For the last couple of years I’ve spent the last two weeks of May cycle touring. South Foreland Lighthouse near Dover to Cape Wrath Lighthouse, NW Scotland (plus a bit more) in 2024. The West of Ireland and signature discovery points of the Wild Atlantic Way in 2025.
Chatting with an old friend yesterday about possibilities for 2026. Back in 2012 we set out to ride the North Sea Cycle Route (NSCR) in stages as and when time allowed. We made a good start. In England we followed the route the from Dover to Newcastle. In Europe we covered from Dunkirk through Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany up to near the Danish boarder. There were a few gaps along the way but it was mostly done. Good times that I look back on with happy memories.
I have continued to ride regularly whereas my friend cut down on the miles he was putting in drastically. I joke with him that nowadays he’s more into buying expensive bikes and then not riding them much. Having paid out thousands on carbon and now more recently a lovely looking titanium gravel bike he’s mentioned from time to time wanting to ride some more sections of the NCSR with me.
I’ve been reluctant to agree. Our idea of a good days ride is now vastly different. I like to do 150k - 200k a day. He’s more 50k - 100k. The time taken would be about the same. It wouldn’t work for either of us.
Well yesterday he was talking about getting “match fit” to ride 120k a day and suggested riding the NSCR route in Scandinavia. I won’t use air travel so have to think a bit more about getting to and from start and finish points.
I’d been mulling over getting a train to somewhere in southern Europe then riding back.
Back in 2016 I went with my bike on a ferry from Plymouth to Santanda, rode through Spain to a place just south of Porto, Portugal for a wedding before riding back to Santanda again. That was about 600k each way.
My friends got a holiday home near Lourinha, about 90k from Lisbon, Portugal. To his place from Santanda is around 700k. The seed of an idea was sown.
Thinking more about it today, looking at maps and searching up travel information. I now have a plan. I shall get a ferry to France. Ride to Paris. Pack my bike in a bag. Travel by train from Paris to Lisbon via Barcelona.
Starting from home in Medway I think the journey out will take a 2- 3 days. Get myself up to my friends place. Stay there for a couple of days and then ride back to Calais. Preliminary plan is a 2200k ride. I can do that in 11 days. All in I reckon I can complete the whole journey there and back in just over two weeks.
Feeling excited about it already. 9 months till May. Plenty of time for planning, keeping up the base miles and sorting out logistics. It’s gonna’ be great.