Day 57 - Nurtingen to Lauffen 104kms

Well rested courtesy of Best Western we were soon racking up the kms on the flat and generally smooth paths. A mistake upon entrance to Wedlingen was nearly Kevs last as he looked for a cycling sign he'd not realised he was not only cycling on the wrong side of the road but cycling directly into the path of a B-Double truck!

The truck's air horn had it's desired effect (as did all the fibre that Kev has been eating on trip)he was not going to make thar mistake again well not at least until the next village where another motorist again reminded Kev of the correct side to be on.

Thus was cycling without too much effort and in the good conditions we'd soon cycled 45 kms averaging 20km HR which for us with all our gear is pretty good!

The industrial scenery of Stuttgart soon passed and the Neckar began to reveal tantalising signs of it's real beauty being framed by valleys and steep vineyards and beaut villages.

Only just over a 100kms from Mannheim and Heidelberg we called it an afternoon at 100+ kms and went in search for accommodation for the night finally settling for a 70s style hotel near
Lauffen's town centre

With KH still suffering the effects of "those" apples dinner was limited to a trip to what we found out was the local organic food store - I think tomorrows breakfast will need to make up
for tonight's missing calories !

Day 56 - Rest day Nurtringen

Finally some sleep or at least 4 hours worth as every place we stay at seems to a have an F1 race circuit outside our window.

A nothing day other than to catch up with emails do some shopping and impress the Great Western staff by doing some washing and drying clothes over the hotel balcony!

I took time out to take a swim in the hotels pool showing off my cycle tan that makes me look like I've caught some grotesque skin disease. My entrance into the pool area was pretty impressive as I attempted to walk through a glassed entrance that I had not seen - a quick retreat to the room was in order!

Kevs major excitement was trying to work out the Chinese menu for dinner that was in German - after 20 mins he'd identified 1 item by which time our hostess simply brought over the English menu.

So 1/2 way along the Neckar River route and looking forward to the remaining few days which will take us to Mannheim by cycle and then by train to Paris to join up with Viv, Linton and Kim

Some interesting scenery

Kevs World!

With the Conigsee to Bodinsee epic behind us all our efforts are focused on getting to Heidelberg before our train journey to Paris , and for that reason we have really been putting in the hard yards - can you believe we had two monstrous days on the bike of 55 and 46 km so fatigue is really a telling factor  .  A rest day today in Nurtingen was therefore fully deserved ( are they sniggers i can hear in the background ).
My trip could have come to a very abrupt end when hooning down a hill at 60kph i could feel a bumping in my rear tyre and from previous experience i knew exactly what it was - my tyre was splitting around the rim and a bulge was appearing just cherry ripe to burst , so i was a bit careful after that limiting my hooning to 55kph .
Mike's brake problems have been fixed thankfully because i was getting tired of following him across open grass paddocks in his deviation exploits thinking it doesn't look right but he has all the maps and knows where he's going - i find it much simpler to ride on the bitumen . Off -road no.2 was captured on his headcam so should make for comical viewing .
 Our trip to the Bodinsee took us through many villages , some less than 1km apart , separated by lush green rolling pastures - the amazing part is there no fences in those pastures so who owns what is anyones guess . In each of these villages the houses , some many hundreds of years old , are impeccably maintained and presented with large planter boxes of predominantly red flowers at the base of each window - houses without these flowers looked decidedly plain in comparison .
I am resisting fairly well the urge to attack the delicious array of cakes on offer but it is taking all my willpower- needless to say when Viv arrives the threat of bodily harm if i refuse to partake will over-ride my willpower . Litchy is showing admirable properties of  "will " power also when ordering his cake , will it be this one or that one - one slab substitutes for a 3 course meal .
In the past 5 years i would have had a handful of beers but Litchfield has corrupted me into ordering a half litre nearly every mealbefore dinner - a spell at AA could be on if this continues . After oür Greek meal last night the waitress bought out a complimentary shot of OUZO so that turned the nasal hairs curly when we threw it down .
Bobbert Leedham , now i know what you had to put up with for 3 weeks in NZ with Litchy's exploding suitcase , he has bought 2 exploding panniers which seem to go off every night , must be the same brand .His method of unpacking is simple and uncomplicated - pick up the pannier at the bottom and tip out the contents , the biblical system then applies ie:seek and you shall find . Works perfectly every time - chaos reigns supreme . On the odd occasion when staff have seen our room they have assumed a ransacking has occurred has taken place and got the hell out of there .My side is impeccably tidy - well sorta kinda anyway.
It's been an amazing trip so far with some really tough sections , in UK mainly , and now we are being repaid in kind by the flatter beautiful countryside in Germany .
The tough part is yet to come when Viv and Linton demand we do anything up to 25km per day in France to reach the next coffee shop - will be tiring but i'm sure we can manage .
Stay well and keep cycling or anything , you never know what's around the corner .
Best Wishes to Everyone
Kev

Germany vs UK riding

It's often hard to get a picture of another persons travel experience from a distance but the cycle recently completed to the Bodinsee along the foothills of the Bavarian Alps was truly like riding through a childhood storybook !

Endless green fields, quaint historic villages with tall spired churches, immaculate 2-3 storey houses with their picturesque multi coloured flower boxes all against a majestic backdrop of alpine hills and nearby mountains.

It sounds all too good but cycling in Germany has its pros and cons for any prospective cycle tourist so let me share some with you by comparing our current experience with that of the UK.

Food - It would be an insult to compare German food with the UK where fried anything goes, chips are a main course and the national dish is Indian! The only problem with German food is a) understanding what the he'll you are eating and b)trying to avoid their incredible cakes!

Cyclists - Strangely while German people are generally friendly German cyclists do their
utmost to avoid eye and voice contact most likely because they would be "hello'd" out with the no of cyclists on paths over here

Cycle conditions - Again no comparison, a recent UK media article indicated it would take 16 years to complete all the outstanding road repairs in the UK - road conditions were so poor as a cyclist you had to ride away from the verge putting you into potential conflict with traffic. In Germany the cycle paths and roads are amongst the best in the world so well made in fact that you experience little if any road effect when driving or cycling over

Accommodation - Much of a muchness although I do prefer the quaint b&bs over the large gausthouses of Germany particularly as the latter do not come with air con

Scenery - Hard to generalise but the standouts have without a doubt been cycling in Scotland, Nthn Ireland and Bavaria each with it's own unique superlatives

Bike servicing - What can I say, attempts to get the bikes repaired in Germany were incredibly frustrating with mechanics expecting you to leave your bike for a few days for even
the simplest of jobs. In the UK the places we stopped at went out of their way to help you often putting other work off as they realised as tour cyclists you had somewhere to be

Language - the further south in Germany the harder to be understood the further nth in the UK
the harder to understand

Summary - If looking for a cycling adventure then the UK takes the cake for me as simply getting to your destination is an achievement and accomplishing your cycling goal provides a great sense of accomplishment. The German cycle routes as beautiful as they are are most
definitely a holiday cycle as they are so well surfaced and signposted and often running near major roads that they provide little challenge other than to sit back and relax and enjoy all the great things about Germany - to me it's the scenery the beer the food and did I mention the beer !!!

