Friday 27th May 2011 After stopping the night at the Travelodge in Stirling and knowing Richard was on the over night sleeper we woke up to a text saying he was 4 hours late. Ironically Richard phoned saying he was in Stirling (not knowing we were there) and that he may miss his connection at Inverness . As we were heading towards Inverness on our route anyway, we said if you do we will come and collect you. As we pulled into the car park at Inverness, we switched the engine off and gave Richard a call. There he was on the platform looking around for us thinking we were on the same platform, until he turned around and saw Sarah waving like a mad woman ! Extra bike, baggage and passenger loaded up we headed for John O’Groats.
A good nights rest at the Seaview Hotel we made our way down to the start line at . Had our photos taken with the famous white sign, which took ages.
One frustrating hour later, at about we set off on the cycle challenge. Challenge was a very appropriate word. Winds were very strong and chilly in some areas. The sharp 13% downhills that we were looking forward to as an area of freewheeling was a no go, we had to pedal the way DOWN or be pushed back up the hill !!! then pedalling hard to get up the 13% hill the other side. Then came the rain stinging our faces as there aren’t many trees to shield you from most of the weather…infact at one point we were actually looking for trees and cycling in their direction just for a break from the strong winds and rain. We called Sarah and asked if she could drive in front of us to take away some of the wind but that proved unsuccessful. We ate at Brora at 20:00hrs discussing the days cycling. Frustrated, shattered, and annoyed with our progress and speed, we decided to continue the journey to the campsite rather than add another 15 miles to tomorrow’s journey. At on Sunday morning we arrived at the Dornoch Firth campsite. Distance traveled 85 miles average speed 9 MPH (slowest 3.9mph !!) time in saddle 9hours 35mins L
One frustrating hour later, at about we set off on the cycle challenge. Challenge was a very appropriate word. Winds were very strong and chilly in some areas. The sharp 13% downhills that we were looking forward to as an area of freewheeling was a no go, we had to pedal the way DOWN or be pushed back up the hill !!! then pedalling hard to get up the 13% hill the other side. Then came the rain stinging our faces as there aren’t many trees to shield you from most of the weather…infact at one point we were actually looking for trees and cycling in their direction just for a break from the strong winds and rain. We called Sarah and asked if she could drive in front of us to take away some of the wind but that proved unsuccessful. We ate at Brora at 20:00hrs discussing the days cycling. Frustrated, shattered, and annoyed with our progress and speed, we decided to continue the journey to the campsite rather than add another 15 miles to tomorrow’s journey. At on Sunday morning we arrived at the Dornoch Firth campsite. Distance traveled 85 miles average speed 9 MPH (slowest 3.9mph !!) time in saddle 9hours 35mins L
Had about 6 hours sleep, a fry up breakfast with coffee and/or orange juice & we got ready to set off for the day. So far it seems like a good morning for cycling No strong winds or wind chill…. The distance today is 80.1 miles …. Ticking along the A9 fine until we reached the outskirts of Dingwall & then suddenly wind & rain nearly blew us off the road & into the Loch running alongside us !! Diverted into Tesco for dinner & drying session !!. Took the A862 towards Beauly rather than deal with the dual section of the A9 at Inverness.
Continued along the A833 dealing with some strong crosswinds & showers but discovered some great scenery & river crossings. A very bendy & hilly route heading towards Drumnadrochit proved to be a superb route for motorcyclists who overtook regularly in every direction. A fantastic downhill was our reward for the hill climbs of this section which led us into Drumnadrochit on the shore of Loch Ness.
Followed the A82 along the Loch taking pictures of rainbows over Castle Urchart but once again the weather turned & time was running out as we dealt with a rolling route.
Finally crawled into our destination at the The Great Glenn Hostel at 21:30 - Tired & hungry after another gruelling day and to top it off Craig had no mobile phone, as it had got completely drenched and refused to work :-(
Monday 30th May 2011
Left Laggan towards Spean Bridge at 08:15am, trying to get an early start under our belts. We have quickly realised the earlier you start & the quicker you take your breaks (rather than sit down for meals) hopefully means a more sensible arrival time !!
Took a photo opportunity at the Commando Memorial at Spean Bridge, along with a quick bacon sarnie, before getting wet again passing the Ben Nevis Ski Centre, before picking up an excellent cycle path alongside the A82 which led us into Fort William.
