Full Panniers > The sporadic blog of a touring cyclist

Washington DC to Seattle

2008-05-12T11:30:00.001+01:00

Bye everyone, I'm off to the States to cycle from Washington DC to Seattle. As you can imagine this trip is quite ambitious, so rather than clutter this one with the event I have created a separate blog to cover everything there. You will find it here

Isle of Wight Randonnee

2008-05-04T11:45:00.001+01:00

With the weather forecast not looking too optimistic I packed a waterproof, map, sandwich, apple, chocolate bar and obligatory banana into the pannier and headed off to first check point on East Cowes.

On arrival I signed in and collected a check card (see above). This was my third IOW Randonnee and like the other two I just about managed to leave before midday. So it turned into a race as the day panned out.

Hills are a reoccurring theme on this 100Km route. The hills aren't high, 165m max, but you do spend the vast part of the day shifting gears and spinning. At least the views are worth the effort.

There were six checkpoints in total, all were great places to chat and have a rest from the saddle. At Bembridge and Yarmouth you could grab a bite to eat and cup of tea, and regain some of the energy lost along the way.

In the end it took me just under 6 hours and I never once had to use the old raincoat!

Portrait Complete!

2008-02-24T10:48:00.002Z

Competitor Number 2 looks back at the road taken, Oil on Canvas, 80x60, 2008, Pauline Little.

Inspired by Giovanni Battista's II Cavaliere dal Piede Ferito, Pauline Little created a portrait of me in all my cycling glory and surrounded by the random items you stumble on whilst on tour; the bull made an appearance every so often whilst on the road to Almeria, the post (top left) belongs to a farmer in the Picos de Europas, and the monument above my left shoulder was one of many I came across on that same tour (Puerto de Palombera). The race number was from last years Jekyll & Hyde Duathlon and the medal worn was given on completion of the London Duathlon 2007.

Pauline Little is a London based Artist who specializes in creating paintings of athletes, she completed this portrait in four sessions (just over an hour each). For more details see her website.

2007 Cat & Fiddle Cycle Challenge

2007-10-07T08:00:00.000+01:00

Today I was one of over 1,500 people who took part in the 2007 Cat & Fiddle Cycle Challenge in support of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. With a couple of friends I set off from Brian Rourke's cycle shop in Stoke-on-Trent on a 55 mile cycle through Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and the beautiful Peak District National Park.

The ride included the infamous Cat and Fiddle climb (7 miles long), here we stopped off for a bacon and egg sandwich at the Cat & Fiddle Pub, and relaxed for a while before setting of back to Stoke-on-Trent. Along the way we passed Flash; the highest village in England, Leek, and encountered many a hill, but we took it in our stride and arrived safely.

Route Map:

For more info on the event, click here.
To download the route (.gpx), click here.

Morden to Hove and back (via Downs Link)

2007-08-28T20:55:00.001+01:00

I had the inspiration to cycle down to the south coast today, and was surprised to find myself arriving in Hove before midday. The route took in mainly quiet lanes, there was the odd round-about, but on the whole I thought it was fairly safe. On the way back I used the Downs Link, which is a bridleway that stretches from the coast to Guildford. I highly recommend it as it is a real gem.

Route Map:

To download the route as .gpx, click here

Wimbledon to Rowlands Castle (and the Isle of Wight)

2007-08-02T21:15:00.000+01:00

Today the weather forecast looked optimistic, so I decided to cycle down to the Isle of Wight to visit family. The route took in Morden, Epsom, Leatherhead, Ewehurst, The North and South Downs, and Rowlands Castle where I caught the train to Portsmouth Harbor - I didn't fancy using Portsmouth's hectic roads and crazy one way systems!

From the train it was a short walk to the fast ferry, which took me over the Solent to Ryde on the Isle of Wight. After a chat and a bite to eat I caught the train back home!

The Route:

Click here to dowload the route (.gpx)

Normandie and Brittany

2007-07-17T01:26:00.000+01:00

I have always toured on my own, but this time my brother showed an interest and wanted to see what it was like. So we set off on a 9 day "make-it-up-as-you-go-along" cycle around Normandie and Brittany, France. Along the way we came across Utah Beach, Le Mont St Michel (see above), the Forêt d'Écouves, La Ferté-Vidame and le Abbey de Jumieges on the Seine.

