Yes, today was another tough one, the first few miles to Warrington were generally down hill but as I headed towards Frodsham the hills started to appear. None of them were that significant on their own but they kept coming, lots of them, then some more, followed by even more.

I left Bolton to an overcast but dry sky, but 5 miles later I was stopping, being very careful not to fall off, to swap my cycling jumper for my waterproof top. It remained very warm but also very wet, however within 45 minutes it had stopped raining, my top had dried out and I stopped again to remove it.

By the time I reached Frodsham the sun was shining. I had passed through Frodsham on one of my, very wet, training trips to Chester, but I was now taking a different route, south towards Whitchurch.

My route didn't actually take me through Whitchurch, in fact I didn't go through any large towns after Warrington, but followed a series of minor, largely traffic free, roads to my destination.

Just short of todays half way point I reached Tarporley where I had planned to stop for lunch. I consumed lunch sat on a bench adjacent to the church in the centre of the town, eating my self prepared sandwiches. A man walking with his grandson stopped to chat, departing with the words "rather you than me".

I felt slightly fatigued as I approached Tarporley and was glad to have a break, I hoped that lunch would reinvigorate me but as I set off I didn't feel any better.

With over 40 miles still to go those dreaded frogs were being collected by the hidden bucket throwers, so I used every trick I know to ward them off: Concentrate on just the next 10 miles, select low gears earlier, stop for a short break if necessary and at least every 10 miles, drink often and enjoy the down-hill sections without peddling.

By the time I reached Elsemere the tricks were working, just, so I pulled my final trick out of the bag ..... stop for a cup of coffee and a cake.

Upon entering the 1st cafe I saw, a lady, who was sat near the door, spotted the sign on my bike, she enquired about my journey before passing me some cash for the charity.

After consuming coffee and cake, but still feeling like an icecream (I wanted one, I didn't feel like one), I set off slowly to look for a suitable vendor. Icecream purchased and consumed, I set off for the last leg of todays journey.

Elsemere is only a small town, not somewhere you can get lost, but I got lost.

I set off in the direction I thought was right, following my satnav, but after 500 yards I started to recognise places and before today I had never been to Elsemere in my life.

So I turned round, rode back into Elsemere, past the cafe where I'd stopped, saw lady who made donation walking down street and hoped she wouldn't see me. I spotted a few people sat on benches who had seen me the 1st time round, and I took another road in the opposite direction to my initial choice.

Unfortunately this lead to the local Tesco store ...... and nowhere else!

I had to turn around and go back, I looked everywhere for an escape route which would avoid me passing people sat on benches or donation lady, but there were none although wading through the stream was tempting.

So, it was back past bench sitters, I saw donation lady again but fortunately she was just entering a shop, there weren't many options but I spotted what could be the only possible route to take.

Unfortunately this was a 'one way' road ..... in the opposite direction!

Another cycling trick was desperately needed .... get off and push bike :-).

I tried to walk confidently as though I knew where I was going and as soon as I got past the bench sitters I walked swiftly to the end of the short one way road then got back on my bike, finally having stumbled across the correct route. At least the last 15 minutes had taken my mind off the fatigue and I rode the last 17 miles or so with renewed energy.

I have based my whole route on the one in a book I purchased last October, I have tweaked sections of the route to fulfill some of the places I wanted to visit (e.g. Glencoe), but todays route was verbatim except for the last couple of miles to my accomodation. So I can't understand why Elsemere was so difficult to negotiate and why, when it said in the book that todays ride would be easy, that it was so tough. If any cyclists are thinking of doing a JOGLE and want to check it out, the book is called 'Cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats'.

Off to the 'book' town tomorrow, Hay on Wye. Looking at the profile of the route it is uphill almost straight away, for about 15 miles, but is then on a downward trend until Hay on Wye, nice! I bet I pay for it on Wednesday.

P.S. There is no 3G signal around Criggion but the landlady in the Fir Tree, at Crew Green, has kindly allowed me to log-on to her WiFi. She serves a belting pint of real ale too.

Statistics

Distance cycled:            82 miles                  Total distance cycled since start:        655 miles

Average speed:              14 mph

Maximum speed:         37 mph

Average heart rate:      132 bpm

Maximum heart rate:  161 bpm

Motorist watch (Quantity)

Considerate motorists         (The good):         100’s

Inconsiderate motorists    (The bad):            3

Lunatic motorists                (The ugly):            1

The 1st of the trip (An idiot passenger in a flat-back van shouting obscenities as they drove past).

Scores (out of 100)

Scenery:                    70

Road surfaces:       75

Weather:                  70

80p in every £1 you donate goes directly towards Cancer Research UK’s work to beat cancer.

