Distance: 80.5 miles
Miles to Go: 236
Average Speed: 12.6 mph
Time in Saddle: 6 hours 21 mins
Lunch: Balloch House, Alexandria
Route Profile:
Report:
Today was definitely a day of two halves. After a relatively simple hostel breakfast of toast and cereal, we all got ourselves together for a shortish ride that would take us through Glasgow and out towards Loch Lomond. Before setting off, and in another act of incredible generosity, we were approached by one of our fellow hostel guests, Brian McInally....he had seen our vans and had come to investigate. It turns out that Brian's wife Constance died of MND last year, as well as his good friend Jan Crane, and he wanted to contriute to our cause with a donation of £10. Thank you very much Brian.
Also, a quick thank you to Helen & Nicholas Harris, who very kindly looked after Briony, Penny and Diane (Roger's wife and trusty member of the support crew). They live in Hellensburgh, just down the road from Glasgow, and very kindly offered food and accommodation at her mothers place round the corner....thank you Ian and Anne.
We left the hostel under thundery skies, and it wasn't long before the heavens opened and we were dumped on from a very great height. The rain was absolutely torrential, and before long we were extremely cold and wet!
The first half of the ride took us through the Glasgow suburbs, passed Hampden Park and under the Clyde via the most scary and pungent cycle/pedestrian tunnel!
It was hard going...the lead group had a minor incident when Karim fell off his bike, and gave the metal railing a traditional Glasgow kiss! Fortunately, other than a huge 'egg' on his forehead, KK was fine.
Group 2 had different issues to contend with, not least two of the riders who became worryingly close to hypothermia. Fortunately, thanks to some quick thinking by Mark, who purchased a towel and a hooded top), they were able to avoid things becoming too serious.
Once through Glasgow it was a short hop to Alexandria for lunch at the Balloch House, on the banks of Loch Lomond, where we were able to warm up and stuff some hot food down our necks.
Soon, however, we were back on the road and heading north along the A82, following the western edge of Loch Lomond through Tarbet towards Crianlarich, in the shadow of Ben More. The weather continued in its appallingness...plus the midges starting to attacking us whenever we stopped for a break!
We were relatively late arriving, after a 6 mile climb up to the hostel...which was packed full of walkers and backpackers. After a quick dinner at the Ben More Lodge Hotel, it was straight to bed.
Over 600 miles completed.....approximately 315 miles to go!
P.S. Currently having to use a hostel PC to write the blogs these last few days, so that has made it difficult if not impossible to upload any photos. Am hoping to find a solution to that soon, and will upload asap.
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