Most of the time we found the weather to be ideal for cycling, but some days it rained continuously. Here is the itinerary of the tour, to download the GPS data, click on the appropriate day:

Day 1 - Cherbourg to Carentan (71.6Km)

Day 2 - Carentan to Montviron (nr Avranches - 88Km)

Day 3 - Montviron to Antrain (70.2Km)

Day 4 - Antrain to la Ferté-Macé (102.4Km)

Day 5 - la Ferté-Macé to Sées (52Km)

Day 6 - Sées to Senonches (83.1Km)

Day 7 - Senonches to Bourg-Achard (109.6Km)

Day 8 - Bourg-Achard to les Loges (nr Etretat - 80.3Km)

Day 9 - les Loges to Le Havre (33.2Km)

The Route:

To view slide show, click here.

Tour of The Highlands and Shetland Isles

2007-06-12T03:33:00.000+01:00

Impressed with Scotland in 2006, I revisited the place with the intention to go for a relaxing cycle in the fresh air. But boy, was it a tough 9 days!

Again Scotrail was used to escape from London and I arrived in Inverness early the following day. Here is a brief itinerary of the route taken (click on the appropriate day to download the GPS data):

Day 1 - Inverness to Pluscarden Abbey (68.45Km)

After a quick breakfast and a visit to Mass at St Marys I followed my pre-programmed GPS route out of town towards the Clava Cairns where I had a break, admired the Bronze Aged tombs and stone circles, and a bite to eat.

The good thing about GPS is that you can (with a bit of planning) avoid busy roads and stick to the interesting ones. The only problem is that these roads can be a bit gritty, and so the chance of punctures increase - as I experienced in the Darnaway Forest.

After fixing the puncture (and sustaining a full scale midge attack!) I made my way through the rain towards Forres and on through the Altyre Woods to Pluscarden Abbey.

Pluscarden Abbey is a Benedictine Abbey a short distance from Elgin. It was founded in 1230 by Alexander II and is the only medieval monastery in Britain still inhabited by monks and used for its original purpose. The only thing I regret about this tour is that time did not allow for a longer stay - I had to base the whole trip around the ferry and train timetables, which was, at times, a real pain. I was impressed with the Abbey, the peace the monks live in and way they base their lives around prayer. I will certainly revisit in the future and stay for longer.

Day 2 - Pluscarden Abbey to Braemar (126.95Km)

Thankfully yesterdays rain passed over (my prayers were answered!) and once again I was on the road. My destination was Braemar but many hills (and a few Cairngorm Mountains) lay between the two. At one point on the Lecht Road the gradient leaned to 20% and climbed up to 647m.

Day 3 - Braemar to Aberdeen (100Km)

I didn't have time for the guided tour, but I passed by the gates at Balmoral Castle. I can see why the Queen loves Balmoral. Here you're surrounded by old pine forests, fresh water rivers teaming with life, clean air and the Grampian Mountains. The rest of the day was spent sprinting for the ferry, which I caught in the nick of time.

Day 4 - Shetland Isles (60Km)

Penciled as my "rest day" I used Sustrans Route 1 to explore the east side of the Shetland Isles hoping to spot puffins, seals and other wildlife along the way. I guess I looked in all of the wrong places, my Puffin and Seal tally remained zero for the whole day!

The Shetlands are deceptively big, in a car you'd be able to see most of it in one day, but by bicycle you'd need two or three days to make the most of your stay. I loved the absolute silence you experience in places; so quiet that you can hear the blood flow in your ear drums. The light is quite something too - expect to be woken up really early in summer!

A couple of hours later I arrived back in Lerwick and went in search of somewhere to eat. There are plenty of places to choose from, most of them are quite traditional. In the end I settled for a simple tuna sandwich and coffee before catching the ferry to Kirkwall.

Day 5 - Kirkwall to Tongue (96.86Km)

After a really good nights sleep (actually probably too good!) I soon realized that I had only an hour to get to the ferry. So the tent was thrown into my panniers and I made a dash for Stromness. Had I missed it, a five hours was expected for the next one. Luckily a very strong tail wind carried me there and I boarded the boat with only a minute or two to spare. In retrospect maybe I should have missed it, then I would have seen far more of the Orkney Isles than was the case.

