Journey’s End, 18th August

Journey’s End, 18th August,
originally uploaded by lightboxuk.

With a foaming pint of Tennent’s before him, and no more cycling for a while, Liam relaxes on our last CalMac ferry, from Craignure on Mull back to Oban on the mainland. We have cycled a total of 275 miles in 6 days, with no major mechanical problems with the bikes. The paniers slowed us down considerably, especially on the steeper climbs yesterday, and we each had rear wheel punctures due the excess weight on the back, but my broken cleat was the only serious mishap. We consider the trip a total success, although the margins for mechanical failure must have been quite narrow at times, as our bikes are not designed for touring, and they have stood up to some tough punishment, particularly on Day One on the Uists, when we thundered over cattle-grids without a care in the world. By Wednesday, we dismounted and conscientiously pushed over each one. Photographically, I’ve not done anything like the number of pictures I expected to, and I’ve concluded that trying to combine a serious documentary photography project wih cycling is not feasible, as the logistics of the journey, as well as the physical and mental effort involved, occupied most of our waking hours. The rest of the time, we squandered.

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