Arjuna and Steffen are cycling from John O'Groats to Lands End (thats the hard way round apparently, due to prevailing winds). They're aiming to raise £1 for every mile of the 986 mile route. This write-up is made up of Arjunas facebook posts and photos from the ‘Endgame’ of their journey - from Bristol to Lands End.
16th October
Break pads and coffee brakes.... the essential ingredients to happy ride.
So Steffen briefly caught up with me at the white horse in Clun. The plan all along was to separate at bristol as he has college in Exeter on Monday and needs to go via Taunton to collect his stuff. I've no interest in going to taunton so planned to head over Glastonbury direction and we will meet up again in exeter for the last leg of the journey. He was planning on following the scenic route through monmouth and into bristol whichbi hear is beautiful, however I wanted to visit my bro on the Gloucester side of Bristol so I'll take the A-roads out round the other way. Steff shot off early. I headed over to prestiegn, a beautiful and quaint town about 10 miles away from Clun.
The morning ride was slow and steady, I had to get off and walk down the hill in Clun, it was so very steep and my brakes were not working at all. The road then climbed, climbed again and them climbed some more. My thighs feeling like they'd been beaten with sledge hammers, the results I guess of my 100 mile ride two days before. Then there were steep descents which were really interesting with a brakeless bicycle, fun though... then climbs again followed by a big drop before a climb like that of no other thus far.
The road turned off into a skinny lane and began upward, I could see on my garmin that this was a real monster in the making as the gradient was like nothing I'd seen and it said I was only at the very start of a 3km hill climb. I couldn't work out where it was going because it constantly looked like I was approaching a top only to find another big stretch then more climbing. All the remaining evidence of my smoking habits began making a scene and I'm pretty sure a half a lung of mine is still back there on that hill.
I began to wonder if the people who measured Everest hadn't gotten it wrong and actually the tallest mountain in the world was in fact a relatively unknown hill in Shrewsbury.
The day was amazing, chilly but wicked bright. When I finally did get up there it was all worth the effort and more. Panoramic views in all directions and so very high up, you could see absolute miles all around, just amazing.
I cycled along on this high ground for a while trying to take it all in, shropshire is one fine place to be on a day like this. The thick fluffy brilliant-white nimbus clouds sailing steadily over a bright blue firmament above, with magnificent views of vibrant green flowing countryside rolling out in all direction below me and then the sun illuminating it all to bring out the splendid vividness of it all. Just wow! This is England to me, you can forget your ideology, political stance and views on brexit, I'm a man about roots and trees, farms and fields, mythical folk lore and forgotten tradition and legend, it really is a land of rich beauty we live in and I'm pleased to get it know it better.
After the short ride along the top I began the descent down. Now with hindsight I should have definitely gotten off and walked the bike down but to honest with you, at the time it didnt occur to me that riding down a massive hill like this with no brakes would be such a terrible idea. The drop was, I am positive actually vertical in places and the road conditions very poor with some extremely sharp turns. Let's just I needed a new change of underwear at the bottom.
Finally I reached my destination of prestiegn and booked the bike into dream cycles to get sorted. The guy kept finding stuff wrong with it and also was running a busy shop so it took forever. I left the shop and returned after an hour or so, then did that again. Eventually it was gone 5PM and he still wasn't finished. I had really wanted to cycle to my brothers (about 5 hours away) so I did feel a little deflated at that stage but just decided to get somewhere to stay and grab the bike in the morning.
This morning I collected the bike at 8am and made my way. Charlie (the guy from dream cycles) had sorted me with new brake pads, new gear cables, re aligned my gears and derailleur, new spokes, true'd my wheel and put air in both tires as well as oiling everything up... it was like a new bike, so different and nice to ride! I headed towards Gloucester, unfortunately it was all A-roads from there. Although it was actually somewhat of a nice change having the smooth tarmac to grow a steady cadence along. I didn't even mind the traffic and actually in some ways i kinda enjoyed holding up motorists every now and then. After cycling the length of the country and being witness to all the carnage of rubbish, debris and squashed animals all over the place you do start to build up a slight dislike towards cars and lorrys. I know that's not really fare to all motorists and i do drive myself but honestly f*** the system, let's all get bicycles lol. Anyways it does all make me feel better about holding up vehicles on my slow climbs.
