Who knew Glasgow had so many cyclists?

Sunday was the Glasgow Skyride and, despite the miserable weather, over 8000 people got out on their bikes around the city. I'm really inspired by that and excited to have been part of it. And I got to see Chris Hoy up close, which was particularly exciting (!) He was there to lead the parade, give interviews and also do a 200m sprint (in his jeans!) for people to pit themselves against. I wonder whether it will inspire the next generation of tour de France winners. Scotland so rarely has a sporting hero and he got a huge amount of support from the crowd. There was even a guy in a pink dress and fuzzy blonde wig with a giant 'I love Sir Chris' badge.
My job was to shuttle back and forward between Queens Park and Glasgow Green with groups of families. We had kids as young as 4 coming along which was really nice to see on their tiny bikes. I bet they wouldn't normally be riding down Victoria Road, even on a 'quiet' sunday morning. If Glasgow is serious about getting more people into cycling then the south side definitely needs some cycle tracks. I'd expected it to be a really easy day but it was a bit like interval training, riding slowly down to the Green then a fast sprint back up the road to collect the next group.

So, jammed full of inspiration (and hoping to use that very weapon to keep me warm and dry) I'm busy packing for the biggest cycling adventure yet. Suncream and sunglasses have gone out the window to be replaced with sugary, salty, full of bad stuff comfort food. Not a vegetable in site (unless you count dehydrated carrot chips) but I'm hoping for some pub grub and maybe even a chippy along the way. Are chips vegetables?? I'm so glad that we decided not to camp for our coast to coast trip. Even as I'm deciding how many pairs of leggings and whether I can attach a snorkle and turn my bike into an amphibious vehicle I can only imagine how much more complicated it would be to be camping. As it is, I've got everything packed in a 20l pack, even with some luxuries (i.e. a spare pair of gloves and more chocolate). Getting very excited now.

Adam and Elspeth have printed out the maps (22 pages!) and are reporting that they are very scared. So far I'm living in blissful ignorance, long may it continue!