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• Give to the Royal Signals Benevolent Fund Here
• Give to the Gurkha Welfare Trust Here

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A breakfast that would have fed three people set me up nicely for the run from Melrose to Glasgow. I decided last night that I wanted to get today cracked fairly quickly so I stuck to ‘A’ roads the whole way. I followed the River Tweed to Peebles and then headed north on the A72 and A721 towards Glasgow. The cold and overcast weather very quickly gave way to more blue skies and enough sun to cause me to stop and stock up on sunscreen. Tomorrow I will be upgrading to factor 50!

It is fair to say I didn’t come into Glasgow by anything resembling the tourist route. Despite growing up in the city I passed through areas that I had only previously heard of on the news. Or on Taggart. However, in the glorious ‘taps aff’ sunshine everywhere looked its best and I soon arrived in the friendly confines of the West End happily unmurdered. An evening with family and friends lies ahead before taking my first steps into the Highlands tomorrow.

Tomorrow – Glencoe.

Sponsor me – choose either (or both!) charities below:

• Give to the Royal Signals Benevolent Fund Here
• Give to the Gurkha Welfare Trust Here

Follow me on Twitter @davidrorr for regular LEJOG updates.

You know you are nearing Scotland when you look out the window in the morning and think ‘I know just what to wear today – my warmest jersey and bags of sunscreen’. And that turned out to be on the money; the day started in cold mist and quickly developed to wall to wall blue skies, albeit without much of the warmth normally associated with June sunshine.

I started early today. Fuelled by a big breakfast from the Youth Hostel I climbed the 300 or so metres up to the head of the valley where I reached the highest point on my journey so far – 575 metres above sea level. The climb was eerie as the mist was thick and the road was deserted. Once over the summit I descended into Alston and from there I followed the main roads to cross the A69 at Brampton. This was a change to the Garmin route at the suggestion of the Youth Hostel manager, and it was good advice as the road was excellent and quieter than many B roads I have ridden on.

Once north of the A69 the countryside became rolling and expansive. The views towards Scotland were breathtaking (they were probably pretty good towards England too but I was only looking one way!). Firmly back on small roads, I crossed the border at a fairly low key crossing point over the Kershope Burn. I was slightly disappointed there was no ‘welcome to Scotland’ sign but it was, I suppose, a small price to pay for the absence of kilted piper!

Into Scotland the rolling countryside continued. In many ways it was reminiscent of Cornwall; certainly my legs recognised the pattern of long uphill slogs punctuated by brief downhill sprints. Eventually I made my way to Melrose, where I checked into the Station hotel (the cold shower comes at no extra charge…)

Today was a day of records. At 95 miles it was by far the longest day, it was the day with most climbing (2000m) and it was the day I reached the highest point to date. Although I don’t have the numbers to prove it I would say it was also the windiest day, relentless and unforgivingly from the north. But all things considered this was probably the best day on the bike so far.

Tomorrow – Glasgow

Sponsor me – choose either (or both!) charities below:

• Give to the Royal Signals Benevolent Fund Here
• Give to the Gurkha Welfare Trust Here

Follow me on Twitter @davidrorr for regular LEJOG updates.

Back in the saddle! The advantage of planning my own route for a journey like this is that I designed an itinerary that suits what I want to do entirely. So after a rest day at home yesterday, I was able to have breakfast with my family and walk the girls to school before getting back on two wheels. I suspect there aren’t many who can make that claim in the middle of the End to End challenge!

My legs felt fresh after the rest day, which was just as well as I battled a brisk and persistent headwind all day. That is the trouble with cycling in one direction rather than a loop; if you start with a headwind you are pretty much stuck with it. The cycling however was excellent. The small country roads of North Yorkshire were pretty much deserted and navigation from little village to little village was easy. I stopped twice in small tea rooms and on both occasions the welcome and service couldn’t have been warmer.

