I've now rasied over £2000

I've been concentrating on my ride preparation but the sposnorship money is vital too. So far I've raised over £2000 for Peace Direct, which is enough to cover the cost of the hotline for peace, a free phone line that Peace Direct's Nepalese partner has just set up, so that they are always contactable when violence erupts, and people need them. Alternatively £2000 would cover the cost of training 22 village heads in Zimbabwe how to manage conflict in their villages, and the dangers of political manipulation. Your sposnorship money is money well spent in making the world a safer place. So, if you haven't sponsored me yet, please do - whatever you can spare>>

How much do trousers weigh?

I have been getting obsessed with the weight of the things I am carrying in my bag as i cycle. So this morning before we left I weighed two pairs of trousers to find which was lighter. I need to take a pair to wear in the evening when I go out for a meal.

Each Day's Route

This is my route, if I don’t get lost. I have altered my original route a little so it is now 915 miles. I’m aiming to get to Lands’ End on the last day  between 5 pm and 6 pm on Tuesday 17th May. I’d love to see you there, if you live nearby and can make it.

For each day there is a link to Bike Route Toaster - click on the date. This is online software that allows you to see the planned route for that day. You can increase and decrease the scale depending on how much detail you want to see. The software is free and sometimes you will click on the link and not get a map. I think this is because the site is overloaded with visitors. If that happens, just try again later. The links definitely do work.

I’ve included my proposed route for the last day, but, because I know the area so well, I may take a slightly different route, but still ending at Lands’ End, of course!

On paper the hardest day looks like Sunday May 8th – a long day with a lot of climbing.

I intend to post to this blog each day while I'm cycling - energy and internet connections willing.

Day 1: To Altnaharra on Monday 2nd May 2011
74.13 miles | Ascent 2763 feet |Descent 2512 feet

Day 2: To North Kessock Tuesday 3rd May 2011
73.24 miles | Ascent 2372 feet |Descent 2646 feet

Day 3: To Grantown on Spey Wednesday 4th May 2011
38.69 miles | Ascent 2050 feet |Descent 1352 feet

Day 4: To Spittal of Glenshee on Thursday 5th May 2011
59.43 miles | Ascent 4561 feet |Descent  4177 feet

Day 5: To Dunning, Friday 6th May 2011
44.45 miles | Ascent 1178 feet |Descent 2125 feet

Day 6: To Edinburgh Saturday 7th May
40.08 miles | Ascent 1984 feet | Descent 2145 feet

Day 7: To Langholm on Sunday May 8th
73.77 miles | Ascent 4072 feet |Descent 3837 feet

Day 8: To Tebay on Monday May 9th
60.08 miles | Ascent 2459 feet |Descent 2096 feet

Day 9: To Bashall Eaves Tuesday 10th May 2011
46.10 miles | Ascent 3186 feet |Descent 3566 feet

Day 10: To Church Minshall on Wednesday 11th May
60.9 miles | Ascent 2430 feet |Descent 2614 feet
Day 11: To Ludlow on Thursday 12th May
64.53 miles | Ascent 2202 feet |Descent 1923 feet

Day 12: To Tinten Abbey on Friday 13th May
54.18 miles | Ascent 2533 feet |Descent 2795 feet

Day 13: To Brompton Ralph (near Elworthy) on Saturday 14th May
72.21 miles | Ascent 3505 feet |Descent 3010 feet

Day 14: To Great Torrington on Sunday 15th May
43.9 miles | Ascent 3029 feet |Descent 3284 feet

Day 15: To Wadebridge on Monday 16th May
50.22 miles | Ascent 2742 feet |Descent 2942 feet

Day 16: To Lands End on Tuesday 17th May
59.73 miles | Ascent 3404 feet |Descent 3334 feet

Route stats

Finally finished my detail plotting of routes on Bike Route Toaster – I know, I know, it’s a bit late in the day!

I decided to use the auto-routing facility rather than use the CTC route, and the route has turned out almost 100 miles less. It's going to be around 925 miles.

The program says I will climb 44469 feet – which is the equivalent of cycling up Snowdon almost 13 times.

Getting There

I am slowly but surely getting there both in terms of strating the ride and in fund raising.

Now passed the magical £2000 mark for Peace Direct, and lots of people have promised to sponsor me who haven’t yet, so the goal of £3150 doesn’t seem quite so far away.

On Sunday I met a couple in a car park – they were in a car and I was on my bike  - I told them I was in training for my big ride and the woman asked if I was doing it in aid of anyone. I explained about Peace Direct and she said she’d sponsor me. The next day there was £20.00 from her. I was so touched by her generosity.
Getting very nervous about the ride. Ridden over 200 miles in the last week. Will ride today and tomorrow and then nothing more till I start on Monday.

Minx Girl has sent me some  small samples of Hoo Haa Ride And Glide for my trip – one for each day. This is good because it means I don’t need to carry my giant tube with me. Thanks Minx Girl. (If you wonder what it does – it’s a cream to protect your girly bits when you ride.)

Had a great ride yesterday – 67 miles and felt very good, so getting more and more confident I can do the miles I need to do each day.

I used auto routing when planning my route yesterday on bikeroutetoaster – and it took me through a churned up track, a field (we did have right of way) and some downhill track with big pot holes and the odd little stream running across it. It did say at the beginning turn right onto an unpaved road, but this was no unpaved road!

With bikeroutetoaster you can get  a satellite view of the route as well as a conventional map. I’ve decided to switch to that view if I’m in doubt about the road surface. It was fun yesterday - the sun was shining and it was very picturesque, but it would be annoying if I was tired or the weather was bad.

Now plotted the first three days ready for my bike sat nav. I’m using a mixture of auto routing and following the CTC’s Lands End to John O’Groats information pack, although, of course, I’m doing it in reverse. This seems to work well, but the real test is when I do it.

Here is an example of one of the routes – day 2 Altnaharra to North Kessock

Did 67 miles yesterday on the bike. It was glorious sunshine and I really enjoyed it Called in at Bissoe Bike café for a coffee and Snickers bar and then went to Roskilly’s on the Lizard peninsula for one of their fabulous ice creams. My bike computer told me I used over 3000 calories, so felt a large ice cream was totally justified.

Have done 160+ mile sin the last four days and pan to do more today. The sunshine certainly helps.

Great News

I am now at 52% of my sponsorship goal and my legs are getting better and better. Thank you to all the people who have supported me so far, and all the good wishes I have had. It's getting close now!

Today i am going for a 40 mile bike ride with Kay and some of her girl friends.

Have been off the bike for a few days with injured thighs – being a bit over-enthusiastic in the gym on Friday evening.

Managed a 25-mile ride in brilliant sunshine yesterday. Took it easy and my legs seem to have fared OK.

Now off to do a 30 mile ride today.

Getting a bit worried about fundraising; haven’t managed to raise as much as I’d hoped by this stage, so need to remind people. Lots of people say they will sponsor me, but it’s turning that consent into action that’s sometimes a problem.