Day 7

Och aye Jimmy(s). Left our adults only campsite (oddly quiet) just north of Carlisle at a record early 7.50. We then schlaped it 20 miles down the road to the border for tourist pictures - my eyes like the perverbial holes in the snow. Immediately, we bumped into a Scottish policeman with our first Scottish accent. Head down in the saddle for 2 hours can result in almost an entirely different dialect.

Langholm followed in close order. It was good of the local community to turn out en masse on horseback with the local brass band to celebrate our arrival. Then it was the Borders. We were literally flying at this stage, propelled up, and down, 3 long but steady hills, by a welcome south westerly and sunshine. We hit Peebles with 70 miles under our belts at around 2.30. Cakes and coffee were stowed on board and we belted down to Edinburgh!

I write from a pub near Mikey and Lucy Teall's house awaiting their return. Dr James' sister Heather joins us too later for some mid journey celebration. The plan is being hatched but may involve a few drinks tonight, and a lie in tomorrow as we make the most of anticipated excellent hospitality. The rain that has just followed us here may influence us a little. The hail that Hanky tells me is on its way for the next few days should be fun...
Love and tablet (Scottish shortbread apparently), J

Day 6

Phew. Again. This is relentless. What we don't do for charidy..! 99 miles today to Carlisle. Didn't have enough energy to ride round the campsite for centurian status again. A good day all round. Perhaps due to the exhuberant send off Mrs Stevens gave us by tying baloons to our bikes - made a good picture and an interesting few miles. The ride started wet, of course, and we hit some very long and hard climbs early on.

But we made 30 miles before our first Full English of the trip. FEOB (FE On Board), as an old friend Mike Frain used to say, we then hit a lovely rolling valley before another beautiful monster. The route then took the old A6 road between the lakes and the dales, crossing the M6 about 10 times. We then turned into Fabian Cancellara and Bradley Wiggins timetrialling our way through to Penrith (with a double cake stop) and to Carlisle where we called it quits.

A few observations today. I look as though I have been through 10 rounds with Mike Tyson, the bags under my eyes are growing by the day. I have finally found a rattle on my bike after the last 200 miles! Cafés are better up north - independent ownership, table service, friendly staff, and quality cakes and flapjack, I had Guiness and chocolate cake today! So there we have it. 99 miles at an average of 11.6mph. Over half way.
Love and a rather thirst quenching can of coke at J38 services of the M6, J

Day 5

Thanks to everyone who has commented on the blog and sent support, it's great to have your support from afar, and expert advice! Keep pedalling your comments this way... Huge day today - 111 miles. And most of it in the right direction! Sadly we have to report the loss of cheery dangerous Dave Pearce. He clocked a cracking 160 plus miles with us since Bristol but peeled off at Crewe for a train back home. His chirpiness, bird recognition and pastie eating skills will be all missed.

I am using so much energy cycling that my face has given up pushing out facial hair every day. I put life and death questions like this to Dr James but they don't seem to cover the impertant stuff at medical school any more. Today's riding geography split in two. From Telford to around Manchester was pancake flat, wind from the south east (good) but wet. We did 70 miles before delicious lunch at a Victorian tearoom.

After lunch it dried off, but got lumpier and windier. Once in the true north Dr James found these hard miles easier and has now properly shaken early lejog ailments. Once we hit 100 miles, our centurian status was strangely acknowledged by a lady rider passing the other way, displaying a little more than her admiration! We found a lovely camping barn near Clitheroe with an exceptionally generous proprietor who allowed us to use the shower in his house, and waived our charge for charity. Nice!

We were also welcomed by Dr James' mum with a fresh support and cheer. She even joined us for dinner and bravely stayed in the barn on a couple of rugs and within earshot of the interminanable snoring! For the record we did 111 miles at 13.5mph. Bums and plums as good as can be expected.
Love and flapjack, J

Day 4

Blogging takes time! And we don't have much of it. There are still 24 hours in a day, but when we're not cycling we're eating, sleeping, packing, unpacking or fixing bikes! I'm trying to get a day back on the blog by writing this late at night actually ON day 4! Today was mostly a blast. Things we're looking good at Sue's tea house and bakery at 12 o'clock with 40 miles under our belts. Wind behind and largely flat terrain helped. Then, guess what...?

