UK on bicycles

We have returned!

2007-07-19T08:54:00.000-04:00

We are back safely - it was a smooth trip on the plane and we were able to make the train changes when we returned from Edale to Gatwick. Mary will be posting the last pictures soon.

It's great to be back home. We missed all of you. Thanks for watching.

ann

Edale's reward

2007-07-14T15:26:00.000-04:00

As Ann said, we were grateful for the ride Mark Fenner offered us to Edale. We were just lucky that his car could fit both of our bikes and all of our gear. Thanks Mark!

We settled in here at the hostel and enjoyed a late dinner of the left-over picnic food Mark had encouraged us to take. We used the self-catering kitchen that most hostels offer. We also did a huge load of laundry. Chores out of the way, we toddled off to bed and woke up reasonably refreshed. We are both noticing a smaller reserve of energy each day. We mustered enough energy after breakfast to head off on a hike. We had both been looking forward to a hike as the walks we took in the towns we stayed in weren't very satisfying for people who love hiking. Ann had borrowed a map from the hostel receptionist and we headed out. First we walked into Edale which is a very small village and had a "look round" as the English say. The visitor center for the Peak District National Park is small and very modern with a waterfall coming over the roof entryway. Surrounding the building are tents of campers. Nothing like it in any US state or national park I've ever seen as usually camp sites are separate designated areas far from any visitor centers. Ann set us off towards a ridge that was supposed to be a nice hike with a view. We ended up heading for a peak known as Mam Tor and saw many other day walkers. We also encountered a good number of mountain bike riders on certain trails. After we climbed up to Mam Tor we walked for a while along the ridge overlooking the small villages and fields. We saw the trains passing through the bottom of the valley again and again. We have never seen so many sheep up so close as we did today. The fields we passed through are all privately owned and the footpaths are there to make the peaks accessible to the public. The weather got better and better as the day went on until it was positively bright, sunny and warm. We walked back down from the ridge and worked our way back towards Edale. We were hungry by this time so we stopped at a pub and had a big late lunch of pasta. A good meal. We were pretty happy with our day and headed back through the fields on a slightly different route to the hostel. Ann did a splendid job getting us around. We are finishing chores tonight and updating the blog for the last time. We can't upload any pictures here because the computer doesn't have the software. We'll add these later. Tomorrow we ride our bikes to the Edale train station, then take the train to Gatwick and have to find our way by bike back to the same B&B where we stayed the first night. We'll pack the bikes up once again and pack all of our belongings for the early Monday am flight. See you all very soon!

We logged just around 600 miles on this trip with an average of 45-50 miles per day when we were riding. Next tour? Who knows....but I'm sure we'll do one.

On the run....

2007-07-14T14:03:00.000-04:00

We had made a connection with a native Englander, Mark Fenner, via my cousin Stephanie, and he had graciously offered to help us while we were here if we needed it, and also wanted to meet us while we were in the Peak District, as he lives near here. We had planned to meet up with him on Friday, on our way to Edale, and he was planning to bring us a traditional English picnic and ride with us for a bit.

Well, it didn't really work out as we had planned. When we awoke in Bakewell on Friday morning it was raining. We figured we had plenty of time to get to Miller's Dale, where we had planned to meet Mark, since it was only about 10 miles away. Since it was raining, we decided to hang around in Bakewell for awhile, and maybe the rain would stop. It wasn't stopping, so we finally just headed out. We got on a bike trail that I had seen on the map and it appeared to just go directly to Miller's Dale and it was a flat converted rail bed, so we figured we'd be there in no time.

Then Mary got a flat - it was a nail and we had to find it in the tire and remove it. It was still raining, so we had to find some cover to get the flat fixed. We started walking, and found a railroad overpass to work under along the bike path. 30 mins later we were on our way. And then, we saw the sign: "Last chance for cyclists to exit the trail - no exits for cyclists are ahead due to closed tunnels!"

