900 miles Across country charity cycle ride

[GrannyJen]

and we're off ....

A day early due to the severe weather predicted from this afternoon for the next 36 hours.

No cycling tomorrow, and this morning was bad enough. Freezing cold, strong winds and heavy rain

Anyway, a picture of Ness point, the most Easterly part of the UK mainland!

 

[SusiBus]

I'm sitting in front of a nice warm log fire at the moment. l suggest you find a nice hostelry, and do the same tonight. Good luck with the ride.

 

[GrannyJen]

I'm sitting in front of a nice warm log fire at the moment. l suggest you find a nice hostelry, and do the same tonight. Good luck with the ride.

Defrosting a lasagne that I made before we set off. A nice bottle of wine with Jo in her caravan. Tomorrow, who knows! We just might get to turn a pedal but I doubt it!

 

[Skylark2.0]

Well done Jen! How long do you plan to do it over?
Good luck!

 

[kurienp]

Awesome GJ. Yea, the weather is not great for the next 2 days, but you're off to a good start.

Now Watching this thread to ensure that I keep up to date.

Have a good time and Enjoy!

 

[Dr-Snickers]

So fantastic to see you’ve started and I wish you both lots of luck, and good weather, in the coming weeks!

Take care of yourselves!

 

[GrannyJen]

Well done Jen! How long do you plan to do it over?
Good luck!

We are working with anniversary dates. 21st May to 6th July will be 30th anniversary of walking JogLe. We also have a lot of commitments to stop off at which is going to slow us up.

 

[LemonDrop]

Starting yesterday?! Now THAT is commitment! Good luck and enjoy the ride xx

 

[GrannyJen]

So a totally filthy weather system to kick us off with.

Despite the weather we have managed 40 miles but today has been a day of dejectedly looking into endless cups of tea whilst feeling 50+ MPH winds rocking the caravan.

A big joke we have shared was that for the last 6 weeks or so we have not been cycling because of the cold seizing up Jo's arthritic knees, but here we are, the temperatures barely scraping 11C. A pic of Jo in the car park of the Wherry inn, Geldeston, showing off her winter wear of thick gloves and thermal jacket.

A very nice part of this journey is having written to 16 pubs, village halls, breweries and even a maker of coffin handles requesting permission to park our van up, how generous the response has been. The man at the Wherry inn could not have been more helpful, despite boasting only a small car park with a lot wanting to get in he reserved a place for us so we would have no problems. Thank you Mr Wherry inn man.

 

[GrannyJen]

In future years will my grandchildren believe that at the end of May I set off to cycle 35 miles wearing a merino wool vest, a thermal long sleeve shirt over, my short sleeved cycling shirt over that, all under a thin merino / silk cardigan with thermal cycling tights all covered over by a windproof/waterproof shell?

Whatever happened to global warming!!!

Reached Stowlancroft today, a few miles East of Bury St Edmunds. We used the car park of Gislingham village hall as a base, the lovely people of that small village opening the hall for us so that we could have washroom and toilet facilities. When we got there they had some posters pinned to the door. Poor photograph due to reflection but what a lovely gesture!

 

[Skylark2.0]

In future years will my grandchildren believe that at the end of May I set off to cycle 35 miles wearing a merino wool vest, a thermal long sleeve shirt over, my short sleeved cycling shirt over that, all under a thin merino / silk cardigan with thermal cycling tights all covered over by a windproof/waterproof shell?

Whatever happened to global warming!!!

Reached Stowlancroft today, a few miles East of Bury St Edmunds. We used the car park of Gislingham village hall as a base, the lovely people of that small village opening the hall for us so that we could have washroom and toilet facilities. When we got there they had some posters pinned to the door. Poor photograph due to reflection but what a lovely gesture!


View attachment 78940

View attachment 78941

That's a great distance in a day, well done. Bury St Edmunds is a great town. What a lovely welcome!

 

[sapto]

Great read to follow and impressed! So cool you started this trip! All the best!

