Ramblin' Dan: Bike Touring Adventures

UK Day 15: 0 Miles

London, England

For my final day in London, I tried to check off most of the tourist attractions on my list. It was a busy day, but I managed to see a lot. A great way to cap off this UK trip.

I got a great night of sleep on the train last night. I was worried I’d get to London feeling like I had taken a red-eye, but I was well rested and ready to start the day when the train arrived at 8:00 a.m.

UK Day 13: 0 Miles

Inverness, Scotland to London, England

No more cycling on this trip, so I enjoyed a day off in Inverness. I had a tour of Loch Ness scheduled to leave at 9:15 a.m., so I grabbed a quick breakfast before heading to the meeting point.

UK Day 12: 37 Miles

Aviemore, Scotland to Inverness, Scotland

The final day of riding was also the coldest and rainiest, but it was only 37 miles to Inverness. I refused to end the trip on a train and was fully committed to crossing the finish line in a downpour if necessary.

UK Day 11: 14 Miles

Aberfeldy, Scotland to Aviemore, Scotland

Just a short 14 mile ride today. My end point of Aviemore was 75 miles from Aberfeldy and I knew I’d break the trip up with a train ride at some point. There were a few options, but I ultimately opted for the closest in Pitlochry.

UK Day 10: 45 Miles

Callander, Scotland to Aberfeldy, Scotland

Today was probably my favorite day of riding, even if it was the slowest. I covered 45 miles from Callander to Aberfeldy, mostly on bike paths. The paths varied in surface quality and paving, which slowed me down at times, but I had loch views for almost the entire day.

UK Day 9: 16 Miles

Glasgow, Scotland to Callander, Scotland

Today was just a wee ride. Only 16 miles from Stirling to Callander. From my experience it can often be difficult to get out of a large city on a bicycle. Given my hotel was right next to the train I decided to go 1 stop from Glasgow to Stirling before beginning my route.

UK Day 8: 0 Miles

Carlisle, England to Glasgow, Scotland

Today was a well earned rest day after covering 260 miles and 12,000 feet of elevation while riding five of the last six days. My hotel in Carlisle was conveniently located right across from the train station, where I boarded a 10:00 a.m. train to Glasgow.

UK Day 7: 50 Miles

Kendall, England to Carlisle, England

If there was a single day of riding I had been looking forward to most, today was it. I knew I’d get some amazing scenery riding through the Lake District National Park.

UK Day 6: 42 Miles

Chorley, England to Kendal, England

Today’s ride was more urban at the start as I worked my way through the towns of Chorley and Preston. Thankfully, the cycleways made it easy to avoid much of the congestion. However, one curious delivery driver decided to slow down next to me on a busy road and ask about my trip, holding up a line of traffic in the process.

UK Day 5: 57 Miles

Nantwich, England to Chorley, England

I had an enjoyable night in Nantwich, with highlights including a great Mediterranean restaurant and a craft beer pub. After a good night’s sleep, I started my day with a latte and a pistachio croissant. The plan was to pack up quickly and get on the road.

UK Day 4: 0 Miles

Worcester, England to Nantwich, England

I opted for a 0 mile day today. After covering 110 miles over the last 2 days my legs were feeling tired. The 10% grade climb took more out of me than I had realized yesterday. I’ve also been moving non-stop since I left Denver on Friday and thought a relaxed day would set me up better for success in the upcoming days.

UK Day 3: 63 Miles

Oxford, England to Worcester, England

Today was a gray day, mostly overcast with occasional drizzle. The temperature was cool enough that I didn’t go through much water, but I still wished it were warm enough to skip wearing a jacket. The scenery was similar to yesterday but the rolling hills and small towns I passed through kept things interesting.

UK Day 2: 46 Miles

Windsor, England to Oxford, England

The morning started with complimentary bacon, eggs, and coffee at the Crown and Cushion before heading out of Windsor towards Oxford. I adjusted quickly to the time change and had no trouble getting to sleep last night and waking up at a normal time this morning. I was out on my bike around 9:00 and knew if all went to plan I would get to Oxford right around my 2:00 check in time at the next hotel.

UK Day 1: 2 Miles

Slough, England to Windsor, England

If there were ever a reason to celebrate a two mile bike ride, today was it. Most of my anxiety leading up to this trip was about getting my bike to Heathrow in one piece and assembling it without any issues. I landed around 12:30 PM and had the bike built and on a train to Windsor by 2:00 PM. Things couldn’t have gone more smoothly.