Bex & Bern's Big Bike Ride

Yesterday was a really long and hard day - full updates below and pictures to come later - but the news today is that we arrived at Land's End at 5.30! Thanks for all your messages and support - it was great to hear from you! We're in a taxi back to Becky's house now for some fizz, food and a rest!

After yesterday's marathon effort, we didn't exactly get an early start ... I think YHA Golant's excellent selection of malt whiskey may have had something to do with it! We had read that those people who choose to do the ride from north to south like us, say it's better because you feel fitter by the time you get to the hills of Cornwall. We felt mostly knackered, but it was a lovely thought! Give us Scotland any day - the hills are much less lively! This was another day where we started in glorious sunshine and then were completely dumped on by a rainforest-style deluge, before the sun returned to dry us out. Despite our very stiff legs, we pressed on over the downs to the north of The Lizard peninsula and had a late lunch on the beach by St Michael's Mount. Then it was a final push to Penzance and Land's End.

I'd love to say that when we arrived there was champagne and a welcoming party. In fact, as it was 5.30pm, everything was shut, including the pub, and the only place still going was the photographer at the Land's End sign! So we did that and watched the sea mist roll in and the sun disappear again as we waited for the taxi to take us back to Becky's house near Truro, where there was champagne and cake for all (thanks Lisa!).

We've done it, and as I write this the following morning, it seems really weird not to be strapping on my lid and getting in the saddle again for another insane day's cycling! Becky really will miss her honking!

Sunny spells and a heavy downpour with light northerly winds, 64.3m, 8h, bum factor - doesn't matter any more!

Today has been a real test of our endurance and we didn't actually arrive at the Youth Hostel until 10pm. Even Becky found it very tough! Wall-to-wall hills again as we slogged over Dartmoor, then down through Plymouth and into Cornwall - not known for being flat! - on to Looe and finally Fowey. As it was already 8pm by that point, we had some food and then faced another climb to get the three miles further to the hostel at Golant! Despite the hills, it was a really good day; it was just too long. Dartmoor and its surroundings are really beautiful. We also had some obstacles - more torrential downpours, flooding because of all the recent rain, and a cycle path down to Plymouth that started with a scramble down a rocky hillside, carrying our bikes. I'll never trust Sustrans again!

To keep the spirits up, I was singing my nieces', Rebecca and Catherine, special song 'Bottoms are Beautiful' (apparently mine is smellier than the rest) to the bemused sheep, cows and wild ponies of Dartmoor, which was a condition of their sponsorship. They tell me they're working on a new verse to commemorate our achievement!

Sunny spells and heavy showers with light winds, 80.7m, 13h, bum factor - a not so beautiful 8!

It was hard, but we did get out of our bed and carry on our journey! After yesterday's rain, today started sunny and very hot. Brilliant! we thought. But after two hours it had clouded over and started raining again! The way too was kind at first, on the Mendip levels past Glastonbury ... but then became very lumpy indeed. Bex also decided to change our route to avoid the A303 and A30 and we ended up cutting across the grain of the Blackdown Hills - rarely a flat moment! Since arriving in Exeter it has been pelting down once more. We're hoping it clears up for tomorrow - we're heading for Dartmoor and could be a difficult day ... physically we're holding up OK, but mentally I don't mind admitting that I'm getting sick of the hills now, and there are loads more to come! Sunny then heavy showers with light winds, 66.9m, 8h, bum factor 4 - hard as nails now!

Very wet today! It poured the entire time (with a little break for lunch!) and we were glad this was another short day. It was a short ride from St Briavel, with another tiny trespass into Wales, to Chepstow and the bridge over the Bristol Channel. The 'gap' between there and Bristol was far nicer than we'd expected and it wasn't too long before we were in Clifton and having lunch just by the suspension bridge. After that it was familiar roads back home to our house in Wells, although they never seemed so hilly in the car! Now we're enjoying an evening in the luxury (well, everything's relative!) of our little house, and might struggle to leave again in the morning! Heavy rain and light winds, 52.7m, 6h, bum factor flatlining at 5 (dampness = dripping!).

