Well, we are back again after our invasion of Norway. We got in to Glasgow Prestwick late this afternoon after our flight from Oslo Torp airport. I've missed my wife a lot and so it was good to be home again and have life return to some assemblance of normality.
So much has happened over the past week and I will get round to publishing a sort of daily diary of events as and when I can. I spent most of the flight writing up notes in my notebook. I've spent a good few hours over the past week keeping it up to date. A couple of the guys think I should write a book about the experience. Who knows? Maybe that might come to fruition one day.
Anyway, as you can probably tell from the time this entry was published it is very early on Saturday morning. Before I go I wanted to thank some people:
To all the guys who shared the experience with me I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. It was one of the best experiences of my life and am sure it was for you too. We went through a lot of pain at times pushing ourselves to our limits and perhaps beyond, some more than others, but we all came through in the end. It is something I am immensely proud of completing.
Mr & Mrs Bertil Fredriksson for allowing us to stay at their beautiful holiday home.
I would also like to thank our sponsors, without whom the journey would have been more difficult:
Stena Bulk / North Marine Management / Concordia Maritime - thanks for supplying the kit we wore all throughout the trip. You have no idea how much more comfortable we were because of it. Thanks also for the donations you made as well.
Herbalife - for supplying us with supplements which helped us during cycling.
Brantas - for buying us loads of spares.
Finally, I would like to thank everyone who sponsored us through the Just Giving web site and offline as well. Your generosity is very much appreciated by one and all. To date we have raised over £7,000 which is a fantastic amount. Hopefully this will rise and we can give CHAS an excellent early Christmas present.
So, what next? Well, we've had one or two discussions about what we might do next year. No decisions yet of course but you will be first to know as and when anything is decided. Watch this space...
Saturday, 30 August 2008
Friday, 29 August 2008
Got. To Oslo Day 8 - The journey home
Today was a sad but a happy day. Sad that our journey was over but happy that we were going home. I missed my wife and my home comforts. Again, Mauro and I woke up early and headed for breakfast. No fishy pancakes this time. Thankfully they were replaced by meatballs, Scandinavia's other staple food... well it is if you go to Ikea. Sadly they weren't as tasty as theirs so I could only stomach a few.
We had a lot of packing to do before we left for the airport, not just our clothes and stuff but also the bikes. After a gash appeared in the box when we got to Gothenburg I was going to make sure it didn't happen again. I had to match up all the bits of foam tubing that I brought with me to the various parts of my bike. I managed to piece it all together again. Off came the pedals and handlebars. The wheels came off and the skewers protected. Actually, I think I packed it better this time in a car park better than I did at home before we left home. The wheels certainly fitted back in the box better than they did before. After the bike was packed I used so much tape around the box reinforcing it everyone started to laugh. You can never be too careful though. Nothing worse than it splitting and all the contents coming out.
Bob was coming back from Gothenburg this morning but we were meeting him at Oslo's main airport. We packed his bike and then loaded up the van. Amazing that we got all the bikes and all our luggage back in there. I swear there was more stuff than before even though Shaun had gone home yesterday. Then again we did have Fred's bike with us but it wasn't in a box as he was driving back to Gothenburg after dropping us off at Oslo Torp airport.
We set off ahead of schedule. First stop was Oslo's main airport to pick up Bob. Amazingly enough, when we got there and went into the car park there he was and we were able to get on the road again straight away. We had to go back the way we came and back through to Oslo before heading North to Oslo Torp. Luckily the journey was all by motorway and so although we had around about 60 miles (100 km) to go the time passed fairly quickly. We passed through a number of tunnels through hills which you don't really see at home.
Arriving at the airport we unloaded the van and bade our farewells to Fred. It was sad to see him go, as it was with Shaun the day before, but he had to get home again himself. Again, we had fun putting bikes on trollies and trying to navigate them through airport doors. Because we were early the flight hadn't even opened up for booking in. Luckily there was someone there from the UK behind one of the service desks and he got it opened for us. I weighed my big bag and found I was almost a kilogram over my weight allowance. Had to remove stuff from it and pack it into my rucksack. Sorted!!! We then booked ourselves in and put the bikes onto the large luggage conveyor.
With a couple of hours to spare we just sat in the café area. Had to take out some more money out of the hole in the wall. Ended up spending most of it on a hotdog, a small container of Chinese food and a small packet of sweets. It's the one thing I won't miss about Norway... the prices. Don't think I will ever moan about them over here in the UK again.
The flight home was a chance for me to update my notes of the past week. It was amazing to see how Norway looked from the air as we rose into the air. You could see vast expanses of trees and lakes. I guess the stereotypical view of Norway. Soon, land changed to water as we crossed the North Sea. After that it didn't seem long till we were ready to land at Prestwick.
We disembarked the plane and went to pick up our luggage. Before that we had to go through passport control. Tom went through and then came back again. The little boy, Jack, whose name we were doing all this in, had a teddy bear and we had taken him with us on our journey. We got passport control to stamp his little teddy bear passport so that we could then give it back to his mother. It probably doesn't seem like much but we knew that Jack's mum would appreciate it.
Luggage all collected we headed through to arrivals. Mauro's sister was there with her kids and his dad. They had a banner welcoming us home which was fantastic. I must admit I had a bit of a tear in my eye when I saw my wife. My mum and dad were there too with my niece Lucy. It's always nice to go away to interesting places and meet wonderful people but when all is said and done there is no place like home.
We had a lot of packing to do before we left for the airport, not just our clothes and stuff but also the bikes. After a gash appeared in the box when we got to Gothenburg I was going to make sure it didn't happen again. I had to match up all the bits of foam tubing that I brought with me to the various parts of my bike. I managed to piece it all together again. Off came the pedals and handlebars. The wheels came off and the skewers protected. Actually, I think I packed it better this time in a car park better than I did at home before we left home. The wheels certainly fitted back in the box better than they did before. After the bike was packed I used so much tape around the box reinforcing it everyone started to laugh. You can never be too careful though. Nothing worse than it splitting and all the contents coming out.
Bob was coming back from Gothenburg this morning but we were meeting him at Oslo's main airport. We packed his bike and then loaded up the van. Amazing that we got all the bikes and all our luggage back in there. I swear there was more stuff than before even though Shaun had gone home yesterday. Then again we did have Fred's bike with us but it wasn't in a box as he was driving back to Gothenburg after dropping us off at Oslo Torp airport.
We set off ahead of schedule. First stop was Oslo's main airport to pick up Bob. Amazingly enough, when we got there and went into the car park there he was and we were able to get on the road again straight away. We had to go back the way we came and back through to Oslo before heading North to Oslo Torp. Luckily the journey was all by motorway and so although we had around about 60 miles (100 km) to go the time passed fairly quickly. We passed through a number of tunnels through hills which you don't really see at home.
Arriving at the airport we unloaded the van and bade our farewells to Fred. It was sad to see him go, as it was with Shaun the day before, but he had to get home again himself. Again, we had fun putting bikes on trollies and trying to navigate them through airport doors. Because we were early the flight hadn't even opened up for booking in. Luckily there was someone there from the UK behind one of the service desks and he got it opened for us. I weighed my big bag and found I was almost a kilogram over my weight allowance. Had to remove stuff from it and pack it into my rucksack. Sorted!!! We then booked ourselves in and put the bikes onto the large luggage conveyor.
With a couple of hours to spare we just sat in the café area. Had to take out some more money out of the hole in the wall. Ended up spending most of it on a hotdog, a small container of Chinese food and a small packet of sweets. It's the one thing I won't miss about Norway... the prices. Don't think I will ever moan about them over here in the UK again.
The flight home was a chance for me to update my notes of the past week. It was amazing to see how Norway looked from the air as we rose into the air. You could see vast expanses of trees and lakes. I guess the stereotypical view of Norway. Soon, land changed to water as we crossed the North Sea. After that it didn't seem long till we were ready to land at Prestwick.
We disembarked the plane and went to pick up our luggage. Before that we had to go through passport control. Tom went through and then came back again. The little boy, Jack, whose name we were doing all this in, had a teddy bear and we had taken him with us on our journey. We got passport control to stamp his little teddy bear passport so that we could then give it back to his mother. It probably doesn't seem like much but we knew that Jack's mum would appreciate it.
Luggage all collected we headed through to arrivals. Mauro's sister was there with her kids and his dad. They had a banner welcoming us home which was fantastic. I must admit I had a bit of a tear in my eye when I saw my wife. My mum and dad were there too with my niece Lucy. It's always nice to go away to interesting places and meet wonderful people but when all is said and done there is no place like home.
Thursday, 28 August 2008
Got. To Oslo Day 7 - Day off in Oslo
I got woken up at 4am this morning by the guys coming back from their night out on the town. Still managed to get back to sleep for another couple of hours afterwards though. Mauro and I got up early and even went to breakfast just after 7am. The hostel is an extension of the hotel next door and so breakfast was served in their dining room. We both started off with a bowl of cereal before deciding to have a cooked breakfast as well. There was a tray full of pancakes as well as sliced sausage and potatoes. We both loaded up our plates and then returned to our seats. Mauro took a bite of one of the pancakes. His face immediately went sour and said that it tasted awful. I took a bite as well and immediately did the same. What we thought we pancakes turned out to be something a little less savoury. It was like a pancake with fish mixed into it as well except that the fish tasted off. Obviously an acquired taste.
After breakfast we had a wander round the park next to the hotel. There was a river running through it so we had a stroll along the banks, soaking up the morning sun. A man on the other side of the river bank stood there in full view of everyone with his trousers down at his knees. Thankfully he wasn't doing anything else but it gave us a good laugh. On a more serious point, however, after that I started to notice that there were a good few homeless people. Even in rich countries it's still a problem. I did notice that they sell a Norwegian version of the Big Issue.
We decided to head into town for a wander round. We passed by a sports shops that sold bikes so decided to investigate. They had a lot of nice bikes in there. Carbon fibre frames costing a few thousand pounds and some less pricy... well relatively speaking. Prices are nuts here. We found a carbon fibre bottle cage which was about 700 NOK (approx £70). Yikes!!!
I wanted to grab a drink as I think I was still dehydrated from all the cycling we had been doing. We went into a sandwich shop and I looked in the fridges. I couldn't believe my eyes. A bottle of Pepsi which would normally cost a pound or so back home was 280 NOK (approx £3). I bought the bottle grudgingly. Having said that, if you are prepared to shop around (I was dying of thirst and so couldn't wait) then you can find cheaper places especially in supermarkets.
After that we headed back to the hostel where we met Pete. He had just come back from Oslo's main airport where he had just dropped Bob off. He had to fly back to Gothenburg for a meeting. He would fly back the next morning... staying in a luxury hotel no doubt on expenses... lucky man. Poor Shaun was also heading off as well. Unfortunately he couldn't get the Friday off work and so he had to fly back to Glasgow today. Mauro decided to tag along with Pete and Shaun to Oslo Torp airport, a round trip of around 4 hours.
