Day 1 – Send off, and Kings Lynn to Boston
Head of flag waving limbering up.
Not sure how all this happened really. I’m going to have to do it now. Thanks for the Malbec Mike and Mo. Thank you all for the St Christopher.
I’m gone! First stop is Boston.
A Stump for Auntie Gillian. I understand that despite appearances they didn’t run out of materials.
Day 2 – Boston to Cleethorpes
Skeggi.
Day 3 – Cleethorpes to Spurn Point
The Humber Bridge. That is not just any old string you know.
Day 4 – Spurn Point to Flamborough
Day 5 – Flamborough to Whitby
Day 6 – Whitby to Redcar
Today was going to be a day off, but the guilt got the better of me. I do love Whitby, and a day off there could have been used to try to recover my hat. Anyway, I got on my bike and headed off.
Hills! Very steep hills and ridiculously steep hills. So steep that even pushing required a rest every 20 paces. So much for my 100% hill climbing record. Giving it up was surprisingly easy though. When you just can’t pedal any more the bike stops and there you are – given up!
The beach at Redcar.
Day 7 – Redcar to Sunderland
The Tees Transporter Bridge. Strange contraption, but it seems to work.
View through the glass of the suspended thingy.
One of the better tracks. The weight of me and the luggage are such that even a slight downhill gradient makes a white-knuckle ride.
Very thoughtful I’m sure!
Day 8 – Sunderland to Alnwick
Day 9 – Alnwick to Berwick-upon-Tweed
The refuge tower on the causeway leading to Holy Island. Apparently the water reaches the top step at high tide. Perhaps they should put a couple more steps in. It would be far less stressful for the cold stuck people.
End of journey soaking on the way.
Day 10 – Berwick-upon-Tweed to Aberlady
Feels good!
Despite appearances, this day’s ride was no picnic. Unless sitting at the edge of the harbour at St Abbs with tea and cake counts.
There is a chimney in the distance. How long did it take me to reach it?
Day 11 – Aberlady to Kirkcaldy
The Forth Road Bridge is very very wobbly. It’s not too bad if you’re moving, but stop to take a picture and it is scary.
A good job they are building a new one. Behind that new stanchion is the hailstorm that caught up with me before I was halfway across. By the time I reached the end the sun was well out.
Kirkcaldy in the distance.
Day 12 – Kirkcaldy to Dundee
Heading into St. Andrews. Lovely place, looks expensive. There are permanent signs on the St Andrews Golf Course. “Danger Golf in progress”. Well I never!
Sorry this image seems to have a sloping bottom edge. It is a stitched panorama and they are easier to get wrong than right.
This is the Tay Bridge. Nothing wobbly about this one. Pedestrians and cyclists have a dedicated lane right down the middle.
It seems to go on forever. And just look at that rain / hailstorm. That was a very cold one.
Day 13 – Dundee to Stonehaven
No idea! It is near Dunnottar Castle, which at the moment is very close to a load of picture spoiling scaffolding.
Stonehaven.
Hi Simon
It sounds – and looks – like you’re having an amazing journey. I’m not envying your bike ride but the some of the photos (not the ones with the gray skies though!) of the scenary make me wish I was on a trailer behind 🙂
As always, your write-ups look effortless.
I hope the rest of your journey is as rewarding as it appears to have been up to now.
Jean
Hi Jean, nice to hear from you.
You don’t weigh much… bring your trailer, I’ll give you a tow around Skye.
I’ve had worse offers 😉 but now I see I’m too late! I hope you’re not too disappointed as what you’ve done is amazing. And I hope the body is healing and you’ll be up and about again in your own inimitable manner. What’s next??
Hi Jean
Yes, a bit late. Skye seems so long ago already. The disappointment is bad and showing no signs of going away. I think it counts as a proper bike ride, but it needs to be finished. Apart from that I really miss being out on the bike.
My knees are improving and I am working on a plan to finish the ride if they’ll let me. I have to have the bike gearing reworked, shed some gear (most of it), take regular rest days, and reduce the daily distance on difficult terrain. Fingers crossed.