Day 15 – Dalwhinnie to Inverness 58 miles – The Team is on fire!

This was the day the tour pace record was smashed. Monday (Day 15) would witness the end2end boys, bike and support at their most efficient. The team machine was now firing on all cylinders as we covered just short of 60 miles in a blistering 6 hours (including stops) pulling into Inverness at 1535 hrs. Dalwhinnie – Kingussie – Aviemore – Inverness. COME ON!

There must be something for alcohol fuelled power. We pulled out of Dalwhinnie, Ali made a slight whimpering sound as we left his beloved Dalwhinnie. The bike was running like a dream, the tyres were pumped to a mind blowing 160 PSI [Only joking JD Jamie ]...seriously 90 in both tyres. Everything conspired to create the conditions for us to cover 26 miles in 1 hour 20 mins! Wow the roads were gorgeous, Ali’s knees were great although he had them strapped up, and the bike was tight and running superb. 2 weeks in now we know so much about this bike. Team and machine work as one. We now operate the machine with few words of command, everyone acts in quiet anticipation. Our plan was to ensure we complete this project in good order. Jonathan’s concern was that the team would become complacent in the last couple of days and place ourselves and the bike at risk. The team must refocus and above all remain safe.

At 1040 hrs we pulled into Aviemore, pictures at the sign and Ali use the opportunity to play his didgeridoo in an access tunnel. The team loves the Didg! Breakfast was served at the Mountain Cafe – highly recommended by several locals. The cafe was outstanding and served us possibly the best breakfast we have had on this tour. [For any end2enders passing through Aviemore you must stop at the Mountain Cafe, who incidentally gave us 10% discount for charity] We met the Hill family, mum dad and 3 lovely daughters [Katie, Emma and Zoe] Hi girls hope you enjoyed your breakfast – leave us a message, plus Grandparents. They gave us a donation for our charities [thank you]. With breakfast sitting very heavy we mounted up and pressed on. Prepare for a cheeky 10 mile climb...

Once again our pace was outstanding, we chomped up the hills reaching the summit of Slochd (how very apt) at 1400 hrs. The descent was enjoyable as we were rewarded with mile after mile of FREE MILES. We pulled into a lay-by to rest our bums; an elderly couple came over and chatted. She reached into her purse and said here boys put this £10 in your bucket. People are so generous, they wished us well and the departed. Alistair looked at the money – lads she’s only given us £20! We felt we should have caught them up...but amused ourselves with the image of screeching brakes and reversing lights as they realised their over generosity! The boys pressed on.

The descent was fabulous with the rear disk brake worked hard. Suddenly flaring nostrils preceded the combined comment of ‘is that burning I can smell?’ - the disc brake was not happy...a rapid pull in for several minutes allowed our white hot component to cool. Inverness was 5 miles away.
1535 hrs the monster bike pulled into the TA centre of 7 SCOTS. Sgt Major Lyon greeted us and showed us to the Officers Mess. This was outstanding. The lads worked on the bike and Jonathan (Blog Geek) sat in the corner of the Mess and blogged away. Showers and the out for a bite to eat. The end is in sight we can smell the finish line but now is the time to switch on and keep focused.

Day 14 – Dunkeld to Dalwhinnie 47 miles – Mutiny on the Bike

Sunday 15th – Father’s Day. It was a mutinous day and the first genuine challenge to Jonathan as ‘Supreme Bike Commander’. It took some delicate negotiations. The team had now realised that Jonathan’s positive approach and unrelenting upbeat attitude was wearing thin...Tony now recognised that Jonny’s ‘spin’ was the chosen method of managing the team. Regardless of the distance still to be chewed according to Jonathan it was still ‘not far lads we will have this bad boy cracked in no time’...The team had seen through the presentational front; their patience had now run out!
Breakfast was superb, delivered in the Army cookhouse. We were so fortunate, a typical full fat boy’s breakfast was to prepare us for our day’s cycle. Bike was prepped, vehicle was packed and the route entered into the support vehicle GPS. Ali took the team on their warm up before departing the TA Centre. What a top stop over, WO1 Wallace, WO2 Biggar and Sgt McGowan were fantastic. The food was outstanding – thanks fellas, if your reading this – your support was very much appreciated.

