This is a recap of my journey with my farourite images and videos.
Final days ride 😕
A great day. Very strong headwind all day but no rain.
This video gives an idea of the wind.
It was great to spend a night on the yacht with Wim and his dog Patu. Wim has sailed this yacht all over the world and has some amazing stories to tell.
Some photos of the day:
And finally made it back to Calais.
Stats
Total time including stops: 7:56
Tomorrow I take the ferry back to Dover and then the train home.
Thanks for following along!!!
I leave The Netherlands today 😥and have one day in Belgium. I’ll be going through Bruges again so hoping for less 🌧️
Unfortunately it was still raining in Bruges. Today was a difficult ride because of a strong headwind all day.
There was a ferry crossing of about 4 miles in the morning. Those were the only easy miles!
Home for tonight.
Stats
Total time including stops: 7:32
Tomorrow is my final ride: from Nieuwpoort to Calais.
A great day’s ride. Not as windy as yesterday. A bit overcast but good light for some atmospheric shots.
These storm surge barriers are impressive. They are about 9km long. Built between 1976 and 1986, they are the largest in The Netherlands.
The barrier was constructed in response to the North Sea flood of 1953, which devastated large parts of Zeeland, South Holland and North Brabant, much of which lies below sea level.
Stats.
Total time including stops: 9:02.
Today was my longest ride (it was actually 63 miles but the Garmin gave up 2.5 miles from the end)
A short ride today but against a 10 mph constant breeze made it harder going.
Lots of windmills today but none in use. Apparently the old ones are for heritage preservation, educational tours, and cultural events.
There are so many water birds and most seem to be raising chicks.
I’m not a big fan of busy cities but I really liked The Hague. Efficient, clean and friendly – much like everywhere in The Netherlands it seems.
Some other highlights:
Stats:
The average speed lower due to wind 😉
Total time including stops: 7:41
A saddle free day wondering around Amsterdam.
I visited the Van Rijk museum. Amazing art and artefacts but one of the highlights for me was the lock and key section!
Tomorrow it’s a short ride from Amsterdam to The Hague (35 miles).
Looks like a repeat of yesterday weather wise 🌧️⛅🌧️
Looking forward to a rest day in Amsterdam tomorrow. No 🚴
I’m becoming a cargo boat spotter! This is a fairly small one. Spot the two cars and boat on the back.
Use this link if you can’t see the video above: Inland cargo boat Amsterdam
I can’t work out if this is to slow the bike down, or clean the wheels. It seemed to do a good job of both.
Observation
I’m in a full cafe and I’m the only one on my phone.
It tells you how long you have to “wacht” for
Third ferry crossing of the day.
Is it a boat or a ship?
Impressive brickwork. I wonder if they just twisted the whole structure before the mortar set.
Grey herons along the canals.
The weather ending up being 🌧️⛅⛅⛅⛅⛅⛅, which was perfect.
Stats:
Total time including stops: 7:48
The program this far today (3 hours in) has been rinse-dry-repeat.
Leaving Antwerp after picking up a new chain, following another broken link (note to self – put a new chain on your bike before going on a long trip).
The rinse-dry-repeat cycle continued all day but still managed to stop during the dry bits.
Not the best name for a trainer store!
Dortrecht in the evening…
These inland cargo vessels move with impressive speed along the rivers. A lot of them have a car on them, which I assume is for use when docked. There is a website that you can look up the details of each vessel by name. This one is 172 meters long:
Stats:
Total time including stops 8:14
Fewer stops today as I decided to get most of the miles behind me to beat the rain.
Antwerp has quite an industrial feel to it, particularly around the outskirts and to the north heading towards the sea. Lots of shipping.
However, it’s all so organised and clean. Fascinating to see. What amazes me is how many bicycles there are. There are cycle lanes everywhere and everyone obeys the rules including stopping at red lights even when there’s no traffic!
Did I mention the cycle lanes are amazing?
Stats:
Total time including stops 7:43.
I might just take the shortcut!
