End 2 End Gold and SS2000

2^nd/3^rd June 2007

The objective is to complete a SS2000 in which we incorporate an End to End Gold (Lands End to John O'Groats completing 1000 miles in 24 hours).

Steps:

Set date - June 2nd at 03:30

Set Itinerary

                    Get paperwork from IBA Site by End April

                    Arrive at Washington Services 02:30 to 02:45, fuel up for start receipt for SS2000

                    Leave Washington services South at 03:00

                    Lands End Arrive about 10:00 get start witnesses and start receipt for E2EG, leave by 11:00

                    Overnight at 21:00 or when ready get receipt and witness

                    Start Day 2 at 03:00, get receipt & witness for start

                    Arrive at John O'Groats get finish receipt and witness for E2EG - before 11:00

                    Finish at Washington Services North about 18:00 but before 03:00 Monday 4th June get witness and receipts

Here are the routes, firstly in MicroSoft AutoRoute 2006 and secondly as Garmin Map Source City Navigator v8.

Riders:

Dave Badcock, Nige Collis, Bev Muizelaar, Nigel Smith, Steve Gray, Chris Malkin, Greg Holmes, Jon Ince, Graham Nicol, Mick Ingledew, Mike McCrindle.

6th June 2007:  Well only four of us in the end set off on this challenge:  Me, Greg, Bev and Mick, don't look too bad for 02:30!  It just so happened that this children's play area at the start services was called Moto Kids - very appropriate.  All the paperwork was ready, the two GPS's were zeroed, tanks and spare fuel cells filled and we started.

Starting just does not sound grand enough for the challenge we were all embarking on but that's what we did.  "The distance is nothing, it is only the first step that is difficult", quote by Madame Marie du Deffand and this is a quote that rings true for an Saddle Sore 2000.  For six of the original ten the first step had been too much, a mixture of bike issues and personal issues had depleted our merry band of travellers to four but there were definite advantages in this, the four were of the five who completed the BB1500 last year to Millau so we knew we could all hack it.

Lands End was in sight eight minutes ahead of our tight schedule so the moons were all circling in our orbits.  Buying £5.00 worth tacky gifts was our only chance of a timed receipt and the lady in the visitors centre even gave some cash for our chosen Charity.  This was also the start of our second challenge the End to End Gold, Lands end to John O'Groates in 24 hours but taking a non direct 1,000 miles route.

Traffic around road works put us 2 hours behind schedule and worse was to come, Bev got a rear tyre puncture and true to our joint agreement he insisted we all carry on and leave him to his own devises and not compromise our chance of success.  Along the M3 and onto the M25 we started to make up for lost time and soon had the waypoint at Maidstone Services sorted and on up North making up time on the M25 and further on up the M11 and A1(M).  All the while I was receiving phone calls from well wishers and also good advice from a fellow Long Distance Rider as how we could make up for the lost time in the traffic and the decision was set to stay with the route plan but sacrifice a little sleep and so on up North crossing the Pennines on the notorious A66, which was in fact fine. 

We made our overnight stop at Hamilton and got a bed for a full one and a half hours sleep, no sooner to bed that up and on the road again.  It is amazing how much more refreshed after such a short sleep you can be and with the sun coming up it was a good morning ride.  A large deer carcass in lane two on the motorway also reinforced the good decision to overnight as a strike on a 'forest rat' (deer) could be a little problematic whilst riding a bike.

Aviemore was our second fuel of the day, and as you can see, we were in good spirits.  We were getting back on schedule all the time but there are 100 miles North of Inverness that are twisty two lane (normally beautiful roads however today we wanted fast roads) that take time and the weirdest feeling of John O'Groats was moving away from us the closer we got.  We rode into John O'Groats together (except for Bev) as we had started our quest, one challenge complete, with one hour ten minutes to spare, but no rest as this was only part of the weekend we still had 500 miles to do, so paperwork complete we were soon off in search of our Saddle Sore 2000.

The ride back on the twisty 100 miles to Inverness was the only time I was not in the grove so Greg assumed the leadership position, I had held for the first 1,500 miles, and he pulled me through my 'wall'.  Temptation to ride due South and home out of the rain was huge but after Greg made our one wrong turn and I was back in the lead and once more into the grove and cooking!  Tebay was our Southerly waypoint and this time crossing the A66 lived up to its bad reputation as the coldest heaviest rain descended.  Heavy traffic, poor weather all contributed to the magnitude of our achievement.

Our back up crew of Nige and Jon had been posting our progress on the Chapter web forum, with visuals in the form of a progress line across the UK, and I think it was this that made many of our Chapter members aware of the enormity of the task we had set ourselves.  Our end goal was achieved with due pomp and ceremony, a welcoming committee saw the three of us ride up the Motorway Service slip road three abreast; after all there could be no winners on this ride, we finished together just as we had started together those 40 odd hours before.

Why?  Seams to be a good reasonable question and to be honest I have no glibe answer; but for sure I felt good.  The preparation, the kit and the plan all flowed like a well oiled machine (except in Bev's case; but we've learnt from that), achievement of a goal, recognition by informed fellow motorcyclists all are in the mix that for me is Long Distance Motorcycling.  As I rode those last few metres I did not want the experience to end, I felt I could easily and safely go on; so what is the next milestone challenge, End To End Europe has a certain ring to it!