow, which are also blessed with a very attractive harbours and pretty sandy beaches). <br />
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Even the winding, narrow roads in the countryside were attractive, usually lined with high hedges on both sides. On some country lanes the hedges had been allowed to grow so high that there was a canopy over the road for quite a distance. <br />
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Wednesday's ride ended with a walk around the attractive harbour in Padstow and then an 8km ride along a rail trail called the Camel Trail, alongside the scenic estuary of the Camel River. <br />
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And we've stayed at wonderful B&Bs since getting to Penzance, some situated in very old buildings. The B&B yesterday at St Agnes in 'Poldark country' was in an old mansion; it transpired that the aged owner was a friend of the author of the Poldark novels written in the 1950s, which drew on geographical and cultural features of the local area. The stories were made into a TV series in the 70s that both of us watched.<br />
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The lovely B&B we stayed in Wadebride was in a house built in the 1670s ! Added to this, the hosts were also cycletourists, so we had a nice chat about bikes and our respective touring experiences after arriving. We later learned (from a waitress at the restaurant we dined that night) that the male half of the couple is the mayor of Wadebridge and that one of their trips to France they told us about had the theme of cycling from Wadebridge to the French town that it is twinned with in Brittany. <br />
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</span>Greg and Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18054572705833770736noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016359942866581604.post-33313592127458802282011-06-16T14:15:00.000-07:002011-06-16T14:15:07.206-07:00Leaving London for the Southwest<span style="font-size: small;"><i>[we've had a few issues with our UK Vodafail mobile broadband coverage in small towns, so there are a couple of posts in the pipeline - this is the first]</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">We had a nice mix of activities the day before we left London. On Saturday morning we walked via Primrose Hill (which has a great view over central London) to the famous markets at Camden Town and then back via Chalk Farm (where we were enticed into some last minute cycling purchases by the existence of two bike shops).<br />
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In the afternoon we rode alongside canals near Little Venice, between Paddington and Maida Vale (another nice residential area where Greg lived for 18 months in the early 90s) and returned via the busy local shopping area of West Hampstead.<br />
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After an early start on Sunday we reached Paddington Station 45 minutes before our train departed for Penzance, but as the platform number was announced only 10 minutes prior to leaving we had to hurry to the front of the long train to load our bikes in the compartment behind the engine, before collapsing into our reserved seats. <br />
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While it rained virtually the entire time during the 5.5 hour journey, we could still see the attractive countryside and coastline along the way. The hills we witnessed in Devon and Cornwall left us in no doubt about how strenuous the first few days of our ride would be.<br />
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The weather cleared on Monday for our day in Penzance. We we rode for about 25km visiting the pretty harbour at Mousehole and the castle on a small hill island off the coast at Marazion - St Michael's Mount, Cornwall's answer to Le Mont St Michel. <br />
