Day 5: Worcester to Nantwich

I had a poor night of sleep in the tent. I woke up for hours at a time in the night and then the birds started chirping away (I didn’t like the earplugs I’d bought as they left a residue in my ears). I eventually got back to sleep but the early start I had planned wasn’t going to happen.


Delayed start (beauty sleep quota obtained)


I eventually woke up, packed up and left the campsite at 10:30am.  I then had a few logistical problems - the Garmin wouldn’t load my route and it hasn’t charged the night before (I thought it was plugged in but it wasn’t connected properly), so that cost me more time. I then tried - unsuccessfully - to get some new brake pads. A very slow start.


Worcester - saucy!


Eventually got up and running and the route was nice. A lot of cloud cover, which I thought it would be good for swing bowling as I rode past Worcester’s cricket ground. A nice place. Beefy Botham must have liked living around here.


I spoke to a nice chap who gave me directions. He used to be a climbing guide in the Dolomites (he’d noticed my Maratona top). He’s bought a new mountain e-bike and loved it. It looked amazing - a red Ferrari style shiny paint job with tyres three times the width of mine. At some points in the long day I had today (90 miles over a variety of surfaces), I would have really liked to swap my bike for one of those!


Canal treats


A lot of canal paths today, but lots of pretty barges and locks. At one lock, I met a woman whose son rode LEGOG in 96 hours last week. He was ‘a little thinner than me’, she said… no Sherlock! :)


The terain was mixed as I say, with mud and gravel in places. Also more out of control folleage; quite a few nettle stings!


I stopped for lunch after a couple of hours (again adopting Curt’s ‘eat later’ trick), and had an amazing Turkish breakfast in Kidderminster. Fried mince and scrambled eggs, with salad and flatbread. Really tasty. I then headed off into the rain to get more miles in. 


Ford caught he whah! (poor car pun :/)


I rode to a ford en route and stopped for a few minutes, to have a drink and decide whether I would ride through it. My mind was then made up for me; a cyclist rode by and crashed right in front of me on the wet cobbles. He was ok thankfully; just a bit embarrassed. Over the bridge it was then!


The delays had really mounted and I got to my location really late (gone 9pm), but my mum and  step-dad were there waiting for me in their campervan. When I at last saw their van it was like an oasis!! It had been a long day!


A few cool beers, a pizza and a bit of bag organisation later and things were in a good place. I’m writing this from the bed above the cab looking forward to one my mum’s legendary breakfasts!


Kidderminster, about to have a Turkish breakfast

Beyond amazing. So tasty.

             Some of the route was very hard to ride today.

          This looked more like William Morris wallpaper.


The county hopping continues! I’m now in Cheshire.

   The scene of the bloke’s crash. Didn’t fancy riding that.
Shropshire canals. 

At last! And a present for me (I’d asked for a clean T-shirt!)

And… relax (in the cold!)

Casualty of war (had popped under my weight :/)

A bridge in Worcester.


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