406/5/12 LEJOG taste..

Met up with the group on the summit of Hope Valley on friday afternoon. Michiel cycling with Irish Jim and Phillip who lives 6m of the year in America.
We descended into Shrewsbury taking in a pint at the Cock Inn, much as we did in 2009.
An excellent meal was had. there are 44 in this group and quite a range of abilities & finishing times!
Saturday was the 90 miles to Preston, this time into a little bit of a Headwind. The roads of North Shropshire are rolling & picturesque, and the nightmare through Waarrington/Wigan retail wilderness was as awful as I'd remembered...Still it was a relief to get to the Ibis. Phillip had peeled off 800yds from the finsih believing in his Garmin. This took him tro a Premier Inn and an extra 8 miles! Today he said he should've continued arounfd the block a few times to get his 'century'. An excellent meal was eaten & a few pints of EPA as we watched scumbag Terry lift the FA Cup.
We set out this morning in a gentle but favourable tail wind and the early miles to Kendal were a fantasic & relaved 40 miles at >17mph...no effort! In the SPHERE cafe we managed to meet up with Simon \9from Lejog 2009) who was pout training with heavy panniers - felt like 6 bricks in each!
I then tackled Shap Fell for the second time - I'm not a fan of Hills but this one is special. And the lunch was most welcome.
The next section was fast & furious with iron man Simon powering on until he split off in search of more hills to climb.
After the waterstop Phillip suggested a 'warm down' into Carlisle so we all calmed down a bit & rolled in in good shape.
Well that's it for me - after Gretna I shall reluctantly wave the guys off and head for home.
Looks like it's wet in the morning..never mind

4/5/12 LEJOG days 4-7

As I type this Michiel should be enjoying a beer in Tintern having crossed the Severn Bridge today!
Tomorro I'm driving to Shrewsbury & will cycle south to rendezvous with his party at the top of Hope Valley (so long as I get my timing right!!)
The descent down hope valley for me back in Sept 2009 was the best descent of the whole LEJOG trip, as the car behind backed off & I had all the road to use. Ther surface was perfect & descent exhillarating..I hope it's the same tomorrow.
Then I an joining the group to Preston on Saturday, on to Carlisle on Sunday (over Shap again) and into Gretna on Monday morning. From there I will head back to carlisle station and home.
I am really looking forward to following in my own footsteps for a few days...
...more info when I can log in somewhere....
follow Michiel:-

http://www.wheelygreat.blogspot.co.uk/

and some vets on the ride too! Seem to knackered to write much!
http://www.ccvetscycleride.blogspot.co.uk/

22/4/12 Peterborough 100 (well 50 that is)

Met up with Michiel at Elton at 0700 & we parted at the bottom of Uppingham Hill.
He carried on to do the complete 100 miles whilst I headed back covering 51 miles.
Quite cold & a nasty N wind.

15th April THE QUATTRO!

In the past couple of week the weather has turned pretty foul, but I met up with Michiel at the start in Cogenhow on a bright but chilly morning. We set off with the first group at 0800, and due to some local nicking the MEDIUM/LONG route arrow we came back round to the start again after 10 miles!! There was a loop later we could omit & set off again completing the 59 miles in 3h51m @ 15.4 mph.
One more ride next week in the peterborough 100 before Michiel's LEJOG
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1141443/edit