Summary Stat Report. The Final Post.

This will be the final posting to The LEJOG BLOG. It's a wee summary of each day of the challenge and the winner of the caption competition.

Mrs Gav has deliberated and cogitated over the caption competition and has decided that the winner is .... Alan "Hogwash" Hogg! Well done Alan , mystery prize will be presented to you the next time you are out for a beer with Jimbo. Here's a link as a reminder ....

http://jimandgavs.blogspot.com/2010/07/lejog-blog-caption-competition.html


Stats Summary.

Day 1. Penzance to Lands End to Wadebridge
82 miles
12.2 mph
Granny gear rating 5/5

Via e.g. Marazion, Porkellis, Stithians, Peranwell Station (lunch), Truro, St Allen (one of 3 in the locality!), Whitecross,

Quotes of the day...

Gav "eventually this will end"
Jim "remember we're eating for tomorrow and the next day not just today"

Quote of the day outtakes
Jim "gav, resign yourself, ALL of Cornwall is like this"
Gav "Cornwall is a wonderful place to visit...in a car!"

Day 2. Wadebridge to South Molton
78 miles
Afternoon mph 14.4 for 46 miles. Morning - technical issue means unofficial rate of c8mph is all we can report.
Granny gear rating 5...again

Via e.g. Tintagel, Boscastle, Millook, Bude (lunch), Bideford

Quotes of the Day...

Gav "This feels like napoleons retreat from Moscow"
Jim "Gun it!" (this was Jim telling gav to make the most of the first non-dangerous descents of the trip)

QOTD outakes
Gav "I'm ready to go to bed now"
Jim "we need to take this one day at a time"

Day 3. South Molton to Compton Dando

88 miles
13.1 mph
Granny rating 3.5 out of 5.

via e.g. North Molton, Elworthy, Enmore, Bridgwater (lunch), Cheddar

Quotes of the day...
Jim "twice daily application of the chamois cream from now on"
Gav "this is my Waterloo" (struggling first thing in the morning)

QOTD outtakes
Jim "any day we finish before 7 is a bonus"
One from Hilary - "choose your food wisely" - very good advice- today was much better after a quality pasta lunch
Gav "let's go home and rub our legs"

Day 4. Compton Dando to Ludlow

102 miles
12.5mph
Granny gear rating 3/5

via e.g. Saltford, Westerleigh, Nibley, Iron Acton, Elberton, Severn Bridge, Chepstow, Tintern Abbey, St Briavels, Coleford (Lunch), Ross-on-wye, Fownhope (post office), Mordiford

Quotes of the day
Jim "it's all part of the legend"
Gav "these pedals ain't going to turn themselves"

QOTD outtakes...
Jim "I'm really suffering today"
Jim "I think I've hit the wall"
Gav "my legs are sore"

Highlight of the day...
Laughing so hard in the face of adversity we had to get off our bikes :)

Day 5. Ludlow to Mobberley (nr Knutsford)

90 miles
16 mph (SMMMMMOKIN!)
Granny gear rating 0.5/5

via e.g. Market Drayton (lunch), Adderley, Middlewich, knutsford

Quotes of the day
Gav "it's cancellara time!"

Day 6. Mobberley to Tebay

85 miles
11.1 mph
Granny gear rating 2.5/5

Made it to High Bentham via e.g. Warburton, Leigh, Chorley, Hoghton (Lunch - Private road!), Whalley, Slaidburn

Quote of the day
Laughlan "I'm really quite enjoying this apart from the rain and the cold...and the hills"
Gav "I thought the king of the mountains points finish line was the top of the hill"
Jim "yes it is, but we weren't at the top of the hill yet!"

Day 7 High Bentham to Langholm

85 miles
13.2 mph
Granny gear rating 3/5 (nothing savage but a lot of slow burners)

via e.g. Burton in Lonsdale, Middleton, Greenholme, Shap, Lowther, Penrith (Lunch), Plumpton, Carlisle, Longtown (& the border!)

Quotes of the day
Gav "open fire with the siege guns"
Jim "we better have a game of chess at some point, I've been hauling this set from lands end! Every gram counts."

QOTD outtakes
Gav "I'm going to de-rock right now"

Day 8. Langholm to Menstrie (nr Stirling)

112 miles (Langholm to menstrie nr Stirling)
14.4mph average
Granny gear rating 2.5/5

via e.g. Eskdalemuir, Ettrick, Tushielaw, Mountbenger, Traquair, Cardrona, Peebles (Lunch), Penicuik, Fairmilehead, Corstorphine, Winchburgh, Polmont, Stirling

Quotes of the day
Jim "

Day 9. Menstrie to Clachaig Inn, Glencoe

82 miles (menstrie to Clachaig inn, glencoe)
13.7 mph
Granny gear rating 2 (lots of long slow climbs but mostly managable in g+1 or g+2)

via e.g. Doune, Callander, Lochearnhead, Crianlarich (lunch), Bridge of orchy,

Quotes of the day
Gav "I just wanted to let rip and get the honkers out"
Jim "glencoe, consider yourself under siege"