Fred, John, Tom and I sat in the communal area of the hostel's reception area. John and Tom played table football while Fred and I did a little work on the final newsletter. Aftwerwards we all decided to head on into town to do some exploring. Before then I decided to get changed and find my shades as it was a sunny day. When I was locking up my bag I suddenly couldn't find the keys to my bag. I searched everywhere but could I find them? The realisation suddenly hit me that I must have dropped them in my bag just before locking it. Nooooo!!! I had visions of me having to rip open my bag. Luckily I was able to open it up and find the key. Could have ended badly...
Fred took point as he had been here before. The first place we visited was Youngstorget which used to be Oslo's greatest fruit market. It was also a place for political demonstrations and in fact a couple of unions have their headquarters here. There was a small market on today. I bet my wife wishes she was here. Markets and car boot sales are her religion. ;-)
We wandered around the shops before we entered Karl Johan's Gate. This street forms part of a square, much like George Square in the centre of Glasgow except a little more picturesque... okay a lot. The street contains the Olso Parliament building at one end, and the National Theatre building as well as the Royal Palace at the other end. In the middle is a park type area with a fountain and trees.
By now we were feeling hungry and so we decided to go to the Hard Rock Café. It was a stunning day and so we wanted to sit outside on the pavement. We had to wait a little but it was worth it. We bought a burger each (cost about £10.. Nachos were around £12.. Yikes!!!
We decided to head for the harbour area to explore. On the way there we passed Oslo's city hall building. This is a huge dark-red brick building which was designed in the 1920s but not finished until after WWII in 1950. From the outside it's perhaps not the prettiest of buildings but once you are inside it's quite impressive. There is a large hall which has a huge painting at the far end. To be honest I joked that it looked as though it had been coloured in by kids with crayons. Still, it was an impressive sight. Fred then remarked that they had awful curtains. :-)
Around the square the city hall sits in there are a number of tourist shops... and you know we just had to go in and have a look. They were full of the usual touristy stuff... trolls, hats, jumpers, various trinkets with the Norwegian flag, etc. I tried to find my wife something but couldn't see anything worth buying.
We headed for the busy harbour area. There are lots of offices and accommodation around here as well as restaurants, bars, shops, etc. There are ships and luxury yachts moored up along the jetty as well. To be honest, this is the way I would have liked the development around the Finnieston area of Glasgow to have been like. There is a lot of life in the area and the people are friendly.
We sat and ate some ice cream we bought and just soaked in the atmosphere. Tom then got a text from Pete saying they were back from dropping Shaun off at the airport. I had the key so I had to make my way back to the hostel. I have a pretty good sense of direction so I was able to find my way back pretty easily. After meeting up with Pete and Mauro we headed back into town and to where I left Tom, John and Fred. When we got there they were sitting outside one of the bars. I shuddered to think what it was going to cost us but we ordered some beers.
Afterwards, Pete, Mauro and I went exploring further around the harbour area. Again, like Glasgow, it has been subject to a lot of investment. Mauro wanted to go see the new opera house which you could apparently walk up on to the roof of. As we came out of a shop after buying some juice a guy stopped us and asked where we were from. We told him what we had been up to and then he told us about how he had cycled all over Scotland. He then gave us rough directions for the opera house and with that we set off.
On the way there we had to pass through the Akershus Fortress which was built in the late 13th century to protect Oslo from invaders. It was occupied by the Nazis during WWII and after the war a number of traitors were executed here by firing squad. From the ramparts you get an amazing view over the Oslo fjord. On the hill behind Olso you can also see a ski jump that was used in the 1952 Winter Olympics.
It was getting late so we only had time for a quick look around before heading for the opera house. After asking for some directions we eventually found it. The building is shaped liked two wedges; one sitting on top of the other. You can walk up the first wedge and then on to the second one. The building was completed this year ahead of schedule and way under budget. How often does that happen these days? Anyway, it's a fairly steep climb up the roof. Once we reached the top, Mauro did his best Rocky impersonation. I guess that's how we were all feeling then after the journey.
Again, the view from the top of the building was great. You could see the fjord again along with the harbour and the city around that area. We stayed a while admiring the scenery but by now it was after 7:30pm and was beginning to get dark. On the way back to the hostel Tom phoned and said that they would bring in pizzas for everyone again. Not the healthiest of diets considering our healthy regime for the past week but certainly a welcome one.
When we got back to the hostel someone else had taken up residency in Shaun's bed. He turned up a little later on. I forget his name but he was originally from Iran. He was persecuted back home for printing a Christian newspaper and so had to flee. He spent time in Turkey before coming to Oslo where he works as a web developer. Mauro, Pete and I laughed as we all realised we were in the same business. The guys arrived a little bit later on and we tucked into the pizzas. By the end of the night there was a pile of around 16 pizza boxes in the corner of the room.
All in all we had a great day. Was good to be able to relax and do some exploring in such a great city... even if it is so expensive. Never did get to see Edvard Munch's "The Scream" but perhaps another time. Tomorrow we were heading back home again.
After breakfast we had a wander round the park next to the hotel. There was a river running through it so we had a stroll along the banks, soaking up the morning sun. A man on the other side of the river bank stood there in full view of everyone with his trousers down at his knees. Thankfully he wasn't doing anything else but it gave us a good laugh. On a more serious point, however, after that I started to notice that there were a good few homeless people. Even in rich countries it's still a problem. I did notice that they sell a Norwegian version of the Big Issue.
We decided to head into town for a wander round. We passed by a sports shops that sold bikes so decided to investigate. They had a lot of nice bikes in there. Carbon fibre frames costing a few thousand pounds and some less pricy... well relatively speaking. Prices are nuts here. We found a carbon fibre bottle cage which was about 700 NOK (approx £70). Yikes!!!
I wanted to grab a drink as I think I was still dehydrated from all the cycling we had been doing. We went into a sandwich shop and I looked in the fridges. I couldn't believe my eyes. A bottle of Pepsi which would normally cost a pound or so back home was 280 NOK (approx £3). I bought the bottle grudgingly. Having said that, if you are prepared to shop around (I was dying of thirst and so couldn't wait) then you can find cheaper places especially in supermarkets.
After that we headed back to the hostel where we met Pete. He had just come back from Oslo's main airport where he had just dropped Bob off. He had to fly back to Gothenburg for a meeting. He would fly back the next morning... staying in a luxury hotel no doubt on expenses... lucky man. Poor Shaun was also heading off as well. Unfortunately he couldn't get the Friday off work and so he had to fly back to Glasgow today. Mauro decided to tag along with Pete and Shaun to Oslo Torp airport, a round trip of around 4 hours.
Fred, John, Tom and I sat in the communal area of the hostel's reception area. John and Tom played table football while Fred and I did a little work on the final newsletter. Aftwerwards we all decided to head on into town to do some exploring. Before then I decided to get changed and find my shades as it was a sunny day. When I was locking up my bag I suddenly couldn't find the keys to my bag. I searched everywhere but could I find them? The realisation suddenly hit me that I must have dropped them in my bag just before locking it. Nooooo!!! I had visions of me having to rip open my bag. Luckily I was able to open it up and find the key. Could have ended badly...
Fred took point as he had been here before. The first place we visited was Youngstorget which used to be Oslo's greatest fruit market. It was also a place for political demonstrations and in fact a couple of unions have their headquarters here. There was a small market on today. I bet my wife wishes she was here. Markets and car boot sales are her religion. ;-)
We wandered around the shops before we entered Karl Johan's Gate. This street forms part of a square, much like George Square in the centre of Glasgow except a little more picturesque... okay a lot. The street contains the Olso Parliament building at one end, and the National Theatre building as well as the Royal Palace at the other end. In the middle is a park type area with a fountain and trees.
By now we were feeling hungry and so we decided to go to the Hard Rock Café. It was a stunning day and so we wanted to sit outside on the pavement. We had to wait a little but it was worth it. We bought a burger each (cost about £10.. Nachos were around £12.. Yikes!!!
We decided to head for the harbour area to explore. On the way there we passed Oslo's city hall building. This is a huge dark-red brick building which was designed in the 1920s but not finished until after WWII in 1950. From the outside it's perhaps not the prettiest of buildings but once you are inside it's quite impressive. There is a large hall which has a huge painting at the far end. To be honest I joked that it looked as though it had been coloured in by kids with crayons. Still, it was an impressive sight. Fred then remarked that they had awful curtains. :-)
Around the square the city hall sits in there are a number of tourist shops... and you know we just had to go in and have a look. They were full of the usual touristy stuff... trolls, hats, jumpers, various trinkets with the Norwegian flag, etc. I tried to find my wife something but couldn't see anything worth buying.
We headed for the busy harbour area. There are lots of offices and accommodation around here as well as restaurants, bars, shops, etc. There are ships and luxury yachts moored up along the jetty as well. To be honest, this is the way I would have liked the development around the Finnieston area of Glasgow to have been like. There is a lot of life in the area and the people are friendly.
We sat and ate some ice cream we bought and just soaked in the atmosphere. Tom then got a text from Pete saying they were back from dropping Shaun off at the airport. I had the key so I had to make my way back to the hostel. I have a pretty good sense of direction so I was able to find my way back pretty easily. After meeting up with Pete and Mauro we headed back into town and to where I left Tom, John and Fred. When we got there they were sitting outside one of the bars. I shuddered to think what it was going to cost us but we ordered some beers.
Afterwards, Pete, Mauro and I went exploring further around the harbour area. Again, like Glasgow, it has been subject to a lot of investment. Mauro wanted to go see the new opera house which you could apparently walk up on to the roof of. As we came out of a shop after buying some juice a guy stopped us and asked where we were from. We told him what we had been up to and then he told us about how he had cycled all over Scotland. He then gave us rough directions for the opera house and with that we set off.
On the way there we had to pass through the Akershus Fortress which was built in the late 13th century to protect Oslo from invaders. It was occupied by the Nazis during WWII and after the war a number of traitors were executed here by firing squad. From the ramparts you get an amazing view over the Oslo fjord. On the hill behind Olso you can also see a ski jump that was used in the 1952 Winter Olympics.
It was getting late so we only had time for a quick look around before heading for the opera house. After asking for some directions we eventually found it. The building is shaped liked two wedges; one sitting on top of the other. You can walk up the first wedge and then on to the second one. The building was completed this year ahead of schedule and way under budget. How often does that happen these days? Anyway, it's a fairly steep climb up the roof. Once we reached the top, Mauro did his best Rocky impersonation. I guess that's how we were all feeling then after the journey.
