Day 1 of cycling ~ around 50 miles total
Unfortunately, the good weather I enjoyed the day before had left and we were left with a 95% chance of rain for the entire portion of the day. I had gotten some camp fuel at a local outdoors shop the day before, but we stopped in again so Isaac could check for some Scottish maps, no dice, so we relied on my i-touch which I had downloaded a UK map. This app is simply amazing. You pay about the equivalent of 10 US dollars and can download super super super detailed maps. As in, it will tell you there's a poultry farm along a highway if you zoom in far enough. Really quite incredible and saved our butts loads of times.
Before getting out of Glasgow I decided it was time to get in touch with the locals and meet the road as well. In the pouring rain I was signalling, getting use to riding a loaded bike (there's a HUGE difference), and hit a water puddle/dip in the road that sent me into the back of a car, whereas I promptly hit the pavement quite hard on my right forearm.
Two week's later it's still slightly swollen and nicely bruised. I'm talented like that. Isaac was pleased to get to use his medical kit for the first time (and not on himself). He patched me up with some superglue stuff and 4 ibuprofen later we were on the road again.
After getting out of Glasgow we cycled south close to the main motorway, but on less major roads. Got some nice cycle trails at times, but it rained pretty much non-stop until we needed to set up camp. We wrestled our bikes down a bank off the road and camped in the woods at a spot a local guy from a grocer recommended where no one would bother us. It was very near a high river, good thing it wasn't a couple of rainy days later or we might not have wanted to camp there.
After splendid meal of cheap pasta, sauce, and cheese made partially inside the tent (on a camp stove) we slept quite cozily while it rained through the night.
Unfortunately, the good weather I enjoyed the day before had left and we were left with a 95% chance of rain for the entire portion of the day. I had gotten some camp fuel at a local outdoors shop the day before, but we stopped in again so Isaac could check for some Scottish maps, no dice, so we relied on my i-touch which I had downloaded a UK map. This app is simply amazing. You pay about the equivalent of 10 US dollars and can download super super super detailed maps. As in, it will tell you there's a poultry farm along a highway if you zoom in far enough. Really quite incredible and saved our butts loads of times.
Before getting out of Glasgow I decided it was time to get in touch with the locals and meet the road as well. In the pouring rain I was signalling, getting use to riding a loaded bike (there's a HUGE difference), and hit a water puddle/dip in the road that sent me into the back of a car, whereas I promptly hit the pavement quite hard on my right forearm.
Two week's later it's still slightly swollen and nicely bruised. I'm talented like that. Isaac was pleased to get to use his medical kit for the first time (and not on himself). He patched me up with some superglue stuff and 4 ibuprofen later we were on the road again.
Peanut butter break
Scottish countryside
Our camp setup
After splendid meal of cheap pasta, sauce, and cheese made partially inside the tent (on a camp stove) we slept quite cozily while it rained through the night.
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