The cycling was tough going and almost deceptive. Looking at the road it seemed to be a descent yet the whole day it felt as if we were pulling ships chains or cycling through treacle. Every turn of the pedals was an incredible effort. One begins to think that someone is not pulling their weight. Those who crack a gag or say something, if they don’t sound out of breath one immediately considers that they are slacking. Ali’s leg was better but still recovering. His morale had improved but the suspended leg on the bike was a distraction to the team as the bike pulsed forward and back. Tony shared the driving effort with Ali. Both lads are top drivers. It is an exhausting job and the most demanding position on the bike. The pressure on the arms and hands is considerable and requires the team to pull into a lay-by every 10-15 miles.

The scenery was yet again outstanding. The air seems so clear and fresh; colours so crisp. You can’t help but feel healthier here. We were now entering the proper highlands. Tony clearly had some mental block about this...’Fellas, are we actually in the Highlands?’ Jonathan replied ‘Yes Tony we’re been in then for the last day or so’...we suddenly passed the ‘Welcome to the Highland’s sign’ Jonathan spin had been yet again exposed! Mutiny was stirring on the SS Sheila...

Mother phoned her boys as we pulled into a lay-by allowing the lads to pass on their regards to Daddy Reg on Father’s Day. The hills did not stop, progress was extremely slow and the team was tiring. Jonathan’s increasing frustration on the ‘requested bike stops’ was becoming more evident. He would continually attempt to push the bike – that little bit further. Patience was running out...it was only a matter of time. Meanwhile more road kills were logged with the team cataloguing possibly the trip winner...’Bambie’ whose rear end had been hit. Ali scrutinised it with relish, visually dissecting it..hmm nice.

Yet another lay-by stop to relieve the driver’s arms and hands and some immaturity with a Layby 69 sign. Jonathan burst into life. ‘Ok Tony I’m going to have a go at driving...I’m mean how hard can it be?’ Tony and Ali looked at each other. [Comment consider that these fellas had been driving this bike for approx 3 months now and yet Jonathan considered he could pick it up in a flash on the A9 – Road of death!] Ali exploded ‘Jonny now way mate, I’m seriously not happy with this, you will get us killed...just now way’ Jonny replied...’Just listen to yourself mate, such an old woman, just get on the bloody bike and lets go’ Tony..’Jonny I’m sort of agreeing with Ali, Its not easy mate!’ An emotion filled exchange lasted another couple of minutes until Ali agreed to get back on the bike. Jonathan was about to assume the task not only of Supreme Commander and driver! Ok lads...3 – 2 – 1 go, the bike slued to the left, then the right the team hung on, the end of the lay-by approached. Suddenly the brakes were jammed on bringing the bike to an abrupt halt. An ashen looking Jonathan turned to the rest the team ‘Lads I was proper freaked by that!’ Tony get your arse into this seat’ The team burst into relief filled laughter. Jonathan’s driving experience had lasted all of 15 metres...Both Ali and Tony were delighted. They were the true drivers. ‘Jonny stick to reading your map mate’ the team pressed on. Mutiny had been avoided but thankfully before we all became a picture of Road Kill. Tony chucked to himself for over 10 miles. He had forgotten the pain in his hands – he was amused and privately indulged himself in another chuckle. Jonathan remained quiet for some time...

At 1430 hrs we pulled into Dalwhinnie (twinned with Las Vegas) and into the Inn Hotel. What a fantastic hotel, it had a cult almost iconic feel about the place. The team made a beeline for the huge leather sofas in the centre of the room. Everything about this place was great, the music, the staff, the surrounds and top beer and food. We met Ian the local game keeper, who looks after 23,000 hectares of estate (mainly deer with some pheasant). He told us main a tale of when he has the military to go shooting ‘Bloody rubbish shots, even those specialist ones especially in their mustard and red trousers.’ He was a top guy who gave us £10 for our charities; after a pint he left. [Thanks Ian] The lads settled in, yet Jonathan was aware that our intended daily destination was Kingussie approx 15 miles up the road. Ali can only be described as ‘hyper’ ‘lads do you realise where we are..Dallwhinnie – home of the famous whiskey’ It was great to see him like that after some days that he has been very down. The boys settled into their large sofas, their eyes and legs got heavy. Once again mutiny was in the air, extracting the team from here and onto the bike would be one hell of a leadership challenge.

