Day 15: We Made It

Miles cycled: 64
Challenges completed: 1

A stiff Easterly wind and the ridiculously mountainous Nothern Sutherland coastline were conspiring against us today. The hard going was compounded by the fragile nature of my rear wheel rim, and those of you who heard my radio broadcast will have realised it was a nervy start to the day, with 64 miles to do.

However, by lunchtime the relatively flat lands of Caithness were in our sights. The nerves were being relieved every mile as we neared John O'Groats, and by sevenish we were at our destination.

We'd made it - three chaps without support cars, spare bikes or medical aid. Celebration ensued - lots of photographs, whisky was swigged and there was all manner of backslapping and smiles!

Thanks today to hostel lady at John O'Groats for pointing us in all the right directions, to my rear rim for not collapsing and to David at Original 106 for a slightly nervy (on my part) link-up.

Listen up on Thursday and Saturday when I'll be in the Original 106 studios for a jolly good chit chat about all of our adventures!

Thanks very much to all my sponsors, everyone who's supported us, all the supportive text messages and everyone who has helped us in so many ways along the way.

Look out for more info on the JDRF, Nessco sponsored events, and I've not made it home yet, so we'll get all the results of our endeavours posted in
due course - keep your eyes on this blog!

Till next time,

d

Day 14: Cracking Under the Strain

Miles cycled: 48
Miles cycled with puncture: 3
Cracks in Rear Wheel: 4

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. This morning went as well as it possibly could have. The trains ran on time and were flexible enough to let lots of bikes on, and the bike shop man in Inverness was real star doing "a morning's work in an hour" as her put it.

So with a fit healthy bike, Jonathan arrived back at Culrain a shade after midday, and within the hour we were off. The wind was in our faces, but it mostly wasn't raining.

Then we hit the "15 miles from home" problem - this time on my bike. We stoppd to repair an ordinary flat tyre, and as we were refitting the wheel, we noticed the hub had cracked. In four places.

Having the bike loaded had obviously proved too much for this bike, so i have to be gentle with it now. However, those cracks have probably been there for at least a few days. It should hopefully cope with the eighty miles left.

Then a slowish puncture (same tyre!) three miles from the hostel meant topping it up each mile, and limping it home. That will get sorted in the morning. These journeys certainly aren't without their trials.

Don't forget to listen out Tuesday 11-12 on Original 106 for the next live link-up with David. Last day, exciting - and I'm getting quite nervous now too!

Till next time,

d

Day 12: A Day of Two Halves

Miles cycled: 62

The day looked promising - very promising. There was no wind, the clouds were patchy and still, letting the sun peep through as we pushed off through Glencoe village.

Over the unmistakable Ballachulish bridge, and we soon found ourselves in Fort William for our first refreshment stop - with just enough time for a quick radio hook-up before we were back on the road.

We knocked off another twenty miles before taking lunch on the open deck of a "pub boat" in Laggan lock on the Caledonian Canal - the Scottish weather was being very kind to us after yesterday's fun!

All was looking good after lunch, but then we got a bit bogged down. Taking the canalside path to Fort Augustus was very uncomfortable (and possibly unwise) on a loaded lightweight touring bike. Chris took on a puncture which required more fixing than usual - wrong inner tubes. After such a succeessful morning, the slow afternoon became a little tiresome, and there was certainly a desire to finish the day off quick smart.

We still managed to arrive at the hostel near Invermoriston a shade after six, so a very respectable hour, and our fastest average speed day to boot!

Thank you's today go to Alex at Original 106 for the great live link-up, and to my tyres for putting up with all those stony gravelly pathways - lets hope there aren't anymore of those - bring me home boys!

Till next time,

d

Day 11: The Most Beautiful Run

Miles cycled: 68
Rain encountered: Horizontal

The journey today took in the most beautiful countryside the British Isles has to offer. Setting off from Balloch to cycle the length of Loch Lomond was the perfect start to the day. Looking down the Glen, it promised to be a good West-of-Scotland day. Changeable.

The waterproofs stayed on all day, as the rain came and went as it pleased. We swam through Tarbert, Crianlarich, Tyndrum, and Glen Coe.