Oy, now we were really gonna be late to meet Mark. We looked to the right - a steep set of stairs leading to a road. We looked to the left - a gate that said "Private Property - No access". We really didn't want to remove all of our gear to get our bikes up the steps. I suggested that Mary go and ask the home owner if we could use their driveway to get to road, because it was quite rideable and would save us a good 30 mins. The unflappable Mary approached the house. The side door was standing open. She knocked, and yelled - but no response. We decided to just go on and beg if the homeowner came out. Well, he saw us and started yelling at us to go back. He was on the phone, and was going back and forth between yelling at us and talking on the phone. Then he went back inside and Mary and I decided to make a run for it, riding like bandits to get into the next town, where we hid for a bit. I was convinced he would be chasing us. But Mary knew this guy was just giving us a hard time.

Rain continued, and we went into the town pub and we found a phone and called Mark. He managed to find the pub and we had our picnic outside there under their tent. It was pouring so hard that Mary and I decided to take him up on his offer of a ride to Edale. It was about 15 miles away, with lots of ups and downs - I figured doing this in the pouring rain on a loaded touring bike would not be any fun. We arrived at Edale totally soaked and cold, even with the car ride there. As I speak, our gear is still drying out! But today, the sun came out and we did a beautiful 10 mile hike up Mam Tor!

Tomorrow, we take the train back to Gatwick, and then on Monday, fly home. We're ready to return.....

Birmingham debacle

2007-07-14T13:52:00.000-04:00

Thanks to help from Mark Fenner, we were able to easily catch a train from just south of Birmingham up to Matlock, which is only about 15 miles from Bakewell, where we were to stay next. As Mary had mentioned in her last post, we were having trouble navigating through cities using Sustrans signs and maps. As we approached the metropolis of Birmingham, it was about 5 pm and rush hour was underway. Given our problems getting through cities much smaller than this one, and knowing that Birmingham was large and fairly industrial, I figured we had better start looking for a place to stay and not attempt an ugly and difficult ride through the big bad city.

As we stood at a corner contemplating our fates, a kind driver asked us if we needed help, I asked him if knew any accomodations in the area, and told him that we were unexpectedly stuck in the area for the nite. He pulled over and spent a good 15 minutes making calls and helping us. He directed us to a hotel just a few miles away, and after Mary employed every persuasive skill she has, we were allowed to bring the bikes into the interior garden area to lock them for the nite.

In the morning, we back-tracked to Bromsgrove and got on the the train to Derby, where we changed trains to one that would take us north to the Peak District, to the town of Matlock. After eating and changing to riding clothes, we started riding...up, up, up, up.....I have never in my life seen such long steep inclines. We made it about 2/3rd of the way before started walking. Then the walking was so tough we had to take breaks! The locals got a kick out of watching us and shouted encouragements and jokes to us. We asked a woman for directions to make sure we were going the right way. Then I said to Mary, "Well, it can't go up forever." The woman overheard me and said, "Don't be so sure!"

But as I suspected, it ended soon after and then it was nothing but rolling hills and stunning scenery all the way to Bakewell. We hit a short rain shower, and then stopped for tea at a pub at the bottom of a hill. But at Bakewell, it was straight up to the hostel! I actually made it the whole way this time.

Left Oxford, arrived Edale

2007-07-13T17:43:00.000-04:00

Well, traveling with Ann has always been an adventure and the last few days have been awesome. Where to begin.... Oxford to Stratford was an easy 60 miles. I didn't feel very well last week but this week much stronger so this ride was very good. We arrived early - got in around 5 pm and although the hostel was a ways out of town we found a very posh restaurant/wine bar just across the road and enjoyed a delicious dinner. The hostel was comfortable and we got an early start from there to stop in town for a quick coffee before riding. Headed to our next B&B reservation just north of Birmingham following a Sustrans route (again). Things went well early in the day although not pretty as it was mostly urban followed by another route along the canal. We met an English couple who were doing some day cycling and staying at a cottage in the area. The Sustrans route proved difficult getting through Redditch - it was actually more than difficult - it was a matter of struggling to find the signs. It seems many people remove these signs on the posts so they are just not there. Anyway, we got through it slowly.... but as we got into Bromsgrove it was just impossible. We were on and off the route again and again. Decided to give it up at that point because our destination was just too far. Got a hotel and planned a train route for the next day that worked out really well. We grabbed a train in Bromsgrove and took it all the way to Matlock which is a gateway to the Peak district. There we got back on our bikes and headed up the steep hills out of town. This was great fun and we were both delighted to get out of the tourist-trap towns. Had a really good, easy ride with fabulous views all the way to Bakewell where we had another hostel reservation. The town is smaller than the other towns we had been staying in but surprisingly busy with traffic. Headed out the next morning for our final destination - Edale - up in the heart of the Peak district. This was a very interesting day. See next post....