 

[GrannyJen]

I almost made a mistake on Facebook, I wrote "the first outing where I was able to take my kit off .... oh!! Coat off"

but yes, started off warmer today but then deteriorated to a violent, wet and windy thunderstorm that made sure Jo and I were drenched again. Anyway, the 100 mile marker reached despite the winds, rain and lightning.

Grannies go cycling ~ A tale of two.....

Sorry Mr Dickens ... a Tale of two Thunderstorms 24th May 2021 Both Jo and I had a disturbed sleep due to a tremendous storm, winds rocking my camper even more than in the great storm of the 21st, and torrential rain did not bode well for today. Another cold, early start and in the beginning bri...

www.granniesgocycling.co.uk

 

[GrannyJen]

Well, for all the drama's surrounding Max we have caught up lost days thanks to a couple of days of glorious weather, very long days cycling and very helpful, lovely people who have allowed us to park the camper, take Max for a walk, cycle for a couple of hours and take Max for a walk again.

We reached Moulton the first day of the new plan and a pic of Max and I by the packhorse bridge, the second day we reached Cambridge.

A day off from cycling today. Firstly after all the stress of broken caravans, broken doggies and really awful weather we both need to chill, I was on zoom this morning to some people producing a film for some form of charity awards thingy and tonight we have family stopping eleven miles away so a social visit.

Tomorrow we aim to be in St Neots and back on schedule.

 

[GrannyJen]

Two old ladies ...

Go to church.

It's St David's Cathedral.

Job done

After all the route rejigging due to a temperamental geriatric dog the total distance cycled was 792 miles.

 

[Skylark2.0]

Well done!

 

[andyinluton]

Well done ladies,

To anyone thats missed it, there's a link to the just giving page for the phab charity that the grannies are supporting.

Jo and Jen's East to West Challenge

Help Jenni Brown raise money to support Phab

www.justgiving.com

 

[GrannyJen]

@WelshGas and other people from Wales.....

what an amazing welcome we have had. People have been so kind, helpful, considerate and so courteous on the roads. Wales is a most beautiful country, everywhere, all over, although very lumpy and devoid of anywhere that doesn't have a steep hill to pedal up

Jo, my Sister, has been amazed by both the beautiful country and the welcome in the hillsides, although to be honest I've become very jaundiced about cycling over those bloody hillsides!!

Thank you ... Diolch.

 

[marchugo]

GJ what happened with your site http://www.granniesgocycling.co.uk? The url brings me to a site hosting company.

Regards from Amsterdam,

Marc.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

GJ what happened with your site http://www.granniesgocycling.co.uk? The url brings me to a site hosting company.

Regards from Amsterdam,

Marc.

It’s probably not been renewed.

 

[GrannyJen]

GJ what happened with your site http://www.granniesgocycling.co.uk? The url brings me to a site hosting company.

Regards from Amsterdam,

Marc.

It got terribly corrupted when I was in the Malverns and had the worst internet connections everywhere. It was loading a video up and all went bonkers so in the end I gave up keeping my "vlog".

 

[marchugo]

That's a pity, but still well done!
I loved to follow the blog for the completely selfish reason of getting inspiration for our next travels to England and Wales...

Regards from Amsterdam,

Marc.

 

[GrannyJen]

That's a pity, but still well done!
I loved to follow the blog for the completely selfish reason of getting inspiration for our next travels to England and Wales...

Regards from Amsterdam,

Marc.

Wales is so beautiful.

My next trip will be to cycle around the Elan Valley and to walk/cycle the length of the Wye Valley. Snowdonia is breathtaking but sometimes so are the hordes trampling over it and mid Wales can be so empty.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Wales is so beautiful.

My next trip will be to cycle around the Elan Valley and to walk/cycle the length of the Wye Valley. Snowdonia is breathtaking but sometimes so are the hordes trampling over it and mid Wales can be so empty.

That’s the problem I’m afraid. So many people discovered that Wales existed during Covid they now all want to come back here. We can’t have it all ways I suppose.

 

[marchugo]

Thank you for the tips Wye Valley and Elan Valley. On our list for a cycling tour. Just found a campsite Elan Oaks on my app Organic Maps. Maybe a good base camp for our Cali.

Marc.