But this only served to make the scenery more captivating - the light cast dramatically across the hills and the clouds hid the tops and promised menace.

We stopped for a banana at the very top of Glen Coe, I snapped a quick photo as the sun shone, and everything looked glorious. Rolling down to the depths of the Glen the rains came horizontally - as is the custom in this part of the world.

But no weather could marr this ancient, gnarled old scene, and the ride was prolonged by the wind in our faces making it hard work downhill, a great excuse to take it a bit slower.

Thanks today go to the Tyndrum Tearoom for their scones - one serving is 1/6 of a whole scone! - and also to my waterproofs for keeping me dry!

Don't forget to listen out 11-12 on Saturday, Original 106 for the next live link up on Alex' show - be there, or be an equilateral equiangle quadiateral (that's a square!)

Till next time,

d

Day 10: City Cycling

Miles cycled: 68
Cities crossed: 1

Beginning the day at the top of some large hills laid the foundations for a very easy first half hour coasting down the mountain.

After such a speedy start it wasn't long before we reached the outskirts of the central belt, and we kept the speed up as we cycled through delightful places like Larkhall.

As soon as we crossed the Clyde, the National Cycle Network signs pointed straight for Loch Lomond. Most of the way there is a dedicated path for cycles, making the journey comfortable by keeping you away from cars.

The route also takes you past some of Glasgows favourite landmarks - Glasgow Green, the Peoples Palace, the Armadillo (SECC), the Testicle (the IMAX) and the Erskine Bridge.

This evening there is no doubt we're on the west coast - the midgies were out in force as we arrived at our hostel on the side of Loch Lomond.

Thanks again today to David at Original 106 for another great live link-up - and don't forget to listen up 11-12 on Saturday when I'll be on Alex' show.

Till next time

d

Day 9: Scotland

Miles cycled: 71
National Borders Crossed: 1
Extra miles cycled due to diversions: 10

Today felt psychologically a lot better than yesterday. Yesterday we went past half way, we went through the 500 mile barrier (see Proclaimers "I'm Gonna Be") and everything should have looked rosy. But it was a very long day and didn't feel that great.

Today felt great. Scotland, the Homeland, was in our sights.....apart from the diversions. Diversions on cyclepaths meant Gretna was twice as far from Carlisle as it should have been.

But Scotland brought great news - I was in familiar territory, I knew what to expect, I knew the way, and that felt good. The climb of the afternoon was a steep one.

Gretna is at sea level, and the evening stop is Wanlockhead - the highest village in Scotland. Hence the afternoon stint along the old A74 - now a wonderful, if a little dull, cycle path - and a very windy mountain pass took in several thousand feet of climb for us to end up in Wanlockhead situated at 466m

And as we pulled into the hostel, the villge was enveloped in cloud, and the rain came. Fingers crossed it clears up by the morning!

Don't forget to listen out 11-12 on Original 106 for the next live update.

Till next time,

d

Day 8: The Halfway Day

Miles cycled: 83
Rainstorms: 1

We were greeted this morning with grey skies, and for the whole of the morning I viewed the sky with suspicion.

The morning's work was tough - there was a big climb out of Skelsdale, and that was the start of a day of climbing.

Rain was certainly afoot, and it duly arrived after lunch. However we certainly didn't melt - the waterproofs did their job valiantly and we weathered the storm.

Today's journey through Lancashire, Yorkshire, back into Lancashire and then Cumbria saw the scenery changing subtley - the dedication of the Yorkshire to tilling the land would appear far greater than that of the Lancastrians!

No matter where we were though, the hills remained a challenge. Tomorrow will be the same for the long climb into Scotland, and there is also more rain forecast. Great.

Did another great link-up with Original 106 again - thanks David, always great to hear you breaking into a sweat just thinking about the challenge! Don't forget to listen out again on Thursday between 11-12 for the next aural installment.

