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.

Monday, 3 June 2013

Cape Wrath

Another short day in prospect to Durness.  The wind was behind me again and so it felt like I was flying through the Sutherland hills, so much so I arrived at the ferry turning by 12 o clock, the weather looked good so I decided to catch the next ferry.  I had been warned that the road was not good enough for road bikes so I reluctantly left Eleanor tucked behind a wall.  Some one on the boat informed me that a friend had 15 punctures when she cycle it so a good decision to take the minibus.
Unfortunately the weather drew in as we arrived and as you only get an hour before the bus returns I rushed around trying to get photos in the rain. Of course the weather completely changed just before we left so I had rush around again, narrowly avoiding the 300ft cliff drop.

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1 comment:

  1. Unknown3 June 2013 at 23:22

    Very jealous of all this blue sky stuff which makes for such grand vistas. And thanks for the retirement village advice - but as I think we all know GailVille is definitely going to be located SOUTH! The Scottish cake baking skills appear to be on a par with the local wee dram production industry and it's a very good thing you are sampling both whilst you have the opportunity. Take care no more spills. G xxx

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