DIY Belgium orbital done! 1040km and 58 hours in the saddle. My knees now hate me. 🤘 #bikepacking #gravelrides

As is tradition, two foot of gaffer tape has been carefully wrapped around my seat tube in case of an emergency! Now, next stop Dunkirk tomorrow morning. #bikepacking #gravelrides

3 days until my next bikepacking adventure... I really can't wait. I've spent my lunch looking at previous trips and found a photo of the evening we had to walk 8km across peat bog to get to the Crask Inn. I was so knackered that I trailed far behind the husband.. but the view speaks for itself! ❤️

So, weirdness today with a certain language app. Just been recommended I team up with a colleague here in my office. Not a problem, but they are not one of my contacts, we're not connected on social media, never interacted in any way over mobile. But on further investigation....

That's two weeks worth of kit loaded onto my trusty Condor, ready for 800km of Belgian trails. Now, fingers crossed for a lot of waffle stops en route!

My lord, I’ve been a London cyclist for almost 30 years and never see it so gridlocked. Huge queue of bikes trying to get through Parliament Sq tonight… backed up over the Westminster Bridge! 🫣

Them: AI will take over the world and destroy civilisation as we know it! Me: AI, review this GPX file and take sample every 10km that includes all coffee shops, grocery stores and bike shops that fall within a 2km radius of the route. Please return a list of names, type and long/lat. AI:

With Spain on hold till spring, this morning has been a lot of planning. We've now got a 850km loop of Belgium with a bit of France & Germany thrown in. While I am gutted not to be in Spain, sleeping out on the High Fens again is going to be amazing. Hopefully it won't be -4c and snowing this time!

Alas, the news came this week that my gravel bike won't be ready in time for the Spanish trails. So, rather than cancel the leave, I'm going to do an orbital route around Belgium on the road bike instead. Fingers crossed I can pack a tent and 11 days of kit on it! Gutted, by safety comes first.

New albums by Chicks on Speed and Ladytron have dropped. Am I ready for the Electroclash revival? Hold my craft beer!!! 😂

120km turbo session before breakfast… and now I’m dead. 😝

There's a sweet-spot when you leave the nagging of your parents behind and enjoy that quiet hiatus that's known as your 30s and 40s. I'm now passed that and now being nagged daily by NHS invites for various tests and screenings! Come on, let me cling on to my youth a tiny bit longer.....

So Paris over the weekend... I had an absolute blast. 65km on a hire bike (with added pump track), walking down abandoned railway lines, watching the Olympic Balloon rise over Tuileries... honestly, I fell in love with a city that I really hated 20+ years ago. I need to go back and explore more. 🤘

Heading to Paris tomorrow for a long weekend and I've already logged into Komoot to see what is possible on a Velib!

Home after an epic 48 hours of gravel riding on the ridgeway and slightly sketchier, the Kennet canal! That was an awesome way to road test new kit. Now, bed! 🤟 strava.app.link/5Y8Dg9kdJVb

First night out in the new tents, and oh man, worth every penny. Slept with the door open all night and still toasty and warm! Now, coffee and a 100km ride to get home.

Day 1 of my Wessex Downs overnighter done! 85km across the Ridgeway. Next where to pitch up for the night?!?

So bit of a controversial topic but cycle helmets in Spain. I’m reading they are mandatory but not strictly enforced. Any of my followers had problems? I’ll be off-road for most of my trip.

So my route for Spain is done! I just need to add in fountains, food stops and where I'm going to cough up a lung! Honestly, I am getting really excited now. #gravelrides #bikepacking www.komoot.com/collection/3...

More planning for the Spain trip done today and really, I don't have a clue what to expect. Just trying to decide if I should pack a couple of linen shirts in case it's too hot on the trails! On the plus side, it'll be something to wear on the non-riding days in Pamplona and Bilbao.

