COP 26 - day 8 - the procession into Glasgow

The run up to day 8, an easy day, the final procession followed by an overnight train home, didn't go as planned. I had carefully booked a berth on the overnight sleeper for the final day way back on 4 September. Firstly industrial action slightly delayed the journey and then on 28 October at 18:58 it was cancelled. There wasn't time to deal with it then, the posse had a dinner reservation for 7pm at the local pizza place in Penrith. The next evening I send an online enquiry to Avanti to see if there were any spaces for a bicycle on the Glasgow - Euston route that coming Sunday. I expected a reply within 24 hours. I did get one, there weren't.

On the Saturday morning in Dumfries I had a little more time and a decent wifi signal in the hotel and so I thought about options to get home. I remembered there was a new branch of Enterprise Rent a Car in High Barnet and so, although expensive, I could, should there be a vehicle available, have a one way rental. I went to their website, looked for a van in Glasgow and found a choice of two. I used to drive a Renault Trafic and the equivalent, a Vauxhall Vivaro was sitting there waiting to be rented so I booked it at 07:30 paid instantly and then packed my panniers and set off for the start point. I hadn't long been at the start point when I received a call from a Glasgow number, Enterprise, calling me to say they didn't have any vans and the website was out of date. Great. I was too surprised to think to ask if they had any cars (they probably didn't) as I could take the wheels off the bike and get it into a hatchback easily enough. There wasn't time to do anything else about my getting home problem then as I had 80 miles to cycle.

Shockingly Enterprise having advertised a van that wasn't available, cancelled it without much by way of an apology (absolutely nothing in writing or by email) aren't in anything like as much of a rush to refund me as to take my money in the first place. When Caledonian cancelled the sleeper the money was sent straight back to my card and the same for Avanti when they cancelled my Preston-Penrith train, a refund within 24 hours of me making a claim (they just needed to check I hadn't used the ticket on a different service) no fuss, no drama. The risible explanation I was given by someone who rang me from the Glasgow office after I had given Enterprise a good kicking on twitter, was that they had sent my payment to the USA. That's as may be but they really need a better system for making refunds. I'm not near my credit limit but others may be and having this money tied up (£251.99) despite a second promise that a refund was on the way on 4 November, could put some people in financial difficulties and leave them unable to pay for a replacement hire.

I've got bored now, Enterprise have had long enough, and I've been on my Barclaycard account, marked the transaction as disputed and then completed, printed out, signed and posted a claim to Barclaycard (can't do the whole thing on line in 2021!) and pointed out Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act to them which makes Barclaycard equally liable for a refund. I may get the refund by Xmas. Hopefully none of my readers will now rent from them, I won't be doing so.

On to happier matters. As there had been a hotel shortage in East Kilbride thanks to COP 26 and 100 of us cyclists landing I booked as near as I could which was Rutherglen. 

I therefore decided to hang around at Rutherglen waiting for the procession to reach me from East Kilbride as it was coming almost past my hotel. It turned out that Anna Hughes was saying a few words at the start, as doubtless were others, and so I missed her use me as an example of what you can do if you put your mind to it, in that I went further, higher and faster all on the one day, so don't doubt yourselves. It was mizzling as I stood, early of course and the procession was running late, outside the Rutherglen United Reform Church which was busy. One worshipper invited me inside out of the wet and another said we (the London - Glasgow cyclists) were all mad, a little truth in that remark perhaps. Anyway, time passed and eventually the riders pitched up and I joined the line as we ambled to our destination of Glasgow Green.

These photos are from East Kilbride, fun was being had.

 

You can see what a wet day it was but as everyone was geared up for it cycling in the wet is fine.

The destination arrived quickly, a 6 mile procession only taking 30 minutes, nothing to us after 500 miles in 7 days.

This bike didn't do the entire journey.

Here are four of the Barnet posse, Charlotte had to stop on doctor's orders. She was sad about that and we missed her, especially as it was her who told me about the ride. I think we were all a bit sad that the ride was over but happy at the achievement. Penny & Salim are both experienced cyclists and I had cycled 50 miles with them before the event and I knew how quick they both were, easily able to leave me for dust. Kristien on her e-bike was a revelation, going distances she also hadn't done in a week before whilst working harder on the flat than anyone.