On the mainland I was on a familiar road, it was the same road I'd used last year to take me to the YHA at Tongue. Along the way I passed by people who were on their last day cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats.

Day 6 - Tongue to Ullapool (157.17Km)

"A bit too far!" is written in the diary. Maybe it was, but I had no other option. Between Durness and Ullapool B&B's and shops were hard to find. In the morning the wind was against me, but by the time I reached the other side of Loch Eriboll I was facing the other way and used it to my advantage. It was great to finally arrive in Ullapool, get a shower something to eat and go to sleep.

Day 7 - Ullapool to Torridon (139.32Km)

I underestimated the distance again, but luckily I noticed the night before and so I set off early this time. Highlight of the day was the run into Torridon, the views were amazing, the way the sky was lit by the setting sun was quite inspiring, reminded me of one of Turner's watercolours.

Day 8 - Torridon to Loch Lochy (141.47Km)

If I underestimated yesterday, I really wasn't expecting today!

Hills were on the menu, they didn't rise that high, but neither did they stop rolling.

Day 9 - Loch Lochy to Inverness (70.67Km)

Comparatively easy, the day started with torrential rain. After resting for a bit in Fort Augustus I climbed the 400m up to Whitebridge on the south side of Loch Ness where I let gravity do it's thing and coasted for most of the way to Inverness.

With plenty of time to spare, I had a look around town, grab a bite to eat and watch the freshwater fly-fishing in the River Ness before catching the sleeper back to London.

To view slide show, click here.

Hearts First Bike Ride - Peak District 2007

2007-04-23T06:47:00.000+01:00

Today I met up with a couple of friends and we took part in the Hearts First Peak District Bike ride. This was an event that helped to raise money and create an awareness for the British Heart Foundation.

The start/finish was at Rowsley South Station - in between Matlock and Bakewell - and the route took us around the Derbyshire Dales District. Along the way we passed through Winster, Bradbourne and Youlgrave - a section of the Midshires Way was also thrown in to test our off road bike handling skills.

Anyway, if you are new to cycling, take a look at the list of rides on the BHF website - none are too demanding and most (if not all) will have food and drink stops to add to the relaxed atmosphere... after all, it's not a race!

Route map:

Malaga to Ronda

2006-10-17T02:59:00.000+01:00

This trip was a bit of a disaster, my intention was to cycle from Malaga to Ronda, Gibralta, Sevilla and then make my way back to Malaga, but in the end I had to cut it short.

The flight to Malaga was delayed for over three hours and once the plane touched down I found that my bike had been damaged by baggage handlers (the swines!). At half one in the morning, there was nothing much I could do except accept the situation and push my bike into Malaga (5Km) where I had hoped to find somewhere to stay for the night, this proved to be an impossible task as everything appeared to be closed, so I spent the night on the beach where after a few hours sleep I felt inspired to solve the problem myself - Had I not watched most of the episodes of A-Team as a child I probably would have pushed the bike back to the airport and caught the next flight home!

With the bike up and running again, I had a quick look around town (nice place, good beach, castle etc...) and set off along the insainly busy highway towards Torremolinos and then onto Alhaurin de la Torre and Coin. On the map it looks flat but in practice the hills roll long and high.

Eventually I cycled upstream along the Rio Guadalhorce passing the Castle at Alora and onto the tiny village of El Chorro at the foot of the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes where I set up camp. I spent the next couple of days here walking in the hills, and waiting for the rain to stop. If ever you are in this area the Bridge at El Chorro is worth a close look - but make sure you take good mountain climbing equipment!

A few days later I decided that I would have a go at cycling over to Gibraltar to visit a friend, but it soon became apparent that the damaged derrailler was going to slow me down, I had about 3x4 working gears (the others had a mind of their own) - when you cycle over mountains you need them all to be in good working order.

After a phone call from the agent (he had some work waiting for me back in England) I decided that I had either two weeks battling with the bike or just another two days. So I decided that after Ronda I would head back to Malaga Airport to catch a flight back home.