The cycling went nice and smoothly. There is something about cycling that really suits me, it just kinda works. I think its because I've never really had much of a connection with my legs. Those two dangling things that hang from my torso are just about the getting me places and they so very often take the brunt of my live-hard attitude toward life. I've broken and buckled them as many times as I care to remember. I rarely give them fresh air and even in bed unusually have socks on. So It's almost like there are two halves on my body, up here and down there, I know it's bad but in cycling it does work in my favour because I just wack them on auto and they do there thing. Occasionally I'll get the odd moan from a muscle or two and my knees are constantly bickering away at me... how much further?? are we nearly there yet?? Etc. So the legs do what they gotta and I that just leaves the top part for me to deal with. I'm good with that, I'll spend time thinking about really deep and profound things, like what would happen if all the substitutes were injured and from the crowd i got called out to do my duty for the Ireland rugby team. I wont bore you with all the details but let's just say my performance on the pitch that day altered the perception of what was previously thought humanly possible from a single player in a game of rugby. Stuff like that and other things keep my mind occupied as the miles flow along beneath my wheels. I'm good with not getting bored. I think perhaps a side effect of spending most of my 20's in and out of jail. Detoxing from drugs and alcohol in an 8x10ft cell for months on end will do that, after that nothing is boring believe me.
Coming into Gloucester felt like a real achievement. I know I'm not even near the end yet but being in here feels like I made it back down to my area at least. The peoples accents, the countryside and the roads are familiar to me in this place. It was a bit sketchy on some of the large roundabouts but I was soon on the a38... a road I know so well and have been up and down many times in my life. Was nice to catch up with my big bro too. His pad is a real real nice place to be and my wee nephew and niece are here to spend time together with me, there crazy uncle. It's really nice. I'll stay here tomorrow as well I think and head off for Glastonbury on Sunday morning.
The end is in sight and I'm feeling strong.
Goodnight
18th October
Head toward the boundaries, that's where the exciting shit happens!
So it was great to stop off at Mike's and spend some time with my adorable nephew and niece. I was so comfortable being there and felt very safe and relaxed.
So relaxed in fact that it was bloody difficult to get myself going this morning. Very chilly start to the day, I decided there was no particular need to push so I just went at a very relaxed pace, nice and steady like.
Before long the a38 brought me right into bristols beating heart and I stop there for a coffee as well as a naughty banana, nutella and maple syrup crepe. Twas nice to be in bristol, I peered around at all the faces half expecting to see someone I recognised to no avail.
Before long I was on the road again, the hill I hit outside bristol made me regret all the layers I had on but I got up there just fine. By this time I was more than warmed up i was cooking! So the pace picked up and by the time I hit the mendip hills i was good and ready for the big climb up there. I never seen so many other cyclists in my life let alone on this journey, they was everywhere, swarms of 'em. I got plenty of nods and waves, as if I were a part of there club. Unbeknownst to them I'm just an undercover fatty tradesman masquerading as fitness enthusiast. But it's nice to know I pull it off just fine. On the way out of the mendip the drops were awesome, I very nearly hit 50mph down those hills. I shot through the town of wells like a bat out of hell and then on to Glastonbury, I had no intention of slowing down at that point and I kept very good pace the rest of the way, right to Glastonbury Tor.
Now I'm a man who was brought up with good manners so I was fully aware that it would have been rude of me had I not gone up the tor, being as I'm passing right by and all. And obviously i had to bring the bike up, for the greater good, of course.
However there is a reason you don't see many bicycles up Glastonbury tor and that is because it's hard as f*** to get one up there. I instantly regretted it on the first 20 or so steps.
However by that time there were a lot of people looking at me so I wasn't about to make myself look stupid by turning back, no way. I just continued on, fully clad in lycra, wearing my cycling helmet and shoes lugging an extremely heavy, fully loaded touring bike up the biggest hill for miles around. Oh well, was nice views up there and the ride back down was ace!
