Well, it’s only taken me half a year to get this up. By the time I wrote most of this, I was doing my third 10 day isolation in 10 months. Don’t feel too sorry for me – two of those were post-travelling abroad having gone to see family in Denmark, still… that’s more than … More King Alfred’s Way: British touring in COVID times (02/04/21-05/04/21 & 31/05/21-01/06/21)
Amongst many other cancelled plans for 2020, I’d hoped to ride the Torino-Nice Rally in early September. Of course, that was postponed until next year way back in spring. For much of the year, it looked like any holidays would be impossible, but in late summer we did get a little respite from COVID-restrictions and … More The Cairngorms Loop: Pandemic respite in the Scottish Highlands (29/08/20-04/09/20)
Oman has been on my radar for some time – ever since I was cycling in the Middle East, back in 2015. As I rode across Iran that summer, it started to seem more and more likely that I wouldn’t be able to get a visa for Turkmenistan. It’s a country that has always had … More Oman: The Jebel Shams Circle (22/02/19-27-02/19)
Scotland inspired me to try and explore some more of the UK off-road, so I collected a list of mountain bike routes that had enough mileage for a long-weekend this summer. Although I did a couple of weekenders along both the South Downs Way and the North Downs Way, I never found the time to … More Lake District: An Off-Road Lakeland Loop (16/11/18-19/11/18)
On the second half of the trail I passed a few places I visited on my last ride down through Scotland. The first of these places was Kylesku Bridge, which crosses Loch Cainbawn. I’d been coming down the coastal rode last time but then changed my mind and followed the main road to Lochinver, rather … More Highland Trail 550: Part 2 (23/08/18-29/08/18)
I first heard about the Highland Trail 550 in Utah, of all places. Last summer I was cycling along a lonely dead-end road in the American desert when a car pulled over. The driver hopped out and asked me if I fancied a cold bottle of water. When it is 40C and there is no … More Highland Trail 550: Part 1 (18/08/18-23/08/18)
Today, 16th January 2018, is exactly three years since I left London on my bicycle and it is also precisely one month since I arrived home. Feels like an appropriate date for the last blog on my cycle around the world… After one year cycling I wrote a blog summarising my time on the road … More Around The World By Bicycle: Afterthoughts (16/01/15-17/12/17)
The border crossing between Scotland and England might just win the award for least dramatic of my entire trip, with just a pathetic little sign outside a pub to welcome me and my bike into England. There might not have been any party poppers at the border but that didn’t mean it wasn’t exciting for … More England: The Finish Line (Carlisle to London 04/12/17-17/12/17)
I am getting a bit bored of the ice and snow. I did not expect Britain to be quite so slippery in November… Still, all the ice doesn’t doesn’t half make everything look gorgeous. Scotland is beautiful anyway but with the extra sprinkle of white it is simply magical to cycle. The coastal areas were … More Scotland Part 2: Stranded on Skye (Kinlochewe to Carlisle 24/11/17-04/12/17)
When you get out the airport in Edinburgh there’s a big Bank of Scotland sign that says ‘There’s no place like home’. Too bloody right. Home sweet home. Of course, Scotland is not home for me but it is still Britain and Edinburgh is a … More Scotland Part 1: The Snowy Highlands (Wick to Kinclochewe 13/11/17-23/11/17)
JKB's Bike Ride 