Land’s End to John O’Groat’s. 2nd 1/4.

Day 6 – Chepstow to Woebley (52.1 miles) – (Climb – 4,400 ft.)

Again, not an easy day. The weather was good but there were a couple of spells where we did get rained on. The rain was fairly light so it didn’t really inhibit our ride. We went through Hereford and the Herefordshire area. This is an area near where I visited about 38 years ago. Nothing was familiar but it felt good to be in the area.

We got a late start today because we had the hotel do our laundry last night and it came back in the morning damp. I don’t know what they were thinking. We had them put it in the dryer and it was OK but we lost time.

We had a lot of climbing today. We thought that the terrain would have leveled out by now but such was not the case. We went through a lot of farmland. The scenery is really beautiful. At one point we passed a field where hunters were shooting grouse. When I heard the first shot I thought they were shooting at us. Such was not the case but I could only think of a drunk Dick Cheney shooting his buddy in the face.

Tonight we are staying in a nice B&B with a lot of room, including a kitchenette and a sitting room. Too bad we will not be around long enough to really enjoy it.

Day 7 – Weobley to Bomere Heath 9 – (55 miles) – Climb 2680 ft.

We caught another break today with the weather. Although it looked dicey today when we started out, there was actually very little rain. The terrain was much milder. Although there were climbs they were more gradual and as the day went on they were more moderate.

The “X” factor is the weather. If it is good, everything seems possible. If it is bad, it becomes misery.

The huge problem today is that late yesterday I started to experience a problem with my crank set (the part that the pedals are mounted to). There was a serious wobble in my right pedal. The guide was able to find a bike shop and we took it in. The crank (a very expensive carbon fiber crank had failed. Yes, it had between 8 or 9 thousand miles on it) had failed. The fittings that mount the pedals to the crank had given out. It was probably brought on by the hill climbing that we have done in the last 3 or 4 days. What I lack in technique, I make up for in muscle strength.

The mechanic was able to replace the crank and adjust the gears. I rejoined the others at the 34 mile mark.

Overall, it was a good day other than the mechanical problem. The terrain was not too demanding, the weather cooperated and we just basically biked to our B&B. It is a nice place with a good restaurant and it has been nice to just wind down.

Day 8 – Bomere Heath to Acton Bridge – (48.4 miles) – Climb 1,990 ft.

This was suppose to be an easy day. Not too many miles and much milder terrain. The weather was mostly cooperative. There were a few light showers but most of the time we were dry and cycling through beautiful countryside. What we mostly see are farms and meadows with sheep and cows.

As these things go, probably due to the mental anticipation of an easy day, I didn’t feel strong. I suppose it is the same thing as a heavily favored team losing to a weak team because they weren’t “up” for the game. Nonetheless, we arrived at the B&B in good order. The B&B was the best we have had so far. It was modern, there was attention to detail in every respect and was run by a lovely couple that obviously took pride in their business. We all wished we could stay another day.

A highlight of the day was our lunch stop at an “ice cream farm” in Beeston. It was a dairy way out in the country that made their own ice cream. It is a destination point for families and bike clubs. The Ice cream was the best I have ever tasted. It was fresh, creamy and ecstatic. We saw them rounding up the cows for milking. The ice cream is so fresh I think they put the cow in a freezer, churn it and squeeze the ice cream out of them.

Day 9 – Acton Bridge to Clayton – Le – Dale. – (54.6 miles) – Climb 3385 ft.

It was not an easy day but I felt much better than yesterday. The first 20 miles were in beautiful clear weather. We made good time and stopped for coffee at a huge garden center. After that the weather turned on us and we rode through steady rain off and on the rest of the day (mostly on). I suppose we are getting used to the weather. It’s never fun to ride in the rain but I guess you can get used to it to some degree.

We climbed almost 3,400 ft. today but it didn’t seem like it. The climbs were generally more gradual and we seem to have gotten in better shape.

Marie has been amazing! I think I am a stronger biker than I was but it used to be that I had to wait up for her on long rides. Now she stays right with whoever is in the lead. She has improved so much in the last three years it is very noticeable.

The other participants on the trip are a great group of people. We have all melded well together. We enjoy dinners together, laugh and have a good time. There are no egos or agendas. It’s refreshing because oftentimes there is maybe one in the group that the others try to avoid. We were a bit concerned because we are the “foreigners” on the tour but that has not been an issue.

Tonight we are in a modern Best Western golf resort. It’s nice but doesn’t have much charm like some of the B&B’s we’ve been in. Also, it is raining very hard tonight. Hopefully, the weather will rain itself out and we can get some clear sailing.

Day 10 – Clayton – Le – Dale to Dent. – (45 miles) – Climb 6,100 ft.

Halfway, but it doesn’t get any easier.

The ride today may have been the second most difficult of the trip (we tend to forget pain so the latest always seems to be the worst). We were held up in the morning by rain. When we got going Marie developed a problem in her rear brake. She had very expensive, light, Zero G brakes on her bike. I had those brakes on one of my bikes and developed a similar problem. I thought that since her brakes were so new they would be good for the trip. It didn’t work out that way. It was decided that the guide would take Marie to the bike shop and have the brakes replaced. Janette decided to join her. They went to a bike shop and had the Zero G’s replaced with a set of basic Shimano 105’s. I’ll send the Zero G’s back to the manufacturer to be rebuilt, then probably sell them on eBay.

Mike and I started the day’s ride and we decided to meet up for lunch with the wives at the 30 mile mark. Mike and I made good progress but then we hit the day’s major climbs. The problem was that although the rain had stopped, there was a crosswind/headwind of at least 25 to 30 miles an hour with gusts up to about 50 mph. We had to do two climbs of over 900 ft. each in the wind. The descents were treacherous as the wind held you up and the crosswinds made control of the bike difficult. By the time we met up for lunch we were pretty beat.

The last 15 miles were no easier. Although the wind let up it started to rain off and on. There were still two major climbs and some of the descents were the steepest and most treacherous we have had. Did I mention the sheep that like to stand and rest in the road? It also started to get cold. It made for a long day but we made it. We are in a Pub/B&B in the town of Dent. It is quite charming and they brew local beer here in the town. We’ve earned a few pints.

The mechanic at the bike shop where Marie had her brakes replaced said that this ride really tears up bikes. He does a lot of repairs for people making the journey. The rain, dirt, grime, tough climbs, steep descents and rough terrain put unanticipated demands on the machines. For us, this wasn’t expected because we thought that the Across America ride and the West Coast ride would have been an adequate test. This ride really pushes the bikes to their limits and some of the more exotic parts break down. Our Serrotta bike frames are spectacular. We love having them with us. It’s some of the add-on parts that I would do differently. Stick with standard Shimano components that are readily available and interchangeable. Durability is much more important than weight.

We are about half way through the trip. We’ve completed 10 days of riding and have 10 more ahead of us. Friday is our one rest day. Soon we will be in Scotland. Let’s hope that the weather god’s cut us some slack.