Just beyond Scotch Corner I cut inland and headed for Barnard Castle. North from there the countryside changed markedly as I climbed into the North Pennines. It feels increasingly remote and frontier like, which makes sense as this area is the watershed that divides the country into east and west. I am also, of course, nearing the Scottish border, but that is a tale for tomorrow!

Finally, mention must be made of my accommodation for the evening. I’m staying at Langdon Beck Youth Hostel, which is in an absolutely stunning location. Duncan, the manager, is extremely friendly and welcoming – and as I speak he is making a chilli for those staying tonight. This place is everything that is good about Youth Hostelling.

Tomorrow – Melrose.

Sponsor me – choose either (or both!) charities below:

• Give to the Royal Signals Benevolent Fund Here
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As luck would have it our house near Boroughbridge is almost exactly half way between Land’s End and John O’Groats. This made it a very convenient place to factor in a rest day, and as I sit here in my study typing between sips of beer it feels like remarkably good planning!

The first 20 miles today was all about hills. There was a big descent from Eyam to Grindleford. Then a nasty climb out of Grindleford to Fox House which, although long was never actually that steep so I was able to plod up it. I certainly didn’t find it as easy as the chap who passed me on an E-Bike; those things definitely have a future in getting people into cycling. After Fox House came the long (and fun) drop into Sheffield, which I did at pace stopping just to have a look at my old flat in Sharrow Vale road for old time’s sake.

Heading north from Meadowhall I joined the Trans Pennine cycle route. Whilst it is a great route in its own right, my love/hate relationship with cycle paths culminated today and the conclusion wasn’t positive! The time wasted navigating, lifting the bike over gates (often every half mile) and the limited speed that can be achieved on poor surfaces is just too much a price to pay. I abandoned the cycle path and followed road signs for Garforth, where I met up with Jim and Helen who bought me a drink to boost my morale with 25 miles to go.

I did notice that everywhere I went today it looked as if there had just been a tremendous downpour; standing water, wet cars and the like. Despite this I didn’t get rained on at all. It is clearly too early in the journey to call me ‘lucky’ as it could all go wrong next week, but I was very pleased to escape the rain today.

Tomorrow – A well earned rest day, during which I’m looking forward to spending time with my girls and eating lots!

Sponsor me – choose either (or both!) charities below:

• Give to the Royal Signals Benevolent Fund Here
• Give to the Gurkha Welfare Trust Here

Follow me on Twitter @davidrorr for regular LEJOG updates.

It was a real pleasure to stay in the mess at 30 Signal Regiment last night. We lived at Gamecock barracks only 3 years ago, but it seems a lifetime. The twins have come along since then so I suppose it is, in fact, two lifetimes ago!

I left Nuneaton determined not to be caught out by the ‘cycle path trap’ so I re-routed to ensure I was on roads all morning. It worked as I made quick progress despite very tired legs (and a very sore backside). The going was flat and on small country lanes. I followed cycle route 68 (on roads) as far as Ashbourne. Here I took a gamble; the Tissington trail came highly recommended as a cycle path, but after yesterday’s adventures I was a little wary. I went for it and I’m glad I did. The route follows an old railway line and offers stunning views of the Peak District as it climbs into the national park. Because it is an old railway route the unavoidable climb into the Peaks is made as bearable as possible with a steady but shallow incline over 10 miles.

Beautiful Peak District countryside from the Tissington Trail.

Once in the Peaks my legs largely abandoned me, which was inconvenient as I certainly hadn’t seen the last of the hills. I finally made it to the Youth Hostel at Eyam where I was cheered up the final hill (all Youth Hostels are at the top of brutal hills) by my personal fan club. A pub meal and a few beers then fixed most ills!

Tomorrow – Boroughbridge

Sponsor me – choose either (or both!) charities below:

• Give to the Royal Signals Benevolent Fund Here
• Give to the Gurkha Welfare Trust Here

Follow me on Twitter @davidrorr for regular LEJOG updates.