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We were lucky enough to time our visit at low tide, so we rode the bikes most of the way out to the island on hard sand, then walked them back over the causeway as the tide was coming in. We enjoyed Cornish cream tea while watching the tide completely cover the causeway; visitors were then ferried to and from the island by boats. <br />
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</span>Greg and Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18054572705833770736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016359942866581604.post-65703159823351135802011-06-10T15:47:00.000-07:002011-06-10T15:47:00.238-07:00Greetings from Belsize Park, London NW3<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We’ve been in London since Tuesday, staying in a modest B&B hotel in the quiet, untouristed area of Belsize Park, between Swiss Cottage and Hampstead and only 5.5 km from Trafalgar Square.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hotel is in the same street where Greg lived in 1991-92 during a 3-year stint working in London.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So it's not coincidental that we're in this area, which is close to stations on three tube lines enabling quick access to central London.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsoqp9D1CW2YfmjZj3WIJYPDrPEzY1RfQ72OjQPFUzT0gy8HjSE_QaSokgo2Jb8BsVzMv3hVorko8LYm-yMRAPWvrkAiTbrGwyP4GYz16NtVpISk28Rs-Ty191Lvvg06dxFr5PmZgmysc/s1600/IMG_0515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsoqp9D1CW2YfmjZj3WIJYPDrPEzY1RfQ72OjQPFUzT0gy8HjSE_QaSokgo2Jb8BsVzMv3hVorko8LYm-yMRAPWvrkAiTbrGwyP4GYz16NtVpISk28Rs-Ty191Lvvg06dxFr5PmZgmysc/s320/IMG_0515.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The name 'Belsize' derives from a French word 'bel assis' meaning 'beautifully situated'.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The streets in this area are lined on each side with 4-storey 1850s semi-detached Italianate villas (now mostly converted to flats) with white stuccoed facades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This produces an attractive streetscape such that the area was apparently once referred to as 'the white cliffs of Belsize'.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7YG9d0pHW0NGWnINmOGqejJttZU2fRuTc5SLCZ07hRW9Iwz4wQOf57CqlwcS2xaT5JHk1e5OFw-UOkrzpkPUKlhl9Se2zXNbVGGA43yMhz71KmJbQCGyBLM-VGKh6JGjvn7yQJmoQfk/s1600/IMG_0968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7YG9d0pHW0NGWnINmOGqejJttZU2fRuTc5SLCZ07hRW9Iwz4wQOf57CqlwcS2xaT5JHk1e5OFw-UOkrzpkPUKlhl9Se2zXNbVGGA43yMhz71KmJbQCGyBLM-VGKh6JGjvn7yQJmoQfk/s320/IMG_0968.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Tuesday we walked over to Hampstead Heath, which is only a few km away and spent a couple of hours walking on the Heath, which covers 800 acres of grassland, woodland & ponds. We also visited the historic Kenwood House Georgian villa situated on the Heath, before walking back via Hampstead village.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrNiL3b8F5DSDtT_5coRlz0vyFb2KURQX2_s7nrAqYkjXCfTrRu7G_ZUX2RzhwFbYiPburReKza5L_fL7QKJLpwtVDWx9rFNKIEGK1f_Z4yYQ2PtEJfUPDf35t-_t9cEsnQckLDcL4Ho/s1600/IMG_0519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrNiL3b8F5DSDtT_5coRlz0vyFb2KURQX2_s7nrAqYkjXCfTrRu7G_ZUX2RzhwFbYiPburReKza5L_fL7QKJLpwtVDWx9rFNKIEGK1f_Z4yYQ2PtEJfUPDf35t-_t9cEsnQckLDcL4Ho/s320/IMG_0519.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9bgCu0X8j_pPkWmsxf6lfuWsR-Crv8K2ZSzRvY2w7LIfAviLeAqx_QPtT82QW-NlLy0FxgUvAncNkCPra8UBQysZzjXue5IgEFXPhdN-h6ACTlOjIp-_Nv3Ln0A9slS6fI0b55vA0IQ/s1600/IMG_0527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9bgCu0X8j_pPkWmsxf6lfuWsR-Crv8K2ZSzRvY2w7LIfAviLeAqx_QPtT82QW-NlLy0FxgUvAncNkCPra8UBQysZzjXue5IgEFXPhdN-h6ACTlOjIp-_Nv3Ln0A9slS6fI0b55vA0IQ/s320/IMG_0527.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">During the last few days we have taken the tube into the centre of London and out to Greenwich, to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>tour key attractions and have also done some long city walks. