Here We Are In Glasgow

Just back from Harry Ramsdens restaurant which is right next to the Paisley Road Travelodge where Richard and I are spending our first night.

For a while there I thought things were going to be rather more intimate than expected, as the Travelodge wanted to put us in a double bed. But with a bit of persuasion they found us a sort of twin - a room with a sofa bed. Then we had to ask for towels as the room had none. Just a few niggles sent to try us I guess.

The cycle from home to Preston station was easy with a strong tailwind. I couldn't get the Fast Ticket machine to give me mike bike reservation tickets, but the train manager wasn't worried, which was a relief.

Anthony Clarke, one of the JogLe Relay team, met us at the station for a coffee - we'd already bumped into three Skipton cyclists training for LeJog as we started off from Waddington.

So now we've eaten I think we'll turn in early for a good night's sleep before returning to Glasgow Central in the morning, to get the train to Wemyss Bay and ferry to our first island - Bute, here we come!

What's the Opposite of a Grandstand Finish?

After last year's showbiz-style start and finish to the Round Britain Cycle, our Hebridean Odyssey is definitely starting on a low-key note. I've still got some last-minute jobs to do, but the current plan is that I'll leave home at about 1.30 today and cycle to Waddington, where Richard and I can meet up and then pedal to Preston Station via Longridge.

So if you've nothing else to do at lunchtime and want to make sure that we don't change our minds, why not come and see us off? We'll be somewhere near Tim's Cafe/Restaurant. Or perhaps 50 yards up the road at the Waddington Arms. Either way it'll be difficult to miss us!

Right, off now to throw a few more things out of the panniers to get the weight down. See you later.

Blogging on the move

Just checking the mobile blogging capabilities of my iPhone. Sorry if this woke you up!

Bill Honeywell

Last Minute Wobbles!

Have I remembered everything?  I’ve been checking and re-checking the ferry timetables and all the places we’re staying at, making sure I’ve got the addresses and telephone numbers in a notebook, my Hebridean Island Hopping book, my iPhone… well, better safe than sorry.

I’ve worked out all the routes we’re going to cycle, and downloaded them all on to the GPS (a Garmin 705 Edge).  I’ve cut out little maps from an old road atlas, and stuck them inside the book in case the GPS packs up.

I’ve booked the train tickets, but I’m supposed to collect the bike reservation tickets from a machine at Preston Station when I get there, and I’ve forgotten what I’m supposed to do or whether I need a reference number – I suppose I do but I’m not sure where it is.

I’ve been checking all my clothes and other gear, found a hole in one set of long pants but then found some new longs which I’ve only worn a couple of times – and then forgot I’d bought them, so that’s a bonus!

Other checklists have come and gone, and now Richard has reminded me about such things as spare brake blocks (have I got some stashed away in the garage somewhere, or will I have to nip out tomorrow and buy some?)

I’m ready for the Crossroads Quiz tomorrow night (at which I’m MC) and I think I’ve done everything I need to for the Swing Commanders Dance next Saturday – now I’ve handed the reins over to Peter Spencer and Colin Bonner so at least I know it’s in safe hands.

I’ve got piles of clothes, towel, soap bag, sleeping bag, phone chargers, maps, spares, etc etc, laid out in the spare bedroom. They look like they’ll never fit in the panniers, and if they do, the bike will probably collapse under the weight.  It doesn’t really matter as the weather has been so bad I haven’t been out on the bike for ages so I’ll probably collapse on the first day through lack of fitness anyway!  Better take plenty of waterproofs because wherever I go it pours down.  No doubt Richard is better organised.  

I really ought to update the Justgiving page to encourage donations to Cancer Research UK – that’s a job for tonight perhaps.  The idea is that if you want to donate online that’s where to go – www.justgiving.com/bill-honeywell - and the money will go to CRUK. Alternatively if you want to support a superb local cancer charity that really makes a big difference to people’s lives, then let me have a cheque for the Rosemere Cancer Foundation and I’ll forward it to them.  All local cash donations will go to the Rosemere too.  A few people have already donated but there's always room for more!!

No more time to write on the blog now. Hopefully once we’re under way I’ll be able to beg, steal or borrow access to a computer and bring you up-to-date with Tales From The Islands and some photos.

And if you’re travelling from Clitheroe to Preston on Saturday afternoon, please take extra care. We don’t want to be knocked off our bikes before we even get to Scotland.

A Postscript - for those of you not on Twitter, I was trying out the new camera yesterday (I needed a new one because they don't like heavy rain) - and this chap landed in the back garden. I thought you might like the picture.

Another Postscript - If you look at the right hand side of this blog just above the 'Just Giving' widget, you can register for an email notification each time there is an update.  Handy eh?

