Packing List...

So the list has grown from just me and my bike to this.....

• Me    (essential)
• My bike     (very essential)
• Phone charger     (more essential than first 2)
• Garmin charger   (hate to miss out on kudos)
• Di2 charger ?     (not sure if the shimano can do 920 miles on one charge ?)
• Contact lenses/specs   ( yes, I am a blindo)
• Meds/toothbrush/paste   (see lovely pic below)
• Chamois cream   (even more essential than phone charger)
• Money & credit card    (bit obvious)
• 4 spare tubes/CO2/pump + levers  (my emergency breakdown insurance, see lovely pic below)
• Multi tool & spare chain links    (boy scout working overtime)
• Waterproofs   (dad told me to never leave home without it)
• Lights   (just in case I cannot get to B&B by 9:00 at night !!!!!) 
• Ear plugs   (to get a good night sleep and stop my own snoring from waking me up)
• Cleat covers/flip flops ?   (clip clopping to chip shop or striding in all cool)
• Energy bars/gels   (essential to stop me bonking during the week) * see explanation below
• 2 x Drink bottles and sachets  (fluid in, essential for life)
• Triathlon bars ?    ( Don't know about this, I read alot of blogs and advice seems to say take them as you can settle into a rhythm and it is more comfortable, but I probably won't as I find them irritating on climbs as my knees keep knocking into them)

Funny how phone chargers was first thing I thought of even before toothbrush, food and drink ?

I was also thinking about taking some inner soles or lightweight flip flops to use after the days ride. I will need to find somewhere to eat my own body weight in grub after each day. Plans are coming together nicely, just got a lovely new toothbrush.  Cannot quite understand the excitement of seeing the thing arrive.  First little sign that I am actually going to do this ride.

Here it is..

Also I got myself a little luxury holder for my CO2, I hate carrying these in pockets so this was a great bargain at £7...

If I get tired going up a hill I can light the fuse and go like a rocket for a couple of yards at least.

Note no clothes, I will be using the wash in shower and hope they dry by morning method.

Hit this link below for the explanation of Bonking, not at all what you were thinking, you dirty minded people you !!!

*    BONKING

Happy Birthday Dad

Dad would have been 83 today.  God bless, love you and I cannot wait to do the lejog for you in 14 weeks time.

Veloviewer 3D Views

Disaster Recovery Plan

Just in case I have a nightmare mechanical the boy scout in me has prepared for the worst...

Here is a handy list of bike shops on the route....

BIKE SHOPS

Halfords Penzance 01736 335910

Halfords Camborne 01209 720010

Unit Cycles 01726 860830

Indian Queens

Liskeard Cycles 01579 347696

Callington Cycles 01579 386824

Tavistock Cycles 01822 617630

Partridge Cycles 01392 833303

Kennford

Halfords Exeter 01392 447941

Cycle Honiton 01404 47211

Cheddar 01934 741300

Cadence Bath 01225 446887

Black 8 Nailsworth 01453 391977

Bike Works 01453 872824

South Woodchester, Stroud

Halfords Stroud 01453 761590

Eastgate 01452 300366

Gloucester 

Phill Prothero 01568 611222

Leominster 

Epic Ludlow 01584 879245

Stans 01743 343775

Rock Garden 01829 730699

Tarporley

1250 Frodsham 01928 898011

Halfords Widnes 01514954690

Broadgate Preston 01772 746448

Fullwood Cycles 01772 713042

Halfords Lancaster 01524 846889

Lakeland 01524 735465

Bolton le Sands

Dyno Carnforth 01524 732089

Evans Kendal 01539 740087

Arragons Penrith 01768 890344

Palace Carlisle 01228 523142

G&G Dumfries 01387 259483

Riks Bike Shed 01848 330080

Drumlanrig Castle

Dales East Kilbride 01355 244303

Dales Glasgow 0330 440 4080

Halfords Dumbarton 01389734372 

Glencoe 01855 851226 or 811911

Crankitup 07746 860023

Nevis Fort William 01397 705555

Nessebikes 07876 828338

Inverness Bikes 01463 225965

Dryburgh 01349 862163

The Spot Wick 01955 602698

Point the Way

I cannot believe that I never spotted this sign up in my little North Shropshire village....

