Day 17 - Abington to Glasgow

Day 17 -  Abington to Glasgow 

I often describe our route – both in these notes and other places as the “long, slow, hilly, scenic, interesting, safe” route from Lands End to John O’Groats. This is because I have some sensitivity about the route. Our distances are not huge each day. But our days are still demanding. People often do the distance from one end to the other of the UK in 10 days. BUT – not on the route we are on. On organised tours all accommodation is pre-organised. Gear is carried for you. Few if any route finding issues. Better roads, road surfaces, less up and down, mechanical support.and also the route is more direct and quite a bit shorter.

But that is not our trip. It is really like we are in a different world.

We also met people who are doing the trip unsupported – but still staying on busyier roads so travelling faster and more directly.


We met hardly anyone on the whole trip who was doing our Sustrans scenic route.  I was occasionally irritated when we would meet a fellow Lejog cyclist and the first question would be – “how long has it taken you so far.” How long could not be further from the point of the trip for us.

All yesterdays double puncture dramas are behind us and hopefully no more problems with my back tyre. We spend time on accommodation bookings so don't get away until 10:00 AM.

 We find we still have more climbing and descent to the top of this section before starting the general downhill to Glasgow.

 We are on a cycle trail separate from the service road now.  It's a well constructed sealed wide cycle trail.

The  mist has cleared. We are in semi-moorland rolling countryside and there are bigger mountains to the east. We move away from the highway - a relief - and then back and across, always on a separate cycle way.

We now detour away from the highway up tiny farm roads.  We stop for 10 minutes to watch a group of 50 or so swallows perched on a power line and also zooming all about the place. Preparing to head south for the winter.

Swallows

  We drop steeply down to a river and bridge and as always there is an equally sharp climb out to the other side.  Never would we be able to experience these out of the way routes without the aid of the route markers and our route guide.  We stay on route the whole day.  Amazing.

We stop for lunch at a Sweet cafe in Larkhall. "Margie's".

Margie and her partner and other patrons are sweet and chatty and friendly.  We can watch our bikes from where we sit inside. We ask an older lady sitting near the front window if people steal things here.  (Like our bikes).  She says no they don’t – everyone knows everyone and the community wouldn't stand for it.  But she says she will keep an eye on our bikes anyway. We are always super careful with bike security.

On we go around outlying areas of the city. We cross the Clyde River back and forth a few times and then  join a cycle path beside the River that takes us to the city centre.  We go to a bike shop to buy Zita replacement gloves for the ones she lost yesterday during our puncture dramas.

 Then onto our Ibis Budget hotel. This is a rough part of town.  The entrance we find is particularly rough. But then we see a better front entrance which is more encouraging.  The Ibis Hotel is on floors 6 to 8 of this building.  Our bikes come up with us in the lift.  Once inside the hotel, it is perfectly nice and we store our bikes in our room. 

We've done 75 km today  and that was still demanding enough.