Big thank you

[robbiep]

Just wanted to thank everybody for all the help I've received over the past few months on cycle chat.

From a standing start in mid april we are now ready to have an almighty bash at LEJOG on Wendesday morning!! 9 days of up's and downs I guess but without the information readily given through the forums I really dont know how i'd have found the answers to all my problems.

A big thank you for all the help

 

[PpPete]

Just wanted to thank everybody for all the help I've received over the past few months on cycle chat.

From a standing start in mid april we are now ready to have an almighty bash at LEJOG on Wendesday morning!! 9 days of up's and downs I guess but without the information readily given through the forums I really dont know how i'd have found the answers to all my problems.

A big thank you for all the help

Good luck. Hope you have better weather than we did.

 

[jarushby]

good luck robbie.

Look forward to seeing you at jog!!!

 

[robbiep]

Thanks guys, the weather looks dry thankfully for a few days at least. The other lad I'm cycling with lives in Bristol where we'll stay the 2nd night, now I will be able to leave the wet weather gear at his place before we go up!

I've had an accurate weigh up now and the bag is coming in at 3.1kg's and only 2.1kg's without the waterproofs (jacket, trousers, overshoes), I'm hoping this will certainly help for the first 2 challenging days.

Looks like the wind will be southeasterly which is unfortunate, but I'd take the dry conditions first.......I think?


I'll keep an eye out for you Ja, you were leaving around 4pm on the 9th if I remember correctly, if all goes to plan we'll be crawling up to JOG at that time, all the best with your effort.

 

[Barbelier]

Best of luck Robbie and enjoy the trip! You'll be finished the day before I arrive at JOG to start mine.

You've set yourself a pretty high daily mileage but I'm sure you'll find time to stop and enjoy the scenery.

 

[Norry1]

Good luck mate

Martin

 

[robbiep]

Best of luck Robbie and enjoy the trip! You'll be finished the day before I arrive at JOG to start mine.

You've set yourself a pretty high daily mileage but I'm sure you'll find time to stop and enjoy the scenery.

Thanks Barbelier!! - One snip that someone said on cycle chat that has stayed with me is that sometimes stop and look behind as some of the best views etc are there to be found!! Funny how I remembered this, but like you say it's improtant not to just bang out the miles without 'looking'. Our mileage is certainly ambitious at best and foolhardy at worst - I just pray that I still want to cycle after it's all over

We'll be going through places that I've never been to before and it'd be criminal not to have some memory of the scenery, experience to draw on later.

All the very best of luck to you, hope you get everything out of it you're after. I take it your mate is still riding shotgun??

 

[Barbelier]

Thanks Barbelier!! - One snip that someone said on cycle chat that has stayed with me is that sometimes stop and look behind as some of the best views etc are there to be found!! Funny how I remembered this, but like you say it's improtant not to just bang out the miles without 'looking'. Our mileage is certainly ambitious at best and foolhardy at worst - I just pray that I still want to cycle after it's all over

We'll be going through places that I've never been to before and it'd be criminal not to have some memory of the scenery, experience to draw on later.

All the very best of luck to you, hope you get everything out of it you're after. I take it your mate is still riding shotgun??

Thanks for the good wishes! I expect a full report when you get back.

Yeap my mate is coming along. Bought himself the latest 2011 Ridgeback World Voyage - lovely bike.
He was out with me Saturday training (he did 40 miles) and will be out again this week/weekend.
But he will now join me at Inverness on the 3rd day (because he really wants to do the Loch Ness - Glencoe - Isle of Aaron bit) and stay with me for as long as he can/wants to. He's being pretty sensible in that he will do as much as he can and is prepared to drop out if it becomes too much. If he gets through the 2nd & 3rd day (circa 70 miles each) I think he has a good chance of making the rest. I'll make sure he has some "butt butter" and painkillers!

 

[robbiep]

Well that's finally over - 9 days 881 miles, so lucky with the weather except our longest day from Edinburgh to Newtonmore - 122 miles in 6 hours of torrential rain, it was freezing!!

Thursday rode from Tain to JOG in blistering sunshine all up the A9, stunning views etc, really a highlight of the trip. Got a bit of sunburn that day!!

I'll be on when I have more time as I'd like to give details of the B & B's I stayed in as the standard has been really high and I'd like to give them a mention.

An epic trip, really worth all the training and effort, good to see so many people doing the same route.

Good luck to John who I met at JOG through 'cycle chat' and he was just setting off south for the challenge, we passed him on the Friday when we drove back and he was making excellent progress, good luck mate!!

P.S - day 1 - rode out of LE into a 20 mph headwind - all the way up A30 to Okehampton.........and yes it was murder!!!

 

[jarushby]

thanks robbie, great seeing you at jog (you looked like you hadnt broken sweat!!!) and thanks again for the lock, if you pm your address i will get it back when (if) i finish

first day was fine, got as far as i needed to set up camp and give me a chance to make inverness the following day.

Friday and sat both started really well making good progress but then errors of judgement caused a few probs.

today (sun) has gone very well, hit glasgow a day earlier than expected

 

[robbiep]

Well done John, keep the legs going, you were making good progress when we saw you!!

Hope the weather is ok, I've been looking with interest! I'll pm my address if you can return the lock then great, if not then dont worry.

All the best

Robbie