With panniers packed for our 3 days of cycling we set off from Bromsgrove at 6am with our goal to reach Birmingham New Street Station for the 07.22 train. The adventure had begun! It was very pleasant cycling on such quiet roads with most of the population sleeping off their hangovers. A bit of a shock to realise that the Bristol Road has a couple of rises on it - when did that happen??? 13.1 miles later we arrived, in time, to board our train to Peterborough and realising that maybe having 4 weeks off the bike (holiday and other lame excuses) hadn't been such a good idea.
The train journey was great as we got chatting to a man who had decided to spend the next 3 months cycling to Istanbul with a few stop offs to see friends along the way :-) He had done a lot of cycling in his lifetime. As far as I could see he must have been experienced to fit his 3 months worth of gear into just 4 panniers fixed to his bike!
Train time
Arriving in Peterborough we headed towards Kings Lynn testing out Graeme's new gadget - a Garmin 810 (Sat Nav for a bike) that has been on his wish list for a while. We had no set route mapped out - just a few places that we wanted to take in over the weekend. We just knew that for our first day our destination of Thursford was 70 miles away. Meaning we should top 80 miles for the day. Kings Lynn had been tapped into the Garmin, thinking it would be a decent food stop, and off we went.
There were some beautiful sights along they way which we would have been able to show you if I had remembered to press record on my new gadget - a GoPro (cool, tiny camera) that I bought to capture our JoGLE journey. It's fair to say that Technology wasn't our friend over the weekend but the weather was and you can't have everything!
We felt like we were heading in the wrong direction so stopped to check out maps on our phones which agreed that whatever the Garmin was telling us we needed to turn round and go back on ourselves. 10 or so miles later the Garmin had directed us to a dead end on a housing estate! Neither of us were impressed as this was adding to our wait for lunch! Thankfully someone had the foresight to put a fish and chip shop in the middle of nowhere and open it at 11am :-) A tray of chips and all was right in the world again. We are also proud to say that every customer they have this week possibly month will be told about our story. Raising awareness is what its all about and our orange and green polka dots are helping us along :-)
A few more miles and we reached our lunch destination where a couple named Tony and Jenny kindly pointed out a place to eat and unbeknown to us would play a further part in our weekend. Lunch gave us a chance to charge equipment, re-fill water bottles - and take stock of the morning's ride, with 58.3 miles under our belts we had learnt 2 major lessons. First, always understand and know your technology before setting out on rides and second there are no set meal times when cycling.
From Kings Lynn to Thursford it's all a bit hazy. Apart from a random sighting of several full-size crucifix we remember miles and miles of seeing no-one. No cars, people or cyclists - which was very strange but a feeling we know we shall have again through the first couple of days in Scotland on our JoGLE. We eventually came across an older gent on a recumbent trike who tried to tell us that Norfolk was far from flat. Our Strava mapping for the day would say otherwise - most of it looks like it was drawn with a ruler! Anyway, he assured us we were 'probably' going the right way, to get to The Old Forge Seafood Restaurant our accommodation for the evening so, feeling weary, we carried on with food and meeting up with friends in our thoughts.
After the Garmin running us in circles again and after 92.3 miles we reached The Old Forge and we couldn't of been happier :-) We were greeted by Colin who had a safe place for the bikes and assured us he'd be feeding us well - music to our ears. He and his wife Sarah were fantastic hosts. As we caught up with our friends Aron and Rachel we ate very well indeed. Friends, laughter, food and a couple of drinks helped us forget our weary bodies and we fell to sleep, in a very comfortable bed, exhausted, proud and slightly concerned with how our bodies would hold up the following morning.
We woke from a great night's sleep still feeling saddlesore and neither of us were looking forward to sitting on our bikes after breakfast. My knees had also started to hurt which have never caused an issue before but a change of shoes (as my others cause numb feet on longer rides) ahead of the weekend was more than likely the issue. We ate like kings and Colin sent us off with good luck for our journey and challenge and we experienced a new kind of pain. With both of us wishing yet again that we hadn't had so long off the bikes, it took a while to get used to the saddles with our sores. We were stopping and starting several times due to my knees. Adjusting shoes to try and ease the pain. I taped my right knee at one of the stops to keep me going (though it turns out I've torn a muscle in the left!).
