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Day 13: Lochranza (Isle of Arran) to Oban

| Zapfly

Total mileage: 67
Terrain: Undulating landscape with extreme weather and floading

After enjoying a relaxed evening in Lochanza YHA, we turned in for bed, only to find that our dorm (male dorm that Pete and I were in) had a very smelly guy in it, along with a couple of loud snorers.  Suffice it to say, neither of us were in the mood for a night of that, so we crept into the girl’s dorm, where Mary was, and ended up grabbing a decent night’s sleep there instead.

As it turned out, this was a useful move as Day 13 was a tough day.  We caught the ferry at 9am from the tiny ferry port over to Claonaig on the mainland.  As we pulled out of the harbour, we could see the dark clouds looming over Arran.  By the time we were close to Claonaig, the rain began to fall and the temperature to drop.

The smelly guy from our dorm the previous night was onboard, and still stank.  Clearly, although it rained all the time, Scots hate showers…  We all huddled into the confined space of a bus shelter to clad ourselves in Gortex.  Due to the smell, we left in haste.

The B8801 road northwards felt incredibly remote and isolated.  We passed very few cars or houses.  It felt much more like we were pioneers that at any previous point.  The chill form the rain began to have a negative effect on our moods.

We joined a slightly more major road, the A83 at Kennacraig and turned north east.  We stopped at West Talbot for some warm food, which made a huge difference.  The town is centred on a lovely little port.  Had the weather not been so bad, it might have been as pleasant as any of the villages we had passed in Cornwall and Devon weeks before.

Heading out of the village due north, we cycled parallel to a large sea loch.  Although the weather was still foul, the addition of this beautiful scenery did wonders for our mood and we began to pick up the pace.  Our luck was soon to chance though as the weather proved to be more of an obstacle than we had anticipated.

Just outside of Ballenoch, on the B841, the roads were under a foot of water.  Cars gingerly drove through the floods in single file to avoid causing a potentially damaging wake that might flood another person’s car as the water was above most car’s door lines.  We had no option but to cycle through.  I was especially happy that I had opted for waterproof luggage on my bike.  However, our footwear did not fare as well.  We had to crunch the 400m flood in a low gear and spin fast to avoid coming off whilst cycling against the body of water.  To be honest, we were all in stitches as it seemed so absolutely absurd.  We were already soaked, so this was not such a nightmare.  Many of the car drives smiled and beeped as we cycled past.

Further along the road, the locals had erected a barrier as the road ahead had been completely flooded under a few meters of water and was now impassable.  We were forced to either double back or take a very minor B road.  Although this added a few more miles to the journey, the alternative of turning back was not something any of us wanted to do.  We were rewarded with one of the best bits of cycling on the entire trip.  The roads were small but perfect for cycling.  The rain eased up a little and the sky became dramatic without being overbearing.  The terrain was very hilly but the sense of achievement counter balanced any negatives.

Back on the main road and the riding got easier although the hills continued to rise and fall consistently.  The only issue we encountered for the rest of the day was an idiot driving dangerously.  I was at the back of the group when he over took me on a blind corner.  The car coming the other way forced him to pull in and he narrowly missed hitting May and Pete.  He continued to demonstrate what a complete and utter prick he was by stamping on his brakes in the middle of the road when Mary waved her fist at him for being such a wreckless river.  What ensued was a farce as he blocked the traffic and got out of his car to shout obscenities at us.

In the entire cycle ride, this was on the only incident we had, which I should take solace in.  However, he was such an arse hole, it took the wind out of our sales.  We decided to call it a day in Oban and reward ourselves with a nice B&B, mainly because none of us had any dry clothes left.

Although the incident still makes me a little angry, the day was quite an adventure with some stunning scenery.  All in all, had the weather been better and without the idiot drover, it would have been one of my favourite days of the trip.

Day 10: Hazelslack to Hesket Newmarket

| Zapfly

Total mileage: 52
Terrain: Hills – Very challenging with many steep climbs

All of us had been very excited about the Lakes and the terrain ahead.  The campsite at Hazelslack, although it smelt of crap occasionally, was very comfortable.  We felt rested and ready for the day ahead.

We headed up to Windermere, passing along the lake side.  The weather, which had looked so promising, began to look more oppressive.  Dark clouds rolled in and the undulating landscape all combined to make us think twice about our destination point for the day.