Oxford cyclists

2007-07-09T12:45:00.000-04:00

We tried to get some shots of the cyclists here - but there are so many, and it's just hard to really get a shot that gives a good impression of how many there really are! Lots of people are wearing the flourescent yellow vests with reflective material on them, as the guy in the above shot is wearing.

Oxford gardens

2007-07-09T12:40:00.000-04:00

Day two we started out feeling very rested but now it's 5:45 and we're feeling more tired than after a day of cycling. Got into one of the colleges here called New College. Toured around the chapel and cloisters then went into the garden. These students have a pretty good deal compared to my experience as an undergraduate! We toured the Oxford Botanic Garden later in the day and finished the afternoon doing some bike store shopping. Oh, by the way kids, I've got a few little surprises for you!

Tourists spotted in Oxford

2007-07-09T12:32:00.000-04:00

Day one as tourists in Oxford proved to be exhausting. We walked around the city and around the hordes of tourists. We enjoyed the architecture and the cafes where we could rest. This area is a group of buildings designed by Christoper Wren and includes the famous Radcliffe Camera. Anyone know why they call it the Camera??

Abingdon en route to Oxford

2007-07-09T12:30:00.003-04:00

A nice rest stop in the little village of Abingdon. The river here is wide and you see many canal boats on it. We stopped for refreshment in town. Enjoyed people watching. Next stop Oxford.

Sustrans: We love you, we hate you

2007-07-09T12:30:00.001-04:00

Sustrans is a non-profit organization here that has created routes all around the UK for cyclists - they call it the National Cycling Network. We've been following their routes for the past few days. They make every effort to keep you off the main roads, but sometimes it's really frustrating because they will take you waaaay out of the way on paths and roads that are sometimes tough for loaded touring bikes, just so you can avoid a short stretch of a busier road. On the other hand, following their signs is much easier than trying to figure out our own route. We are getting pretty good at scanning for the signs, but through the cities, sometimes they're hard to find. The good part about their routes is that we get to see all the unusual areas and views of places that we would never find otherwise. We love the small villages and back roads - the people in the towns are very friendly if we ask for help, but most of the time, the reserved English don't approach us.

Ann rethinks the matter..

2007-07-09T12:26:00.000-04:00

Ann attempts the "wheeling ramp" at a town just south of Oxford. We decided against it! Instead after a lunch break by the bike path involving more bread and cheese (we gave up on going into town for lunches as we always seemed to have such trouble getting back out of town and lost so much time..) and dark chocolate kit kat bars (our new favorite candy bar). We did see a number of other cyclists going up this ramp but we knew better and took the long way round.

Impressions of Oxford

2007-07-09T12:18:00.000-04:00

We've been in Oxford for 2 days now, and we leave in the morning. We'll be glad to get back on the road again, as sight seeing has been exhausting in its own way. There are many more tourists here than we had expected. Lots of Germans and Italians. The streets are very crowded with large tourist groups. But we've really enjoyed seeing all of the buildings here, and went into one of the Oxford colleges today. I had no idea that the University here was so spread out. It's an urban university, like Case in Cleveland. There are many separate colleges that make up the university and each one is enclosed by walls or fences and most do not allow any kind public access. But we got into today to the New College and self-toured the grounds.

There are soooo many cyclists here! And every type of person is on every type of bike you can imagine. Today I saw a white haired older gentleman in a suit, wearing a yellow bow tie - he rung his bell at us as he rode by. Mary saw someone in robes on a bike earlier. I saw a guy carrying a suitcase with one hand and steering with the other. Lots of baskets on the fronts of bikes, and very few are wearing helmets. I've seen lots of folding bikes and a few Dutch bikes as well.

