It's election day, so I'll be posting pictures of as many of the polling stations we pass here

In the end we only  cycled past 3 polling stations which was a disappointment - but here's the pictures of the 3

We've left Wales, it has stopped raining

Now we have left Wales, via a very windy and rainy Severn bridge. It has rained on us all the way through Wales. ALL THE WAY!

 Yesterday when we has sunshine during the day we were across the border in Gloucestershire.

Cake, cake and cake

We've been eating a lot of cake. On cycling days we probably burn 6000 calories, making it difficult to actually take on enough calories.

Cake helps. In Scotland we ate a lot of millionaires shortbread. In Cumbria and Lancashire we ate ecckes cakes.

Before we left my friend Rihana made us a fruit cake for the journey. "Let me know and I'll post another one to you" she said. She was serious and here it is arrived for us here in the forest of Dean. Thanks Rihana!

My stepbrother Mark and his wife Jo also made us this scrumptious banana loaf. It didn't last long, we finished it off for breakfast this morning. Thanks Mark and Jo!

Some reflections at just over 2/3 of the way to Land's End

On a rest day outside Chepstow, time for a few thoughts on our ride so far. All the below could alter after the next four days though!

Best day's ride: Into the Lakes

We left Scotland on day eight and headed into England. Almost immediately we saw the mountains of the Lake District rearing up ahead of us.

In glorious sunshine we skirted the edge of the park getting ever closer, gradually climbing. The views just got better and better. Then finally we turned right and dove right in amongst the peaks.

After winding through the uplands for a while we kicked off the top and descended down to Ullswater along a lovely sweeping road with seriously heart in mouth beautiful views. It was also very very fast.

Doesn't get much better than that.

Best climb: Kirkstone pass, the Lakes

On the way out of the Lakes we climbed over Kirkstone pass, the highest major road in the Lake District. 

A long, steep grind up the mountain, challenging but not impossible. And a real sense of achievement at the top.

I was rewarded at the top with a chorus of bleeps from my phone as we suddenly got mobile signal for the first time in more than 24 hours - I like to think of it as everyone cheering my efforts! 

Fabulous views at top and a great descent down the other side. A really wonderful morning.

Best pub (so far of course): Traveller's Rest, Glenridding

It had been a tough few days (see midges below) so we deserved a pint. There was a chap playing indie hits on his guitar. Nice local beer and a good selection of single malt whisky too. Magic.

Still time to beat it as we head into the West Country of course...

The best new kit discovery: Chamois cream

If you use it already - you know what I mean. If you cycle a lot and you know what it is but have never dared try it - trust me and buy some. If you don't cycle and don't know what it is - nothing to see here, move along now. I wouldn't google it if I were you.

The worst kit discovery: Nothing stops West Coast Scottish midges 

I came loaded with midge spray. So did Stew. We were ready for midges. We'd had experiences before.

But nothing, nothing at all, comes even close to the midges you get around Oban. Oh My Lord. 

Foul disgusting clouds of doom. All those people trying to invent 'drone swarms' to fight future wars really shouldn't be wasting their time - they already exist right here in Scotland.

Only now are my bites starting to properly heal...

Best support cycle mechanics: Dales Cycles, Glasgow

The brilliant Dougie at Dales resurrected my mean green cycling machine just when I thought all was lost. Even though another shop... maybe made it worse first...

Huge credit to the Scottish cycling wizards at Dales. Thank you!

Fully charged

Keeping phones, GPS and a few other devices (lights, headphones) charged whilst charging and off grid is challenging. When it is sunny, or even just overcast this folding solar charger is great. In the summer it will give enough charge in a battery pack for at least two phone charges. It works best when charging a pack not a phone (phones are fussy) and oddly prefers to charge two items at once.

It doesn't work well in the rain, and so we've had to rely on the support team to keep us topped up and in touch.

The kindness of strangers part 3&4

I booked most of our campsites a long way in advance of the trip, just to be sure. Some only took booking on arrival. Some only wanted payment on arrival. When the trip is over I plan to write a comparative review of them all.

Two more kind things:

1. At Walkers cottage camping outside Hay on Wye, the owners asked us to donate the balance we owed to Medicines Sans Frontier.

2. At Beanhill Farm the owner waived our fee for two nights, we are donating half to MSF as a result - the rest helping with many of the urgent things we have had to buy along the way.

My office for the afternoon

Today is a rest day. We are taking the opportunity to get some things sorted out before we set out on the last 4 days of our trip.

First priority - laundry. Basically we stank. We were supposed to have done a load of washig in Glasgow when we stopped there, but because we had to get the bies fixed it didnt happen.