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKlnyX4XjU_0fLoQfXqEu4DFwkTw9NlP8XXkcp7Ki_dvDCQUB_10oxSQTgcI-AY-26M-gQca0-Vzwbaz2VlxNsgNzyzo77DmfPGY10l-Re6izmzz2hhuj0GLLGmK3GIjp8-UqXp3-P2C0/s1600/IMG_0555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKlnyX4XjU_0fLoQfXqEu4DFwkTw9NlP8XXkcp7Ki_dvDCQUB_10oxSQTgcI-AY-26M-gQca0-Vzwbaz2VlxNsgNzyzo77DmfPGY10l-Re6izmzz2hhuj0GLLGmK3GIjp8-UqXp3-P2C0/s320/IMG_0555.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfsLrEAvvQdux4COD7ZKMkdrHFA7HYVzx6h44hgUzHlveJO6Xo8n_UlBXKnYsICLSWCQMfN3Q10nyP0mtuUNK7IvldjE3VM4D1CZUlbgGt1rPJdyU6KUqKlKLHKGh3P1ZaCK759O-YPU/s1600/IMG_0635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfsLrEAvvQdux4COD7ZKMkdrHFA7HYVzx6h44hgUzHlveJO6Xo8n_UlBXKnYsICLSWCQMfN3Q10nyP0mtuUNK7IvldjE3VM4D1CZUlbgGt1rPJdyU6KUqKlKLHKGh3P1ZaCK759O-YPU/s320/IMG_0635.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63PxBZQrply7wtnycSh3ETATWPIVpAnKJz2KwWgtCA9iOyhkswcIvTM9faGbJdji0TciZduXAeg3_tqLrs77bw3_VttfLL3uh35jKWvKok4B-gcKA9mfDdbu0v-jRlCOGunrxc8_uE2g/s1600/IMG_1007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63PxBZQrply7wtnycSh3ETATWPIVpAnKJz2KwWgtCA9iOyhkswcIvTM9faGbJdji0TciZduXAeg3_tqLrs77bw3_VttfLL3uh35jKWvKok4B-gcKA9mfDdbu0v-jRlCOGunrxc8_uE2g/s320/IMG_1007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This evening we unpacked the bikes and tomorrow will get organised for the train trip to Penzance early on Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We've seen lots of cyclists here and it's great to see the facilities that have been developed compared with the early 90s, when Greg cycled extensively in and around London.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As well as bike lanes, cycling network signage, priority markings at traffic lights, etc, the docking stations for the recently-introduced bike hire system seem to be everywhere and there’s also the trial of two-storey bike storage facility on a platform inside Paddington Station, which was packed with bikes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWItGCFj1QQ6DbZYkf6m28iyw-pAyX7x_xbpi8ca4vjoeER8TGdfe5_o4FbfaSyXPqjtlgqr1x8DznKQgQzubH-4O5qcikDQQzP_hfXPgeBtfM_3Ug2GGdiW4UCyHLwOCzJ1RHNpfQw6k/s1600/IMG_0533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWItGCFj1QQ6DbZYkf6m28iyw-pAyX7x_xbpi8ca4vjoeER8TGdfe5_o4FbfaSyXPqjtlgqr1x8DznKQgQzubH-4O5qcikDQQzP_hfXPgeBtfM_3Ug2GGdiW4UCyHLwOCzJ1RHNpfQw6k/s320/IMG_0533.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgP2LNWLwWv9e2b7atFDdQHWyTpjpFDxx66ukmHBsl0xhiwK8dvEPRFEbpr0A_YRIVlKDmT8XcK53r-alyW6Anx-LpqSIgZ95EzyQop_wtDr4m7necUSTLdNpGsL2TBI3WqudfUmPiFM/s1600/IMG_1064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgP2LNWLwWv9e2b7atFDdQHWyTpjpFDxx66ukmHBsl0xhiwK8dvEPRFEbpr0A_YRIVlKDmT8XcK53r-alyW6Anx-LpqSIgZ95EzyQop_wtDr4m7necUSTLdNpGsL2TBI3WqudfUmPiFM/s320/IMG_1064.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoPlyHpMKPma_zM3SjE8fRjCdb4od44BvkmNW0Hv-sfDmjVktkIGbz3kizg0tgPAPvzMKtU69cRMxVFC88r7SZOleMn2twyqneZWI88yJLGrcIzFvH45frHgmL7z-UJkKsrCcOjRTPPI/s1600/IMG_1102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoPlyHpMKPma_zM3SjE8fRjCdb4od44BvkmNW0Hv-sfDmjVktkIGbz3kizg0tgPAPvzMKtU69cRMxVFC88r7SZOleMn2twyqneZWI88yJLGrcIzFvH45frHgmL7z-UJkKsrCcOjRTPPI/s320/IMG_1102.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We’ve had mostly good weather but the last few days have been showery at times. This has helped prepare us mentally for the inevitable wet weather on our end to end tour !</span></span></div>Greg and Tonihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18054572705833770736noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1016359942866581604.post-80897760184508934102011-05-20T18:36:00.000-07:002011-05-20T18:36:11.081-07:00Details of our proposed route from Land's End to John O'Groats (LEJOG)<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In June/July 2011 we plan to ride our bicycles from Land's End on the southwestern tip of Cornwall to John O'Groats on the northeastern tip of Scotland. The British call this an 'End to End' or a 'LEJOG'. The map below shows the approx. 1850km course that we propose to take and the table below it shows more detail about the places we plan to pass through. