Go East - What, THREE words? Bonus beers in London 🍻

[mikeIow]

Well, my pal and I have a plan for a wee cycle-camping adventure in a couple of weeks 😎

A Monday to Friday jaunt from Weston-super-Mare, join some of the Kennet & Avon, get to Reading then head north to a pal who lives in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell.
Could be based around places with three word names 😜

An old work pal who moved to Australia over 10 years ago is in London for beers on Thursday, so we have a short day, then we can all head in on the train 🍻
Friday will be mild hangover time plus getting a train back to Bristol & a short 20m ride back to his, where the jaunt will end 🙏
Should be considerably less hilly than last years daft bimble around Barnstaple (see link in signature) 🤞

The fact that a 35m ride on Friday is probably the first ride I’ve done this year shouldn’t be taken as a sign I am not committed…..I walked round the Isle of Wight with another pal 2 weeks ago, so my focus this year was walking 🤪

Time to get kit together and check campsites aren’t full…..wonder what the *cough* ‘wild camping’ possibilities might be like if we fail to get booked in 🫣

 

[T4tomo]

Could be based around places with three word names

Bradford on Avon, Henley on Thame, Royal Wooton Bassett

 

[mjr]

Royal Wooton Bassett

aka Real Wooden Basket when autocorrect became common and less good.

 

[mikeIow]

Getting slightly nervous at the forecast for next week….hot hot hot 🫣
Remembered I had this “towel” in a cupboard, which might help.

Wondering whether it might work to sleep without the tent 🤣
On the one hand, I need to make the bike as light as possible.
On the other, I now have a GoPro, so have added a bar extension to get it over the bar-bag 🤦‍♂️

I could be in trouble 🤣

 

[mikeIow]

The maps are printed; a final shakedown 25 mile ride done 😎

What am I saying: I’ve barely touched my bike all year, it’s a miracle it hadn’t rusted up 🤣
All systems go from Monday 🤞

 

[ianrauk]

Not much better then a tour with beer involved.

 

[mikeIow]

Well, day one was near perfect!
Bit blustery (in our face), but a very pleasant ride to Bristol, nice lazy lunch at FED by the docks, & a great cycle route ont he railway to our campsite.

Met a fascinating older couple from New Zealand who have travelled the world, & are now 6 weeks into a “round Britain” tour, using paper maps, with minimal tech!
First beers in 💪

Bit of an issue with my Wahoo: wouldn’t accept routes, & then died after an hour, despite being fully charged 🤦‍♂️

Anyone know how to transfer maps to the cycle.travel from plans on cycle.travel?

 

[mikeIow]

I guess not!
Today took us along the Kennet and Avon for a long time: very bumpy gravel towpath: my backside is not thanking me: we were grateful for any tarmac bits 🤣
The Caen Hill Locks were very cool, even if we were pedalling up all TWENTY-NINE of them 🤪

 

[mikeIow]

Moving maps in the app: crazy simple: click ‘routes’, & there they all are 🤦‍♂️

W3W, Day 3: the big finale 😎
A super hot day, & chunky (for us) at around 96km 😵‍💫

Woke up early, with a strong wind that was clearly going to be in our face. All day. What happened to prevailing south westerlies?

Started with a run along the Kennet & Avon….but the path was sketchy, really narrow in parts with a distinct camber that said “go on, you know you want to swim and wash the bike” 🫣

We changed tack, & took more of a road-based route. Well, you’ve got to make dynamic changes when the conditions dictate 🤓

After knocking off some distance, we paused in Hungerford at a French cafe, for coffee and pastries. Nom nom nom!

Then on to Newbury, where we took more canal side rides, but the paths were wider.

Several times found ourselves overtaking a German lady with loaded panniers on her e-bike. With German efficiency, when asked where she was going, she replied “Germany….but today, Windsor” 💪

Nice lunch at a small riverside cafe, then a run on towards Reading.

Comedy moment was coming up to a big Land Rover crawling at walking speed down a narrow lane. I cycled to his right to ask if we could pass….then realised an elderly man was walking in front, with headphones on, like some kind of red light chaperone from the 1920s 🤣
I nodded to the driver, went back round the other side, & scared the bejesus out of the bloke, who then got a much bigger scare realising there was a big SUV 3’ behind him 🤣

A surprisingly easy route up through Reading, then a welcome stop at Warings, a fabulously air-conditioned bakery for an iced latte and even more water 🙏

With 10 miles to go, I suddenly noticed a change in feel of the bike, & found I had a rear puncture 😱
My first in years 🤦‍♂️
We sought divine help in a nearby graveyard, where I slowly fixed it.

The last 10 miles were a hot drag…..a really hot hilly drag…..but luckily we found solace and cider at a pub close to the campsite, where a mate met us to laugh as we made camp, showered, & headed for a drink and some food….with a seat in front of a TV to gnaw on nails through the inevitable result 🫣

Off on train to the City today for a bit of a work reunion, but the bike ride is broadly done. Lotta laffs 🙏