Why Honeypot?

As many of you may know Pete Legate died on Everest in April 2002, pursuing his childhood dream of reaching the summit of the highest peak.



Pete was using his challenge to raise money for local charities and since his death many of his friends have continued his work
e.g. http://www.trekforlegate.co.uk/index.html

Fawley Rugby club continue with the traditional Legate versus Legett Charity match.


Honeypot, being based in Blackfield is one of the local charities that has been supported. click here to find out about Honeypot






So I guess it feels like the right time for me to pursue my own challenge. I think that some of the days will be tough, but maybe the memory of Pete slapping me on the back and saying "Well done Dan" will help me up some of the longer hills...

A trip round the island

Not sure about the year of this trip - 1996 I think. Around the Isle of Wight in a day to try and raise money for the (then Esso) Fawley rugby club. Basically a bunch of people who were all the wrong shape for distance cycling on a range of poorly maintained and ill-fitting bikes.

But this time I had a plan.

Pete Legate asked if I was coming on the trip and I knew that he had a tandem - twice the power, not on a crap bike etc, so I said yes - if I could go on the two-seater. Pete agreed and asked me to pick up the bike from the shop where it was being serviced - I didn't even know that you could get bike serviced! Result!

Come the day and Bud McGrane has managed to borrow one of those new fangled mobile phone thingies, as his wife, Caroline, was pregnant and due anytime. Bud was very tight-lipped about the phone number, as he knew that he'd get stitched up by the boys.

Somehow Pete had acquired the number and had a mobile too. Every steep hill, Bud's phone would ring. He'd get off to answer, Pete would hang up, Bud's phone would stop ringing and he'd curse his way up the rest of the slope. Pete didn't tire of this sport all morning and neither did the rest of us.

Anyhow, speaking of slopes, I was on the front seat of the tandem, really struggling, getting to the top all sweaty and breathless. Pete giving me a slap on the back and saying "Well done, Dan" every time we hit a summit. I remember thinking how Pete kept me going with encouragement and thinking how unfit I was and how fit he must be.

It turned out later that Pete had dodgy knees and stopped pedalling every time we hit a hill. I was so knackered because I was cycling both of us up most of the hills. So much for my cunning plan! (or perhaps Pete just had a better one?)

Back at Yarmouth, the hills and aches faded with time (spent in the pub) - what better way to spend a warm summers day with friends?

Why LEJOG?

Why Lands End to John O'Groats?

The idea really started when I was 18 (see picture left, complete with hair!).












During the holidays between upper 6th and university, I was lucky enough to take part in a cycle tour from Southampton down to lands end and back (a really big thanks to Lawrence Herklots from KES for this experience).

Now you have to appreciate that I was 18 - planning and preparation were not part of my vocabularly. My bike for the duration was a raleigh ace 5 gear racer that I'd had since I was 12 - far too small for me and all the wrong gears. I'd borrowed some panniers from my friend Pete and loaded them up with my stuff and cycled around the block the night before. Training over.

On the first day, about 60 miles in, I developed muscle spasms in both my thighs and cramp in both calve muscles. I was well behind the rest of the team and developed my own little ritual. It went like this - cycle about 500m, get cramp and spasms in both legs, fall off on the grass verge, lie there twitching like a dying ant, wait for spasms to stop, then get back on bike and repeat. I do remember several cars stopping and their very kind drivers asking if I was OK, but being an 18 year old lad, my stock answer was always "I'm fine".

Anyhow, things did get better and it was a really excellent trip. I remember seeing a couple of lads on a tandem beginning their LEJOG and thinking "that's a cool idea" and it's been at the back of my mind ever since.

22 years later I'm hoping that I'm less of an idiot than I was then - or at least a better prepared one...

LEJOG Itinery

The LEJOG road less travelled?

26th July Lands End -> Launceston 89 miles
27th July Launceston -> Cheddar 108 miles
28th July Cheddar -> Leominster 100 miles
29th July Leominster -> Winsford 93 miles
30th July Winsford -> Slaidburn 81 miles (almost a rest day)
31st July Slaidburn -> Lockerbie 117 miles (oh dear)
1st August Lockerbie -> Loch Lomond 99 miles
2nd August Loch Lomond -> Loch Ness 122 miles (ouch)
3rd August Loch Ness -> Helmsdale 89 miles
4th August Helmsdale -> John O Groats -> Wick 86 miles
5th August Fly home (back in a few hours!)

If you are around in any of these locations (stranger things have happened) come and say hello!

The joy of cycling

Last couple of days commuting have been pure joy - gentle breeze, sun shining, the bike gliding through drifting blossom and dandelion seeds. On days like this, you become part of the landscape, rather than separated from it inside a tin can. Maybe the price of petrol will force more drivers to revisit their pre-car childhood...

Does it fit?

Yes it does - packed all of the stuff that I intend to take in July. It fits into two rear panniers and comes in at 2 stones. Hopefully I can offset this a bit by losing 10lb before the end of July. But that's another challenge...

Training ride

Went on an 87 mile training ride yesterday. Followed the test valley through Romsey, before heading through Lockerley and the grimsteads to Downton. From there back into the New Forest through Ibsley and bransgore to the Coast and back home through Lymington and Beaulieu.

Some really nice scenery, with Bluebells, Rapeseed and Gorse all in flower. Shame it was cold, wet and windy - still probably excellent training for British Summer Time!