PTW

I've just completed a 240 mile solo cycle camping tour to darkest England. It was for a party 200 miles away, so I thought why not cycle there?

First day: 100 miles
Route: Swansea - Hirwaun - Cynon Trail to Abercynon [NCN478] - briefly Taff Trail [NCN8] - Hengoed Trail to Newport [NCN47] - Newport Wetlands then over Old Severn Bridge [NCN4] - campsite at Hortham Farm north of Bristol
Highpoints: The Cynon Trail is amazing, and in fact all the trails are pretty good. Newport Wetlands is good for group riding.
Lowpoints: Missing one sign in Abercynon and getting turned around, and doing an extra 7 miles. Why oh why can't NCN signs say something like 'Eastbound' or 'Westbound' on them?

Second day: 80 miles
Route: Hortham - Bristol - A37 then Radstock Greenway - NCN24 to Longleat - NCN25 to Maiden Bradley - Monkton Deverill - Mere - Shaftesbury - Tollard Royal - campsite at Church Farm in Sixpenny Handley, Dorset.
Highpoints: Riding through Longleat without paying. Tollard Royal - the cutest village.
Lowpoints: Hills, especially Shaftesbury and Cann Common right at the end. Although shorter, it was a harder day in the saddle. The A37 was also rather tedious, and it was a relief to get off it.

Last two days: 60 miles
Route: Sixpenny Handley to party. Next day Broadstone - Wareham - Dorchester. Train home.
Highpoints: Wareham, and all the cyclists out on Sunday soaking up the country lanes.
Lowpoints: Having to ride flat out to make the train. Heavy bike, headwind and hills make for v e r y s l o w p r o g r e s s.

Glad I had: a four man tent. I could fit everything inside it overnight, including the bike.
Next time I would take: a proper campbed. Comfort level sleeping on grass was zilch.

Thanks for reading.

Nice one Bill. I've always said that perhaps my best few days on the bike wasn't during LEJOG or PBP but when I did a solo three-day tour in 2006 from home to Middlesbrough (to see Mam) with the last day going through the Yorkshire Dales. I think I went in August and the weather was kind. I loved it!

Mind you, I had it easier than you as my two overnight stops were in B&B's.

I still have a vague plan to do the Pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela but I need to overcome my canvasitis nervosa (fear of tents).

Well, of course I would like to wild camp, but I've read it's banned both in the Gower and the Brecon Beacons. Really? If caught you get a £60 spot fine. The ban has nothing to do with cyclists, ironically, more to do with parties leaving rubbish.

The downside with campsites is they only really want customers who arrive during the day, and stay all week. I can understand that, but it isn't helpful. Certainly during high season many will not take a booking for just one night over a weekend. The Bristol site said 'no arrivals on first day after 6pm'. I got there at 8:10pm, no-one in the office, and the phone line going to answerphone. Fortunately they had left me a (perfectly wonderful) set of instructions in an outdoor cupboard. Thank you.

The upside to campsites is that they all have showers, which I guess is better than the old method of just spitting on a flannel.

I want to try this one day.
I did an overnight stay in a campsite in Wells last week on my way cycling to Glastonbury Festival. It was my first time with panniers and a tent. It's surprising how much difference the extra weight makes to your average speed but it's nice to go a bit slower sometimes and take in the scenery when it's somehwere new.

Airbnb could be an alternative to camping.

How was Glasto? My train on the Sunday travelled through crowds of prople leaving it. The ticket inspectors had been on it twice that day

I only really noticed the weight when I started trying to go (too) quickly. My bike is heavy to begin with. It's 14kg even before you add on the D-lock and side-stand. The tent and panniers, water, food, probably add another 15kg. Certainly you think twice before lifting the rear wheel. Anyway, compare it to this guy:

It was one of the best yet.

I've done it with a trailer before and it's not worth the extra weight for what you can actually fit into the trailer. Panniers are better. That photo is rather extreme, would need legs like tree trunks.

Have you clocked the machete?

He must be familiar with Bridgend on a Saturday night