Day 55 - Tubingen to Nurtingen - 46kms

With Kev's tyre showing a bulge and my brakes long gone we set aside the morning in Tubingen to get our bikes fixed. At our first bike shop we were dumbfounded when told it would take 4 days to repair both tyre and brakes - using a form of Australian vernacular we told the staff their attitude was crap and the Poms had it all over them in terms of bike servicing and customer friendliness - this was met with a shrug of Germanic indifference !

Kev tried to flag down a cyclist and in true Peter Sellers style only succeeded in getting a friendly wave back before finally a passerby directed us to bike shop no. 5 since my brakes had stopped working. We nearly fell over when the guy said he couldn't do the bikes immediately but could we come back in 1 1/2 hours - make it 2 we said generously before leaving to wander around the old town.

This beautiful area (the old town) had multiple storey buildings in typical German timber frame design going back 5-600 years complete with quaint market squares filled with stalls and outdoor dining a truly magnificent area

Lovely Tubingen

With bikes fixed and our gratitude shown we left Tubingen around 1pm. We'd no sooner got into stride when Kev felt an urgent need to find a toilet most likely after pilfering apples he'd picked on the ride the day before.

He made a desperate dash on bike to a nearby Bunnings like store riding his bike through the entrance! Struggling to keep up I had images of him riding down the aisles urgently yelling out "crapper" in German or even worse taking a line out of the crass film Jackass and just simply heading for the plumbing section!

He re-emmerged after a good spell looking much better so we headed off yet again this time getting lost almost straight away. After seeking plenty of advice we arrived after 10kms at the next town on the Neckar which had a remarkably similar bridge to the one we's just left - it then dawned upon us that we'd just completed a big loop the wrong way!

Take 3 and we were off again this time picking the correct path and riding 27-30kms an hour fully loaded on a magnificent flat surface with occassional views of the Neckar.

After a stylish lunch in the Aldi car park we rode on to Nurtringen a total of just 46 kms for
the day and that included the 10km loop when lost!

Kev came across a great find near the old town in a Best Western so with a good bed assured we ate out trying to eat Greek food from a German menu - somehow the food orders turned out ok.

A rest day is planned for tommorrow following hopefully a good nights sleep with current km tally showing 5318 kms for self and Kev about 2000 less not too bad for a couple of old
blokes!

Day 54 - Scwenningen to Tubingen - 84kms

Despite being buggered our hotels position on the local drag strip ensured little sleep particularly when one speed freak wiped out a roundabout sign at 2am and rapidly left the scene leaving half his car behind!

We'd arranged to meet Angela who had been staying with family in Germany for a few days. She'd kindly offered to ride the first day with us from the source of the Neckar on this 350km cycle route but more importantly had promised to treat us to a slice of black forest cake we'd not forget!

Out of suburban Schwenningen with the Neckar just a trickle we climbed for great views through the beautiful old German town of Rotweil and then through adjoining forest scenery. Angela's pace with no pannier weight had us putting in big time to keep up but in true Aussie fashion we wore her down as her hill training around London was zilch - for self any down hills were treated as potentially dangerous after yesterdays experience with still no working brakes.

It was good to see that we were soon lost so not even the locals are immune to making mistakes. Back on track after a few detours a moment of controversy erupted when with failing brakes I attempted to pass Kev on one side and yelled out to him to hold his line unfortunately Kev panicked and moved into my path forcing me off into a ditch full of nettles.

I guess the speed that Kev rode off without saying anything suggested either a) fear of my impending wrath or b) feeling justice had been done re all the KH comments I'd put in this blog - anyway in short after a day of coolness we're back talking.

The stop at Wasser Schloss for afternoon tea was memorable for it's old castle like location and it's huge cake portions ... Angela we love you !

Angela with the boys

At 84 kms in great weather it was time to say goodbye after a beaut days ride.

Angela had not only teed up the ride assisted us with accommodation in beautiful Tubingen and also helped tee up our tickets to Paris to meet up with Viv, Linton and Kim on Sunday! With a little luck she'll make it to Oz one day so we can reciprocate!

Thx soooo much Angela!

Day 53 - Rettenberg to Freidrichshafen - 110kms

Talk about the heatwave coming to an abrupt end - we woke to rain and a cold wind on the last day of our 460km ride from the Konigsee to the Bodinsee.

The day did not begin well when Kev tool a chunk out of his leg opening a door and dislodging a length of  4x4 square steel (that Kev reckoned weighed at least 300kgs) while searching for out bikes. The horrified owner helped him to bandage his leg as he bravely vowed to continue.

After about 5 mins riding we both wished Kev had decided to stay put as we were being soaked and frozen by continuous rain and icy cold winds - it was hard to believe that the previous week had been mid 30s.

A stop at Stefendore allowed us to change clothes and have a cuppa figuring the remaining 40kms to Lindau should be pretty uneventful. We'd no sooner started than the rain came down heavier making for tricky descents on this undulating ride.

It was on one of these descents that I nearly came to grief with speed building and a road warning sign indicating some imminent danger I took the only option available a high speed detour across another pasture in the rain. This one was a little more technical requiring me to avoid a barbed wire fence and a large building - in the end I layed the bike down gouging out grass and dirt but thankfully only smashing my front handlebar pannier bag. Kev knew from the booming profanity that I'd survived and with his help we bandaged the damage in the rain and surveyed the impressive swathe in the paddock. When we got underway i made sure i walked anything downhill that had a bend.

After 460 kms we finally rode on to the Bodinsee at Lindau with the wind and rain really whipping up the sea.

Mike & Kev at the Bodinsee having cycled 450 kms through Bavaria ! 

After the obligatory celebration photo we rode on to Friedrichshaven skirting the more uninteresting parts of the Bodinsee to catch a train to Schwenningen for our next leg on the Neckar suggested to us by German born Angela (living in London) who we'd met and shared pain with on our Tibet trip in 2011

To say the trip was stressful was an understatement - no idea what the main station was called, no idea where to change, no idea how to use the ticket machine and no one to talk to and the train leaving in 15 mins!