A lucky shot Kristien, you and a good banner.

 

That disposable shower cap lasted a few days and has been saved, single use plastic not being within the spirit of COP26.

The Trek, bought from Bike & Run in Finchley between 5 and 10 years ago, did sterling service, the only problem being that I wore through the new brakes in a week. I will carry spare blocks for long journeys in future. Not a single puncture unlike Kenny who 'won' with 9 but then he was on a road bike with narrow tyres and I had puncture resistant Marathon Plus tyres and the rear was a new one (thanks to Johns Cycles at New Barnet for the pre ride service).

Pretty much all of the organisers, Anna in the middle as no bikes to fix now.

A hard working photographer.

The band livened up the finish. Many cyclists were able to manage a dance.

Grey skies but no-one cared.

The previous evening at 9.30 pm I had spent some time on the phone to Avanti. They got me on a train home the enxt evening departing from Edinburgh at 7pm. Kristien was staying an extra night, Penny & Salim were on an afternoon train out of Glasgow. We had a final lunch together and then split up. I took my train to Edinburgh and found carnage at the station. Overhead power lines down at Peterborough, all the trains in the wrong place and delay and the passengers from four trains all getting on the one for which I had a booking. Penny & Salim fared worse. Their train was stopped at Preston (I love the place) due to flooding and then got returned to Lancaster and spent a night in the Travelodge before getting home the next day. By waiting an extra day Kristien had an event free journey.

I got into Kings Cross just before 1am and I really enjoyed my ride home. Hardly any traffic and it seemed so warm. I was home in an hour and still exhilarated from the adventures of the week.

I was clearly making good progress with personal records (PR) up the segregated bike lane.

Many of the riders had made pledges to camera during the week. Here is Charlotte's

Looking at you Barnet Council.

What a week. The end, until the next long trip.

Still time for you to pledge.

COP26 - Day 7 - Dumfries to East Kilbride

Day 7 dawned bright and early, too early for a hotel breakfast as that was at 8am, it being a Saturday, and we already wanted to be at bag drop off by then. There were 5 bicycles in a small ante-room off the entrance hall of the hotel, which was helpful of them. Penny & I had both bought our breakfast at a small convenience store in the middle of Dumfries after dinner which had been taken in this large pub where the food was fair and the staff were very friendly and helpful.

Penny had the genius idea of buying porridge pots for breakfast as our rooms had kettles and it is a low GI food so perfect for a long cycle. Only two allowed in the shop at once so in she went, masked up and I asked her to get a pot for me. They didn't have any, in Scotland!? I had to go in and chose an egg mayo roll for breakfast. I had under-catered.

Kristien was already down at the start when we got there and that was one of the good things about the Barnet posse and why we got on well, there wasn't anyone who didn't stick to the agreed timetable, they were unfailingly on time which in my book means being at least 5 minutes early although exact time will do. We had a quick look at the depleted food reserves which were on the table each morning, no bananas left but lots of pears and a few little packets of dried fruit or cashews. I think it was here that I stumbled on the Divine chocolate bars but all days were now morphing into one so I can't be certain of that. A 70+ mile day stretched ahead so off we went, still using lights on our bike for safety in the early morning. The route out was along the river as I recall.

To get the lovely view below, we had to cycle up from the bottom of the valley, well worth it.

More lovely views

At one wind farm a dozen people stopped as they had designed the wind farm and only seen it on computer from their distant office so a photo of great pride was taken. We cycled on.

Our official photographers worked very hard and snapped us when we weren't looking. Here Ellie (I think) was being all Tour de France Race Director like and getting us as we cycled along. She also took videos of us. I asked her in East Kilbride 'how much' for the video footage of me pushing my bike up Shap Fell from day 5 and back came the answer 'a million pounds' which is from Austin Powers (dollars in that case). I haven't seen the footage published yet.

