The Vicar, David Tomlinson’s, epic cycle ride from Whitley Bay to Ayr on Saturday 20 June, a journey of just over 200 miles.
Gazing across the sea to see the sun still above the horizon signalled that I had made it in time. It was 15 hours since I had set off on my bike at dawn in Whitley Bay determined get to Ayr before sunset. I had pedalled through the rolling hills and valleys of Northumberland with our fist stop for breakfast at Kelder Water. Ravenously hungry, I and Tim, my brother-in-law and cycling companion, wolfed down bacon butties. Then we were off again. 94 miles into this 200 mile venture, we had lunch. Brief stops to rest our weary legs, and fuel up, and quench our thirst, punctuated the rest of the ride. On the whole the weather was kind. Apart from a short, sharp shower, it was dry. It was sunny without being blazingly hot, and while we had a headwind most of the way, it was gentle. There was too many long, grinding climbs, where the road was endlessly ascending with no respite, and the thought that the summit most be round the next bend proved illusory.
Besides the breathtaking scenery, there was the camaraderie amongst the cyclists. I rode the last 25 miles with James who I learned was an agricultural researcher in Tanzania, so we talked about life in East Africa where I had lived in my twenties, and compared notes about climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. Fish and Chips, and a celebratory beer with Tim and Jo, his wife who drove the support car, rounded off a wonderful experience, and we even talked about Chasing the Sun in Ireland in 2028! Thank you to all who took an interest, wished me a safe and successful ride, and sponsored me. I have raised upwards of £3,600 for the Raise the Roof campaign, talking our overall total above £220,000. Thank you.
David Tomlinson