Left Chester YHA (not as pleasant as Loch Ness and JOG YHAs) at 7:45, suprisingly felt quite sprightly this morning, had a potter along the river taking a couple of photos before setting off for Whitchurh. Not much wind this morning and made quite good progress but then it started raining so I was tempted by a lock side cafe on the Shropshire Union canal at 9:15. Lovely carrot cake with cream and cappuchino, if it carries on raining I might have another one!
Internet access in the Cafe so thought I'd catch up with things, looks like the weather should be brighter later, nice big sun on the BBC site for 13:00 in Shrewsbury.
Yesterday was a bit tougher, seemed like a headwind most of the way, my maximum speed was only 35mph which considering that included coming down from Shap shows how much effect the wind had. The weather wasn't too bad until near Wigan when it started raining, so St Helens, Widnes and Runcorn didn't look at their best. Runcorn seems like an odd place all these flyovers and expressways off the Runcorn Bridge and no signposts of any use. Eventually I popped out of the maze onto the A56 to Chester.
The day before was good most of it was on the old A74 (replaced now with the M74) that is now really quiet and in places one carriageway of the old dual carriageway has been converted into a cycle lane. A couple of heavy showers in the morning but after 2 bacon rolls for lunch in Moffat the sun came out for a lovely afternoon. I took a couple of diversions as I got closer to Carlisle and came across a "Devils Porridge Exhibition" in Earlsrigg near Gretna. This was about the 1st world war munitions factory built here in 1915 where 30,000 people worked on a site 9 miles long!
Got to Carlisle in time to get to Palace Cycles and get a new cycle computer but I left my helmet in the bike shop and only realised the next morning when I was nearly in Penrith. So I bought a new helmet in Kendal and now have a spare one in Carlisle just in case I ever need it! Thanks to Alison for looking after and feeding me so well in Carlisle and for the donation.
Rain is even heavier now so perhaps I'll go and get some more cake.
Sorry Meg but the camera on your phone seems to have stopped working (we'll have to send it back) so no photos at the moment.
Friday, 29 June 2007
Thursday, 28 June 2007
Day 4
Got to Chester, 140 miles today, doing well, muscles not too sore. These blogs are getting shorter from me aren't they, I'm sure he'll send me something better to write later, but just wanted to let you know he got there:) Suzie
Day 3
Nice short ride, 110miles! according to Roger. Doesn't sound short to me. Got to Carlisle and had a wander round and a meal, sounded very relaxed and happy. Roger'll write a more poetic post later! Suzie
Wednesday, 27 June 2007
Day 2
Well down south sounds like you're all flooded out but up here it's been glorious. Cycling up Glen Coe in the sunshine was spectacular and the road was quieter than I expected. It was tempting to stop every few minutes for another photo opportunity.
Left at 7:45 and then after stopping for a while at the Commando Monument and admiring the view of Ben Nevis I brunched at about 11 in a cafe in Fort William high street and pumped up the tyres in the bike shop next door. Then met up with Di, Polly and Maya at 16:00 at Tarbet by Loch Lomond. Lovely to see them and to have a rest with a bit of tea and cake, hopefuly Suzie will get a photo of the girls on the blog in the morning.
From there a good cycle path along the Loch, which links up somehow at Dumbarton with one into Glasgow along the canal, although I missed a turning and ended up going alongside the wrong canal. This meant I ended up too far North and having to negotiate the numerous traffic lights on the Great Western Road in to the city centre, before heading south to arrive at Keiths flat in Govan Hill at about 20:15.
A lovely meal with Keith and a wee taste of whisky, when in Scotland...
For Suzie and Kipper, I actually got the binoculas out last night by Loch Ness to have a closer look at what Keith and I think was probably a Buzzard, so I feel a bit better about lugging them all this way now!
Day 2 151.7 miles according to Andy's GPS, not sure about the average etc. as my speedometer on the bike decided to pack up at Fort William for some reason, why do those things never seem to last very long?
Kyle, not sure that I'll be running by next Thursday, legs are feeling a bit stiff!!!
Left at 7:45 and then after stopping for a while at the Commando Monument and admiring the view of Ben Nevis I brunched at about 11 in a cafe in Fort William high street and pumped up the tyres in the bike shop next door. Then met up with Di, Polly and Maya at 16:00 at Tarbet by Loch Lomond. Lovely to see them and to have a rest with a bit of tea and cake, hopefuly Suzie will get a photo of the girls on the blog in the morning.
From there a good cycle path along the Loch, which links up somehow at Dumbarton with one into Glasgow along the canal, although I missed a turning and ended up going alongside the wrong canal. This meant I ended up too far North and having to negotiate the numerous traffic lights on the Great Western Road in to the city centre, before heading south to arrive at Keiths flat in Govan Hill at about 20:15.
A lovely meal with Keith and a wee taste of whisky, when in Scotland...
For Suzie and Kipper, I actually got the binoculas out last night by Loch Ness to have a closer look at what Keith and I think was probably a Buzzard, so I feel a bit better about lugging them all this way now!
Day 2 151.7 miles according to Andy's GPS, not sure about the average etc. as my speedometer on the bike decided to pack up at Fort William for some reason, why do those things never seem to last very long?
Kyle, not sure that I'll be running by next Thursday, legs are feeling a bit stiff!!!
Tuesday, 26 June 2007
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