Scotland 5 Day Tour Aug 2021

Joining the Giant Camden Team Liv Club has been an eye-opening experience. As a social and club cyclist, you can get quite comfortable in a routine of cycling.

Cycle to work, do laps in the park, do weekend club rides; it’s all very comfortable. Now and then, a friend will come along and mention a challenge, asking: “are you going to do it?”.

Instinct says: “No way! That looks tough. I’ll never be able to do that. But then you think about it you realise that you are fit, you’ve been doing all the training, how hard can it be? In my head, I always think that if I’m with friends and in a team, just about any challenge is possible because you rely on each other you challenge each other, pushing each other to get the job done.

Scotland was this adventure. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but as time drew closer, the more I doubted my ability. Covid had hit us all in so many ways, and Cycling Scotland seemed like a dream. As the time approached and for many reasons, personal and otherwise, I nearly pulled out. Boy, am I glad I didn’t!

Packing began. We worried about the Scottish weather, the Scottish midges, it seemed easier to focus on the small things to take our minds off the massive challenge that we were facing.

Hopping on a train with a group of amazing girls, we made our way to Edinburgh. Arriving at the station, it was warm, and the sun was shining, and we felt optimistic and excited about this adventure. A restful afternoon gave us time to unpack and go for a walk to see the beautiful city of Edinburgh.

This was not just any cycling holiday. This was a Liv Camden supported adventure. This meant that we had a support van. Not only did Mark and Bob drive our bikes to Edinburgh, but it also meant they would drive our bags each day to the hotel that we were staying at night. Bob would also cycle each day with one of the groups helping us along and just giving general support.

After an evening meal of pizza and pasta and a good night’s rest, we were up early the following day to begin our adventure.