The kindness of strangers – and the support of husbands – helped a group of East Yorkshire women, complete an epic bike ride during August.
Liz Wood, from Nafferton, a volunteer at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, and three friends cycled up to 8O miles a day during a two week trek that took them from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
The women met as part of the Driffield Breeze Cycling Group and have been planning the long-distance cycle ride for 11 months.
While the journey was arduous and there were times that the group didn’t think they could make it, the help they received along the way kept them going when the going got tough.
Liz recalled:
‘We got lost in the middle of Bolton and I had to stop to ask directions. I went into a chemist’s and the lovely man behind the counter not only drew us a map, he emptied his biscuit tin into a bag to boost our energy levels’.
During some stretches, the team found negotiating the traffic harder than tackling hills. The group hit Glasgow during the European Athletic Championships when it was hectic on the roads. Another particularly hairy moment occurred going through Plymouth on a busy dual carriageway amongst fast moving traffic. And while there were a couple of minor spills, there were no serious injuries.
Apart from the 5000+ calorie intake a day, Liz’s love of nature also helped sustain her:
‘I’d never seen the iconic Dartmoor ponies and as we came into the national park we spotted a herd almost immediately. It was a moment to remember seeing them grazing on land they’ve roamed for thousands of years’.
Up North, a real highlight for everyone was Glen Coe. The cyclists paused before the drop down into Rannoch Moor to take in the sweeping vista of what was recently voted Scotland’s most romantic glen.
All in all, the women cycled 1009 miles through a landscape that changed dramatically from swaying palm trees in Cornwall to wild, windswept spaces in the Highlands. At the end of the road, the women celebrated with a meal with their husbands – who had transported luggage and cycle spares throughout the journey.
The women intend to give a talk about their adventure over winter and use it to raise funds which will be donated to local charities – including the RSPB Bempton Cliffs’ reserve where Liz has been an education and Welcome desk volunteer for almost three years.
Liz added:
‘We wanted to prove to ourselves that we could rise to this challenge – but we also wanted to send out a message to others about attitude triumphing over age. None of us are spring chickens but once we’d put our minds to cycling the length of the country, nothing was going to stop us’.
Very well done all!