 

Emergency backup also helped if a rider was stuck although pretty much all punctures were fixed by the rider or a passing rider who stopped to help. What they couldn't fix was the broken pedal, the exploded derailleur (the rider had put the bike into the hedge) and a buckled wheel that I saw which the rider was giving a good kicking to (I don't think he was having a good day or helping himself) and bike shops were a bit further apart in Scotland but each morning and evening we were near to one.

Lunch was at the fabulous Crawick Multiverse. Kristien and I are not in the group shots as we had shot off up the road before the photocall was announced.

There was a bit of a climb up to the lunch break but it was going to be well worth it. The leading man in this first picture is Julian Sayarer a round the world record holding cyclist, an affable chap, he didn't seem to struggle with this short ride.

Next to me in this photo is Steve of Bristol who I had spoken to as we queued up at the start of day 1 to check in and get our wristbands etc. A very nice chap, he cycles everywhere as he doesn't drive, he got added to the Barnet posse at dinner on any day that he wanted. His nickname is Mungo Hatstand, always a character about when you are out cycling.

Look how the sun is trying to come out during lunch, a lunch which was excellent. Free ice cream was provided by a local Abel & Cole supplying farm.

The backup team erected and dismantled these bike racks 3 times a time, never once were they late.

 

I had no legs on day 7, perhaps because of the efforts of days 1-6 but more likely because my breakfast had been a bit light. The route we were following was B roads and smaller ones so we didn't see many town or village centres and cafes were hard to find. Although Kristien was on her e-bike, on the flat she has to cycle harder than everyone else as there is extra weight to shift. She kindly slowed down a little after lunch to let me recover. We agreed we needed an afternoon tea and cake stop. We stopped at a junction and opened google maps, look, a diner, in a small place, let's see if it is open. It was and had no customers. Once our bikes were spotted outside every table was soon full of cyclists. We got our Belgian waffle order in first and Kristien, who is Belgian, pronounced them as being the proper article. Once the chocolate (ice cream, sauce & buttons) kicked in I was as right as ninepence and suddenly able to kick on again. I even tried a race or two against the e-bike uphill but every time the extra support button would be pressed and whoosh, there goes the e-bike, a right laugh though.

 

Thus we made it smiling to East Kilbride which just left me with the onward ride to Rutherglen, the nearest hotel I could find, a fairly hazardous trip along a dual carriageway in the dark. Miles from anywhere, I stayed within the hotel. My starter of prawn cocktail was unlike any I have ever had and hopefully never again

Luckily the battered Haddock which followed was great and the red wine was perfect, I pushed the boat out and had two glasses, I had earnt them.

So that was it, basically I was in Glasgow with just a short procession to the official end point to come in the morning. I was going to miss cycling a long way each day and the people.

Looking back I also might have been tired as the route was fairly lumpy. My overall speed was ok for me.

The end of day 7.

COP26 - Day 6 - Penrith to Dumfries

Before we leave Penrith I want to say something else about lovely Preston. On our arrival representatives of the residents, probably cyclists, were there to welcome us, some on the bridge as we crossed into the place (in the dark and wet) guiding us to our destination,

more locals were near the sports pavilion to make sure we got there and yet more inside the place to make we sure we got a goody bag and found our way to the food.

The next morning as we left Preston there were three of them cheering as we got out into the countryside. Then a little further on, in the front garden of a house raised up on a bank was an entire family with two small children who had made posters and gave us all a cheer. I was on my own that day as Kristien's knees and battery wouldn't have taken the hammering that was to come, and I joyfully waved back but I was so touched that I could barely call out.

On now to day 6. 

We were waved off from Penrith by cheerful locals who had greeted us the previous evening at the Quaker centre.

On day 5 we had seen on the news that it was pretty wet, trains had been cancelled and Dumfries had been on the news as parts of it were under water. I was booked into the station hotel and hoped it was on high ground. Anyway the organisers, this lovely bunch (Anna must have been fixing a bike)

were highly organised and I spoke to them all on one day or another. I got some of the names but don't think I asked Mrs Goggles on the right what her real name was, she didn't seem to mind the nickname. They had checked the route early in the morning and adjusted it to take us round the worst of the flooding

You can't cycle a flooded road that you can't even see and we did see some lovely countryside that wasn't under water.