Flatter terrain had been chosen on purpose for the weekend to focus our efforts on time in the saddle rather than hill training but riding relatively flat was hard. Your body position doesn't change as often so you find yourself forcing a new position when your hands/shoulders/neck/back start to ache. you're using the same muscle groups continually and with fewer hills there are fewer downhill which means you are constantly pedalling - not great when your knees are suffering :-(
We headed towards Cromer for the first leg of Day 2 stopping off for ice-cream. Then took the coastal road all the way to Wells-Next-The-Sea. It was far more enjoyable than the previous day. At times we managed to take in a few downhills :-) There were even other cyclists around - although most of them seemed to be enjoying the many cafe/cake/pub stops along the way :-) We had been told about where to get the best fish and chips in Wells, by a lovely lady, at lunch in Kings Lynn. She was next to her mobility scooter and she liked our bright Wheelchair to Saddle jerseys. She told us all about how she was a dancer in her younger days and how vital her scooter is to her to keep her independence. She thought what we were doing was great and she sat there taking in the views with a glass of wine, her memories and her independence :-)
Fish, Chips and Mushy Peas! It's fair to say that we weren't eating as well as we should for cycling which is another lesson learnt but when someone recommends a place you have to try don't you? We continued on through some beautiful villages and admiring many of the converted windmills around. Even though the knees were hurting, the scenery, weather and joy of knowing there were only 20 miles between us and our bed for the night, at The Dabbling Duck, kept smiles on our faces. At 62 miles we were greeted with two pints of cider on the house and we knew straight away that we had chosen well. Our evening meal was quite simply some of the best food we have ever tasted. We were exhausted, and on our way to bed, got questioned about our cycling by a lovely couple dining there, and yet again, we had a chance to spread the word about NF and the great work of The Lee Spark NF Foundation.
We were up early in the morning. So got dressed and went out to the garden to enjoy the early morning sun before breakfast was ready. We met a group of ladies, on a walking weekend, at breakfast who very kindly said they would donate to our cause - Thank you Ann and Caroline :-) We struggled with breakfast that morning. A lovely full english before us but eating was just difficult. We knew we had to get some fuel inside us so homemade preserve and toast was just the job. Really wish I could've managed the Full English though - maybe next time :-)
We set off through the duck ponds and with 53 miles between us and Peterborough Station, and a time constraint to get there on time, we eventually made the choice to take in some faster roads. Flat, straight and monotonous we are glad that our JoGLE, although 200 miles longer than the shortest route, will be taking in less of these busy A roads. Before this though, we were flagged down by Tony and Jenny the couple that we met in Kings Lynn. They had seen us a couple of times over the weekend whilst we were on our bikes and they hadn't been able to get us off their minds. They had stopped us to make a donation - thank you both. We left them with a smile on our faces and tears rolling down our cheeks. Raising funds and awareness is a very real part of this challenge and, for me personally, even if I manage to complete the JoGLE, this is what I will be most proud of.
Arriving at the station it was obvious we were exhausted and still hungry even with the stop we made for Jellybabies :-) We spent the journey to Birmingham discussing all the things we need to put in place ready for the 'real thing' starting July 4th. BEGGING ALERT! BEGGING ALERT! One of the things we feel would benefit us is massage so if you know people that would be willing to give up their time in any of the areas we are ending our days please please spread the word.
We would love to see as many people as possible along the way. The routes are all on the blog to access. If you fancy joining us even to cycle for just a mile or two please please do join us. Your support is what gives us the boost we need to get through the pain ahead :-) Finally, we met a man called Nick who after deciding he wasn't happy with how his life was going, took up cycling. He is trying to fit in 3500 miles this year. He also made a donation - thank you and yet again we learnt that everyone has a story to tell :-)
Sorry its a long one! But its been a while. If you fancy donating you can do so here.
Virgin Money Giving
If you want to wave, cheer, massage us along the way these are the stops.
