Cycling Through Every County in the UK – Part 2

It’s the middle of summer. Someone just forgot to tell summer. It’s fair to say – this was a struggle.

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BIKES
▶ 2022 Giant TCR Advanced Pro 1
▶ 2002(?!) Airborne Valkyrie

morning gang hope you’re well day three welcome to another video now this is an erratic beginning to the video isn’t it uh yes it’s day three maiden headish taplo really into Wales today i’ve got a slightly sore knee which isn’t a surprise so painkillers are going in um the weather’s beautiful right now out there the forecast says it’s not going to be so yeah um you’ll see Malc in a bit cuz he’s going to join me um he he very graciously let us shower and use the L and stuff last night and this morning so thank you Mal he’s going to ride with us for a little bit uh going try and get rid of the sniffle eat it’s what time is it 5:28 running late already got a tubeless plug to put in as well so I’m noting uh I’ll see you out on the road right back to the start line which is just about the stuff to get ready [Music] oh je that was not scripted oh well good morning on the road uh you don’t mind being on camera do you this is Mal and he’s riding with me for a bit this morning to help me try and take the mind off where I saw me i think today’s quite long i think it’s gone nearly 200 280k today uh there’s 3,200 m of climbing so it’s I say relatively flat it’s still not but it’s going to get more headwind the as the day gets on so try and get some cases in before that hits while it’s beautiful and calm this morning I’ve got every suspicion that that’s going to change later there’s a little hill up and out of uh the south southwest of Henley yeah slipping into the uh 12% it’s nice to actually get warm obviously I’m taking it easy on the hills needs a must save it all for this afternoon i head to Wales i’ve been joined by somebody else you’re happy to be on camera yeah this is Sam he’s come out for to ride for I don’t know how long i don’t know 50ish maybe there you go company it’s amazing it’s a really big thing with company when you do somewhere like this some certain mix of roads at the moment especially from yesterday lots of London and dual carriageways and stuff to this so thank you very much for joining me pleasure there’s a group of three now [Music] home of the car alarm legs have woken up a bit now need to keep eating though not drinking enough either what are we in 53k feeling good [Music] mark’s going back that way he’s I think you’ve gone a little bit further than anticipated but it’s tailwind well lovely to meet you thank you very much for last night that was awesome and uh yeah we’ll see you again we can touch 76k done i can hear movement hello oh so this has been a lot of the morning so far it’s A4 from basically Maiden Head all the way to wherever we don’t i don’t know a long time into a monster wind that’s appearing stronger and stronger well that’s me past 100k for the day that’s miles that’s put me at 8,000 for the year 8,000 km 5,000 mi for the year which is what I did in 2022 fair play mate it’s May that was impressive ouch weather is happening back into familiar territory in Devis kev mate where were you no only kidding just popped in to see if he was here man’s got a man’s got a business to run in her family so yes again if you’re ever in devices come here the best food ever and it’s got loads of excellent alcohol so so get there right on to next stop which I have got no idea where it is right Sam is leaving me absolutely awesome nice work thank you very much for joining me someone to chat to for couple hours it’s amazing um that wind has got a bit better now it’s got a bit hopefully no I’m expecting the worst so if the worst doesn’t happen I’m happier but yeah I’m 122ks in this is great and you’re getting you’re going for a brew going to go for a brew the other day nice git weird side note I was very quickly scrolling through Instagram this morning and I’d spotted I don’t know if it was the same brand in physique but 3D printed yeah 3D printed clean brake that snapped no m not the heaviest rider no i mean look what are you 70 kilos not great is it no cuz they’re not cheap no what an absolute legend he is cheers Sam honestly lovely to have you with me for a couple hours now I need to uh face this headwind alone hopefully avoid some more showers and get to the next stop towards Bath i’m pretty sure obviously yeah no I definitely I’m in Wiltshire devices in Wilshire not enough county border signs need more it’s still Wingfield Saturday night yeah I know it’s wiggle but you know rest stop and I’m properly at the bottom of a hill as well again awesome to have that time with Sam that was cool but yeah we’re just in a pub car park over well next to an old railway line by the way I think so I need to eat nutrition is happening recharged cafe leg straight into a what are we at 10% hill at 7 miles to bath now i have only done 1140 m of climbing so far i have another 2,000 m to do in the second half second half is going to be slow god I’m down at 26.2 km per hour so far uh yeah knees are raking more