Last minute hiccups

I had a bit of a scare last night – I’d been looking into the routes in more detail and found that the ferry times from North Uist to Skye seemed to have changed.  The day’s only ferry wasn’t at 1800, but 1600, leaving us a bit short of time because on that day we have to start with Vatersay at the southern end of the Outer Hebrides and pedal our way to Lochmaddy in the very north – all of 74 miles.  Whether I’d read it wrong the first time a few months ago, or whether it had been changed since then, I’m not sure.

At first I thought it might not be possible to get around the problem, but after another look at the early part of the route I realised it should still be possible. Now some of you may be thinking “What’s the problem with 74 miles before 4 pm?”, but there are two problems. Firstly, 74 miles with a fully-loaded touring bike is harder work than an luggage-free racer, and I have to make allowances in case there are strong headwinds and pouring rain.  Secondly, there is a ferry earlier in the day from Barra, which arrives on Eriskay at 1005 – so unlike mainland cycling, there is no way we can give ourselves more time by having an early start.

Never mind – we WILL do it!

Still, it meant that I’ve spent all day double-checking every single ferry timetable to make sure there are no more banana skins, and also looking at each day’s route in more detail to make sure they’re not impossibly long.

As a result I’ve reminded myself how big Lewis and Skye are!  Three days on Lewis still don’t give us enough time to visit all the places I would like, given that we must take in the islands of Great Berneray and Scalpay (both are islands but are now accessible by modern bridges).

 

Portree, Isle of Skye

Just as last year, I’m beginning to think maybe I should have planned a more relaxed schedule, to give myself chance to see more. But the tour can’t be longer than four weeks as I have to be back home by the last weekend in May, for reasons which I will disclose in a future blog – I’ll leave that as a bit of a mystery for now!

Right. My next job is to make sure the bike, everything that goes on it, and all clothes and other equipment, are in tip top order.  And contact all the people who are giving us accommodation to remind them of the dates and make sure there are no last-minute hitches.  And make sure things are straight before I go.  As usual, Val’s going to be busy looking after everything whilst I’m away!

Oh, by the way - if you are an avid reader of the Clitheroe Advertiser & Times you'll find an article about the tour on page 3. I wish they'd find another photograph!

Countdown to the Western Isles…!

I haven’t written much recently about the next Tour but it starts in just over two weeks so I guess I’d better let you all know how things are going!

The itinerary has been pretty much finalised for some time, although I need to do a check of all the ferries:  I found out yesterday that the Islay sailings will only go to Port Askaig while we’re in the area, as major engineering works are underway at Port Ellen.  That’s actually quite good as it cuts down a bit of repetitive mileage, but I need to check the other islands to avoid any last-minute banana skins.

We have accommodation arranged for thirteen nights, courtesy of benevolent local residents, and in one instance, good friends who are on holiday in self-catering accommodation when we’ll be there.  We are still looking for lodgings for another fourteen nights, mainly for the Outer Hebrides, Mallaig, Coll, Tiree and Colonsay, so if there’s anyone out there… please get in touch!  Otherwise we’ll sort things out ‘on the hoof’ – staying at Youth Hostels or B&Bs.

I had to book the train journeys this week, and just like last year, it’s an eye-opener. On the return journey from Oban to Preston at the end of the tour, all the train-ticket websites quote £83.50. There is one change at Glasgow which also involves changing stations, from Queen Street to Central.  Booked separately, the leg from Oban to Glasgow is £21.10, whilst from Glasgow to Preston it’s £12.50.  I make that £33.60, i.e. £49.90 cheaper than the identical route booked in one ‘go’.  Can anyone explain how that can be, please?

Richard and I have been comparing notes and checking check lists: the trick is to take everything you need without carrying too much weight. Simple!  It’s such a shame you can’t take all the maps you need, but I’ll have to rely on a page cut out of my road atlas, together with the GPS.  I’ve a book which contains details of all the islands, together with contact details for hundreds of B&Bs etc, but it weighs a ton. I may see if it’s available as an e-book and borrow Val’s Kindle to save weight, if she’ll let me.

Oh, and I don’t have a decent camera yet! I ruined one whilst walking all 214 Wainwrights in 2009, and another last year on my 4,500-mile cycle round the GB coast. So I resolved to buy another, but haven’t found a decent one with an optical viewfinder yet. Canon have just brought one out but it uses AA non-rechargeable batteries, which is useless. I may have to try and get used to one without the viewfinder, but I don’t relish the idea…

Blogging en route will not be as easy as last year, as I won’t be carrying the lap-top, but I should be able to get by with the iPhone and by using hosts’ computers if they’ll let me.  I think you can expect quite a few updates as we go along.