I did what most people would do and ordered a Mcdonalds meal at the station, swore a lot and guessed at the answers to the other questions.

Somehow Kev and self arrived at the correct destination knackered, dirty, stressed but relieved - tommorrow would signal the start of another adventure!

Day 52 - Halbech to Rettenberg - 74kms

As predicted sleep overnight was nearly impossible and I chose simply sitting out in the open and startling other guests who ventured outside with the same idea.

We were glad to be on the road, cable ties were in place but a slow leak delayed departure and required the fitting of my first tube on tour.

The early scenery was superb as we cycled on busy cycle paths past the imposing castles of Neuschwantein and Schwangau the magnificent legacies of King Ludwig II.

We mingled with the crowds as we briefly wandered through the narrow and historic streets of Fussen before heading out across endless green fields criss crossed with paths of various cycling routes.

Fussen

With my brakes barely working (been into 3 shops with mechanics indicating they were too busy - more likely they had little idea of how to replace the disc pads)  KH watched me take a sudden right turn on a down hill to avoid a hairpin on the path cutting my own swathe through an open paddock to slow me down. The ever vigilant Kev said "I didn't think the path went that way"! This was a warning sign that I had to get my brakes fixed immediately.

The heatwave was back in force so at 74kms we sought out accommodation in pretty Rettenberg in a local guest house with thankfully a cool room (a/con doesn't exist) backing straight on to a smelly & noisy farm shelter!

Kev near Fussen

We had dinner at a nearby Italian establishment and in true Aussie fashion KH showed how much he appreciated the food by loudly breaking wind approaching our accommodation! The orchestral
noises had just finished when conversation started up apparently there had been a group of Germans sitting in the dark about 5 metre away eating!

Ps Kev learnt his first German word on trip when he asked how far Radweg was from the Bodinsee as all the signs we'd been following were headed Bodinsee Radweg - I explained to Kev that Radweg wasn't a town but in fact German for cycle route ..!!!!

Day 51 - Bad Helbrunn to Halbech - 80kms

For those suffering from absence of reports of pain and misery apologies - the next 5 days make up for it with ice cold conditions, narrowly avoided punch up, a near serious injury and much much more read on ..(cont'd)

The previous nights rain had slightly tempered the heatwave we'd been experiencing as we headed off on excellent paths through Eschenloe before joining a beautiful off road forest climb.

The joy of the ride was short lived when looking down after hearing an ominous grating sound I was horrified to see my pannier rack arm dragging on my gear cluster after the weight bearing bolt had sheared off (2nd time on trip).

With Kev doubling back and after looking at various options we redistributed the weights and cable tied the arm as a bush mechanics option till I could get to a bike shop. As per Murphys law the breakdown in the forest was miles from nowhere and on some of the roughest terrain on the German trip.

We finally emerged from our Tibet like climb with cable ties holding and a wonderful panorama of the Bavarian Alps stretching past Fussen.

Beautiful Bavarian scenery 

Accommodation at Halbech after much searching was in a room you had to turn sideways to enter, the days heat had also turned it into a sauna and the few remaining molecules of air were sucked out when KH decided it was a good time to air his bike riding gear .... this was going to be a long night!

Day 50 - Marbach to Bad Helbrung - 56kms

Another day another heatwave promised and by 10am on the road i was tempted to simply just end it all by cycling straight into the Schiliersee (beautiful Bavarian lake) rather than around it!

We'd spent a frustrating morning at a bike shop just outside of Fischbacau where the local mechanic all but ignored us for 45 mins while attending another customer - showing great patience and maturity we both cycled off without losing our cool, i congratulated myself on this as as i threw a pile of the shops business cards straight into a nearby bush!

The dream tarmac evaporated and soon we were sweating climbing off road forest trails whike i sweated even more on the descents without effective brakes

There was some excitement as we negotiated electric fences to get a glimpse of the even more spectacular Tegernsee before again heading inland along undulating forest trails.

Lunch at Reichersburen was novel in that any cake ordered came with it's own swarm of wasps that had congregated behind the glass display amazingly the employee / owner seemed oblivious to them!

It didn't take us long to get lost in Bad Tolz but what a beautiful place to get lost in - a Bavarian health resort town with most of the population eating ice cream or swimming in the nearby river

We called it quits at Bad Heilbrunn with rain (yes rain) threatening and a longing desire to get out of the heat!

At the 1/2 way pt of the Konigsee - Bodinsee route Kev is close to 3000kms (great effort)and a stroke if this weather keeps while yours truly is close to
5000kms and a long session with my physchiatrist!

Day 49 - Siegsdorf to Marbach - 89kms

We woke up hardly energised for a ride around the block let alone for anything of length after a very warm night and no air con

KH plowed into his first true continental breakfast finding out that with the combo of cereals meat cheese and break you could have breakfast and lunch at the same time !

It was hot again by the time we heaeded off and in a first on trip we werw lost even before we started trying to work our way out of town!

On track again we were soon hurtling through forests and fields on amazing cycle paths and roads so good in fact that freewheeling became the norm

The heat and the fact that my panniers had come off the pannier rack abiut 10 times in thd first 10kms caused me to have a melt down - the sight of a grown man standing over his bike pummelling and kicking his pannier bags drew some concerned looks from passing motorists - KH saved the day by purchasing extra bungy chords and giving me a yellow card for excessive violence to an inanimate object!

Some ice cream in beautiful Neuburen soon settled me down as we stopped to top up our dangerously low water supplies - we seemed to be going through our supplies so quickly in the hot conditions - the challenge we've found in buying water though is trying to avoid the fizzy mineral water that Europeans seem to prefer as it tastes like salt!

A steep descent near Sonnermouth had us both hurtling through a give way but to
me at least it cleared what the German bike mechanic had said yesterday about having 100kms left in something ..... my bloody brake pads !!!

KH who quoted that he loves the heat and doesn't need to put on much sunscreen coz he doesn't burn fell into our hotel room in Marbach knackered and looking like a beetroot on heat!

Our dinner at nearby Fischbachau confirmed how dehydrated we both were when we ordered 2 x 1/2 litres of diet coke each!

Some great scenery again in this lovely place - some cooler conditions though are badly needed!



few was little sleep overnight witthe warm conditions and the absence or any room cooling or air circulation

Kevs World !

Hi yooze lot ! With the first stage of the tour de epic completed and filed away it is now time to launch the Aussie assault on Europe!

I found the UK leg very tough on a no of days and it usually hinged on the proliferation of gorgeous balmy summer days cunningly disguised with rain and headwinds - and did I mention this bloody hills!