£22 equips a Cancer Research UK scientist with a lab coat and a pair of safety goggles – basic tools that protect the scientist against harmful chemicals and help ensure a safe environment for our research.

Today I've been cycling on roads very similar to the 2nd half of yesterday, small, traffic free 'B' roads with just the occasional and brief foray onto 'A' roads. There were numerous junctions to negotiate and if it wasn't for my satnav the journey would have taken twice as long.

As predicted, the first 15 miles involved a steady climb up to almost 1100 feet followed by lots of flat and downhill sections. There were however lots of uphill sections too, some were quite long, the ocassional one was steep, but they were never long and steep.

My route twisted and turned across the Welsh/English border, I actually 'crossed the border' yesterday but was unaware of it, although place names containing lots of 'l's should have given the game away.

Large farm meadow's laden with ripe crops, sparrow's darting in and out of the hedgerows and Buzard's circling high above were the order of the day.

So far I haven't met any people with Welsh accent's with the exception of a gentleman who spoke to me in Welsh when I arrived in Hay on Wye; drawing on my fine command of the language, I said nothing.

I then ventured to find my accomodation, The Bridge B&B, I easily found the bridge (the steel structure carrying traffic high above the river Wye) but couldn't see the B&B. So I continued across the bridge and there, immediately on the left was 'The Riverside B&B. Maybe they had re-named it, so I ventured down the steep gravel path to the entrance, where I was met by the owner. "I might have come to the wrong place" I said, explaining where I was looking for. "You have" he replied, "The Bridge is the 1st on the right on the other side of the bridge". I said "thank you", he then enquired about my journey and after I replied he wished me luck as I bid him farewell.

Back over the bridge and I still couldn't find my accomodation. After twice going up and down the short street I finally spotted a tiny sign in the window, which was 3 feet below pavement level.

Having leant my bike against the railings I negotiated the steep steps to the door and pressed the bell .... no answer. I tried again with the same result.

There was a notice on the door which read 'if their is no reply, ring this number'. I retrieved my mobile phone from my bag but, as per the majority of today, there was no signal.

I then decided to ride into the town to see if I could get a signal; when I stopped there was still no signal but a passing lady asked if I was really cycling from JOG to LE. Having confirmed that I was she asked about the charity and I told her about my website, I then explained my predicament, "are you with O2" she asked, "yes I said", "the only place you can get a signal is up on the car park" she said. "Come with me, i'll ask in this book shop if you can use their phone". Having done as she promised, she left wishing me luck.

The shop assistant enquired about my charity then said "feel free to use the phone", unfortunately at that precise moment and with the timing of the penultimate train leaving Kendal, one of my contact lenses slid out of position.

As much as I tried to coerce it back into position, or squint to read the number, I simply could not.

Having asked the book shop assistant to read and dial the number for me, I was handed the phone only to hear the sound of an answer phone.

After 68 miles of Welsh and English tarmac all I wanted was to gain entry into my pre-booked accomodation.

I left a message stating that it was no use ringing me on my mobile as there was no signal and that I wouldn't be hanging around in the bookshop for a return call and how I was desperately in need of a shower after pedaling for nearly 5 hours.

Having thanked the shop assistant I returned to the B&B. Once there I wondered if they had 'gone bust', after all it is not uncommon these days, so my concerns were not unfounded.

There was another notice on the door, below the tel. No., which requested any deliveries to be taken next door if there wad no answer. So, next door I went, where I found a very pleasant lady who was more than understanding and seemed well versed in dealing with my situation. Without further ado she opened the door of the B&B, showed me to my room and explained the layout and workings of the B&B.

Oh well, at last I was 'in' and soon to be showered and returned to a 'civilian', and as it turned out, when the owners arrived, not long later, they were actually very nice people and I had a pleasant stay at their B&B.

Tomorrow is my longest planned route, 88 miles, although judging by the actual miles I have already travelled, that is likely to he exceeded. I will however have the option of shortening my route slightly and avoiding a significant hill (to the top of Cheddar gorge); I will delay that decision until as late as possible tomorrow.

Statistics

Distance cycled:           68 miles                  Total distance cycled since start:        723 miles

Average speed:            13 mph

Maximum speed:         32 mph

Average heart rate:     125 bpm

Maximum heart rate:  154 bpm

Motorist watch (Quantity)

Considerate motorists         (The good):       Dozen’s

Inconsiderate motorists      (The bad):         3

Lunatic motorists                 (The ugly):        0

Scores (out of 100)

Scenery:                  70

Road surfaces:       72

Weather:                 70

£1,000 covers the cost of one patient on a Cancer Research UK clinical trial aiming to improve recovery for bowel cancer patients after surgery.

