Beetles: Why do they always cross the road at right angles?
Charity ride? Most people I spoke to on the way assumed I was doing this ride for charity. I wasn't, partly because I was not confident on setting out that I would be able to complete it, having had to give up with knee problems on the last day of a 4 day ride last year. However if you have enjoyed reading this account of the ride, you are welcome to donate a suitable sum to a charity of your own choice.
Close calls: Three of these. 1. Driver coming up hill in Yatton, oblivious of me coming down. He pulled out to get past a parked car. I was glad of my good brakes. 2. At Kendal a driver opened his door right in front of me. 3. At Drymen where I got cut up by a car turning left in front of me into Drymen Golf Club. That was the closest call.
Driver behaviour: Amazingly, no one shouted at me anywhere. I found this surprising because on our fortnightly Sunday rides from Leeds, we normally get at least one incomprehensible yell from a passing car. Usually it's the passengers rather than the drivers, so probably they are drunk, on the way home from Sunday lunch in the pub.
Maps: I used Philip's Multiscale Britain ('Britain's most detailed road atlases'), which shows youth hostel locations.
Mechanical problems: Pedal needed replacing at about 1300km. Two flats, probably due to under inflated tyre allowing inner tube to get nipped. No actual punctures (Continental puncture resistant tyres). Front derailleur often refused to change from middle to small ring. This was very frustrating, but I didn't want to fiddle with the mechanism on the tour in case I made it even worse. A week after finishing I adjusted 2 little screws and the problem has not recurred!
Signing & Getting lost: Signing for cycle routes in the UK is dreadful. If there is a sign at all, it may well be obscured. Or it may be so close to the junction that by the time you see it you have whizzed by and have to stop, go back and take the turning. Most signs only give the National Cycle Network (NCN) route number, but don't indicate the direction (eg compass point or place name). The main problem I had was trying to find my way out of cities by a cycle-friendly route.
Sore bits: Perhaps surprisingly I didn't get saddle sore. (Using a Brookes leather saddle, and padded cycling shorts.) I could feel my left knee getting a bit warm towards the end of a long day, but it was never actually painful. Self massage of the kneecap, and stretching exercises prescribed by my physio (to whom many thanks) before I set off, successfully kept any problems at bay. The most painful bits were my hands. The fingers would often become numb (with the pressure and vibration, not the cold), which would make gear changing difficult, and I had to wiggle & shake them about to restore normal feeling.
Sustrans: I am a committed supporter of this Charity, but was very disappointed at the standard of design & construction of some sections of their routes. In my view, sharp bends and 25% gradients may be fun for off-road mountain biking, but are completely out of place on a National Cycle Route. The presence of signs warning of 'Danger: steep hills and tight bends' on a newly constructed cycle path is an admission of failure. I had to get off my bike and push only twice in the whole trip, and both occasions were on Sustrans paths.
Weather: I got soaked 3 times, which is not too bad over 15 days of a British summer. Mostly the weather was overcast during the day, and often the sun came out in the late evening. Unless it was raining I only wore a short sleeved cycling top (no vest), except on the last day when I had to pull on a jumper. My long sleeved wicking vest was the one item of clothing I never used at all.
Weight loss: I lost 5 lb over the trip, but put 3 of those back on again in the following 2 weeks. I certainly feel a lot fitter than before.
Would I do it again? Yes, but I would take a different route to keep it interesting. I really enjoyed the experience. Doing it solo paradoxically meant that I met & spoke to more people than if I had been with a group.