Back on the A82 south of there, we got drenched again & this section of the A82 is quite tight & we felt quite exposed with the lorries & frequent tourist buses in the conditions. Fortunately, south of the Corran Ferry we picked another cycle path all the way down to Ballachulish. Despite the wonderfull scenery we had to take cover in a bus shelter to avoid being drenched yet again !!
After a food break we were ready for the climb up Glen Coe. Has this marked the turning point for us at last ?? The climb up one of the most glorious passes in any country, was completed with a tail wind & fine weather. Photo stops at every twist & turn, but please take care as the road is tight in places & vehicles can become impatient.
Quick coffee break on Rannoch Moor & discovered we were just 10 miles from Camp !! This would mean we should arrive before 17:00hrs - in daylight & before tea - a first !!!!!!
Arrived into Tyndrum after a slow climb, but a nice drop into the tourist centre of Tyndrum. The By The Way Hostel & Campsite has excellent facitilies. Arrived in sunshine & at last hot showers, dry, fresh clothes & beer BEFORE tea !!!!! and a new cheap mobile for Craig.... Fantastic. Total miles today were 67.6
Tuesday 31st May 2011
Set out about 8.30am hoping for a dry start, but didn't leave the campsite before it once again started to rain, another cold & damp start :-(. Cycling along the A82 towards Loch Lomond which is very picturesque and a great place for taking photos, the road was good and we were making good head way when Craig realised he had left his sunglasses at one photo spot and decided to head back for them while Richard carried on along the A82 cycle path. Lost touch with each other briefly as the phone signal wasnt good and as Craig had a new phone it meant Richards number wasn't in it. So it was due to pot luck that they caught up with each other. Busy dual carriage way section on the A82 leading up to the Erskine Bridge. The junction was a bit confusing & we decided to head towards Paisley, trusting our instinct an hour and a half later we realised we were on the right track ! Craig hit a collapsed drain after Richard gave him a milli-second warning, while Richard ended up in the bus stop and Craig has a jolted knee. The road from Barrhead into Kilmarnock was probably laid by the Romans and hasn't been relayed since !!! ;-(
Arrived at Kilmarnock Service station around 6pm & was greeted by the most helpful receptionist, who couldn't do enough for us She switched us to a downstairs room to allow us to bring our bikes in, and also ordered our meals for us off the local chinese menu, even supplying the plates for us to eat it off. Our next Travel Lodge has a lot to live up to. Mileage today was 72.7 miles
Wednesday 1st June 2011
An early start 8.30am after grabbing a bite to eat at the Little Chef. Craig realised he done more to his knee than he had first thought and had to stop 4 miles in to have pain killers and anti-inflammatry cream. Headed down the A76 where we were battling the winds once more & slightly bumpy in places. Not much too talk about the scenery, no comparison to the Scottish Highlands :O) Met up with Sarah and the kids at Mcdonalds for a well earned bite to eat, after having a slight competition to beat them into Dumfries - we won !!! Had to stop again before Gretna to put on more cream. As the next stop was supposed to be Annan but changed it to Gretna, as the site at Annan was too basic & we decided to head on towards Gretna. Many Thanks goes to John and Isobela, who instead of charging us, donated the fees to Goldenhar. Heading towards Gretna has shaved of 10 miles of our next journey, so they are both well pleased :O). Mileage today was 68.8 miles (easy day :O) max speed 31.8 Mph , Average speed 12.1Mph, time in saddle was 5 hours and 41 mins. Mileage so far is 232.7 .
Thursday 2nd June 2011
Their destination today is the Travel Lodge in Lancaster. Miles should have been approximately 115 but as they stopped in Gretna last night and took 10 miles off, its a bit easier than what it would of been. We received a phone call from our local radio station, TouchFM and did a 10 min chat with Mark before setting of at 8.30. It wasn't long before they left the site that they were off their saddles again, as a few hundred yards was the last house in Scotland, then the Welcome to England sign, which is a must have photo opportunity !
They encountered road works on the A6 towards Shap carrying on towards Kendal but not before photos were taken at the top of a steep climb. Carrying on towards Kendal, Milnethorpe, Carnforth through Bolton-Le-Sands through Skerton down into Lancaster. They arrived at the Lancaster Services about 4ish. Travel Lodge here wasn't as good as the one in Kilmarnock but at least they had a bed. What should of been 115 miles was actually 81.7ml so not too bad. Maximum speed was 34.6 Mph, average 13.7 Mph, not sure how long in the saddle as they haven't given that to me. A lovely day today temperature at one point was 25 degrees & the shorts were on !