£867 funds one Cancer

Research UK cancer information nurse for one week – providing a confidential service for anyone with questions or concerns about cancer. (You can talk to one of their cancer information nurses on 0808 8004040).

 When I checked out of the B&B this morning, the owner knocked £5 off the bill and asked me to donate it to the charity, very nice of him, thank you.

Within half a mile of setting off I had started to climb a hill. it was a hill that I knew was on my itinerary and that it would be a significant climb. What I didn't know was the severity of it, it was steep, very steep, it was also long, very long.

When I cycled over Kirkstone pass on Friday I thought that would be the worst hill I would encounter. I was wrong, this hill was worse, I had cycled 6 miles from the B&B before I reached the summit which was at a height of over 1700 feet.

It was very scenic up there but the lactic acid surging through my legs had the effect of nullifying any pleasure. At this point cycling to the top of Cheddar gorge at the end of todays ride was not looking likely. There was an upside though, an 11 mile downhill ride through scenery very reminiscent of the lake district.

Unfortunately, at the bottom of the hill was the inevitable uphill, another steep and long hill, then a swift descent ..... followed by another steep and long hill, and so it went on, for a further 35 miles!

These weren't any old hills, they were monstrous hills, where you had to get out of the saddle and climb up and down on your pedals whilst barely moving fast enough to stay upright. I was praying for some normal hills and some flat sections, this wasn't cycling it was mountaineering!

35 miles from the start I stopped for an energy bar and drink and at that point, with over 50 miles still to go, Cheddar gorge was definitely off the agenda.

As 50 miles approached, about the half way point for today, I crested yet another hill and could see the Severn bridge in the distance, at least that was a psychological milestone. A long down hill and yet another steep uphill later and I arrived at the bridge, which was well signposted for cyclists.

In all the time spent planning this + the last 10 days cycling, I never once thought I would fail to reach Land's End, except as a consequence of an injury, but after the last 50 miles I did wonder if I might fail.

Onto the bridge, which has a 3 metre wide path running alongside the motorway, separated by barriers, then off towards England. I stopped for a photo on the bridge and you can feel it bouncing, significantly, as the traffic thunders over it.

Arriving on the England side of the bridge there is then a 10 mile ride, on roads busy with HGV's and with heavy industrial factories either side, but the road was flat, or had a gentle incline, so I didn't care about the traffic I was so relieved to be 'cycling'.

The next obstacle was the Avonmouth bridge, a similar arrangement to the Severn but this is alongside the M5 and the signposts for cyclists are non-existent.

Having ridden twice around a very large and busy roundabout I stopped to ask someone directions, the guidance I received was very clear and precise so I was okay but there must be cyclists who head down the slip-road to the M5 the layout and lack of signs is that confusing.

At the other side of this bridge I was looking for somewhere to eat and refill my now empty drink bottle. The day started to improve as there was a welcoming pub immediately I escaped the clutches of the bridge.

Wiltshire ham sandwiches and a pint of orange consumed in the pubs beer garden, followed by the refilling of my bottle and I was off again. Thankfully on normal roads where you don't need crampons and ropes, towards Portishead then Clevedon.

The remaining miles weren't now looking quite as daunting and I must have got a push from Nat and Marc as I was suddenly in the zone again, motoring along up a gentle incline at 19 mph.

I was rapidly heading towards decision time for which way to go, left and up to the top of Cheddar gorge as planned, or right on a shorter and flatter route to Cheddar.

The sun was shining, as it had for most of the day, and the long route was only around 17 miles in length, how difficult could the climb be after all the hills I had climbed today? So I went in the direction of the gorge.

There were a couple of short tough sections but the vast majority was comfortable. So I eventually got to ride down the gorge and arrived at my accomodation in Cheddar around 6.30 pm, shattered but undefeated.

Today I cycled the most miles in one day, on the toughest route (I hope) of the whole trip, poor planning with a capital T.

Due to all the great weather I've had I'm now sporting a stupid tan, that all cyclists are prone to; brown arms (on one side), brown legs from the middle of the knees to the bottom of the shorts line + a sunburnt nose!

My body has been complaining since I started, along the line's of:

This weeks ride was a bit tougher than usual.

Hang on a minute, we went for a ride yesterday, why are we doing it again today?

3 days on the trot! Do you know how old we.are?

This is ridiculous, if you try this again tomorrow, go without me and see how far you'll get.

It's okay for you, I have to do all the work, you just send instructions.

If this goes on for much longer I'm going to make us fall off and land on our head.

Ah, at last it's over.

You've got to he joking, one day off and we're at it again.

Have you seen the tan you've given us?

