Planning the route

ast week I picked the bike up from JE James in Chesterfield as they have given the bike a few more gears. Mainly low ones. I've just had chance to try it out today and it seems to be just what the doctor ordered; the top gear is a wee bit higher than before and the bottom gears are 25% lower than before. I'm sure there will still be a few hills I have to get off for; especially on the first two days in Cornwall and Devon, before I get a bit of strength in my legs.

I've been planning my journey today. well the first three days of it anyway. I can see me getting lost as I try to avoid the A30 through C&D. I will have to use very minor roads in some places so I just hope the local County Council has done a half decent job with the road signs.
Day 1 Land's End to Launceston
Day 2 Launceston to Wells
Day 3 Wells to Stratford

Setting up sponsorship website

I've spent the last hour or two setting up the JustGiving web pages (one for Macmillan Cancer Support and one for Ashgate Hospice) to enable very kind people to sponsor me on my little trip. It's fairly easy to do (setting up the web page and donating). I now have to recruit my wife into being my publicist so she will take some photos of me and my bike to add to the JustGiving sites.

The bike should have been given an extra 10 gears today so I can ride rather than walk up the worst of the hills in Cornwall, Devon, and Scotland. For the cycling anoraks, i have a 12-27 rear cassette and now a 30/39/50 chain ring.

Just trying out this blog to see how it works

This is my first blog so bear with me for a while.

I've decided to ride my bike from Land's End to John o'Groats in May 2009. It's probably a daft idea (as some people have already told me) but I have this tremendous urge to do it.

I was inspired to do the trip a few years ago on a visit to Land's End. Over the past couple of years I've put a few days holiday aside to use this year on the trip. I've decided to try to raise some cash for charity and I've decided to help Macmillan Cancer Support. If you will be kind enough to sponsor me, you can donate at my JustGiving website (it really is very easy).
Just click on this link

I'll be catching a train to Penzance (if I can get the bike booked on) on 9 May 2009 ready to set off on 10 May from LE. 12 days later I should arrive at the top tip of Scotland .

Wish me luck. I will need some.

Rob