T Minus 7 Days

This is a bit of an experiment so please bear with me. I'm writing this on my phone and am going to try and upload a picture taken today too. I'm not dragging a laptop with me the length of the country so hopefully I can update the blog this way. I might get it to work or else I shall need to accost a youth who knows how this technology farce works every time I want to write an update.

Anyway, today with Liam Richards we went on a training ride over the moors to Princetown and around. Sometimes I forget just how hilly it is around here. According to the GPS today we rode just over 51 miles and climbed 2329 feet. I was going to go for a ride tomorrow but I think I'll go for a surf instead. Did I mention there were lots and lots of hills? I'm really hoping the rest of Blighty is significantly flatter.

Did manage to get up to 48mph at one point though!

Here's a photo of me taken at the edge of the moor in one of the vests that Cerys from the RAFBF sent us. Thank you for those!

T Minus 8 Days

I finished wrapping and securing my bike in it's box (donated by The Bike Cellar) for the journey to Scotland at 2am this morning, ready for the courier. Bit of a shame he turned up in the afternoon but I knew if I didn't get it done last night then we would have been the first pick-up...

Anyway, they are on their way and there isn't much left to do now in preparation except try and reduce my luggage a bit. Apparently the next two weeks are going to be a bit of an Indian Summer, so hopefully I can ditch some of the waterproof gear. Of course if I don't take the waterproofs and cold weather gear I'm certain that the next two weeks are going to be very cold and very wet... Still, we'll just have to cycle faster to keep warm and we can pick up waterproofs on route if needed.

T Minus 9 Days

My family had a meeting with the Squadron Ant was attached to in Poole yesterday where we learnt much about Ant's last few days. Although he was faced with challenging work in Afghanistan he was making a difference, enjoying himself and surrounded by people who trusted, respected and enjoyed his company. We learned that in the seconds after the incident many courageous people both British and Afghan went immediately to his aid and everything that could have been done to help him was carried out by his friends and colleagues.

Despite all the attention he received ultimately the injuries to him were not survivable. However knowing that he was surrounded and looked after by people who cared for him who did everything humanly possible to keep Ant with us has provided a lot of comfort to my parents and I. We will forever be in their debt.

There was a lot of information to take in and many things I need to think about, but I've a feeling that during the two weeks and 900ish miles Chris and I have on the bikes to look forward to I'll have time for a bit of a ponder...

T minus 12 Days

I loaded up the bike today with the panniers Ant used for his ride across the states and my first impression was there is not a lot of room in them. After trying to put all the things I'll need in there I'm very certain that there is not a lot of room in there. Still, by taking along a small rucksack there is just about enough carrying capacity for everything.

The bike feels very different with all the weight on it and it's much more difficult to climb hills whilst standing, you need to sit down and just spin away in a high gear. Despite the weight I did 40 miles around Plymouth up all of the unpleasant hills I could think of. I climbed Jennycliffe, Bovisand, Wembry hills and Normandy hill from the river up to the bridge. The rack was twisting a bit and rubbing against the rear wheel but a visit to The Bike Cellar in Plymstock yielded some inner tube to pad out the clamp which has sorted that. They have been kind to me and have donated a few bits and pieces to the bike, as well as providing a box to pack it into which I shall pick up tomorrow.

Speaking of bike shops I went to Halfords at Marsh Mills today and spoke to Ian, their customer service manager. I'd spoken to him last month about the JoGLE ride and he told me to come back nearer the time and they would have something to help me on the journey. Ian remembered me and introduced me to their Cycle department manager Des who was very busy but still found the time to sort me out with a free customer care service plan and a very shiny new front Gecko light. Thank you very, very much to you two and Halfords indeed.

T minus 13 days

More progress to report:

Chris has booked the bikes to be delivered to the Broo B&B at John O' Groats which we are staying in the night before the start. They'll be picked up from mine on the 7th for the princely sum of £30 each and will be delivered by a company called Paisley Freight to the B&B ready for us to assemble when we arrive.

I've also booked the train tickets for us from Inverness to Wick

A friend I know from motorbike trackdays owns a print company called Hello Blue and he will be printing us some flyers early next week. The very brave Helen Wright who cycled from Lands End to Dover last month solo on a tandem suggested it and also emailed me one of her flyers to blatantly copy...

Yesterday I was at the National Arboretum in Staffordshire where the service of dedication took place to remember and give thanks for those service personnel who lost their lives in 2011. Ant's name was etched in to the Portland stone alongside the thousands of others who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.

T minus 15 days

Well a bit of progress to report; a just giving page has been set up and you can find it here. Thanks to those who donated already, and for Mag for promoting it, it's very kind of you all indeed.

Today I'm heading to the National Arboretum Memorial in Staffordshire where tomorrow there will be a small service held for Ant. Hopefully I can do a bit of work on the flyers whilst I'm on the way too.

T minus 16 days...

With sixteen days to go, the ratio of things to organize to those completed is alarmingly large. In the words of Commandant Lassard there are many, many things left for us to do before our work is completed...

So far the to do list consists of:

Get fit enough to cycle 80-100 odd miles a day. (more me than Chris)
Plan a route
Rethink luggage carrying on the bike
Join the YHA
Box up the bikes and arrange collection with the courier for the bike delivery to Scotland
Book train tickets from Inverness to Wick
Start a blog (natch!)
And a Just Giving page
Design and print flyers and a few posters


And the somewhat sparsely populated completed list:

Book flights to Scotland


Chris and I have a busy few days...