That's it, after today's farce I'm on strike!

Statistics

Distance cycled:            91 miles                  Total distance cycled since start:        814 miles

Average speed:             12 mph

Maximum speed:         44 mph

Average heart rate:      129 bpm

Maximum heart rate:   159 bpm

Motorist watch (Quantity)

Considerate motorists  (The good):        Dozen’s

Inconsiderate motorists (The bad):        1

Lunatic motorists             (The ugly):       0

Scores (out of 100)

Scenery:                 88

Road surfaces:       70

Weather:                 90

£2,979 covers the basic costs for one patient to take part in a Cancer Research UK trial to improve treatment for a type of head and neck cancer. The trial is exploring whether a new way of delivering radiotherapy can help reduce hearing loss, which is a common side effect of treatment.

£94 covers the cost for one woman to take part in a Cancer Research UK clinical trial aiming to improve survival for post-menopausal women with early-stage breast cancer.

 When I sat having breakfast this morning the sound of the rain on the roof of the conservatory was deafening. By the time I set off at around 9.30 am it had slackened to a torential downpour. This was to be a geriatric morning (wet and windy).

Unlike yesterday, I had a few miles to warm up before the first hill arrived, which was a comfortable ascent, however descending the other side at around 32 mph the rain was stinging my face and forcing my eyes closed like a constipated China-man.

An hour later and the rain had eased to a steady shower. My expensive and high tech. 'waterproof' jacket, which is supposed to let sweat moisture out and stop rain coming in, was collecting rainwater at the bottom of each sleeve so that whenever I rode over a pothole the collected 'cold' water would splash up onto my wrists. I wondered if I'd put it on inside-out.

Another hour later and the rain had stopped with the sun threatening to show up and by 11.30 am I had reached Taunton, today's halfway point.

Not feeling particularly hungry but wanting something warming after the cold, rain soaked morning, I found a cafe (Cafe Culture, in the main pedestrian area) and ordered soup and a coffee. Whilst consuming the delicious soup the cafe staff noticed the sign on my bike and later came to me with a £5 cash donation to the charity. Thanks very much to them.

I then carried on, inextricably heading south towards the 'end of the land'. I criss-crossed the M5 that many times I lost count, the roads I was riding along were mainly small 'B' roads and unclassified tracks, with the odd brief spell on 'A' roads, cycling through lots of sleepy hamlets.

For most of the morning the scenery was obscured by the grey, low cloud but as the afternoon wore on the weather brightened considerably along with the views and by the time I passed through Wellington the sun was shining strongly.

Upon arriving in Cullompton I stopped for the now regularly occurring coffee and cake, to see me through the last 16 miles or so.

I had a head-wind all day today that got stronger as the day progressed, but compared to yesterday this was easy, I don't think I've fully recovered from that yet!

Only 2 days to go now and tomorrow will see my arrival at the coast. My 'in-laws', John, Marie and Sean are in Cornwall on holiday and we have arranged to meet up in Padstow, tomorrow's destination, for a meal together.

I know the terrain is going to be hilly for the remaining 2 days but at least the mileage each day is reasonable (less than 70).

Onwards and downwards!

Statistics

Distance cycled:             69 miles                  Total distance cycled since start:           883 miles

Average speed:               12 mph

Maximum speed:           34 mph

Average heart rate:      123 bpm

Maximum heart rate:   154 bpm

Motorist watch (Quantity)

Considerate motorists  (The good):        Dozen’s

Inconsiderate motorists (The bad):          1

Lunatic motorists             (The ugly):          0

Scores (out of 100)

Scenery:                   65

Road surfaces:       74

Weather:                 40

£20,000 covers the costs for around one year of a Cancer Research UK lab project looking at a type of children’s cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. The study aims to identify molecules involved in tumour growth, and could lead to more children surviving the disease in future.

 Who'd have thunk it, there's a chance I might just do this thing.

All through this trip I've upheld a self-imposed curry ban, I'm sure I don't need to go into the reasons why, well last night I broke the ban. In for a penny, in for a pound, if I can cope with the Herefordshire and Devon hills, a curry will be no problem.

I set off this morning in really warm sunshine and headed straight for the bike shop in Crediton to ask if they would donate some oil to my chain, which had started squeaking slightly after yesterday’s rain.

They were only too happy to help and as the bike shop man was applying the oil 2 more cyclists arrived who explained they were doing a LEJOG, they were father and son and the son's chain had snapped as they were cycling over Bodmin moor. They'd re-joined the chain but were now having gear problems, hence their arrival at the bike shop.

With my chain freshly oiled and squeak free, I chatted with the father as his son's bike was being attended to and learnt that they had already completed 2 LEJOG's together and that the father was originally from Bolton!