We stopped in Ambleside for a large lunch and missed the short rain storm.  The food was good, the weather got much better and we all felt really up beat.  Next, we headed north, towards Kendal.

We had to climb perhaps the single toughest hill of the entire Le Jog trip to get there however.  The continual uphill was unrelenting.  Bathed in sweat, we reached the top of the hill to be greeted with a fantastic view of the surrounding countryside and the promise of a long downhill stretch.

Taking a small B road to the north east to avoid Kendal, we travelled along one of my top 3 roads for the whole trip.  The scenery was just fantastic.  Thereafter, we started heading due north through the hills and away from the A roads.  We ended up going through a system of gates to keep sheep within the farmer’s enclosures, all of which added more flavour to the day’s cycling.

Eventually, the rain storms caught up with us again as we were about 5 miles south of Hesket Newmarket.  In an attempt not to be soaked, we cycled at full pelt downhill.  I managed to catch up with a wasp, indeed ramming it from behind.  This ended up with the bloody thing stinging me and being stuck in my chest.  Really unpleasant…

That evening, we stayed in a barn at the end of a 3 mile driveway.  The farmer’s wife, Judy, was really friendly and cooked us a lovely meal, evening giving us a bottle of wine.  It really made our day – definitely one of my favourite days of the cycle ride.

Day 8: Kelsall to Ecclestone

| Zapfly

Total mileage: 55
Terrain: Hills – Easy but dull urban cycling

Having an easy day was a good way to easy off especially as I had been feeling ropey.  My knee continued to be a source of continual concern a it was quite painful as the day ran its course.  Mary was in much the same state.  Pete however, seemed to be resilient in all but his behind.  That said, we were all suffering a little as the Brooks saddles had not yet broken in comfortably.

Today’s cycling was pretty non-descript really.  We cycled through a lot of urban landscape, most of which was pretty grim.  We got lost crossing the Mersey and were helped out by a lovely guy called Jimmy.  He guided over the river at Runcorn and told us the way to go, to avoid the downtown sprawl north of there.  Unfortunately, this was advice we all thought the other had listened to as we got hopelessly lost.  Eventually, we spoke with an AA guy talking his lunch break who told us the best route.

Overall, the day was perhaps one of the most forgettable of the entire trip.  We stopped in Ecclestone and stayed in a B&B.  Most of the day was spent looking at grim scenery and cycling through depressed urban landscapes.

Day 7: Middleton to Kelsall

| Zapfly

Total mileage: 56
Terrain: Hills – Comfortable with a few hills

After the previous day’s ride, all three of us were pretty tired.  We had decided to make it a short cycle day an to have the afternoon to relax, wherever we ended up.

The weather was fantastic as we retraced a few miles back on the previous day’s journey along the busy A road.  Once back on the small country roads, the traffic disappeared and the cycling was good.

We stopped for a bite to eat at a small grocery in a tiny village, which I have forgotten the name of.  From here, we headed past a field with a satellite dish plonked in the middle of it, very surreal.

Overall, the cycling was enjoyable but nothing spectacular.  The camping site was fully and we ended up having to pitch at the bottom of a slope.  However, the locals were extremely friendly and offered us from bangers and a drink!

The only ol in the ointment was that I felt terrible (probably too much sun) and Pete had a nightmare trying to organise our return journeys from John O’Groats

Day 6: Ewyas Harold to Middleton

| Zapfly

Total mileage: 85
Terrain: Hills – Sustained high climbing

Today was a hard, hard day in the saddle.  We cycled for 13 hours over some of the toughest terrain of the trip and ended up pulling in to the camp ground after dark.  That was not great as the campsite was on a major road and the traffic was unrelenting.

After a sterling breakfast and a generous contribution to the cycling fund by Mark, we started the log slog.  The countryside was undulating to varying degrees of punishment.  We had our first encounter of inclement weather, with a sudden downpour in mid hill climb.  Although we sported out waterproof jackets, the temperature was sufficiently warm as to make us all rather clammy within moments of donning our Gortex.

The landscape was very similar to Devon with perhaps more sheep.  We travelled via Hereford, a rather non-descript town, then northwards to Ludlow, Craven Arms and Church Stretton.  We side stepped Shrewbery and headed over to Oswestry, turning north east to Middleton, where we camped.

