Cycling from Bristol to Aberdeen

Posted by Andy Hamilton - 03/10/08 at 10:10:59 pm

I looked at my series of events for the coming weeks recently and realised that after the 19th October I did not have to do anything until 6th November. I decided that I would use this time to cycle up to Scotland from the South West of England.

I am not super fit, in fact I used to smoke 30-40 a day right up until March this year when I decided that if I was going to be a spokesperson for ethical living and the environment smoking would be rather hypocritacal. I still sucome to the odd one now and then, but nothing like I did. Anyway, I must stop digressing.

The furthest I have cycled in a day is about 70-80 miles and I don’t cycle every day. It will certainly be a challenge to see if I can get up there. I have planned a route that I think will have the least amount of hills, even the Scottish bit seems to be pretty flat. Looking at the map I think I won’t cycle above 200m as I keep to coastal roads – despite the reservations of some of the Scottish Ishers it is not the hills that should be the problem but the weather! Possibly a bit stupid to plan this for the start of winter.

Day one 21st October – Bristol to Oxford
Day two 22nd October – Oxford – Northampton (I have somewhere to stay as my Mum and Dad live here)
Day three 23rd October – Northampton – Nottingham
Day four 24th October – Nottingham – Gainsborugh or Scunthorpe
Day five 25th October Gainsborough or Scunthorpe – York
Day six 26th October – York – Middlesborough or Darlington
Day seven 27th October – Middlesborough or Darlington – Alnwick
Day eight 28th October – Alnwick – Eyemouth
Day nine 29th October Eyemouth – Edinburgh
Day ten 30th October – Edinburgh – Dundee
Day twelve 31st October – Dundee – Aberdeenshire
with 1st – 4th November – Aberdeen train booked to get me back.

Anyway, I am going to set up a page to collect sponsorship money for this to raise funds to make our local bookshop/cafe/photo lab/venue into a co-operative. We need to buy the stock, fixtures and fittings and goodwill from the owner.  It is also going to be the 4th Year of the web forum. So I hope to get every isher I meet to sign a copy of the Selfsufficientish bible and then it will be offered as a prize in the next competition we hold. Oh yeah I am hoping that people will put me up on the way, I do have that much faith in Human kindness you see.

I feel pretty nervous about the whole trip and I do have reservations. Talking to a friend earlier I think I could be right in saying this is likely to be one of the worst and best things I have done in a long time I am bound to really love parts of it and really hate other parts.

2 Comments

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1. Well… I have to say that I think it will take longer than you have planned for! I can’t imagine anyone cycling Dundee to my bit of Aberdeenshire for example!

   For us to drive from here to Edinburgh is 100 miles and takes about 3-4 hours in our slow landie. To drive from us to Aberdeen is over an hour, here to Dundee… probably a couple of hours.

   That said, I’m really looking forward to meeting you rather than talking on the phone and chatting on the forum, so I hope that you manage it!

   Comment by Shirley — October 7, 2008 #

2. Ah be Ok Shirley as I have said on the forum the worst bit I think will be the Scotland/England boarder. The rest is costal roads and so pretty flat. I have heard that the worst cycling is the Devon and Somerset area and I have done that!

   Comment by andyhamilton — October 9, 2008 #

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