July 3rd - John o'Groats
July 4th - Altnaharra
July 5th - Inverness
July 6th - Pitlochry
July 7th - Edinburgh
July 8th - Langholm
July 9th - Kirkby Stephen
July 10th - Preston
July 11th - Nantwich
July 12th - Ludlow
July 13th - Chepstow
July 14th - Bridgwater
July 15th - Great Torrington
July 16th - St Columb Major
July 17th - Lands End
Also, we have only booked accommodation up to Kirkby Stephen so if you have any recommendations of good B&B's/ Pubs let us know.
Thanks for reading :-)
There were some beautiful sights along they way which we would have been able to show you if I had remembered to press record on my new gadget - a GoPro (cool, tiny camera) that I bought to capture our JoGLE journey. It's fair to say that Technology wasn't our friend over the weekend but the weather was and you can't have everything!
We felt like we were heading in the wrong direction so stopped to check out maps on our phones which agreed that whatever the Garmin was telling us we needed to turn round and go back on ourselves. 10 or so miles later the Garmin had directed us to a dead end on a housing estate! Neither of us were impressed as this was adding to our wait for lunch! Thankfully someone had the foresight to put a fish and chip shop in the middle of nowhere and open it at 11am :-) A tray of chips and all was right in the world again. We are also proud to say that every customer they have this week possibly month will be told about our story. Raising awareness is what its all about and our orange and green polka dots are helping us along :-)
A few more miles and we reached our lunch destination where a couple named Tony and Jenny kindly pointed out a place to eat and unbeknown to us would play a further part in our weekend. Lunch gave us a chance to charge equipment, re-fill water bottles - and take stock of the morning's ride, with 58.3 miles under our belts we had learnt 2 major lessons. First, always understand and know your technology before setting out on rides and second there are no set meal times when cycling.
From Kings Lynn to Thursford it's all a bit hazy. Apart from a random sighting of several full-size crucifix we remember miles and miles of seeing no-one. No cars, people or cyclists - which was very strange but a feeling we know we shall have again through the first couple of days in Scotland on our JoGLE. We eventually came across an older gent on a recumbent trike who tried to tell us that Norfolk was far from flat. Our Strava mapping for the day would say otherwise - most of it looks like it was drawn with a ruler! Anyway, he assured us we were 'probably' going the right way, to get to The Old Forge Seafood Restaurant our accommodation for the evening so, feeling weary, we carried on with food and meeting up with friends in our thoughts.
Always time for some yoga
After the Garmin running us in circles again and after 92.3 miles we reached The Old Forge and we couldn't of been happier :-) We were greeted by Colin who had a safe place for the bikes and assured us he'd be feeding us well - music to our ears. He and his wife Sarah were fantastic hosts. As we caught up with our friends Aron and Rachel we ate very well indeed. Friends, laughter, food and a couple of drinks helped us forget our weary bodies and we fell to sleep, in a very comfortable bed, exhausted, proud and slightly concerned with how our bodies would hold up the following morning.
We woke from a great night's sleep still feeling saddlesore and neither of us were looking forward to sitting on our bikes after breakfast. My knees had also started to hurt which have never caused an issue before but a change of shoes (as my others cause numb feet on longer rides) ahead of the weekend was more than likely the issue. We ate like kings and Colin sent us off with good luck for our journey and challenge and we experienced a new kind of pain. With both of us wishing yet again that we hadn't had so long off the bikes, it took a while to get used to the saddles with our sores. We were stopping and starting several times due to my knees. Adjusting shoes to try and ease the pain. I taped my right knee at one of the stops to keep me going (though it turns out I've torn a muscle in the left!).
