Gretna to Lancaster

26 July 2012, 100 miles (day 7)

Through the half-way point, hooray!!

Knackered , 100 miles today, some delays and big hills

Weather mixed cool to warm, very humid, sometimes dark and overcast.

A long day in the saddle ahead, the intrepid few set off from Gretna in the cool overcast morning with significant hesitation and not too much chatter.  This was the last day on the road for Chris, a leader and good friend of us all by now.  Thanks Chris!!

Having only gone a mile, we had just made it to the border sign with “Englandshire” and were passed by a couple who, oddly enough, knew our names…  It was Jan and Charlie’s friends from Plymouth, Mandie and Mark :)  The emotion generated from the joint realisation that they were to accompany us for the next two days, AND were going to carry our bags in their car for the same was all too much.  Charlie and Fran were in tears… Jan had known all long and had kept this all a secret and was delighted at the fun.  Brilliant.  Well done all.

Mandie stayed riding with us for the whole day.  Mark rode for a long while, then returned to Gretna, drove to Lancaster and rode back to Kendal to meet us again and bring us home.  What an amazing effort!

The happy group then set off southeast to Carlisle and Penrith, the girls brightening up the ride by singing along much of the way. This however, didn't stop us getting a little lost along the disorienting B roads, but Chris's sat-nav, Jan's excellent maps and notes and the ubiquitous banana phones saved the day and we avoided going backwards too often.  

Carlisle was fun for a raid on the tuck shop:

At Penrith, we had a lunch of pea and ham soup.  This ride was the last straw for David.  The touring ‘tank’ he had ridden so far had become a liability at every minor climb and despite its technical charms was too simply too heavy.  Chris offered his own lighter bike and after a few moments to think it through David asked if it was really okay to switch and it was.   A trip to the local bike shop added a rack, Chris was hugged, kissed by the girls,  thanked for his generosity and good friendship and he headed off to the train back home to Edinburgh with the ‘tank’ and David was off with a fresh light approach to life on Chris’ bike.  Unfortunately, the combined lunch stop had taken two precious hours out of the day…..

The lighter bike was soon appreciated with easier spin rate as we climbed over the hills from Shap to Kendall, sheep across the road for company. 

What a monster!  The motorway dropped downhill at a gentle grade to our side through a stunning valley, but our parallel bike route went practically vertical over the top instead. Fran had to give herself a good talking to out loud!

Ugh….  but showing remarkable resilience the team climbed steadily and made it in good shape ready for the brilliant descent into Kendall (despite the occasional snap rise along the way, sapping our strength.  We met Mark roadside there.  Fran tentatively enquired "is it just 11 miles to go?" Mark : "No, I think it's 23 miles to Lancaster"  MAJOR TEARS (again) … it was after 5pm and so we set off with heavy resolve, lights on but THE GIRLS KEPT SINGING ALONG and thanks to relatively flat pretty terrain through,  stone walled fields and many lovely villages, we made it in late (after 7pm) and quite exhausted.

Straight to dinner at the next door pub and quickly off to bed in Lancaster (we are finding it harder and harder to get a good night’s sleep, must be the early summer sunrises).

An earlier start tomorrow!