The Ride Day 8

It is a measure of something, I do not know what, that's a ride of 110 miles seems relatively moderate after what we have been through this week, and particularly yesterday.

Certainly, yesterday's extremes both of length and weather conditions has put everything else into perspective. The general feeling in the account is that if we can manage that we can manage anything and 110 miles holds no fears.

Today was payback time in terms of weather conditions. Although the day started dank and cold it warmed up and within a couple of hours we were riding in bright sun although still with a chilly winter.

I started a bit late and knew that my two riding partners were ahead of me and so put my head down and chased. After about 40 minutes I was caught by a group of four riding faster than me so I latched onto the back of them and the five of us took it in turns to ride in the wind with the other 4 sheltering behind to recover before coming to the front to do their turn. We really hammered it and for about an hour must've been riding at an average speed of close to 25 mph.

Despite this it took almost to the first feed station for me to catch my "team". I knew I'd pay for this later but it was worth it for the exhilaration of speeding along beautiful fast roads with no traffic.

We then rode along the shores of Loch Ness which was unbelievably scenic and then treated ourselves to a cappuccino by the waterfront in Inverness.

We then climbed the moors into Sutherland where we were struck by some really strong crosswinds which were blowing us all over the place but we got down safely to base camp still in lovely sunshine.

So last night in camp and tomorrow we ride to John o'Groats. Hard to accept we have almost done it. Lands End seems light years away.

The Ride Day 7

This will be a short update, dear public, as I need an early night.

Suffice to say that today, because of a landslide, our route was diverted at one point adding 7 miles to what was already by far the longest stage of the ride. So that meant a mere 134 miles over Rannoch Moor and down Glencoe to finish a few miles the other side of Fort William.

To make things really interesting the weather overnight had been atrocious with gale force winds brining in squally showers all night. You notice that sort of thing in a tent. Breakfast was a sober affair with lots of worried, sleep deprived faces - and with good reason.

We were 'allowed' to start early because of the longer day and our little team of 3 set off at 6.30 am.

Skirting through the western Glasgow suburbs we were very aware of the still very strong head/cross winds. It was also wet but not torrentially so.

We made good time through some pretty countryside and after Callender stopped for a coffee, which felt a real indulgence.

Amazingly the weather turned in our favour while we climbed up to Rannoch Moor. We saw some sun and the scenery up there was truly magnificent. I'd not seen this since Helen and I had ridden up from Crianlanarch many years ago on loaded touring bikes.

But despite the sun the riding was brutal because of the ferocity of the headwind and we had to work very hard to make headway. Both up and down! There is particular unfairness having to fight your way down a long descent after a gruelling climb.

We had one indulgence. Chris suggested a 'wee dram' at the pub in Glencoe Village. We deviated a mile down a beautiful side valley and surprised the locals somewhat who are more used to climbers than exhausted, sweaty cyclists.

Fortified, we carried on down and along the stunning coastline to Fort William.

This had to be one of the hardest days I have ever had on a bike but one of the most rewarding too. It was truly uplifting to see riders helping and encouraging others and applauding in the slower riders who didn't arrive in camp until after 8.00 pm

2 days to go. I need to sleep!

The Ride Day 6

On paper today's stage looked relatively 'easy'. 106 miles but no horrendous climbing and we assumed good fast roads to Hamilton Racecourse south of Glasgow.

I started with soggy wet shoes and still sporting my uber-specialised freezer bag inserts. I knew Vicky had started before me so put the hammer down to join her, riding the first 10 miles alone and then working with 4 fast riders who caught me for the next 25. That way I averaged 18.5 mph for the first 35 miles, much faster than normal.

But I didn't catch Vicky who had gone off like a rocket and was the very rider to reach Scotland. Chapeau to her!

The second stage was wet and pretty miserable. We rode with Chris, a psychologist from Fife and managed to keep our spirits up although they dipped at one point after an incident involving 2 other riders.

I then punctured and this cheered us up no end. I had loaned Vicky my jacket at the first feed stop as she was so cold. I was fine while riding but needed protection while standing still to change the tube. Chris had a spare cape which I couldn't work out how to put on. I received forceable assistance which still didn't work and hurt too. It then dawned that removing my helmet might help!

The final run in to Hamilton was pretty awful due to the combined effect of a tough headwind and atrocious road surfaces but we made base camp in good time.