From Reading to Oxford

2007-07-09T12:17:00.001-04:00

Our ride out of Reading should have been documented but wasn't because it was too irritating. We followed a Sustrans route that took us up a ridiculous hill path that was totally unrideable and involved a narrow dirt track that we had to push both bikes up. Ann needed my help pushing her bike as it is loaded with so much of our gear. Turns out we could have just stayed on a main road???? Ann can explain that later. What you see here are some of the prettier parts of the ride that day (this past Saturday - it is now Monday). We did 40 easy miles. Whew. The fields here are filled with poppies, sometimes oats, often barley and lots of wheat. Ann kept asking why the poppies were purple as she only had seen them as red before!!

Country lanes, spooky tunnels and rest stops

2007-07-09T12:08:00.000-04:00

These are some of the country lanes we've been riding as well as one of two tunnels we passed through earlier in the tour. The picture of me is one where we were waiting for the library to open in Odiham although we never got access to their computers it still made for a restful day.

The Manor House at Upton Grey

2007-07-08T11:36:00.001-04:00

We were finally staying more than one night in one place. At South Warnborough we had found a B&B that wasn't optimum but tolerable and it didn't require packing up again. We headed for the Manor House at Upton Grey to meet Rosamund Wallinger. She wrote a book about the restoration of this garden and house in the village of Upton Grey (a very hilly place) which was designed by an architect and landscape designer duo who are famous - Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyl. Jekyl is world-renowned for her influence on gardening in the late 19th century. The garden was beautiful and meticulously maintained by Rosamund and her gardener and the three dogs. If you look closely at the top picture you can find a fluorescent bunny in the weeds by the water!

Silchester's ancient city wall

2007-07-08T11:33:00.000-04:00

Ann resting along the old city wall surrounding the town of Silchester. It dates from Roman times but what you see here was rebuilt around the original wall much later. The town's defenses have lasted all this time.

To Upton Grey

2007-07-08T11:22:00.001-04:00

We left Bristol with no pictures to document our stop there. It was a neat city but we had little time for it. The late arrival the night before was exhausting and we needed to get going early. We stopped in Bath for a Starbucks and kept going despite a Bath resident who tried to get us to stop and look around. Ann said we better keep going in order to get to Upton Grey that night. We stopped on our way out of town for a photo op and a woman on a canal boat (they rent them out for holiday's here) offered to take our picture. She lives up north where it's been flooding. Very nice chatting. We rode along the canal path a lot that day we saved time navigating but got kind of old (for me anyway) after a few hours of weedy, muddy, narrow riding. The canal locks fascinated Ann and she struck up a conversation with a man from way up north who was touring all over by himself. I've become a lot more brave on my bike rarely putting a foot down to thread the needle through gate posts on trails or turn sharp corners along the canal's edge. Ann says she's impressed but I'm impressed at how she just keeps going with all that gear like an energizier bunny.

Manners matter

2007-07-08T11:21:00.000-04:00

Yes, my friends, politeness does count! Here in Britain, the Brits are soooo polite. They apologize constantly for the weather and even wait for us to get past a puddle before they drive through it. In the states, drivers seem to get a sick pleasure out of hitting us with muddy water. Also, they drive much faster here, but they seem to be better drivers. Not even once has a driver cut me off by passing and then turning in front of me. Also, they always see us coming and never pull out in front of us. One of our B&B hosts told us that there is a TV public service announcement here that encouragages drivers to "THINK BIKE", asking drivers to be sure to look for cyclists as well as cars before they pull out onto the road. Many of the roads we have been riding on between cities are narrow one lane country lanes, with bushes right up to the road on either side - there is NO berm on these roads. If a car approaches, they slow way down and so do we, and we squeeze by each other, each of us offering a friendly wave of thanks. What a pleasure it is!!

Indian food and croissants!

2007-07-08T11:11:00.000-04:00

Don't believe what they tell you about the food in England - at least not all of it. We have had some absolutely fabulous food here so far. I have had the best chocolate croissants of my life, and also the best Indian food. Two nights ago we were in Reading and we ate at a restaurant called the Spice Oven. Best Nan Evah!! We smartly ordered dishes they rated as medium and mild, and the medium was hotter than any I have ever had in the states.

