Tuesday 15 September 2015

Lejogle - Day 11

We set off at about 9:15, my dad via Lidl to buy some new gloves as his are refusing to dry. It was a slow start, I was struck by headwinds and hills. Despite today’s route being the reverse of 40 miles from yesterday and 50 miles from Sunday, we were both surprised by some of the hills, especially the one out of Berridale. The warning signs said that it was a 13% gradient.

Before I set off I had hoped that I would do an average speed somewhere between 12mph and 15mph reach day. Up until yesterday I had been managing it, today seemed like it was going to be another day when I missed the target but as the day went on my speed increased.

At one point today I was cycling along and up in front I could see my dad at the side of the road. It’s not unusual to see him, it happens every 10 miles or so, but this time he wasn’t in a layby. He waved me on and at the next stop told me that he had been going along and thought that he’d got a puncture in a tyre on the trailer. When he stopped he found that the reason that the trailer was wiggling was that two bolts had fallen out and the top of the trainer had come loose from the bottom. He’s managed to get it sorted though.

We arrived at the site in Dingwall at about 16:45. It’s another site next to a railway line, I think that it’s the third night running. We also went through a spell of being next to motorways.

Tomorrow is a ride over to Fort William with a large part being along the A82 beside Loch Ness. I will, of course, keep my eyes peeled for Nessie. The weather forecast for tomorrow is looking reasonable with temperatures in the teens and no rain, we like there to be no rain.

Today I got a message from my friend Lesley, which said “Well done on your epic journey! You inspired me to write you a poem”, so I thought that I’d share it as it’s not often you get your own poem:

LUKE’S TWO TYRED, BESPOKE AND CYCLEPATHIC TALE
Bent double whilst cycling in clinging blue lycra,
(Beneficially making “all” parts look less “micra”!)
Crazily cycling up hills was no laugh,
So did that make him a cyclepath?!
He could stream past tandems and run over thugs,
And though he pedalled - It was never in drugs,
Although his cycling was smooth and sleek,
We could drive there in hours…  whilst he took a week,
He could get lost in places quite beyond belief,
Then got stuck in a toilet (which was a relief!),
But just pump up his tyres and feed him oats,
Then watch him whizz to John o’ Groats!

Distance today - 93.9 miles
Distance from John O'Groats - 112.1 miles
Total Distance - 1,001.5

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