As for fund-raising, I’m not banging the drum as much as last time but it would be nice if my readers, followers and supporters could give something. Online donations via www.justgiving.com/bill-honeywell (or Text donations - see the top of this page) will go to Cancer Research UK; if you give me a donation personally, by cheque or cash, I’ll send that to the absolutely excellent Rosemere Cancer Foundation unless you specify otherwise.  We’re not talking aggressive tax-avoidance here, just whatever you are comfortable with, so I don’t think you’ll get into trouble with Mr Osborne! (But if you are a multi-millionaire it’s not illegal yet, so please hurry before he closes the loophole!)

The World Record Dream is Revived!

You may remember that my last blog was a sad tale of dashed hopes.  Guinness World Records imposed hopelessly difficult conditions on our proposed Relay Race from John O’Groats to Land’s End and the venture seemed to be doomed.

Well, we’ve tried to get them to see sense but – so far – to no avail. However…

Sharon Duggan, our organiser and originator of the idea, decided that we could live with a team reduced from 20 to 12 members.  This seemed perfectly reasonable; the number 20 was an arbitrary one and if Guinness World Records insisted on 12, then so be it.

Sharon complained to Guinness but so far with no effect.  If each rider had to do a 70+ mile stint then an average speed of over 21 mph would be asking too much, as I said in the last blog.  But looking at the rules again, it is clear that the 12 riders don’t have to do one unbroken ‘leg’ each. Now, if each rider does three separate legs of under 25 miles, with a rest in between… we might just do it!

Those in the know may think that this sounds a bit like the famous ‘Race Across America’ or RAAM.  And that’s just what it is.  All we need is a bus-type vehicle (one or two) that can carry the team and the bikes, then divide up the route into 36 legs (three per rider) and we’ll give it our best shot!  If we set the record at sub-40 hours then we’ll be in the Guinness Book of World Records, no argument.  If the time is over 40 hours (and what Guinness don’t realise is that the difference between a headwind and a tailwind could be hours), then we’ll still claim the unofficial record and let other people have a good bash at it!

Here is the team:

1. Kyle Hewitt
2. Simon Inman
3. Andrew Shelley
4. Stuart Doyle
5. Sean Newall
6. Michael Evans
7. Anthony Clarke
8. Bill Honeywell
9. John Mollart
10. Dave Barter
11. Steve Darlaston
12. Daz Halfpenny
13. Sharon Duggan Captain (Reserve)
14. Simon Dean (Reserve)

So now… I need to increase my average speed for a 25-mile course.  I can currently do 17-18 mph on a good day, and have to up the game to 22 mph.  And by 10 August I won’t be on the wrong side of 60 but I’ll be within a whisker of it!  So if there are any personal trainers out there who fancy a challenge and reckon they could get me up to the target speed in four months, leave a message with your contact details!!

Sharon continues to do a fantastic job – let’s hope the challenge keeps its momentum this time!

The End of the World Record Dream

It’s been a bad week as far as the John O’Groats to Land’s End World Record Relay (JOGLE for short) is concerned.  But following much frantic activity, the attempt is now dead in the water .

The idea started a few months ago via Twitter, when Sharon Duggan cycled from John O'Groats to Land's End and had the idea of getting together about 20 cyclists from different backgrounds to attempt a relay record. Amazingly, so it seemed, no such record had been set before, even though there are relay running records, individual cycling records, and so on. (Incidentally, the individual record time from Land's End to John O'Groats on a bicycle is held by a gentleman called Gethin Butler, who in 2001 did it in the amazing time of 44 hours, 4 minutes and 20 seconds.  Remember that time…)

Back to the story. Sharon contacted various people on Twitter and started putting the team together. She contacted Guinness World Records who confirmed that this would be a valid, new record if it were to be set. She did lots and lots and lots of other work including getting multinational firm JCB to agree to be the team’s sponsors, and for us to support the good work of the NSPCC.

Just two weeks ago several members of the team met up in Droitwich, had a ride out together and then spent time discussing all aspects of how the ride would work.  Things seemed to be going so well…

Then this week Guinness World Records didn’t just move the goalposts – they relocated them to a different football pitch in a different town.  Admitting that they had inadvertently accepted the challenge in error (!!) they produced a set of rules which, quite simply, torpedoed the whole attempt.  They insisted that there should be no more than 12 cyclists.  Well, perhaps we could live with that.  Then they said they would not even consider the record unless the time were under 40 hours. 40 HOURS?

