End-to-end UK

The finish line...

2005-09-02T19:44:00.000+01:00

We have made it! After peddling 1078 miles from lands end we have reached john o'groats!

Today we cycled from tongue across the north coast in the sun, and even enjoyed the hills!

Really enjoyed the whole experience (we recommend it to any one) but are glad to have reached the finish line. Not looking forward to thinking about things like work on Monday!

Met a lots of random and interesting people along the way. Had a beer on the finish line with 4 lads who left the same day as us but managed to find sunshine all the way up. They looked tanned and we looked wind beaten!

Tonight we are staying at the local yha. In the morning we catch the train from wick to inverness. We will celebrate in inverness before catching a flight home on sunday.

Thanks to everyone who has sponsored and supported us during the trip - it has really kept us going. We are looking forward to giving well over £2k to the hospice.

Todays stats: 66 miles cycled in 4hrs 38mins at a startling 14.1mph average speed - the fastest day of the whole trip!

Trip stats: 1078 miles ridden in 82hrs 7mins at an overall average of 13mph. We rode every hill without getting off to push or stopping half way for a rest!

Roll on the next adventure!

K & A

PS. Top tips for anyone considering the trip to follow...

The north coast...

2005-09-02T19:17:00.000+01:00

Carbidsdale Castle to Tongue...

2005-09-01T19:31:00.000+01:00

We have had to endure wind, rain, hot sunshine and bike malfunctions. Today mother nature decided to throw swarms of biting insects at us.

It turns out that the bites on Kieran's legs can be joined up to form an exact map of our route!

Todays mileage was short but we both found that it took a lot of effort to turn the peddles.

We stopped for a hot chocolate at what must be the most remote pub in the uk. As there is nothing else around for 30miles the pub even gets a mention in the road atlas.

This afternoon we reached the north coast at Tongue. We travelled 49miles to get here in 3hrs 56mins at an average speed of 12.4mph.

Tomorrow we have just 67miles to ride to the finish line!

K & A

Small world...

2005-09-01T16:28:00.001+01:00

This is Jo who works at the Carbidsdale Castle yha. It turns out that she went to school with Kieran's cousin Abbie!

Carbidsdale Castle yha...

2005-09-01T16:28:00.000+01:00

Castle sculpture...

2005-08-31T21:46:00.000+01:00

Loch Ness to Carbidsdale Castle...

2005-08-31T21:45:00.000+01:00

Today was over in a flash. We had cracked out half the ride by half 11.

We had a short but tough hill to climb - possibly the biggest single hill of the trip. With a bit of effort we got to the top with no problems.

Todays stats: 67miles in 4hrs 54mins at an average of 13.6mph.

Got to the castle where we are staying in the rain, with more forecast till the end of the trip.

The castle is a yha and is pretty grand with sculptures and paintings scattered about the place.

K & A

Snack break!

2005-08-31T21:44:00.000+01:00

Glencoe to Loch Ness...

2005-08-30T22:07:00.000+01:00

Bliss. 63 easy, sunny, puncture-free miles!

Crossed over Loch Lochey on the ferry to quieter roads this morning. Caught what was basically a bathtub with an engine back to the other side.

Stunning views and a sighting of nessy rounded off the day nicely.

Todays stats: 63miles ridden in 4hrs 40mins at 13.6mph average. Our total mileage is 897miles which would have seen us to the finish line if we were taking the quick route!

K & A

Isle of Arran to Glencoe...

2005-08-29T22:56:00.000+01:00

Today was a long yet rewarding ride. We caught the first ferry off Arran and headed 70miles to Oban (when this picture was taken).

The scenery from Oban to Glencoe was amazing. It was made even better as the sun stayed out all day. High mountainous peaks drop straight down to the locks. Definately worth a visit.

Today was the first day we have not needed to fix anything on either bike! Result.

Todays stats: 99miles ridden in 7hrs 19mins at an average of 13.5mph.

K & A

Scottish scenery...

2005-08-29T22:55:00.000+01:00

Kendoon to the isle of Arran...

2005-08-28T21:21:00.000+01:00

We left the Kendoon hospitality in the wind and rain which persisted pretty much all day.

Not content with cycling from the bottom to the top of the uk, today we set sail for the isle of arran. About 1 minute after the 55min crossing began we had fallen asleep and woke as the boat docked.

In the sunshine arran must look fantastic. The yha is in a really good spot. We even saw two seals on our ride up the island.

Todays stats: 71miles ridden in 5hrs 13mins at a respectable 13.5mph average.

We are looking forward to the sunshine forecast for tomorrow as we have 100 miles to conquer.

K & A

Kendoon yha rocks!

2005-08-27T20:53:00.000+01:00

This is Sam who runs the Kendoon yha sporting our sponsored shirt.

The reception at the yha was 1st class. Tea was in the pot, a table was already booked for us at the local pub, a taxi was booked to get us there (i.e. a lift into the nearest town with a local artist). Our clothes were whacked in the washing machine, and cereal is there for us in the morning.

Who needs the ritz with this kind of service?

Carlisle to Kendoon...