QOTD outtakes
Gav "cold knees"
Jim "I think tonight could be a 3 Pinter"

Day 10, Clachaig Inn to Invermoriston

58 miles (glencoe to invermoriston)
14.7 mph
Granny gear rating - nothing to trouble the scorers (zero)

via e.g. fort Willliam, Spean Bridge, South Laggan (lunch), Fort Augustus

Quotes of the day
Gav "we were but children then" (referring to a holiday snap-esque photo at st michaels mount on Cornwall)
Jim "it always rains" (this after a rather annoying northern European chap at checkout at the Clachaig inn laughed at our cycling kit and took great pleasure in telling us it was going to rain. Much restraint was shown by not adding another few words)

Day 11. Invermoriston to Lairg
74 miles
13.9mph
Granny gear rating 2/5

via e.g. Drumnadrochit, Beauly, Muir of Ord, Dingwall, Evanton (lunch), Ardgay, Bonar Bridge

Day 12. Lairg to JOG
97 miles
14.4 mph
Granny gear rating 2/5

via e.g. Altnaharra, Syre, Bettyhill (Lunch), Thurso

This is LEJOG BLOG signing off......until our next challenge! ;o)

Lejog blog supplemental.

The lejoggers are on their way home ... Motorised transport being used. A big thanks to Paul and Sheila!

We thought some extra stats might be of general interest so here goes...

Top speed.
Gav clocked 39.7 mph in Devon and 39.4 just before beauly. But jimbo unofficially broke the 40 barrier both times as he pulled away (but had no speedo)

Maintenance report
- No punctures
- No broken spokes
- 2 sets brake pads replaced
- Adjustment required on jims rear cantilever brakes (thanks gavinos!)
- Chain cleaned and oiled (3 times for lazy Jim, almost every night for obsessed gav) - White lightning as recommended by David C gets a thumbs up
- Cleats oiled to help de-cleating (twice for jim)
- new set of cleats (gav)

Most aggressive rider award.
Must go to Alan "Hogwash" Hogg. Now also known as "jacky". He couldn't resist the temptation to race off miles ahead, the lejoggers had no match for his explosive attack.

Worst drivers.
There were no real dangerous moments for us to speak of but we did witness some careless, reckless driving. This rating is based on frequency of risk taking witnessed.
1. BMW drivers (take note Percy!)
2. Audi drivers

Radioshack team player award.
Alastair Young for "drafting" us along to Stirling. He clearly had plenty in the tank and put the team first to pull us home.

Best overnight stay award.
The Cashman's. Bike workshop. Loads to eat (a very tasty lasagne). Tracey driving to doune with our kit. They could not have done more. Thanks again!

Most devoted blog reader
The cameroons. We hear there has been a twice a day mini-addiction ;)

Ok, this is lejog blog signing off for the moment but here's a little taster of the sort of nonsense that helped us through the tiredness and rain.

The four horsemen of the lejog apocalypse.

Headwind
Fog
Driving rain
Mechanical failure

Mini horsemen
Bonking (energy plummets thro not eating enough)
Hills

There will be one more lejog blog posting tomorrow. A summary stat report and maybe a couple of outtake photos. Signing off for today.......

Sent from my iPhone

The day after...

Day 12. Stat report.

97 miles (Lairg to John o'groats)
14.4 mph
Granny gear rating 2/5

We made it...but it was a hard final day!

The elements were kind in the morning. No rain. Not much wind. Our 9am start allowed us to power up to bettyhill through some amazing peat bog, loch, mountain territory in a faster than expected 16.2mph for an early 12:30 lunch with Paul and shiela (the wife's parents). They are very kindly giving us a lift down the road tomorrow.

An added bonus was that we offloaded most of out kit and fairly raced off after lunch unburdened.

We had 50 miles to go and were trying to beat the forecast rain storm. However, we had to battle an easterly wind and what with Sutherland being very exposed this was a constant drag and struggle.

Protecting each other from the wind by taking turns in front we fought our way east. The terrain is quite hilly between bettyhill and Thurso which actually gave some protection from the wind but after Thurso it was so exposed and the wind buffeted. We were tired and hungry and there wasn't much chat as we counted down the last 20 miles one by one (they were slow hard miles).

Until, surprisingly we saw a sign for 1/4 of a mile to go...downhill...down wind. Even the fatigued, weary lejoggers could manage that!

An amazing welcome was awaiting us. Paul, shiela, robin and Karen were ready with balloons, medals.......and bubbly awaiting us. It was an unreal feeling to be finished and it probably won't sink in until we don't need to get on our bikes and cycle 90odd miles tomorrow!

On the joirney back I'll post one or two extras to round things off. The lejog blog is off to bed :)

Sent from my iPhone

We made it!

1000 miles in the saddle...does strange things to a bloke #2

1000 miles in the saddle...does strange things to a bloke #1