So last May I walked around the Isle of Wight for my chosen charity Crohn's and Colitis UK. At the time I both enjoyed it and struggled to find the enthusiasm to keep my feet moving. But as the time has worn on, I've felt enthused to have another stab at a long walk.
This time I decided to walk from Salisbury Cathedral to Winchester Cathedral for the same cause, most of this was along the Clarendon Way which was about 26 miles. This is quite a common walk to do for fundraising but I was keen not to join a herd but to do it with just a couple of close friends. It's also usual to walk from Winchester but again, I preferred to go the other way for logistical purposes.
At Salisbury Cathedral at 9:15am
Leaving Salisbury
On a rest break with my friends
We met at Winchester Cathedral where we left one car then drove to Salisbury and it was a mile's walk or so just to get to the Cathedral. From there we followed the Clarendon Way markers and enjoyed the sunshine which stayed out the whole way but became a little hot at times.
Roughly at the halfway point
Found a few caches along the way!
Time for another quick rest of the legs!
Funnily enough whilst I can eat and eat when sat down doing relatively little, whilst out walking I very rarely want to eat at all; drink maybe, but not eat! We stopped a couple of times to get a sandwich or small snack from a corner shop but never had a sit down meal.
One of the most picturesque parts of the walk
A rare sight: mud! Shame this was on the bit we didn't need to do!
9:35pm - Winchester Cathedral!
The journey got harder and harder as we became more weary, and especially when we followed the wrong marker and ended up going round in an unnecessary loop. Arriving at a junction and being able to say "I've been here before" bring about that sinking feeling. Still, we persevered and towards the end we were grateful that it was all downhill from Crabwood into Winchester city centre. It took us 12 hours and 20 minutes to complete the walk. We started at 9:15am at Salisbury Cathedral and we got to Winchester Cathedral at 9:35pm. I had a painful left leg for a few days and blisters on both feet but it was worth it for being able to raise over £500 (+ gift aid!) for Crohn's and Colitis UK! Not too late to sponsor me through JustGiving!
I've had my share of bikes during my life so far, but I've either outgrown or neglected them for too long. I have a poor excuse for a bike in Wales that probably needs recycling (no pun intended) because of years of neglect. Whilst I can't see myself riding that one any more, I did get a new bike a few months back, a lovely Muddyfox Country 26" dual suspension mountain bike in what I thought was this shade of bright green:
It's not; it's a sort of shiny olive green but it's still pretty nice. My first green bike. The first time I've ever had to assemble a bike too. Hmm, might want to take advantage of one of those bike services Halfords do to make sure your bike is actually safe...
So the purpose of this blog entry is to begin a journey of renewed determination to keep a bike loved and used for more than just a few months. I am pretty crap on a bike, to be honest. I am slow, uncoordinated and clumsy. And I have no stamina. The first sign of a hill and I'm off pushing it whilst sweating profusely and gasping for air. I am not a very good cyclist... yet.
Really, what I'm aspiring towards is a tenth of the skill of Danny MacAskill. His mountain biking videos are awe-inspiring and I love watching them. My favourite is The Ridge, a challenge he completed in his home country of Scotland in the bleak Cuillin Mountains on the Isle of Skye. Talk about Skye Ride!
So yes, if I can be a confident, safe, and ever so slightly adventurous mountain biker, I will be happy in my progress. I think I will leave road biking well alone; it's controversial but I'd rather see cyclists on the pavement than the road, and I'm speaking from the perspective of a cyclist, a motorist and a pedestrian.
South Downs Way
So, here at the start of my journey I'm going to review and comment upon a few of the extra accessories I've already bought for my bike:
Lights: I'm not entirely sure why I have bought such crap lights to be honest. I think it was the appealing nature of not needing batteries but the faff I had trying to get the magnets to line up properly on my spokes. I don't cycle at night, and something's probably wrong if I'm still out when the sun is setting but I figured that you never know when you will need them. These were from Decathlon.
Pump: Again, a safety thing. I felt a pump would be a useful addition to the bike and decided to mount it to the down tube instead of a bottle holder or bike lock. Ideally, I won't need to use this too often!
Action camera: I had a cheap old one that I used to mount to my helmet with limited success. Thought I'd try it on the handlebars but it's just not a very good camera. I'm going to wait until I can get my hands on a Garmin VIRB or, better still, VIRB X! (Three totally shameless Garmin plugs coming right up!):
eTrex 20 holder: Essential equipment for me, and only cost a couple of pounds. Most of the time, when I'm out on my bike, I'm looking for geocaches. What else? So, having my Garmin eTrex there in front of me on the handlebars is soooo handy and much better than wearing it around my neck whilst cycling. Recommended for any bikacher, even if it is a bit fiddly!
Mud guards: Came back from a muddy ride wishing I'd had these installed so bought some Muddyfox ones from sportsdirect.com - knew they had to fit a Muddyfox bike! Undecided about how best to fit the front one for a while but chose this way in the end to best protect from mud, as intended!
Saris Bones Solo Bike Rack: I was really struggling to track down a good bike rack for one bike. I don't have a big car, the money to throw at a roof rack or a rear tow bar so my options were limited. I spoke with the helpful people who work at Cycle Experience and was recommended the Saris Bones Solo. It was cheap yet looked easy to install and effective. I'm always frightened I haven't fitted my bike properly and it will come off and kill someone so I take ages tightening the straps and making sure the bike itself is secure. It's a bit of a pain because the rear suspension and wide top tube make it slightly the wrong shape to fit as securely as I would like and then I become paranoid. Advice for bike racks gratefully received!!
Clothing: I get it - as a wannabe mountain biker I should be wearing mountain biker clothing. I must have some cyclocross blood in me though because I'd rather be out in road gear and I don't care how uncouth this makes me.
So that's my starter kit fixed. I'm planning to get some action filming done once I've got a VIRB. Maybe I'll get an action shot of me flying over the handlebars - I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet! Until then, my bike will solely continue to be my alternative mode of transport for caching, and that's the outdoor pursuit I will probably always pursue most!
(I'm not a true mountain biker, and I doubt I ever will be. I can't tick most of the boxes in the video below!) Nope, I am a proud "bikacher" and I welcome advice and anecdotes from other geocachers who cache by bike. :)