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We fly out from Australia on 6 June and after spending 5 days in London, we'll take a train to Penzance and start our unsupported tour on 14 June. We'll be carrying panniers and staying at B&Bs along the way. We plan to take 3-4 weeks, allowing for time to sightsee along the way and a day off from time to time in interesting places (eg, Bath and Edinburgh) to see more. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our route sticks to lightly trafficked minor roads where possible and takes cycleways & off road paths where available. We developed our route taking into account the following LEJOG examples: the UK Cyclists' Touring Club B&B route (Greg has been a CTC member since 1991); the route in the Lonely Planet Cycling Guide to Britain; and the National Cycling Network routes developed by Sustrans, the UK's 'Sustainable Transport' charity.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In developing our route we also benefited from the End to End discussion list on the CTC site </span><a href="http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=22"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=22</span></a><span style="color: black;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> as well as the information on this site: </span></span><a href="http://www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk/"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk/</span></a> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After finishing the tour (we hope !) we'll return to London by train, perhaps stopping for a few nights here & there along the way to do some day rides or sightseeing. We plan to spend at least another week in London before flying home on 23 July. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Information on our touring bikes, including photos, is provided below the route information.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We will update this blog from time to time during our trip. You can choose to 'follow' the Blog, in which case you will receive an e-mail when we update it, otherwise you can check it from time to time.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRx5E-6u4VaFQtloj5GZDJ7N5j4LWQi88BlnwWoLPOSR2f8sylL2Bp-0OEmkeyGY4r_Ti2LgExIeTO1i7lKljq2vCX9FvL5KGqf8M82Qjdan0vB0sLRGGdMA5RCINCMcY95xZUKdNzk7I/s1600/11-04-29+G%2526T+LEJOG+route+as+at+29+April+-+fltn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRx5E-6u4VaFQtloj5GZDJ7N5j4LWQi88BlnwWoLPOSR2f8sylL2Bp-0OEmkeyGY4r_Ti2LgExIeTO1i7lKljq2vCX9FvL5KGqf8M82Qjdan0vB0sLRGGdMA5RCINCMcY95xZUKdNzk7I/s640/11-04-29+G%2526T+LEJOG+route+as+at+29+April+-+fltn.jpg" width="451" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZKS8hgIfTdx9HDWWjzS3vYnis4xMRaGa3zZy5KMiL5Py3MKXMG2s6WkTR7jD5m2PpiHNZvKgTDPoRtfCNhOhGAD3HGEyLayQbtmR07XYECjGlP5LeHuODA6BJRt0mAnj8vZTO0RRrMo/s1600/11-05-01+G%2526T+LEJOG+route+at+1+May.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="494" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZKS8hgIfTdx9HDWWjzS3vYnis4xMRaGa3zZy5KMiL5Py3MKXMG2s6WkTR7jD5m2PpiHNZvKgTDPoRtfCNhOhGAD3HGEyLayQbtmR07XYECjGlP5LeHuODA6BJRt0mAnj8vZTO0RRrMo/s640/11-05-01+G%2526T+LEJOG+route+at+1+May.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Below are photos of our new touring bikes built with CroMoly steel tubing. The frame on Toni's bike is a Thorn 'Sherpa', from a small UK firm that specialises in touring bikes. Greg's bike has a Surly 'Long Haul Trucker' frame, from a US firm that also builds traditional touring bikes. We purchased the components individually and built up the bikes ourselves (with the exception of the wheels, which were laced by Canberra wheelbuilder Peter Taylor; and the headsets, fitted by Bike Culture). </span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And after the bikes there is a photo of us in action on the Audax Alpine Classic a few years ago. </span><br />
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