End 2 End News

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/record-rides-john-woodburns-record-breaking-end-to-end-1982-211103?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social

TRAINING. 18 weeks to go...

Training plan is coming along really well, I'm trying to maintain 100 miles a week from January and then ramping it up to 200 miles per week up to the day I set off for Cornwall on 19th June.

With the weather as cold and wet as it is that means every Tuesday & Thursday I do a 1-2 hour session on the turbo trainer in the garage.
It would be mind numbingly dull but my lovely wife Debby bought me a DVD set of the top 100 climbs in the UK which I managed to rip onto a memory stick and use on an old TV....

 I have to say for no cost it is fantastic, check it out...

Mogwai are one of my favourite bands and this video is a great warm up/down. check it out.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrIRcB0x4iU

Ride for Ron(s)

I have had the very sad news that my Uncle Ron from Canada has passed away so this ride is now in memory of my dad Ron and his blood brother Ron from Canada. They were very close friends and called themselves blood brothers and I have dozens of memories of them both together laughing and joking with each other.

I will have to double my efforts to live up to their memory.

To The Two Ronnies.

XX

Route Day 8

Inverness to John O Groats.....

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/57.5983615,-4.3419712/58.6435213,-3.0686844/@58.6230412,-3.1743843,11.46z/data=!4m4!4m3!2m1!1b1!3e0?hl=en

Route Day 7

Following yesterdays beauty we want some more please......

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/56.4367029,-4.7102808/57.6017126,-4.3385808/@57.5905637,-4.3450004,13.63z/data=!4m11!4m10!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-4.4053228!2d57.3544305!3s0x488f124e14560c19:0x1dff8381eb70e871!1m0!2m1!1b1!3e0?hl=en

Route Day 6

Last of my top 100 climbs on this trip today, the Mennock Pass first thing in the morning.  Lovely stuff.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/55.3610298,-3.9108974/56.4374804,-4.7138374/@56.4526748,-4.7633431,11.83z/data=!4m16!4m15!1m10!3m4!1m2!1d-3.7675954!2d55.4069752!3s0x4862a843c6f3a749:0x3ef959ed7483e2d9!3m4!1m2!1d-4.4511287!2d55.9171059!3s0x48884e6de9515145:0x9f6541b39c3a2205!1m0!2m1!1b1!3e0?hl=en

The ride today looks totally stunning as I pass Loch Lomond and up into the beautiful roads of Scotland.

Route Day 5

Lancaster to Mennock.  First stay in a proper B&B, I am sorry if I hadn't mentioned this but along the way I have used airbnb.com to get rooms in houses in Lands End, Bovey Tracey, Nailsworth & Lancaster.  Fantastic website...  check it out.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/54.0570387,-2.8005986/55.361201,-3.9112749/@55.2262324,-3.9707746,10.21z/data=!4m26!4m25!1m20!3m4!1m2!1d-2.745238!2d54.3216393!3s0x487c8de73f30e2ab:0x1e4d363657299a53!3m4!1m2!1d-2.735762!2d54.6453517!3s0x487cfbbd5c35275f:0x4567b85c3927927c!3m4!1m2!1d-2.7424745!2d54.6541549!3s0x487cfb9b5cecd659:0x2cdf14994ed2074d!3m4!1m2!1d-2.7452612!2d54.65744!3s0x487cfb830c9e6247:0x601c013dc03ee80a!1m0!2m1!1b1!3e0?hl=en

Emotional day as I pass over the bridge in Carlisle I walked under in 2012 when I did the East to West walk of Hadrians Wall in memory of my mum. So this is where my mum and dad will meet again in a way.  Going to be a moment. enough said.

Route Day 4

This will be the hardest wave goodbye of my life,  saying see you later to my family for a few days as I head off to the highest point of mainland Britain. Ellesmere to Lancaster.

One more top 100 climb to have a crack at in Lancaster called Jubilee Tower,  why not ey !! ?

