Life In The Saddle

Numbers aren't everything; but when combined with pictures, and context, they tell a story. The ' Coasts and Cols ' Tour was the hardest multi-day ride I have ever ridden. It was the biggest riding 'set' that I have ever completed. It was an achievement; an experience, and a challenge. It was also, crucially, a beautiful and enjoyable journey. Here are some of the key metrics from the trip; accompanied by my favourite photo from each of the twelve days away from home. 94 hrs 20 mins    - Total Riding Time 1933 kilometres  - Total Distance Ridden 28,629 metres     - Total Elevation Climbed Every kilometre and every metre climbed holds a little story. Below is a montage of memories. Photo Essay Day 0 - 'Rolling Out' The trip begins. I sit on the deck of the ferry, sipping a cold beer. We head out into the English Channel - bound for Spain, the mountains, and the unknown. Day 1 - 'First Pedal Strokes' Ferry delayed by a...

My alarm woke me at 5am. Having scoffed most of my remaining food last night, I munched down a stray banana, and stuffed my sleeping bag away for the last time this trip. Rain was pattering the tent lightly, as I packed it up, and then rolled out of camp. 40 kilometres to cover; to reach St. Malo, the ferry home, and a hot shower. The rain had abated by the time I reached Dinan, and the last 25 kilometres up the river were on deserted roads, in the gradually building light. I rolled to a stop at the top of the hill above St. Malo. Looking out over the English Channel, I reflected on the trip; I'd come to my final coast of the 'Coasts and Cols' tour... What an incredible journey it's been. From the mountains and plains of northern Spain; to the challenging weather and climbs of the Pyrenees. From a rest day with good friends in The Corbieres; followed by a northbound few days of mile clocking, through Bordeaux, Vendée, The Loire Valley and then Bretagne. Changi...

Bike touring never ceases to amaze me. You can see so much, and travel so far; all under your own steam (or rather, a constant supply of pastries). Today was all about covering as much ground as possible; in order to get as close to St. Malo as I could, before tomorrow morning's ferry home. From my finish near to Les Sables d'Olonne last night though, there was still a good 180 miles to cover to get to St. Malo. I had gone to bed praying for a tailwind... Luckily, as I woke amongst the wind farms of Vendée, I was pleased to see the previous day's north-westerly wind, which had made things such hard work on the open flats, had swung round to the south. Time to get romping! I've been behind on my planned mileage since my mishaps on Day 9 ( read of that day's events here ), and so I wasn't starting today from my intended spot, nor would I be following my intended route. In the words of my CCF days: 'B-line it Boys', was the name of the game i.e. t...

This morning began in a Bordeaux vineyard; hidden amongst some derelict vines. By 9am, I had reached Blaye, on the Gironde estuary; I celebrated the sight of the sea with pastries and coffee. Back on the road, my route took me through more beautiful Bordeaux wine country, and up to Royan - my first real west coast of France port of the trip.  From Royan, I set a target of reaching Rochefort, for a late lunch. To meet this, I ended up pushing hard along the A-road; but it got me there, and I enjoyed a good meal of pâté and oat cakes, in the city park. Not wanting to do any more dual carriageway action, I took the dedicated bike route from Rochefort to La Rochelle; it was a winding and often poorly surfaced option, but it made the most of the stunning coastline. La Rochelle is an incredibly beautiful port; I must go back there on a boat. For this trip though, all I had time for, was a quick photo - then a fast escape northwards. Now into the Vendee region, I'm surrounded...

It was always going to be a struggle to do my intended mileage today. 257 kilometres is a big day out on a fully loaded tourer. Little did I realise quite how difficult it would be... The day started out well, and I picked up the Canal Midi towpath with ease, and set about clocking through 135 kilometres along its length; enjoying the flatness, for a change. Things started to go a bit pear shaped when I noticed that I was losing pressure from the rear tubeless tyre, which seemed to be from a bulge in the sidewall opposite the valve. Eventually, the pressure loss was enough that I decided it was best to stop, and put a tube in. Puncture one of the trip. 40 kilometres later, and the front tyre seemed to develop an almost identical problem. Second puncture - now no more spare tubes. 10 kilometres further on, and on one gravel strewn section of towpath, the front tyre, now without any kind of tubeless sealing capabilities, fell victim to a cut. Because I had used both of my tubes...