Again, the view from the top of the building was great. You could see the fjord again along with the harbour and the city around that area. We stayed a while admiring the scenery but by now it was after 7:30pm and was beginning to get dark. On the way back to the hostel Tom phoned and said that they would bring in pizzas for everyone again. Not the healthiest of diets considering our healthy regime for the past week but certainly a welcome one.
When we got back to the hostel someone else had taken up residency in Shaun's bed. He turned up a little later on. I forget his name but he was originally from Iran. He was persecuted back home for printing a Christian newspaper and so had to flee. He spent time in Turkey before coming to Oslo where he works as a web developer. Mauro, Pete and I laughed as we all realised we were in the same business. The guys arrived a little bit later on and we tucked into the pizzas. By the end of the night there was a pile of around 16 pizza boxes in the corner of the room.
All in all we had a great day. Was good to be able to relax and do some exploring in such a great city... even if it is so expensive. Never did get to see Edvard Munch's "The Scream" but perhaps another time. Tomorrow we were heading back home again.
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Got. To Olso Day 6 - Sarpsborg to Oslo
Well, here it was... the final day of cycling. Muscles ached but our resolve to finish this journey had never wavered. Before we set off today we took some pics for the various organisations who sponsored us namely Stena Bulk, Concordia Maritime, North Marine Shipping, Brantas and Herbalife.
We'd been told that Oslo was only about 50-something miles (90 km) away which, considering we'd done 75 miles (120 km) the day before, seemed easy. We set off around 10am in sunshine. The forecast was for rain but luckily it was wrong... so far. Around about 3 miles (5 km) outside of Sarpsborg on route 114 we encountered what I consider to be more like the picture of Norway I had in my head before I came here. There was a large lake surrounded by hills covered in trees.
We crossed a bridge that spanned part of the lake. An older bridge, or rather what was left of it, stood beside it. We stopped for a time to admire the scenery and take some pictures. I prayed that I wouldn't run out of memory on my camera or battery power right now. Luckily I was fine on both accounts.
We carried along the side of the lake for a time before climbing the usual endless supply of Scandinavian hills. The road which was tree lined all the way never got monotonous though. To think that hundreds of years ago the UK was heavily forested, but look at it now. Norway, on the other hand, still is, from what I could see. Samuel Pepys once said that, "A man who is tired of London, is tired of life." He obviously never travelled this far North.
On the way up the hill we passed the entrance to a ski resort. It's funny but you never think that there would be much skiing at this altitude. However, this far North they obviously get a lot more snow than we do these days. Probably the same amount that we used to get way back in the 70s. Am I showing my age now? Oh well...
Although the sun was still shining the air was thick and cold. It was actually quite hard to keep warm. I was quite glad I had my cycling vest on which kept my body warm if not my arms which were freezing. This has been an ongoing thing about Scandinavia, that even though the sun is in the sky the air has been kind of thick which has meant that cycling through it has generated cold winds. Good when you are warm but not so good when you are cold.
We cycled for a few hours going through places like Nordby and Meieribyen taking a few breaks. Eventually we met up with Pete again in Spydeberg for a rest and something to eat. We had only had snacks so far since breakfast so we were ready to get stuck into something a little more substantial. Norway is, as you would presume, relatively expensive but when you gotta eat you gotta eat and forget the cost. I bought a ham and cheese roll in the shape of a large horseshoe. Fred then bought a waffle filled with ice cream and jam. It called my name - I just had to have one too.
After lunch we lolled around a little outside. I cycled over to a book shop to see what they had in their window. I managed to unclip my right foot from the pedals but not my left. I lost my balance and tipped over sideways much to the amusement of everyone, including myself. If you can't laugh at yourself in these situations then you have no right laughing at anyone else.
It was dull again as we headed off once more. I pulled my wind proof top on as well as my cycling vest and waterproof jacket to try and build up some heat. A couple of miles outside of town I saw a sign warning about Moose. I could just imagine going round a bend and coming face to face with an angry moose ready to charge me with his horns. Luckily, I didn't. Not something you see back home but over here it's probably like wild deer running around.
At some small town we kind of got a bit lost and had to ask for directions. A lady put us back on track in the direction of Ski. The sun came out again, lulling us into a false sense of security. Again, it may have been sunny but it was still cold.
Ski is a large commuter town some 15 miles (25 km) or so from Oslo. By now we had travelled around 50 miles (80 km). We arrived there around teatime and so stopped off at a service station (thank God for service stations, without them we would have gone hungry and thirsty on large parts of this trip) to buy some refreshments. Mauro needed a big sugar crash urgently as did I and so we both bought some sugary jelly sweets. Boy did they taste good!
Taking some advice on how to get to Oslo we found a sign saying "Oslo 25". 15 miles (25 km) doesn't seem like much but when you have covered 50 miles (80 km) already it seems like a whole lot more. As we headed off again the weather took a turn for the worse and it started to rain again. We all had our wet weather gear on apart from Fred who showed true Viking spirit and carried on regardless although he did manage to borrow a thermal cycling top from Bob. Cycling along one particular road Shaun managed to get a "snake bite" puncture on his rear tyre. This occurs usually when one of your wheels hits the edge of a kerb hard causing the inner rim of the wheel to pinch the inner tube and tearing it, somewhat resembling a snake bite, hence the term. We parked up in a bus shelter and resident mechanic extraordinaire, Mauro, went to work again. He changed the tube and had the wheel back on again in around 6 minutes. Not bad going.
We headed off again, tired, wet, cold but determined to complete the final few miles and "Get to Oslo". At the end of one particular street we had to enter a park area passing some football pitches and then going down the middle of a golf course. Norwegians may not have as many famous golfers as us but they are still daft about the game, like us. There were some many people and cars around even in the pouring rain.
My wrists were hurting from all the cycling and so I decided to change the angle of my handlebar stem to see if that would alleviate some of the pain. It worked, at least for a time. The path through the park changed to little more than a dirt track which by now had seen a lot of rain and horses by the look of things. There was no choice but to cycle through it and get covered in mud as we descended the path. By then we pretty much didn't care as we were already cold and wet so what could some mud do?
Eventually after passing some stables the dirt track finished and we descended a residential street jumping off of the speed bumps. My forks by now were in a sorry state. They were bottoming out very easily. At the bottom of the hill the directions started to get a little confusing. Beforehand there were definite signs saying "Oslo". Now there were directions probably to places in Oslo but none looked familiar. We crossed a bridge going over a main road and then down a ramp on the other side. Shaun's tyre gave out again and we had to stop for a time while Mauro took a look. I think there must have been some damage to his wheel as he had another puncture in a new inner tube. We sheltered under the ramp we had descended earlier and Mauro went back to work on the wheel. A group of cyclists went by and waved to us. Road cyclists, in my experience, rarely acknowledge people on mountain bikes.
I tried to wash some of the dirt off of my bike using a large puddle that was right next to us. When your rims get dirty it causes the brakes not to function properly as well as wearing them down quicker (both the brakes and rims). I then washed my shoes which were caked in mud too. They were soaking wet by now anyway so splashing about in a puddle didn't matter.
With Shaun's tyre fixed again we set off again for the centre of Oslo. We passed a red phone box like the ones at home. It felt so very long ago that we set off from Gothenburg even though it had only been a few days. Again, the route to the centre of the city became a little hazy. Fred had stopped a couple of guys and asked for directions. We headed down a slip road onto what I can only presume to be the E6; the road running all the way from Gothenburg to Oslo. The trasffic was very fast moving and I was a little uneasy about going down this road. On the other side of the road I saw a cyclist going down a cycle track at the side of the road. I got off my bike and headed back up the slip road again. I crossed over an overpass and went down the ramp on the other side. The others soon followed suit. There's no point in living dangerously on strange roads. Our luck had held this far and I didn't want anyone getting hurt when we were so close to finishing. This road, was as we discovered in due course, the final stretch of road leading us to our destination.
We stopped off at another service station. Fred found a couple of watering cans full of water and I washed more of the dirt off of my bike. By now it had stopped raining but it was still overcast. From the cycle path you could see out on to the Oslo fjord which the city is built around. There was a sailing regatta or something going on in the distance. There were many large sails. We passed by the docks and eventually around 8pm we finally reached the centre of Oslo.
Part of the centre was having some work done to it so we had to get off our bikes to walk around the temporary path. At this point I lost Mauro. I went back to where we were but I couldn't see him. I met Bob coming back down the street where everyone else was. He had his high visibility rain jacket on and so I thought that Mauro would spot him more likely than me. I headed on up the street through the pedestrian traffic to where everyone else was. Evetually we spotted Bob's luminous jacket coming back up the street. We couldn't see Mauro but as Bob got closer we saw that Mauro was walking. One of his feet had given way under the stress of cycling all week.
We stopped a passing girl who took a couple of pictures of us on Bob's camera. After that, all we wanted to do was book in to the hostel and relax. We were booked in at the Anker Hostel on Storgata, which, after what we had just been through was a decidedly underwhelming place. The guy at the front desk did his level best to get everyone's back up. He decided to process everyone's booking in the order in which we gave him the sheets we had to fill in. It didn't matter if someone was out at the van, that was just the way it was and he stuck to his guns (to Bob's grudging admiration). Eventually though we managed to get into our rooms.
Bob, in his infinite brilliance, decided to go out with Peter and buy everyone a large pizza. To say that the cooking facilities in the room were basic would be an understatement. You even had to rent pots and pans off of the front desk. He returned an hour later and it was the best pizza ever. Bob, you should be Knighted for keeping us fed over the course of the week. Thanks so much, you are a top man.
After food, Shaun, Tom, Fred and John decided to have a night out on the town. It was around 10:30pm by now and I was just wanting to hit the hay. We had finally done it. What had started off at an estimated 220 mile (352 km) cycle had finished off being 275 miles (440 km). Now to sleep, perchance to dream of home again...
We'd been told that Oslo was only about 50-something miles (90 km) away which, considering we'd done 75 miles (120 km) the day before, seemed easy. We set off around 10am in sunshine. The forecast was for rain but luckily it was wrong... so far. Around about 3 miles (5 km) outside of Sarpsborg on route 114 we encountered what I consider to be more like the picture of Norway I had in my head before I came here. There was a large lake surrounded by hills covered in trees.
We crossed a bridge that spanned part of the lake. An older bridge, or rather what was left of it, stood beside it. We stopped for a time to admire the scenery and take some pictures. I prayed that I wouldn't run out of memory on my camera or battery power right now. Luckily I was fine on both accounts.
We carried along the side of the lake for a time before climbing the usual endless supply of Scandinavian hills. The road which was tree lined all the way never got monotonous though. To think that hundreds of years ago the UK was heavily forested, but look at it now. Norway, on the other hand, still is, from what I could see. Samuel Pepys once said that, "A man who is tired of London, is tired of life." He obviously never travelled this far North.
