Carlisle to Preston. 97 miles, 6 hours 40mins in the saddle

Today, we didn't get wet. I'll say that again; today we didn't get wet. Hurrah!

Left Carlisle after an excellent breakfast from Helen & Gerry at about 9.30am. Nice ride through the countryside and then onto the A6 to Penrith - 22miles in. We followed the A6 then to Shap with the road gently rising. Had our first lunch in Shap and met a bunch of cyclists going the other way to JOG.

We then had a gentle (!) six mile climb to the Shap summit at 1400 feet - nice! From there downhill to Kendal where we stopped for coffee. Back on the A6 with a second lunch at about four hours in.

We then picked up speed - a suspicious tailwind - and cruised at 18-20mph all the way to Lancaster and down to Preston.

We are staying south od Preston at the start of the A49 which we join tomorrow to go to Shrewsbury. A long day's ride with the added bonus of the sunshine and some rather silly sunburnt areas (ears, nose and back of the hand)!

We have now gone over halfway (472 miles in five days) so it is downhill from here (hopefully) with no dirty great hills to climb, although from memory Herefordshire has a few.