The coffee here is kind of spotty - sometimes good strong European coffee, sometimes church basement slime. You never know what you're going to get, but whatever it is, you will be sure to pay about twice what you would in the states. However, the tea is always great!

We have eaten in a good number of pubs, and they are spotty as well - one of our best dinners was at a pub in the tiny village of Collingbourne Kingston, which is just south of Marlborough. But at the pub in South Warnborough, it was like a glorified Perkins. Unfortunately, we got stuck eating twice at that one, as we were tired of climbing the hills on the road I had dubbed "three hills road" - a trip to the pub at nearby Upton Grey that nite would have required that we climb them once again, and in the rain.....

Always on tap here is Stella Artois - which I have had bottled a few times at home, but was never very fond of it, though my friend Christine loves it. But it's better here on tap. Guiness is big here too, and I had that one nite. The rest of the beers (most of them "bitters") seem unremarkable to me. Not a lot of flavor and a bit on the flat side.

Enroute to Bristol

2007-07-08T11:08:00.000-04:00

Stoppping early for laundry soap as we headed away from Cheddar. Ann enjoyed this war monument. Further up the road I spyed a fruit stand outside a doorway on the street. I wanted to buy a basket of raspberries fresh from a garden. The man who answered the door was very kind. We chatted briefly and he told me he has a son who teaches at Virginia Tech. Ann and I ate all of the raspberries on the spot - sitting along the street. Just moments later as I was trying to get a photo of Ann going through the town, a man walked out of a store nearby and offered to take our pic together. A nice moment. Later that day after a long stint on a trail that was more dirt path than anything we had stopped for a snack break when an older woman who lived in the house next to the path access came out and talked with us for awhile. She offered a much appreciated bathroom break as well. I even met her feral cat friend and she showed me her favorite wild flowers. Her name was Ann.

Riding to Cheddar

2007-07-08T11:04:00.001-04:00

Salisbury to Cheddar was a better day. We experienced less rain overall. We enjoyed the churches, one lane roads and views overlooking the towns. The mileage wasn't as great as the day before but the ending through Cheddar Gorge proved to be very dramatic.

Salisbury slog

2007-07-08T10:56:00.000-04:00

Our second day of riding was from Petworth to Salisbury - I knew it was going to be our longest and toughest day, but I hadn't figured on the rain. The day started off nice enough, and we took a more direct route on a more major road (called "A" roads) to the first town to get a good jump on the day. Too much traffic for us to bear, and after that first town (Midhurst) we decided to take the country lanes again, as per my original planned route. On to Petersfield and Winchester. There was a huge hat festival going on right across from Winchester Cathedral, and a number of the onlookers thought our helmet covers were all just part of the fun....

Leaving Winchester was somewhat harrowing, as that's when the rain really started and we knew we had a tough ride ahead. Just before reaching the town of Mottisfont, Mary threw her chain while shifting out of her 3rd chainring and the chain got wedged between the chainring and the chainstay of the bike. It looked pretty bleak and I didn't think I was going to be able to unjam the thing. But I lit a candle in the rain and yanked with all my might and the thing actually released!! It was about 8 by the time we got to Mottisfont. I huddled there in a bus shelter, trying to divine the direction to Salisbury. We made it to Dunbridge, where I remembered there was a train station and a train to Salisbury. But it didn't leave for another hour. We went into the pub across from the station and while Mary used the toilets, I queried the bartenders about the route to Salisbury. They all came over to chime in, along with nearby patrons, that it was very far and we would never make it. No one even wanted to tell me the direction to get there. Finally, in a stroke of brilliance, I tricked the youngest of the bartenders and said, "When the train leaves for Salisbury, which way does it go?" He quickly pointed. AHA! I knew at that point that we would make it it!

We arrived at the Salisbury Hostel just after dark.....where we treated to a celebratory dinner of Hostel gruel. I figured it could only get better from there, and luckily, I was right.