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/52.9129064,-2.8892409/54.0313734,-2.7548278/54.0041818,-2.6901937/54.0602839,-2.801223/@54.048599,-2.8184643,13.48z/data=!4m18!4m17!1m10!3m4!1m2!1d-2.7086854!2d53.6267189!3s0x487b1204187d3771:0x4ea999dee64981a4!3m4!1m2!1d-2.7096973!2d53.7789175!3s0x487b720ecd53c9b5:0xbb5fdea53ca01db6!1m0!1m0!1m0!2m1!1b1!3e0?hl=en

Route Day 3

Show me the way to go home..... I'm tired and I want to go to bed..........

Nailsworth to Ellesmere, it is slightly off route but I have some very good reasons to head for this lovely little town in North Shropshire....

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/51.6930611,-2.2183343/52.9090014,-2.8930653/@52.8006487,-2.7821025,11.17z/data=!4m21!4m20!1m15!3m4!1m2!1d-2.2410077!2d51.8487974!3s0x4871060c6f4b8829:0xd5145850b0b12e5a!3m4!1m2!1d-2.7502043!2d52.7048797!3s0x487a9e5b1d136b43:0xe8f4ebf8be8581c6!3m4!1m2!1d-2.7525219!2d52.7789041!3s0x487a993e4404ab4d:0x89a7e3a646558efd!1m0!2m1!1b1!3e0?hl=en

Route Day 2

Day 2 is a bit less challenging but on the back of the day before I have no idea what my legs will be like.  Shut up legs !! as a very famous cyclist Jens Voigt would say.

Bovey Tracey to Nailsworth via the Cheddar Gorge and Bath.  2 more top 100 climbs to get over.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/50.5918356,-3.6724108/Wedmore/51.2772045,-2.7268535/51.6929728,-2.2181038/@51.2293611,-3.1064122,9.05z/data=!4m28!4m27!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-2.8451187!2d51.0332953!3s0x487212765324d629:0x6afa5608c8da1e80!1m10!1m1!1s0x487204ab2c85c093:0xe625f982806fd11d!2m2!1d-2.81108!2d51.228772!3m4!1m2!1d-2.7755172!2d51.2773549!3s0x48721e78add15eb9:0x7ca94ec9498721a7!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-2.3785842!2d51.38554!3s0x487181380dd4f28d:0x540eb13e5bd9ba0b!1m0!2m1!1b1!3e0?hl=en

Route Day 1

I don't know what is harder, cycling the ride or planning every detail before you actually step one foot on a pedal.

The route is sorted, the B&B's are booked and my way to LE and from JOG are planned (sort of)

Day one :-

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Lands+End+Visitors+Centre/50.5923008,-3.6754514/@50.5478211,-3.7810459,12.08z/data=!4m21!4m20!1m15!1m1!1s0x486ac6fe47c0784b:0xf059c1cab9067f1f!2m2!1d-5.7127733!2d50.0657945!3m4!1m2!1d-4.2340645!2d50.5155483!3s0x486c8c0b3f92034f:0x4211591c0097006e!3m4!1m2!1d-3.7662351!2d50.5714485!3s0x486d01d682dcf497:0xf18967b0eb17d52!1m0!2m1!1b1!3e0?hl=en

They say start as you mean to go on but in this case I have no option but to start in the toughest part of the country to ride a bike.  Cornwall & Devon are notorious as having no flat bits. Along the ride this day I will try to do 4 of the top 100 climbs in the UK. Rundlestone, Dartmeet, Widecombe and Haytor Vale.

L-E-J-O-G

There comes a time in every cyclists life where the lure of the End To End, aka LEJOG (Lands End to John O Groats) gets to the point where it has to be done.

My time is now.

I could also have done the JOGLE from John O Groats to Lands End but I like the idea of cycling uphill for 920 miles !!

2016 is the year, Monday 20th of June is the date.

I am also doing this in memory of my dad who died almost 20 years ago. He was my hero, always the life and soul of a party and he would have loved to be with me I am sure. He and my mum spent many happy times in Cornwall, Scotland and travelling so my thoughts will be with him along the way.

I will be raising money for anyone who wants to donate for 3 charities.

They are:-

Hope House Children's Hospice       http://www.hopehouse.org.uk/home.html

Help For Heroes                 http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/

Kenyan Schools Project          http://www.kenyanschoolsproject.co.uk/

My page: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/RichardOwen

I will keep posting on this blog of stories of the training and preparation leading up to the day.

Thank you

Wish me luck !!!

rich  xx