If the record for one man - non-stop – is 44 hours, what makes them think that a team can do it a full 10% faster?  (By the way, for any non-physicists out there, riding 10% faster involves a 30% increase in work rate.  A 30% higher work rate than the guy who holds the outright record!)  The idea was for the team to be amateurs;  the only kind of team that could do a sub-40-hour ride would be professional or semi-professional!   And to be honest, they’re all too busy either doing big races like the Tour de France, or competing in the Olympics and World Championships.

Guinness World Records were expecting each rider to do a 70-mile stage at an average speed of over 21 mph. They claim that their records are ‘not just for professionals’, but that just doesn’t ring true here.

And yet, by the way, the rules also state that:

"As a general rule, the participant(s) should not remain stationary (i.e. if he/she does not make any progress towards his/her destination) for longer than 14 days"

14 DAYS? Who wrote these rules?  Can you imagine the Olympic 4x400 relay with a fortnight’s break between legs?  Am I the only person who thinks that Guinness World Records really have no idea what this record was to be about?  ‘Out of touch’ would be an understatement.

We wanted to have ordinary people – keen, of course, but including those who ride for fun, cancer survivors, one who has lost 8 stone in 12 months, and so on – to do something extra-ordinary; and to set a standard which other people could have a go at, and to be honest, it was going to be a record which wouldn’t be too difficult to beat, which we didn't think was a bad thing.

So after discussions within the team, and lots more discussions and arguments with Guinness World Records, we were faced with no alternative but to drop the whole thing.  Sorry folks - it would have been a lot of fun – fun for the team, fun for sponsors and supporters, and fun for generally interested onlookers.  I feel desperately sorry for Sharon, who has put so much time and effort into this – I guess it’s been a full-time obsession for the last three months at least – and now it’s all in ruins.

By the way, if you can get more than 485 people to dress up as Mahatma Gandhi, or hold more than 16 mugs in one hand, or if you can collect more than 571 model Daleks, you can still get into the Guinness Book of World Records.  But if 20 of you want to pedal your backside off doing a great challenge and helping a worthwhile charity at the same time, Guinness World Records would rather you didn’t bother. 

Because Twitter limits you to 140 characters, abbreviations are commonplace.  I guess the one for this situation is ‘WTF?’  I’m sure non-Tweeps can work that one out for themselves.

Record Breakers!!

After Bill & Richard's Excellent Adventure (I think this name will stick!), the next big, fantastic challenge is - as one of a team of 20 cyclists - setting the record for a relay cycle from John O'Groats to Land's End, in August 2012.

This is quite a remarkable challenge for several reasons.  I believe that on at least one occasion, cycle clubs have cycled 'End-to-End' as a relay group, but no one has ever had this feat authenticated by the famous Guinness Book of Records.  Previous unofficial teams have comprised club enthusiasts, not a country-wide mix of 'ordinary' cyclists; no other team has comprised both sexes (as far as I know); and certainly no team has been put together through the medium of Twitter to consist of cyclists who have never met each other before.

This is the big difference with the JoGLe 2012 Relay team.  Sharon Duggan is the driving force behind it all: she has been working her socks off for the last few months - putting the team together, planning the stages, sorting out sponsorship - so that now we have a team. a route, and massive backing from JCB with their favoured charity - the NSPCC.

The ride will take place on the weekend of 9/10/11 August this year, starting at John O'Groats. Each rider will have a stage of 42 miles - mine is Stage 9, from just north of Lockerbie, across the border to south of Carlisle. Some of the riders will be doing over 20mph, although with my ageing frame (my body, not the bike) I'll be happy with 17mph and hope some of the younger lads will make up for me!

This weekend we had our first team meeting in the Midlands.  Seven of us met up for a ride on Saturday afternoon, and to my relief I wasn't left flailing in the wake of the other cyclists - John, Daz, Anthony, Jo, Simon and Andy.  In the evening we all met for Sharon to give us a great presentation and pep talk, which brought us up to date with progress so far. JCB are fully behind the scheme and will be supplying our cycling kit and other support.  Service cars are arranged. Guinness World Records have accepted the record challenge.  Everything is moving forward at a pace.

So pretty soon I shall go and reccy my stage - especially the section through Carlisle - so that there are no slip ups on the day.  Once I've finished, Val and I will drive to Land's End to be there for the grandstand finish.  It's all very exciting!

We would like to raise some funds for the NSPCC during this event - if you would like to sponsor my stage (or any of the other stages) please let me know. Between now and August this is going to receive a LOT of publicity, so it will be money well spent!

PS If you are on Twitter, make sure you follow @Jogle2012relay (and me, @CancerBikeMan)! - and put the web site - www.JogLe2012relay.com on your favourites for more updates!

World Famous in Stornoway...?

