I’m cycling 200 miles in April to support Highland Hospice
You can follow my progress on my Facebook Page or on this blog.
Please support my efforts for this worthy cause using this QR code or the “donate” link below.
Thank you!
The challenge: To cycle 200 miles during April 2023
I am away at work this week at Stracathro near Brechin. The weather was predicted to be great for the entire week, so I loaded my bike onto the car and brought it down with me.
Monday 17th April: Woke up to a predicted day of bright sunshine and no wind. A quick temperature check, oops 😬 , only 6’C. Ok better put on an extra layer then. Open the curtains to thick fog, what they call a haar here in the Northeast of Scotland. No sun yet! That’s not going to put me off. I’m still cycling!
It’s a late-ish finish in the evening and I have a VC meeting to attend in 45 min. So it’s a quick dash home, cook supper and log on to the meeting. The temperature had improved slightly on the way home and the sun was out, but someone had forgotten to tell the North of Scotland that it was supposed to be warm. A maximum of 12’C! Ha! Warm, no not really!
These two commutes add another 14.4 Km (9 miles) to my charity cycle total. 😊 Every little helps – where have I heard that before?
It’s Tuesday 18th April, and the haar is back even thicker than yesterday. The temperature is even lower at 4’C. I’m still doing it! So it’s onto the bike and set off. Today, I try the alternate road out of the AirBnB as it looks less rough. 😬 That was only for the first 2-300 yards. The tar then ends and its a gravel road but covered with stones a few inches in diameter. These can be fatal to a cyclist especially when going downhill at speed, as I was. Note to self: stick to the advised route, they are advised for a reason!
Again, it’s a late-ish finish. What’s happening this week???? The cold breeze still comes off the North Sea and keeps the temperature to a lowly 12’C, but the sun is out at least.
That’s another 15.2 Km (9.5 miles) from today’s two journeys – yes the alternate route was longer as well as being worse!
It’s Wednesday 19th April. Again it’s predicted to be a lovely day. Even better, I have a day off, so I am planning a wee cycle ride today. Surprise! Surprise!
Now, as you are no doubt beginning to realise from my blogs, my cycle rides revolve around food stops. Today is no different! I cycle from my AirBnB to The Drovers Inn, a lovely pub / restaurant situated near Forfar in a little village called Memus.
There are a few ways to get from my AirBnB to and from Drovers. I opt to take the high road to cycle there. This is shorter but closer to the nearby hills and therefore much more up and down. I think that most of you also know that hills (climbs), and me on a bike, are not best friends!
On the way back, I will take the low road, longer, but flatter, allegedly.
Now, I realise that the wind is a wee bit stronger today. I check my phone and see that the wind is directly from the East, gusting 40 Kph 😬 . In my head, I envisage Forfar lying directly South of Brechin and I am therefore going to be cycling at right angles to the wind which will be perfect 😊.
Off I go. The way there is very hilly, well, for me anyway. But, I have a plan! My electric bike will assist. I am managing the hills pretty easily on very low settings of the electric power. It must be that all of the additional cycling I have been doing recently has improved my fitness and power!
About three quarters of the way there, I realise that the grass and bushes on the side of the road are all blowing parallel to the road, and in my direction of travel, not perpendicular to it as I had imagined. The penny drops! 😱 No wonder it so easy, I have a fairly brisk wind behind me, blowing me along.
When I get to Drovers, I formally check a map. Forfar is actually almost directly West of Brechin, not South as I had imagined. Hence the lovely tail wind on the way here.
The way back is not going to be fun 😬! The good news is that with the brisk tail wind, I had only used 20% of my battery. So I had 80% left for the cycle back into the wind. I was going to need it, I think 🤔!
The Drovers Inn has a lovely beer garden outside where one can sit, eat and drink in summer. For us Scots, whenever the sun shines, it’s summer, no matter the temperature! So despite it only being 11’C and quite a blustery wind, I sat outside. Yes, I admit, I found a table protected from the wind by a hedge which served as a very effective wind-break.
I opt for two starters. Pork belly and scallops.
Both absolutely delicious 😋
Oh! And a wee glass of Pinot Grigio (well, maybe not so wee) – Just because!
I head off after lunch for home, full of trepidation. The wind blows straight into my face for the first 14 miles. It is heavy going. Despite being the flatter low route, it is by no means flat and has many climbs and descents, just not as big as the high route. I have no shame in admitting that my battery was well used on the way back, as were my legs. I arrived back with 20% left in my battery and 0.3% left in my legs!
Another really good cycle ride of about 48 Km (30 miles) ✅.
After today’s ride, that’s me up to 203 miles in total.
That means that the challenge of cycling 200 miles in April has now been completed!
😁 🥳 👏 🏆 🏅
Thank you to everyone who has supported my efforts for Highland Hospice. You’ve been brilliant and made it worth all the effort. 😊
For those of you who haven’t yet managed to support my cycling for this worthy charity 😝: Come on! Donate! You can still do it!!!!!
Dr Doug (Douglas) McKendrick 
Congratulations you’ve done it. I’m very much in favour of your cycling stops overs! The food looks very good indeed.
Cheers mum and dad
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