At something like a thousand miles, this ride from one end of the country to the other is an ambitious undertaking. It's not for the faint-hearted, the unfit or the under-prepared and even then, things can conspire to make what is already a difficult challenge into an impossible one. I don't know what the final straw was that ultimately made Frank admit defeat somewhere near Bristol, but he was clearly pretty dejected by the experience when he returned to work, muttering about rain, wind and achilles tendons.
This year, he's having another crack at it.
Once again, as if it wasn't already a seriously tough proposition, he's doing it solo with no support crew and carrying a tent and camping equipment.
He's travelling to Penzance by train this Monday, carrying a large parcel that is absolutely not a bicycle and he expects to arrive at about tea time.
Once he's assembled his bike from the kit of parts that are in the large cardboard box, he'll head down to the starting point at Lands End, take the obligatory photograph and then get back onto the A30 and begin the long trek northwards.
Once he leaves Cornwall, his planned route is as follows:
- A30 to Tedburn St Mary (just shy of Exeter)
- North to Crediton
- Tiverton
- Taunton
- Bridgewater
- Bristol
- M48 Severn Bridge
- Chepstow
- Monmouth
- Hereford
- Leominster
- Ludlow
- Shrewsbury
- Market Drayton
- Newcastle under Lyme
- Biddulph Moor - for night at home and reorganise luggage in preparation for long days in Scottish mountains without supplies.
- Congleton
- Jodrell Bank - to allow work colleagues to make encouraging and supportive comments (unlikely) or to make tasteless remarks about his lycra shorts and attempt to hide bricks in his saddle-bag (much more likely)
- Knutsford
- Warrington
- Wigan
- Preston
- Lancaster
- Kendal
- Penrith
- Carlisle
- Lockerbie
- Moffat
- Biggar
- Penicuik
- Edinburgh
- A90 Forth Road Bridge
- Dunfermline
- Kinross
- Perth
- Pitlochry (unless he's feeling really good in which case Blaigowrie and A93 through Caingorms)
- A9 Inverness
- Tain
- A9 to John O'Groats
You can learn more about them at www.dmhospice.org.uk
So, if you should see him as he wends his way up the country, please give him a cheery wave and try not to knock him off his bike.
Posts
It's amazing that Frank wants to have another crack at it, what a gutsy bloke. I have checked the route because I thought I might be able to cheer him on, but sadly as he is going up the A30 I shall be making my way into Cornwall along the south coast. I thought I might catch him later up north, but I am on the east side of the country. I wish you well Frank, good luck.
ReplyDeleteThis is huge test for anyone. I wish Frank all the best and hope he raises a lot of money for charity.
ReplyDelete