Miles from North Weald to Dover: 100 miles
Miles cycled: 40
Trains: 1
Ferries: 2
Average speed: 10.9 (unbelievably only 0.2 mph faster than yesterday with the massive headwind)
Route: A414 from North Weald A128 Chipping Ongar to Orsett. Chadwell St Mary, A126 to Tilbury Ferry – Gravesend. A226 to Chatham Station…train to Dover! Ferry to Calais.
So we only stopped cycling at 10pm last night so getting up at 8am and setting off at 9, only 11 hours later, felt like a very short period of time. We seemed to spend the whole of yesterday fighting against the wind. Even Mat and Anna had found it a difficult day.
Despite feeling a little stiff we were all fairly upbeat….. but to get the confession out the way, we had already decided that we would cycle 30 miles to Chatham train station via the Tilbury Ferry and then take the train to Dover.
This all went to plan and we even enjoyed a hot chocolate on the way. It almost seemed a shame not to have decided to do the whole 100 miles because the weather was beautiful and sunny (what were we thinking?).
None of us ever having struggled to get into the holiday spirit, cracked open the beers on the train. More alcohol was consumed as we sat overlooking the beach and The Chanel at Dover waiting for out ferry and Charlie who decided to cycle from Cantabury and so managed an extra 15 miles on the rest of us. I do worry we don’t seem to be taking this very seriously!
We had our own car/cycle lane to embark the ferry and boarded first. I love that bit!