Meanwhile we met Amy (Student from Glasgow studying Psychology and Computing) she had arrived 3 hours earlier and had just started her summer job. She is seen here using a ewbank (wow last seen in the 70s]. She and the rest of the staff (Adidale from France) were so friendly. Ali looked at Jonathan, ‘Hey mate what is the chance of staying here tonight?’ Jonathan realising that he was looking down the barrel of bike mutiny agreed to ‘see what he could do’ He had a chat with Calam (the owner) and Tracey who were planned a huge music festival for next week. What a top fella – Calam agreed to put the whole team up in one of their 5 bedded family rooms for £15! [It should have been £35 per head] He might have ralised that these UK Record breaking team like put some money behind the bar...and he was right.
The afternoon was one of those opportunistic moments that will go down in tour history books. The beer flowed and we had such a laugh. This was what the end2end was all about. We raised a glass of beer to Dad (The Ox) on this Father’s Day, he would be proud to see his lads now; he would have loved this. With the team now accommodated, Jonathan completed yesterday’s blog and Ali sorted his knee out. The rest of the afternoon was a blur! We met a lovely couple Barbara and David who now live in Glasgow but looking to settle in the East of Scotland. He was a Vietnam vet...with the whitest of Father Christmas beards. Tony and Barbara discussed their shared passion for genealogy!
At 1020 hrs the bar was shut and the staff settled in for a drink we got chucked out and ended up residing in the hotel reception. Top night but tomorrow we will have to make up the lost ground, with or without a hangover.

What a great day, Inverness here we come!

Day 13 – Edinburgh to Dunkeld 66 miles – Ali’s Back on the Bike!

Escaping the Edinburgh cityscape, crossing the Forth Bridge, hail and torrential rain and the beautiful scenery of the Kinross Perth corridor; but more important than that, Ali’s back! The team is once again on their trusty stead. 277 miles to go and a daily target of 66 miles to Dunkeld. Dig in fellas...the end is in sight.

Fatigue is setting in. The team was tired and it is only now sinking in how long this venture actually is. It is a long time – possibly too long. With sore heads the team was up and out by 1000 hrs. Accommodation block handed back and by 1020 hrs the end2end08 team was on their way. Jonathan had made a series of modifications to his ‘mobile office’ space. The fitting of a compass provided to be invaluable, the odometer too is indispensible in plotting progress. Alistair’s modification on the bike was superb, allowing him to keep his bad leg out of the way of the pedals. By his own admission he does look ‘strange’ a one legged cyclist balanced on the end of this enormous bike.

The extraction from Edinburgh was a navigational challenge as the team was unable to us the A720 (City Ring road) and the A90/M90. Jonathan ‘shnurggled’ and picked the bike through the back roads of the Scottish capital. The day was gorgeous, bright, sunny and with little wind. It was an excellent day for cycling. We ended up cycling around the Royal Highland Showground – wow what a facility, this was Edinburgh’s huge event. We ended up having to cross a dual carriage way another opportunity for a top photograph. One thing that we have done well is capture the moment through phototraghs, we always have a camera available – although does have its bad aspects. More road kills were photographed before we crossed the wonder of the Forth Bridge.

For those who might not have seen this piece of construction wizardry – it is immense. We cycled over on the cycle path. The experience was slightly unnerving – the big T was not a happy chap. Crossing the bridge another opportunity for more pictures to be taken. We met a lovely family with daughter Chloe [Hello Chloe if you are reading this – hope you are ok?] they photographed the team with the backdrop of the 2 bridges. I see this being the journey photo...

The team then pushed to Kinross for rapid lunch and a break from the bike. Ray moved ahead to the night stop at Dunkeld. The bike was working like a dream, she is so happy and it shows, even with Alistair’s modification. Perth was a fleeting vision before we hit the A9, we will get very familiar with this route for the next few days. The evening sun was gorgeous, a head on crash caused a huge traffic tail back but not for the end 2end lads as we sped past the queuing cars. The crash looks terrible. The final 8 miles was extremely tough. Ali was in considerable discomfort with the leg and sitting position but soon the base came into sight. Dunkeld is outstanding and what a fabulous venue. Ray had already positioned our bags in our accommodation and awaited our arrival. 1850 hrs we arrived.

The RSM (Mr Wallace) was a star. They had kept some food back for us, it was just like some eating competition, we couldn’t have eaten any more even if we wanted to. What top fellas, we were warmly received and superbly hosted. Blog was written, although no 3G connection meant that we will have to upload our text and pictures tomorrow.

The team is mentally and physically fatigued. We went for a quick beer then bed.