Litchfield's effort to destroy me on my birthday just about succeeded, I had about 132metres of cycling left in me when I reached John O'Groats!

I've been in Germany now for 8 days and in our car touring trips we have experienced some of the most spectacular scenery you could see anywhere in the world. From picturesque villages and mtns at ground level up to the amazing views from the cable car atop Mt Jenner and to the top of the Rossfeld panorama strasse taking in 360 degree views

Thx heaps fir the birthday greetings I really appreciate your thoughts, I'll contact everyone when I'm home to pick up my presents!

While on the subject happy birthday to Marysia who celebrated her 28th on the 22nd of August, she may in fact be younger!

This business of driving on the wrong side of the road has got whiskers on it wipers going off when I flick the blinkers, cars coming out of nowhere just tok damned stressful. Not as bad though as the first day when we left Munich airport and got on to the Autobahn and Litchy casually mentioned to stick in the left lane as it was the slow one. After about 2-3 kms I queried why are the trucks in the fast lane on my right and why do I have a queue about 1pm long of audis and bmws ready to rip my face off because the wanted to go at 600kmph - I moved over quickly!

We have now started our cycle trek to meet up with Viv Linton and Kim and that should be a hoot

Hope all are well and looking forward to the end if winter by the way has been between 30-35 in Germany - good riding!

Best wishes Kev

Day 48 - Freilassing to Siegsdorf - 46kms

It may be 2 months in but summer finally arrived with a vengeance (mid 30s) and being true Aussies we thought we'd leave in the hottest part of the day after returning our rental car with added prayer flags to Freilassing

After Kev wished Marysia a happy birthday by phone we took to the superb German cycle network trails - after cycling washed away roads in the UK this was cycling heaven with conditions the equal of the autobahn!

If conditions were that good you may well ask why we only cycled 46kms for the day in short we left late, the heat was stifling, we got lost in Traunstein and most disturbingly wed seen one too many speedo clad Germans!

After calling it quits in Siegsdorf it was off to the local bike mechanic with my madly frustrating gear slipping bike.The diagnosis was not good in broken english the mechanic indicated my shimano hub was crap, my bike was out of alignment whatever the he that means and in about 100kms something important will fall off !

On the way back to the hotel KH succumbed to temptation having an I've cream and with self watching the world go by. If I'm successful with getting Kev into a bakery his brother may need a forklift to pick him up on his return!

The cycling scenery was stunning with open fields , mtns in the distance and onion domed churches giving a storybook feel to this beautiful parr of the world.

With all things well I can't wait to do 47kms tommorrow!

Day 43/47 - Berchtesgaden - 40kms

5 days in Berchtesgaden r&r were just sufficient to deal with the trauma of getting there (see previous post)! Kev and I were back talking and the nervous twitch that had me going for the steering wheel every time KH did a left turn had just about gone!

This area is a hidden gem not that well known to Aussies except for maybe the ski set. Stunning mtns, alpine meadows, gingerbread houses, crystal clear rivers and turquoise coloured lakes make this one of my favorite places in Europe.

Salzburg panorama

To aid our recovery we took on the role of tourists visiting Hitlers Eagle Nest and bunkers, walking the streets of picturesque nearby Salzburg, traversing the beautiful Konigsee and walking to the foot of Mt Watzman at 2700 meters and generally taking in some of the incredible views by journeying to the top of Mt Jenner by cable car and driving the incredible Rosstrabe ridgeback rd at 1600 meters with it's amazing views over Austria and Germany.

Incredible views of the Konigsee from Mt Jenner

I did also seek out employment for KH at the local salt mines but with no vacancies we settled for the touristy but fun tour.

The weather after the chill of the UK has been hard to take with every day sunny and hot in the high 20s early 30s topped with high humidity levels.

To our delight we caught up with 2 poms husband and wife Kev & Julia holidaying in Europe - both shared the pain and ecstasy of our Tibet ride with us in 2010 so 3 nights were spent reminiscing.

Eagles Nest

Pommie & Aussie Kev's - Eagles Nest 

We also discussed numerous world problems like why the Uk has such crap showers and crap weather and according to Aussie Kev crap crapppers. With some fancy footwork we were able to avoid why Australia has such a crap cricket team and instead reflected on our cycling prowess - and we are called bad losers !

Kev on the Konigsee

With K & J we sampled the local foods often just guessing when ordering a gmpumbel something or other - another few nights
of company and both Aussie Kev and self might have needed a dry out clinic. For the record K&J are doing brilliantly in retirement and hope to grace our shores in 2013.

Mike amidst the unmarked ruins of Hitlers' Berghof

After a great time and great company it was time to move on with our Europe cycling odyssey

Ps you may notice there is no mention of car driving in the above blog after my therapist advised that i should avoid the topic until fully recovered !

Pas The 40kms mentioned came from a great ride to Berchtegaden and back across the Austrian border!

Day 42 - Edinburgh - Munich - Berchtesgaden

The National Lampoon franchise would have been proud of our effort to turn what should have been a straightforward travel experience into one of repeated comedic calamity!

KH started off the outward leg having to be saved by a local from his loaded runaway trolley at Edinburgh airport that threatened to
impale him against a wall

This however was nowhere near as spectacular as his effort at the other end in Munich when attempting to exit a downhil flatbed escalator when he again lost his load sprawling bike boxes and luggage bags over the exit causing a panic amongst approaching airline staff who had to rapidly walk backwards to avoid the impending carnage!

It could have got much worse for us soon after when attempting to exit the terminal car park with our hire car when we were about to go down the single lane one way ramp the wrong way - many thanks by the way to the German who's panic filled screams saved the day!

Once out on the road I did my best to add to the tally of events by advising KH to stay in the left lane until he got used to the Left hand drive - It wasn't until Kev asked why were all the trucks in the fast lane (right lane) that i realised my mistake - a quick look backwards confirmed the error with cars piled back a good 1/2 km!

Apart from an attempt to go round a roundabout the wrong way and a couple of efforts to turn left into oncoming traffic all went well ... (now that I remember) apart from KHs attempt to constantly drive on the footpath after having been traumatised by the above incidents!

About 10 yrs older we finally arrived at our accommodation at the incredibly scenic Bayerische
Gmain - unique, our accommodation that is, in that the river and forest adjacent to the property formed the Austrian border

The journey confirmed a couple of things 1) This is where the UK summer has been hiding with a temp just under 30c 2)That Bavaria apart from having men running around in tight leather shorts has some damned fine mtn scenery!

