Monday: Dolgellau to Shrewsbury

close up

Monday was a very successful day in the saddle. The hills we encountered were significant but we pushed hard and won the bettle! A lot of drizzle and a cool breeze enabled us not to overheat and by the time we stopped in Welshpool we had already covered 52 miles just in the morning! The afternoon to Shrewsbury was easier and we arrived at our lovely guesthouse ready for some rest!  

rear view!

Some stats from today:

4 dead badgers spotted; 2 tornadoes (of the aircraft kind); 2 red kites; 2 herons; 1 blue robin reliant car; 3 enforced roadside toilet breaks; lots of splashes from lorries and a Robert Wiseman dairy tank. 

stew grabbing a drink

 A village church also had Luke 6:41 painted in small letters on the side of its gate. We looked it up and discovered it refers to the log and the speck.

Top speed: 36mph!

coffee time

climbing Snowdonia national park

Sunday: Barmouth to Dolgellau

Bike rack!

After many hours planning this challenge it has been great to finally get on the saddles and begin! A good journey to Barmouth was followed by a lovely 10.5 miles cycle along a mainly flat route along the Mawddach estuary to Dolgellau. If the rest of the route is as simple and undemanding as this then we will be in for a pleasurable experience (wishful thinking!!)

raring to go!

Fly-eating tally: 5; Cattle grids: 1; Sheep: 36; Pasta: 1 meal.

Dolgellau is as dead as a doe-doe, so Stewart took us on a magical mystery tour to find the local Baptist church which he was very keen to show us. We didn’t quite share his enthusiasm especially when he kept leading us down back streets that all looked the same.

Managed to get hostel TV working but World Cup final is a bit of a let down isn’t it?

Reinventing the wheel

“Hey Ste! I knew you were gonna get me some nice new tyres but frankly this is beyond a joke…”

I want to ride my bicycle

Sunday looms large on the horizon and the final touches are being put to our bike ride challenge. New tyres have been purchased and fitted (well done Ste!), brake pads have been installed, chains are being oiled… and routes and accommodation details are being fine-tuned (where would we be without our trustworthy Master of Ceremonies, Stew!) This time next week we should be somewhere in the region of Peterborough having passed the half-way mark. If we are in Peterhead or Petersburg something drastically wrong has overcome us.

All together now ”I want to ride my bicycle…”

The world awaits

The tension is mounting. The plans are being tweaked. The world is watching with spine-tingling expectation. On Sunday 11th July there will be a sporting display of epic proportions. Strength, endurance, skill, and out-of-this-world talent worthy of a world-wide stage as Ste Hall & Andy Scott stretch their legs, have a team-talk, wait for the whistle and begin the game. Nevermind the World Cup final! The real action will be in Barmouth as the two cyclists mount their saddles and take in the first few gasps of Welsh air and commence their coast-to-coast charity cycle ride. Why are we doing this? We’re beginning to wonder ourselves. Click the ‘Why do this?’ option above for more details.

During the challenge there will be regular updates and photos added to this blog to keep all our eager supporters informed about our adventure.