Profiles

So there are two of us going. We are both very much amateur enthusiasts. I feel we could do with something of an introduction.

Tom

I am Tom, I am the author of this blog and instigator of this mad biking endeavour. I've always been a keen cyclist and outdoorsman, having conquered many icy Munros, tramped up Icelandic Glaciers, explored wild Scottish islands and strode hundreds if not thousands of miles along the paths and hills of Britain over my 23 years.

I work as commercial script writer, have pretensions of being a proper writer someday and I aspire to spending my life going on proper adventures.

I've spent the past four years of my life studying to get a geography degree from the University of Edinburgh, I'm not too sure why I did this other than I felt in my bones somehow that geography was the subject of adventure. However my principle passions in life are great stories followed shortly by imagination and big dreams.

I'm 6 foot 9 and about 22 stone of solidly built man and muscle. This probably has something to do with my character, I'm larger than life and can be quite exuberant but I hope I'm pleasant enough company.

I am taking my one year old trek frame touring bike. It's built like a brick shit-house but with an aluminium frame it's pretty light considering this.

Iain

Iain is my companion on the trip. I've known him since he was a wee nipper, he is one of my best friends from school younger brother, and a damn good friend in his own right. His sport is normally sailing but he's a keen cyclist too.

He works as a carpenter, is as no nonsense as they come and has a craftsman's touch for making models and fixing all manner of things.

He has spent the past 4 years training to be (and working as) a carpenter, living at home, so I feel this adventure will be good for him to get out, see the world, see what he's made of and as he put 'do something a little bit crazy'.

Iain is a small man compared to me, but at 6 foot 5 and a lean mean carpentry machine (with the kind of muscles you only get working at building site all day every day...none of these showy gym muscles; this kid is just strong), he's certainly no smurf.

This will be his first time cycle touring and he has elected to do it on his Grandad's 65 year old custom built Rayleigh racing bike (his grandad was top flight cyclist in his youth). It's a wonderful machine but whether this will be a wise choice of bike, time will tell. Iain has chose to ignore all complaints over the wisdom of this choice and insists it will make him happy, he says he has grown up with this bike and idolised it through his childhood, it was to him always 'The Bike' so it will mean something to him if completes this trip on it (I myself have some reservations about the bike but I quite like the poetry of the thing so, I can sympathise).



We have decided to raise money for cancer research UK, as Iain's grandad (the same whose bike Iain will be riding) currently has cancer, so it seemed like a fitting a cause to support. Please donate to our just giving account if you would like to support us.