Recommencing my ride I was soon climbing the inevitable first hill, the roads and terrain were very similar to yesterdays. I skirted around Dartmoor as I headed for Okehampton and as the day wore on the early warm sunshine turned cooler and the 2nd layer had to be retrieved, it wasn't much later than I entered Launceston, a quaint and busy little town, built at the top of a hill (where else is there to build in these parts?), and the very last county, Cornwall.

I had soup and coffee in a little café in Launceston and when I restarted cycling I missed the junction my satnav was indicating, but rather than double back I continued along this unplanned route. I was going in generally the right direction but was soon a few miles away from my planned route. It was over 10 miles before I re-joined it and who knows if that was shorter, flatter or more scenic but on my route I was flagged down by a lady who had obviously passed me and then parked up ahead of me. She was with some young children and a young girl handed me some cash for the charity when I pulled up. Thanks very much.

A few miles further and I was being flagged down again, this time by a young lad, his mother was driving and it looked like there was a young child in the back of the car. I was given some money for the charity and also half a packet of mints for myself, probably from the child in the car. Thank you very much, especially for the mints; I shall eat them tomorrow when they will boost my energy levels to see me over the finish line.

 It was then around Bodmin moor, briefly onto the fast and busy A39, before turning west towards Tintagel, Port Isaac and finally Rock.

Rock is a little place on the east side of Padstow bay and is where I caught the passenger (and bike) ferry to Padstow. The ticket collector waived the fare because my trip was for charity, then whilst pushing my bike along the beach towards Padstow a couple gave me some cash for the charity, thanks to them all.

I then met up with John, Marie and Sean and after showering and changing we went for a meal together in Padstow.

So, one day to go, the last 2 weeks have flown by. I know it will be another hilly day tomorrow but a long rest will soon follow. The predicted mileage tomorrow is 64 but that will probably equate to 67 or 70 as all the other days have been greater than predicted. I'm aiming to get to St. Ives for lunch tomorrow, before completing the trip to Land's End.

I'm also staying in St. Ives for 2 nights from tomorrow, so when I reach Land's End I have another 18 - 20 miles to cycle, and with this in mind when I get to St. Ives at lunchtime I'm going to drop my panniers off at the B&B to save me carting them 40 unnecessary miles.

If anyone is down here on Saturday, come and say hi.

Statistics

Distance cycled:           73 miles                  Total distance cycled since start:        956 miles

Average speed:             12 mph

Maximum speed:          ? mph

(Surely not 71 mph)

Average heart rate:     127 bpm

Maximum heart rate: 152 bpm

Motorist watch (Quantity)

Considerate motorists  (The good):        Dozen’s

Inconsiderate motorists (The bad):        2

Lunatic motorists         (The ugly):           0

Scores (out of 100)

Scenery:                  68

Road surfaces:      69

Weather:                 70

 £4,000 could buy a -80°C freezer for Cancer Research UK, essential for the long-term storage of biological samples that provide the vital raw material for their research.

6th August 2011. 4.30 pm -

I'm finished and absolutely blogered.

 Well, I made it but only just

 - what a day!

There was a steep hill to ascend as soon as I turned onto the road from the hotel and that proved to be a taste of things to come.

I have read other cyclists blog's about how difficult the Devon, and particularly Cornish, hills are to tackle, and having been on holiday here more than a dozen times, I knew what to expect.

Knowing what to expect doesn't make them any easier of course and having now experienced them with my own lactic acid, I can confirm that their reputation is more than deserved.

As well as the terrain my energy levels really weren't very high today, so after just 5 miles, with 60 still to go, I knew this would be a challenging day. After 6 miles my chain came off, it was swiftly re-fitted but just 2 miles later it came off again. Nearly 1000 miles without the chain coming off, then it happens twice within 2 miles. Maybe the bike wasn't feeling at its best either.

The miles really were dragging and the end seemed impossibly far away + I then had to ride another 18 - 20 miles to get back to my accomodation in St. Ives.

I stopped in one of the many valleys, at Portreath for a sandwich and a drink, staring at the huge and very steep ascent that was on the agenda immediately after lunch.

After strugling to finish my sandwich I then struggled to climb the hill. There was also an increasingly strong headwind to contend with.

At the top of one of the hills a man, stood next to his motorhome, was waving at me to stop. When I did he gave me £5 and said his wife had seen me in the newspaper (fame at last), so they were obviously from, or near, Bolton, anyway their donation was gratefully received and will be forwarded to Cancer Research UK, along with all the other donations I have received as I have been touring the UK.

