Life In The Saddle

I am frequently asked what inspires me to ride a bike. My answer is curiosity. Curiosity to see how far you can ride; how fast you can travel; how many new places, people and cultures you can see along the journey. Endurance cycling is an adventurous challenge, to both body and mind. At numerous points one will be shouting at the other to stop; but they rarely agree. It is a perpetual cycle of disagreement. The idea of the Black Forest 400 ride arose from curiosity. At Christmas, I drove for nine hours to reach this beautiful part of Germany. On the drive back, I got wondering… could I ride that? Non-stop? Self-supported? A challenge was born… 400 miles, with over 8,000 metres of elevation gain. My longest ride to date. Beginnings The ride starts from the historic town of Arras, in northern France. Arras was an important stronghold in both World Wars, and the scene of great battles (including the Battle of Arras in 1917). The long straight road out of town is lined wit...

My previous distance record for a non-stop ride stands at 485 kilometres (300 miles): the distance of the Trafalgar Way ride from Falmouth to London, in 2014. The #BlackForest400 will be a new personal distance record, in new riding territory. The Route The route starts from the city of Arras in northern France, before heading east and south into Belgium, the Ardennes, Luxembourg, and through Strasbourg; before ramping up significantly to the finish in the Black Forest. A total of 644 kilometres (400 miles), with over 8,000 metres of elevation gain. You can watch the ride unfold on social media, with the hashtag #BlackForest400 The Bike The #BlackForest400 will be adventure into a new territory, but I have opted to do it aboard a familiar bike - the Neil Pryde Bura SL. The Neil Pryde was my bike of choice for many great adventures on the road last year, including the #5MaratonasChallenge and the St. Boniface Down Everesting . I have made a few modifications to th...