DAY 12 Dornoch-JOHN O GROATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well thats it we have done it!!!

RIDE TIME; 5HOURS 25MINS

MILEAGE; 82.4

AVG SPEED; 15.19

Well thats the end of a fantastic trip, we did feel tired this morning after yesterdays big mileage but we soon got into the ride, it does look quite flat but its not we had a 13% and a 10% to climb, on reaching Wick we started to get white line fever as the end was in sight we had also had a call from the girls to tell us to get a move on because the signpost was going to close at 3pm - this was at 1.30pm! We did a max 42mph downhill at one section!!!

Its been a great ride and trip, the girls fed us and kept us in good shape all the way so a BIG thank you to them as well as Paul and his family for the use of their caravan - THANKS!

We had 2 lovely people stop us and give us donations on our arrival at Jog and we would like to say a special thanks to Helen and family who met us on the way and restored our faith in human kind, so THANK YOU , and to end we would just like to say a huge thanks to everyone who has donated to such a great cause, we thought of our lost loved ones along the way and hope that the money raised will help others in their time of need.

ANDY, TRACY, ROB & LISA

Been there, done that AND got the T shirt!

DAY 11 Newtonmore-Dornoch

What a cold morning!

Stunning camp site

RIDE TIME; 6HOURS 18MIN

MILEAGE; 100.3 (longest ever ride)

AVG SPEED; 15.85

The start of the ride we were really really cold, we got to Kingussie and had to go into a shop to get some plastic bags for our hands and feet, we did try to get the girls to meet us with our gloves but they had left long since. Standing in the shop I was nearly sick with the cold and Rob almost passed out, never know cold like it!!! The Cairngorms nearly ate us alive! We got to Aveimore and went into a cafe, I took my shoes and jacket off to thaw out, after that we were fine, the sun came out and it was too hot then.........! We found a great cycle path that was the original road to Inverness, a great decent into Inverness reaching speeds of over 40mph.

On ascending the Black Isle we had a problem at a T junction, Rob went to go one way me the other and we collided, my pedal ripped off Robs rear mech hanger and bent the chain, we made an urgent call to the girls who by now were at the camp site some 40 miles away, they went all the way back to Inverness to a bike shop that Ben had found on the net and got us the parts we needed, we manged to get going and I converted the bike to single speed till the girls got to us, we did a quick roadside repair and off we went again, long day as we did not get to the site till 5pm and the mileage so far is 887.

We loved Dornoch the campsite was right near the beach, we did lunch and just coming out we got a call from the lads, they needed some spares, we made a mad dash back to Inverness to the bike shop who had the bits we wanted, found the boys and left them to it.86 mile round trip in all but Ben had found a shop and gave us the postcode so that Sally Satnav could find it!

We went into Dornoch to the pub as they had free WIFI so thanks to the Dornoch Castle Hotel we could update a bit of the blog!

Tracy

DAY 10 Auchterader-Newtonmore

The good old A9 goes on and on!

RIDE TIME; 6 HOURS 6 MINS
MILEAGE; 92.5
AVG SPEED; 15.15

Started early just about to turn off and the girls passed us and beeped, seems they had a problem with the indicators on the van, just the connection so we sprayed it with GT85 and headed out towards Perth, got a bit lost around here, picked up the A9 again at Bankfoot the first few miles were quite flat with sunshine, started to climb the Grampian mountains, climb after climb after climb with the wind against us, started to get tired and missed the turning that we were going to take for lunch. Andy hit Robs rear wheel and managed to stay upright on the bike AGAIN but it seems we were jinxed on this bit of the ride as Rob hit my rear wheel and feel off in the middle of the A9, I was shouting at him to get up out of the fast lane of the duel carriageway, we were so lucky that nothing was coming as he would of been run over for sure! Robs tyre popped off the rim and he bent the rear mech as well, Rob has managed to graze his bum! We must of climbed for over 2 hours gradual then we dropped into Delwhinnie for lunch we met 2 ladies doing end to end who were in their 60's they had started the week before us but with no helmets! Followed map into Newtonmore but had trouble finding the campsite, it turned out that we had missed it 2.5 miles back!!! Today was one of the hardest days we have had so far.

What a stunning campsite we found right in the middle of the Highlands, INVERHAVON is a must if ever you are travelling this way, £23.20 per night - not cheap but worth the price for the surroundings!

Not much in Newtonmore at all, we did find a Co-op for some shopping. Be warned, the pubs dont serve alcohol till 12.30pm on a Sunday!

Boys arrived around 4ish and it just started to drizzle, we cant moan, the sun has followed us up from Lands End all the way.

Tracy

DAY 9 Peebles-Auchterarder

THE FORTH ROAD BRIDGE

Still here and doing it!

RIDE TIME; 5 HOURS 28 MINS
MILEAGE; 80
AVG SPEED: 14.6mph

We found the ride quite flat till we reached Edinburgh, had to stop at Roslyn Chapel to check out the Knights Templar but it was not open as the National Trust now own it and were doing some restoration works, bit of a shame as Andy wanted to find the Holy Grail on this trip..............