On the way up the hill we passed the entrance to a ski resort. It's funny but you never think that there would be much skiing at this altitude. However, this far North they obviously get a lot more snow than we do these days. Probably the same amount that we used to get way back in the 70s. Am I showing my age now? Oh well...
Although the sun was still shining the air was thick and cold. It was actually quite hard to keep warm. I was quite glad I had my cycling vest on which kept my body warm if not my arms which were freezing. This has been an ongoing thing about Scandinavia, that even though the sun is in the sky the air has been kind of thick which has meant that cycling through it has generated cold winds. Good when you are warm but not so good when you are cold.
We cycled for a few hours going through places like Nordby and Meieribyen taking a few breaks. Eventually we met up with Pete again in Spydeberg for a rest and something to eat. We had only had snacks so far since breakfast so we were ready to get stuck into something a little more substantial. Norway is, as you would presume, relatively expensive but when you gotta eat you gotta eat and forget the cost. I bought a ham and cheese roll in the shape of a large horseshoe. Fred then bought a waffle filled with ice cream and jam. It called my name - I just had to have one too.
After lunch we lolled around a little outside. I cycled over to a book shop to see what they had in their window. I managed to unclip my right foot from the pedals but not my left. I lost my balance and tipped over sideways much to the amusement of everyone, including myself. If you can't laugh at yourself in these situations then you have no right laughing at anyone else.
It was dull again as we headed off once more. I pulled my wind proof top on as well as my cycling vest and waterproof jacket to try and build up some heat. A couple of miles outside of town I saw a sign warning about Moose. I could just imagine going round a bend and coming face to face with an angry moose ready to charge me with his horns. Luckily, I didn't. Not something you see back home but over here it's probably like wild deer running around.
At some small town we kind of got a bit lost and had to ask for directions. A lady put us back on track in the direction of Ski. The sun came out again, lulling us into a false sense of security. Again, it may have been sunny but it was still cold.
Ski is a large commuter town some 15 miles (25 km) or so from Oslo. By now we had travelled around 50 miles (80 km). We arrived there around teatime and so stopped off at a service station (thank God for service stations, without them we would have gone hungry and thirsty on large parts of this trip) to buy some refreshments. Mauro needed a big sugar crash urgently as did I and so we both bought some sugary jelly sweets. Boy did they taste good!
Taking some advice on how to get to Oslo we found a sign saying "Oslo 25". 15 miles (25 km) doesn't seem like much but when you have covered 50 miles (80 km) already it seems like a whole lot more. As we headed off again the weather took a turn for the worse and it started to rain again. We all had our wet weather gear on apart from Fred who showed true Viking spirit and carried on regardless although he did manage to borrow a thermal cycling top from Bob. Cycling along one particular road Shaun managed to get a "snake bite" puncture on his rear tyre. This occurs usually when one of your wheels hits the edge of a kerb hard causing the inner rim of the wheel to pinch the inner tube and tearing it, somewhat resembling a snake bite, hence the term. We parked up in a bus shelter and resident mechanic extraordinaire, Mauro, went to work again. He changed the tube and had the wheel back on again in around 6 minutes. Not bad going.
We headed off again, tired, wet, cold but determined to complete the final few miles and "Get to Oslo". At the end of one particular street we had to enter a park area passing some football pitches and then going down the middle of a golf course. Norwegians may not have as many famous golfers as us but they are still daft about the game, like us. There were some many people and cars around even in the pouring rain.
My wrists were hurting from all the cycling and so I decided to change the angle of my handlebar stem to see if that would alleviate some of the pain. It worked, at least for a time. The path through the park changed to little more than a dirt track which by now had seen a lot of rain and horses by the look of things. There was no choice but to cycle through it and get covered in mud as we descended the path. By then we pretty much didn't care as we were already cold and wet so what could some mud do?
Eventually after passing some stables the dirt track finished and we descended a residential street jumping off of the speed bumps. My forks by now were in a sorry state. They were bottoming out very easily. At the bottom of the hill the directions started to get a little confusing. Beforehand there were definite signs saying "Oslo". Now there were directions probably to places in Oslo but none looked familiar. We crossed a bridge going over a main road and then down a ramp on the other side. Shaun's tyre gave out again and we had to stop for a time while Mauro took a look. I think there must have been some damage to his wheel as he had another puncture in a new inner tube. We sheltered under the ramp we had descended earlier and Mauro went back to work on the wheel. A group of cyclists went by and waved to us. Road cyclists, in my experience, rarely acknowledge people on mountain bikes.
I tried to wash some of the dirt off of my bike using a large puddle that was right next to us. When your rims get dirty it causes the brakes not to function properly as well as wearing them down quicker (both the brakes and rims). I then washed my shoes which were caked in mud too. They were soaking wet by now anyway so splashing about in a puddle didn't matter.
With Shaun's tyre fixed again we set off again for the centre of Oslo. We passed a red phone box like the ones at home. It felt so very long ago that we set off from Gothenburg even though it had only been a few days. Again, the route to the centre of the city became a little hazy. Fred had stopped a couple of guys and asked for directions. We headed down a slip road onto what I can only presume to be the E6; the road running all the way from Gothenburg to Oslo. The trasffic was very fast moving and I was a little uneasy about going down this road. On the other side of the road I saw a cyclist going down a cycle track at the side of the road. I got off my bike and headed back up the slip road again. I crossed over an overpass and went down the ramp on the other side. The others soon followed suit. There's no point in living dangerously on strange roads. Our luck had held this far and I didn't want anyone getting hurt when we were so close to finishing. This road, was as we discovered in due course, the final stretch of road leading us to our destination.
We stopped off at another service station. Fred found a couple of watering cans full of water and I washed more of the dirt off of my bike. By now it had stopped raining but it was still overcast. From the cycle path you could see out on to the Oslo fjord which the city is built around. There was a sailing regatta or something going on in the distance. There were many large sails. We passed by the docks and eventually around 8pm we finally reached the centre of Oslo.
Part of the centre was having some work done to it so we had to get off our bikes to walk around the temporary path. At this point I lost Mauro. I went back to where we were but I couldn't see him. I met Bob coming back down the street where everyone else was. He had his high visibility rain jacket on and so I thought that Mauro would spot him more likely than me. I headed on up the street through the pedestrian traffic to where everyone else was. Evetually we spotted Bob's luminous jacket coming back up the street. We couldn't see Mauro but as Bob got closer we saw that Mauro was walking. One of his feet had given way under the stress of cycling all week.
We stopped a passing girl who took a couple of pictures of us on Bob's camera. After that, all we wanted to do was book in to the hostel and relax. We were booked in at the Anker Hostel on Storgata, which, after what we had just been through was a decidedly underwhelming place. The guy at the front desk did his level best to get everyone's back up. He decided to process everyone's booking in the order in which we gave him the sheets we had to fill in. It didn't matter if someone was out at the van, that was just the way it was and he stuck to his guns (to Bob's grudging admiration). Eventually though we managed to get into our rooms.
Bob, in his infinite brilliance, decided to go out with Peter and buy everyone a large pizza. To say that the cooking facilities in the room were basic would be an understatement. You even had to rent pots and pans off of the front desk. He returned an hour later and it was the best pizza ever. Bob, you should be Knighted for keeping us fed over the course of the week. Thanks so much, you are a top man.
After food, Shaun, Tom, Fred and John decided to have a night out on the town. It was around 10:30pm by now and I was just wanting to hit the hay. We had finally done it. What had started off at an estimated 220 mile (352 km) cycle had finished off being 275 miles (440 km). Now to sleep, perchance to dream of home again...
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Got. To Oslo Day 5 - Fjällbacka to Sarpsborg
After the rest and relaxation of the day before, today was going to be a tough one. We had a long journey ahead of us across the border to Sarpsborg in Norway. Not only that, but after the bright sunshine of the past 4 days it was now raining... and not just drizzle either.
We managed to get the hotel to serve breakfast just after 8:00am instead of 9. In fact, we had to get over to Fjällbacka for 9am as Fred was going to meet us at the harbour with a reporter from a local paper. We made it over in time and after posing for some photographs the reporter asked us some questions.
Photographs and questions over it was time to hit the road again. We headed off to Grebbestad some 7.5 miles (12 km) as the crow flies. From there we moved on to Tanumshede. As we cycled the weather started to get better. The clouds began to disappear and the sun started shining through. Only problem was, my feet were still soaking wet.
After reaching Tanumshede we headed for Lur, crossing over the E6, the motorway from Gothenburg to Oslo. By now we were in bright sunshine and so we were felt able to remove our waterproofs. After reaching Lur we found that we had taken a wrong turn and so had to head along the side of the E6 so we could reach our next port of call, Skee. The traffic was fast moving so we had to travel single file.
At Skee we stopped for a while at a service station where we met Pete with the van. I managed to sit down for a while and removed my shoes and socks. I wrung out my socks amazed at how much water they had soaked up. There was a lot. So much for my SPD shoes being waterproof. Anyway, when I put them back on again they didn't seem so bad. I know it's not a good thing putting wet gear back on but when needs must... Was just nice not to have to feel my feet squelch in my shoes again.
Break over we headed off in the direction of Hälle. The road was largely tree lined and had many lakes lying just to the side of the road. There were quite a lot of hills to climb on this road but, to be honest, with scenery like this around, you didn't mind so much. Before we reached Hälle, though, we changed direction and headed for Näsinge. This would be our final change of direction before crossing the border into Norway at Svinesund.
We reached Svinesund just after 4pm and stopped at the Svinesund Center. The center overlooked the Iddefjord which divides the west coast of Sweden from Norway. I'd never seen a fjord before and it was quite a sight. When we crossed from Fiskebäckskil to Lysekil a couple of days before we passed the Gullmarn fjord but it was away in the distance and so we couldn't see much. This was much more like it; steep tree lined hills leading down to the water's edge. Stunning!!!
There was a restaurant in the Svinesund Center so we decided to have one last feed in Sweden before we headed over the border. The food in Norway would be more expensive so we thought we better make the most of it. We paid 125 SEK (£10-12) for the buffet that was laid out. And what a feast it was too. I kid you not, this was one of the best looking and tasting buffets I have ever had. Steak, chicken, sausages, salad and so much more. We were famished after cycling for around 6 hours and so we loaded up our plates. Definitely a meal to remember.
Hunger sated, I went outside to sit on the veranda and gaze at the fjord. I removed my shoes again and tried to let my socks dry in the breeze. The sun was still fairly high in the sky but the was a breeze coming from the direction of Norway. It was nice to just sit and take in the scenery for a change instead of glance at it while we were on the move. The bridge we were going to cross is actually the old bridge. They redirected the E6 to go over the new bridge but there is still a lot of traffic flowing over the old one which is probably good news for the Svinnesund Center.