Salisbury departure

2007-07-08T10:54:00.001-04:00

We had overnighted at the Salisbury hostel. This morning it was less rainy but still gray and moist. We rode through town stopping for a quick coffee. We didn't have a lot of time as Ann was worried about the long ride ahead. The shops and Salisbury College were quiet pretty. The Cathedral was stunning (not shown here). I liked the bikes situated against the backdrop of the phone booth and the buildings.

Winchester

2007-07-08T10:49:00.001-04:00

We had left Petworth this morning (Friday June 30) and we had been warned by our B&B hostess, Angela, that by Winchester we would "have had it". She predicted we would cave and take a train the rest of the way. Winchester was our lunch stop and we decided to carry on. We decided that had she not suggested we couldn't make it, we might not have taken up the challenge. So as we left the city we rode through this archway which was a former prison. At this point we had logged 50 miles, only 25 to go....in the rain.

Riding to Petworth

2007-07-08T10:46:00.002-04:00

We are in Oxford now, at an internet cafe, and Mary is uploading photos galore. This has been our first chance to upload. The hostel computers are disapointing - expensive and can't upload. So while she is on photo duty, I thought I would write some about our travels so far.

Our first day was supposed to be an easy short day, but we got started late due to going into the nearby town of Horley to get Mary's brake fixed. Then, during a descent in the light rain, my map fell out of the map case I've been using on my handlebars, and by the time I realized the map was gone and went back to fetch it, several cars had already run it over. I stood by in silence as I watched another car run it over yet again. I went to retrieve it, but there wasn't much left of it. My remaining maps of the area were not detailed, and as a result, we ended up getting lost in the town of Horsham for a good hour. Our short easy day of riding ended up being 50 miles long and we didn't arrive in Petworth til near dark, about 9 pm. Luckily, the days here are very long.....the sun comes up at about 4:30 and goes down at 9:30.

Our B&B host in Petworth, Angela, was extremely gracious and we had a great room overlooking a beautiful vista of rolling farmland. She was worried that we wouldn't make it to the restaurant in town in time for dinner, so she gave us a ride.

In the morning, she bleakly informed us of the car bombs that had been f0und in London. Later that day, we read about it in the papers and started reconsidering going to London.

A village stop

2007-07-08T10:46:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite things here are the painted doors. Often the houses are brick or stone so the brightly painted doors really stand out. Sometimes, as you see here, the walls are also painted and the colors are rich. We love these villages and towns that we ride through every day.

Early in the day of the longest ride

2007-07-08T10:43:00.001-04:00

It was still early and it was a small town (one of hundreds we have seen by now). The rain was relentless. This rider whizzed by covered in wet mud. We had seen several muddy riders that day. This day proved to be the toughest by far - 75 miles - and it rained throughout. It took all of our courage to hang in there as the navigation was really tough.

On the way to Petworth...

2007-07-08T10:37:00.001-04:00

We headed for Petworth in the on and off rain. Wanted to try our new phone card and see if we had any messages from home. As we were intrigued by the well-known phone booths of England I jumped in to make a call. This was a bad idea - the booth was crawling with spiders and when I aborted my call quickly I was stung by nettles on my way out. My leg was on fire and Ann saved the day by finding her first aid kit in which she always carries Burt's Bees green salve. We resumed riding.

Arrival at Gatwick

2007-07-08T10:33:00.000-04:00

At Collendean Farm Ann put the bikes together again, shortly after we took a test ride on the roads around the B&B. All went well as we practiced riding on the left.