Overlooking Austria from the Panorama Strasse Berchtegaden

Day 41 - Edinburgh & the Tattoo

If there were awards for courageous driving and for cultural / historical excellence then Kevin Henley and Edinburgh both deserve special mention.

KH deserves his award for driving under extreme pressure trying to negotiate Edinburgh traffic where traffic lane signs change without warning and traffic lights can cause you to wonder (red lights and green arrows) whether you are meant to stop or go - KH did both at once !

Edinburgh gets its award not only for its tangible history but also for its brilliant hosting of the Edinburgh tattoo as we were soon to see.

Having survived our morning peak hour traffic dalliance we set about packing our bikes doing a great job of making our hotel room resemble a hurricane disaster zone

We said goodbye my relo's by driving over the Forth Bridge (see you next time Chris) and then ventured into the city by way of the fabulous golden
mile precinct for the much anticipated Edinburgh Tattoo.

The "mile" is a beautiful place,Victorian buildings on a sloping cobblestoned road complete with narrow passageways dating back 3-400 years.

This was festival time as the crowds thronged we sat back
eating "alfresco" and in style (cheese macaroni ..)while being aware of KHs delicate prostrate condition which seemed to require us to stop every 30 mins!

As for that small event the tattoo - what a setting, semi permanent stands, the darkened backdrop of Edinburgh castle and a crowd of 10,000 absolutely entranced by the pomp, ceremony and military precision of the performers.

A beautiful setting - Edinburgh castle  

A crowd favourite was the Dutch military cycling band - yes you read correctly, an orchestra that plays and cycles in precise order - both at the same time!

As for the massed pipes what can i say - this was stunning raising the hair on the back of your neck as pipers played stirring Scottish renditions that evoked so much hostory from this fiercely proud people - this was the stuff that would have had you running sword in one hand and the other modestly holding your kilt as you raced to follow Mel Gibson into battle.

The massed pipes ! 

All too soon it was over and all we could think was how lucky we were to have timed our visit to be able to attend this event - to everyone else this is a must for the bucket list it doesn't get any better!

For Kev and self it was a fitting end to 6 weeks on the road in the UK and the promise of more adventure on the continent!

Day 40 - Elgin to Edinburgh

With Kev deemed competent enough (just) to get us out of the Elgin Inn car par park despite having difficulty understanding the difference between 3rd and 1st gear we undertook the long 250km journey from Elgin to Edinburgh by way of Aberdeen.

While the scenery was sparse after Aberdeen the great weather and KH's want to drive through ("the bloody things slow you down")rather than around the thousands of roundabouts enroute provided enough entertainment to keep us awake for the entire journey!

A stop off at Rosyth just outside Edinburgh allowed us to catch up with Monika's brother and wife (Chris & Maggie)where we "crashed" on end to end 1 as well as Monika's sister (Rita) who made a welcome and surprise journey up from Honiton to say g'day to self and Kev.

With their help we negotiated busy Edinburgh (now in the midst of it's International festival) finding our accommodation and then setting out to locate a Scottish local who having also cycled Tibet (and as we found out Cairns to Cook town off road)was kind enough to store a couple of bike boxes that were organized by a friend of his.

I can report KH drove magnificently through the centre of Edinburgh only once nearly going around a roundabout the wrong way to get to Toms place although we both had difficulty understanding the traffic light sequence of a red light with a green arrow pointing straight ahead ???

It was ironic in meeting Tom that we'd travelled to Scotland to meet a Scotsman that not only has a full length diddgeredoo but can play it!

Edinburgh

Both Tom and his wife were great hosts and talked about cycling and life jorney's that made us both just a little jealous!

Our Glimpses of Edinburgh revealed a beautiful Victorian (era)like city with many prominent buildings and churches and lots of confusing roads and lanes

We will certainly use tommorrow to explore further while packing our bikes for the European leg and looking forward to the much anticipated Edinburgh Tattoo!

Day 39 - Elgin

A 5 yr old on bicycle caused the tour's biggest pileup while a 55 yr old finally brought Henley to his knees !

With KH finally working out the difference between the wipers and the car's indicators we bravely ventured into town through Elgin's incredibly confusing one way traffic system to the the towns incredibly confusing laundromat or maybe it was just 2 blokes with poor understanding of all things mechanical!

Elgin Cathedral

With our washing finally under control it was time to place my bike back in the workshop to replace my shredded tyre (courtesy of the JOG taxi) and address my slipping gears that require me to go uphill in a high gear and according to Henley the only reason he's behind on the climbs!

A quick turnaround to make our hotel room look like a Chinese laundry and it was back into town with Henley nearly ending up in hospital face planting into the ground when he tripped on a gutter avoiding a child on a bicycle - thankfully though my knee saved him resulting In only temporary concussion

More bad news quickly followed when we ventured into a chemist to check the outcome of 4 weeks hard work - in short KH came in with a weight (marginally below lard ass category) that showed him incredibly putting on 1-2kgs (the machines bmi index not mine)

Now those that know Kev would find this perplexing as the guy is a fruit and bran aholic and avoids fried food like the plague !

My reading was predictable - a tall lard ass although it was pleasing to see 10kgs lighter than upon arrival!

With little going it was a trip to picturesque Lossiemouth with brave or foolish Scots
swimming on the beach on this beautiful day of 20c !

KH showed his amazing new discipline by rejecting an ice cream so we headed back to the hotel to organize our drive to Edinburgh tommorrow !

To complete an average day KH attempted (as he always does) to steal a few chips over dinner only to suffer a loud coughing fit failing to realise I had smothered mine with pepper - there was little sympathy!

Europe is imminent as the 2nd stage our cycling odyssey takes shape

Day 38 - Wick to Elgin - 2kms

We wole up feeling pretty good after yesterday's achievement and the compliment (?) from
a teenage Wick girl when she indicated she thought we looked "real good"
in our riding gear when walking the streets in the evening to get takeaway !

There was little time to celebrate as we rushed our breakfast to make the 8am train to Inverness. As luck would have it the sun was out the wind down and we were sitting in an overarm carriage watching the scenery go by.

At Inverness we added a couple of kms to our tally cycling to our car hire place me with my shredded front tyre that was in imminent danger of blowing out!

Henley took control with his skilful driving to get us safely to our accommodation in Elgin 30 miles away despite indicating off with his wipers !

A quiet night and on this occasion at least time to reflect on the past 4-5 weeks and discuss riding options for Europe

Ps thx to all those who sent their best wishes it was terrific to read!

The Day After - On Reflection '

Aching muscles and a commissaries enquiry greeted day 38 with an investigation into why Henley had the same no of hours in the saddle yesterday a lower average speed yet had managed to complete 5kms longer getting to JOG .... was a taxi used ???

