Life In The Saddle

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...

Check out my blog entry on riding the length of the Trafalgar Way from Falmouth to London in 24 hours back in October 2014.

Dawn breaks over Pendennis Point, Falmouth, one of the most westerly towns in the UK. Overnight an Atlantic storm has battered our hotel, and whilst the rain has ceased for now, the wind is still extreme. Time to start a bike ride to London. The Trafalgar Way holds a lot of heritage, especially for someone that has grown up near the Victory in Portsmouth. In 1805, when Admiral Nelson died in the battle of Trafalgar, Lieutenant Lapenotiere rode non-stop along this route from Pendennis Point to Admiralty House in Whitehall, London. The journey took him 37 hours and he used 21 horses. I planned to attempt it on a push-bike, in 24 hours. Joining me on the journey was a team of riders that would do certain legs of the course with me, as well as a support crew in a camper-van and a film crew. It was to be a real team effort. We headed out of Falmouth, down the cobbled high street and up into the hills behind the town. The weather was mild, and the wind was from behind, all set for ...

I thought last weekend's ride was big, it was certainly my longest ride to date. This weekend things are about to get a whole lot bigger though... I've been invited to 'Ride The Trafalgar Way' this Saturday; a route that follows the historic path a horse messenger rode non-stop in 1805 to announce the death of Admiral Lord Nelson. The route traverses the country from west to east; from Pendennis Point in Falmouth to Admiralty House in London. The distance is 500 kilometers (310 miles). My hope is to complete the ride in around 24 hours. Non-stop. To say that I'm a little nervous would be fair, this will be by far the longest that I have ever ridden in one go, and the latter part of it will be in the dark. However, I'll be fully supported by the RTTW (Ride The Trafalgar Way) team, and will have a support car, camper van and some very experienced personnel on hand to help me through. I'm not doing it alone either; at the same time as I hope to rid...