Previous Charity Rides

Mark with his 'Dawes Atlantis' bike in 1981, back in uniform after cycling more than 3,000 miles in 30 days from San Francisco to New York, solo and unsupported for the Police Dependants' Trust.

And at Machu Picchu, Peru in 1988 with the first Raleigh bespoke mountain bike, after cycling from Lima through the Andes and to the legendary 'Lost City of the Incas' for Save the Children.

Charity Pin Badges

It wouldn't be a proper fund-raising event without a pin badge - would it?

The design is based upon an original from Mark's first charity bike ride thirty years ago.....

The badges will be sold along the route for £2 a time, raising much needed funds for the 'Marie Curie' cancer charity.

Alternatively - you can obtain a badge by emailing me at .......

Charity

So are we raising any funds while on this mammoth trip?
Well - you could have a look at our 'just giving' page and sponsor us a few quid, for charity:

http://www.justgiving.com/jogle-thelongway

Training

Mark recently completed the London to Brighton cycle ride (Sunday 20th June 2010) with a team of friends and colleagues. The ride was 54 miles to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation..... However, with the ride across Clapham Common and the ride back to the hotel, it was around 60 miles.

Route

Having travelled by the ScotRail sleeper from London Euston - Inverness, we arrive by local train at Wick soon after 2pm on Thursday 26 August. The journey proper begins at this point as we cycle first north to John o' Groats (the official starting point) and then west to Thurso. A B&B is booked in Thursday and on Friday we continue westwards to Tongue and possibly further, depending on the weather and how we feel physically.

All being well, on Saturday 28 August we head south to Ullapool and first thing Sunday morning catch the ferry to Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. That day's cycling should take us south to Tarbert, the main town on Harris. On bank holiday Monday we continue southwards, taking the ferry to North Uist before cycling through that island, then Benebecula and on to Lochboisdale on South Uist.

There's a spare day built into the schedule at this point and all being well on Wednesday 1 September we catch the ferry to Oban before cycling on the coast road to...

John O' Groats to Lands End - Getting Ready to go

Ok .... so this is our first post....... so what made us plan this trip?

Well - I (Stokesy) did Lands End to John O'Groats in 19_ _ when I was a wee young lad..... and I thought I'd like to do it again.

So now we're planning our trip and route...... etc