Friday 3rd June 2011
Destination today is the Fishpool Farm Caravan Park in Delamere Forest which is approximately 67.1 miles away from the Travel Lodge. They continued on the A6 towards Garstang to Barton, Broughton towards Preston then followed the A49 Chorley, Standish to Wigan then taking the A49 from Wigan towards Warrington, Stockton towards Dones Green and then onto Delamere Forest. A couple of Richard's family members were waiting on the A49 for them at lunchtime & they stopped for a drink and something to eat. It was a scorcher again, lovely to see that yellow disc in the sky at last !! 27 degrees.
They arrived in glorious sunshine at about 2.15pm. We hadn't long arrived ourselves, but the tents were up and fresh clothes were waiting for them. They decided that as the weather was going to stay nice they would remove the mud guards making the bikes a little bit lighter, they also decided to alter the clothing they took by leaving there wets at camp and taking their jackets only. Their max speed was 34 Mph, Average was 14.7 Mph, Time in saddle was 4 hours 12mins. Mileage was 61.7 less than they thought again :O).
Saturday 4th June 2011
Today they are heading for their next stop, which is a Bed and Breakfast in Leominster. They would continue on the A49 road towards Whitchurch, Shrewsbury passing Prees, Prees Green, Weston, Hadnall, Bayston Hill, Dorrington into Church Stretton. Taking the B4361 passing Richards Castle via the Broad to Pinsley Guest House..
Craig had done another phone interview with our local radio station saying where they were and where they were about to go, after that at about 8.30, they left Fishpool campsite and headed towards their next stop in Leominster. Unfortunately a wrong turning meant they had gone 11 miles the wrong way!! Realising something wasn't right Craig asked a local lady the best way to get back on track. Once back on the right route they carried on for a few miles and then things went wrong - a misunderstanding between the two meant that they were cycling alone..... Craig arrived at the Bed and Breakfast first, followed shortly after by Richard. Both left things as they were and had a good nights sleep. As many of you know, when you spend time with one person everyday doing a physically demanding challenge, sooner or later you are likely to have a fall out..
Sunday 5th June 2011
Todays stop, for those who are following on a map is Bristol. They will continue down the A49 towards Hereford, then onto the A466 towards Wormelow, then Chepstow, over the M48 Severn Bridge, A403 towards Avonmouth, then A4 Clifton before taking the A38 towards Cowslip Green where they will be stopping for the night.....
They both left the B&B in Leominster at different times - Craig left 7.15am Richard about 8.30am. The weather wasn't too good as it was raining. Richard texted me to ask for his wets when I was passing...Sadly the Sat nav took me on such a mystery tour of South Wales I was lost, but I did manage to meet up with Richard at the services over the M48 Severn Bridge....Sorry about the delay Richard :o). Craig arrived in record time at 12.40pm.
Due to me being lost it meant that Craig was at the campsite before anyone else and with no dry clothes to change into, until I was there he was cold !! Eventually arrived, with Richard arriving about 4.40pm.
After the rain they had today they have put their mud guards back on !
The atmosphere wasn't too good but eventually they did have a discussion about the events leading up to the misunderstanding and all was sorted at last :O). The weather was still raining, so we decided to go out for a meal rather than get drenched cooking. The guys found the seats in the car rather comfy compared to there saddles ! Meal feast over it was back to the tents for a good nights sleep.
Many thanks to the owners of Brook Lodge Farm Campsite here in Cowslip Green, who kindly donated £10 to the Goldenhar group.
Monday 6th June 2011
Route today is continue on the A38 from Cowslip Green towards Highbridge into Bridgewater, towards North Petherton, where road changes to A3259 into Taunton. Then taking the A38 towards Bishops Hull, passing Bradford then take the A361 to Tiverton, then from Tiverton take the A396 into Bickleigh (Exeter road). Take the A3072 pass Cadbury towards Crediton. approx 66.2 miles today.....B&B in the Red Lion Pub :O)
Weather this morning is not too bad, the ground is a bit wet, but the yellow disc in the sky is back :O). Craig will be doing another phone interview with TouchFm this morning. During the interview Craig was asked by Mark the DJ if they have had any problems with punctures etc ? Craig said "no touch wood, nothing like that, we have had a little misunderstanding, but no punctures or problems". Mark then said that he had probably jinxed them now and shouldn't really ask things like that ! They left the campsite about 9.15am and just 3 miles into the cycle you would never guess what happened ? Richard got the first puncture. A huge screw had gone right through the tyre and inner tube ;o(. First puncture in 10 days so can't really complain, but they can't help thinking that if Mark hadn't said anything, they may not have got the first. About 5 miles from the campsite they entered Somerset :O)
Stopped in Taunton to replace the spare inner tube & check tyre pressures before continuing onto Devon. As we left Bickleigh, Devon showed her teeth with one of the most vertical hill climbs to date - Stanton eat your heart out !!