it’s quite the valley obviously legs are a bit stiff and what have you but no I don’t want to attempt fail i just don’t want the wheels to fall off later i predicted day three would be the day that the wheels really come off the end of today or if not tomorrow tomorrow morning is going to be rank and now we descended to the beautiful beautiful city of Bath which as we know a descent means an ascent probably at some point on the way back out but I love Bath it’s such a gorgeous place can’t really see much here try and show you something at least see now now the brain starts working i remember I chose this cycle path the bath is well set out for cycling i think this cuts a vast amount of the uh frustration of traffic out of it this is cool you know it’s genuinely lovely to see a bike path of a city being used by cyclist this thing literally goes on forever it is epic awesome honestly wonder how close to Bristol this thing goes so I’ve just got off that path which continued i’m in bloody Bristol i’m almost all the way around it it’s huge in fact I’m nearly out of Bristol onwards to maybe Glosture but definitely Glosture when I get over the seven cuz uh chap that way [Music] no I’m not going out today i am crawling at the moment 25.8 kph average also what 16 mph wow that’s only going to go down today it’s the only way to get there let’s get on this gut bridge it’s rather windy up here wow that’s bad jesus woo [Music] that was disgusting i was pushing pushing watts and doing 15ks an hour on the flat point holding a slight downhill bent over to one side uh screaming oh sweet relief that’s cool she had a bit of rain and mix to the wind as well i’ll remember today i’ll remember today wow well I’d love to show you the views i can’t i’m just going along this long straight road just to get to Newport County and then I get to turn around get a bit of a tailwind before the next rest stop i’m 210k in i’ve still got 65 67k to do maybe 70 it’s half 3 already i’m slightly boogered but you know looking forward to a rest stop i’ve got a tailwind but I’ve got to climb that’s fine absolutely fine we’ve got some views now a man these roads these roads it’s just like being back at the Strada a month ago god they’re awful this feels like Honister right now it’s going to go on a while we hit 14% already [Music] ah downpour real downpour my hide it’s like oh it’s times like these when I start questioning my own sanity let’s try and get to that wood over there see if we can get a bit of shelter for a moment just for a moment i really don’t have time to but Oh sorry let’s just crack on are you okay back there how far am I in i think I’ve gone nearly 220k i’ve taken some wrong turns as well despite the sat i think I’ve got 60k left but there’s over 1,000 m of climbing to do still there’s a lot of lot of hills i’m in Wales the beauty of this clothing oh still dry under there top quality shut uh let’s give you a clean times like these huh if it was easy wouldn’t be worth sponsoring would it no speaking of this is a really good time there’s a link in the description be awesome if you could ah let’s go again [ __ ] no can’t swear do not say or booger oh right come on i’ve got hours left but just got to be straight to bed come on back to Cheps back to England then up the win church turn around inland get picked up get warm go to sleep you glorious glorious bastard stay out please try and get me dried off and warm that would be awesome [Applause] okay let’s get this bit done and out the way remember these hills and mind games are playing now but uh you will not have me you will not have me this is what the swing has been for i’m not sure if what you can see there but the seven’s over there again and according to my wahoo just the other side of these properties is offers dyke and uh the wire i’m just shadowing the wire at the moment the beautiful wire valley this is good i’m feeling positive again yeah my legs are still fine it’s weird i look at some views uh legs are still okay i’m still saving as much as I can oh that’s what I was going to say yeah there’s lots of lots of climbing here but it’s none of it’s bad it’s very um very where I live so every time I look down I’ve done another 100 m that’s cool i love that so I just hope it continues in that fashion nothing per hor per terrific i know it was a bit over Simmons yet with an awesome but potentially sketchy descent but we’re just getting them done bit by bit choke them off one by one and then uh yeah we’ll be there genuinely actually feeling good now i felt bloody horrible through 2 three hours ago it’s um it’s a mindset really is a mindset day today [Music] hello i’ve just found out how to check on my Wahoo how far I’ve got to go there’s probably a feature on the other one yeah I got 37K to go so it should be done for sevenish [Music] i think I’ve switched my brain off just breathe in out in out pedal left right left right not far now a rather rather pleasant descent into Monmouth which is nice to know another county collected [Music] oh dear that’s a rain shower coming in hope it’s past me i might have missed that but maybe not countdown’s on less than 