Barbs's Big Bike RIde

This year I have decided to stay and enjoy an English Spring. It has been a long time coming but at last it is here and I am off to explore my own back yard. Well actually travelling up the UK mainland as far north as possible before 21st June and see how close I can get to the Midnight Sun.


After my travels along the Camino de Santiago across northern Spain last September on my trusty old iron donkey, I have bought a lighter bike in the hope that I can get up a few more hills and by going from Lands End to John o Groats (LEJOG) I can avoid the killing headwinds of the Spanish meseta.


So here she is, we had a jolly naming ceremony on Saturday and hopefully the good friends, food and weather I enjoyed will carry me through to the farthest northern climes. Thank you all for a great send off, admirably topped off with one too many pints The Village Bike listening to Mojo Triangle.


And she is called Eleanor, isn't she beautiful, I hope I still have such tender feelings after 6 hours in the saddle, but probably only in the nether regions I fear.


The map link on the right will show a rough itinerary and route and I will try try to update with my actual route, if I can work out how and where I am as I go along, you know there will be little correlation but I will get there or somewhere in the end!


If you want an email update, submit your address in the box also on right and hopefully it will find its way through the ether to you.

Friday, 31 May 2013

The Assynt

I decided to fill in some time by taking the coast route.
Another sunny morning and I was very quickly feeling the heat.  I decided to head for Achnahaird beach.  Although there were good few climbs I managed to pedal them and the views when I got there were amazing in the truest sense of the word, just range upon range of big lumps of volcanic rock.
The water in the loch was the deepest of blue and the sea azure, it was a blue almost cloudless sky with enough breeze to keep the midgets at bay. There is no way my phone photos can do it justice.  I have ended the day at Achmelvich beach hostel which promises some of the best sunsets, and with 40 miles onthe clock it can't be a more perfect cycling day.
Except to add that I am having a celebratory wee dram as I have passed 500miles on the odometer and assuming it was at least 500 miles to Penrith, I have passed the 1000 mile mark, cheers.

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