That evening (after a 1190m climb over Puerto del Viento) I set up camp on the Mirador del Guarda Forestal; a viewpoint overlooking the Parque Natural de la Sierra de las Nieves, an area covered in pine forest. It is always creepy sleeping in the wilds, but I find that you can always sleep more comfortably when you pitch your tent in a discrete spot hidden from the road (which in this case was 100m away). The good thing about touring on a bike is that it does not take much effort to be discrete!

The following morning I headed back to the El Chorro campsite where I waited for further instructions on the job I had agreed to do the previous day. Along the way a wrong turning took me over the Sierra de los Merinos which was worth every effort to climb as the view from there was like that from a picture postcard.

Campsites are not the most exciting places to stay at, most are utilitarian and this one was no exception; the bar only served one kind of beer (the cheap stuff with the additives in) and I soon got board hanging around, so I decided to set off on an unloaded cycle into the hills to have a closer look at the tower overlooking the campsite. After an hour or so I reached the top to find that half of the mountain had been blown out to house the water used to power the turbines a couple of hundred metres below.

The final day was an easy one, downhill for most of the way I headed back to Malaga Airport where I caught the next flight home. On arrival in Gatwick Airport I found that the baggage handlers had been up to their usual tricks and broken one of my brake levers - so I had no gears going there and no brakes coming back... great!

If I had the opportunity to do this trip again I would take the whole bike to bits and package it like bone china, an hour rebuilding the bike is better than twenty-four in a place you had not planned to stay at!

Route map:

To view mini slideshow, click here.
To view detailed slideshow, click here.

2006 Cat & Fiddle Cycle Challenge

2006-10-02T06:51:00.000+01:00

Today I was one of over 1,300 people who took part in the 2006 Cat & Fiddle Cycle Challenge in support of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Together with two friends I set off from Brian Rourke's Cycle shop in Stoke-on-Trent on a 55 mile cycle through Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire and the beautiful Peak District National Park, including the infamous Cat and Fiddle climb (7 miles long).

It was a good day out, everyone was friendly and atmosphere was relaxed - it was great to see Seán Kelly there too!

For more info on the event, click here.

Route Map:

John O'Groats to Lands End

2006-06-12T14:12:00.000+01:00

Towards the end of June 2006 I cycled from John O'Groats to Land's End.

I chose this route not to break any records, but to explore the UK. As a Londoner my UK cycle trips have only taken me as far north as Borhamwood and as far south as the Isle of Wight. During a conversation with a friend I discovered that I knew nothing about UK geography (in comparison to my French geography), so I decided to change this situation by cycling the length of the country.

Normally I would make my bike trips up as I'd go along, but this time I made an exception and felt the need to plan ahead - every day was noted down. The whole routed was printed out from the Michelin website with notes and arrow written over the top so that I would not take a wrong turn and waste energy enroute.

On the big day I caught the Sleeper Train from Euston to Inverness. As the sun set the train departed for Scotland.

Once it arrived in Inverness, I found that I had over an hour spare, so I had a stroll around town to see what was on offer and grab a breakfast, before boarding the next train to Wick. After saying 'goodbye' to my bike (it had to be taken by van) I caught the train to begin the final leg of the journey to the start line.

From Inverness the train trundled further north through the barren windswept wilderness and along the seal colonized coastline to Wick, this was where I collected my bike from the van man, and cycled over to the Youth Hostel in John O'Groats to get a good nights sleep before the start.

Anyway, in the end I cycled 1822Km in 14 days. Here is a brief summery of the rest of the journey:

Day 1 - John O'Groats to Tongue (122Km)

Plenty of rolling hills along the way, being the first day I didn't want to overdo it and decided to take it easy. The view of the Kyle of Tongue, Ben Hope and Ben Loyal, (and not forgetting the pint waiting for me in Tongue) was worth the effort!

Day 2 - Tongue to Inverness (172Km)

A very difficult day. The wind was against me the whole time and soon discovered that I had under estimated the distance. But saying that, the whole day was one of the best on the journey.

Day 3 - Inverness to Loch Lochy (70Km)

Compared to the previous day, this was an easy one. From Inverness I took the quiet road on the south side of Loch Ness, there was a major climb from Loyers but nothing too taxing. In Fort Williams I stopped for fish and chips before taking the towpath along the Caledonian Canal to the YHA in Laggan (nr Invergarry).