I can now reveal to the rest of the world that last Thursday we headlined in the Stornoway Gazette - with the brilliant (if a little corny) headline of 'Bill and Richard's Excellent Adventure'.

Jenny Kane of the Stornoway Gazette kindly gave us some great publicity for the forthcoming ride, and I think I'll adopt that headline as the official name for our Western Isles tour!

Here's Jenny's article:


Bill and Richard’s excellent adventure
Cycle tour around 42 Scottish islands
Touring as many islands in the Western Isles as he can in one month, Bill Honeywell will be cycling on a road near you this summer, all in aid of Cancer Research UK, writes Jenny Kane. And it seems every time the Gazette catches up with him a new destination has been added to the list which now stands at 42 West Coast islands, including most of the Outer Hebrides. By mid May Bill will be arriving in Tarbert, Harris, after having hopefully already covered more than 20 islands. From there he will go on to tour Lewis, Scaplay, Berneray, North Uist, Baleshare, Grimsay, Benbecula, Flodaigh, Griomasaigh, South Uist, Eriskay, Barra
and Vatersay.  Accompanying Bill on his mammoth mission is his good friend and fellow cycling enthusiast Richard Dugdale.

Fifty-nine year old Lancashire man Bill is no stranger to big challenges. It all started in 2009 when he completed a fund-raising walk in the Lake District.  Bill explained: “A good friend of mine died of cancer, she was a big fan of walking the Wainwrights in the Lake District. I walked all 214 in two months in memory of Margaret.”  In 2011 Bill then cycled 4,440 miles around the coast of Great Britain, raising £30,000 for Cancer Research UK.  Raising money for charity is something Bill talks very passionately about: “When I started doing sponsored trips the national charity Cancer Research UK was top of my list to support.  “I have had cancer twice and am still here. I’ve had friends affected by cancer and who have died of cancer. I think it’s important to help these charities.”

For this latest venture in the Western Isles it will be just Bill, Richard and two bikes - carrying everything they need, island hopping and chasing after ferries. “We can’t afford to drop behind schedule, and we can’t afford to miss any ferries,” explained Bill.  “We’ve really got to make sure we keep going. It will all depend on the weather. A cyclist's biggest challenge is the wind. It will be that and not the mileage that’s the challenge. I’ve heard you’ve got a lot of wind up there.”  Fingers crossed for good weather then this coming May, something that would be a novelty for Bill who had to rescue his motor home from a fallen tree on his last challenge on the way to the Corran Ferry. This time round, with no motor home, Bill and Richard will be staying with friends along the way.

But they are still looking for accommodation in the Outer Hebrides.  “If anyone’s got a spare room and want to meet a couple of mad cyclists we will be very grateful. Just one room will be fine. We’re both married men and one of us can sleep on the floor,” laughed Bill.  For every Hotel, B&B or home they stay in a donation will be made to Cancer Research UK.  So if you will have a free room in May on any of the islands they will be travelling through in the Outer Hebrides, get in contact with Bill on his Blog at www.billhoneywell.blogspot.com or contact the Stornoway Gazette by email on jenny.kane@stornowaygazette.co.uk.

You can also find out more information about Bill and Richard’s bike ride, and how to sponsor him, on his blog or you can follow his progress on Twitter @CancerBikeMan.

The Western Isles Itinerary

A few people have asked for more details of where we are going and when. I’ve had to draw up a strict timetable because so much depends on the ferry timetables – with some ferry routes only used once or twice a week, falling behind by even a few minutes could mean the difference between catching or missing a vital ferry and having the whole schedule set back by several days.  So that’s why the itinerary has to be planned so carefully – it’s not that I’m normally so organised!  So here is an outline (islands in capital letters):

The Oban - Mull ferry at Craignure

April

29:     BUTE

30:     GREAT CUMBRAE and ARRAN

May

1:       (ARRAN) & HOLY ISLAND, then ferry to Claonaig

2:       GIGHA

3:       ISLAY (stay overnight)

4:       (ISLAY) & JURA

5:       SEIL ISLAND, LUING, EASDALE

6:       COLL

7:       TIREE

8:       Oban

9:       KERRERA, LISMORE

10:     Mallaig

11:     RUM

12:     CANNA, MUCK, EIGG, SKYE

13:     RAASAY

14:     HARRIS

15:     LEWIS, GT BERNERA

16:     SCALPAY

17:     BERNERAY, N. UIST

18:     BALESHARE, GRIMSAY, BENBECULA, FLODAIGH,  GRIOMASAIGH, S. UIST, ERISKAY, BARRA

19:     VATERSAY

20:     (SKYE) (again)

21:     MULL

22:     (MULL) & ULVA

23:     IONA, ERRAID

24:     COLONSAY & ORONSAY

25:     Finish at Oban.