We thought Crediton must exist in the clouds !! but the descent & views over the patchwork fields made for a wonderful end to the day.
We can't believe this is our last stopover in a B&B. The Red Lion Pub in Shobroke, Nr Crediton gave us a most warm welcome & the patrons Guy & Leslie could not have done more for us. We were fed & watered until we could take no more & all for a most reasonable fee. Well worth a stop here all you End to Enders !!
We are almost at the end ourselves :O)
Tuesday 7th June 2011
Todays destination is Wadebridge. From Crediton take the A377 towards Knowle, Bow (A3072) which changes to B3215. Pass the Dartmoor Railway into Okehampton. Taking the A3079 towards Thorndon Cross, Cross Green onto the A388 to Launceston. From Launceston take the A30 towards Polyphant carry on towards Camelford (A39). Continue on the A39 to Wadebridge. Approx miles for today is 75.9
Another interview with Mark from TouchFm and no doubt a mention about the puncture !
Left the Red Lion battling against a stiff breeze once more & the Okehampton 5ml sign signalled 4 hill climbs in rapid succession before we arrived in the town wet once more !! During a quick coffee stop, we decided to take a look at the A30 route to Bodmin hoping that the busier main road would be less hilly so we could rattle off the miles that had so far been very hard work. It proved to be a good call & although busy we safely made use of the hard shoulder albeit battling that breeze ! Climbing over Bodmin Moor we eventually picked up the Camel Trail, a former railway line that raced us along towards Wadebridge & the Little Bodieve Campsite.
A super chinese buffet with Sarah's family in attendance made for a great evening, before we gathered our thoughts towards the final day ahead.
Wednesday 8th June 2011 . The finishing line :0)
After a very wet & windy night, we put on the wet gear once more, posed for a few photos before setting off on the final leg of our journey. Yet again the wind was against us - Lands End was not going to yeald to us without a fight !! but we were not going to be beaten.
We made slow progress along the A39 towards St. Columb Road before we picked up the A30 once more. Blackwater, Redruth & hayle finally were left in our wake before we saw St. Michaels Mount & Penzance Bay come into view.
As we passed the Lands End 10ml sign we phoned in with our progress & hoped we would make it within the hour. We stopped & chatted to a man who was walking from JOG to LE on behalf of Help For Heroes - he was on his 54th day !! We thought cycling was hard enough !!
Craig & myself found the hills between Penzance & Lands End plentiful & never ending & with just a couple of miles left, the weather was good enough for us to lose the wet gear at last !
We both stopped & took a moment to look over the Lands End complex ahead of us before we made our descent. As we were funnelled down the last few hundred yards we raised our hands aloft & crossed the Finish Line together to be met by cheering family & friends, a Bagpipe Salute & lots of clapping by German Tourists !! A very moving moment for everyone associated with The Goldenhar Cycle Challenge indeed.
WaaaaayyHeeeeeyy We did it in 12 days :0)
So there you have it - 12 incredible, action packed, scenery filled, emotionally charged, physically & mentally challenging days to complete our 900 mile challenge.
Our thanks go to our families & friends for their unwavering support & help to get us here & to everyone who has contributed to our Fundraising effort on behalf of The Goldenhar Family Support Group.
Thank You All
Continued along the A833 dealing with some strong crosswinds & showers but discovered some great scenery & river crossings. A very bendy & hilly route heading towards Drumnadrochit proved to be a superb route for motorcyclists who overtook regularly in every direction. A fantastic downhill was our reward for the hill climbs of this section which led us into Drumnadrochit on the shore of Loch Ness.
Followed the A82 along the Loch taking pictures of rainbows over Castle Urchart but once again the weather turned & time was running out as we dealt with a rolling route.