Dr James' rear tyre split. We diverted quickly to a bikeshop near Ironbridge and another lovely pastry shop. New tyres, a loss of around an hour and a half and we were back en route, this time in rain. 20 miles later and soaking we rocked up at a campsite, saw the muddy field and I promptly enquired about the self catering accommodation! We got sorted with a cheap cottage in mid rennovation and life felt
good, very good.

95 miles today, but not all in the right direction. A speedy 13.1 mph. Dangerous Dave has been a stalwart, supporting us with his cheery disposition and monster climbing legs - he has gears for the flat only. His food intake has been similarly impressive today - 7 pasties, 2 bananas, 2 cakes, chocolate, lasagne and a pudding, at least! Dr
James is looking like Keith from The Prodigy when his helmet comes off and I walk like John Wayne.
Love and banoffee our with custard, J

Day 3

Today's early morning mishap - Dr James snapping his chain 1 mile in. His bike is characterful and old but a little prone to breakages. Eventually made it over the Quantocks and into Bridgwater where we both got new brake blocks and the Dr a new rear derailleur. Heads down across the Somerset levels then and blown up the Cheddar Gorge with a lovely tail wind. No rain jackets required Phil Collins).

A quick blast around the south and west of Bristol, making up time. Then a big moment, our first guest rider, the one and only Dave Pearce - yes the famous Bristol legend. He turned up resplendent on his Canondale from the same era as the two Jameses bikes and immediately fitted into the team. In fact Dave played a loyal team domestique role to team James and broke wind all the way across the Severn Bridge.

Bouyed by the newboy we hotfooted to a lovely Forest of Dean campsite near Coleford. Mileage today 86 miles (good but still short of required). Average 12.4mph. Nature watch has picked up since Dave Pearce arrived recognising buzzards through their calls - great to have him on board.
Love and a nice steak pie, J

Day 2

Alarm didn't go off. Woke up to sound of rain instead. Packed up an even heavier than usual wet tent and set off. Wrong turn early on and a nice detour over a large hill - the first of many. Devon is not flat by the way. And Exmoor is even lumpier. Remember that. Up and down all day and so were our spirits. Dr James' brakes wore through leaving him with only fronts - he is cautious at the best of times!

I bonked towards the end - a cycling term for losing all enegy - but was saved by flapjack. As well as hilly, our route was devoid of all civilisation, so when it came to filling our bellies and finding somewhere dry we had to crack on another 10 miles or so to a little village called Bishops Lydeard. And good things come to those that cycle hard with a warm welcome in a friendly local pub.

We ordered tea, a room, a log for the fire and settled in! The roaring fire and local steaks made all the hard miles seem worthwhile - retrospeative enjoyment. Mileage today 75 miles. Average 10.8mph. Need to catch up tomorrow. Still no celebrities spotted although Dr James' elbows are looking more and more like Frank Schleck's every day.
Love and sticky toffee puddings, J

Day 1

Day 1 complete, phew. Reached Bude, 98 miles of rolling b-roads from Land's End. It's 11pm now and James is snoring. Bellys full of curry - the athletes choice.
What a day! Sunny, low twenties and a perfect SW tail wind. A few minor disasters early on - no 'lands end' signpost present for the pictures, a wrong turn, lack of coffee shops on nodmin moor etc - and Dr James' jacket fell off his rack. He was helpfully informed by the lady at Penzance police station that 'Lance doesn't lose his jacket'.

I too had indispensable advice from a passing top level cycling coach... 'keep pedalling'! Spirits are high and banter supportive. Nature is key to keeping morale up, azelia spotting in particular - there's lots in Cornwall and I insist they are rodidendronds. No celebrity sightings yet, or even lookalikes. Too much roadkill to report. Average speed 12.7mph. Tomorrow... Devon, crossing the beast of Exmoor and into Somerset.
Love and peas, James P