Stage 9 Inverness – John O’Groats
Set off at 7-20 am after surreptitiously applying Vaseline and donning tights. New team tactics, 10 mins on 10 mins off. Stopped for breakfast at truckers café after 20 miles, yes, a sausage and egg roll and fantastic cup of coffee. Very easy cycling for most of the day, just thinking about the sheer distance involved, nearly 125 miles by our reckoning. Beautiful, clear and sunny day, good views of the oil rigs. Stopped for a pint at Helmsdale, this was Simons first stop when he JOGLED. Phoned Kath, told her we only had 54miles to go, she thought this was a long way !! How perceptions change over 9 days. Last steep climb of the trip at Berriedale then just before Wick, twang. I couldn’t believe it, another broken spoke with 25 miles to go. We weren’t stopping now. As we cycled the last 20 miles I was counting down, until it got to the stage where if the wheel collapsed I would jog the last bit. At last the John O’Groats sign appeared, quite an emotional moment. We arrived at 6pm and had the usual photo taken drank malt whisky from the hip flask that Simon had managed to conceal for the whole trip. We stayed in the Seaview Hotel where a live band were playing that night, a couple of beers and a malt whisky that Simon insisted I didn’t add coke to. 120.88 miles. 8hrs 40mins.
Total distance 905.59 miles
Time on bike 66 hours 49 min 30 sec (slightly less for Simon)
Average speed 13.55 mph
Pints of Beer 30 241.49 mpg
Epilogue.
I swore (many times) on route that I would never do the End to End again, and 3 weeks later nothing has changed. I’m glad I did it, I’m proud that I did it. It is not easy. I consider myself to be fairly fit, and my ankle gave me no trouble at all. My shoulders however still ache. In a way it was a farewell tour of Britain, as Kath and I are planning to move to France next year. If I do anything similar it will be one day events, such as L’Etape de tour. I also plan to tackle some of the tours climbs in the Pyrenees and Alps, and maybe arrange for others to do the same. Simon will do it again some time, I hope he enjoys it, and Kathy, who we stayed with in Carlisle plans to do it next year for Imperial Cancer Research. Her brother died of cancer at the age of 49 years, she will be 50 next year and will do it in his memory.
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Logistics.
A quite straightforward journey home, cycled to Thurso, with broken spoke and got the train to Inverness. Stayed the night in the Youth Hostel then put the bikes in their bags (I badly cut my thumb taking the pedal off). Vindaloo curry that evening, then train to Glasgow, then Prestwick airport for the 7-15 to Bournemouth with Ryanair, bang on time and only took 61 minutes.
We carried our luggage in “Carradice” saddle bags that fit to our seat posts and hold about 24 litres, plus handle bar bags for maps, chocolate etc. 7 punctures, all Simons and 3 broken spokes, all mine. Primera sorted my bike out free when I got home, I think Simons is still in its bag. A final word, just get out and do it, its easy. (I don’t see why I should be the only one to suffer!!).
Special thanks to Kathryn for her back up for the first 2 days and constant telephone support, and especially for meeting me at Bournemouth Airport looking gorgeous and making it all worth while.
Thanks to Simon for doing all the map reading, and I hope he enjoys his next “End to End” whoever he does it with.
Thanks to Kathy Holden, Pete and Carol and Trudi Thomsom (who nearly put us up, but punctures prevented it). She went on to win the Loch Ness Marathon.
Thanks to everyone we met on the way, everyone was unfailingly supportive and interested, even the amnesiac woman in Glasgow.
Last and by no means least thanks to Tim Moore, who’s book “French Revolutions” was an inspiration every night in bed. If you haven’t read it read it now.
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