The mystery was solved when KH revealed that he had mistook his bikes Odo 6110kms for 6hrs11 mins and the extra 5km when he took a turn off suggested by me even though I could clearly show him I'd sent a text saying to stay on the main road - the fact that I sent it to his Australian phone might partly explain why he didn't get it and between us why we were lucky we found JOG at all!

With no inclination to celebrate our achievement after a late arrival at Wick the new day at least gave us a chance to reflect on our achievement -

2690 kms over 30 riding days and only 1 puncture !

Completed during one of Scotland's wettest summers ever !

Special recognition -

Most useless item carried - Kevs GPS used successfully only once and then only from the b&b to thr main road is now not working at all following the most recent downpour and Kevs non waterproof front bag !

Most scenic ride - A toss up between riding to Kearshader on the Outer Hebrides overlooking
Fjord like scenery + riding to Oban through the beautiful Scottish Highlands

Most annoying - experiencing the 268 varieties of shower taps that alternatively scalded then froze you!

Most Spectacular - Slieve League cliffs rising 2000ft direct from the sea

Steepest - 25% 3pm gradient coming out of Kettlewell where the steep road required pushing bikes while holding the front brake to avoid losing the bike

Greatest contribution to global warming - Kevin Henley and his 22 cubic tonnes of methane
gas released into the atmosphere !

Worst day - St.austell day 1 getting to b&b at 9.30pm in the dark, cold & wet
and cycling down a bridleway (mule track) to Mankinholes with KH in a comatose state

Most embarrassing - KH hassling the bike shop owner at Lochgilphead to reset his computer(even though I'd checked out how to on the net)when the poor guy hadn't even opened his shop door

Most dangerous - cycling around London forgetting we had brake operated pedals that activated the brake every time you centred the pedals!

and finally the

Most enjoyable - crossing the line at JOG!

Day 37 - Tongue to John O'Groats - 110kms

The Warby boys conquered LEJOG today (just) in an epic final days ride of 110 kms.

Forecast was for fine conditions and a 20-30mph Easterly wind and it didnt take us long to work out what that meant - a headwind all the way to John O'Groats!

Having read out Birthday greetings to Kev we
left Tongue taking on 5 consecutive climbs and descents some 5-6kms long making the going tough from the start. Some great coastal scenery around Bettyhill eased the pain. At this point Kev and I parted ways with the climbs and the strong headwind caused Kev to suffer a first half fadeout

The terrain finally leveled out around Dunoreay site of the UKs first expiremental reactor. Thurso signalled only 30s to go and the first sight of the Orkney Islands.

After nearly 4700 kms I was intent on just finishing so just after 4p
I reached JOG ecstatic at having achieved the rare double and relieved it was over.

I checked in with birthday boy and the message was ominous "18kms behind and I'm buggered"!To his credit he didn't give up arriving close to 6pm and having to lever me as rigor mortis had set in - nevertheless a fantastic effort by the 64yr old!

A few hugs a couple of pics and then the real drama started taking a taxi with what appeared a home made bike rack back to Wick(30kms) and our accommodation. After 2kms it was apparent my bike wss striking the ground and inspection showed the tyre tread had been shredded. In Wick Kev took up the case indicating he would take the issue to the European court of justice until he realized his prized possession had also been damaged. With much argument and Kevs wrath the driver waived the fare!

2695 kms for Kev and a total of 4703 for me both efforts epic by all
measures - at time of writing there's not much celebration just two very weary Warby's!

direct into an easterly headwind !just !!!

Day 36 - Kinlochervie to Tongue - 80kms

And there was one !

Rain, windchill, headwinds, climbs and more rain transpired to make our penultimate day on the UK bike ride one of endurance !

Cycling started in the rain with a series of climbs that took us into open moorland with outlines of mountains hidden in cloud and mist. Henley had recovered enough from yesterday to predict that this was going to be one "shite" of a day!

The push into Durness at the 30km mark battled crosswinds and headwinds where we arrived looking like drowned rats to gather food and enquire about the rumour of a 20km detour into Tongue because of its bridge closure - directly opposite the youth hostel we were booked into!

Great Coastal scenery was caught out of the corner of out eyes as bullet like rain ripped into our faces leaving Durness. The climbing began again in earnest while a 20km ride looping a Mtn framed loch took us no further than 1 km as the crow flies in a straight line.

This was the real wild Scotland that McColl of Appin was so keen for us to experience - cold, miserable weather but something about being in such wild terrain that
made this special!

It was just about impossible to stop without freezing your A off although KH did for obligatory 3 nani' sandwich!

Fearing the worst we approached the causeway to Tongue - to avoid the 20km detour KH had prepared a plea based on his age, medical condition (believable) and the fact he follows a crap football team hoping the workers would take pity and allow him over the bridge!

As it was bike riders were allowed to cross so at 80kms, drenched and freezing we were both pretty ecstatic to call it a day and head for a warm shower at the Y.

So there you have it 2600kms travelled and 140kms to go or more accurately 110 to the finish line at John o'Groats and another 30kms to our accommodation at Wick.

For the record KH will cross the line on his 64th birthday a pretty amazing effort by the youngfella!

Ps any suggestion that the 140kms to be conducted on KHs birthday was deliberately planned are scandalous although when Kev told me when his birthday was when over I did raise an evil grin!

Day 35 - Ullapool to Kinlochervie - 95kms

Mountains, lochs, rain and a reinforced double brick wall that Henley reckon he hit 1/2 way to Kinlochervie made for scenic if challenging riding as we inched closer to achieving our epic end to end !

We timed our exit of Ullapool beautifully for the onset of rain & although not heavy stayed with us for nearly the entire ride. Climbing became the norm as we entered and exited glacial valleys created by ice some 20000 years ago - tourist notes indicated a likely return of such conditions im the future and I reckon based on todays wind chill you
might only have to wait a week or two.

Not overly worried about the conditions, as Winton reminded us "what do expect when you're riding so close to the arctic"-, I had time to take in the incredibly wild and beautiful scenery of the Scottish Highlands

Some scenery I had to guess at as mist covered Mtns and rain splattered glasses made it difficult to see anything at all and I had glasses unlike KH who went down hills covering his face!

Lunch was a warm bowl of Soup at Kylesku with KH using the hand dryer to warm up his wet gear. Of the scenery after lunch KH remembers little in fact when I found him in a semi comatose state it was cycling past our accommodation (id arrived 30 mins prior)
at Kinlochervie despite the fact that I'd left my bike and panniers outside as a visual reminder.