This was a day of mostly roads so the cargo bikes weren't struggling with barriers as they had on previous days.

The rider on the left is a Green Party councillor from Lancaster. Tandems, Bromptons, e-bikes, cargo bikes are all the cycling sub-groups that everyone wants to talk to and so talk we did.

On this day Penny & Salim, part of the Barnet posse, took what I thought was one of the best photographs of the week, their bikes framing a body of water and all the lovely autumn colours. They also demonstrated that you can cycle long distances on any bike, you don't need to spend thousands on modern carbon fibre.

This day was an 'easy' day (a mere 63 miles to cycle) after the rigours of what had gone before. Lunch was at Carlisle, filled rolls, crips, plastic wrapped cake & something else I just forget. Compared to what had gone before it was sub-standard, the rolls being of mass production and the cheese being a Kraft type square. The salad roll was a small and very sad piece of lettuce, tomato & onion which wasn't trying to break out of the edges of the roll. It was no surprise when the message went out that there were more available for seconds.The organisers got absolutely everything else right so nobody moaned, as far as I am aware, and I'm sure they learned from it so it is forgotten.

Lunch was quite early in the day, taken here

As it happens, Kristien and I had stopped less than 10 miles earlier and limited ourselves to a cheese scone or cake and a nice cuppa. It wasn't a chance find as when we turned the corner into the square I had said to Kristien that I was here the previous year on LEJOG and that there was a friendly cafe with good food if we pushed at the closed door which was open. It was in the village of Dalston. There had been something about a church in Dalston and a globe or COP26 or something (I wasn't really paying attention, the TV being on in my room just for a bit of background and the weather forecast) so we had a fruitless tour of the churches/chapels of Dalston (two of) before we had our lovely cuppa, here.

I did tell the lady owner that we were there for two reasons, one because I came in a year ago (my coffee card would be a long way from being stamped if they had a loyalty programme) and secondly because she was on the route from London to Glasgow. As was often the case we had a lovely chat about how far she could cycle and what her future cycling plans might be. We explained about pledges and hoped that just one small step might be taken, whether formally pledged or not.

So on we pedalled, having a lovely restful day. 

We crossed into Scotland which means that a photograph is obligatory, so here it is.

I simply don't care if I look a bit of a prat with a shower cap on my helmet, my hair stays dry and I stay warmer. Proper helmet covers are available but why? when you can get one for free (well, usually about £125 for a night in the sort of hotel which gives away shower caps).

 

We just reached Dumfries in daylight and the posse dispersed to our various hotels and guesthouses. You could see that the water level was high, it had gone down quite a way at this point.

Here is a summary of the day

Clearly we didn't rush as we spent 4 hours sitting around which would be tea stops, photograph stops, lunch, navigational debates and just general dilly dallying as we had the time which of course usually means it runs out.

We were happy to be in Scotland, we all wore our masks as required, everyone had taken and shown a Lateral Flow Test to the organisers at the start and mid-journey and all was right with the world. The only sadness was that the end was in sight, just one full day and then a  procession and then back to the day job (trains permitting, which they weren't).

The end.

COP26 - Day 5 - Preston to Penrith

This was the day which I was dreading. So much so that I had a train ticket for the journey and was calling day 5 an unofficial rest day (no-one had to ride the entire route, you could sign up for just one day if you wanted, I signed up for them all and then binned this one in my head).

I had bought this ticket in advance of leaving London and told everyone about the easy journey they could have (I was saying 54 minutes but some trains were quicker) rather than hours of effort. Several people agreed and bought train tickets.

This was the organiser's plan for the day (probably made by someone young and fit). Apparently 64 year olds can cope with it.

Love the humour, 'the real riding begins' my two previous longest ever days just being a little warm up.

Last year, during LEJOG, I cycled in this area but at a dawdle by comparison, my three days in this area being from Manchester Airport to Whalley to Borwick to Penrith which you can go back and read here. Basically, the 2021 plan was to do in one day what took me 2 last year.

The night before Avanti sent this advice

and then on Day 5 itself Avanti cancelled the 11:41 as this early morning WhatsApp confirms.

