Day 9 Biggar to Balerno

Well here we are for the last instalment of the Door 2 Door 2017 cycle blog.
Thanks for sticking with us B Road Fans.

Again I find myself putting in this post retrospectively. The days are just not long enough :0)

Here is a link to the days route video

Well the Day started VERY early with the tap tap tapping of the swan attacking Alex's car again at 04:30am. I was out of my tent like a bleary eyed slug. We still had the stick Alex had brought back the night before. With Shoes on my hands and the stick I was able to "persuade" the swan to naff of back to the water. It was not impressed and hung around the waters edge for a while to see if I would go back to bed. After 10mins it lost interest and I DID go back to bed.

The mad swan

Well at about 7am we were all up and and raring to go and get the last day over and done with. We had decided not to carry lunch but to pedal hard and make it to the end by lunch.

We took the tents down and sat on the benches and had our last breakfast, for this trip, while Alex fed the ducks the left over bread. Well until the swans came over for the food.

Tents going down dry for once.

Time for a relaxed breakfast

We liked the ducks

With almost all out kit put in Alex's car we set off through Biggar. It turn out to be the towns Gala day and some of the floats were very impressive. Bit sad I did not stop for any pictures. The one of the Egyptian Sphinx was very impressive

The route we were travelling was a relativity short 25.3 miles but very up and down so not super quick.

For the first seven or eight miles we had the wind in our faces but when we turned north east the breeze was on our backs.

The SUN, yes sun, was out and we were loving it. 

Just as we started to turn NE. This flat section was just after a good down hill section.

You can see the edge of the clouds burning back

Selfie of the day. Bobby is still smiling :0)

The miles soon dropped away and were were making great time. We had thought we would get there in about 2.5 hours but with that bit of wind behind us we were doing really well

This is a view I often see when I am out training. Its nice to have it as part of a ride.

The long down hill in to Edinburgh.

From whence we came

Ready to ride the last bit.

We arrived AT 11:40.  A good 20mins early. We had peddled hard and it showed. What also showed was that fact that the sun was out. We had caught the sun for the first time on the trip. Ironic eh!

That's a different type of burn

Unfortunately we did not take a photo on our arrival but just got some juice and relaxed for 20mins. Then just time for a shower before the ladies arrived back from shopping.

Well we deserved a wee sup of the beer we had bought at Broughton Brewery the day before. The job is done.

Then maybe a wee snooze

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Over all we have cycled

Current (20-June-2017) money raised for Dementia UK: £705

Its now 18-May-2018 and I am revisiting the blogs in readiness for the 2018 trip. The final amount raise for the 2017 trip is £860.

A Huge thank you to you all for your support on our trip.

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Well that's it for the Door 2 Door cycle 2017. Thanks for reading

Day 8 Moffat to Biggar

Helloo B Road Fans.
Well I am guilty if writing this blog retrospectively.
On the day there was no Wifi and No Laptop to write up the blog.

Here is the link to the days route video

We woke with aches and pains , due to the great dampness that had seeped through our tents over night.
The position we had been assigned on the campsite turned out to be the low point of the field so all the water collected there and it has rained a lot over night.
It was still drizzling while we packed away our sodden tents and kit. Thankfully we all had dry bags for out kit. Which for once was working in reverse, keeping the wet in lol
Chose to have breakfast after putting the tents away due to the 6mtr rule. If cooking the tents must be 6mtrs apart.

Bobbies table and chairs coming in useful again

Car stuffed 

Even the bunnies were out for breakfast

The start of the days ride was the LONG Devils Beef Tub hill climb, Voted 5th place in the Guardian "Britain's top 10 cycle climbs". This climb is. 6.7 miles to be exact. A climb of 1010 feet.

Not as high as the Shap climb on day 4 by a long way (1580 feet) but a long continuous slog. The views as we ascended the hill were tremendous looking back down the valley to Moffat.
The climb took us just under the hour (59:26) which accouring to Strava puts us 2365 out of 2452 people to have done this, whth the record being 20:14, mega quick

third of the way up looking back

Third of the way up Bobby finally over headed and had to take of a few layers

2/3 of the way up and the vey was at its best on a dodgy bend in the road

The plaque at the top talking of  The Eternal Friendship...

We both needed drink at the top but the temperature had dropped

On the way up the hill we passed a young couple who were in the uk on holiday. They has cycled from London and there end point was Edinburgh. That's some holiday.

A few hundred yards on from the summit, there is a memorial to two postal workers who died at that spot trying to deliver the mail in a blizzard.
This is known as the "Postie Stone"

"NEAR THE HEAD OF THIS BURN 

ON 1st FEB 1831

JAMES McGEORGE, Guard

And JOHN GOODFELLOW, Driver

OF THE DUMFRIES AND EDINBURGH MAIL

LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE SNOW

AFTER CARRYING THE BAGS THUS FAR.

Erected 1931"

More reading here

The soon after starting the decent we came to the Scottish Border

And straight after that we fopund the source of the river Tweed

The long uphill of the devils beef tub was more than matched by the super long down hill we enjoyed following the river tweed down the valley, all 13.1 miles or downhill before meeting the next uphill section. Bliss

it just went on and on :0)

We pulled over in to a layby for a spot of lunch, in the rain yet again. We were not meeting Alex for lunch today.

Kettle brewing. Warm drink helps shake off the rain blues.

We carried on a few more miles before the drizzle turned to proper rain and we stopped under some trees to get our water proofs on yet again.

Rain coming down the valley

Well we cycled on until we came to the town of Broughton. Alex contacted us to say he was going to be late arriving at the campsite. This gave me an idea. On the down to the start of the cycle on the Friday before we had passed

Now there's a sign to draw in the thirsty cyclist

We decided to have a look around the Broughton Brewery.
We arrived at just the right time as it happened. The brewery owner, Dave, was there sampling a new beer that were creating for the Glasgow brewing show the next week. We were asked to give out professional opinion. It was good but had a taste of grapefruit.
Dave then took us on a personal tour of the brewery and explained the process and the machinery used.

Proud of there very reliable milling machine 

Makers plate. Did themselves out of business
by not building in obsolescence

Thew open top brewing vats

Just a wee bit of the stock

All the beers they brew and have brewed

Gates with History.
Frame a brewery near Hollyrood

The wee shop

Now we may have sampled a few beers and then bought a few more but that would be telling. Needless to say the remaining 5 miles passed quite pleasantly.

Lovely lone tree

Look MORE rain on the way. Oh Joy :0(

Finally in Lanakshire

We arrived in the campsite which on first impressions was really nice. We did wonder why we had to have a key for the loos.

We tried to use the wind to dry the ground sheets but that not working in the drizzle

Tents up we went for showers. We found out why we needed keys. You don't want just anyone walking in to something that BAD! and we had to pay for the shower.

The loos and showers really let the Biggar campsite down

Another ting to be afraid of are the Swans. Alex was in his car and they attacked the car and even dented it. They are very aggressive, especially with the signets

After our showers we went to the Crown Inn in Biggar as recommended by Dave at Broughton Brewery.

VERY good recommendation. Good beer (oddly ;0)), good food and good service.

Stowaway Black pudding scone

Well after wandering back it was time to bed BUT not before the swans scarred the living daylights out of Alex as they came round his car for an attack. Luckily Alex had come prepared with a big stick to ward them off

We had to wait for them to settle down to sleep before going to bed ourselves.

It was a good day over all :0)