Broken chain. Good thing I brought a spare 👍
Somehow the cigarette in his mouth completes the picture.
A drop of oil on the chain and some air in the tyres and she’ll be good to go.
Bruges is very picturesque. Pity it was raining a lot so I was not able to linger.
Lots of wildlife today.
The cycle paths are superb. These tree lined paths next to the canals go on for miles.
It was a harder day, mainly because of the drenching rain later in the day.
Total time including stops was 7:40.
I had to take the bunny detour in the end because the towpath was closed.
Tomorrow is the first day of proper cycling.
In Belgium they have an interesting take on the “park and ride”
Belgium on the left, France on right. The grass is greener on the other side.
Very cycle friendly, and with road signs easily understandable by a South African!
The breeze helped a lot yesterday. Fifty miles on flat surfaces with a good tailwind is (no pun intended) a breeze.
Total time with all the stops was 8.5 hours.
Highlights
Seeing my first wild Kingfisher fly past whilst having lunch on a bridge.
Hearing Cuckoos in a woodland.
Calais
For real this time!
The final day of my epic trip and after 23 days of cycling, my saddle is ready for a rest! 🚳
I cycle about 40 miles to Inverness and that’s it. Onto the overnight sleeper train to London, and home.
Sunshine and showers today so maybe some stopportunities for photos.
A sight for sore saddles!
Milestone
I’m home!
Thank you for following along with me. It definitely felt less lonely being able to share the trip like this and I really appreciate all the comments.
Bless you!
My last long day of cycling, from Dunbeath to Tain, with some nice hills.
Very foggy start to the day so no views.
Milestone
1000 miles cycled since leaving home.
End of day 22. It remained foggy all the way so unfortunately no nice pictures.
Tomorrow is the final day as I finish up in Inverness
The end is in sight (almost literally).
Today I cycle the final 12 miles to John O’Groats, have a little cry, take a photograph and start my 3 day journey back to Inverness to take the overnight train back to London.
This day is for Samuel, who turns 22 today. Happy Birthday Samuel 🎂🎂🎂
A mountain of potatoes.
It’s official!
956 miles and 2 sets of brake pads since leaving home.
I’m saving my remaining 1 mm of brake pads for these hills tomorrow.
This man has just walked from Land’s End! He started on 8th May.
Nice to be cycling with the wind 💨for a change.
I thought I would see more Highland cows, but these are the first ones I’ve seen.
I’m not sure if the person who wrote this was completely sober.
End of day 21. I’m staying in a place with a wonderful view over the ocean.
The last full day before reaching John O’Groats. I end the day at Dunnet, about 12 miles away from the official end of LEJOG.
This day is designated as “expert” because of the hills and distance. I’m looking forward to it! Those Cornish hills are a distant memory now.
The North Atlantic!
I think the dog bit off part of this sign.
The local cafe.
Naslie pointed out to me that it’s fitting that where I stay tonight is called Dunnet.
Tomorrow I make the final push northwards to a town called Tongue. I’m running out of dry land!
I have no idea how salmon get up here but they do.
Loch Shin
It’s so remote here.
Made it to Tongue.
Today’s ride was an unforgettable journey through a beautifully wild and windswept wilderness.
Tomorrow I cycle about 50 miles in an easterly direction along the coast until Dunnet. It will be my last full day’s cycle before reaching John O’ Groats.
From Inverness the path leads northwards into increasingly remote areas. It’s a bit of a snaky route around the firths so not too much northwards progress but a fair distance overall.
Tonight I stay near Bonar Bridge.
Leaving Inverness this morning was interesting. The way north out of Inverness is over the Kessock Bridge and when I arrived there I was informed by way of a locked construction gate that the cycle path over the bridge was closed. The “diversion” offered was a 25 mile detour around the Beauly Firth. I didn’t take up that offer and took my chances instead on the road. Occupying the slow lane on a busy A road with no shoulder (no chance of stopping for a picture) in high winds and driving rain was fun.