Day 4 - Loch Lochy to Oban (104Km)

It rained for most of the day, but the clouds did create some impressive views (however, it made Ben Nevis rather difficult to appreciate!) I spent the morning on tow paths and the rest of the day on rather busy main roads, but it was good to see someone more crazy than me - a chap driving an old tractor from John O'Groats to Lands End, I wonder if they ever made it!

Day 5 - Oban to Lochranza on the Isle of Arran (100Km)

What a day, it rained the whole time and only eased off towards the end!

Day 6 - Lochranza to Minnigaff (147Km)

My only regret (apart from not starting at Land's End) was that I didn't take many photos on the Isle of Arran, such a beautiful place, maybe it was all a bit overwhelming or something (or maybe it was the fact that I was in a rush to catch the boat back over to the mainland). The rest of the day was spent following the Sustrans route 7 cycle route avoiding the busy main roads. From Ayr it took me through the Galloway Forest Park to the youth hostle in Minigaff.

Day 7 - Minnigaff to Carlisle (189Km)

I have never cycled through so much gale force winds and rain in my life! It started off well on the off-road route through Cairn Forest but by midday, it just was not funny anymore. By the time I reached Carlisle the England v Sweden World Cup match was in full swing and everyone was on the street and there was a good mood in the air - or maybe that was the smell of the chicken kebab I manage to sneak into the B&B?!

Day 8 - Carlisle to Kendal (75Km)

Very easy day. I stopped in Penrith for coffee and supplies (bananas, bread and chocolate) and cycled up the Shap Fells with ease. Going down the other side was another matter, the gales nearly knocked me off a number of times and stopped me in my tracks at one point - it was that strong!

Day 9 - Kendal to Liverpool (127Km)

Even though it rained for most of the morning, once the sun came out it took a short time to dry everything out and I found myself cycling most of the way to Preston and onto Liverpool on the Lancaster Canal tow path.

Day 10 - Liverpool to Shrewsbury (132Km)

After crossing the Mersey on the ferry (well it had to be done) I followed another one of those Sustrans cycles routes from Burkenhead to Chester, then normal roads to Wrexham and onto Shrewsbury, where (after I had been all over town) I finally found a bed for the night. I think the stress of the trip was starting to show as I woke up to find my nose bleeding - leaving my bed looking as though I had been visited by the mafia!

Day 11 - Shrewsbury to Hereford (143Km)

When you are on a bike you prefer to take the road less traveled, for an hour I couldn't find that one, instead I had to settle for the trunk road to Ludlow until it was found. Along the way I helped an ambulance to the scene of an accident, thankfully it was nothing serious. In my notes I also have written that I got lost in Wales too, so I guess today was the day to get lost!

Day 12 - Hereford to Bridgewater (140Km)

This route took in the River Wye, Severn Bridge getting lost and somehow ending up in Bristol, and a high speed chase down the Cheddar Gorge.

Day 13 - Bridgewater to Okehampton (111Km)

I visited St Johns Street Cycles in the morning, the shop I purchased my Thorn Nomad bike from. The rest of the day was spent in the rain on roads to Taunton and Tiverton, where I met a couple on a tandem doing the Land's End to John O'Groats (same as me but the other way around) who were shocked by the hills in that area. After exchanging tips on what to expect we parted and I made my way to the rather odd looking youth hostle in Okehampton - an old railway station conversion.

Day 14 - Okehampton to Lands End (190Km)

The final day, at last. What a relief. Traffic wise this was one of the most trickiest of the whole journey, I soon got the feeling that everyone in Cornwall must own a car. The roads were far too congested (even by London standards) and people were far more reckless than anywhere I had experience along the way. I didn't take much in (or many photos) as I found myself concentrating on not getting knocked off or driven into the hedgerow. But saying that, it was great to reach Land's End in one piece, 1822Km in 14 days is not bad and to say that you have cycled the entire length of the British Isles is even better!

To view mini slide show, click here.

To view detailed slide show, click here.

