Day 17

Saturday 3rd June

Had planned on stopping over at Lybster today, some 27miles from JOG; figured I wouldn’t have the legs to make it all the way (hilly section today) & was intent on enjoying the last few miles, so decided I would leave them for a nonchalant ride in on Sunday.

Today was my last obstacle; the climb up Helmsdale coming some 30miles into the ride, 800feet odd, followed immediately by the Berriedale Braes, a series of sharp hairpin bends climbing again to 550feet.

The weather was gorgeous, as was the coastline, and I got up to 74kph (46mph) blasting downhill from Helmsdale towards Berriedale… my brake pads had worn down completely on both front & rear, so it was a tense moment when I decided to employ them for the hairpin at the bottom! Unfortunately these hairpins mean you can’t use the downhill momentum from Helmsdale to carry you up the Berriedale Braese, but I’m so close to the end I just don’t care anymore. I’ll take it all on!

Got to Lybster & figured I had the legs for Wick (which is really JOG; it’s the closest railway station & only 15miles away from the finish). Got in to Wick just after six, and felt like I was overlooking the finish line, which I guess I was!

65 miles, for a total of 940m.