Nice bite to eat in glasto then off to somerton. Got a chance to catch up with some very dear friends of mine in somerton; Rachel, Greg and David which was just wonderful, haven't seen them in about a decade! Really put me in a jolly good mood and was a nice ride to langport from there.
After that I made it out to curry rival, I could have gone on a bit but decided to camp here at burton monument where as I kid I use to come to often. I'm out under the stars now enjoying the peace and being in the Somerset levels. These parts are were I was raised so I'm really enjoying being in this part of the country. Nostalgia is such a funny feeling, I keep flashing through what a crazy life I've had since being little, growing up in a village just 3 miles from this very spot. Life is pretty bloody fantastic.
19th October
Just found this video I forgot to share... it's from way back in the first week lol it was a nice surprise for me to find it and reminds me of just how far I've come on this epic adventure. Crazy to think I've come all the way from Scotland to Devon on a bicycle!!!
I'm just over halfway between Glastonbury and exter now, hoping to make Exeter by 4PM when Steffen finishes college so we can continue the last leg of the journey together, which is hopefully just 2 days of cycling!!!!
Although it seems a universally known fact amongst JOGLE and LEJOG riders that Cornwall and Devon are by far the most challenging part.
I think the last day is going to be the toughest in terms of hills and looks like the rain and wind of Cornwall will greet us in full force as well.
My legs are telling me no, but my body.... My body's telling me yes.
20th October
It's a universally know fact that every nutter in possession of an appetite for adventure must be in want of some good discomfort.
Half past ten and just got tent set up now. The winds of dartmoor put us hours behind schedule and we both want to make sure we get finished tomorrow.
I cycled wearily over the black down hills yesterday, I know the area really well but somehow one never fully appreciates just how long and steep the hills are when driving.
On a bicycle with all your stuff you really notice every inch of them hills.
When I got to exeter yesterday evening I met up with steffen at the cathedral about 5PM. We was both knackered so decided to stay at a cheap hotel.
This morning we left after a nice breakfast, the climb up to dartmoor was very long and grueling but the wind up was insane, it was like swimming in a rip tide. All the effort put in and your barely moving. After a while the rain and hail decided to join in as well, very hardcore.
We carried on though and stopped at the two rivers hotel to grab a much needed cream tea. Once we got to yelverton it was into the drakes trail and the plym trail, which is literally down hill all the way to Plymouth. I've cycled that before actually, over a decade ago now with my mate Simon Tatman on a coast to coast charity event. It's a stunning trail, without a doubt the smoothest trail surface of the whole journey, very well maintained and just beautiful. It's like riding through and enchanted forest with all kinds of wonderful sights as travel steadily downward for miles and miles.
When we got to Plymouth we got the chain ferry across the river, by which time it was getting dark but we kept on going, like I say we are determined to finish tomorrow. We just past loo and have about 75 or so miles to lands end.
I'm hanging, Gus Thomas is driving my truck all the way to lands end tomorrow the absolute utter legend so we have no choice in the matter we have to make it.
I cant believe that we are where we are and that tomorrow this whole thing will be over. It's been a real once in a life adventure that in some ways feels like it's just come out of nowhere. Well I was supposed to be cycling from rome to Bournemouth so I guess it did spring up from nowhere in that sence. God I'm glad I didn't do the Rome one haha if I thought today's hills were bad I cant imagine the bloody alps. Anyways I am absolutely hanging! I'll get some shut eye and see if I cant smash that last 75 miler tomorrow and hopefully we will hit our donation target as well once we get over the finish line!
21st October
Well I'm here in a tent. I can here the rain hammering away outside. I'm very tired from cycling into the night last night and my legs are begging me to stay in the comfort of the sleeping bag. It's one last push now. 75-80 miles of gorgeous cornwall in this lovely, very rainy day, what more could you ask for hey! Wish me luck
21st October, around lunchtime.....