BlueSky earlier asked me to verify my age. I spent 20 minutes extolling the virtues of the fax machine. 😂

85km of new trails today, which included this little path down the middle of two reservoirs near Staines. 30 seconds after I took the photo, the heavens opened and it felt more like the Elan Valley mid-rain storm! 🤘 #gravelrides #londongravel

Right, that’s the bike loaded and breakfast laid out ready for the now “traditional” Friday pre-work gravel spin. Three weeks in row… that’s a tradition right?!? 😆

Really lovely pre-work spin around the Richmond Park gravel trails this morning. I've not done it since the pandemic - and I'd forgotten what a lovely way it is to start the day. 🤘

Them: What's it like working in Comms? Me:

I know this is a departure from my #bikepacking bantz, but this was ace dinner... even with salmon fillets. Just got a thumbs up from 'im indoors!! 🤘 www.marionskitchen.com/miso-maple-g...

Almost the weekend - and that means replacing the tubeless set up on the gravel bike. After 8000km, it's time for new tyres. Must remember to open the garage windows this time.

Oh my lord. First rewatch of Run Lola Run in about five years and I’d forgotten how amazing it is. Didn’t move for the whole film. Plus, a young Moritz Bleibtreu ❤️ youtu.be/k_B1ZIHMDSc?...

Thank you Strava, I’m in Wales rather than cycling in London. The only challenging climb at home is the Chiswick Flyover but don’t tell the rozzers. 😂

I've been thinking a lot the last few days about @timcyclesthecoast.bsky.social and how his posts influenced my own love of bikepacking and long distance cycling. I miss your posts Tim, but you'll always be with me on these amazing adventures. ❤️

12 hours, 100km and over 2700m of climbing. As days out on the gravel go, that was fucking brutal. And I loved every minute of it! 🤘

The neighbours have popped round for coffee.

Yesterday was a bit of a legbreaker day with 90km and over 2000m of climbs through forests, slatemines and costal paths. My heart was bursting with joy. #gravelrides

After a day on the road yesterday, we reached our little chapel in the valley. We’ve got a week to explore the trails and just unwind. 🤘

90km gravel spin yesterday with a bit of a stuck disc brake calliper. Legs hurt like hell today. Worth it though! #gravelrides

Right... that's our Spain #bikepacking adventure booked and now I need to plan 12 days in the Basque mountains. My legs already hurt. 😂

Did a hard session on Zwift's Climb Portal last night... and I've just discovered it's close to where I'm planning to ride in the autumn. Time to re-reroute and do that climb for real. Just look at that lake, tis begging for my tent to be next to it! climbfinder.com/en/climbs/la...

Right, that’s a 70km gravel loop of North London and then back to west via the Union planned for the morning… better put myself to bed! 🤘

Lovely Easter Sunday spin up to Broxbourne yesterday… and some new favourite gravel tracks.

My little slice of heaven in Surrey! I’ll never get tired of these trails. 🤘 #gravelrides #ukgravel

I love my job... I never know what I'm up to next. A day of writing chatGPT prompts and then bios for the characters! www.rethink.org/news-and-sto...

Them: AI is going to take over the world!! Me: Oh look, cute GenAI toy meme....

Oh hell yeah! Zwift releases virtual Hell of the North. Can’t wait to get out on the cobbles.

Not sure how vigorously I’ve just been cleaning the bike but my Whoop thinks I’ve just done an hour cycle commute! 😂

If you have have 30 mites, this short video from Martijn is really lovely! This is what #bikepacking is all about; slowing it down, enjoying the ride and taking in the scenery. I can't wait to hit Spain later this summer... though I might need to get a wee dog! www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecEb...

Lunch hour spent setting up Google Sheets for our Autumn adventure. This is where I start to feel a bit nervous... I need to fill in those blanks! #bikepacking #gravelrides

Just been watching #bikepacking videos taken in the Basque mountains of Spain… beautiful and absolutely fucking terrifying. I need to book my tickets.

The husband and I are going to a wedding in a few months and we've been asked to send in our favourite discoteque track. Matthew has requested this for me! Poor guests won’t know what’s hit them. 😂 youtu.be/H1Vt-qdS8FE?...

Really love these installations that have appeared by the Serpentine Gallery. Kintsugi for storm battered trees and nesting boulders! ❤️

Lunchtime planning - just a short 900km bikepacking trip across northern Spain, starting at Bilbao and taking in San Sabastian, Logronof, Vitoria-Gasteiz and back to Bilbao. 900km and 18,000 meters of climbs. Yeah, that'll do. 🤘 #bikepacking #gravelrides #gravelbikes