Lands end to John O'groats 2005 alone and unsupported on a Bicycle
THE JOURNEY PART 2
This is a good time to mention the cost train journeys are so variable I will just say £100 pounds for this I paid between £23 and £49 for bed and breakfast add at least £10 for drinks and snacks a day multiply this by 14 and you are going to have to find £800.This is what you would pay for a 2 week holiday touring in this country anyway.
Bed and breakfast, I thought for a long time about this the costs etc. but the thought of carrying and pitching a tent in a muddy field at the end of the day was to much. Hostels are a good option but to get your own room was too tempting for me
You have to look after yourself wash and shave every day you turn up at 8 o'clock at a B+B looking like a tramp and smelling like a horse you may not get a room. also if you injure yourself I know it sounds like common sense but I met 1 guy who looked like a crazed mass murderer on a bike.
I stayed in some nice and not so nice places 1 lady told me off for leaving the bathroom light on then when I went down for breakfast I could see snail trails across the carpets, the premier/travel lodge in Bodmin was the most expensive but it is in an asda car park the room had a heater in it I bought my tea and breakfast in asda did my washing and dried it and had a scotch and coke to celebrate the luxury of it.
In a place called north tawton in Devon there is a small hotel with a chip shop opposite a fruit shop and I think there was a launderette I almost moved in there. Stayed at a place called st briavers in a pub, it was a Sunday and I only carried shorts I could not stay in the bar as I was getting funny looks such a pretentious place.
When you are traveling through Cornwall, Devon and Scotland people have an idea what you are doing in middle England it felt different somehow. one important thing is you cannot leave it too late to find a place to stay especially in June I mentioned Bodmin that was the last place and last room in the town at the time I got there, much the same in aviemore it took me an hour to find a place which meant I had been on my bike for nearly 12 hours look for somewhere between 5 and 6 in the evening.
Scotland is a stunning place I tried to rush through the flat parts in England so I could spend more time taking in the views I mentioned the hills in Devon and Cornwall the climbs are longer in Scotland but a lot of roads follow rivers so it felt easier but I guess your fitness level has improved by then. I must mention the nicest place I stayed this was the marchbank hotel Scots dyke the view from the hotel is great it is right on the road and about 100 yards from the sign saying Scotland so you can get your picture taken and come back into England for a beer it is on the A7 after Carlisle. most poignant moment passed a memorial up in the mountains around Kincraig to a guy who died up their riding from le to jog
my worst day was from Perth to Aviemore at this point you are traveling due north more or less I passed a castle and the flags were that stiff from the wind the poles were bending I could not ride at all this is when I met the guy walking from Manchester he had seen only me all day so we walked for a while together and about 5 the wind shifted so I got back on and I still don't know how I got to Aviemore
I should talk about loneliness as to some people it would be a problem, to my mind it was easier alone my pace was governed by how I felt I met 2 other guys doing exactly the same thing there were moments that you would have liked to have shared with other people but looking back I am glad I was alone. The one big disadvantage is photographs I have 27 pictures of my bike on it's own in great scenery but the bike was the star anyway.
A strange kind of peace comes over you after hours looking at the road ahead lots of thoughts run through your head at first some of them funny I had times when I wished I had a Dictaphone so I could record them instead I made notes that would hopefully remind me of some of them .
I have seen some of the most beautiful places in Britain, the loneliness of Bodmin moor, the mountains in Scotland, Lands end on a glorious day, crossing Shap in a cloud, crossing the Severn bridge and the 3 firths after Inverness and countless other places for this alone it was worth it
would I do it again? not in the same way it was very hard I knew it would be but still I would take a month and go on less major roads no matter how relaxed you may feel it can turn into a kind of race especially at the end.
I have not mentioned some other details as what bike I used, what I carried and the route these are on other pages if anyone would like to look but I must mention the toilet roll. Anyone who camps has some idea of this you have to be very selective, it's not like you can fill the boot with tons of gear, you are carrying everything including some food and drink so I carried a full toilet roll from lands end to john o'groats and it is still a virgin but knowing it was there made it worth the effort.
JOHN O'GROATS
Jog is quite a lonely place and a feeling of anti climax came over me when I got there, looking back I can understand this, but it felt weird at the time. The jog hotel is looking very tired but I went in for a drink all excited with myself unfortunately the barman was a very straightforward guy and if he was having a bad day then so was I the fact that I had ridden all that way was of no relevance to him. I still enjoyed the drink and did not mention le to jog for the rest of the night so he warmed to me in the end
If anyone reads this who saw me and honked their horn in encouragement thanks
If any wagon drivers said hello by indicating by hand that I was the "first" or "second" end to ender to hold them up that day sorry.
You will find your own set of feelings problems and great elation if you carry out this journey I have only a couple of pieces of advice take care of yourself, always get on and off carefully, don't do 35 miles an hour down hill on a fully loaded bike cause you will need the afore mentioned toilet roll, finally don't pedal down hill in Devon and Cornwall you will get all the pedaling you need going up the next one.
Thanks for the support of the following people
Maria Ewing
and in no paticular order
Gary S, Paul C, Alan O, Maria O, Lee mc, Ann Mc, Sesmin E, Mike D
If you read this Thanks
Any advice wanted on this journey, or comments Email me on [email protected]