Upon leaving our camp this morning both mine and Steffens gears had troubles. Steffs have been gradually getting worse and resulted in having to get on and off the bike tk sort it out occasionally and my rear deraileour somehow got tangled up in my spokes... honestly an absolute moment of pure doom! I thought that was it, my life was over, end of the road! But I managed to pull the deraileour free and by some absolute miracle of god it all works again. Albeit I have to avoid the lower and higher end of the rear cassette, mostly out of paranoia itll happen again but also cause it keeps playing up. Anyway we are now in st austel and steff is getting his bike sorted as I attempt a record of most flat whites, pasties and cakes a man can eat in 10 minutes...
gus thomas is already in Cornwall I hear checking out the wildlife, bird watching etc.
I just checked the sponsor page ... over a grand! Actually cant believe that, what a massive amount of encouragement it is having all this support behind me! I'm truly blown away, thanks to everyone who is behind me on this. Right one more coffee I I reckon... plus there is a bit of short bread over there that's been eying me right up this whole time, he's asking for a one way ticket down my gut
And finally!
So that was an interesting end to an incredible journey. In hindsight I should have completed the last 2 days over the course 3 days! I think the thought of finishing it all just kind took over a little.
We didnt make it very far the previous day because of extreme head wind and hail up on dartmoor and cycled right into the night just to try and make sure we didnt leave ourselves a completely impossible last day. I had asked Gus to give us a lift back from landsend and the absolute gem of a man said yes! So I got him day insurance for my truck for Wednesday which meant we had to be there by the end of Wednesday... no matter what!
Issues with the gears though held us back a lot in the morning and eventually, arriving at st austel we found a bike shop to get steffs gears sorted. Both of us thought it would just be a super quick adjustment, in and out and back on the road again within minutes! But it disappeared into a workshop and ended up needing a new cable and all sorts so we there for over an hour.
At this time I decided to change the 6 hour scenic route to a more direct route that involved a lot of A roads. To be fair the weather was quite dismal and the wind rain and fog worked desperately trying to cover up any beautiful views so it wasn't like we were missing loads. All the same I do feel ever so slightly like I have kind of cheated myself out of a particularly beautiful part of the journey. I think I'll go back there in spring/summer and do a bit of cornish cycling.
So from st austel we hit the road Jack. The pace was incredible, despite the wind, rain, hail and whatever else the brunt of Cornwalls stormy weather had to throw at us! We just pushed for all it's worth, up hill... down hill... straights ... we just slammed it all hard and fast and pretty much non stop for about 5 hours straight!
I was really present in all of that, trying to squeeze each second for all I could get from it. The dark soon became us and our cheap and shitty bike lights left us practically blind on the last stretch of the southern most bit of the A30 but it really felt like a magical experience.
Eventually, having cycled from Scotlands most northern tip, down through the length of britain we finally ran out of land on cornwalls southern shore!
It was a wonderful and emotional experience!
The clear, cornish night sky displaying an incredible glimpse into the universe with its dazzling display of stars and galaxies, just incredible!
So that's that then!
Cant believe all the people who have sponsored us, just amazing! Really so grateful to every single one of you, that's Brilliant that we smashed the target!
Thank you all !!!
Thank you so much to everyone who has sponsored Arjuna and Steffen! More than £1200 is an incredible total, and they absolutely smashed the target of £1 per mile for the 956 mile route. A huge and heartfelt thank you to everyone who has contributed - not just to the fund raising, but also the kind words of support that have made all the difference, especially on the cold rainy days.
This fund-raising cycle ride has made a HUGE difference to Yak Pack Theatre Project this year - we've had to cancel so many planned events, and its brilliant to be that much closer to making the Project happen. In fact, our funding total has now more than DOUBLED thanks to your support. From us - and lots of kids in Spiti who will enjoy live theatre, books and read-aloud workshops, and removal of litter from local walking routes by the Yak Pack Theatre Project - Thank you.
If you'd like to sponsor Arjuna and Steffen, please visit their FUNDRAISING PAGE which will be open for a few more days.
Arjunas final blog post will appear on our Facebook page