I was looking forward to getting to St. Ives to leave my panniers at the B&B but the miles seemed to be passing so very slowly but I eventually arrived in Hale and new St. Ives wasn't too much further.

After a nice descent and tricky ride through pedestrian filled streets I arrived at the B&B to unload my bags. A couple of miles and a few hundred feet higher the remaining miles, around 17, at last seemed achievable.

When I reached St. Just, which is approx. 6 miles from Land's End, I saw there was a CO-OP so I took the opportunity to purchase some Fanta to replenish my virtually empty drink bottle. As I was about to enter the store a man and his wife stopped me to give me some cash for the charity saying that he had attempted a LEJOG once but only got as far as Edinburgh then had to give up due to the atrocious weather conditions. Thank you for the donation.

In the shop I purchased 2 bottles of Fanta and a Magnum icecream for a celebratory snack.

It was around 4.10 pm and I was a little concerned about what time the sign post man would pack up for the day. I only had 6 miles to go, and that would be mainly downhill as I was still well above sea level, but you cannot travel 6 miles in Cornwall without encountering an ascent, so I placed the Magnum in my bar bag, had a drink of the Fanta and poured the rest into my bottle then set off for the very last leg.

2 miles later, whilst hurtling downhill, I heard an almighty bang. 1000 miles without a puncture (dont tell Chris W) then I have one with 4 miles to go! I looked down at my tyres only to see they were both fine, however the Fanta had blown the neck of my drink bottle clean off. The plastic rim had been sheared for the full 360 deg. and orange was now sloshing around, and out of, my open bottle.

Oh well, hardly the disaster of the century but another mile further and I began to hear my drivetrain making a slight noise. Being so close to the end I decided to press on but another mile later and I lost all control of my rear derailure. It automatically moved to the highest gear and I could not move it, almost certainly the gear cable had snapped.

My front derailure was okay so I now had a total of 2 gears. I could see I still had one ascent left but with the momentum I had + brute force, I managed to climb it without having to resort to getting off. I then cycled past the hotel and to the signpost having cycled up every hill on my route between JOG and LE.

I swiftly arranged the photo then found a bench to sit and eat my Magnum, drink what was left of my Fanta and send a short blog to Frank CBE to let everyone know I had made it. I couldn't ring anyone as I had no telephone signal.

As I contemplated how I was going to fix my gear cable a couple and their 2 children sat close by and they enquired about my trip. After answering their questions I said "I don't suppose your going to St. Ives are you"? to which they replied "no, we've already been there today". No problem I said and started to assess if I could fix my bike.

After 15 minutes of struggle and rapidly coming to the conclusion that this was not fixable without a new cable, and probably a tool or tools I didn't have, I was contemplating walking up lots of hills on the way back to St. Ives.

The couple then asked where I was staying in St. Ives and, after I explained, they incredibly generously offered to take me!

Within 20 minutes we had loaded my bike onto the bike rack on their car, taken a couple of photos and were on our way.

I cannot thank the Hemming family (from Southampton) enough; without their very kind assistance I faced a grueling trip back.

Richard, Hannah, your charming daughter Abigail and baby Sophie thank you so very much for your kind act.

I didn't mention this at the time, but when I set off from Wick airport, riding with my panniers fully loaded for the 1st time, I thought my wheels were loose the sensation of all that weight was so weired, but after a days cycling you get used to it. Today, when I took my panniers off, I had a similar weired experience, the bike felt like jelly, especially when I was out of the saddle. I felt like jelly, the bike felt like jelly, those darned hills were always hard though.

Well that's it, job done, what a fortnight, what a trip, what a fantastic experience. My cycling hasn't improved much over the last fortnight but I'm pretty swift on the blog keyboard now, oh and my thighs are as hard as granite (50p donation to the charity if anyone wants to check).

I hope you've enjoyed reading my blogs and following my progress, I've tried to be informative, entertaining and humorous, no doubt I failed on all counts but as Fabian deFreitus once said "well, I did my best".

I did the cycling because I wanted to, I've been raising money for charity because it was the right thing to do, I've been doing the blog as a very small thank-you to everyone who has donated. If you haven't made a donation yet, please do so.

I intend to write a final blog, as a summary, and will also upload some more photos in the next few days.

Thanks for reading.

Statistics

Distance cycled:            66 miles                  Total distance cycled since start:    1022 miles

Average speed:              12 mph

Maximum speed:         37 mph

Average heart rate:     131 bpm

Maximum heart rate:  155 bpm

Motorist watch (Quantity)

Considerate motorists  (The good):        Dozen’s

Inconsiderate motorists (The bad):         3

Lunatic motorists             (The ugly):         0

Scores (out of 100)

Scenery:                 80

Road surfaces:     75

Weather:                72

£30 buys around 250 plastic Petri dishes for Cancer Research UK – an essential resource for the thousands of scientists striving to understand cancer.