Till next time,

d

Day 7: To Slaidburn, Our Long Days pt1

Miles cycled: 88
Top Speed: 49mph

Britain has a remarkable road system. Today we cycled 90 miles, threading the needle between Liverpool and Manchester, not only managing to completely avoid these two cities, but also everything else. The only thing between us and the stop for the night were some little-ish hills with very sharp climbs.

Today, being so long, was conquered via two hour cycling stints rather than one hours, with an early start.

Thanks today go to the Landlord of the Hark to Bounty public house in Slaidburn for pouring us a round of beers and letting us take them over the road to have with the delicious dinner Jonathan cooked in the YHA.

Don't forget to listen out Tuesday between 11-12 on Original 106 for the next live radio hook-up.

Till next time,

d

Day 6: The Cheshire Plain

Sunday should be a day of rest.

So we only cycled 56 miles.

The Cheshire Plain arrived not long after our departure from Hereford's famous Long Mynd, and it made for very comfortable riding.

Our journey today had one of our best averages-well over 10mph, thanks to the good cycling conditions. It wasn't too hot, road surfaces were excellent, and there was plenty of flat - only the wind was against us all the way up to Chester, our overnight stop.

All in all, a really civilised day, in preparation for a big 85 mile day tomorrow - the first of two really big, long days, over eighty miles each.

Till next time

d

Day 5: The Herefordshire Hills

Miles Cycled: 65
Radio Hook-ups: 1

Starting the day in Welsh Bicknor (in England, by the way!) we were already in leafy, lush, green surroundings, and this was the order of day.

We rolled into Ross-On-Wye to stock up on provisions for today, and did a super link-up with Original 106 - thanks to Alex for that. Don't forget to tune in on Tuesday 11-12 for the next installment on Brian's show. I forgot to say - I saw the Original 106 van while we were in Bristol - hello guys!

The rest of today's cycling didn't throw us any curve balls - the people of Shropshire have been very sensible, and have managed to build their roads following the valleys, bliss for cyclists!

Thanks today goto YHA staff at Bicknor for putting on a magnificent breakfast spread for just the three of us, and also to the Hostel Mistress for a brilliant and very welcome dinner when we reached Rattlinghope.

Till next time,

d

Day 4: A Tales of Three Bridges

Miles Cycled: 73
Interesting Bridges: 3

This morning's miles were gathered up very quickly - the Somerset Level is a superb place to cycle. It was fast all the way up to Bristol.

Bridge no. 1 - Clifton Suspension Bridge
A fine example of Brunel's mastery of the Bridge set in the awe-inspiring Avon valley.

We ploughed through Bristol - I spotted an Original 106 van - Hello to 106 in Bristol - and crossed the river Severn on the long suspension bridge that is the Old Severn Bridge.

We immidiately gained a lot of height so we could make like a bird (in a straight line) to our stop for this evening in Welsh Bicknor (located confusingly in England)

To get to the Welsh Bicknor YHA, there is a wonderful shortcut through a dingly dell, past an abandoned factory, and over a disused railway bridge - an especially fun shortcut to take in the dark on the way home from the local pub (I imagine!)

Thanks today to the bikers in Street hostel for their kind dontion, the proprieters of The Forge Hammer for an amazing Indian meal - and a special mention to Gerald in Wells. Get well soon - we're praying for you!

Till next time

d

Day 3 - Bye bye Devon, Hello Somerset...

Miles Cycled: 58
Punctures: 1
Amusing Placenames: 2

Felt good this morning - legs were raring to go, no complaints from elsewhere-hot to trot for day three. Leaving Exeter through the rolling hills felt really good-we had a following wind, the sun was cooler than previous days due to the patchy cloud, and the planned route was more relaxed-only 55 miles.

The rolling hills of Devon soon gave way to the rolling hills of Somerset - really good news for the average speed: 10mph for the day, and I also set the new trip fastest speed: 45.4mph.

Just to satisfy the sillier side of my sense of humour (threshold lowered by long hours pedalling, i'm sure) we passed through Coat and Puckington today.

And this evening we find ourselves in Street, a town right at the bottom of a hill - it's very strange when the GPS says the town is less than half a mile away and you can't see it!