Rain! It had to happen eventually and today was the first day that we donned our wet weather gear. Luckily it cleared up after a few hours. Today we passed through Herefordshire into Gloucestershire, seeing Hampton Court Palace and Goodrich Castle on the way, and the River Wye and Forest of Dean. Tonight we are staying in another castle ... Becky is in the State Room and I am in the Hanging Room at the top of the tower - very Rentaghost! Tonight we were joined by Andrea and Andy for a meal in the pub next door, and it was very nice to see them! They've kindly taken today's picture so we could both be in it! Rain at first, then cloudy with light easterly winds, 67.9m, 7h45, holding steady at bum factor 5!

We've probably lost a little enthusiasm these last couple of days and it's hard not to think that we left the best of our journey north of Blackburn! It's still nice countryside, but not as dramatic. Today was another fast day; nice and flat out of Chester, we were in Wales for a while, and then up the Long Mynd in Shropshire to Clun. The Youth Hostel, which Becky is outside in today's pic, is a very nice, old water mill. We're still being incredibly lucky at avoiding the rain, arriving again just before it shovelled it down! And in case you were wondering whether Bex had packed the umbrella she was sporting in yesterday's picture, she borrowed it from the Youth Hostel. Simple, but devilishly clever... Mostly cloudy with some sunny spells and light rain and strong easterly winds, 68.7m, 7h, bum factor 5 but the arthritis is setting in now!

Today was one of the least scenic so far. After a big hill out of Blackburn, it was also flat and fast as we went through the suburbs of Chorley and Warrington and on to Chester. We crossed motorways five times and had to take a few A roads - all very different to yesterday! Chester is very nice and we just managed to get here before it started raining! Cloudy with very strong easterly winds, 61.7m, 6h15, bum factor 5 and falling!

Firstly a review of IJ4 - fun, but hopelessly over the top! Second, honking is riding out of the saddle, standing on the pedals; a bonk is running out of energy halfway up a a hill; and your lid is of course your cycling helmet ... there, you learn something useless every day! Today was hill after hill after hill and possibly our toughest, if not longest, day yet. We took the high route over the moors of the Forest of Bowland and went within spitting distance of Dunsop Bridge, which Bex tells me is the centre of Great Britain - see, another useless fact! Sunny spells and a very strong east wind, 57.1m, 7h45, bum factor 6.

May I firstly say, by popular request, how much it hurts? Actually things aren't so bad at the mo - it's mainly achey thighs now! Today was as close as we get to a rest day ... just 49 miles and we arrived in Kendal at half three! As we both like the Lake District a lot, we planned in a little detour through a corner of it - along Ullswater and over Kirkstone Pass to Lake Windermere. The pass, which Bex is halfway up in today's picture, is 457m (1,500 feet) up and you climb through 305 of them in just a couple of miles. You get the picture, it's steep! I'm going to try out some pukka biker slang on you now ... Becky was honking up the hill, while I unfortunately had a bonk and nearly lost my lid. Answers on a postcard! Off for some dinner now and then to see some OAP in the new Indiana Jones film! Warm with hazy sunshine and a moderate easterly wind (again!), 49.0m, 6h30, bum factor 6.

One side effect of this trip is how quickly my thighs have grown! Only a few days into the journey and they were like tree trunks. Becky's are the same, only she seems less excited about looking like a rugby player than I am! We had a nice morning's ride down from the hills into Dumfries and then turned into a strong headwind along the Solway Firth. It was really tough going, but we made it through Gretna (unscathed!) and into England, where after our first slight navigation mishap, we eventually arrived at our B&B. Hazy sunshine and warm with a strong easterly wind, 69.4m, 8h30, bum factor 7.

