Life In The Saddle

Sometimes it is fun to throw a ball and see where it lands. To drop a pin on the map and see if you can get there under your own steam. It has been a while since I have done a real long ride, but the ' Long Road North'  – from Portsmouth to Manchester was designed to be a bit of fun, with a healthy dose of trepidation. The planned route totalled 377 kilometres, from the South Coast to The North. On my previous multi-week tours, I have known that 240 kilometres a day on a fully loaded touring bike is about my max; but that I have done 500+ in one hit on a lightweight setup on several occasions (check out the #BlackForest400 and #RideTheTrafalgarWay ). This ride was on the Kona Rove tourer, with panniers full of clothes and a laptop; that all made it a bit of an unknown on the timings and speed, but I thought I would give it a shot as a long day out… The maths and planning were simple. 04:30 wake up. 05:45 ferry. 06:15am start. Pedal for 16 hours. Hopefully, finish around ...

It begins with an orange mist. Orange jerseys assemble at the ancient naval fort of Pendennis Point Falmouth, as the dawn sunshine creates a complementing haze over the Atlantic Ocean behind. This platoon of riders is here for a cycling event like no other. The Trafalgar Way Ride is a sportive event; running point-to-point from the western tip of England to the nation's Capital. The route follows a path that holds historic significance; it was the passage taken by a horse messenger in 1805 to alert the Admiralty of the British victory over the French, as well as the tragic death of Admiral Lord Nelson. This is not your average Saturday Sportive: 500 kilometres, across 8 British counties makes this a mammoth undertaking, and historic both in its theme and as an achievement. I first rode the Trafalgar Way in 2014, over 24 hours on a stormy October day. Returning to Falmouth for a second time, I want to experience the route in the summer sunshine, and see if a sub-20 finish is acc...

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...

" Race through life, and you'll miss it. Ride fast, and you will see many amazing sights from the saddle of a bicycle " Today, I don't think I can claim to have been fast. Still, I enjoyed the opportunity to see some more incredible mountain landscapes, from the seat of a bicycle. The 1992-97 route of the Maratona dles Dolomites was composed of two loops: these took in some of the hardest and longest mountain passes; including the Sella Pass, Fedaia, Valparola, Giau and 2x Campolongo. Tiredness is beginning to kick in now, so for better or worse, this will be a blog post of fewer words. I will let the photos do the talking. Close to 9 hours in the saddle, with over 6,000 metres of climbing. This was the last really big one of the #5MaratonasChallenge . A special meeting There was a special guest waiting for me, on the return to the hotel. This fantastic gentleman started the very first Maratona in 1987, and after hearing of my challenge, he wante...