I have always been a cyclist. I can recall travelling insane distances in the late 1970s on a rusty Raleigh Touring bike. In 2001, I rekindled my love of two wheels with a new Cannondale, and promptly cycled from Land’s End to John o’ Groats, via the four cardinal points of mainland Britain – Lizard Point, to Lowestoft, to Ardnamurchan, to Dunnet Head, and home again.
I am not quite sure how my cycle touring phase happened, but I purchased a Thorn Sherpa, the LandRover equivalent of two wheels, with a traditional Ortlieb pannier setup. This took me around the North Sea, along Eurovelo 12 – the North Sea Cycle Route, in 2017. Later, the same bike took me once again from Land’s End to John o’ Groats, but this time, following the Atlantic Coast seaboard from Cornwall to Fishguard to catch the ferry to Rosslare, cycle to Kinsale, and join the Wild Atlantic Way until Derry, and the Northern Ireland port of Ballycastle. A ferry to Islay, and then to Oban, and a ferry to the Western Isles. Returning to Ullapool, via Stornaway, and the last stretch to Dunnet Head, and John o’ Groats, a place I am getting to know very well. You may notice my love of ferries too, and I have lost count as to how many I have taken.
“Now shall I walk or shall I ride? Ride, pleasure said, walk, joy replied” – William Henry Davies
Together with my coastal walks, and a few other journeys, I am close to seeing every part of the coastline (and taking every ferry) in the British Isles. If I include Campervan journeys, then it is almost certain. I am begining to understand how these adventures along the coastal margins are having a profound impact on my understanding of the world. I must get back into cycle touring, as I have all the equipment, but the lengthy walks around the coast have eaten into available time. My last cycle trip, using a campervan as a base, explored all of the Southern Hebridian islands, shortly after the pandemic lockdown was lifted. That was an amazing two weeks, slow paced, huge rewards.
Cycling gear
My current ‘fleet’ consists of a Thorn Sherpa and a Farilight Secan 2.0. I use the former a great deal for van/cycle adventures and is usually hanging from the carrier of my van. The later is for road riding, and is slowly being configured for ‘bikepacking’, a hybrid combination of cycle touring and lightweight backpacking.