It was really lovely to be cheered in by Lisa and Colin and to sit and relax with them.

Tomorrow is going to be the big one. 130 miles over wild country and bad weather predicted. Well, I knew this would be no picnic...

The Ride Day 5

As I sit here in the warmth of the catering tent it is hard to accept or describe the scene outside. Imagine the love child of Glastonbury and a Somme battlefield and you will not be far out.

We were warned last night that today's base camp at Penrith had been flooded and to prepare ourselves for a challenging night. The Deloitte RAB crew have done an excellent job of mitigating the inevitable discomfort but you can't drain a swamp overnight.

The drying room is full to overbrimming and is an Aladdin's cave of posh but fetid hanging Lycra and cycle shoes. I don't quite get the logic of the 90 per cent of riders who have deposited their shoes there. Do they think the site will be bone dry tomorrow? Their shoes will be saturated again by the time they have walked to their bikes for sure, and they will have a matching pair of muddy non-cycling shoes as well.

My cunning plan (and there is so much about tonight's site that smacks of an episode of Blackadder) was to keep wearing my sodden cycling shoes but inside them to have layers of socks, survival foil and a freezer bag. This way I keep my ordinary shoes dry. OK the penalty is trench foot but you can't have everything,

Today's ride was ranked as the hardest day since Cornwall. We first has to negotiate the badlands of Wigan but did eventually make it to rural roads. All this in pretty torrential rain. I rode all today with Vicky the Demon Descender and we really attacked the first 30 miles making good time and keeping warm despite the soaking.

At one point Sarah Storey, the paraolympian cyclist who was fresh from her 4 gold medals, sped past us. I couldn't resist jumping on her wheel (a cycling expression meaning 'follow closely' rather than anything more literal!) and surprised myself by being able to stay in this exalted company for a reasonable time, OK she was on cruise control and i was eyeballs out with the effort but hey, she's younger than me,

It carried on raining but we were so lucky that our ascent of Shap Fell was in sunshine. The views were great but so was the effort needed both because of the gradient and the cold strong head wind all the way up. This continued all the way to Penrith. I have never had to put so much effort into riding downhill.

But I feel I am getting stronger each day and although extremely tired the thought I have now ridden over 500 miles and my fundraising today reached £5,000 will spur me on tomorrow into Scotland as will the thought of seeing my sister Lisa and her partner Colin tomorrow night at Hamilton, near Glasgow.

The Ride Day 4

Things didn't exactly get off to a great start for me today. Riding 106 miles on 2 hours sleep is not in the training manual and I confess to feeling a little miserable when dawn broke and it was time to do it all again.

I did start to buck up over my rather late breakfast. It's not every day that an Olympic gold medalist sits down at your table and starts chatting over a full English breakfast.

Rebecca Romero is a very unique athlete. An Olympic silver medallist and World Champion in the sport of rowing, Rebecca took up cycling with the aim of achieving the same elite standard. In a rapid rise through the ranks in track cycling she shattered British records and became double World Champion and Olympic Champion all within two and a half years in the sport. This made her the first British athlete and only the second woman in history to medal in two different sports.

Meantime, unknown to either of us and completely by chance our bikes were getting close up and personal as I discovered when I went to collect mine. There was no mistaking her state of the art time trial machine there in the racking the very next one to mine.

We started with a climb over the Shropshire hills before dropping down and on to the Cheshire plains. It should have been the easiest day but we were greeted by a very cold headwind which made life somewhat more uncomfortable. I started gently but by the second feed station was feeling back to normal, rolling in to Base Camp at Haydock Racecourse with a large group. Fantastic to see the 2 downhill skier paralympians riding hand cycles with us today. How hard must that be?

Our briefing this evening was brimming with Olympians and Para Olympians all encouraging and motivating us.

To be precise, James Cracknell, Sarah Storey and Barney Storey.

Tomorrow we cross Shap Fell en route to Penrith. Time for bed!

The Ride Day 3

After the ups, the more ups and downs of the last 2 days, Day 3 promised some respite.

We waved a sad farewell to the only bed we'd see for a week and hurtled down the steep hill into Bath. Very soon though it was more of the same with a very long draggy climb out of Bath to Marshfield. Lots of tired legs this morning but spirits were still high.

