2009/06/15 - Day 10 - Ecclefechan to Motherwell - 70.5 miles in 6:15

We didn't get as wet as Day 4, but it was close. Stoker's camera steamed up with water, so pictures are fewer and blurred. And not as many tea stops as usual. So you win some and loose some.

With a cheery farewell wave from Basil (not), we started on the old A74, now B7078, alongside M74. This was to be the theme for the day. Empty road, then even emptier when we turned off for a smaller road into Moffat. It rained a little, but only enough for me to tog/de-tog in the space of 5 mins. First highlight of the day, the Rumblin' Tum in Moffat for tea and a break with tradition as Cherry also had a caramel slice.

Pretty much the whole group was there, the campers having a cooked breakfast. Decision time, and the real cyclists went for the official longer route whilst the sensible ones took a 3 mile nicely graded climb (I never would have called a climb nice before but after what we had done before this one was a sensible grade that we could cycle up in a reasonable gear at a reasonable speed) to rejoin the B7078 and play crisscross with the M74 for the rest of the day. The road had sections of separated cycle path and was often out of sound and sight of the motorway. You felt we were in Scotland with that open moor feeling. We could trundle along at a fair speed, and for the first time in the trip could settle into a rhythm and "zone out". Cherry started to standup at times to relieve the bottom ache, and peddle along. We were becoming real tandemers.

Then it started to rain. And rain harder. And more. For at least an hour.

Next (i.e. only) town was Abington (half way) and we thought we should be able to get a lunch stop there. The Abington Hotel was a welcome sight, with lots of cycles already there. including Big Carl, the Ians (with 1I and 2Is) and Phil having done the long route, and taken a wrong turning to come down too early. There was a conservatory entrance and we all sat around in there, fired up the radiators, squeezed out socks and generally turned the entrance into a laundry room, using the chairs to soak up the water from our padded bottoms. I had fish and chips, Cherry had soup. Cherry made creative use of the handdryer in the Ladies on her cycling shorts.

Rain stopped and people left in dribbles, having not dried out. But at least our socks were warm and nicely squidgey. The path/road was good for speed, and the lober route soon rejoined ours, but felt it was too soon for more tea. Then it started to get built up, and wasn't a "tea roomy" sort of district. Though sunny, we saw dark clouds ahead so were prepared for when it to rain.

And rain it did. And rain harder. After Hamilton we turn right to Motherwell, I decided to ignore the directions which told us to get off, walk over roundabouts and cycle on paths, to take the easier options of pretending we were a car and sticking to the dual carriageway. Big mistake. Lots of cars spraying us with water, and us having to cut across the roads joining. Still, it wasn't for long to turn into the Strathclyde Country Park which would have been lovely in the sunshine, and swim for 2 miles to the campsite for a drippy tea under the gazebo. Then to the Alona Hotel where the room had a radiator so we could wash the lycra like pressing grapes in the hot shower and hang up to dry.

Helena is joining us for dinner tonight. Its her birthday, and she has the pleasure of our damp company.