Finally crawled into our destination at the The Great Glenn Hostel at 21:30 - Tired & hungry after another gruelling day and to top it off Craig had no mobile phone, as it had got completely drenched and refused to work :-(
Monday 30th May 2011
Left Laggan towards Spean Bridge at 08:15am, trying to get an early start under our belts. We have quickly realised the earlier you start & the quicker you take your breaks (rather than sit down for meals) hopefully means a more sensible arrival time !!
Took a photo opportunity at the Commando Memorial at Spean Bridge, along with a quick bacon sarnie, before getting wet again passing the Ben Nevis Ski Centre, before picking up an excellent cycle path alongside the A82 which led us into Fort William.
Back on the A82 south of there, we got drenched again & this section of the A82 is quite tight & we felt quite exposed with the lorries & frequent tourist buses in the conditions. Fortunately, south of the Corran Ferry we picked another cycle path all the way down to Ballachulish. Despite the wonderfull scenery we had to take cover in a bus shelter to avoid being drenched yet again !!
After a food break we were ready for the climb up Glen Coe. Has this marked the turning point for us at last ?? The climb up one of the most glorious passes in any country, was completed with a tail wind & fine weather. Photo stops at every twist & turn, but please take care as the road is tight in places & vehicles can become impatient.
Quick coffee break on Rannoch Moor & discovered we were just 10 miles from Camp !! This would mean we should arrive before 17:00hrs - in daylight & before tea - a first !!!!!!
Arrived into Tyndrum after a slow climb, but a nice drop into the tourist centre of Tyndrum. The By The Way Hostel & Campsite has excellent facitilies. Arrived in sunshine & at last hot showers, dry, fresh clothes & beer BEFORE tea !!!!! and a new cheap mobile for Craig.... Fantastic. Total miles today were 67.6
Tuesday 31st May 2011
Set out about 8.30am hoping for a dry start, but didn't leave the campsite before it once again started to rain, another cold & damp start :-(. Cycling along the A82 towards Loch Lomond which is very picturesque and a great place for taking photos, the road was good and we were making good head way when Craig realised he had left his sunglasses at one photo spot and decided to head back for them while Richard carried on along the A82 cycle path. Lost touch with each other briefly as the phone signal wasnt good and as Craig had a new phone it meant Richards number wasn't in it. So it was due to pot luck that they caught up with each other. Busy dual carriage way section on the A82 leading up to the Erskine Bridge. The junction was a bit confusing & we decided to head towards Paisley, trusting our instinct an hour and a half later we realised we were on the right track ! Craig hit a collapsed drain after Richard gave him a milli-second warning, while Richard ended up in the bus stop and Craig has a jolted knee. The road from Barrhead into Kilmarnock was probably laid by the Romans and hasn't been relayed since !!! ;-(
Arrived at Kilmarnock Service station around 6pm & was greeted by the most helpful receptionist, who couldn't do enough for us She switched us to a downstairs room to allow us to bring our bikes in, and also ordered our meals for us off the local chinese menu, even supplying the plates for us to eat it off. Our next Travel Lodge has a lot to live up to. Mileage today was 72.7 miles
Wednesday 1st June 2011
An early start 8.30am after grabbing a bite to eat at the Little Chef. Craig realised he done more to his knee than he had first thought and had to stop 4 miles in to have pain killers and anti-inflammatry cream. Headed down the A76 where we were battling the winds once more & slightly bumpy in places. Not much too talk about the scenery, no comparison to the Scottish Highlands :O) Met up with Sarah and the kids at Mcdonalds for a well earned bite to eat, after having a slight competition to beat them into Dumfries - we won !!! Had to stop again before Gretna to put on more cream. As the next stop was supposed to be Annan but changed it to Gretna, as the site at Annan was too basic & we decided to head on towards Gretna. Many Thanks goes to John and Isobela, who instead of charging us, donated the fees to Goldenhar. Heading towards Gretna has shaved of 10 miles of our next journey, so they are both well pleased :O). Mileage today was 68.8 miles (easy day :O) max speed 31.8 Mph , Average speed 12.1Mph, time in saddle was 5 hours and 41 mins. Mileage so far is 232.7 .
Thursday 2nd June 2011
Their destination today is the Travel Lodge in Lancaster. Miles should have been approximately 115 but as they stopped in Gretna last night and took 10 miles off, its a bit easier than what it would of been. We received a phone call from our local radio station, TouchFM and did a 10 min chat with Mark before setting of at 8.30. It wasn't long before they left the site that they were off their saddles again, as a few hundred yards was the last house in Scotland, then the Welcome to England sign, which is a must have photo opportunity !