So we spent this morning at a local laundertte here in gloucestershire and we are now clean.

We cant really tumble dry cycling clothes, so we have strung them out in the fresh air to dry - hopefully dry before tonight's rain.

We are properly resting. We are at Beanhill campsite near the Forest of Dean about 7 miles East of Chepstow. Facilities here are great, if it does rain we can cook and keep warm under cover. There is a book swap, and the owners do a breakfast bap for order the nex morning. 

I am feeling the effects of the distance now, aches in my legs especially my glutes, my shins and my ITB band. Still less than 1/3 of the distance to go, and the hardest leg won't be until Saturday which is the last 90 plus leg going from Devon to St Austell in Cornwall. 

Day 12 - Hay on Wye to Chepstow

 

3rd day in a row with no punctures!!! We are convinced it is down to the quality of the roads and amount of debris on the road/cycle paths. Some of the roads in scotland are in a poor condition and on top of that the cycle paths often dont get swept meaning bits of glass, gravel and sharp bits of tree and bush lay await. No tyre would have stopped the nail that got my tyre in Kilmarnock - that was the worst puncture luck so far.

Yesterday our weather improved as London suffered torrential rain and high winds. We got the winds but these were helpful for a change. After passing through Hay on Wye we faced the biggest climb of the trip up to the top of Hay Bluff, to gospel pass at around 500 meters. Odd that despite coming through many Scottish mountains, we never rode this high.

The climb up to the top was a long hard slog. We were tracking alongside the path of Offa's dyke for much of the way. We had to dodge around sheep in the lane. It was very windy at the top of the bluff, 40mph gusts but with the wind on our backs it helped push us over the top. The great thing about  living up 500 meters (ground out slowly in our granny gears) is coming down the other side. Some clear straight stretches mean you can let the bike go fast and be certain the route is clear of traffic.

Essentially it really was downhill all the way 40 miles to Chepstow, although actually just on average so we did face a few decent hills, but with great descents after.

On the way down from the bluff we stopped at a ruined 12th century Abbey, turned into a hotel, for lunch and some silght seeing. Fantastic home cooked meals here in the cellar bar.

The sun came out in patches, so did the rain and even a bit of hail just outside Abergevenny. But the worst of the weather was gone.

We stopped in Usk for tea and cake at the museum of rural life. Great cafe, I ate a Welsh cake flavoured with tea (vegan made with banana rather than butter).

As we set off for the last 15 miles the heavy rain came back but cleared again as we climbed the last hill before Chepstow. From the top we had magnificent views of the Bristol Channel and the new Severn Bridge. That's where we are headed on Thursday.

Day 11 - 91 miles to Hay on Wye

Rain, rain more rain and no respite. At least we had no punctures today.

A huge weather front moved in last night and changed our mild and sunny weather to torrential rain.

The rain came down so hard in the morning for the first hour it stung our eyes and pelted our arms. Our route was undulating and fast for the first 1/3 - weaving in and out of Shropshire and Wales. The weather relented now and then and we dried off a bit.

Unfortunately the incredible views we should have had were obscured by rain cloud. The roads also became a bit hairy in places and some drivers much ruder (beeping and splashing, the wet brings out the worst in everyone).

The rain came back. We tried to find refuge in a pub, but it turns out that rural pubs in Shropshire are almost all shut on a Monday. We cowered in the front of a Londis instead.

We then passed through the Shropshire hills. Some big climbs here made harder by the addition of some serious wind and more rain.

We lost our sense of humour when we tried and failed to find a hot cup of coffee anywhere (nice rural route - no cafes and pubs shut!).

Out of the hills, rain unrelenting, the last 15 miles to Hay on Wye were flat. My Garmin decided to die at this point (we have two and phone back up) which topped a tough day off.

In better news we had fantastic dinner in Hay, massive portions. (Will update details later)

Day 10 - Wyre to Wales

I planned to take a route that was mostly off route as far as possible all the way between lands end and John o'groats. Safer but longer and slower.

Today we road almost 2/3rds off road. Many of these were old railways, canal tow paths or country parks. This meant we passed through one of the busiest and most densely populated areas of England without seeing much traffic and instead taking in parks, wetlands and scenic views.

We managed this all the way to the Mersey, where we cycles over the Mersey bridge to Runcorn, and then on road to Chester and through lush verdant countryside in Cheshire and across into a bit of Wales that protrudes out into England about 10 miles south of Wrexham.

Out campsite is another idyllic farm in the middle of the countryside. What is very odd is how soon it gets dark. It got 'dark' at 11.30pm in the highlands. Now we are level with the potteries and the light peters out at around 10!