The bridge was under repair and so was down to single lane with traffic lights determining which side of the bridge got to cross. Luckily there was a pavement which meant we could walk across with the bikes. Pete, on the other hand, had to wait in line with the traffic. The view from the bridge was even better than the Center. You could see both up and down stream. It was a long way down to the water too. Again, the view was incredible. The sort of sight you could never tire of looking at.
On the other side of the border we all met up again at a service station before starting the final leg for today on to Sarpsborg, some 15 miles (25 km) away. By now it was after 6pm and we were tired and saddle sore. Sarpsborg couldn't come quick enough. The countryside was unremarkable, in stark contrast to Sweden. To judge Norway on this would be silly though as we all know what kind of lanscapes they have.
We reached Sarpsborg just after 8pm. The sun was beginning to set and as we entered its bounds we passed through and industrial area. There was a river which had a pretty impressive weir, perhaps used to power something. To be honest, I was a little underwhelmed with the place so far. As we cycled through the streets it felt more like home than Scandinavia. I don't want to be unkind as we probably didn't see the best parts of the place.
Eventually we found the hostel and were pleasantly surprised. It was a lovely looking place and the rooms were nice too. We had travelled some 75 miles (120 km) today and I was shattered. I had a shower and then watched CSI on TV before falling asleep.
3 days of cycling down... 1 more to go.
We managed to get the hotel to serve breakfast just after 8:00am instead of 9. In fact, we had to get over to Fjällbacka for 9am as Fred was going to meet us at the harbour with a reporter from a local paper. We made it over in time and after posing for some photographs the reporter asked us some questions.
Photographs and questions over it was time to hit the road again. We headed off to Grebbestad some 7.5 miles (12 km) as the crow flies. From there we moved on to Tanumshede. As we cycled the weather started to get better. The clouds began to disappear and the sun started shining through. Only problem was, my feet were still soaking wet.
After reaching Tanumshede we headed for Lur, crossing over the E6, the motorway from Gothenburg to Oslo. By now we were in bright sunshine and so we were felt able to remove our waterproofs. After reaching Lur we found that we had taken a wrong turn and so had to head along the side of the E6 so we could reach our next port of call, Skee. The traffic was fast moving so we had to travel single file.
At Skee we stopped for a while at a service station where we met Pete with the van. I managed to sit down for a while and removed my shoes and socks. I wrung out my socks amazed at how much water they had soaked up. There was a lot. So much for my SPD shoes being waterproof. Anyway, when I put them back on again they didn't seem so bad. I know it's not a good thing putting wet gear back on but when needs must... Was just nice not to have to feel my feet squelch in my shoes again.
Break over we headed off in the direction of Hälle. The road was largely tree lined and had many lakes lying just to the side of the road. There were quite a lot of hills to climb on this road but, to be honest, with scenery like this around, you didn't mind so much. Before we reached Hälle, though, we changed direction and headed for Näsinge. This would be our final change of direction before crossing the border into Norway at Svinesund.
We reached Svinesund just after 4pm and stopped at the Svinesund Center. The center overlooked the Iddefjord which divides the west coast of Sweden from Norway. I'd never seen a fjord before and it was quite a sight. When we crossed from Fiskebäckskil to Lysekil a couple of days before we passed the Gullmarn fjord but it was away in the distance and so we couldn't see much. This was much more like it; steep tree lined hills leading down to the water's edge. Stunning!!!
There was a restaurant in the Svinesund Center so we decided to have one last feed in Sweden before we headed over the border. The food in Norway would be more expensive so we thought we better make the most of it. We paid 125 SEK (£10-12) for the buffet that was laid out. And what a feast it was too. I kid you not, this was one of the best looking and tasting buffets I have ever had. Steak, chicken, sausages, salad and so much more. We were famished after cycling for around 6 hours and so we loaded up our plates. Definitely a meal to remember.
Hunger sated, I went outside to sit on the veranda and gaze at the fjord. I removed my shoes again and tried to let my socks dry in the breeze. The sun was still fairly high in the sky but the was a breeze coming from the direction of Norway. It was nice to just sit and take in the scenery for a change instead of glance at it while we were on the move. The bridge we were going to cross is actually the old bridge. They redirected the E6 to go over the new bridge but there is still a lot of traffic flowing over the old one which is probably good news for the Svinnesund Center.
The bridge was under repair and so was down to single lane with traffic lights determining which side of the bridge got to cross. Luckily there was a pavement which meant we could walk across with the bikes. Pete, on the other hand, had to wait in line with the traffic. The view from the bridge was even better than the Center. You could see both up and down stream. It was a long way down to the water too. Again, the view was incredible. The sort of sight you could never tire of looking at.
On the other side of the border we all met up again at a service station before starting the final leg for today on to Sarpsborg, some 15 miles (25 km) away. By now it was after 6pm and we were tired and saddle sore. Sarpsborg couldn't come quick enough. The countryside was unremarkable, in stark contrast to Sweden. To judge Norway on this would be silly though as we all know what kind of lanscapes they have.
We reached Sarpsborg just after 8pm. The sun was beginning to set and as we entered its bounds we passed through and industrial area. There was a river which had a pretty impressive weir, perhaps used to power something. To be honest, I was a little underwhelmed with the place so far. As we cycled through the streets it felt more like home than Scandinavia. I don't want to be unkind as we probably didn't see the best parts of the place.
Eventually we found the hostel and were pleasantly surprised. It was a lovely looking place and the rooms were nice too. We had travelled some 75 miles (120 km) today and I was shattered. I had a shower and then watched CSI on TV before falling asleep.
3 days of cycling down... 1 more to go.
Monday, 25 August 2008
Got. To Oslo Day 4 - Day off in Fjällbacka
Fjällbacka, where we were staying, is a fishing village with some 800 inhabitants. It is famous for being the home of the great Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman when she was in Sweden. It is just short of 100 miles (150 km) from Gothenburg although we had taken 130 miles (196 km) to get there.
After the past couple of days we were glad to have a day off from cycling. Mauro and I both woke up around 7am and so decided to go have a wander around. The hostel is set in the grounds of the Fjällbacka Valö hotel and has a view that few can match.
Across from the dorms where we were staying there was a large crop of rock which allowed you to view the sea across to Fjällbacka and the surrounding area from an elevated position. The view across the bay was like most of the scenery I had seen so far on the journey up the coast... stunning. We sat on the jetty and soaked in the atmosphere of the place. Shoals of Whitebait were swimming around the jetty which was an unusual sight.
Breakfast was served around 9am in the hotel at the top of the garden. We ate heartily and discussed the past couple of days' cycle. Afterwards a few of us went back across the water to Fjällbacka with Fred. It was his girlfriend's birthday so he was taking the van and driving back to Gothenburg and would return in the morning. Before he left he told us about a large crag in the rock behind the harbour that we should go and have a look at.
Tom, John, Mauro and I headed up the steps from the harbour which led to the crag. How something like this crag is created I have no idea but it was an amazing site. The entire rock was split in two with a large channel down the centre. Further on into it there were 4 huge boulders wedged in between the two halves of the crag. It was a but unnerving walking underneath them but we were completely safe. The locals call it the Kungsklyftan (The King's Shaft).
Safely through the passage there was another set of stairs leading up on top of the rock. From the top you could see over the whole bay and beyond.
After climbing down from the rock we bought some supplies at the supermarket then sat down at the bar on the harbour for a drink in the sun. There are few better ways or places to relax on such a beautiful day.
1:30pm and the taxi boat came and took us back to Valö. We had some food and then I decided to take the path round the back of the hotel and follow the trail on to the top of the hill that constitutes the bulk of the island. The hill, in fact the whole island, is a massive piece of rock sticking out of the sea. The route to the top of the hill was marked with white paint.
The proprietor of the house told me that in winter they can experience temperatures of down to -30˚C because of winds coming down from the North. Amazing then that the hill supported so much life. There were bushes and even a small wooded area on the summit. From the other side of the island you could see for tens of miles. I am fast running out of superlatives to describe the scenery here. Breathtaking isn't a word I use a lot (if at all) but the views from here were all that.
After climbing all over the hill for a couple of hours I went back to the hostel via the beach that the other guys had discovered earlier. For dinner Bob made a superb curry. Everyone ate well that night. Afterwards Pete and I sat on the rocks across from our dorms and took in the view of the bay. Later on I took a walk down the jetty to call my wife on the phone. Big mistake. This was the realm of the local mosquitos. Ouch!!!
Today was an amazing day with amazing weather. Unfortunately that was soon to change...
Sunday, 24 August 2008
Got. To Oslo Day 3 - Lyr to Fjällbacka
We were all very sorry to leave Lyr. We had fantastic memories of the night before and I think in some small way we had all fallen in love with the island. However, we had push on and head for Fjällbacka some 60 miles (100 km) or so further up the coast.
Our first destination for the day was to be Ellös where we would cross the water on the first of the 4 ferries we would use today. We travelled through farmland surrounded roads and then got on to the main road to Ellös. A couple of miles outside of Ellös there was a huge climb which, although not particularly steep, was long. At the top of the hill I managed to reset my trip computer somehow which was annoying as I was trying to keep a note of all our distances. Anyway, the descent down the hill was a fast one. I managed to hit a maximum speed of 46 mph (74 kph - sorry Fred but I think that beats your record)... scary but exhilarating.
We stopped off in Ellös for a time and some of the guys bought snacks from the supermarket. You have to keep eating at regular intervals during a long cycle to keep up your energy levels.
We took a ferry from the mainland a few miles outside of Ellös across on to the island of Malö. On Malö we met up with Svein again who had left Lyr earlier than us to drive his motorhome furhter up the coast and then come back to meet us on Malö. We met at a tea shop in a beautiful bay where we sat and ate ice cream and drank coffee on the jetty.
Our first destination for the day was to be Ellös where we would cross the water on the first of the 4 ferries we would use today. We travelled through farmland surrounded roads and then got on to the main road to Ellös. A couple of miles outside of Ellös there was a huge climb which, although not particularly steep, was long. At the top of the hill I managed to reset my trip computer somehow which was annoying as I was trying to keep a note of all our distances. Anyway, the descent down the hill was a fast one. I managed to hit a maximum speed of 46 mph (74 kph - sorry Fred but I think that beats your record)... scary but exhilarating.
We stopped off in Ellös for a time and some of the guys bought snacks from the supermarket. You have to keep eating at regular intervals during a long cycle to keep up your energy levels.
We took a ferry from the mainland a few miles outside of Ellös across on to the island of Malö. On Malö we met up with Svein again who had left Lyr earlier than us to drive his motorhome furhter up the coast and then come back to meet us on Malö. We met at a tea shop in a beautiful bay where we sat and ate ice cream and drank coffee on the jetty.
