Sumone cycling end 2 end

This May, sumone is cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats, and epic 950 miles of sheer.....joy!

This mad adventure is all in aid of The Primrose Hospice, a Worcestershire charity that works to help cancer sufferers and other terminally ill adults in and around Worcestershire.

The Team:

Becky Johnstone

cyclist and organiser

Mark Johnstone

cyclist and team medic

David Johnstone

cyclist and stash guru

David Summerfield

cyclist and pace maker

Di Johnstone

Support driver and rescuer

Eve of the ride: Friday 2nd May:

After some dramas we are preparing to go, all the bikes are ready, the training is complete, whatever training there may have been, and we are ready for the off. Tomorrow we are loading the van early doors and driving to Lands End where we aim to complete the first 25 miles for our first leg! Who decided starting in Lands End on a may bank holiday was sensible idea! We start one member down, no david Johnstone, but the rest of us will still be going strong!

Day One:Saturday 3rd May: Total miles: 28.2

So day one over, 28.2 miles from lands end to Hayles. Some fairly nasty hills but that lunch in Bodmin really helped us set off with good energy. Got the mundatory photos of the famous Lands End sign, pretty breezy on that peninsular though. Really good to finally set off and get some miles under the belt, roll on tomorrow and the first full day.

Day Two: Sunday 4th May: Total miles: 90.3

62.1 miles covered today, though some going round in circles! Tried to go on country roads but too complicated and hilly so ended up on the A30, which wasn't actually too bad. Stopped at Bodmin for lunch, weird being back there 24 hours later, having actually started the ride. Spent the night outside Launceston in a small B&B.

Day Three: Monday 5th May Total miles: 160.3

70miles today, and whoever said Cornwall was the worst was lying, actually its Devon! Went up the longers steepest hill ever invented and not somewhere anyone on a bike should go, seriously. Killed the back of it before lunch at Bickleigh and then a gentle run in the afternoon to Wellington.

Day Four: Tuesday 6th May Total miles: 256.3

96 miles from Wellington to Welland, a nice day up the A38 the whole way. Slightly complicated finding the right way through Bristol, since they haven't invented signs there yet, but we made it in the end and eventually got on the right road. 60 miles before a quick lunch stop and then a nice gentle afternooon. Very sunny and nice (maybe a bit to sunny for some legs!) but all in all quite a good day. Home for the night and then off north tomorrow, next time we're home, it will all be over!

Day Five: Wednesday 7th May Total miles: 339.3

83 miles from Welland to just south of Tarporley. Another hot day, beautiful countryside up through Worcestershire and on into Cheshire, and nice gentle roads without too many terrible hills. Quite a frustrating morning getting a late start and knocking the day off but we managed to make good speed in the afternoon and catch that up.

Day Six: Thursday 8th May Total miles: 419.3

80 miles in all today, we hoped to get furthur but it was a difficult day navigating through the industrial north and signs weren't easy to come by. We lost so long negotiating routes through these urban sprawls. We started back down the road from our over night stop and then struggled through Runcorn and Widnes, but eventually made it up to Garstang just south of Lancaster. The weather was pretty nice, sunshine all day and 26 degrees but not too hot actually. Much of the run was flat and with a tail wind made up time. Now clear to see...................the Lake District or Shap. Will you die by elecrtic chair or hanging?

Day seven: Friday 9th May Total miles: 451.3

Only 32 miles today. A terrible night where 3 of us spent most of it emptying the contents of our stomachs, we then had a very late start and only made it to Kendall. Actually found we felt much better on the bikes but since we lost our driver temporarily, we had to relay driving the van. Through various means we all completed the distance and had a gentle day, so that we hope tomorrow we will all be recovered and try to make up some time! Fingers crossed tomorrow will be another day and it will all be good.

Day eight: Saturday 10th May Total miles: 532

80.7 miles and who said Shap was sooooo hard, its a doddle! A good early start with most of us recovered, straight up Shap and then down into Penrith and on to Carlisle. We lost David at lunch time who was still suffering from the day before and dad and i pushed on with a really good afternoon up to Moffat. It was nice crossing into Scotland and suddenly we can smell the end......well almost. Strange to think this time last week we had just started.

Day nine: Sunday 11th May Total miles: 613.7

81.7 miles, along the bumpiest, most horrible roads ever. Started at Moffat and headed up B7078 the lod main road north. Being old they don't maintain them so the surface was terrible, getting progressively worse. Then the nightmare of negotiating Glasgow began, and really the most unpleasant part of the ride so far, so dirty and cold! Finished the north side of Stirling and hopefully thats the worse of it behind us, and the rest will be lovely Scotlish countryside!

Day ten: Monday 12th May Total miles: 696.3

82.6 miles. A grey and cold start to the day, which suddenly brightened up after lunch into glorious sunshine. The afternoon was simply great, crusing along the A9 at about 16 mph and eating up the miles. We left stirling behind us and have reached Dalwinnie, a one horse town if ever i saw one! The highlands are beautiful though and we even managed to pursuade David back onto his bike for the last 19 miles, so hes not totally down and out!

Day eleven: Tuesday 13th May Total miles: 773.3

77 miles today, slowly climbing out over the highlands and into Inverness. Definitely the most dangerous cycling to date, scots don't like to leave you much room and there were certainly some moments when i felt something brush past me. Really tough with a cold wind in our faces too and frustrated that we couldn't get furthur and finish tomorrow. Still 100 miles short unfortunately. Beautiful scenery though and we were all surprised at the amount of traffic on the roads, where are they all going???

Day twelve: Wednesday 14th May Total miles: 870.3

97 miles completed and...........................

WE MADE IT TO JOHN O'GROATS!!!!

can't believe we actually did it. After a terrible day yesterday today was a total contrast. Bright blue skies and little wind we sailed up to Helmsdale for lunch and with only 55 miles left after lunch we desided to go for it. After a quick stop in Wick, we headed out for the end, rolling coastal roads and a few nasty hills but we were unstoppable. It feels so good cruising down the hill into John O'Groats, knowing that you have finally made it. Unfortunately because we got there after 6pm they had removed the famous sign for the night, but we made it none the less it and sure feels good.

So the trip is complete, 870 miles, a few spots of rain but nothing to speak of, no punctures or other mechanical problems and no accidents, ok, we were a bit ill and some limbs are more sore than i can mention but it was all worth it in the end.