Tobermory

I make that 41 islands… but if you know of any more (inhabited, accessible by regular ferry or road) then feel free to let me know! Having said that, St Kilda, Ailsa Craig and the like are out of the question!  (The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that I originally had 40 on this blog - I'm grateful to Baz (@bazzargh on Twitter) for pointing out the tiny island of Griomasaigh, which I had missed!)

Incidentally we now have accommodation on Bute, Arran, Islay, West Tarbert and Oban, Portree (Skye) and Mull, but are still looking for Coll, Tiree, most of the Outer Hebrides and Mallaig – so if you’re reading this and have a spare bedroom (or know someone else who might have) – please let me know.  We’ll make a donation to Cancer Research UK for each night we’re home-hosted.

Cycling 111 miles from Clitheroe to York and back (nearly!)

Yesterday was the longest bike ride of the year so far:  Ruth Warman, a fellow member of Clitheroe Bike Club, had planned to ride from Clitheroe to York and back to raise funds for Everyman Male Cancer and I thought it would be a good idea to go with her for a bit of moral support.  It’s nearly 65 miles each way, so to do this in one day is a serious undertaking.

Ruth & Mum at the start in Clitheroe

Two of Ruth’s friends were also hoping to join her but had to drop out: I must admit, whilst suffering from a touch of man-flu the previous day, I was having misgivings myself, but… well, there’s no substitute for a bit of exercise to see off those coughs and sneezes!  So I arrived at the Platform Gallery on time at 8.00 am to find Ruth and her mum who was there to see her off.  There’s not much traffic at that time on a Sunday morning so we decided to follow the main A59 to Skipton rather than use hillier country roads through Rimington and Barnoldswick.

I hadn’t ridden with Ruth before so it was reassuring to find that we were both on about the same pace.  She’s also very polite, taking her turns at the front, so I had no doubt we would get on for the rest of the day!  Through a quiet Skipton, past Chelker Reservoir where the ageing wind turbines are always stationary, then the lovely downhill through Addingham. Just as had my hands full with some food the car in front of me decided to stop, which was a bit interesting!

Red Kite

From Ilkley the traffic can be avoided by taking a really pleasant country road on the other side of the Wharfe, quiet but for the Sunday rugby games which were just starting on the town’s pitches. Otley next, then Pool and a short stretch of the busy Leeds – Harrogate road before turning on to more quiet country lanes. It was here that I saw the first Red Kite of the day, hanging in the air above a small copse and really quite close to us. For the next few miles these magnificent birds were almost everywhere – imposing birds of prey with long wings and a forked tail, seemingly oblivious to our presence. Sometimes we could see four at once. I still get that jaw-dropping feeling at times like this.

Through Sicklinghall to Wetherby (where a Sparrowhawk dashed across the road so close in front of me that I nearly hit it) then a fast, level 12 miles with a helping tailwind to York. Although I told Ruth that I know York quite well, I usually only walk around the centre, so of course I went the wrong way (for a bike) and ended going the wrong way along a one-way street (which was effectively pedestrianised anyway with the Sunday shopping throngs). Right at the end of the street a policeman pointed out the error of my ways, but he was really polite and let us carry on. 

At York Minster

And then we were at York Minster, which seemed a fitting place to end the first leg.  I never cease to marvel at the work that went into this iconic building.

From here it was a short ride along the River Ouse to the house of my son Mark and his wife Sandra, where we grabbed a brew and freshly-baked scone.  It was after 2.00 pm when we left, so we knew we were going to need lights later on.

Near Sicklinghall a Fox ran across the road just in front of us and the Red Kites were hanging around again. The wind wasn’t as helpful on the return, and it took us over two hours to get to Otley, where we were both ready for the loo. It took a while to find them, by which time the man from the Council was just closing them.  Now you’ve all heard stories about ‘jobsworths’ so I have to say that this gentleman was a delightful exception. He said he was happy to wait, in fact he would keep an eye on our bikes, and then directed us to a good bikers café where we had a coffee and a big plate of chips.

I couldn’t believe that it was now 5.00 o’clock! And still 35 miles to go! So off we set on the back road to Ilkley in fading light, then found a section of old road which gave us a quiet entry to Addingham where it’s a long, long uphill.  The light was OK when we started but by the time we got to the top it was dark!!  The pubs in Addingham looked so inviting I was tempted to just stop there and ring Val for a lift home! (I didn’t, of course!).  However, as we passed Chelker Reservoir again, Ruth’s front light went out with a dud battery. We decided that it would be too dangerous to cycle all the way to Clitheroe, so I rang Val and asked her to meet us at Skipton Station. Ruth tucked in behind me for safety and as we carried on to Skipton, the temperature dropped like a stone.

