
Knighton woman in her 60s cycles Lands End to John O'Groats
Janet, from Knighton on the Welsh border, and Nessie, who lives near Wirksworth in Derbyshire, completed a 1,700-mile journey from Land's End to John o'Groats over a period of 60 days.
Speaking about the journey, Janet said: "For us it was more about travelling at our own pace gently through the country rather than the challenge itself.
"Because you're out in the elements every day regardless of the weather you concentrate more on what is immediately around you.
"Listening to birdsong, enjoying the smell of honeysuckle and pine trees or stopping for a skinny dip in a river.
"It can be quite magical."
The sisters, both in their 60s and originally from Kent, averaged 30 to 40 miles per day and travelled using a mix of paper OS maps and Google Maps.
They followed greenways, cycle paths, country roads and sections of the National Cycle Network.
Janet said: "We enjoyed it so much that we wanted to continue our adventure when we reached John o'Groats."
The pair prepared for the journey by taking shorter rides around Wales, which helped them adjust their daily mileage expectations for the longer trip.
They also identified cycle repair shops along the route and booked a mid-trip service.
Janet said: "We constantly met people who were gobsmacked that two old women who didn't look particularly sporty were going this far, to be honest we rather enjoyed people's surprised reactions."
They met many women along the way who found their approach inspirational.
Janet said: "On our trip we met a lot of women of a similar sort of age to us, they would often have a partner who was really into cycling.
"When they heard what we were doing – crucially taking our time and stopping a lot to visit stuff or just admire the view they would often say 'Ooo that's really inspirational.'"
Janet said cycling can feel intimidating for many older people, especially given the lack of separated cycleways and the prevalence of busy roads.
They relied mostly on Sustrans routes and planned their accommodation in advance, avoiding camping in favour of places where they could charge their e-bikes.
Janet said: "We both have e-bikes with removable batteries, so we just took them in to where we were staying to charge overnight.
"We stayed in lots of different places, from camping pods to hostels, hotels and Airbnbs."
Despite careful planning, the sisters faced unexpected challenges.
In northwest Scotland, near Cape Wrath, they encountered strong winds.
Janet was blown off her bike, and Nessie's bike computer was smashed.
Janet said: "There were a lot of tears.
"We were so near to the end after coming so far.
"There were no buses, taxis or bike mechanics for miles – it was the most remote place for this to happen."
Their younger sister Anthea, who had joined them for the final leg, gave Nessie her bike computer so they could finish the journey together.
"I would definitely pay extra for such a service – just for the peace of mind.

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