2005-08-27T20:52:00.000+01:00

We're in scotland! Had a great day today. The ride was steady with no lung busting climbs. For once we didnt get rained on!

Kieran broke a spoke on the way into Dumfries. We found the most cluttered bike shop in the world to fix it for us. As we left, Ant noticed that one of his spokes had snapped too, so back we went!

The scenery from Dumfries to the yha in Kendoon was awesome. It would have been even better if the sun were out.

Todays stats: 76miles ridden in 5hrs 56mins at an average speed of 12.8mph.

K & A

Moo!

2005-08-27T20:51:00.000+01:00

Highland cattle - proof we have reached scotland!

The bicycle breakers yard!

2005-08-27T20:50:00.000+01:00

The chip shop pit stop...

2005-08-26T23:23:00.000+01:00

Blackburn to Carlisle...

2005-08-26T23:22:00.000+01:00

Today was definately the toughest yet, maybe because we weren't expecting it to be difficult.

This picture was taken near the top of a mammoth climb. It took us 2hrs to climb about 15miles.

The day started with our half baked attempt to change Ant`s broken spoke. We eventually got on the road at 10 ish. More flat tyres, wind and rain hampered our progress.

At 17:30 we still had 30 miles to go to Carlisle and we were exhausted. We have never been more happy to see a chip shop in our lives!

Arrived at the yha at 21:00, and are now tucking into a curry - a move which we might regret in the morning.

Todays stats: 87.5miles ridden in 7hrs 5mins at an average speed of 12.3mph

K & A

Action shot...

2005-08-26T00:09:00.000+01:00

Why couldnt the bike stand up?

Because it was two tyred!

(joke courtesy of mel's penguin wrapper!)

Chester to Waddington...

2005-08-25T20:41:00.000+01:00

Tonight we are in a plush little B&B about 15 miles above blackburn. Todays ride was pretty easy apart from the occasional heavy down poor. The landscape really changed shape as we climbed out of bolton, opening up into rolling hills.

We passed through a town called Leigh but decided not to slow down for fear of our wheels going missing!

We treated our bikes to a make over at a jet wash, as they were covered in mud. Lashings of oil on Ant`s chain has removed its squeak. Silent peddling rules!

Todays stats: 80miles in 6hrs of riding at an average speed of 13.3mph. Overall mileage is 500!

Recieved a couple of packages at the B&B. One was some essential supplies from the Risebrow-Smiths (Thanks!). The other was some fresh shirts from our sponsors: rhlogistics.com and webmediaUK.co.uk.

K & A

Cheers...

2005-08-25T12:14:00.000+01:00

A pint to celebrate reaching chester.

Clun to chester...

2005-08-25T08:29:00.000+01:00

Got up and eventually got moving this morning (day 5). The wind and rain were not terribly inviting.

Todays ride stats: 72miles in 5hrs 17mins at a 13.5mph average. Much flatter today.

No real dramas. Just the usual broken spoke from ant! Going to try and arrange a full-scale wheel rebuild in blackburn tomorrow lunch time.

Chester seems like a rocking town. A bit like an extra-large cambridge. Highly recommended. If only we were not so tired we would have stayed out for a couple more pints!

K & A

Baa...

2005-08-23T23:47:00.000+01:00

Worried sheep... proof that we have reached wales!

Chepstow to Clun...

2005-08-23T23:46:00.000+01:00

Well thats day 4 over with. Today the route plan said "mainly flat"... and yes it was mainly flat... except for all the hills! The ride took us from chepstow to clun crossing between the welsh and english border as we went.

Ant picked up a re-occuring puncture. As he was changing the inner tube for the second time, 2 spokes snapped. Luckily it happened 200 yards from a cycle repair shop so we were on the road again in no time.

Rain threatened all day but never came. We managed to cycle 85miles in 6hrs 53mins with an average of 12.3mph.

Staying at a pucker converted mill tonight. Looking forward to a slightly easier day tomorrow!

Thanks for all your emails you have been sending - keep them coming.

K & A

Exeter to Chepstow...

2005-08-22T22:30:00.000+01:00

Todays ride was epic. We cycled out of devon, through sommerset, through bristol, across the severn bridge and into wales. We were on the road by 7am and arrived at the b&b at 20:30!

In total we managed 111 miles (a record for both of us) in 8hrs 02mins peddlling setting an average pace of 13.7mph.

It rained (hard) till about 4pm making the going tough. We discovered that our waterproof jackets and over-shoes leaked, but we dryed out with the help of a hand dryer at a pub. The weather cleared eventually making for a great sun set over the river severn.

Today we got both got a puncture so no one felt left out!

Forgot to mention that yesterday we bumped into the youngest ever person to complete the end to end ride. His dad told us that he did it in 3 weeks aged 7! No pressure on us having the stamina to finish then!

K & A

Sun set on the severn bridge...

2005-08-22T22:29:00.000+01:00

The gateway to wales.

The Bristol border...

2005-08-22T22:28:00.000+01:00

Ant at the bristol border.

St Austell to Exeter...