They encountered road works on the A6 towards Shap carrying on towards Kendal but not before photos were taken at the top of a steep climb. Carrying on towards Kendal, Milnethorpe, Carnforth through Bolton-Le-Sands through Skerton down into Lancaster. They arrived at the Lancaster Services about 4ish. Travel Lodge here wasn't as good as the one in Kilmarnock but at least they had a bed. What should of been 115 miles was actually 81.7ml so not too bad. Maximum speed was 34.6 Mph, average 13.7 Mph, not sure how long in the saddle as they haven't given that to me. A lovely day today temperature at one point was 25 degrees & the shorts were on !
Friday 3rd June 2011
Destination today is the Fishpool Farm Caravan Park in Delamere Forest which is approximately 67.1 miles away from the Travel Lodge. They continued on the A6 towards Garstang to Barton, Broughton towards Preston then followed the A49 Chorley, Standish to Wigan then taking the A49 from Wigan towards Warrington, Stockton towards Dones Green and then onto Delamere Forest. A couple of Richard's family members were waiting on the A49 for them at lunchtime & they stopped for a drink and something to eat. It was a scorcher again, lovely to see that yellow disc in the sky at last !! 27 degrees.
They arrived in glorious sunshine at about 2.15pm. We hadn't long arrived ourselves, but the tents were up and fresh clothes were waiting for them. They decided that as the weather was going to stay nice they would remove the mud guards making the bikes a little bit lighter, they also decided to alter the clothing they took by leaving there wets at camp and taking their jackets only. Their max speed was 34 Mph, Average was 14.7 Mph, Time in saddle was 4 hours 12mins. Mileage was 61.7 less than they thought again :O).
Saturday 4th June 2011
Today they are heading for their next stop, which is a Bed and Breakfast in Leominster. They would continue on the A49 road towards Whitchurch, Shrewsbury passing Prees, Prees Green, Weston, Hadnall, Bayston Hill, Dorrington into Church Stretton. Taking the B4361 passing Richards Castle via the Broad to Pinsley Guest House..
Craig had done another phone interview with our local radio station saying where they were and where they were about to go, after that at about 8.30, they left Fishpool campsite and headed towards their next stop in Leominster. Unfortunately a wrong turning meant they had gone 11 miles the wrong way!! Realising something wasn't right Craig asked a local lady the best way to get back on track. Once back on the right route they carried on for a few miles and then things went wrong - a misunderstanding between the two meant that they were cycling alone..... Craig arrived at the Bed and Breakfast first, followed shortly after by Richard. Both left things as they were and had a good nights sleep. As many of you know, when you spend time with one person everyday doing a physically demanding challenge, sooner or later you are likely to have a fall out..
Sunday 5th June 2011
Todays stop, for those who are following on a map is Bristol. They will continue down the A49 towards Hereford, then onto the A466 towards Wormelow, then Chepstow, over the M48 Severn Bridge, A403 towards Avonmouth, then A4 Clifton before taking the A38 towards Cowslip Green where they will be stopping for the night.....
They both left the B&B in Leominster at different times - Craig left 7.15am Richard about 8.30am. The weather wasn't too good as it was raining. Richard texted me to ask for his wets when I was passing...Sadly the Sat nav took me on such a mystery tour of South Wales I was lost, but I did manage to meet up with Richard at the services over the M48 Severn Bridge....Sorry about the delay Richard :o). Craig arrived in record time at 12.40pm.
Due to me being lost it meant that Craig was at the campsite before anyone else and with no dry clothes to change into, until I was there he was cold !! Eventually arrived, with Richard arriving about 4.40pm.
After the rain they had today they have put their mud guards back on !
The atmosphere wasn't too good but eventually they did have a discussion about the events leading up to the misunderstanding and all was sorted at last :O). The weather was still raining, so we decided to go out for a meal rather than get drenched cooking. The guys found the seats in the car rather comfy compared to there saddles ! Meal feast over it was back to the tents for a good nights sleep.
Many thanks to the owners of Brook Lodge Farm Campsite here in Cowslip Green, who kindly donated £10 to the Goldenhar group.
