The Bike Ride
LEJOG - Land's End to John o' Groats
12-28th May 2006

Day 5 - Tuesday 16th May - The journey to…

Written by Anthony

Not unhappy to be getting away this morning, we greased up everything that needed it, then got the bikes out of the garage and started a long, brisk ride to Worcester, taking the flattest route possible.

We rolled onto the Vale of Berkeley and headed up the south coast of the Bristol channel.

A great tailwind, and Steve up front, giving me a tow all the way.

Not stopping at Gloucester, we aimed for lunch at Tewkesbury and an early arrival at Worcester.

A great tailwind, and Steve up front, giving me a tow all the way.

After cramming as much Tewkesbury vegetable matter into ourselves as we could afford, we made the trip's first tube change, after a staple got the better of Steve’s triple-armoured tyres.

Nipping onto the B roads for the afternoon, we sailed in good weather through the country around the Malverns.

A great tailwind, and Steve up front, giving me a tow all the way.

Then, at Worcester, it all went wrong. City navigation is not our thing, evidently.

For the first time all trip, I asked directions from a man who was actually sober, but we chose not believe him and resorted to the GPS on Steve’s mobile. Our mistake.

“How can GPS possibly be wrong?” we mused, calmly. 45 minutes later, we finally found our way to Fernhill Heath, the afternoon all but gone, save a few minutes to pick up some essentials in Boots, and a quick pint before dinner.

Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.

YateAudlem