Days 3 & 4 Sunday and Monday

2007-07-02T19:07:00.000-04:00

Sunday we left Salisbury after having stayed at a hostel there. You last heard from us there just before packing up. The hostel was ok but dinner the night we arrived was sparse so we went to bed slightly hungry. Hey Lindsey they had chocolate croissant for breakfast though! We took off dressed for rain but it cleared up - what a relief. We had a coffee downtown near the cathedral and rode around just enough to feel that we saw the town. Very pretty. Ann has been working very hard to navigate without getting off track but it is definitely challenging. We estimated 50 miles but the end result was 65. First we had headwinds for about 10 miles and my legs were tired from the last two days of riding. We finally hit Frome with the idea of lunch - what a debacle that was. We got bad directions from a very helpful lady and spent way too much time climbing and reclimbing the same three hills in town! This was a big disappointment after we had recovered from the terrible morning of relentless headwinds to come down into Frome with a tailwind and a nice long downhill. We finally found some food at a grocery, sat outside to eat and then headed out of town. We were destined for Cheddar. Stopped at a small town south of Radstock and climbed yet another couple of hills - very steep - stopped to catch our breath and asked for directions to Cheddar. Two boys and one man confirmed that we needed to go first to the town of Wells then on to Cheddar. The boys offered this info with smirks on their faces and the man asked twice if we intended to reach Cheddar "tonight?". This concerned me.....Ann was resolute that it was only 5 more miles while the English folk said more like 15. She was, sorry to say, wrong. however she did not go to Wells cuz she found a map she had set aside for just this situation and saved the day. Wells would have been way way out of the way. The ride to Cheddar was well memorable and a bit long. Still we had fun. As night approached we began a very long, very wet, very wierd descent in to the Cheddar Gorge. Arrived late but they still had a room for us and we even found a good Indian restaurant that was still serving late. Funny conversations there with the folks from India. Left Cheddar late after sleeping in til 8 am. Took our time as it was a shorter ride and had a lot of fun. Many friendly Brits today. Lots of easy stops to look around a bit. Finally a 5 mile ride on a single track cylce track that was all mud and puddles. Think of it as our mountain biking portion of the vacation. We did great. Ann was really under control despite all of the stuff she carries for both of us. She said she thought my handling skills were improved a lot. We will post pictures as soon as we can but these computers don't really allow us to so far at the hostels. Tonight we are in Bristol. The hostel is downtown. Leaving very early for Marlborough. Also working on a new route and some new reservations as we have reconsidered the London section. With increased security it is quite possible all bikes will be banned from the tube so we could be stuck with no place to stay or worse yet stuck on the tube somewhere. Opting instead to some two day stays and some day tours on our way to Oxford. The weather has improved and we're having a really nice time. Total mileage is now around 225 miles!

Salisbury

2007-07-01T04:48:00.000-04:00

This morning we're about to leave Salisbury. We've had lots of rain, but mostly intermittent and light. However, today it would be nice to see a little sun! We're trying hard to keep our spirits up. The navigating here has been somewhat difficult at times, due to lack of signage, but we are gradually making our way each day. Yesterday was our longest day of the tour - 75 miles! Which takes a lot longer here due to all the stopping to try to find our way. But the architecture in the small towns is really incredible and all of the country houses and gardens we see along the roads are fabulous. Much of our riding has been along single lane country roads, but some in cities as well. We are getting better at riding on the left hand side of the road, but when we're tired, it's hard to remember, so we keep an eye out for each other and yell "WRONG SIDE!!". No internet tonite in Cheddar, as it's too remote, but the next day in Bristol I hope that we'll have more time to blog. We are considering bypassing London due to recent bombs that were found there in the area where we'll be. We'll decide what to do when we're in Bristol. Love to all, from Ann and Mary

We have arrived!

2007-06-29T07:35:00.000-04:00

We arrived safely, though not promptly, Thursday morning. Our flight left Cleveland about 4 hours after the original time. No problems in the air though and we landed at Gatwick safely. After Ann retrieved our train tickets for the Edale to Gatwick return and we got some cash we only needed to hail a taxi to get to the B&B. They found a larger-than-average van and stuffed our bike boxes into the back easily. Whew. Spent a couple of hours assembling the bikes (or at least Ann did while I handed her tools and so on) with little difficulty. The bikes arrived in perfect shape although they had been opened and inspected. Got out on the bikes for a short ride and found a local pub called the Black Horse that served good food. Ann tryed her first British bitter. I enjoyed a glass of wine. Good dinner and dessert and back to the B&B for a good night's rest. Off today for our first stop, Petworth, with a stop in Horley for coffee and small brake adjustment on my bike. Rain off and on with bits of sunshine. The cars here give loads of room taking the other lane entirely after speeding right up to your behind. No honking! Everybody has been friendly and helpful - even helping me count coins in the coffee shop as I can't see up close very well with contacts in! More later....

