Chopper JOGLE companions please?

[Mick F]

A few of our number have suggested they could meet up with me for a few miles on my ride south. They are dotted about in a few different threads, so if people could re-volunteer here, I can get my act together to keep track!

My itinerary is as follows. I'll be leaving each day as soon as I can - perhaps 8ish and travelling at about 8mph average speed. Obviously I'll be riding faster than that when I can, but hills and even gentle slopes slow me up terribly. I'll stop for a quick lunch somewhere and aim to get to the day's destination at tea-time though one or two legs are a bit long so it may be early evening.

Thursday 13th May - Wick Airport to JOG and back to Wick leaving Wick Airport at 12ish. 16 miles each way.
Friday 14th May - Wick to Golspie. 51miles
Saturday 15th May - Golspie to Inverness. 53miles
Sunday 16th May - Inverness to Pitlochry. 88miles
Monday 17th May - Pitlochry to Edinburgh. 72miles
Tuesday 18th May - day off
Wednesday 19th May - Edinburgh to Beattock. 63miles
Thursday 20th May - Beattock to Penrith. 58miles
Friday 21st May - Penrith to Leyland. 79miles
Saturday 22nd May - Leyland to Wrexham. 60miles
Sunday 23rd May - day off
Monday 24th May - Wrexham to Ludlow. 58miles
Tuesday 25th May - Ludlow to Gloucester. 48miles
Wednesday 26th May - Gloucester to Bridgwater. 66miles
Thursday 27th May - Bridgwater to Okehampton. 71miles
Friday 28th May - day off
Saturday 29th May - Okehampton to St Columb Major. 51miles
Sunday 30th May - St Columb Major to LE. 49miles

If you PM me I can give an email address and my mobile number. (Don't call the mobile, send a text please, as when I'm cycling I won't stop to answer it!)

I'll be taking this laptop with me, as many places I'm staying have WiFi. I'll be updating my blog, and even checking into this forum, as and when I can.

Any takers?

[alans]

Depending on work commitments I may be able to accompany you on Monday 24th for part of the Wrexham/Ludlow journey.Would know for sure on Friday 21st & could send you a text.

[mattraisin]

Will hopefully be available for Inverness to Pitolchry leg.

[mill4six]

I'd like to meet you near Bristol, Will have to swap a day at work but that isn't usually a problem. Fingers crossed! Simon

[Si]

Depending on work commitments I may be able to accompany you on Monday 24th for part of the Wrexham/Ludlow journey.Would know for sure on Friday 21st & could send you a text.

I, too, might be able to make the ride into Ludlow on the 24th and out on the 25th if I'm healthy! Will PM when I workout what my mobile is.

Be nice to see you again Alan - haven't seen you since you disappeared over a hill with DocSquid on the back of your tandem (he says assuming you ae the same AlanS )

[alans]

Be nice to see you again Alan - haven't seen you since you disappeared over a hill with DocSquid on the back of your tandem (he says assuming you ae the same AlanS )

I thought the same thing about you Si when I read your reply.
Yes,the same alans.I still have the tandem but left DocSquid in Tamworth
just finishing packing,off to Cornwall ina couple of hours.
apologies to Mick for thread hijack.

[Mick F]

..... apologies to Mick for thread hijack.

That's ok!
Email received - thanks!

Taking notes so far to keep track, so thanks to people. I'll try to keep you informed and perhaps I can get Mrs Mick F to post on here in my absence. She's registered as "Burscough Girl." memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1647

[Gearoidmuar]

Mick, why are you doing this??

It is an undertaking which reminds me of an answer I got from an English friend of mine, noted for his wit, some years ago.
When he was about 17 he walked across Iceland.
I asked him how I should set about doing it, as I fancied the idea.
His answer went something like this.
"You go to Reyjavik and look up a chap called Gunnar Johannsson. He will take you to the edge of the Thingyvjall Plateau and off you go. At the end of the first day it will occur to you that you've made a terrible mistake!
(Place and chap's name are fictitious, as I can't remember them)
I think you need to "misplace" the chopper, but not in the London sense of the word..

[Edwards]

Mick I would love to ride with you for either the Wrexam Ludlow or Ludlow on. But I would need to know if you intend to use main roads. This could be a problem for me.
Do you have a link to a map please.

[Mick F]

http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course. ... rse=124769
http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course. ... rse=124771
As you can see, the routes are on the main roads. A49 is ok as a cycling road in my experience.

I find that main roads are never a problem to me, especially with a trailer!

I don't have the time to ride off onto smaller roads as I want a direct/shortest route, also hills will be my biggest enemy.

I'd be delighted to meet you if you can ride with me.

[Colin63]

I'll be setting out north from Lancaster on the 21st Mick, and will probably join you somewhere on the A6 in the Heversham/Levens area to ride about 20 miles of your route. Day off work is booked.

[ferrit worrier]

Hi Mick

I hope to catch up with you somewhere north of Chester for a few miles.

Malc

[Mick F]

Thank you both Colin and Malc and for your PMs as well.
My smiley face is genuine.


I was out today for a 30 mile ride over and into the Cornish Alps, and on my way back I met "dkmwt" Donald. We had a chat and he gave my 'equipment' a good looking at! He was impressed, to say the least. If people can remember, he and Ben Lovejoy rode their Ice Trikes from Le to Jog last year.
viewtopic.php?f=24&t=14625

Any road up, my ride was successful and to be honest, sort of easy. I hesitate to say "easy" but 30 miles on a normal bike is easy enough and on a Chopper it is hard, but I seem to be getting used to this Beast as well as a 40lb concrete block.

Smiley face again.

[dkmwt]

Hi Mick.
I'd would have liked to join you at Okehampton on the Saturday as it's the first day of a week off. Then I remembered what I have planned, I have a week to strip, respray and rebuild my trike to go back to work on the 7th June.

[Mick F]

Oh well. Never mind, Donald.

Great to see you the other day BTW. Quite unexpected!

For the record, I was riding out on Sunday, and took a quieter road home for the last few miles. I would have normally come out onto the A390 and headed towards Gunnislake. I was a little ahead of schedule to arrive at the Rising Sun for a beer or three, so took a by-road to take my time and saw Donald.