Umbudum

The Cantii Way finally launched today. I had the great fun of trying it out a few weeks back and I can tell you it’s an absolute delight. There’s a little film of my day out in Kent over on my YouTube channel if you fancy a taste of what’s in store.

Link 👆

We joined our friends at Cycling UK for the launch of the West Kernow Way, a new 240km off-road bikepacking route and thought we’d ride it straight off. We kept a Vlog of the ride and it’s dropping onto YouTube in 3 parts. Watch and ride !

Loved being the first off around this route and writing a feature for Gravel Union. Stohk

Kernow Calling – Gravel Union When CyclingUK announced they were launching a new long-distance gravel bikepacking route that practically went past the front door of their brewery,...

Stretching the legs on top of the world.

gravel diaries >> 004
>>taking the rough with the smooth

>>There’s no rough without smooth I guess. Ain’t no sunshine without rain. That’s another. And when all these things combine, what have you got? Hello UK Gravel riding.
>>With rain forecast all day, and a strengthening headwind we set off to the south to pay a visit to our local gravel garden. You can’t be choosy around here. Oxfordshire is blessed with many things but amazing gravel trails are few and far between, and so it was to the south we headed. The sun was out and I took a gamble to leave the rain jacket at home. It’s a mainly flat draggy ride to the Ridgeway through the villages of Appleton and the outskirts of Didcot, but there’s one stretch just after Fulscott where the sun was shining and the tarmac was glassy smooth - it could have been the South of France. Oh for those smooth French roads. Back in reality, we dodged the potholes of South Moreton and then swung to the south and onwards through Aston Upthorpe. You pretty much head directly due South all the way to the top of the Ridgeway. But whilst the compass pointed straight down, the gradient pointed straight up as we approached the base of the climb.
>>As soon as you cross the main road you’re onto the first Restricted Byway - a steep farm track that quickly turns to gravel. On the way to the top you get the full pick ’n’ mix. Pools of clay-like mud where the laws of friction do not apply, and off-camber chalk where you’re on the limit of grip. You keep going pushing up, through nettle strips and water-filled Landrover tracks that are unsuspecting bicycle traps. There’s no easy route to the top of the Ridgeway from this side. But when you get there you are rewarded with some freshly honed gravel sections and long flowing downhill sections. All the way into Goring and the wonderful cafe Pierreponts. Coffee or cake? Rain or shine? Rough or smooth? >>You can’t have one without the other.

Four weeks more to perfect your moves folks! I am gonna need them 🤪

gravel diaries >> 003

Parcours

I should have known better. ‘Half of it looks pretty flat - should be some easy miles’ I said. Says here ‘it’s an a 3.5 out of 5’.

We set out in the rainy mizzle towards Glastonbury Tor to ride just over 100km of tracks and trails around Somerset on Sunday with our friends . We never saw the tor through the cloud and rain but the route didn’t disappoint and dished out everything on the menu.

Jagged rock gardens pummelling your arms, gnarly roots waiting to catch you out, bends that disappeared before you could grab the brakes, ruts that kept getting deeper until you could go no further, deep pools of mud soup, sinking sands where only fools would venture, swarms of horse flies waiting for their next meal, deep gorges to sap the remaining strength from your legs, and the famous Mendips hills lining up to challenge all-comers.

There’s no such thing as a 3.5 out of 5 ride.

We do not ride a number.

We ride the parcours.

gravel diaries >> 002

So what makes for a good ride?
Leisurely start, chilled coffee stop? Yeah sure.

But what makes a truly epic ride? Well that would be walking up with the sparrows, strong coffee, two breakfasts, cinnamon danish, a bit of biblical weather to boot, a burger van for some epic fries at the end, and perfectly chilled post ride beers straight to hand. We’ve had a few of those recently. And the best bit? We’re only just getting started.

Gravel Diaries 001

I had been thinking about doing some ‘gravel diaries’ to combine some of the best shots from recent adventures and some stories of the day. And then before I even got going feckin’ Instagram have pulled carousels. Harumph. No doubt all part of some evil Facebook ploy.

So instead I am going to have to do it one picture at a time.

The Forest of Bowland is a place I had neither heard of nor ever visited. I didn’t even know where it was until last week. If you imagine wide expanses of deserted moorland, wild winds, rugged fells, relentless hills, and rock garden trails you’ll be getting close. Oh and no Forest. At Ieast I didn’t see one. It’s pretty special and contains both the Pennine Way and the Salter Fell Way too. If you don’t know where it is. Look it up - it’s well worth the trip.

As for my gravel diaries. One picture and one story at a time I guess. This one is of on one of the most amazing sections of our recent ride across the Salter Fell. You can’t tell but he was blowing round like a kite. Totally wild. Totally amazing.

Surrey Hills yesterday was up there in the epic category. What a day.

Riding the rolling hills on the way to Goring and Streatley was a real treat today.

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