Packing with luck in mind

2007-06-26T23:49:00.000-04:00

I have finally got it all in the bag! And I have decided that for good luck on a bicycle tour, you should always take one item that survived a previous tour and one item that was found along the roadside.

On this tour, I am taking a water bottle that I filched from my Uncle Steve - he got it at a shop in Bar Harbor, Maine, and it has a yin/yang symbol on it. It survived the Bulgaria tour and I had accused Mary or her son Andrew of filching it from me, but alas the prodigal bottle has returned! And it will be accompanying me on the England tour.

A couple of weeks ago I found a ball of nice heavy string along the roadside on Belvoir Road. We'll be using part of it as a clothesline.

Ann packs my bike first

2007-06-26T16:22:00.001-04:00

My Trek is smaller than her bike (obviously..) but it still wouldn't fit without removing the rear fender. Bummer. All I could think about was the possibility that once it was broken down and rebuilt it would never feel as good as it does now. Perhaps it was a good thing I didn't tell her what I was thinking. She was a tad grumpy but once we got mine in the box, her confidence improved. It also helped to move inside as the bugs were biting. We took over the dining room floor and began to tear down the Bridgestone. Things went fairly smoothly really with the exception of weighing the boxes which exceeded the airline's 50 pound limit by about 3 pounds. We decided not to tell the airlines about that and if they do weigh them, we plan to open the boxes at the airport and start removing items at the check-in counter. Maybe they won't push the matter!

Saturday's Secret

2007-06-26T14:48:00.000-04:00

Ann pulled a good one on Saturday. Our shake down ride to Mentor would include a detour "via Chardon" she announced cheerfully as we headed out of town, fully loaded with gear. The route to Burton included some good hills I knew we needed to try but something was nagging in the back of my brain. Burton is 30 miles each way and we were to also head up to Mentor to see Ann's mom. Nonetheless we headed out and all went well. We sorted out a wobble problem on my bike that was due to the bags being positioned too far to the back of my rear rack. As we got nearer to Burton and then Chardon and the odometer read 55 miles, I began to realize that Ann had us on a dry-run for the Salisbury ride on Day 2 of our tour. When I asked her if she was, in fact, up to such a ruse - she admitted that she did have it in mind that she wanted to be sure we could do the 75 miles with all of the gear. Well we did. Thanks in part to a lovely lunch at Ann's Mom's house (thank you!) at just over the half-way point, we completed 85 miles and it felt pretty good. Confidence has been boosted. Thanks Ann!

packing the bikes

2007-06-26T11:13:00.000-04:00

Last nite we packed the bikes. It was a 3 hour ordeal, which caused a bit of grumpiness on my part. I don't often pack bikes, so it took me awhile to remember how to do it. Our bikes have fenders and racks, so that complicated matters. On my bike, since it's bigger, both fenders and the front rack had to be removed. Thankfully, we have all day on Thursday to reassemble them, and I will try to be more cheerful then!

Mary took some pics during the process, and she plans to post one later today.

Getting ready to go

2007-06-21T00:49:00.001-04:00

We will be riding the same bikes as we did on last year's tour - shown here near Zoar Ohio - mine is a Trek 520, Ann's is a Bridgestone XO-2. Last August we traced the Towpath from Cleveland to its end near Zoar, completing 250 miles in 5 days. It was my first tour and Ann's first time leading one. She did a great job!

Now one year later I have more experience and more endurance and she has planned and mapped a new trip. The challenge this time is being overseas. We expect to do over 600 miles in 18 days. The average ride will be 40-50 miles per day with a high around 75 and a low around 35.

Now the equipment is being readied. We've been preparing for months. Next is packing. A ride is planned for Saturday. Two bikes, fully loaded, will be ridden to Mentor... up and down the hills.

Are we in England yet?

2 weeks til departure

2007-06-14T11:05:00.000-04:00

This blog is for family members and friends to read about our experiences as we tour by bicycle in the UK. We're flying into Gatwick Airport on Thursday, June 28, and ride a loop to Bristol and back to London, where we'll stay for a few days and watch the Tour de France. Then we head north to the Peak District where we'll hike for the last 2 days, and then return by train to Gatwick. We fly home on Monday, July 16.

Keep watching for updates!

Ann and Mary