First of all, an update on my last day in Cornwall; when I checked out of the B&B in St. Ives, The Tregony guest house, the owners knocked a very generous £20 off my bill asking me to add it to the charity donations, Thanks very much for that.

I then set off on my bike to ride the 8 miles to Penzance where I had a pre-booked hire car waiting for me. With only 2 gears I had no option but to dismount & push when the steep hills arrived and being Cornwall there were a number of those. However, although my average speed (9.6 mph) was easily the slowest of the whole trip, I reached Penzance around 10.15 am and soon had everything packed into the car & I was homeward bound.

I've now added some more photo's to the gallery from the 2^nd half of my trip.

As I write this, the total donations to Cancer Research UK now stands at an incredible £2,000. I am still receiving new donations and my Just Giving webpage will remain open until at least the end of September so hopefully the total will continue to rise.

From non-cyclist in September 2010 to cycling the length of the UK in July/August 2011, if someone had suggested that to me 12 months (or more) earlier I wouldn't have believed them.

When I first conceived the idea, around June/July 2010, I knew that a lot of research, planning, money, time and a massive amount of physical effort would be required to fulfill my dream. If I hadn't of really wanted to do this, if it had been just a pipe dream and if I hadn't had lots of cycling experience from my youth, I almost certainly would have failed.

So if anyone else is considering doing this I would heartily encourage them, it's a great experience, it's very rewarding but don't underestimate the dedication you will need to succeed.

I bought my bike, a Brevatto, from 'Brucies bikes', a small bike shop in Kendal, Cumbria. I am almost able to report that it's performance was faultless but of course there was the gear cable failure right at the end (the end of the ride and the country). Cables are a consumable item so its still fair to say that the bike performed superbly well, allowing me to concentrate on the cycling (and blogging) without the distraction of having to nurse the bike. In fact, before the cable broke, the only attention I gave to the bike after setting off from home was to top-up the air in the tyres 3 times (at Wick, Fort William and just before I ascended the hill on the way to the top of Cheddar gorge), give it a quick wash on my rest day in Bolton and get the chain oiled before I left Crediton.

The B&B's varied considerably, one or two were rubbish, three or four were excellent and the rest were more than acceptable.

I was extremely lucky with the weather, there can't have been many 2 week JOGLE's or LEJOG's that have seen only 4 hours of rain, less than 3 cold days and the majority of days hot with long periods of sunshine. With the weather that I had it would have been very suitable for camping, but the extra weight, the discomfort of sleeping and washing (yourself and your clothes) and the effort required to erect and pack the tent every day, definitely wouldn't have suited me, maybe 20 years ago it might have.

The standard of road surfaces has been much the same throughout the UK, some roads have been like riding on velvet and these seem to make you go at least 5 mph faster, some have been real boneshakers, literally, the roads where the surface has lost more than 20% of its top layer are incredibly uncomfortable to ride on (the term jogle is very apt), but the majority of roads were quite acceptable.

Similarly, I found the standard of motorists behaviour towards cyclists is much the same up and down the UK, they appeared better in the remote areas but I'm sure that was down to the lack of traffic rather than the quality of motorist. I did wonder if the "John o'Groats to Land's End in aid of Cancer Research UK" sign on the back of my bike earned me some respect & more space when the motorists were passing and I'm considering going into business to manufacture various signs for other cyclists. E.G. "Land's End to Moss Side" or "Accrington to Bricktown" or how about "Ramsbottom to Wankendorf"?

I did this on my own, without any support; riding with someone else would have made it easier and more sociable, having support would have made it easier still as I wouldn't have had to carry the panniers containing alternative clothes, energy bars, washing materials, etc. but I rode at my pace and I stopped/started when and where I wanted to so there are benefits to doing it solo and of course a greater sense of achievement.

My favorite day, without any doubt, was the day I rode from Fort William to Inverary, the scenery around Glencoe, Rannoch moor and beyond, was quite simply stunning although I'm very aware of how lucky I was to have had such fantastic weather that day, it must have been over 20 deg. C at the top of Rannoch moor and there was barely a cloud in the sky. The day I rode from Altnaharra to Beauly was also very enjoyable.

I'm not sure which was my worst day, either Hay on Wye to Cheddar or the last day, Padstow to Land's End, both needed all my strength and determination to complete, having said that, the Hay on Wye to Cheddar route was very scenic but perhaps more suited to a car or a mountaineer than a cyclist.

The good and bad days actually just reflect the numerous training days I had, some were fantastic, some were very hard and most were just about right.