2005-08-22T07:50:00.000+01:00

We take it all back. Yesterday's hills were like mole hills compared to todays monsters! However, we had some rapid decents which almost made up for the climbs. We rode 75miles in 6hrs 4mins at an average speed of 12.3mph - pretty good eh! Only 1 break down - Kieran's luggage rack snapped so we fixed it with tape. The views from the top of dartmoor were fantastic. Used a great cycle track along the line of an old rail track. At yha in the middle of nowhere - have done the self catering thing tonight and it even tasted edible! It will be a 6am start tomorrow as we have 100+ miles to ride! K & A

Penzance to St Austell...

2005-08-20T19:10:00.000+01:00

Bumped into a guy (Tim) at lands end yesterday who was just finishing the ride. Joined him for dinner to get some tips for the journey. What was the one essential thing he packed? Vaseline! As for todays ride: After 4hrs 30mins we had rode 54miles at 12mph average speed... and man was it hilly! The easiest bit was a 5 minute ferry crossing! Just one break down today - Ant broke a spoke and the local shop stayed open late to fix it. Arrived at the most friendly b&b in the world and are looking forward to dinner and desert! K & A

Lands end...

2005-08-20T15:31:00.000+01:00

Cycled from kings x to paddington in the rain, but arrived to sunshine in penzance. Nipped to lands end at 19:00 yesterday evening. Unfortunately the man with the sign had gone home for his dinner! It was just a quick 20 mile round trip from the yha. Just setting off for a 50 blast to St Austell - might even get in a quick surf this afternoon! K & A

0 miles - 1 puncture!

2005-08-19T13:26:00.000+01:00

Managed to get our 1st puncture even before leaving stevenage! Almost missed the train! On the way to penzance keeping hydrated with a couple of carlsbergs! K & A

Keep in touch...

2005-08-16T13:06:00.000+01:00

I have managed to work out how to send and receive emails on my phone. That means you can send us emails of encouragement while we are away on our bikes. Email us at: endtoenduk@ntlworld.com

After only three hours in make-up, Ant and I were ready for today's early morning photo-shoot with a photographer from 'The Comet'. Look out for the pictures and article in the next issue!

Kier xx

Mobile post...

2005-08-15T23:13:00.000+01:00

This is a test posting sent direct from my mobile phone - technology rocks! Watch this space for a daily photo and update while we are away!

The itinerary...

2005-08-11T09:39:00.000+01:00

Where we will be and when we will be there!

19 Aug - Castle Horneck, Alverton, Penzance, Cornwall, TR20 8TF (01736 362666)
20 Aug - The Waterwheel Inn, Bodmin Road, Trethowel, St Austell, Cornwall, PL25 5RR (01726 67435)
21 Aug - Steps Bridge, nr Dunsford, Exeter, Devon, EX6 7EQ (0870 770 6048)
22 Aug - The First Hurdle, 9-10 Upper Church St, Chepstow, Monmouthshire, NP16 5EX (01291 622189)
23 Aug - The Mill, Clun, Craven Arms, Shropshire, SY7 8NY (01588 640582)
24 Aug - Hough Green House, 40 Hough Green, Chester, CH4 8JD (01244 680056)
25 Aug - Waddington Arms, Waddington, Clitheroe, Lancs, BB7 3HP (01200 423262)
26 Aug - Old Brewery Residences, Bridge Lane, Caldewgate, Carlisle, CA2 5SR (0870 770 5752)
27 Aug - Kendoon, Near Dalry, Castle Douglas, DG7 3UD (0870 004 1130)
28 Aug - Lochranza, Lochranza, Isle of Arran, KA27 8HL (0870 004 1140)
29 Aug - Glencoe, Glencoe, Ballachulish, Argyll, PH49 4HX (0870 004 1122)
30 Aug - Georgeston, Invermoriston, Inverness-shire, IV63 7YA (01320 351264)
31 Aug - Carbisdale Castle, Culrain, Sutherland, IV24 3DP (0870 004 1109)
01 Sept - Rhian Guest House, Tongue, Sutherland, IV27 4XT 01847 611257
02 Sept - John O'Groats, Canisbay, Near Wick, Caithness, KW1 4YH (0870 004 1129)
03 Sept - 39 Greig Street, Inverness, Inverness-shire, IV3 5PX (01463 220201)

The route...

2005-08-09T23:48:00.000+01:00

Here is the route we will be taking >>
I will be posting the full itinerary here soon!

Kier xx

Kieran & Ant's cycle mission!

2005-08-05T23:07:00.000+01:00

It seemed like such a good idea at the time... but now the route is set and the hostels are booked - there is no going back!

We are setting off on our bicycles on 20 Aug 05 from Land's End and... 14 days and 1066 miles later, we will arrive saddle-sore but elated in John o'Groats. This self-punishment cannot go unrewarded, so please dig deep and sponsor us at: http://www.justgiving.com/endtoenduk.

So far we have been overwhelmed by the donations and as at 05/08/05 we have raised a massive £1,400!

We hope to upload details of the route before we leave and daily progress reports (e.g. number of punctures!) each day during the ride.

Cheers,
Kier x