Category: europe

First of all, Happy Birthday Mum!

The day started off terrible. I’d camped next to the sea and there were gales during the night keeping me awake. Not just that, but I was freezing, even with my thermal undies on.

Getting dressed in a sleeping bag isn’t easiest trick to master. I just wanted to get away from the north coast as quick as I could. Which I did.

I followed a disused railway from Dinard to Dinan. Absolutely gorgeous weather accompanying the beautiful countryside, and not a soul in sight.

I then joined the Canal d’Ille-et-Rance all the way to Rennes. Fantastic route, didn’t need to use a single road. I even saw an otter!

Tonight I’m staying in the Formula 1 hotel in south east Rennes as it has free internet and they let me put my bike in my room. Bike is looking a bit dusty though, I’ll use one of the hotel towels to clean it.

Got up really early feeling very rough indeed. Luckily the campsite was only three miles away from the port. Once again, the weather was looking good.

Boarded the ferry which went to Guernsey and then a quick change for St Malo. At this point the weather changed dramatically; misty, grey and damp.

 

Once arriving at St Malo I cycle to Dinard where I set up camp for the night.

Cycling on the right is weird, you find yourself drawn back to the left hand side. Either that or the weight of my panniers isn’t balanced.

 

After an emotional farewell I continued on towards Weymouth. The weather was hot and I noticed my arms were starting to burn a little. I guess that’s the result of cycling south for two days.

The battery went on my GPS so I had to rely on road signs while it charge, Unfortunately this took me on some roads with particularly heavy traffic all the way to Weymouth. Even so, I seemed to make good progress towards the south coast.

That evening, I got a little tipsy when I was joined by a friend and his brother (you know who you are). Drinking until late and going to bed early morning wasn’t a good idea when I had to be up at 6am to catch a ferry to France.

I woke up early, eager to make my way to Bath. The journey began on the dual carriageway between Alcester and Evesham, which was far from enjoyable. Fortunately, the lovely weather helped lift my spirits.

Once I passed Evesham, I ventured into the picturesque Cotswold Hills. It was at this point that I truly felt the weight I was carrying on my bike; each ascent felt like a battle. However, the breathtaking views at the top made every struggle worthwhile.

After stopping for a well-deserved lunch in Cirencester, I continued along the quiet country roads, navigating through endless fields and more hills.

By the time I arrived in Bath, I was utterly exhausted but thrilled to meet my wonderful fiancée. While I collapsed in a heap on the floor to recover, she graciously set up the tent, making the evening even more special.

Starting my journey from home near Birmingham, UK, I was overwhelmed by the support of everyone who came to see me off.

A special thank you to those who joined me for the ride to Alcester—your company made the departure even more memorable, and the party poppers were a delightful touch! The weather couldn’t have been better; it was a stunning evening for cycling.

Our route took us along the National Cycle Network, weaving through Redditch before reaching Alcester. We arrived to the sweet surprise of a beautiful Victoria Sponge, a perfect way to end the ride.

Just come back from 4 days riding to and from Brecon in Wales (around 190 miles). Scenery was absolutely stunning. Those hills in Wales aren’t half hard work though, especially riding a bike i can hardly push! I shouldn’t need quite as much gear for the real thing. Here’s a picture of my bike fully loaded!

Updated: Ferry is booked, so my date of departure from the UK will be from the port of Weymouth on Monday 11th April 2011. Getting excited now!! So from this date keep an eye on my Travelogue for (hopefully) regular updates and a plot of my route.

The bike is finally complete. Well, its been complete for a few weeks now. I messed up the bar tape a bit but will redo this at a later date.

I’ve been out on two 30 mile rides, both were very enjoyable. Would like to have done more but the weather has been so bad recently. Overall I’m happy with the build but probably should have gone for a 1.5” tyre. Still to buy are racks and panniers and then I’m pretty much all set!

Its been some weeks since I started building my bike for the trip. Its now starting to resemble a bike, the only remaining items to buy before I can ride it is a brake and gearing system. I’ll need to buy mudguards, racks, panniers, etc but at least I can ride it soon and start wearing in

that Brooks leather saddle.

I have been updating the equipment list if you’re interested in my specs. I’m yet to fit the bottom bracket and chainset, just waiting on the delivery of some grease.

Building the bike myself will (hopefully) allow me to fix/bodge any breakages on the road. Thank you to the guys at Two Wheels for ordering my frame and building my wheels!