Break over we headed for the other side of the island as we were going to get another ferry onto another island called Flatön. Fred had phoned ahead and booked us into a fish restaurant called Brygghuset in a place called Fiskebäckskil (possibly the most unpronouncable place name on our trip). When we got there we all ordered the same things; the fish soup (a mixture of catfish and mussels) and the herring platter (called Sild in Scandinavia - one of their staple diets). The food was amazing and I would thoroughly recommend the restaurant if you happen to be in the neighbourhood.
After lunch we headed for the harbour where we would get the final ferry of the day back across to the mainland to land at Lysekil which is at the mouth of the Gullmarsfjorden. The town itself is very picturesque (from what I saw of it) around the harbour area. After that we met up with Peter again in Brastad before heading for Hamburgsund, our final stop before hitting Fjällbacka. Along the way we said farewell to Svein who had to go pick up his motorhome and then drive back home to Frederikstad in Norway. He spent most of the journey just using three gears as his rear gear cable had snapped. (Thanks for the company Svein, it was a pleasure to share the road with you.)
It was getting late when we arrived in Hamburgsund and as the sun was beginning to drop it was also getting a little cold. We sat and had a rest before cycling the final 5 miles (8 km) to Fjällbacka. We arrived around 8:15pm which meant that we had around 15 minutes before our ferry journey across the water on to Valön where our hostel for the next two nights was. Anyway, as we had some time to spare we went to the local supermarket to load up on necessities. As I paid for my stuff and left I noticed that the van had disappeared, as had everyone else. I had no idea where the harbour was and I couldn't cycle fast as I had 3 bags full of shopping. With 5 minutes to catch the ferry things were looking bleak. I walked back to the main road where we had come in as I saw a road sign that looked as though it might have been for the harbour. I phoned Mauro but couldn't get through. Luckily he phoned back and Fred came round in the van to show me how to get to the harbour.
After much laughter we packed the tiny boat with 7 bikes, all our luggage & groceries and 9 people including the captain of the boat. John and I had to stand at the very back of the boat and hang on to the bar on top of the cabin. With the sun dropping fast in the sky now it was quite exciting as the boat gathered speed across the water. Eventually we arrived at a small jetty and unloaded all our gear. This was the island of Valön, our home for the next 2 nights.
The accommodation was quite simple... we even had an outside toilet and shower but by then we didn't care. We had cycled some 65 miles (just over 100 km) in around 10 hours and now all we wanted was food and sleep. Bob excelled himself and made us another culinary delight. Afterwards we just stared up at the clear night sky again and tried to spot satellites again. Tomorrow was a day off. We were going to make the most of it.
Saturday, 23 August 2008
Got. To Oslo Day 2 - Gothenburg to Lyr
Today was the first actual day of cycling. Our goal was to reach the island of Lyr some 50 miles (80km). I actually awoke around 5:00am, read a little and then typed up some notes on the previous day. I didn't have a notepad and so had to do it all on my mobile phone.
Fred came up the street with his bike and a bag mounted on the handlebars. We packed the van and then after breakfast headed to a park just along from the hostel where we were being met by a couple of photographers from Stena for an article to appear in their magazine. Once the pics were all taken we headed down to the start line where we were met by a number of people including Fred's parents, his girlfriend and her father as well as a number of others.
My gears were making a bit of a noise so I took a look at what was causing it. At first I thought that the chain had got damagaed in transit but it then transpired that I had misrouted the chain around the rear derailleur unit. I had to split the chain again and then reroute the chain properly this time. Unfortunately during the course of splitting the chain the little bar which joins the links together came out and it was proving an absolute nightmare to put back in. This was getting really frustrating as we wanted to head off on our journey. Mauro came to the rescue and we removed another link in such a way that we were able to rejoin the two ends of the chain together and finally get on the way. My hands weren't exactly clean after this but at least it meant that we could get started. Shawn had some issues with his forks as well which meant that when he applied the brakes his forks would twist.
We finally set out on our journey through the Saturday morning streets of Gothenburg. My bike still had a little sting in the tail though. Every so often my gears would slip. While cycling along the harbour I had to stop outside the Opera house and see what was causing the problem. I noticed that every so often the chain wasn't going through the rear mech. properly. What had happened was that the link that we had put it earlier was stiff and wouldn't flex. Mauro loosened the link and I oiled the chain. Thankfully that was the end of my problems.
We headed off out of the city and towards Kungälv. At first we went along the cycle track but we then had to go along a section of the E6, the main road which links Gothenburg to Oslo some 180 miles (290 km) away. When we arrived in Kungälv Fred took us to the Göteborg biscuit factory where we bought a supply that would hopefully last us all week. We loaded the van again and then headed off.
I've been to Sweden a couple of times before but never had the chance to get out into the country. If you have never seen the Swedish countryside then you do not know what you are missing. It is an incredibly beautiful country which rivals anywhere I have ever seen both back home and abroad. You go around bends and lakes magically appear at the side of the road surrounded by trees. Closer to the ocean there are vast expanses of seemingly land locked sea with hundreds of little rocky islands rising up out of the water. It's very easy to imagine the scene hundreds of years ago with Viking longboats navigating these bays. Sweden is very much a seafaring nation and with this kind of scenery it's easy to understand why.
Our next stop was at a shopping centre in the town of Stenungsund. We'd been cycling for some 5 hours and so we were in dire need of some nourishment. I managed to buy a notebook in a supermarket so that I could make notes at night on what we had been up to during the day. I had some Swedish meatballs... well you know I had to at least once.
After lunch we set off again for Lyr. We crossed more bridges afforing us amazing views of the coast. We also hit many hills which, although not as steep as the one from Dunoon to Colintraive, were very very long. These are the type you just have to grit your teeth on and will yourself up. Luckily there were some fantastic descents too.
We crossed the Tjörnbron bridge which connects Stenungsund on the mainland to the island of Tjörn, the last leg to Lyr. The bridge has an unfortunate history in that it was a replacement for the Almö which was struck by a tanker in 1981. Unfortunately this happened in the dark and a number of cars ended up going over the edge of the demolished bridge into the water killing their occupants. According to Fred a lorry driver saw a car suddenly disappear over the edge and stopped any more traffic from disappearing.
We stopped off at a supermarket and bought some food as we decided that we would have a barbecue when we reached Lyr. On the approach to the ferry which would take us to Lyr another cyclist heading in the opposite direction came up to us and asked, "Are you from Scotland?". His name was Svein and had apparently been in contact with Tom regarding routes in Sweden and Norway. Tom at first hadn't a clue who he was but then when we told him that he was the guy he had emailed it all fell into place.
The ferry on to Lyr is in a beautiful channel between the two islands (Lyr and Tjörn). You could practically throw a stone across the channel but luckily for us there was a ferry. Many ferries in Sweden are free and funded by the Swedish government. After crossing on to the island we headed for our first stop at Fred's parents' holiday house.
Some of the guys headed down to the sea for a swim while the rest of us sat back in comfy chairs on the decking and relaxed. Svein came along and joined us and later on Fred and Bob made us a sumptious meal of pasta, salad and barbecued sausage & steak. The sky was completely clear and there was no light pollution from street lamps that we are so used to in large cities. It's amazing what you can see on a completely clear night. I saw my first shooting star which was an amazing event. There is a saying that "sad is the man who loses the ability to see the world through the eyes of a child". That night I certainly did view the night sky thus. We were also able to see satellites tracking across the night sky. They looked like tiny pin pricks of lights moving sometimes at rapid speed across the horizon.
Such a perfect end to a perfect day.
Fred came up the street with his bike and a bag mounted on the handlebars. We packed the van and then after breakfast headed to a park just along from the hostel where we were being met by a couple of photographers from Stena for an article to appear in their magazine. Once the pics were all taken we headed down to the start line where we were met by a number of people including Fred's parents, his girlfriend and her father as well as a number of others.
My gears were making a bit of a noise so I took a look at what was causing it. At first I thought that the chain had got damagaed in transit but it then transpired that I had misrouted the chain around the rear derailleur unit. I had to split the chain again and then reroute the chain properly this time. Unfortunately during the course of splitting the chain the little bar which joins the links together came out and it was proving an absolute nightmare to put back in. This was getting really frustrating as we wanted to head off on our journey. Mauro came to the rescue and we removed another link in such a way that we were able to rejoin the two ends of the chain together and finally get on the way. My hands weren't exactly clean after this but at least it meant that we could get started. Shawn had some issues with his forks as well which meant that when he applied the brakes his forks would twist.
We finally set out on our journey through the Saturday morning streets of Gothenburg. My bike still had a little sting in the tail though. Every so often my gears would slip. While cycling along the harbour I had to stop outside the Opera house and see what was causing the problem. I noticed that every so often the chain wasn't going through the rear mech. properly. What had happened was that the link that we had put it earlier was stiff and wouldn't flex. Mauro loosened the link and I oiled the chain. Thankfully that was the end of my problems.
We headed off out of the city and towards Kungälv. At first we went along the cycle track but we then had to go along a section of the E6, the main road which links Gothenburg to Oslo some 180 miles (290 km) away. When we arrived in Kungälv Fred took us to the Göteborg biscuit factory where we bought a supply that would hopefully last us all week. We loaded the van again and then headed off.
I've been to Sweden a couple of times before but never had the chance to get out into the country. If you have never seen the Swedish countryside then you do not know what you are missing. It is an incredibly beautiful country which rivals anywhere I have ever seen both back home and abroad. You go around bends and lakes magically appear at the side of the road surrounded by trees. Closer to the ocean there are vast expanses of seemingly land locked sea with hundreds of little rocky islands rising up out of the water. It's very easy to imagine the scene hundreds of years ago with Viking longboats navigating these bays. Sweden is very much a seafaring nation and with this kind of scenery it's easy to understand why.
Our next stop was at a shopping centre in the town of Stenungsund. We'd been cycling for some 5 hours and so we were in dire need of some nourishment. I managed to buy a notebook in a supermarket so that I could make notes at night on what we had been up to during the day. I had some Swedish meatballs... well you know I had to at least once.
After lunch we set off again for Lyr. We crossed more bridges afforing us amazing views of the coast. We also hit many hills which, although not as steep as the one from Dunoon to Colintraive, were very very long. These are the type you just have to grit your teeth on and will yourself up. Luckily there were some fantastic descents too.
We crossed the Tjörnbron bridge which connects Stenungsund on the mainland to the island of Tjörn, the last leg to Lyr. The bridge has an unfortunate history in that it was a replacement for the Almö which was struck by a tanker in 1981. Unfortunately this happened in the dark and a number of cars ended up going over the edge of the demolished bridge into the water killing their occupants. According to Fred a lorry driver saw a car suddenly disappear over the edge and stopped any more traffic from disappearing.