I was glad to get over the bridge unscathed and even gladder when the rain eased fairly soon after.
This is the first thing of beauty I encountered after the bridge:
Cromarty Bridge in the distance crossing Cromarty Firth.
Very sad. Looks like mum and baby Badger hit by a car.
The beautiful remote Highlands.
There are miles and miles of conifer plantations as far as the eye can see in all directions. In the distance you can see a patch that’s been harvested.
It’s nice to see the odd patch where more natural growth is coming through.
Overlooking Dornoch Firth.
That’s day 18. Tomorrow I reach the North Atlantic Ocean!
A pair of red kites.
The view from outside my room this evening is very special.
My noisy neighbours.
Onwards to Inverness as I leave the Cairngorms behind.
Milestone
Just seen my first ever red squirrel 🐿️
Scotland is sooo beautiful.
A Scots Pine at home.
The beautiful Loch an Eilein
The local sport is interesting.
Birch does really well here. You can tell this tree is old by the knarliness (not a real word) of the bark.
Inverness in the distance.
I have reached Inverness at the end of day 17. Tomorrow I head north west to a small town called Bonar Bridge about 50 miles away.
Today’s cycle takes me around the Cairngorms in a clockwise direction and ends up 15 miles outside of Aviemore.
Another gem I’ve come across, completely unplanned, Bruar Falls.
A petrol station frozen in time.
The Cairngorms have a rugged beauty.
Along the cycleway, I met a local man who turns 34 today so decided to cycle 17 miles and then turn back home, to make 34.
We cycled together until about the 18 mile mark, where he turned back. I wished him a happy 36 th.
My first highland cow.
That’s it for day 16. A lovely cycle with the Cairngorms as a constant backdrop. Tomorrow I cycle through Aviemore and onwards to Inverness.
Today I reach the spectacular Cairngorms.
This is big tree country.
Scotland’s forests are so spectacular. I’m so glad I’m on a bicycle because I can just stop anywhere I like to enjoy the scenery (and I’m doing a lot of stopping!)
This is a fish ladder at Pitlochry dam to allow salmon to bypass the dam as they swim upstream. Such a good idea.
I had to stop here for a wee dram.
That’s the end of day 15. A brilliant day, even though it was very wet.
On the road again!
My bike has been “rebooted”. No actual fault found. I have a few polite questions to ask Specialized, the first of which is why the diagnostics software is not available to consumers, but I’ll leave that until I return.
I’m doing some cycling today to make up for lost mileage but will need to take the train part way to Perth.
Tomorrow I resume my planned route.
Just cycled over the Forth road bridge. The railway bridge is one of my favourite man made structures. It’s so impressive up close.
Thank you for all the prayers and well wishes 🙏
It’s great to be out in the countryside again.
A conifer plantation (possibly Sitka spruce). They are so tightly packed that nothing else grows underneath. They almost look dead but the crowns are very healthy. They are grown for timber. From above the forest it almost looks like grass because they are so uniform.
That’s the end of day 14. Looking forward to resuming my planned route tomorrow.
An unplanned “rest day” in Edinburgh while I wait to get my bike looked at in the morning.
Some time to do a bit of bike maintenance, like cleaning and lubricating the chain ⛓️🧑🔧.
As someone wisely pointed out to me: the challenge I am facing brings an extra awareness of the challenges that the people we seek to serve at Tearfund encounter on a daily basis.
This challenge is so small compared to the problems they face. I have choices; I can catch a train, I can pay for an extra couple of nights stay, pay for my bike repair etc. Most of the people we serve have none of these choices. They certainly can’t pay their way out of their situation.
Cycling these long distances each day has also brought to mind the distances that some people have to travel each day, like Orbisa from Ethiopia who in the dry season has to walk up to 10 hours each day just to collect water for her family!
Not the day I had planned.
Today I will be cycling 20 miles to Carlisle with my faulty bike and then catching a train to Edinburgh, which is the nearest place north of here that has a bike shop that can diagnose the problem on the bike.
