What's it all about?

At the end of September 2012 I completed a cycle from Portsmouth 2 Penzance a total of 273 miles! raising money for Children In Need is the Plan. This was also be a personal challenge for me as I haven't been cycling in over 25 years and that was only for fun nothing serious. On top of that have a prolapsed disc, was 46 years old and at the start of 2012 a bit over weight, well lot over weight really, since then I've lost nearly 3 stone! So I opted to do the big one, John O'Groats 2 Lands End on May 6th 2013. The End 2 End or P2P (point to point, as it's sometimes called ) around 1000 miles! This time I had company, Colin, a friend from work, who has said he is as mad as I am and would like to come! This blog contains that story....This event is in memory of the sad passing of my mum on 17th of April this year having lost her fight with terminal Bowel Cancer.

I guess you'd call it the sequel, I have decided it would be just rude not to go back the other way!!! so May 2015, with a new friend, Pete and with Dave driving a support vehicle ( luxury) we plan the classic Lands End to John O'Groats, also known as LEJOG. Mad ? yes I think we must be.


Me, Colin, Pete and Dave ( Team Jogle4bc )

Me, Colin, Pete and Dave ( Team Jogle4bc )

Disastrous start!

I'd like to have started with the journey up, sunshine, small plane etc. Unfortunately arriving and unpacking Colin's bike has been devastating! The box was damaged and his rear gear hanger all bent up (no changing gears)  and the front fork crushed in on one side! I don't really know what to say to him, he is gutted and we're mortified. Using some tools from the Hotel I've been able to reshape the gear hanger enough that it works on most of the gears (we will have to order another online and get it posted to meet us somewhere) However the forks are a different story.  I have strengthened it with some duck tape, not as daft as it sounds, as the damage is to the flat side of the fork and the fork appears to still have a fair bit of strength pushing straight down. Colin has tentatively ridden it but clearly a pot hole could easily,  finish the folk off and put Colin on the floor! Not something either of us want to imagine. The plan will be to call Thurso bike shop in the morning (if open as it's a bank holiday) to see if they have replacement folks, I'm sure a gear hanger would need to be ordered. We have a contact at work,  Alex, who's from Thurso, so Colin is going to call him to see if he can help. That's all for now.
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