Monday 6th June 2011
Route today is continue on the A38 from Cowslip Green towards Highbridge into Bridgewater, towards North Petherton, where road changes to A3259 into Taunton. Then taking the A38 towards Bishops Hull, passing Bradford then take the A361 to Tiverton, then from Tiverton take the A396 into Bickleigh (Exeter road). Take the A3072 pass Cadbury towards Crediton. approx 66.2 miles today.....B&B in the Red Lion Pub :O)
Weather this morning is not too bad, the ground is a bit wet, but the yellow disc in the sky is back :O). Craig will be doing another phone interview with TouchFm this morning. During the interview Craig was asked by Mark the DJ if they have had any problems with punctures etc ? Craig said "no touch wood, nothing like that, we have had a little misunderstanding, but no punctures or problems". Mark then said that he had probably jinxed them now and shouldn't really ask things like that ! They left the campsite about 9.15am and just 3 miles into the cycle you would never guess what happened ? Richard got the first puncture. A huge screw had gone right through the tyre and inner tube ;o(. First puncture in 10 days so can't really complain, but they can't help thinking that if Mark hadn't said anything, they may not have got the first. About 5 miles from the campsite they entered Somerset :O)
Stopped in Taunton to replace the spare inner tube & check tyre pressures before continuing onto Devon. As we left Bickleigh, Devon showed her teeth with one of the most vertical hill climbs to date - Stanton eat your heart out !!
We thought Crediton must exist in the clouds !! but the descent & views over the patchwork fields made for a wonderful end to the day.
We can't believe this is our last stopover in a B&B. The Red Lion Pub in Shobroke, Nr Crediton gave us a most warm welcome & the patrons Guy & Leslie could not have done more for us. We were fed & watered until we could take no more & all for a most reasonable fee. Well worth a stop here all you End to Enders !!
We are almost at the end ourselves :O)
Tuesday 7th June 2011
Todays destination is Wadebridge. From Crediton take the A377 towards Knowle, Bow (A3072) which changes to B3215. Pass the Dartmoor Railway into Okehampton. Taking the A3079 towards Thorndon Cross, Cross Green onto the A388 to Launceston. From Launceston take the A30 towards Polyphant carry on towards Camelford (A39). Continue on the A39 to Wadebridge. Approx miles for today is 75.9
Another interview with Mark from TouchFm and no doubt a mention about the puncture !
Left the Red Lion battling against a stiff breeze once more & the Okehampton 5ml sign signalled 4 hill climbs in rapid succession before we arrived in the town wet once more !! During a quick coffee stop, we decided to take a look at the A30 route to Bodmin hoping that the busier main road would be less hilly so we could rattle off the miles that had so far been very hard work. It proved to be a good call & although busy we safely made use of the hard shoulder albeit battling that breeze ! Climbing over Bodmin Moor we eventually picked up the Camel Trail, a former railway line that raced us along towards Wadebridge & the Little Bodieve Campsite.
A super chinese buffet with Sarah's family in attendance made for a great evening, before we gathered our thoughts towards the final day ahead.
Wednesday 8th June 2011 . The finishing line :0)
After a very wet & windy night, we put on the wet gear once more, posed for a few photos before setting off on the final leg of our journey. Yet again the wind was against us - Lands End was not going to yeald to us without a fight !! but we were not going to be beaten.
We made slow progress along the A39 towards St. Columb Road before we picked up the A30 once more. Blackwater, Redruth & hayle finally were left in our wake before we saw St. Michaels Mount & Penzance Bay come into view.
As we passed the Lands End 10ml sign we phoned in with our progress & hoped we would make it within the hour. We stopped & chatted to a man who was walking from JOG to LE on behalf of Help For Heroes - he was on his 54th day !! We thought cycling was hard enough !!
Craig & myself found the hills between Penzance & Lands End plentiful & never ending & with just a couple of miles left, the weather was good enough for us to lose the wet gear at last !
We both stopped & took a moment to look over the Lands End complex ahead of us before we made our descent. As we were funnelled down the last few hundred yards we raised our hands aloft & crossed the Finish Line together to be met by cheering family & friends, a Bagpipe Salute & lots of clapping by German Tourists !! A very moving moment for everyone associated with The Goldenhar Cycle Challenge indeed.
WaaaaayyHeeeeeyy We did it in 12 days :0)
So there you have it - 12 incredible, action packed, scenery filled, emotionally charged, physically & mentally challenging days to complete our 900 mile challenge.
Our thanks go to our families & friends for their unwavering support & help to get us here & to everyone who has contributed to our Fundraising effort on behalf of The Goldenhar Family Support Group.
Thank You All
