Hadrian's CyclewayWell after a broken arm in May and shocking weather across the summer, the Trustee Chairman at last completes the 170 miles of hadrian's Cycleway.
Starting from Ravenglass in Cumbria I set off at 7am on Tuesday 16th September and within the first hour had got lost 3 times! (poor signposting rather than bad navigation.....). I was on my hybrid bike which was loaded up with spare clothing for an overnight stop so I wasn't exactly motoring like I was on my Boardman road bike, but an average of 12mph was OK. Lunch in Silloth, then onwards through the slight rain to Carlisle where the route became a bog for two miles around the city and along the river. Out of Carlisle and following the line of Hadrian's Wall I arrived in Brampton at 4pm having completed 103 miles in the day. Not bad for an old git!
After a nights refuelling and a good sleep I was off at 7.30 am with better weather forecast but a bit colder. Also, I now had the pennines to cross so at times it got quite hilly. Still I was well fuelled with energy drinks, bars and gels as well as one banana which I peeled and bloody well dropped in a gritty road. However the extra roughage probably did me good. Onwards along the Tyne and through Newcastle before ............. finished, hooray.
I must say I treated this as a physical challenge rather than a meander up the Cumbrian coast and along the Wall, but I have walked the Wall before so it doesn't have the same attraction.
Overall, around 14 hours on the bike with an overnight stop, quite good going especially since around £1000 was raised for the pot.
Will try to do the Fred Whitton Lakeland Passes in a couple of weeks, but the weather may be against me.
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