In the town itself we had our second encounter with the police – a fast-moving patrol car stopped as it came towards us: the driver wound down his window, shouted “Have you seen an Audi going fast up here? Which way did he go?” Almost before we could answer, he dropped the clutch and sped off again – very exciting!

Skipton Station

By the time we got to the Station we’d done 111 miles, so Ruth’s promise of doing 100 miles for Everyman Male Cancer was well and truly fulfilled. It seemed a nice thought that in the spirit of mutual assistance, men could raise money for women’s cancer while women could reciprocate by raising money for men’s cancers! 

This morning my sore throat and runny nose have now returned but I’m glad I did this ride with Ruth. Not just because she was good company, or that the ride was pleasant, but I know how lonely it can be doing such a long stint all alone, with no moral support, when you’re not sure of the way, or things (like batteries!) let you down. Even though when I cycled the coast, much of the cycling was alone, I still had a support crew nearby and on call: it may sound a bit strange, but none of that journey was as lonely as a solo ride to York and back would have been.

Ruth isn’t far from her fund-raising target, and if you could help by making a donation at https://www.justgiving.com/RuthWarman-WillcycleforEveryman it would be much appreciated.

A Western Isles Update

People are so brilliant!!  As you know, I’m planning a cycle tour of 39 of Scotland’s Western Isles with Richard Dugdale, starting 28 April.  I think I’ve already mentioned the problem with camping, and the cost of B&B every night for 28 nights is not cheap, to say the least!  So I’ve been putting out feelers and the response has been terrific!

Through a network of friends, friends of friends, Warmshowers.org and Twitter (which was so helpful on my Cycle Round Britain’s Coast) we have so far been offered accommodation for 10 nights, from Bute to Mull and from Islay to Oban.  It’s adding a whole new dimension to the ride as we’ll be meeting several old friends and several complete strangers – it should be great!

So far we’re still a bit thin for Skye and the Outer Hebrides, but I’ll keep working on it.  If you, dear reader, know of anyone in those areas who might be able to help (also Mallaig and Ballachulish/Onich), please let me know.

Mentioning Skye reminds me of a trip about six and a half years ago, when Ian Hardy and I decided to do the two-day walk of the Trotternish Ridge. Naturally the weather turned rough, and the night camping on the tops was really bad – the rain and high winds meant we had to pitch the tent on sloping ground.  We spend all night slithering to the bottom end of the tent and then trying to shuffle back up again, discovering in the process that the groundsheet wasn’t waterproof any longer! But that wasn’t the best bit…

Back in Portree on a Saturday afternoon we went to a pub for a ‘refresher’ when in came a chap about 40 yrs old, clearly the ‘worse for wear’.  He looked me straight in the eye and said, in that distinctive Islands accent, “Everyone’s a homosexual.”  “Really?” I replied, not quite sure if that was the correct response.  “Why, are you one?” he asked. “No,” I said “But it was made legal a few years ago;  we’ve been out on the hill for two days and I just wondered if they’d made it compulsory whilst we were away.”

At this point his friend arrived, explaining that they were the rump of the Portree Football Team who had been over to Stornoway, where they were soundly beaten and were now back on Skye drowning their sorrows (I think they’d been working hard at this for a few hours).

We talked about life on Skye, then they said how rubbish the English were, so I tried to make a brave defence of my native country. Then one of them said “Right, what are you two girlies having to drink?” I said “I’ll have a pint of heavy and Ian will have a Talisker, thank you.”

“Did you no mind me calling you girlies?”

I said “Well, you’re buying a round – let’s get the drinks in and then we’ll discuss the girlie business!”

That seemed to go down well. We soon left for another pub, and then another, and just as I was thinking that we were going to end up inebriated, the first fella said “Sorry guys, we’re going to have to go home, we can’t stand up any longer.”  That was a relief.  They were good company but I didn’t relish the thought of a major hangover the day after!

Happy days!

The Next Big Ride

Planning is underway for the next Tour – this time the Western Isles of Scotland, in April and May 2012.

Which islands to visit?  It’s not as easy as it sounds – but for various reasons I decided that I would include all those that were inhabited and accessible by a scheduled ferry service, or directly by road (like Skye, or Great Berneray). Uninhabited islands, like Staffa, aren’t included.  After all, if there are no roads at all then it’s not really worth it on a bike tour!

As always there are exceptions. Ulva, off the west coast of Mull, doesn’t have a scheduled ferry service, but the man there will come across the narrow sound as soon as you send a signal, so it would be a shame to miss it!