The earliest they can do so is Friday (after much arm twisting – originally it was a 2 week waiting period).
I will keep you posted on what happens next but as it stands the two options are:
I have completed 590 miles since Land’s End and have about 430 miles to John O’Groats, so well over half way. It will be such a shame if I’m not able to complete it.
I’ve arrived in Edinburgh. For those of a rugby persuasion, I’m staying across the road from here:
CPU cooling with Irn-Bru.
Today I cycle through the beautiful Lake District, starting from Kirkby Lonsdale, passing through Kendal, Windermere, Ambleside and then northwards along the length of Thirlmere reservoir, before heading east to the town of Greystoke.
The first “lake” this morning.
It’s a bit too early to start eating grass.
Random observation.
This is based on quality data gathered from my trip so far. Ladies (driving any vehicle) are by far the most courteous on the road. Men driving Land Rovers (especially those with tinted windows), are the least courteous.
Kent not so close.
Lake Windermere in the distance.
Problem.
One of my best days has turned into a bit of a nightmare. Just at the end of my ride my bike electrics started playing up. The bike has gone into some weird restricted mode. I’ve tried all the usual tricks but nothing works.
Tomorrow I’m going to cycle 20 miles to Carlisle with the bike limping along, and then take the train to Edinburgh where the bike is booked in for Friday. It’s the earliest they could do so I’m losing 2 days cycle.
Whether they can fix the bike or not will determine if I can carry on with the trip.
I will keep you posted.
Anyway, the lake District is heartakingly beautiful.
This is an exciting day ahead particularly because I meet up with Duncan for breakfast this morning. Duncan’s parents live nearby and I believe he’s visiting.
There is also a town nearby called Bacup which is a very appropriate place to meet a DBA.
Most of the day will be cycling through the Forest of Boland National Landscape which looks beautiful. I’m hoping the rain will only be light so that I can stop and enjoy the views.
I end the day in Kirkby Lonsdale.
It’s the actual sun!
The proof is in the pudding.
Duncan is a legend! Not only did he drive an hour to treat me for breakfast, but he also brought along a bicycle pump to top up my tires because my pump is about as effective as a wet paper straw. And he also put in a good word for me for the weather which has been perfect and not the day long rain predicted. Get a local to put a good word in for you! Bless you, Duncan.
What an amazing place.
Mascepone (sorry couldn’t resist it)
There’s something biblical about this scene.
I love the mossy stone walls.
Home in a hedgerow.
Made it to Cumbria.
Random thoughts:
When you’re gasping for air at the top of a hill with your mouth open, it’s the most likely time that a fly will smack you in the back of the throat.
One of these chain links probably weighs a fair bit.
That’s day 10 completed. It was a perfect day for cycling. Not a drop of rain and stunning scenery.
It looks like I’m nearly level with the Isle of Man.
The next leg of the journey takes me around the outskirts of Manchester and ending up in Blackburn, so a bit of an urban feel to this day. I’m sure there will be some highlights in-between the showers!
Leftwich is my least favourite ‘wich’ so far, though it does have a nice viaduct.
Not exactly a highlight, but it shows progress.
Milestone: I’ve just passed 500 miles since leaving home.
Day 9 completed.
The second half was a lot wetter than the first so not many stop opportunities. It seems as if I’m not seeing much because of the rain, but I’m enjoying it nonetheless and I’m becoming better at managing being drenched. It definitely helps having a warm shower at the end.
Both Bolton and Blackburn look like nice towns and especially the ride over the hill between the two was very picturesque albeit drenching.
I can’t believe I’m further north than Manchester!
Long day today but I’m up for it!
I end up in a place called Leftwich close to the river Weaver. Looking at the river on the map you can see how it got its name. Parts of it were apparently straightened in the 1700s to make it more navigable for canal boats.
I feel like this should be twinned with Newport in Wales. No data centre in site though.
Rainy days still providing picturesque scenes.
That was a tough day. Long and wet. Not many stopping opportunities as a result but the blue dot creeps northwards.