We've been told to expect a dip at about day 5. What was actually said was we start out as kids - full of enthusiasm and raring to go. Then by day 4 or 5 we reach the adolescent stage. Grumpy, difficult to reason with and hard to get out of 'bed'. Oh, with the odd hissy fit thrown in.

By Day 6 we are almost fully fledged RABbers. Sensible, philosophical and caring of the welfare of others. Day 7 often sees a return to adolescence apparently - not least as its the longest day at 127 miles... But only by Day 8 and especially Day 9 do we come of age, over 500 people of very different character, background and levels of fitness who have shared a rather unusual experience. We'll see and I'll keep you posted. I certainly don't need any motivation to keep going. The donations to the SKF are still coming in. Thanks so much to those who have given on line since I started riding.

We crossed the Severn Bridge and our first food/water stop was at Chepstow. Still on my home training ground here. I decided to take it easy on the climb up to the Forest of Dean. So often with Steve, Patrick and most definitely with demon climber Neil we put the hammer down on this 6 mile climb. It has been a while since I was able to admire the scenery and it was most enjoyable lads!

At the second stop it was raining for the first time on the ride but Vicky and I decided to press on and it stopped after about 20 mins. The last 30 miles to our camp at Ludlow racecourse were excellent with quiet, well surfaced sweeping roads we positively swooped along. A bit of a contrast with what we'd had before as I omitted to mention the 'off road' section.

Marco (my Italian frame builder - not only Brad Wiggins who can say that!) if you're reading this, and in one very material sense I know you're not as your only words of English when we met were 'Is good?") I am truly sorry. Nothing that beautiful should ever have to be ridden over that 8 miles or so of poorly surfaced track. It wasn't so much the potholes which with care could be navigated around. It was more the sandy sections laced with gravel which would fly like shrapnel against the frame. I wasn't planning on a re-spray quite this soon!

Actually it was fine and the views of the river Wye made up for everything.

We had a mixture of response from car drivers on this first working day of the trip. One not so gentleman leaned out of his window and told Vicky "I hope you get knocked off your bike, it would be really funny". Another lady asked in her posh voice who she could complain to. I hasten to add that we were an extremely well mannered small group of only 8-10 on both occasions, riding in single file.

But there was also the friendly driver who stopped to let us cross a busy A road where we could otherwise have been stranded until rush hour ended.

The other highlight was coming home to my country seat, a castle no less. See photographic evidence below.

But tonight my pop up tent must be my castle and that's where I'm heading before I fall asleep in my blog

The Ride Day 2

We were warned that today would be another toughie. 'Grippy' is the expression used by the excellent Andy Cook at the nightly briefings. He is the person responsible for devising the route. Didn't take us long to work out how that translated to normal, non-cycling English.

I've come across various versions of this briefing euphemism on previous cycling trips. The best one, and most deceitful, was 'a little bit up, a little bit down' spoken by the leader of a Mountain biking trip in Nepal 12 years ago. Use your imagination...

I think an ability to lie brazenly with a smile on your face is on some templated job description for adventure guides.

We all know they mean one thing only. The road will go up, then keep going up, then go up a lot... and then it will get horribly steep so that even you will doubt your sanity, something your family and friends knew you lost years ago.

I need only say that today was indeed grippy.

We were spared the most severe aspects of Dartmoor before dropping down to the valley road leading to Tiverton. Really beautiful countryside here and a pretty well perfect cycling day.

The main challenge came when we climbed over the Quantock Hills. Super grippy that one.

But after that it felt we were playing at home. The Somerset Levels, climbing Cheddar Gorge (one disappointed rider was reported as saying after getting to the top which brings you right to the top of the Mendip Hills 'I assumed when I heard it was a gorge we'd be riding along a river valley!')

Then on up to Bath where we have the luxury of a bed for the only night of the ride.

I was of course looking forward to my welcome committee knowing that Helen, Ali (Sam's wife) and Monty (my biggest fan ) were going to be there. Spurred on I rode like the (tail)wind.

I did pretty well - too well in some respects as I got to the finish shortly before them! I resisted the suggestion of riding back up the hill to get the true hero's welcome that was intended!

A real bed tonight - it will be hard crawling back into a tent tomorrow. And I suspect this great weather can't travel with us all the way to Scotland...