Today was going to be exciting, not only were we now counting down the miles having past the midway point, we were about to cross the border from England for the last time and enter Scotland to start what feels to me, like the homeward leg. For the past few days we have been blessed with cool, bright, dry weather. Today was to be no exception and everyone seemed dressed to take advantage of what might be our last sunny day.
The temperature had most definitely shifted down as we travelled further north. Despite the uninterrupted sun, there was a distinct chill in the air. This was a reminder to me of how far we had travelled in such a short time. Many of the route notes (in fact many of the images at the top of each of these posts) have needed to shift a little due to Hotel issues. This means that, on the most part, the rides are a tad longer than billed and in some instances a lot steeper.
We set of for a short 14 mile sprint to the border, where we planned to pose for group photos at the last/first house in Scotland.
Its inspiring to me that despite the relentless demands we've placed on ourselves we are all still able to push on with gusto and produce some astounding speeds. 20...22...23...25...28mph rolled up on my speedo before we slowed for a regroup and a fast left turn to the border.
Well, I say "we"....without realising it a small contingent had pushed so hard that they flew past the turn and rolled on for a few miles before stopping to read all the text messages calling them back.
We waited excitedly at the border, taking photos at various vantage points.
Soon the full group had reassembled and with group shots taken, Pete, the hardy Scotsman amongst us, cracked out a surprise bottle of whisky for us all to take a wee dram, in celebration. In the chilly morning air, the whisky took my breath away but did a good job of warming me from within.
Pretty soon we were ready to roll and across the border we went. As has happened on so many occasions during this trip, the terrain and scenery changed yet again. Small stone houses appeared, substantial and purposeful villages built proudly with colonnades and sandstone blockwork stood oddly out of place in such a wild, open, and mostly deserted land. Sweeping roads with no hedgerows offered tantalising views of what was to come.
For the first time on the entire trip, as we entered Scotland proper, we picked up the most amazing tail wind that swept us up and literally blasted us along at a phenomenal pace, with very little effort. We were cruising at 27mph, in top gear and rolling almost silently as the wind matched our speed. All I could hear was the buzzing of my tyres on the road and the wise cracks from my friends.
Despite our speed, everything was quiet and felt oddly still
After tea, the terrain inevitably changed again and as we turned into the wind, the road surface became unbearably slow. Huge repetitive rutts left us shaken and made it hard work just to move, let alone gather momentum. At one point I was shifting down to pedal down hill and almost standing up to do so.
We were certainly paying for the express ticket we rode on earlier. For the next 30 miles we pushed on, all the while fighting hard against the road surface and the wind as they worked on us like some mercyless tag team. It was hard going and to add to the agony, whilst the roads were wide, and for the most part quiet, they were visited by huge lorries that appeared at a pace and thundered by, buffeting us still more.
The sensation of rolling through each town at the end of each long day is wonderful. We sweep with purpose, in a tight group all moving fluidly to the stop and roll up feeling very much as if we have earned our stay.
Jen is always on the door, cheering as we arrive, making us feel even more like the returning warriors. Its a great sensation and one that I shall miss when this trip is done. Today, for the record, we averaged over 18 miles per hour across the entire 100 miles, hills, rutty roads and savage winds included. Its an immense achievement, given the toll that the riding is taking on the group.
Tomorrow, we shall briefly take a ferry across the wild, west of Scotland, now that something I've never done before.