Firstly, thanks so much for your comments - sadly there are limits to doing this with a mobile phone, so forgive me for not replying to them, but the pies were steak and ale, and venison; the scale goes up to 10; and the seafood restaurant is called ee-uisk and is on the North Pier - and thanks too for the continued donations; you are very kind (the links to our Just Giving pages are further down this page). Arran is a lovely island and high on our list of places to return to one day. We had a nice stay with Jean and Andy at Kincardine Lodge and thank them for pledging their support. Last night, as well as the pies and whisky, we also saw some red deer strolling around. Today has been mostly hilly, and more up than down! There was a hard climb out of Lochranza and after the ferry back to the mainland, the inclines picked up again as we rode into the mountains of Dumfries and Galloway. So, as today has been spent mostly looking at the road and the back of Becky as she powers up another ascent, I thought I'd share the 'view from the saddle' with you! As for the roads, often they have been atrocious and add to the pain. Honestly, we might as well have been on cobbles at one stage! Tonight we're in Kendoon, one of those remote and friendly little hostels in the middle of nowhere. There are swallows flying all around us as the sun sets. Cloudy with sunny spells in the afternoon and a light south easterly wind, 68.5m (excluding ferry), 9h20, bum factor 8 and holding...

I know we're in danger of becoming repetitive now - weather good, fantastic scenery, everything hurts etc. - but today has been no different! Where's the drama? I hear you cry. Bex says we had pie and chips and we nearly couldn't finish it - that's BAFTA winning stuff! Last night we were in Oban youth hostel, a good example of the perils of staying in a YHA ... I shared a dormitory with a drunken Latvian (unfortunately a man!) who woke me up at 2am, sounding like he was soiling himself in his bed. He drank some more vodka and failed to go back to sleep. Classy. So today we have come to the Isle of Arran. We had a nice afternoon ride down the side of Loch Fyne, then realised time was tight to make our ferry and the last few miles included some evil hills ... nothing like a deadline to focus the mind and legs! Our reward - we bought some whisky from the local distillery here. That should help us get to sleep! Sunny spells and south easterly breeze, 61.8m (excluding ferry!), 7h30, bum factor 8.

I woke up this morning feeling like an old man. Becky tells me I should get used to it as I am an old man! I expect the obvious bits to hurt, but the pain is spreading - my shoulders and wrists ache; I may need a hip replacement by the end of the journey! Today was our longest at 86 miles and even 'well hard' Bex was suffering by the end! We went down the lochs to Fort William in the shadow of the Ben Nevis range, and then to the West coast and Oban. It's been a remarkable journey - from lakes to mountains to the sea, with dramatic scenery everywhere. Plus we've seen deer, red squirrels, tiny ducklings and two tornados flew over us (I had to duck!). Tonight we found a fab seafood restaurant and now feel human again! Sunny spells then cloudy with a light easterly wind, 86.2m, 9h30, bum factor 9!

Everything ached this morning! We coaxed some life back into our legs and carried on, down to Loch Ness. The weather has been great again, but still chilly when we go fast (which isn't often!). Yesterday the hills were gentle and slow up, long and fast down; today we had a couple of killer climbs! The morning was really enjoyable - still loving the scenery - and seeing Loch Ness and Urqhart Castle was fab. It also meant we were near our stop for the night: a youth hostel on the shore of the lake ... we've got great views as we sit here in front of the fire, but we haven't spotted Nessie yet! Sunny spells and a cool easterly breeze, 62.8m, 7h15, bum factor 6.

We were a bit nervous about today ... our first full day was also one of our longest. We're pleased to have made it, but everything aches! The weather has been kind, but still chilly. We cycled along the north coast to Bettyhill, then turned south through the mountains. The roads have been so quiet - we barely saw anyone as we cycled down to Loch Naver - and the scenery has been lovely. We've seen a million lambs and calves and heard some cuckoos.. Tonight we're staying in this magnificent castle - it's amazing! Sunny spells and cool NE wind, 83.8m, 8h30, bum factor 7!

Way hay, we're here! We left Truro at 4am and arrived in John O'Groats at 3pm, which was teaming with cyclists who had just completed the journey! In fact we got honked by a couple of drivers who thought we were finishing, which was funny - we must look exhausted already! J O'G is a dump, so we quickly moved on to our first overnight stop in Thurso. It's been a long day! Sunny spells and a cool northerly wind, 19.8m, 2h, numb bum factor 2/10!