We went over the Forth Bridge - fantastic views to the railway bridge, it was very windy and it was blowing into our faces so made it a bit hard going at times. We made our way across the mountain road and arrived at Gleneagles - what a stunning place with great views from the golf course, photos to follow!

Rob has got a problem with this freewheel, we don't have a spare but stripped it out as best we could as its a sealed unit, we will just have to see how it goes, Rob not finishing is NOT an option and as the girls have said we can always hire a bike for the last bit, only 3 days left now, we cant believe how far up we have come looking at the map of the UK, its been a great trip and we will all be sorry to finish at John O'Groats.

Us girls were on the campsite by 10.30am we seem to be getting earlier!! Good run up, nice little site the lady put us in the car park as we were leaving early and wanted a BIG space for me to reverse the caravan into so we parked up there and went into Auchterarder and had lunch at the cafe, nice little place not much there but we did a bit of shopping so we could feed the lads then went back and chilled most of the afternoon as we are starting to feel worn out as well, we are just so glad that we don't have to put the tent up and down every day - we would of been dead on our feet by now!!! Thanks again Paul!!!!

Tracy

DAY 8 Carlisle-Peebles

The things you find..........................

Lovely Scotland!


RIDE TIME; 5 HOURS 6 MIN
MILEAGE; 75.4
AVG SPEED; 14.79

We managed to find WIFI at last and update the blog!!!

We left this morning in drizzle, first sign of any rain at all on the whole trip. Carlisle was very busy as we made our way to the A7. The scenery is very dramatic with mountains, forests and rivers, we saw a sign that said "Please drive careful, red squirrels crossing"!!! Met a couple on holiday from California they were cycling from London to Edinburgh.

In the middle of nowhere we found a Tibetan Monastery.

This has to be the best cycling we have ever done and that includes Cyprus and Mount Olympus!

Peebles is a lovely place, us girls found a nice Hotel to do lunch and update the Internet as best we could, we had Haggis which was very nice!

Boys got back to the camp site around 4pm after a great ride, legs and bums are fine so we have been informed!

Off to Auchterarder tomorrow, Andy had named it Auto Trader cause he cant say it...........

Tracy

DAY 7 Garstang- Carlisle

SCOTLAND AT LAST!

We are still here!

RIDE TIME; 6 HOURS 5 MINS
MILEAGE; 92.6
AVG SPEED; 15.2 mph

Cold when we left at 8am this morning, cycled into Lancaster and Andy had a run in with a car, the car was turning left and did not indicate at all, he managed to stay upright thank goodness all ok and nothing damaged, mental through these big towns and we have tried to avoid them as much as possible. Lovely route into Kendal then up the dreaded SHAP PASS, steady climbing all the way to 1400 feet got colder the higher we went, great ascent dropped down into Penrith and got a bit lost on the way to the camp site.

Legs starting to feel it a bit now and bum, my knee was a bit funny this morning and Rob has got a sore thigh but apart from that its great.

Lily and I left the camp site, talk about a tight fit but I managed to get her out safe!

Did a bit of shopping just outside Carlisle and had lunch at a pub for a change....

Met a kid that was cycling on his own in a tiny tent, Lily told him that she has knickers that were bigger, he had broke a spoke and the lads tried to help him, Rob has only got odd shaped spokes and Andy does not have any, so could not help the poor chap, he is off to find a bike shop today, we may bump into him again in the future he was off to Fort William today. We made him a coffee and gave him a BIG slice of Helens cake to see him on his way!

Tracy

DAY 6 Whitchurch-Garstang

ROB AT YET ANOTHER SIGN!

Got lost around Preston!

RIDE TIME; 5 HOURS 45 MIN
MILEAGE; 88.4
AVG SPEED; 15.37m

Went past Warrington Walls rugby ground, another chance for a photo ( will be posted when we get time).

Stopped at another garden centre for lunch, 2 old roadies spoke to us and knew we were doing end 2 end as we had the look so they said, what was that? Worn out look? They informed us that the guy who holds the record for the shortest end 2 end lives up the road and survived on sausages, unlike like us with our roast dinner the girls did us last night!

Total miles now 446.

Set off for camp site around 8.30am, good trip as mostly motorway, missed the turning to the site as it was VERY SMALL and well hidden! Nice little place, lovely lady gave us a donation as well.

Lily had a cold shower and brain freeze. Went to Garstang shopping and did lunch at a lovely pub near the canal, sat outside and had a sandwich as they had no gas!

Lads arrived about 4pm.

Lily met her friend Helen who bought us a food parcel and home made cake, yummy! She also gave us a huge donation towards our petrol which had Lily and I in tears in the pub for her kindness! ONE BIG THANK YOU TO HELEN XXXXXXXXX

Tracy