A Cyclists' Conversation

Well, I have been home for just over 1 week.  WOW!  Where does time go?  Really?  John O Groats to Lands End done?  Effin 'ell!  It seems like a dream.  Almost 4 weeks in total fighting our way to the top, riding all the way back down and somehow managing to avoid the worst of the strikes on the rail journey home.  

The garden was a mess both here, my neighbours, who I help, and at the 'other house' so all needed urgent attention.  Anyway a week of sorting and all is good although I don't hold out much hope for the fledgling tomato plants which were stuck in the seed tray for way way too long.  Well, they're now planted on and I'm gonna see what happens.  But it means that I can now start to use the bike - a lot - again.  Feck the decorating!

Oh dear, I've gone mad with the bullet camera.  I have fecking giga tons of JOGLE video.  All of it to be reviewed and the better pieces pulled out and published on Poo Tube.  I plan to do 2 video's this year.  A really really REALLY long running one which catches lots and lots of the ride plus plenty of conversation between me and the boys.  But also a 15 minute version of all of the 'best bits' that I can find which should be more palatable for other than the numb cyclists out there who just may be daft enough to watch the full length version.  I do the video's for me really - to help me in later years when the memory starts to fade which it inevitably will.  But if you're interested in this kind of thing then they are just sometimes quite watchable :-)

To start with - this is a long clip of a cyclists conversation we had at the top of the Berriedale Braes.  A 500 ft 13% (1 in 7) hill climb on the A9 near the top of Scotland.  We all made it!  But whilst I was recovering from the testicular cramps, which started because this idiot forgot to use the rehydration tablets on the biggest hill climb that day, we chatted about a few things...  Here you go.  A cyclists' conversation..

You may recall I also gently suggested that folk who may have read the JOGLE story here on Blogger and so enjoyed the journey with me / us might consider making a small charitable donation either to the Bowelbabefund and / or Dementia UK.  

It was with great sadness that the news reported this week that Dame Deborah James had succumbed to her bowel cancer.  So full of life, hope and smiles.  For sure she wanted to help folk to cope with the disease.  Not only that but to also help with its eradication.  The World needs more folk like her to help destroy cancer and the stigma of it and give hope for a future where there will be a treatment for everyone, whether suffering from bowel cancer or any other.  

But also to Dementia UK.  My uncle Con - a great influence on me and my life - sadly died of dementia in 2020 in the middle of the Covid Pandemic.  My neighbour John is now suffering from dementia and sadly a great friend, Max, is himself suffering from another type of super nuclear brain disease which is having a devastating effect on on his and his families lives.   

I have now made my personal cash donations to the two charities.  I got so so much out of the journey and for sure it was time for me to give something back.  I hope you might too.  Thank you if you have :-)

Anyway Brad the Lad has booked us on a train to Scarbados tomorrow.  Arrive at Scarborough about 9am.  Return train is approx 6.30pm.  We're gonna ride the cinder track - the old coastal railway line to Whitby - and back. That's 44 miles and approx 4000 Google ft of ascent.  FOUR THOUSAND!  That means nearer 5500 - 6000 actual feet.  a BIG day for sure.  Like this...

We will do it?  Both of us have JOGLE legs now :-). Well I have ... 

Brad the Lad has a shiny new 23 year old pair of SAS trained legs - and just like his uncle Wayne, a pair now worn-in leathery testicles :-)

We're both gonna be fine :-)

Ciao for now