Wild scenery on the way to Kinlcohervie

This then required me to go off racing after KH as he cycled into the distance - having to
ring him to get him to stop as he answered the phone i rode up along side him.
When asked why he'd missed the bike KH replied
"I'm knackered and all I can see is bitumen"!

A shower, a cuppa and some dinner soon revived the poor fellow enough to hopefully get him over the line and importantly celebrate his 64th birthday in 2 days time!

2500 kms gone and just over 200kms to go!

The Outer Hebrides - Images and Highlights !

Mike - coastal scenery near Leverburgh 

The OH provided some memorable moments - some scenic, some just memories of events - here's a few !

KH prone to leaving things behind put his glasses down on the road while taking some film only to watch in horror as an approaching car run straight over them !

Going one better KH asking directions near Port Nis after having left his helmet behind that morning in Taerbet, came back to the road ready to head off until he realised he'd forgotten his bike - we reckoned later he would have noticed after 1-2 kms!

Street lights of Kearshader complete with 1/2km of footpaths only problem no houses - UK funding gone haywire!

Mega sounding more like his wife Monik going into Tesco like shop and coming back with 2 packs of 5 donuts - " they had a 2 for one special"!

The beautiful White sandy beaches of Barra and the Fjiord like scenery of Harris - memorable

Henley pedalling like the damned along the causeway at Erriskay with the ferry due to depart in 5 mins

The tourist info sign at Bharvas that indicated one of the main historical attractions in the area was the annual clubbing of baby gannets - what baby seals was not good enough for tourism!

The Nordic names of many of the villages and wild loch scenery where it was likely Eric the Red might appear at any moment

The strict observance of the Sabbath where even doing your washing can bring the ire of church elders!

The scarred landscape caused by hundreds of years of peat farming

Day 34 - FivePenny to Ullapool - 50 kms

We staggered out of our b&b about 5 kgs heavier after last nights huge dinner and this mornings equally large breakfast to be confronted by what we felt was a strong Hebridean wind only to be told by locals it was more a breeze
as it didn't qualify as wind until it hit 80+ mph which apparently is pretty frequent !

Mercifully it was a tailwind and with spinakkers set we literally flew to Stornaway (50kms) in well under 2 hours.

View from B&B in Ullapool

With Henley making a late run for the yellow jersey and not getting lost on the single road I meandered along capturing film when I saw 3 cyclists doing it real hard into the wind I was so obviously enjoying - it wasn't till I nearly on them that I recognized the 3 as the young pissheads who woke me up at 230am back in Leverburgh drunk and intent on talking for another hour or two - oh how I believe in Karma as i shouted "should be going the other way guys"!

before cycling off.

In the meantime Henley had completed his first stage win and was busy signing autographs by the time I'd entered a now damned cold Stornaway - about 13C with strong wind chill and this is the middle of summer!

We boarded the late running ferry for the 2 1/2 hour trip across big swells that made the boat feel like a rollercoaster as it plowed through the heavy seas with yes KH fast alseep !

The entry to Ullapool harbour was spectacular surrounded by high Mtns and hills. We disembarked to find our B&B pretty easily on the shore of the harbour and figured  that tommorrow may not be so easy !     

Day 33 - Kearshader to FivePenny - 97kms

Stone circle at Callanish

Despite one Winton McCol wishing Hebridean weather conditions of biblical proportion after indicating you can't ride the OHs in sunny weather - we completed the full distance of the Outer Hebrides arriving in the quaintly named village of fivepenny at 5pm and thx to Winton wet and tired after battling headwinds for most of the leg.

We left Kearshader early with no breakfast and with the likelihood of nothing being open for the day because of the Islands strict observance of the Sabbath.

After 35 kms we arrived at the historic site of Callinish with the observant KH ("what sign" - "what rocks") wondering why people and coaches were stopping.

This site of stone circles believed to be 5000 yrs old is 2nd only to Stonehenge bringing ones own lifetime into perspective.

Fading without breakfast KH came to the rescue sharing a roll a scone and a banana although at exceptionally high interest rates

Thankfully we found shortly after the one and only hotel on the Island open on a Sunday and promptly made up for the missing calories.

Late rain and wind made the remainder of the journey difficult although having read about
potential conditions prior to coming we were happy to have come through mainly unscathed (fingers crossed for the remaining 50 km ride bike to Stornaway tomorrow)

It was a good feeling arriving at FivePenny knowing that we'd cycled the length of the Outer
Hebrides over the past 3 days taking on board so much wonderful scenery.

The b&b owner seeing our wet and bedraggled state could not have been more friendly preparing a massive dinner that even the ravenous KH could not finish. In a moment of sheer madness I encouraged KH to eat his share of baked beans and now expect to suffer the dire consequences later on tonight!

Only 350kms to go to complete the end to end ride and this person can't wait!

Day 32 - Leverburgh to Kershaeder - 75 kms

Afer the beach scenery of Barra and the miles of mossy peat swamps and low lying lakes of Uist we shared our ride on Lewis and Harris with some of the most unique and magnificent scenery you'll see anywhere.

Leaving Taerbet for the big climb !

Having delayed departure till 9am till the opening of the nearby co-op so we could stack up food re uncertainty about what was available en route. Mistake 1 was taking the advice of a local who directed us to take a coastal route that while spectacular in terms of a rocky wilderness was tough in terms of constant descents and climbs.

Picturesque Taerbet signalled the start of a massive climb surrounded by steep hills almost Tiber like. Once over the pass the views that unfolded from up high were amazing - looking down upon lochs and almost fjord like scenery.

With no turning points even KH couldnt get lost so in a rare event we both rode the final 5 miles to the youth hostel.

The Y ideally placed on a loch would have been ideal if not the fact that the shop next door
closed about 15 mins after our arrival leaving KH in charge for dinner choosing a combo of spam and tomato soup.

On site we caught up with some cycling POMs we'd met on the ferry over and also had the opportunity to discuss local history with a resident researcher on issue such as the disproportionate loss of men on the island in WW1 and the forced removal from traditional
farming (crofting)
that saw a significant depopulation of the Western Isles
I did enquire whether it was possible to extend the research to cover the incidence and reasoning behind Australians who get lost on single signposted roads in the OH but was told such research was unlikely to get funding.

Having been belatedly informed Tomorrows challenge is how we get to our destination on leftover spam with shops shut because of the strict observance of the Sabbath !

Day 31 - Castlebay to Leverburgh - 115 kms

Lady of the Isles on the Isle of Uist 

A day of sublime scenery, magnificent riding conditions and late drama that ended in a verbal stoush between KH and self.