I was fortunate to have another cycling partner for the first 25 miles out of Gloucester today. Tim joined me fresh from his own LEJOG challenge, which he and his brother very impressively did in just 5 days. Needless to say he isn’t too shabby on a bike so we made quick progress on mostly main roads. After Tim said goodbye, I made my way into Stratford, which was particularly busy with tourists hoping to see the town just as Shakespeare knew it. I met Katy and the girls for lunch – it was great to see them and, on a sorter day, it was a chance to enjoy a longer lunch.

Today wasn’t all plain sailing though. Garmin continued to surprise with their definition of routes ‘suitable for road cyclists’. Probably 20% of today was on dedicated cycle path. Mostly it was fine but in some places it was practically impassible. This, coupled with seemingly endless gates and steps at the beginning and end of each segment, really added too much time to the day. Navigation was tricky too – I spent half an hour in a frankly scary corner of Coventry looking for the one access point to the canal towpath. The difficult terrain took its toll on the bike resulting in my first ‘mechanical’. The constant jolting caused the rear mudguard to shear. A quick dash to the shops for some heavy duty tape soon fixed it, but it is hassle I can do without!

Garmin: this is not ‘suitable for road cycling’!

Tape fixes anything!

So, two lessons today: Be careful about what cycle paths you choose to use and carry some ‘fix anything’ tape with you!

Tomorrow – Eyam.

Sponsor me – choose either (or both!) charities below:

• Give to the Royal Signals Benevolent Fund Here
• Give to the Gurkha Welfare Trust Here

Follow me on Twitter @davidrorr for regular LEJOG updates.

I left the Youth Hostel at Street fairly early, but I still managed to run straight into rural Somerset’s rush hour. A transiting dairy herd had entirely blocked the narrow country lane I was on. Two young cows stopped just by me and started ‘head sparring’ like two rutting stags. It was entertaining at first, until one decided the handlebars of my bike looked ripe for a challenge. Disaster was averted by quickly turning the bars side on in submission; I was happy to let this cow have the moral victory.

Once going again I very quickly made it to the bottom of Ebbor Gorge in the Mendips. Last night in the Youth Hostel cyclists of all ages delighted in telling me their horror stories about getting up Ebbor Gorge. In the end it wasn’t actually that bad. I stopped at Wookey Hole to catch my breath, then engaged the granny gear and spun up the 200m climb in one very slow go. Apparently the view from the top is spectacular, but the weather had closed in by then so I cracked on through the persistent drizzle..

Not long after dropping out of the Mendips I tackled Bristol. Cycling in cities that you don’t know is never fun, but in this case the extensive and largely dedicated cycle paths that cross the city made it pretty easy. The national cycle network is much improved in recent years and route 3 and 4 (I think) through Bristol are great examples of how good they can be.

I stopped for lunch just north of the M4. I met up with Dan, an old friend from Sheffield days. After a long morning it was just the morale boost I needed (especially as it was his shout!) – thanks Dan!

The day finished with a valuable lesson in route planning. I followed the cycleway along the canal north to Gloucester Quays. What the maps didn’t say was that this cycleway is pretty rough and certainly not roadbike territory. On my tourer I was just about OK but I now feel like I’ve spent a day flying in a Chinook trough a hail storm. Beer will fix that…

Tomorrow – Nuneaton.

Sponsor me – choose either (or both!) charities below:

• Give to the Royal Signals Benevolent Fund Here
• Give to the Gurkha Welfare Trust Here

Follow me on Twitter @davidrorr for regular LEJOG updates.

So many people told me that the first two days are really brutal that I decided to give myself a half day (42 miles) on day three. I was glad of it, as it meant I was able to have a relaxed breakfast at the B&B before bottom met saddle.

Today was different in other ways too. The weather was cooler and breezier (headwind – but I promised not to complain about it!) Perhaps because of this, combined with it being the first working day after a long weekend, there was a more urgent and less tolerant atmosphere on the roads; abuse from car drivers was back to normal levels!