Gus rode out with me this morning, on the first northwards stretch to Carcassonne. We could chat for hours, and it was a great feeling to have him join me for the first part of this second leg. After bidding him a fond farewell, and many thanks for his superb hospitality, I continued north - out of the city and into the hills. The countryside here is so different from the Pyrenees; expanses of farm land, open fields and roads; as well as a plentiful supply of fresh figs, pears, plums and apples on roadside bushes and trees. Despite a bit of a headwind, I was making good progress. The climb up the Montage Noir was a bit of an unexpected shock; but the views and descent from the top of the plateau were well worth the graft. The afternoon passed by in a blur of fields, rivers and lush agricultural land. I stopped off for lunch at a boulangerie, and topped up on pizza and pastries. By the time my clock ticked over 200 kilometres, with 10 left to do, the sun was setting. I reach...

Today, a rest day. A break for the legs. A gentle spin. Chilling out and chatting. A beautiful dog walk. All rounded off, by a fantastic cassoulet in Carcassonne. A perfect rest day, with Augustus and Sarah Farmer, in their beautiful home. Check out some more of Gus's great photos at augustusfarmer.com

After yesterday's brutal finish, today was set to be an easier day. A day for heading down and out of the mountains; as I made my way to the Corbieres, and my rest day base with my good friends, the Farmers. Last night's camp turned out to be only a kilometre or so from the top of the Col Portet d'Aspet; so despite a chilly start, it was just a short climb before I ticked off the first of my mountains for the day. Then the descending began. It seemed to be downhill for hours, thankfully. By 11am, I had racked up 75km already, and made it to Foix. I stopped for coffee and pastries; planning the route out towards Carcassonne. I didn't quite do my original route over the last few days; due partly to the weather, but also a pair of faltering legs. As a result, today wasn't quite the route it was going to be, either; I am effectively missing off the last two cols of the tour. It would however still be a tough 200km, on tired legs. Foix to Lavelanet. Lavelanet t...

Day 5 of my 'Coasts and Cols' tour was always going to be a tough one; coming after a huge day of climbing the day before. With the Col du Tourmalet now carried over to this day too, I was just going to have to see how much I could manage... It started early, and chilly. I had a good night's sleep in my little campsite in Luz; although I woke up to a pile of still slightly damp kit, after my enthusiastic washing in the campsite showers the evening before. No matter; I pulled on my down jacket, and the one pair of dry bibs that I had, and began my ascent of the Tourmalet. I did this climb back in 2011, so I knew what I was letting myself in for: 18 kilometres of varying gradients, and a good chill at the top (there was snow on the peaks). I began clicking through the K's with relative ease though. All the time the sun was threatening to break from the cloud cover, but the temperature was also rapidly falling with the altitude gain. I shouldn't have worried abou...

Don't underestimate the mountains; don't play with giants; they're far bigger and more powerful than you'll ever be. That was a lesson I was reminded of after yesterday's "big freeze"; it was also a recurring lesson today, but one that I took heed of... The first major Col of the day was the Col de Marie Blanque. It is a beautiful climb - a small deserted road, with a stream running alongside. The rain continued this morning though, and the heavens really opened on the top half of this first climb. By the time I had reached the top; pushing my lowest gear on the 13 percent sections; I was cold, sweating and damp. I descended quickly into the valley, trying not to go too fast, to avoid the wind chill. Before long, I was weaving onto the second col to conquer - the Col d'Aubisque. I know this climb well, having done it back in 2011; but the weather conditions and bike weight seemed a lot worse this time around. I clicked into a good gear though, ...

Today started well: I rolled out of my campsite onto quiet roads, with a beautiful sunrise. Heading east, I soon left Pamplona behind and begun my first few cols of the day. Each climb still seems surprisingly hard on the fully loaded Kona. I hadn't anticipated quite how much harder it would be. I am finding my rhythm now though, and setting a decent pace. By lunchtime, I had made good progress; with half the daily mileage on the clock. Things got progressively harder after lunch, with more elevation gain and longer ascents. By 16:30, I reached the bottom of the Pic de Larrau - the final climb of the day. This mountain pass would take me into France; it is was a whopper though, at 1,000+ metres of ascent. After a coffee in the town at the bottom, I began my assault. Within about 10 minutes of the hour long climb, the heavens opened. It wasn't too bad going up: just a case of grin and bear it. The descent though, was the tricky part... Despite putting on a top of the...

