Between August and October, we took on the challenge of cycling around Britain’s National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Due to the worsening of the virus, we had to cut it short at halfway with 2,000 miles and plenty of amazing memories in the bag. Here are Lou’s thoughts on our challenge (so far).
How much cycling had you done before you took on this challenge?
Not an awful lot to be honest. My mum and I did the C2C (Coast to Coast) together last year, which was about 170 miles over four days, and that’s the most cycling I’ve ever done on consecutive days. Aside from that, my daily commute to and from work, and the odd day out cycling from home (up to 50 miles or so) is about all I’ve done.
How confident were you on a bike before setting out on your adventure?
I’m fortunate to have a very beautiful bike that I feel pretty confident on, although I was very aware that our upcoming adventure would be very different to the cycling I was used to and challenge me in a number of ways.
In what ways were you challenged?
I think what made me most nervous was getting used to riding with panniers and an extra 20kg on the bike. Having never ridden with panniers or done much training, it was definitely a concern, especially as I’d only recent gotten used to riding with clip-in pedals and not falling off!
I’d also been diagnosed with a minor heart issue earlier this year. I have a small leak in one of my heart valves, and although the cardiologist wasn’t concerned about me taking on the challenge because I was fit and healthy, they’ve never fully gotten to the bottom of what’s going on. It was always in the back of my mind as I knew it seemed to affect my breathing most when I was out on the bike, especially on the hills. I knew it would frustrate me as I don’t struggle with the power needed to get up the steep climbs and never had problems with my breathing before I started to have symptoms last year. I guess I knew I was going to have to not let myself get annoyed by it.
What was it like?
Looking back on it; pretty epic! At the start, it was very much just taking things day-by-day, not looking at the big picture. And then one day, you look back and you’ve cycled 2000 miles. I think when you decide to take on a big challenge, it's hard to see what it looks like. When Paul asked me ‘shall we cycle 4000 miles around the UK?’ I think my response was ‘yea sure, why not’. Then 3 weeks later, we left. Sometimes that's the best way, just follow your heart and don't think too much.
What were the biggest day-to-day challenges during the ride?
Eating - it sounds daft, but we had to eat so often that it became a bit of a chore. We also found it hard to get much variety, being limited as to what we could carry on the bikes, and because the hotels and pubs were often serving limited menus due to COVID.
And the weather - we were unfortunate enough to set off on the first day of rain for a long time, and we barely had a day without a downpour for the first month. On some days, we’d be constantly putting on layers, only to have to stop to take them off again a few minutes later - it made it pretty slow-going. Then there was the wind - we experienced three or four big storms on the journey, and whilst we were often able to take another rest day and make it up, we had some incredibly strong headwinds and sidewinds. They were exhausting, and at times, pretty frightening on a bike.
What were your most memorable moments?
I have quite a few:
- Sitting at the top of Malham Cove watching the sunrise. Paul and I were the only people there. It was magical and I'll never forget the feeling of being sat on the clifftop, staring out over the valley as the sun came up. I could have sat there, just the two of us, all day.
- Seeing the Northern lights, a bucket list dream, on the eve of my birthday. I will feel eternally fortunate to have seen the beautiful ‘Mirrie Dancers’ from our amazing glamping wigwam hut
- Cycling to Cape Wrath at the very northern end of Britain. A cycling experience like no other!
- Pedalling over the Brecon Beacons in the rain, and Paul and I being the only two souls up there (apart from some curious sheep). It was breathtakingly beautiful, especially as the sun came out as reached the summit
- Getting to spend some time with my dad at the first rest stop. I hadn’t seen him all the way through lockdown and missed him so much
- The many moments of kindness from strangers and some of the wonderful people we met along the way.
And your lowest point on the journey?
This was possibly on day 2, haha. We still had a lot to learn about how far to cycle and how long it would take us. We arrived at our destination at 10pm in the pitch black and pouring rain. While I struggled to put the tent up, Paul held his phone up so I could see what I was doing. I'm thankful to say that we didn't carry on how we started!
What would you do differently next time?
Pack less. The added weight on the bike definitely made things more challenging. It's safe to say we have very strong legs for it, but less weight would have made life a little easier. I’ll be much more ruthless with what goes into the bags next time around.
What advice would you give to anyone who wanted to take on a challenge such as this?
Absolutely go for it! Be bold, be curious and have the courage to start. Be honest about why, listen to your body, be prepared to be flexible, and most of all enjoy the journey. Choose your own route and go at your own speed. Other than that, start local and pick a part of the country that appeals to you. Break the challenge down into smaller chunks: towns; villages; miles per day, or the overall goal can feel overwhelming. I'm confident that you wont regret setting off.
Do you think it was any different being a woman taking on the challenge?
It never actually crossed my mind. I guess I never think I can’t do something that a man can do. If Paul says he’s going to do something, I want to do it too (and better)!
Now that you’ve done such a big ride, do you feel any different as a cyclist?
I'm not sure I feel any different as a cyclist. I do, however, have a reinforced appreciation for the humble bicycle. It still amazes me how much more you get out of a journey by bike than by car; so much more detail, more wildlife, more freedom, more food (haha), more views. There is just something rather perfect about being on the road with two wheels. I think Ernest Hemingway sums it up nicely:
“ It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best. Since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through, as you can gain by riding a bicycle”
Pictures of Lou in action, or chillin’ in between all the hard work!