Here are some cycling facts from my trip:

I cycled a total of 1,022 miles (averaging 73 miles per day)

I ascended a total of 53,914 feet (equivalent to 10.2 miles or 1.85 Mount Everest's)

I descended a total of 53,910 feet (proving that it is uphill from JOG to LE)

I cycled for a total of 78 hours 7 minutes (averaging 5 hours 35 minutes per day)

I cycled at an average speed of 13.3 mph

I achieved a maximum speed of 46.2 mph

I rode with an average cadence of 68 rpm (revolutions per minute of the crank)

I rotated the pedals a total of 318,716 times

I had an overall average heart rate of 130 bpm

I burnt a total of 55,288 calories

I have so many memories of my JOGLE, here are just a few; the fantastic weather I had for the majority of the trip, the shock of how hard the 1^st day was & those dreaded frogs! The surprise & elation of receiving a donation from a passenger in a car whilst riding alongside it, the sheer beauty of riding alongside the loch's and mountains in Scotland, the sight of watching a large cruiser negotiate the northern end of the Caledonian canal, the striking & moving sight of the Commando monument, the joy of riding along 'in the zone' on quiet, scenic roads with just the satisfying 'whoosh' of the pedals, wheels & tyres for company, the frustration but later amusement with the motorist advising me to go to Brodick to eat, drink & fill-up with petrol! The discomfort of being attacked by flies as I ascended the String (the road over the mountain on the Isle of Arran) and breaking my speed record as I descended the other side, the embarrassment of falling off! The joy and sense of achievement when I reached the English border, the pleasure I had cycling with Carl, Ron and Sue on the day I rode from Ambleside to Bolton, the great night out I had with my family & friends on the night before my rest day, the 'fun' I had getting lost in Ellesmere, the shock of how steep, long & perpetual the hills were between Hay on Wye and the Severn Bridge but also the pleasure I had riding down Cheddar gorge knowing my accommodation was near to the bottom, the sight of the ocean as I approached Padstow, the shock when my bottle exploded, the timing of my gear cable breaking (how lucky I was that it happened so close to the end), the satisfaction and sense of achievement I felt when I completed the trip, enhanced by the knowledge that I had inspired loads of people to give some of their money to help conquer that most awful of diseases, Cancer.

But equal to all of that was the people I met along the way, the landladies & landlord's, my fellow resident's, the people who stopped to chat to me as I took a breather, the people in the cafes who would enquire about my journey, the complete strangers who would stop me at the side of the rode to make a donation, the little girl who gave me her remaining half packet of mints, the motorists/passengers who didn't stop but still gave me a heart-warming shout or wave of encouragement as they passed by, the people in the pubs who would prevent me from writing my blog as they chatted with me, the Hemming family who drove me back to St. Ives when I was tired & 'gearless' and of course all of you, everyone who has made a donation to Cancer Research UK, everyone who has followed my progress, everyone who has wished me well, everyone who left messages on this website, Frank for uploading my blog every day, Bill for being on stand-by to come and get me if I had failed, you all helped me succeed and of course without you Cancer Research UK would be over £2,000 worse off, I am very proud to have inspired that. I'm also proud to have done this in honour of Nat Lofthouse, a gentleman and a true legend.

If you haven't donated, please do so, even a small amount will help.

THANK'S VERY MUCH TO YOU ALL.

Finally, when I was planning my Jogle lots of people said to me "why are you doing it from north to south? YOU'RE DOING IT THE WRONG WAY", so in response I have written the following song, any similarity to any other song (by Frank Sinatra) is purely coincidental:

And now, Land's end is here

And so I face the final corner

My friend, I'll say it clear

I've lost my gears, of that I'm certain

I've emptied a bottle of Fanta that was full

I traveled each and ev'ry 'B' road

And more, much more than this, I did it the wrong way

Regrets, I've had a lot

But then again, too many to mention

I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption

I planned each satnav course, each careful pedal along the bypass

And more, much more than this, I did it the wrong way

Yes, there were times, I'm sure I told you

When I bit more energy bars than I could chew

But through it all, when there was doubt

I ate them up and didn't spit them out

I faced it all and I stood small and did it the wrong way

I've fallen off, I've laughed and cried

I've had my photo taken, my share of posing

And now, as tears subside, I hope you find it all amusing

To think I did all that

And may I say, without a flat tyre all the way,

"Oh, no, oh, no, not me, I did it the wrong way"

For what is a man, what has he got?

If no Sudocrem, then he has a sore bot.

To say the things how his bum truly feels and not the words 'it never heals'

The record shows I took the hills and did it the wrong way

Yes, it was my way!