Last night's sleep was slightly hampered by the chorus of cow bells in the field next to me. I managed to get a few hours though, and rose with the sunrise, to get started on the first proper mileage day of the 'Coasts and Cols' tour. Before descending down from my mountain top camp, I put on almost every layer of riding kit I brought with me; it turns out northern Spain in September isn't so balmy as I remember! From the descent of that first col, I was quickly into the ascent of the next. I'm getting used to how the weight and load on the Kona handles, on the ups and downs. Sleepy Spanish villages flew by. I was pleased with my route planning, which took me down almost deserted roads, bar the occasional tractor, moped and other cyclist. By lunchtime, and with 110km on the clock, I was ready for a break. I wolfed down oatcakes, peanut butter, jam and malt loaf. I probably ate too much; as straight out from the small town I had stopped in, I began the bigge...

I'm laying in my little tent, somewhere up in the hills above Santander; listening to the cow bells just outside. When the ferry eventually arrived in port - delayed by a Storm Force 9 that we battled through right across the Bay of Biscay, I rolled out into the grey, but the thankfully dry, evening. Out through the city, and into the countryside; I soon left the industrial port in my wake. The darkness closed in fast, and when I came to my main climb of the first day's route, I still had 10km to go, and my pace had slowed to 10kph. It was properly dark, and now raining a bit. I pushed on; with the idea that if I found a camping spot, I would stop. I eventually passed over the top of the pass, yet to find a suitable spot; but with the full intended distance for the day now done. Then I  found my field of cows to camp next to. First day done. One coast in the background, one col crossed.

After months of planning, preparation, bike tinkering and modifications, I have finally set off. It's a strange sensation; a mix of excitement, trepidation and nerves. This will be a journey, in more ways than one. It is my first solo multi-day expedition. It is my first ride doing this kind of mileage and elevation gain, on a fully loaded bike. It will be a physical and mental test, for sure; but I am also sure it will be an enjoyable one. As I write this post, crossing the Bay of Biscay in a Force 9 gale, I sit looking at my pencil trace on my maps. Contours, rivers and peaks... that excites me. I'm looking forward to reaching the coast of Spain, and heading south and east - into the mountains. The 'Coasts and Cols' has finally begun! View the full route details here

Breakfast is most definitely the most important meal of the day. Your body has been without food for eight hours or more; so by the time you head to the breakfast bar, it is craving nutrients, protein and fuel; to repair, rejuvenate, and ready itself for the day ahead. Breakfast is even more important, when you have an active day ahead. My 'Coasts and Cols' Tour will certainly involve activity; with an average of 200 kilometres a day, up and over the Pyrenees. It will be a challenge to fuel right. Luckily though, I should be in Rude Health… My breakfast options are sorted, at least for the first few days of the tour; I've stocked up with Rude Health granola and muesli. The Spanish aren't renowned for their breakfasts, or for being open early; so it seemed prudent to come well-prepared with breakfast provisions for the first few days. Here's what I'm packing… Rude Health Coconut and Chia Granola This little number is packed full of energy and fla...

For my ' Coasts and Cols ' Tour next month, I'm opting for a luggage combination of front panniers, a handlebar bag, and a bikepacking seat pack; it should provide a good balanced set-up for the mountains. I spent a long time searching for the best front panniers to do the job, and finally settled on the new Arkel ORCA 25 pannier set. A quick read of my previous reviews of Arkel Bike Bags , will tell you that this is kit of the highest quality. Designed in Canada, and proven the world over; it is a superb bike luggage collection - I use the Arkel Tailrider Trunk Bag and Randonneur Rear Rack on a daily basis, for my commute. The new ORCA 25 panniers are the brand's new fully waterproof roll-top panniers. They could be used on a front or rear rack, but their small size makes them ideal for use as front panniers in particular. Fully waterproof panniers The ORCA 25 panniers are a fully waterproof design, with a roll-top closure and welded waterproof seams. This...

This September's ' Coasts and Cols ' touring trip will be my first proper bikepacking expedition. In 2011, I rode a 'lite-touring' set-up, for the France and Spain Tour ; but my bikepacking set-up varies significantly, both in terms of luggage and equipment. When I rode the France and Spain tour, my luggage system consisted of a rear rack, with panniers and a rack-top bag. The set-up was heavily rear laden, and consequently rather unbalanced; so for this trip, I've opted for a more evenly weighted distribution; with small front panniers and a handlebar bag, countered by a bikepacking seat pack. My equipment choices have also developed significantly since 2011. I was still a student during that tour, which meant everything was a bit basic; from the steel Peugeot touring bike, to the £40 dome tent. It all worked, but it wasn't exactly state-of-the-art. This trip, things are a bit different; having reviewed and worked with products in the bike industry fo...