The terrain was different too. More substantial roads, shallower hills and much less wild countryside. Perhaps it was just because of the contrast with previous days but Taunton felt like a sprawling metropolis!

I arrived at the Youth Hostel in Street (just outside Glastonbury) around 1:30 pm. The building is exactly like Youth Hostels I remember from, well, my Youth. A hostel since 1931 it is a ramshackle and basic construction that is reminiscent of a dilapidated ski chalet. It is the kind of place where some windows don’t close because there is ivy growing through them, and to me it is all the more charming for it. Apparently it is to be refurbished at the end of the summer. You can’t stop progress.

Tomorrow I will cross up and over the Mendip Hills. Just for fun here’s a challenge. Using just the profile below, try to spot the Mendips.

Ouch!

Tomorrow – Gloucester.

Sponsor me – choose either (or both!) charities below:

• Give to the Royal Signals Benevolent Fund Here
• Give to the Gurkha Welfare Trust Here

Follow me on Twitter @davidrorr for regular LEJOG updates.

I woke up feeling somewhat fresher than I expected, which is just as well as today’s 70 miles were particularly hard won. Leaving Tintagel Youth Hostel (where all the tables are disappointingly square) I was faced with a 250 metre climb in the first 3 miles. This pretty much set the tone for the rest of the day. Even when Cornwall gave way to Devon and the landscape became a little less rugged the relentless undulation continued.

It was hot too. I’ll never complain about a blue sky day, but I did spend the day desperately hoping that the 5 year old Australian sunscreen that I selected from our ‘collection’ based solely on the size of packaging would still be effective. Of course Australians struggle to comprehend why anyone would buy sunscreen and not use it for 5 years so shelf life is probably not a priority for them. I think I’ll be buying some after sun this evening…

I cycled a whole county! Now I just need to find an ‘r’.

The heat made it particularly important to get eating and hydration right. I certainly got through plenty of water and was glad that I went for the 3 bottle set up on the bike. My planned lunch stop was in Okehampton, so I was disappointed to find practically everything there closed! I don’t know much about Okehampton but I guess it isn’t too concerned with attracting tourists on a Bank Holiday Monday.

As the heat took its toll I got progressively slower, mostly because I had to keep stopping to take breaks in the shade! I was in no rush though, and after a leisurely last 10 miles I arrived in Tiverton.

Tomorrow – Glastonbury.

Sponsor me – choose either (or both!) charities below:

• Give to the Royal Signals Benevolent Fund Here
• Give to the Gurkha Welfare Trust Here

Follow me on Twitter @davidrorr for regular LEJOG updates.

At very long last it is time to start this nonsense. I left Penzance in high spirits and Cornish drizzle to cycle the 10 miles to Land’s End. Arriving just before 9am I quickly dispensed with all the obligatory signpost photos and then cycled round to the car park to meet Nic and Antony; friends of mine who happened to be in the area on holiday. They very kindly offered to cycle the first 35 miles or so with me and their support was very welcome. It really makes a big difference cycling with company. I’m beginning to realise the (mostly) solo nature of this trip might be the biggest challenge.

The first half of the day was a little bitty as the route zigzagged through Penzance, Hayle and Camborne. Whilst this kept us on quieter roads and away from the dreaded A30 it did mean there was never a long enough section to get into a decent rhythm. The afternoon was quite different though. After lunch the route changed to long sections and the going was much quicker.

The final section into Tintagel was hard going. The Cornish version of ‘flat’ is downhill followed by the same amount of uphill. It simply hasn’t occurred to them that there might be a more efficient way. Just as my legs were at their most heavy I hit the longest and biggest hill of the day. I nearly stopped at several pubs, but I resisted (for now) and finally made it to Tintagel Youth Hostel, a very welcome sight perched spectacularly on high cliffs overlooking the Atlantic.

Tomorrow – Tiverton.