So I have 39 islands on the list, starting with Bute in the Firth of Clyde on 29^th April, and finishing with Colonsay (and Oronsay) on 24/25 May. The mileage isn’t massive but there are a few other changes this time:

I’ve got company: seasoned touring cyclist Richard Dugdale is coming with me. Richard leads a number of CTC Tours at home and abroad (including China). He also has a genuine pennyfarthing, which takes some riding. You can find his blog at http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Pennyfarthing/

I’m not travelling light – it’s the touring bike with panniers this time, carrying everything I need for four weeks.

I will be fund-raising for Cancer Research UK of course, but perhaps not as ‘full-on’ as last time – after all, there are only so many times I can persuade all my friends to part with their hard-earned cash. But of course, if anyone wants to make a donation they can still follow the link to http://www.justgiving.com/Bill-Honeywell

The Route

This took some sorting out! You can’t just go from one island to the next, because the ferry timetables don’t allow it. Still, after a few evenings of poring over the timetables and head-scratching, I’ve managed a roughly South-North route which goes roughly Bute – Arran – Islay – Coll & Tiree, Small Isles, Skye, Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Mull, Colonsay.  I’ll work out the mileage some time and let you know.

Accommodation

This is now the BIG challenge! A motorhome is totally impracticable because of ferry costs. Camping is out of the question because I’m too soft (I can’t stand cold and my back isn’t up to hard ground) and 28 nights’ B&B is too expensive. So…. We’re looking for local people to offer us a bed for a night (well, two beds actually!) – we’re not bad company, honest, and anyhow we’ll probably be in bed by 10 o’clock!

So far we’ve got one night’s accommodation arranged on Mull – with thanks to Tony and Jean Wagstaff – and we’ve got people coming back to us for a couple of other locations, but we’re looking for volunteers elsewhere – can you help? Do you live near one of our overnight stops or know someone who does?  Here’s the list:-

Rothesay (Bute), Brodick (Arran), Kennacraig, near West Tarbert (3 nights total), Port Askaig (Islay), Oban (2 nights), Coll, Tiree, Onich/Ballachulish, Mallaig (2 nights), Broadford (Skye), Portree (Skye), Tarbert (Harris), Lewis, Lochmaddy (N Uist), Barra, Uig (Skye) Mallaig again, Oban (another 2 nights) and Scalsaig (Colonsay).

Any help would be VERY much appreciated!

That’s enough for now! I’ll post some more information on how the preparations are going soon.  In the meantime if you have any comments or suggestions, DO let me know!

A Christmas Up-date

It’s been busy these last few weeks. I’ve given a number of talks (some about the bike ride and some not!) to various groups including Rotary Clubs, the British Legion and Wharfedale Farmers Auction, and I had a brief interview on BBC Radio Lancashire with Graham Liver.  It’s been surprisingly busy at work, then I got involved in a job with Citizens’ Advice Bureau, and there was a lads’ walking weekend away at Buttermere in the Lake District, where the weather was, like the pop group, wet, wet, wet.  I’ve just finished an article for the Wainwright Society’s magazine (‘Footsteps’) which should appear in their Summer issue. And of course the mother-in-law still needs constant care: Val does the majority but I’m usually on call when she’s at work.

I’ve also been wondering what to do next…

I was thinking about cycling around the coast of Ireland next time but the logisitics aren’t too easy, although I think we could leave a car somewhere near the Dublin ferry terminal to be used as and when we have a change of motorhome crew. But I’m still struggling to find a long enough slot in the year to do it.

Some time back I worked out a route to cycle the accessible islands off the west coast of Scotland – about 36 in all. It’s all very much dependent on ferry timetables and so when the new Calmac summer schedules for 2012 came out I had another look. It’s so complicated that I spent a couple of days on it, but now I’ve got a definite route sketched out. It will take about 27 days; the mileage won’t be excessive but the weather will, of course, be unpredictable and the terrain could be a bit challenging. Mind you the biggest challenge is just getting to all the different ferries on time!

My old pal Richard Dugdale is quite keen to do it, too. On this occasion there will be no lightweight bikes – it will be a case of full panniers, carrying everything you need for four weeks, which will be a change. Whether it’s a nice change I’m not sure!  I’ll do a bit more research over Christmas but it’s looking good for May 2012.

In the meantime I must say a big THANK YOU to everyone who supported the bike ride this year in whatever way, and also to those who have donated to Cancer Research UK – donations are still coming in, with two just this week which prove that it’s never too late! But thank you, thank you, thank you, a Merry Christmas to you all and a very Happy New Year.