13 hours cycling is tough and the setting sun was stressful as none of us had decent lights as we had not intended to cycle in the evenings.  We also got lost which cost us precious time and added another 8 miles to our ride.  However, over coming the challenge was really rewarding.  None of us were up for more than eating, washing and then sleep.  Although we were quite jubilant, none of us had enough energy to share our enthusiasm.

I will remember the day in particular as it was out longest day in the saddle for the whole trip.  Although 85 miles might not seem that far to some, you have to remember that we were on heavy bikes, with large loads, cycling through very hilly terrain.  Add to that the fact that both Mary and I were suffering from knee injuries and were knocking back pain killers periodically; I was really chuffed with the day’s achievements.

A Healthy Glow

| Peter
Perhaps a little aftersun Julio?
Perhaps a little aftersun Julio?
Bridges, Canals and General English Pleasantness
An attempt to ween ourselves of fryups
An attempt to ween ourselves of fryups
Everything. So much colourful, prepackacked, un-organic goodness for lunch that day!
Everything. So much colourful, prepackacked, un-organic goodness for lunch that day!

Day 5: Yatton to Ewyas Harold

| Zapfly

Total mileage: 72
Terrain: Hills – challenging with some really tough moments

After the pleasure and comfort afforded us by Andrew, we headed off, through the increasingly complex urban streets and cul-de-sacs of Yatton on a glorious sunny morn.  Although we got underway in the rush hour, we soon left the slow moving traffic behind by taking smaller, less obvious routes.

Within half an hour, we crossed the M5 and then headed up towards Avonmouth, via Clevedon and Portishead.  Much of the route was along intense A roads but fortunately the West Country drivers were courteous enough to pass us at a sensible distance.

Avonmouth is an absolute hole of a place where we unfortunately were stuck for an hour or so as the signs were nonsensical.  After talking to a teacher manning the gates of a local school, we found our way onto the cycle path and over to Seven Beach, where we jumped onto the Severn Bridge and crossed our first border.

Wales much not surprisingly much the same as England, save for the broken glass on the cycle track.  We headed towards Chepstow for lunch and found a small grassy knoll.

After filling our bellies up, we took the A466 on one of the best rides of the trip, through the Welsh valleys up to Monmouth.  The mountainous landscape covered in green trees was much like Scandinavia.  We all pelted around the roads at great speed, enjoying the relatively traffic-free roads.

After getting lost in Monmouth, we escaped, taking another very pleasant road, the B4347, north west towards Pontrilas.  We were all pretty knackered as the terrain was very hilly.  All of us were on heavy steal bikes, weighed down by our luggage.  Although we had anticipated that the toughest parts were in Devon and Cornwall, Wales offered equally challenging roads.

We passed through Ewyas Harold ending up in Abbey Dore.  Unfortunately, due to a completely random choir singing contest, we were unable to find anywhere to stay.  We were lucky enough to befriend a local publican who called a few B&Bs in the area, and ended up finding us a lovely room back in Ewyas Harold.

We were greeted by the landlord, Mark, who turned out to be a lovely guy.  He and his daughter invited us in with a very cheery demeanour and cooked us a sumptuous meal, much needed after the long day’s ride.

Day 4: Sanford Peverall to Yatton

| Zapfly

Total mileage: 62
Terrain: Hills – very challenging

We got back onto the canal in the morning to ride northwards. Unfortunately, the pathway was not asphalt and with our steel bikes loaded down with all our gear, we soon had enough of bumping over the uneven ground.

We crossed under the M5 and over towards Glastonbury. From our uncomfortable lunch spot on the recently harvested hillside, we could see the tower in Glastonbury and the looming Mendips in the distance.

We stopped for some sugary energy just shy of an enormous hill, which turned out to be a good thing as the ride up was intense. It took well over 30 minutes of hard climbing to get over the hill. On the other side, we managed to get lost, always a pain when you are tired.

Mary had called ahead and organised for us to stay with Andrew, a family friend based in Yatton. Andrew was a true gent and looked after us well. I am pretty sure we stank when we rolled up as he mentioned that we should launder our cycle gear almost instantly.

This has to be one of the biggest hassles about cycling and camping. Although we wanted to wild camp, you really need a shower at the end of the day, especially if the weather is as warm as it was. You also have to wash your clothes to avoid crutch rot. So, the luxury of being able to both wash and dry our clothes was a real bonus. Otherwise, we were constantly cycling with all our wet clothes tied to the bike bags, looking like a mobile Chinese laundry.