Isle of Wight Randonnee

2006-04-30T22:08:00.000+01:00

Every year many hundreds of cyclists flock to the Isle of Wight to take part in this event, which in essence is a 100Km bike ride around the whole of the Isle of Wight on minor roads and lanes. Along the route there are a dozen or so checkpoints where you have your card stamped (great as a keepsake, and proof that you didn't cheat!) a bite to eat, and a chat.

1445 people took part this year, some raced against the clock but most (myself included) treated it as though it were a leisurely tour. We braved the unseasonably cold weather (it felt like an English February!) and toiled over the rolling countryside, but the views and meeting people along the way made it worthwhile!

Valencia to Murcia

2005-10-02T14:20:00.000+01:00

When I find my diary from that year I will have to update this entry, for the moment I have only a few notes to hand and can only give you the itinerary. The aim of this tour was to cycle from Valencia to Almeria avoiding most of the busy trunk roads that run along the coast, in other words, the scenic route. Along the way I came across Alicante, Sierra Espuña, the castle at Vélez Blanco, Sierra Cazorla and the Sierra Nevada.

Day 1 - Valencia to Gandia (82Km)

Day 2 - Gandia to Villajoyosa nr Benidorm (100Km)

Day 3 - Villajoyosa to Torrevieja (92Km)

Day 4 - Torrevieja to El Berro nr Alham de Murcia (104Km)

Day 5 - El Berro (Rest day)

Day 6 - El Berro to Vélez Blanco (103Km)

Day 7 - Vélez Blanco (Rest day)

Day 8 - Vélez Blanco to Castril (95Km)

Day 9 - Castril to Cazorla (74Km)

Day 10 - Cazorla to Embalse la Bolera (61Km)

Day 11 - Embalse la Bolera to Sierra de Baza (95Km)

Day 12 - Sierra de Baza to Fóndon (79Km)

Day 13 - Fóndon to Trevélez (80Km)

Day 14 - Trevélez to Roquetas de Mar (113Km)

Day 15 - Roquetas de Mar to Cabo de Gata (53Km)

Total: 1131Km

To view mini slideshow, click here.

To view detailed slideshow, click here.

Tour of Brittany

2005-07-31T08:00:00.000+01:00

This was a mini five day tour of Brittany, France. In total, I notched up 422Km and took in Utah beach, a cross country cycle to Le Mont St Michel, a visit to a friends and a quick look around the town of St Malo. Here is my itinerary:

Day 1 - Cherbourg to Montviron (141Km)

Day 2 - Montviron to Combourg (83Km)

Day 3 - Combourg to Plouguenast (97Km)

Day 4 - Plouguenast to St Malo (101Km)

Day 5 - Ferry home.

To view slideshow, click here.

Picos de Europa

2005-05-17T08:00:00.000+01:00

Straddling Asturias, Cantabria and León the Picos de Europa is a mountainous area formed of limstone in the north of Spain. It forms part of the Covadonga National Park which was expanded in 1995 to include these mountains and to protect both the wildlife and the age-old way of life carried on here - especially the farming practices.

To reach the Picos I took the P&O ferry from Portsmouth to Santruzi (north of Bilboa). I only had a week spare to make this trip, so I knew that I would have to put in some serious hours in the saddle to allow for a spot of siteseeing in the area around Potes (where the Picos sit as a backdrop). In retrospect I probably should have caught the ferry from Plymouth to Santanda, here it would have only taken a day or so to reach by bicycle.

This bike tour took 7 days and covered 609Km. Here is a brief overview:

Day 1 - Santurtzi to Arija (Embalse del Ebro) (124Km)

From the word go the road kicks up, it felt like I spent the whole day climbing, and that is what I did. Sometimes the gradiants were steep and other times they were not noticable, but nethertheless you were climbing all the way to the Embalse del Ebro.

Day 2 - Arija to Cervera de Pisuerga (78Km)

Another day climbing!

Day 3 - Cervera de Pisuerga to Camalno (via Potes and Fuente Dé) (100Km)

Todays highlights include cycling over the Puerto de Piedrasluengas, which at 1355m high gave some splendid views. On the decent into Potes I discovered that my brakes were useless at slowing down a fully loaded touring bike, in situations like this you learn quickly how to handle the bike around hairpin bends and how to avoid debris on the roads. Just hope I never have to do that again. Later on that day I went up to the Funte Dé, a place popular with the coach tourists for the cable cart ride to the top and the views of the waterfall and huge limstone cliff face.

