John O’Groats to Lands End ride - June 2011 - Report from Neill Thompson
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I recently took part in the ‘Deloitte’ sponsored ‘Ride across Britain ’ which was from John O’Groats to Lands End. Here is a brief resume of the ride.
I travelled north by train to Wick, then after a good nights sleep at a local B&B, made my way to the tented village at John O’Groats to register and complete the formalities ready for the big ride. It was a warm clear evening with excellent views to the Orkneys and over the first of many nice meals it was good to chat to other riders and share their anticipation. At 7am the following morning we set off on our journey south via Thurso on day one, of nine hard but enjoyable days in the saddle.
The first four nights (John O'Groats, Kyle of Sutherland, Fort William and Glasgow ) were all green field sites where huge marquees were used for the recreational and dining areas. Mobile catering staff were also with us for this section of the ride. The next four overnights were at racecourses (Carlisle, Haydock, Ludlow & Bath ) so we used indoor areas for dining etc. (we slept in our tents at every stop). The last stop was at Oakhampton College where again we had the use of indoor facilities.
 About 550 riders took part, and with120 staff in tow it was, I'm sure, a logistical nightmare for the organisers. However, we were all fed and watered extremely well and with a roof over our head each night (tent) I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. The organisation of the event was first class. Meals were great, the medical back up and massage was great, the 'free' mechanical back up (provided by Halfords) was speedy and efficient, in fact every aspect of the event was very well organised from showers, loo facilities, pit stop refreshments, food and energy drinks, route signage, security etc. etc. etc. and the general helpfulness and friendliness of all the staff and fellow riders.Evening briefings were compulsory but these were often alongside celebrity speakers and were always very humorous. 
The weather was a bit of a mixture and we did get pretty wet some days, but on the whole it wasn't too bad. A bit of a head wind here and there made the going tough but most of us formed groups and took turns at the front. The longest section was 121 miles and the shortest 91 miles, but the other days varied between 105 to 114 miles (Total distance - 965 miles). The most scenic part was the first three days in the North of Scotland although other areas through the Welsh borders, Cheddar Gorge, Devon and Cornwall were also very pretty. We should have had good views over Shap but as visibility was down to about 25 metres at times we had trouble seeing the road (A6) never mind the scenery -- in fact it was pretty hairy at times. The last two days through Somerset , Devon and Cornwall were by far the hardest and surprisingly had more daily ascent than in Scotland !
 By the time I got to Lands End I was pretty tired although my backside stood up to test pretty well ! The camaraderie between the riders was great and at times we were rubbing shoulders with some elite Olympic gold winning athletes such as James Cracknell, Rebecca Romario, Sarah Storey, Mark Foster as well as several members of the British Paralympic cycling team plus other well known names but usually during the ride there was a sudden whooosh as they flew by.
I was elated to cross the finish line but was also elated to get a good nights sleep at my B&B in Penzance before the train journey home the following morning. Even though I ate for England every day (I don’t think I've ever eaten so much) I arrived home a stone lighter.
I'd like to thank all concerned for your sponsorship, and have raised about £1500 divided equally between Christies and ParalympicsGB.
If anyone is interested in next years event it is being organised for September and is running from South to North.
Posted 26/07/2011 |