Decision time. What do you do when you think you may have trouble getting yourself & your bicycle onto a train and the roads are possibly flooded? yes, you start cycling! It was 7:17 and I had to get ready (must have a shower etc) get a hearty cooked breakfast, cycle to the start to dump my bag and set off. All done by 8:29

Dr Bike was at the start fixing any problems that you might have.

Was it wet out? Rather. This is Devils Bridge which has a plaque forbidding you from jumping off, would be rather stupid given the obvious number of large rocks.

Having changed my plan and decided to cycle (there was emergency backup which would have done its best to recover us if water levels rose to high) I started cycling and it was necessary to go for it if I was to stand any chance of arriving by the time it was dark (I had lights) as it isn't as much fun. My usual riding companion had managed to find another train and before long was luxuriating in the bar at the hotel in Penrith and sending out lovely pictures of a warm room and a hot drink.

Each morning the Abel and Cole van swallowed our overnight bags which made cycling each day much easier and each evening they were ready and waiting at the finish.

The people behind the lovely lunchtime catering.

The catering location in a small village, such a welcome sight.

Despite the mist, we had lovely views, just not much time to admire them.

All cyclists and organisers mixed happily at every location and as soon as lunch was done were readily giving up their space so that others, still eating, could sit (we had been for 4 hours already). I took my large cake with me to finish it off outside.

This tunnel was hidden right in front of me. I was tired by then, daylight had gone and I searched in the bushes and on a gated footpath for an exit before turning around and finding the obvious. If less tired, after 8 solid hours of pedalling, I might have interpreted the information on my Wahoo device a little better.

These tunnel photos were taken by one of the two official photographers who stood out in the dark and cold for hours capturing us all and saying encouraging words such as, only one and a half miles to the finish. Even with 100+ of us to keep tabs on they had by now learnt my name.

Finally, back together, the Barnet posse inside Woodstone Pizza and Flame Grill that evening, carbohydrate loading with pizza or pasta, all excellent so well worth eating there. The waitress was amazed and fascinated by our trip, as to be fair were most people we met. We think we have persuaded quite a few folks to get out on their bikes more often.

So? how was my day. It was epic and awesome. Here is the Strava record.

I went from thinking the task too large (worrying about being wet, cold and out in the dark) to deciding at an early hour of the day to just get on with it. I set off, for me, like the clappers. Penny & Salim were taking a leisurely cup of tea & cake in Lancaster and saw me go past (I didn't even see their bikes) and reported to the posse on our WhatsApp group

I just kept going. Penny & Salim caught up with me at the lunch stop (more cake) but then didn't see me again until the end of the day even though they were quicker overall. We were lucky, we had a tail wind which contributed to me doing 40mph over the tops of the hills but on three of the steepest (and Shap Fell isn't trivial) I had to get off and push (I do this when it is quicker to walk than to cycle). It wasn't just me, lots of people were getting off and pushing. Other than at stops I think I spent 90% of the day on my own which was OK by me, my route my speed.

It transpired that I am tougher than I think. I did twice the climbing of the previous day and went 14% further whilst at the same time going 7% faster, which makes no real sense. It tells me that I should probably cycle faster all of the time but one is worried about bonking (no sniggering at the back) which is a technical term for having hypoglycemia, best avoided especially when the plan is to cycle for 8 hours or more.

My cycling rules are simple. Big breakfast, morning coffe & cake, big lunch, afternoon tea & cake, oat bars, fruit, juice, just keeping stuffing it in. I have gone from 14st 10lb to 13st 12lb in October whilst training for and doing this ride. Much of it will go back on in winter but long trips are already planned for the spring of 2022.

Remember where I started on 26 March 2020 when lockdown legally came into force. A short cycle ride that day (c. 10km) and then one every day until the end of June followed by Land's End to John O'Groats. You don't have to be like me. You could cycle to work, to your friends, to the station, to the shops, to the pub, to anywhere. Just give it a go, you don't know where you'll end up, maybe even John O'Groats.

It is better for your physical and mental health. You will be better known locally and you'll have a better time socially than stuck in your car plus you'll save money and help the planet.

What are you waiting for?