I can confirm the pizza report. It sounded nice.

Front hub well and truly on the way out. Lets hope the road to Tyndrum runs out first.

He has to pay for his jolly jaunt somehow…. 😉

edit: think Richpips may not get the warm welcome home he is hoping for!

He will…. it is all bluster to keep him on his bike and peddling.

Very appropriate username by the sounds of it!

Yes – I am slightly obsessed. I have a similar look to a cat watching goldfish.

I am pleased to see Rich has remembered the bakers run out of a garden shed in Ardelve – she cranks the ovens up at about 4am and opens the door to cranks at about the same time. I suspect she & her husband will be making him a pot of coffee – they like stories of madness.

Richpips was still riding at about 11pm as well, he’s back on the move already this morning.

He was given the 4am Mountain Meyham style pep talk when he rang yesterday. You know the one that mentions solicitors, changing of locks, cakeage at home, how proud Minipips is of his daddy, etc. There is only so much solo childcare I can do before social services are called.

Just had an update from Rich from Poolewe. All is good in the world except his front wheel bearing is sounding gritty. Hopefully it holds out to Tyndrum. James – the back wheel he borrowed is still in mint condition.

Apparently it has been some of the hardest riding / bike pusing he has ever had to do.

He is hoping to finish on Saturday (if anyone is about and heading South he would love a lift!)

See what happens when you stop watching the dots….. they cross the finish line. Well done Andy (and again for the single speedyness).

Yeh just saw Rich

Did he have his 50yrd stare?

She appears to have been taking long breaks since the last check point. Hope she is OK.

Looks as if Rich stopped just long enough in Ullapool to get some chips down him…. I have misjudged him I thought the bright lights would be his undoing.

Nik – hope your blisters heal quickly (no pun intended)

Poor lad. Hope he is OK other than having sore feet. At least there are plenty of pubs in Ullapool to put his feet up in.

Ohhhhh nooooo! What has happened to Nik? He has headed back to Ullapool. 🙁

Extrodinary!!! How can someone stay awake so long? And on a bike. I slept more last night than he has for the last 4 days. Well done old dot.

What has happened to Riccardo Alessi? His track looks like the Strictly foot chart for the Hokey Kokey.

Rich isn’t carrying bike lights after a last minute forks not arriving back / dynamo not fitting 2nd bike / wheel fiasco. So I hope sense will kick in and he doesn’t attempt the road if it is dark. He did stop about 7ish at the pie shop and has his tent & sleeping bag so a bothy/b&b isn’t essential.

Having said that I am not sure sense is the strong point of any of them doing this.

At the last count there were 3 helmets, 1 bent derailleur, a couple of pumps, 2 bob the builder hats and 19 (that is no typo) pairs of shoes. On this occasion it was not me with the spares, so it is good to see that someone else has a skip masquerading as a car.

I think richpipps is doing it at a more sensible pace

I think he is timing it so that the kids will be back at school when he finishes…… so very sensible pace.

I have been wiling Iona up the hill to CP4 all morning and nearly cried at Markus’ wrong turning. That must have been heartbreaking. It is good to see that he has recovered.

As for Rich, I got up at 5:15 on Sunday to make him a cup of coffee before realising delivery from our kitchen in Hayfield could be a little problematic. I know it was Simon Barnes’ comment up thread that made him go on when he stopped in Strathpeffer. He had sounded really spent on the phone a couple of minutes earlier.

Who knew that watching dots move slowly across Scotland could be so compulsive?

Just had an email from Rich… apparently the weather is lovely, but this could just be in comparison to yesterday. No mention of sore knees so I think he mmust have sold them on eBay.

I know he is checking in on this thread occasionally, as are others. I guess that they could all do with words of encouragement at this stage. So for the stubborn sods at the back.

Rich – doing well for a grumpy old man. Minipips wants to follow in your pedal strokes.
IONA – what an incredible effort. Keep it up girl.
Markus – what has possesed you to do it with one gear????