Thanks today to Original 106 for another great hookup - don't forget to listen out on Saturday 11-12 for the next update on Alex' show.

Till next time,

d

Day 2 - Striking Out for Devon....

Miles Cycled: 76 miles
Height climbed: approx 7,000 feet!
Riding time: approx 8 hours
Tired legs: two

Today. Was. Long.

Today's route took us over Bodmin Moor (Didn't spot the Hound of the Baskervilles) and round Dartmoor. We saw green hills, leafy glades and some very steep inclines, but we over came them all to reach Exeter.

Just a short entry today, because it's getting late, and I can hear my bed calling!

Thanks today goto Sarah at Rosecrea in Bodmin (especially for the muffins), Bodmin Bikes and to all those car drivers who didn't pass us too close.

Don't forget to listen out on Thursday between 1100 and 1200 on Original 106 for the latest update. The last one, on Tuesday with Brian worked really well - thanks Brian!

Till next time,

d

Great News - Radio Coverage Sorted.

At the eleventh hour on Friday, Original 106 have agreed to cover the whole journey!

I cycled down to the studio on Saturday for a live interview with Alex after 11am, and I'll be phoning in my progress every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 11 till 12.

Get your radios tuned and get listening, because Original 106 will be with me all the way to John O'Groats!

NESSCO Photo Op!

Photo op – here are the results!

Nessco’s finest - lovely supportive Nessco employees, colleagues and important people – thanks to everyone for coming down and smiling on camera!

T minus 4 days to go……..!

Till next time,

Derek

Exciting News - the shirts have arrived!

Picked up my custom printed cycle shirts today, and they look brilliant!

Great big logos, and very visible-everyone will know what we're upto, so they'll have no excuse not to sponsor us!

A great big thanks to Darren at The Dugout, George St, Aberdeen for his donation of free printing!

I smell a photo opportunity at work.......!

Less than a week to go till push-off now!

With less than a week to go now, everything has been going great!

Everyone at Nessco has been great - sponsoring me and supporting the cause! Great news - we've topped the £1000 mark easily! Well done everyone - let's keep it up!

For those of you taking press cuttings, there should be something appearing before the end of the week on www.nesscogroup.com - we're getting some photos sorted!

And hopefully the jerseys will get picked up on Wednesday - thanks to "The Dugout" on George St in Aberdeen for the printing - I can't wait to see the finished article.

Till next time!

D

New toy!

So - how do you find your way in the modern world?

I'm going to find my way with the Garmin GPS 60

"Why this model?" I hear you cry - well I'll tell you!

Well first off - it's waterproof - IPX7 for those engineers out there - so it copes with the best of British weather no problem.

It's fully programmable - it'll hold the WHOLE 15 day route no problem, and if we make changes, I can edit EVERYTHING on the unit.

The trip computer on the unit is second to none, so we'll know exactly where we've been, how long it's taken us etc etc.

Most importantly, it will get us to where we're meant to be at the end of the day when we're tired, wet, hungry and dark - helping us overcome all the odds!

Thanks to Trist from Craigdon Mountain Sports (Aberdeen) for pointing me in the right direction!

Till next time,

D

My Wheels

DSCF1289
Originally uploaded by derek.elliottjones

This is my wheels ladies and jellybeans - got the fixed up and almost ready to go!

I'll tech-spec it later, just for now it's a Revolution Race, and goes like the clappers!

Hello Folks!

This will be the story of a journey. A journey from Land's End to John O'Groats for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. To donate NOW goto www.justgiving.com/onthebike.

My name is Derek, I'm a graduate engineer at Nessco and our charity of choice this year is the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund. So, to raise a bit of money, I'm going to do a bit of cycling -

15 days, 1009 miles, £15,000 - 10-24 June 2008

Follow my progress here, on flickr, join my facebook group and DONATE NOW!

Anyone interested in corporate sponsorship - call me 01224 428419 and we'll sort out what we can do - there will be plenty of publicity to get the story out:

Follow my progress on Original 106, Northsound One, and the Aberdeen papers

Right that's the blurb out of the way - get donating NOW and soon it'll be time to get cycling!