Day 4 - Camalno (Rest Day)

I had a rest day today (ate a fair bit and rehydrated), but to stop the legs from going to sleep I left everything at the Campsite in San Pelayo and went walking around the surrounding area.

Day 5 - Camalno to Mazandreva (nr. Reinosa) (133Km)

Crashed on a hairpin bend down from the Collada de Carmona, a car traveling the other way cut the corner forcing me to make an abrupt turn and as a result the front wheel lost traction causing me, bike and all to slide across the road at 60Km/h - not too pleasant I tell you. The rest of the day was spent climbing the Puerto de Palombera (1260m high) and after yet another hair raising decent I found a campsite near Reinosa where I spent the night cleaning my wounds and eating plenty of pasta.

Day 6 - Mazandreva to Santurtzi (174Km)

The run into Santurtzi is more or less down hill so covering a large distance was fairly straightforward, and it felt like I was riding a motorbike for most of the way... great stuff!

Day 7 - Santurtzi (Rest Day)

Eventhough Santurtzi is a small town, I soon found that there were plenty of sights to be found, and after a strong coffee I went for a walk around town snapping away with my camera and regreting the decision to leave the sketchbook at home. Around midday I caught the boat back to the the UK and on to London.

To view mini slideshow, click here.

To view detailed slideshow, click here.

Mini Tour of Cataluña

2004-09-29T08:00:00.000+01:00

I have lost most of my notes for this tour, but as soon as I find them I will update this post. Just to give you the general idea, I cycled from Barcelona up to Tavascan; a little village on the south side of the Pyrenees, to the west of Andorra.

Route Map:Click here to download the route (.gpx).

Video clip from the tour:

To view mini slideshow, click here.
To view detailed slideshow, click here.

Tour of Normandy

2004-07-19T08:00:00.000+01:00

This was my first attempt at 'credit card touring'. With only a rucksac on my back I set off on my racer from Dieppe with the aim of visiting a friend in Plouguenast, Brittany. But it soon became obvious that I had underestimated the distance between the two, and decided that after day two I would turn it into a mini circuit of Normandy with a visit to the Medival Cathedral at Chartre and Lisieux (above) along the way.

Here is the itinerary:

Day 1 - Dieppe to Cormeilles (113Km)

Day 2 - Cormeilles to La Ferté-Vidame (123Km)

Day 3 - La Ferté-Vidame to Dieppe (299Km)

Day 4 - Dieppe (rest day)

Video clips from the tour:

To view mini slideshow, click here.
To view detailed slideshow, click here.

Bilbao to London

2003-07-27T08:00:00.000+01:00

In the summer of 2003 Europe was hit by a long and intense heatwave, which according to scientists was the hottest on records for the northern hemisphere. With this as a backdrop I set off from the Spanish port of Santurtzi (near Bilbao), and cycled over the Pyrenees through the strength sapping heat of Southern France to the little village of St Bonnet where I rested for a couple of days before heading north to catch the boat in Caen.

I make it sound easy, but I have to be honest and say that it was one of the toughest I had done so far. A number of times I was told by the Gendarme to stop cycling because (unknown to me at the time) many people lost their lives that summer. It didn't take long to form a plan that would help me get the miles in without having to do too many in the midday sun, it was simple I would leave the campsite at the crack of dawn and do most of the miles then, leaving midday to late afternoon for rest in the shade of a village square or in the cool air of a church. Each day I got through nearly 7 bottles of water and a liter of fruit juice - I was a thirsty man!

The end result was 2600Km in just over 20 days.

