Lands End to John O Groats Update, Days 1 to 6
News from the Lands End to John O Groats team in Lancaster. You can help them raise money for Willen Hospice by donating at their Just Giving page.
Day 1, Lands End - Okehampton (113 miles)
We left Lands End with sunshine and blue skies accompanied by ex-member Andy Kings Welton who moved to Devon a few years ago. The ride along the North Cornish coast soon clouded over with rain setting in for the day after the lunch stop. We eventually arrived at our liason with the support vehicle just outside Okehampton at 7:30 in the gathering gloom.
Day 2, Okehapton - Chippenham (124 miles)
This was always going to be a tough day, but nobody expected it to be as tough as it turned out. The day started with showers that quickly turned to driving rain that made the long stretches of busy roads through the Somerset levels all the more difficult. We eventually arrived in Chippenham 8:20 in the pitch dark.
Day 3, Chippenham - Milton Keynes (89 miles)
A (nearly) dry day!!!! It was good to be back on some smaller more familiar roads that made the miles roll by a lot more easily.
Day 4, Milton Keynes - Rugeley (94 miles)
It was good to see all the TMKers at the start of the Tour of Britain and soak up the big race atmosphere. There was a presentation and photo call with the mayor and Willen Hospice. We left MK with Jason and Yvonne Gurney and Stewart Williams for comany and picked up a stray Rugby Velo rider heading back to Hinckley. Jason and Yvonne turned back at East Haddon and Stewart towed us a few miles further. Lunch was at the cafe at Sibbertoft aerodrome suggested by Nick (from Rugby Velo) before he headed for home and further ToB marshalling duties later in the week.
The day was spent mostly on quiet lanes including the flooded road just outside Alrewas where we were left with no alternative but to wade through the flood.
Day 5, Rugeley to Chester (68 miles)
A wet start in Rugeley and a close shave with a Land Rover near Penkridge didn't make a good start for day 5, but a cracking lunch in Market Drayton and a dry run in to Chester revived everyone's spirits. Many of the roads had been flooded and were covered in flood water and dirt, so the bikes will have taken a hammering. It was good to get to our destination early enough to relax and enjoy the town.
Day 6, Chester to Lancaster (77 miles)
Although not a great mileage, this was always going to be a difficult day having to get over the Mersey at Runcorn and the Ribble at Preston and meant that we had to use many more A roads than we would have liked. The navigation through Runcorn, Widnes, St Helens and Preston was made much easier with the Garmin sat nav and thanks to Alan Coldray for help getting this sorted out ... we even got in a quick visit to Ribble Cycles.