The day started with a tight timeline having only 75 mins to hit the supermarket, ride back to the b&b, have a full breakfast, load the bikes and then ride 15 kms to catch the ferry to Sth Uist.

Riding like we the possessed past the pristine beaches of Barra we made it with 5mins to spare although there was a very real chance that the " full English breakfast" could resurface with only the slightest of ocean swells during the crossing.

An hour later we set foot on Uist a collection of low level islands joined in parts by massive rock causeways - this is land that looks it has only just emmerged from the primeordial ooze - a low lying land with heaps of marshes and lakes

Our mission was simple - to ride Uist's length (approx 100 kms) in 7 hours to catch the last ferry across to the main island of Harris & Lewis and our accommodation at Leverburgh.

It soon became apparent that the distance would not be a problem - a flat profile and some of the best roads in the UK even though the single sections required you to play chicken with oncoming traffic

Lunch taken KH was back on the road heading in a direction I'd given while I rested further. Setting off 20 mins later I was astonished to see KH cycling back to saying the direction I'd given him led him to a dead end - he explained this while also using a no. of unprintable
expletives.

We made good time until turning off at Lochmaddy where we needed only to cycle the last 15kms in an hour to make the ferry. Riding ahead and figuring the turnoffs were simple as the ferry was signposted with a picture of the ferry I made the embarkation point well in time only to find out that KH was again lost
missing a turnoff.

With the ferry boarding KH appeared over the horizon making it just by a few mins and looking pretty knackered exasperated that I had not waited at the turnoffs with me countering that the picture of a ferry on a road sig was pretty self explanatory.

Anyway like all good dramas there is a happy ending - we made up over a "romantic dinner" in the Leverburgh gym (having made the ferry crossing) which doubles as the towns take away shop on weekends and both vowed to keep riding the same way tommorrow !

Day 30 - Oban to Castlebay - Outer Hebrides

After the previous days magnificent weather we awoke to overcast and drizzle as we packed up

our gear at the Y for a short ride to board our 8.15am ferry to Castlebay on the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides.

Because of conditions scenery was limited during the 7hour journey through the islands dropping and picking up cyclists, walkers and campers along the way. The ferry was well equipped with large TVs, playrooms, a bistro and outdoor observation areas where despite the drizzle conditions were mild enough weather wise to endure

Kev at Castelbay in the Outer Hebrides !

Entry into Castlebay harbour was spectacular with the craggy shoreline and sea based castle peering out of the afternoon sea mist

Henley decided at the last moment to use the toilet leaving him in danger of
missing the disembarkation but made it just in time

Our B&B was only 400 metres from the ferry terminal in fact it appears so is the whole town looking more like an Alaskan outpost

The place really does look wild with no tree cover exposing the cyclist to all forms of wind and weather - despite this the Outer Hebrides has magnificent Coastal scenery that should make tomorrows cycle a brilliant experience

Reflection

I'm sitting in our b&b looking out over Henley's lifeless body (I'm assuming he's only sleeping)to Castlebay Harbour in the Outer Hebrides - a craggy shoreline with an afternoon sea mist forming a perfect backdrop to it's 11th C castle (in the harbour itself) and a town that would look equally at home in Iceland or Alaska.

Kev feeling a bit peckish !

With just 3 days of the OH and 3 days of cycling the Scottish coastline to go its an opportune time to reflect on this epic ride.

.....

The roller coaster ride started with Cornwall and Devon nearly finishing KH before he'd even warmed up making him wonder whether one B Leedham ("England is fairly flat") has ever owned a working spirit level!

The midlands provided a brief but scenic look at the Welsh border regions before we spent time dodging motorways and generally getting lost in the midlands with Henleys GPS only succesful on one occassion getting us from the b&b 50metres to the main road

The peak district and dales brought spectacular scenery and hills that were nearly impossible to walk let alone ride particularly in the wet weather which at this stage was becoming all too frequent.

Cycling into Scotland finally brought the sun (you know the climate is screwed when you have to rely on Scotland for fine weather) and to date the best cycling youll find in the UK

Ireland showed us how friendly can be, why the Isle is famed for its scenery and how you can turn into a pisshead without really trying

We've met unique people along the way including a person who worked with David Attenborough, the owner of a palatial building designed 100 years ago to house cows and an inebriated man who wanted to punch KHs lights out for simply being Australian - can't blame him

We've taken in culture and history - a folk festival
In Priddy (Henley didn't go), Hadrians Wall (who's he said KH) and Dartmouth Naval College (Kev slept through it)

We've been thrown out of (well i should say KH has been) St.Pails, Clifdon Bridge in Bristol and yes even Tesco!

Finally we've cycled high speed main roads, country lanes with the real danger of meeting a
combine harvester coming the other way,forest trails with log trucks, rail trails that would have been smoother if they'd left the rail tracks in and off road paths including a bridle path that was better suited to mules!

A week to go and some great cycling still to be had!!!

Day 29 - Lochgilphead to Oban - 85 kms

England for history Ireland for it's friendly people but there's no doubt in my mind that Scotland is the pick for cycling with it's vast open spaces and spectacular scenery.

The clearing sea mist signalled the beginning of a sunny day as we departed Lochgilphead - Henley though first accosted the local bike shop owner as he walked in the door asking him to reset his bike computer after refusing to believe for 4weeks that his tyre circumference was wrong and then refusing to follow the on line instructions - they could be wrong said Henley even though I pointed out to him it was the manufacturers instructions !

On the beautiful Crinan Canal

The early part if the ride was alongside the incredible Crinan canal another Telford inspired design that allowed commercial shipping to go from
one side of Scotland to the other

The ride then headed inland past
neolithic tombs and stone circles circa 3000BC which in Kevs words was "bloody old". In one tomb we clambered into hoping the modern retractable ceiling wouldn't stay locked - this was eerie to say the least!

We tackled the first of our 5 significant climbs that on our bike map looked almost perpendicular - while 20% in part it was
mercifully short. An undulating ride gave us great views of Loch Awe on a perfect day. We stopped for lunch at Dalavitch on Loch Awesome shore and spent most of lunch talking to it's owners who were from Perth.

The remainder of the ride was sensational with winding single lane roads giving us great views
of some amazing mtn scenery although the threat of getting cleaned up by speeding log trucks put a damper on our enjoyment

The descent into bustling Oban provided for great harbor views and to top off a perfect day we sat by the shore listening to school massed pipes playing

With Henleys recalibrated odo he has now officially past 2000 kms and the way i figure an equal amount of kilowats of wind !

With the weather holding we have a 7 hour ferry trip tommorrow to Barra in the Outer Hebrides for 4 days riding in what will either be heaven or he'll!