Here is a list of some of the places I visited along the way, those in bold are where I spent the night:

Santurtzi (nr Bilboa), Gernika-Lumo, Elgoibar, Azpeitia (nr St Ignacio de Loiola), Tolosa, Leitza, Doneztebe/Santesteban, St Etienne de Baigorry, St Jean-Pied-de-Port, Oloron Sainte Marie, Tardets-Sorholus, Arudy, Lourdes, Tarbes, Lubret St Luc (nr Trie), Castelnau, Bologne-s-Gesse, Boussens, Carbonne, Autrive, Mazeres, Castelnaudary, Alzonne, Moussoulens, Conques S - Orbiel (nr Carcassone), Peyriac - Minervois, Olonzac, Roujan, Gignac, St Martin de Londres, Pic St Loup, Quissac, Uzéz, Chateauneuf du Pape, Carpentras, Bourdeaux, Die, Romans, Chateauneuf-de-Galaure, Condrieu, Rive-de-Gier, Chazelles-s-Lyon, St Galmier, Les Aires (near Feur), Ebruil, Eguzon, Chisseaux (Chenonceaux), Brou (Yevres), St Pierre s-Dives (near Lisieux), and Caen.

Route map:

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London to Austria (and back)

2000-07-07T08:00:00.000+01:00

This trip was my first tour, so you could say that I really dived into the deepend with this one. Without any prior experience of solo camping or cycle touring I venture off across France enduring 10 days of rain to a village called Chateauneuf de Galeure, just inbetween Lyon and Valence. Here I made a retreat at the Foyer de Charity which lasted about a week. After the retreat I felt inspired to cycle over to Austria and meet my family who were visiting friends and family in Übersbach, a small village near Fürstenfelt.

It took a further 18 days to cycle over to Fürstenfelt (which almost straddles the Hungarian boarder). The route took in the Jura, the whole of north Switzerland, Bodensee See, Bavaria, Innsbruck, Mariazell, Wien Neustad (nr Vienna) and Neusiedler See before meeting up with the rest of the family, who had arrived a day or two before - so timed down to near perfection!

A week later, I made my way back home with the intention of exploring Switzerland a bit more. A kind friend let me stay in Zürich for a week where I spent most of the time being a tourist.

From Zürich I made my way through the Jura and into France, where I made rapid progress passing through Beaun, Auxerre, Chartre and Dieppe (where I caught the ferry back Newhaven). At the time there was the fuel blockage, and I found that the roads were totally empty - it only took me four hours to cycle back to London, a time I have not bettered since, not even on the racer!

As for punctures, I had none whatsoever but by the time I reached Austria the rear wheel developed a crack half way round and after a total rebuild it lasted till the Jura where the spokes started to break. One by one they went until in the end, seven were missing. Apart from that my front rack ended up being held together by zip ties. From the whole experience I learnt that you need to use top quality equipment.

I must have been a powerful cyclist then as I did the whole journey using a racing gear ratio (38/48x12/27). I would never even dream of using the same again.

In the end the tour was 5481Km and took just over 40 days to complete - thank God for student summer holidays!

Here is a list of where I stayed each night, most were campsites (except two in Switzerland where I had to do a bit of stealth camping!). Anyway, here is the list, the places in bold are where I had rest days:

London
Newhaven
Bourg Achard (entered France)
Verneil
Arrou
Chaumont sur Loire
Preuilly-sur-Claise
Dun le Palestel
Chatelguyon
Chalmazel
Chateauneuf de Galeure - Rested for a week
Verieu le Grand
St Claude
Somewhere SW nr Estavayer le Lac (entered Switzerland)
Football pitch nr Aarau
Wil
Beuren (nr Isny)
Camped near a lake Elbsee (nr Marktoberdorf)
Reutte (entered Austria)
Schwaz (nr Innsbruck)
St Johann in Tirol - Rain stopped play for a day!
St Johann im Pongau
Putterersee
nr. Leoben
Mariazell
nr. Gloggnitz
Forchtenstein (visited Hungary for the day)
Hartberg
Übersbach (nr Fürstenfelt) - Rested for 9 days
Frohnleiten (nr Graz)
Rottenmann
St Johann im Pongau
Waginger See (nr Laufen)
Seeshaupt (on Starnberger See)
Beuren (nr Isny)
nr. Bischofszell (crossed Bodensee and entered Switzerland)
Zürich - (Rested for 5 nights)
Biel/Bienne
Lac de Joux
Salins-les-Bains (entered France)
Beaune
Auxerre
Bellegarde
Senonches (via Chartres)
Bourg-Achard
London (entered the UK)

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