We stopped off at a supermarket and bought some food as we decided that we would have a barbecue when we reached Lyr. On the approach to the ferry which would take us to Lyr another cyclist heading in the opposite direction came up to us and asked, "Are you from Scotland?". His name was Svein and had apparently been in contact with Tom regarding routes in Sweden and Norway. Tom at first hadn't a clue who he was but then when we told him that he was the guy he had emailed it all fell into place.
The ferry on to Lyr is in a beautiful channel between the two islands (Lyr and Tjörn). You could practically throw a stone across the channel but luckily for us there was a ferry. Many ferries in Sweden are free and funded by the Swedish government. After crossing on to the island we headed for our first stop at Fred's parents' holiday house.
Some of the guys headed down to the sea for a swim while the rest of us sat back in comfy chairs on the decking and relaxed. Svein came along and joined us and later on Fred and Bob made us a sumptious meal of pasta, salad and barbecued sausage & steak. The sky was completely clear and there was no light pollution from street lamps that we are so used to in large cities. It's amazing what you can see on a completely clear night. I saw my first shooting star which was an amazing event. There is a saying that "sad is the man who loses the ability to see the world through the eyes of a child". That night I certainly did view the night sky thus. We were also able to see satellites tracking across the night sky. They looked like tiny pin pricks of lights moving sometimes at rapid speed across the horizon.
Such a perfect end to a perfect day.
Friday, 22 August 2008
Got. To Oslo Day 1 - Flyg till Göteborg
Well today was the day we had all prepared for. After all the hard work we had put into preparation for our trip to Sweden we were finally going to Gothenburg. Not sure how much sleep I got the night before but to be honest I didn't care. I'd been watching a lot of the Olympic cycling and so was fired up for what lay ahead.
Our flight was around 2pm so we decided to meet around midday at the airport. I think I was first to arrive. For once I was around half an hour early. My wife and I went into the airport looking for any of the rest of the team. I bought some stuff from WHSmith before heading out to put my bike on a trolley. As I got to the car I had the sudden realisation that I had forgotten to brace the rear chainstays. The problem with this was that if the bike had something placed on top of it then it could potentially crack the frame. I didn't have anything to brace it with so I wedged one of my SPD shoes in and hoped for the best.
The flight itself was uneventful and we landed at what first appeared to be a farm. Many jokes about flat packing and Ikea ensued. The terminal building was pretty small and trying to maneuver the front door was a bit of a task. Anyway, Pete and Bob saw to the van that would be supporting us over the coming week. We managed to get all the bike boxes, bags and all of us in. With that we set off for the centre of Gothenburg.
With Pete driving we followed the satnav into Gothenburg past the Ullevi Stadium where IFK Gothenburg play. Once in the centre of town we parked up near a river and phoned Fred who is from Gothenburg. He arrived and showed us the way to the hostel where we were going to be staying the night, Slottsskogens Vandrarhem.
I'd only ever stayed in a hostel once before in Broadford on Skye so was expecting to be stuck in a room with a load of strangers. Not so. Because there were 7 of us staying the night there 5 of us had a room to ourselves. The room was very clean and we settled in quickly. We paid less than £20 a night which was well worth it. If you ever think of going to Gothenburg and you don't mind sharing then I would thoroughly recommend it.
Fred brought us some goodies courtesy of one of our sponsors. Stena were very generous and provided us with proper cycling gear; a helmet, two Gore cycling shirts and a couple of pairs of Pearl Izumi shorts. Top notch kit. On the long days ahead we were so glad to have good cycling shorts and the tops would help keep us cool.
After getting settled in we had to go down and get the bikes out of their travel boxes and assemble them. It's kind of nervewracking when you find a big gash in the side of your box. It makes you wonder if your bike is still in one piece. Luckily, everyone's bike was fine. I made a decision to split the chain as it was a little tangled inside the box. Boy did I regret that decision later on. Anyway, we all managed to get everything assembled and then we put the bikes away in the lockup provided by the hostel.
After washing up we got ready to head on out for food. Fred advised on on a street where we could find some cheap(ish) food. Sweden, in fact Scandinavia as a whole, is reknowned (perhaps sometimes unfairly) for being expensive. Whilst it is more expensive than the UK in general, if you are prepared to shop around a bit then you can find places which are pretty reasonable. We found an Italian place (I think was called Cicero). We all had a starter, main course, dessert and a couple of drinks for around £25 which is pretty good even in Glasgow in a half decent restaurant.
Fred arrived during dinner with his girlfriend and another friend. We had the obligatory photo call with us all wearing our North Marine Management t-shirts. Walking back to the hostel afterwards we got a lot of stares from people noticing our matching shirts. While in a 7-11 on the way home a complete stranger started chatting to me, asking where we were from.
Välkommen till Sverige!!!
Our flight was around 2pm so we decided to meet around midday at the airport. I think I was first to arrive. For once I was around half an hour early. My wife and I went into the airport looking for any of the rest of the team. I bought some stuff from WHSmith before heading out to put my bike on a trolley. As I got to the car I had the sudden realisation that I had forgotten to brace the rear chainstays. The problem with this was that if the bike had something placed on top of it then it could potentially crack the frame. I didn't have anything to brace it with so I wedged one of my SPD shoes in and hoped for the best.
The flight itself was uneventful and we landed at what first appeared to be a farm. Many jokes about flat packing and Ikea ensued. The terminal building was pretty small and trying to maneuver the front door was a bit of a task. Anyway, Pete and Bob saw to the van that would be supporting us over the coming week. We managed to get all the bike boxes, bags and all of us in. With that we set off for the centre of Gothenburg.
With Pete driving we followed the satnav into Gothenburg past the Ullevi Stadium where IFK Gothenburg play. Once in the centre of town we parked up near a river and phoned Fred who is from Gothenburg. He arrived and showed us the way to the hostel where we were going to be staying the night, Slottsskogens Vandrarhem.
I'd only ever stayed in a hostel once before in Broadford on Skye so was expecting to be stuck in a room with a load of strangers. Not so. Because there were 7 of us staying the night there 5 of us had a room to ourselves. The room was very clean and we settled in quickly. We paid less than £20 a night which was well worth it. If you ever think of going to Gothenburg and you don't mind sharing then I would thoroughly recommend it.
Fred brought us some goodies courtesy of one of our sponsors. Stena were very generous and provided us with proper cycling gear; a helmet, two Gore cycling shirts and a couple of pairs of Pearl Izumi shorts. Top notch kit. On the long days ahead we were so glad to have good cycling shorts and the tops would help keep us cool.
After getting settled in we had to go down and get the bikes out of their travel boxes and assemble them. It's kind of nervewracking when you find a big gash in the side of your box. It makes you wonder if your bike is still in one piece. Luckily, everyone's bike was fine. I made a decision to split the chain as it was a little tangled inside the box. Boy did I regret that decision later on. Anyway, we all managed to get everything assembled and then we put the bikes away in the lockup provided by the hostel.
After washing up we got ready to head on out for food. Fred advised on on a street where we could find some cheap(ish) food. Sweden, in fact Scandinavia as a whole, is reknowned (perhaps sometimes unfairly) for being expensive. Whilst it is more expensive than the UK in general, if you are prepared to shop around a bit then you can find places which are pretty reasonable. We found an Italian place (I think was called Cicero). We all had a starter, main course, dessert and a couple of drinks for around £25 which is pretty good even in Glasgow in a half decent restaurant.
Fred arrived during dinner with his girlfriend and another friend. We had the obligatory photo call with us all wearing our North Marine Management t-shirts. Walking back to the hostel afterwards we got a lot of stares from people noticing our matching shirts. While in a 7-11 on the way home a complete stranger started chatting to me, asking where we were from.
Välkommen till Sverige!!!
Sunday, 17 August 2008
The final training run
Can't believe that in less than a week now we will be jetting off to Gothenburg. Before that, however, we decided to have one last training run. We got the train from Glasgow Central once again out to Greenock, picking up Shaun on the way. Once we got to Greenock we headed over to Bob's house for a meeting about the trip and also some fantastic rolls with bacon and sausage.
Meeting over we headed out on our run. We headed on up Kilmacolm Road heading for Lochwinnoch. If anyone has ever been on that road then they will know about the big climb out of Greenock over the hill. It's a bit of a nightmare when faced with it first thing. Having said that, after me doing all my training last week trying to keep a constant high cadence it made it a lot easier. Certainly the more hills you climb the better. Anyway, once over the hill there was a bit of a descent which always makes up for the hardship of the climb.
The road to Lochwinnoch was pretty uneventful. There were some more climbs and some nice descents again along with some nice fast turns. We eventually reached our destination and stopped off at a tearoom in the main street. Some light refreshments and we were back on the road again, this time heading for Largs along the A760. We passed through Kilbirnie and then finally reached the outskirts of Largs. Now, the road down into Largs is pretty steep and twisty. It's not often that a car holds up a bike but this was one of those occasions. I bought some new tyres on Saturday which were mainly for road use. They give better grip on the road and especially in corners as they are more rounded than the hybrid tyres I normally use.
Anyway, once we got into town we stopped off at the famous "Nardini's" for a sandwich and an ice cream. We've only a few days left until we head off to Sweden but we are well prepared now. It only seems like a few weeks ago that we were just in the planning stage of the trip. Now the training has ended and the real hard work begins.
Meeting over we headed out on our run. We headed on up Kilmacolm Road heading for Lochwinnoch. If anyone has ever been on that road then they will know about the big climb out of Greenock over the hill. It's a bit of a nightmare when faced with it first thing. Having said that, after me doing all my training last week trying to keep a constant high cadence it made it a lot easier. Certainly the more hills you climb the better. Anyway, once over the hill there was a bit of a descent which always makes up for the hardship of the climb.
The road to Lochwinnoch was pretty uneventful. There were some more climbs and some nice descents again along with some nice fast turns. We eventually reached our destination and stopped off at a tearoom in the main street. Some light refreshments and we were back on the road again, this time heading for Largs along the A760. We passed through Kilbirnie and then finally reached the outskirts of Largs. Now, the road down into Largs is pretty steep and twisty. It's not often that a car holds up a bike but this was one of those occasions. I bought some new tyres on Saturday which were mainly for road use. They give better grip on the road and especially in corners as they are more rounded than the hybrid tyres I normally use.
Anyway, once we got into town we stopped off at the famous "Nardini's" for a sandwich and an ice cream. We've only a few days left until we head off to Sweden but we are well prepared now. It only seems like a few weeks ago that we were just in the planning stage of the trip. Now the training has ended and the real hard work begins.