Breakfast of Kings
Flatter terrain had been chosen on purpose for the weekend to focus our efforts on time in the saddle rather than hill training but riding relatively flat was hard. Your body position doesn't change as often so you find yourself forcing a new position when your hands/shoulders/neck/back start to ache. you're using the same muscle groups continually and with fewer hills there are fewer downhill which means you are constantly pedalling - not great when your knees are suffering :-(
We headed towards Cromer for the first leg of Day 2 stopping off for ice-cream. Then took the coastal road all the way to Wells-Next-The-Sea. It was far more enjoyable than the previous day. At times we managed to take in a few downhills :-) There were even other cyclists around - although most of them seemed to be enjoying the many cafe/cake/pub stops along the way :-) We had been told about where to get the best fish and chips in Wells, by a lovely lady, at lunch in Kings Lynn. She was next to her mobility scooter and she liked our bright Wheelchair to Saddle jerseys. She told us all about how she was a dancer in her younger days and how vital her scooter is to her to keep her independence. She thought what we were doing was great and she sat there taking in the views with a glass of wine, her memories and her independence :-)
Ice-cream to take our mind off the pain!
Fish, Chips and Mushy Peas! It's fair to say that we weren't eating as well as we should for cycling which is another lesson learnt but when someone recommends a place you have to try don't you? We continued on through some beautiful villages and admiring many of the converted windmills around. Even though the knees were hurting, the scenery, weather and joy of knowing there were only 20 miles between us and our bed for the night, at The Dabbling Duck, kept smiles on our faces. At 62 miles we were greeted with two pints of cider on the house and we knew straight away that we had chosen well. Our evening meal was quite simply some of the best food we have ever tasted. We were exhausted, and on our way to bed, got questioned about our cycling by a lovely couple dining there, and yet again, we had a chance to spread the word about NF and the great work of The Lee Spark NF Foundation.
My asparagus and pheasant egg - I dream of this dish!
We were up early in the morning. So got dressed and went out to the garden to enjoy the early morning sun before breakfast was ready. We met a group of ladies, on a walking weekend, at breakfast who very kindly said they would donate to our cause - Thank you Ann and Caroline :-) We struggled with breakfast that morning. A lovely full english before us but eating was just difficult. We knew we had to get some fuel inside us so homemade preserve and toast was just the job. Really wish I could've managed the Full English though - maybe next time :-)
We set off through the duck ponds and with 53 miles between us and Peterborough Station, and a time constraint to get there on time, we eventually made the choice to take in some faster roads. Flat, straight and monotonous we are glad that our JoGLE, although 200 miles longer than the shortest route, will be taking in less of these busy A roads. Before this though, we were flagged down by Tony and Jenny the couple that we met in Kings Lynn. They had seen us a couple of times over the weekend whilst we were on our bikes and they hadn't been able to get us off their minds. They had stopped us to make a donation - thank you both. We left them with a smile on our faces and tears rolling down our cheeks. Raising funds and awareness is a very real part of this challenge and, for me personally, even if I manage to complete the JoGLE, this is what I will be most proud of.
Exhausted, looking rough but still smiling!
Arriving at the station it was obvious we were exhausted and still hungry even with the stop we made for Jellybabies :-) We spent the journey to Birmingham discussing all the things we need to put in place ready for the 'real thing' starting July 4th. BEGGING ALERT! BEGGING ALERT! One of the things we feel would benefit us is massage so if you know people that would be willing to give up their time in any of the areas we are ending our days please please spread the word.
We would love to see as many people as possible along the way. The routes are all on the blog to access. If you fancy joining us even to cycle for just a mile or two please please do join us. Your support is what gives us the boost we need to get through the pain ahead :-) Finally, we met a man called Nick who after deciding he wasn't happy with how his life was going, took up cycling. He is trying to fit in 3500 miles this year. He also made a donation - thank you and yet again we learnt that everyone has a story to tell :-)
Sorry its a long one! But its been a while. If you fancy donating you can do so here.
Virgin Money Giving
If you want to wave, cheer, massage us along the way these are the stops.
July 3rd - John o'Groats
July 4th - Altnaharra
July 5th - Inverness
July 6th - Pitlochry
July 7th - Edinburgh
July 8th - Langholm
July 9th - Kirkby Stephen
July 10th - Preston
July 11th - Nantwich
July 12th - Ludlow
July 13th - Chepstow
July 14th - Bridgwater
July 15th - Great Torrington
July 16th - St Columb Major
July 17th - Lands End
Also, we have only booked accommodation up to Kirkby Stephen so if you have any recommendations of good B&B's/ Pubs let us know.
Thanks for reading :-)
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