A Ticket To Ride - Is this a crazy idea or a life-changing event!?

Back in the summer of 2009 at my eldest son's wedding a very old (and I use that term advisedly) friend threw out an idea over probably too much champagne. "You know I am retiring in a couple of years", he announces, "and I fancy getting on my bike from Lands End to John O'Groats. I think you should come too. It will do you good, you'll lose some of that weight and you might learn something about this country of ours".

Always on for a challenge I rose to the bait. After all,  2011 seemed a very long way off.Maybe he might have forgotten by then. A year went by and I thought he had but over a cleansing malt this past New Year's Eve it appears he was deadly serious. It was on. No going back. " John, this will be a life changing event" he announced, "but that 1953 Raleigh you keep riding around Windsor is never going to make it.  You will need a proper bike!........"