Thursday, 7 August 2008
Fast or Slow... The decision is yours.
A few years ago I bought a trip computer for my bike. I think that I was about to embark on a trip up North and so wanted to keep a note of my mileage and speed. I also wanted something I could use on my turbo trainer so I could see how far I had gone without going anywhere. It has the basic functions like speed, average speed, max. speed, odometer, etc. One thing I had never used though until recently was the cadence function. But what is cadence and why is it so important to a cyclist? Put simply, it's a measure of the number of revolutions your pedals do in a minute. The reason this is so important to cyclists will become clear as I go on.
Supposing you had two cyclists of equal size, on the same type of bike, travelling along the same road at the same speed at the same time. Now, imagine that Cyclist A has a cadence of 70 rpm and Cyclist B of just 50 rpm. Who is doing the most work in moving their bike along the road? The laws of Physics dictate that the power required to move a bike is equal to the force exerted on the pedals multiplied by the cadence (Power = Force x Cadence). Therefore, if each cyclist has the same power output, Cyclist A would be required to put less effort into pedalling his bike, even though he is pedalling faster than Cyclist B.
Now, I don't pretend to understand all the Physiology of this but it goes something like this. Your muscles are made up from two different types of fibres; Slow Twitch and Fast Twitch. Slow Twitch fibres are more efficient at using Oxygen to generate fuel and are very resistant to fatigue. They are used to provide sustained power over long periods of time. Fast Twitch fibres on the other hand burn glycogen which is stored in the muscles themselves. This means that they tire very quickly and take a lot longer to recover. The advantage of this however, is that they are much better at generating short bursts of power.
Professional cyclists tend to use a cadence of around 90rpm and higher. Lance Armstrong apparently used to train at 120 rpm for long periods of time. When he hit the mountains in the Tour de France he dropped down a few gears and then upped his cadence while others preferred to get out of the saddle and power their way up. The other day I went out and tried to keep a steady cadence of around 80 rpm. To be honest, after a time my knee and hip joints began to hurt a little but I didn't feel as tired after 10 miles as I perhaps normally would. It also felt slightly unnatural pedalling that fast.
So what is the optimum cadence? Well, there are no doubt many trains of thought on this but from what I've been able to find out it depends on the terrain. In general though you should aim for a cadence of between 85 and 93 rpm.
Supposing you had two cyclists of equal size, on the same type of bike, travelling along the same road at the same speed at the same time. Now, imagine that Cyclist A has a cadence of 70 rpm and Cyclist B of just 50 rpm. Who is doing the most work in moving their bike along the road? The laws of Physics dictate that the power required to move a bike is equal to the force exerted on the pedals multiplied by the cadence (Power = Force x Cadence). Therefore, if each cyclist has the same power output, Cyclist A would be required to put less effort into pedalling his bike, even though he is pedalling faster than Cyclist B.
Now, I don't pretend to understand all the Physiology of this but it goes something like this. Your muscles are made up from two different types of fibres; Slow Twitch and Fast Twitch. Slow Twitch fibres are more efficient at using Oxygen to generate fuel and are very resistant to fatigue. They are used to provide sustained power over long periods of time. Fast Twitch fibres on the other hand burn glycogen which is stored in the muscles themselves. This means that they tire very quickly and take a lot longer to recover. The advantage of this however, is that they are much better at generating short bursts of power.
Professional cyclists tend to use a cadence of around 90rpm and higher. Lance Armstrong apparently used to train at 120 rpm for long periods of time. When he hit the mountains in the Tour de France he dropped down a few gears and then upped his cadence while others preferred to get out of the saddle and power their way up. The other day I went out and tried to keep a steady cadence of around 80 rpm. To be honest, after a time my knee and hip joints began to hurt a little but I didn't feel as tired after 10 miles as I perhaps normally would. It also felt slightly unnatural pedalling that fast.
So what is the optimum cadence? Well, there are no doubt many trains of thought on this but from what I've been able to find out it depends on the terrain. In general though you should aim for a cadence of between 85 and 93 rpm.
Sunday, 3 August 2008
Dunoon to Rothesay
Nietzsche once said, "That which does not kill you makes you stronger." If that truly is the case then all the hills we have done lately will surely make us Supermen. Today was no exception.
Today's plan was to cycle from Dunoon to Colintraive, get the ferry across on to Bute and then cycle round to Rothesay where we would get the ferry back to Wemyss Bay. The weather on the way down to Dunoon didn't look promising; in fact it looked down right miserable at times. With the trip to Sweden just under 3 weeks away we decided to press on regardless. As someone once remarked, "If you don't like the weather in Scotland, just wait 20 minutes." We hoped that today would be no different.
Our journey started in Gourock where we got the ferry across to Dunoon. From there we headed North before turning left on to the B836 road to Colintraive. The sign said 16 miles which doesn't seem like much but, trust me, felt an awful lot longer by the time we reached the end. The road is largely single track which can be tricky when there is traffic around. However, it being a Sunday afternoon it wasn't so bad. Luckily the weather cleared up a lot which meant that we could admire the scenery.
The trip we did from Balloch to Aberfoyle and back, a couple of months ago, had some pretty long climbs up some fairly steep hills. Looking back now they were pretty tame compared to what we faced today. At one point we all had to push the bikes up part of one of the climbs. Even first gear was pretty useless. In fact, it's not a good gear to use for climbing. The amount of effort you put into just isn't returned in terms of forward motion. Sometimes you just have to get up off of the saddle, go up a gear or two and just grit your teeth. This was one of those occasions.
On the other hand though, once the summit was reached there was some fantastic downhill stretches. A few years ago I nearly hit 50mph going down a hill just outside Plockton. Ever since then I've been trying to better that. Unfortunately it wasn't going to be today. At my fastest point I was doing just over 40. Still, it was more than enough to put a smile on all our faces... for about 5 seconds, just before another hill arrived. It's all good though. Every little piece of effort you put in means that you get that little bit fitter; that little bit more able to cope with anything you might come across.
When we finally reached Colintraive, we decided to have a spot of lunch in the Colintraive Hotel. The food was absolutely superb and we probably ate more than was sensible for cycling. There's nothing like local seafood to bring out a healthy appetite. I'd thoroughly recommend a visit there.
After lunch it was the shortest ferry crossing in history across on to Mull. The journey probably didn't even last 5 minutes. We were fully expecting the journey to Rothesay to be another fairly lengthy affair but in the end it was only a few miles down the road. There were another couple of hills, of course, but nothing compared to what we had endured earlier on. I remember seeing a town looking ahead and thinking, "We can't be there already." We passed through Port Bannatyne and arrived in Rothesay just as the ferry was about to leave. We only had a half hour wait for the next one so we decided to stop off at Zavaroni's and have an ice cream (instead of a drink). Just what the doctor ordered!
When we got back to Wemyss Bay we had just missed the train back to Glasgow and the next one wasn't due for about another 50 minutes. Someone had the bright idea of cycling on to Inverkip and picking the train up from there. When we finally discovered where the station was I couldn't believe our luck when it was at the top of another steep hill. C'est la vie! Anyway, if there is one thing that is ten times worse than steep hills it's midgies. The platform was crawling in them and most of them saw me as a food source. Next time I am going to buy some of Avon's "Skin So Soft" which is the only midgie repellent that I know works.
All in all it was another great day. The rain held off in the main with only some drizzle from time to time. Just under 3 weeks to go now till we head off to Gothenburg. Planning on doing one or two more trips before we go but hopefully something with a few less hills and more distance.
Today's plan was to cycle from Dunoon to Colintraive, get the ferry across on to Bute and then cycle round to Rothesay where we would get the ferry back to Wemyss Bay. The weather on the way down to Dunoon didn't look promising; in fact it looked down right miserable at times. With the trip to Sweden just under 3 weeks away we decided to press on regardless. As someone once remarked, "If you don't like the weather in Scotland, just wait 20 minutes." We hoped that today would be no different.
Our journey started in Gourock where we got the ferry across to Dunoon. From there we headed North before turning left on to the B836 road to Colintraive. The sign said 16 miles which doesn't seem like much but, trust me, felt an awful lot longer by the time we reached the end. The road is largely single track which can be tricky when there is traffic around. However, it being a Sunday afternoon it wasn't so bad. Luckily the weather cleared up a lot which meant that we could admire the scenery.
The trip we did from Balloch to Aberfoyle and back, a couple of months ago, had some pretty long climbs up some fairly steep hills. Looking back now they were pretty tame compared to what we faced today. At one point we all had to push the bikes up part of one of the climbs. Even first gear was pretty useless. In fact, it's not a good gear to use for climbing. The amount of effort you put into just isn't returned in terms of forward motion. Sometimes you just have to get up off of the saddle, go up a gear or two and just grit your teeth. This was one of those occasions.
On the other hand though, once the summit was reached there was some fantastic downhill stretches. A few years ago I nearly hit 50mph going down a hill just outside Plockton. Ever since then I've been trying to better that. Unfortunately it wasn't going to be today. At my fastest point I was doing just over 40. Still, it was more than enough to put a smile on all our faces... for about 5 seconds, just before another hill arrived. It's all good though. Every little piece of effort you put in means that you get that little bit fitter; that little bit more able to cope with anything you might come across.
When we finally reached Colintraive, we decided to have a spot of lunch in the Colintraive Hotel. The food was absolutely superb and we probably ate more than was sensible for cycling. There's nothing like local seafood to bring out a healthy appetite. I'd thoroughly recommend a visit there.
After lunch it was the shortest ferry crossing in history across on to Mull. The journey probably didn't even last 5 minutes. We were fully expecting the journey to Rothesay to be another fairly lengthy affair but in the end it was only a few miles down the road. There were another couple of hills, of course, but nothing compared to what we had endured earlier on. I remember seeing a town looking ahead and thinking, "We can't be there already." We passed through Port Bannatyne and arrived in Rothesay just as the ferry was about to leave. We only had a half hour wait for the next one so we decided to stop off at Zavaroni's and have an ice cream (instead of a drink). Just what the doctor ordered!
When we got back to Wemyss Bay we had just missed the train back to Glasgow and the next one wasn't due for about another 50 minutes. Someone had the bright idea of cycling on to Inverkip and picking the train up from there. When we finally discovered where the station was I couldn't believe our luck when it was at the top of another steep hill. C'est la vie! Anyway, if there is one thing that is ten times worse than steep hills it's midgies. The platform was crawling in them and most of them saw me as a food source. Next time I am going to buy some of Avon's "Skin So Soft" which is the only midgie repellent that I know works.
All in all it was another great day. The rain held off in the main with only some drizzle from time to time. Just under 3 weeks to go now till we head off to Gothenburg. Planning on doing one or two more trips before we go but hopefully something with a few less hills and more distance.
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