10k to go well there’s a dirty shower up there as well napping prepare the dry robe Jacob folks we’re really close and of course just to finish the day little bit of rain 2 minutes out a little bit of rain there you go Scott not done with you yet and ride yeah i think I’ve discovered mind of a matter truly today stats before I go into anything else some diversions and wrong turns have happened today 288.4 km it’s only 25.2 kh but don’t give a monkeys about that i have felt absolutely bloody marvelous since our last stop i don’t understand i just don’t understand um I think my body’s going to hit me in a minute so I think get in the van straight to the campsite book in i’m going to wash my clothes in the shower eat and fall asleep cuz I think my body is just clinging and I don’t know how but it feels good it feels like I’ve done a 20k ride some the wheels haven’t fallen off give it 10 minutes yeah right i’ve got to go i’ll see you at the next part of the same video morning um it’s day four it um day four was already going to be the hardest day it’s 275 km 3,800 m of climbing now the forecast says 40 m an hour winds this afternoon got 70 km an hour winds um headwinds and crosswinds when I’m on the coast um positively dangerous potential to be absolutely savage um so I’ve got a plan ride as long as I can if it gets really really bad stop for a couple hours literally stop wherever we hide in the van and um start again as soon as we can split the day in two and um just do it later on into the day i’ve got a light not lights um just means I’ll be really late tonight but I just need to get today done and out the way that’s the That’s the thing buckles phone only 2 minutes past 6 this morning we done well got me in Taylor no yes I have yes I have whatsapp live location no let me get a hug this morning oh God almighty what the hell am I doing okay so yeah mixed bag it looks like shake dry on my best bit tighter on them like a support bandage today cuz shit’s hurting so say I just want to get out as many miles as possible it’s going to take me a bit to warm up really hoping for the best let’s start with that [Music] 200 m of climbing in the first 5k woo i’m warm i am warm sweating under here that’s not a bad thing i mean as difficult as it’s going to be this morning it’s going to be beautiful that’s a fact [Music] i’ll apologize in advance for any terrible pronunciations i’ll try my best to get it right i’m not actually sure where I am [Music] [Applause] can’t quite believe I’m saying this but shake dries off it’s in the back pocket uh too hot have another 1,000 ft in 9 miles because hills i mean look at it it’s bloody gorgeous oh if I didn’t hop tomorrow I’d be No this is enjoyable scott embrace it i don’t really want to stop but I have to um I’ve got a descent coming uh yeah careful descent these are not good roads i’m on tiny little ones but time is of the essence i can’t stop but I’m just going to have to be extremely careful ah took a wrong turn it was literally only a few yards but I had to get off and push cuz it’s steep speaking of steep look at the state of this oh balls no no no no no come on 20% ah well this is very hard not I’m just cruising in the middle bit at between 7 and 9% it’s going to ramp up again in a minute but just take this rest bike whilst it’s here there’s no doubt in which country we’re in so a little quirk of today’s ride i was supposed to turning right and downhill here uh there’s county border couple hundred yards away up there so just got to do touch more climbing just kiss the border go over it by a few meters make sure I’ve logged some effort in there literally turn around get the shake drawn smash a gel in and uh get on with the next bit w help me Bor i’m in huzzah right turn around Mitch that’s 678 m which is Oh and I’ve averaged 18.2 km an hour hopefully hopefully that might increase throughout the day otherwise I’m going to be out here about 15 hours longer well that doesn’t be thinking about at the moment [Music] gates aren’t open yet this is uh Park Brinbach apparently there’s lots of paths around here very nice oh I’ve gone the wrong way pel I need to turn around like I need long turns in my life today i have no idea which way I’m going but it’s down and it’s up again that’s a fact you’ll be surprised to hear [Music] [Music] That’s 1,000 m done in 41 km what’s that 24 miles look at these guys oh oh oh do I get to go down there [Music] i’d love to tell you where I am but I generally have no idea even looking at my map oh this is awesome it’s gorgeous [Music] and this bit of road is all just lovely said I wanted to get a rig on and I’m on a downhill but I can’t not show you this [Music] way you go amazing so I’m just climbing out of a little place over there i think it’s called Edwardsville awesome name apparently I’m on the Taff Trail uh which I guess is cool means it’s going to be quiet I think hopefully see Jacob in less than an hour he’s probably gone back to bed i hope he has i would [Music] well the rain is back yeah heading down into uh Pontip now uh rain’s not too bad i mean got shake drying a long sleeve so all good all good [Music] hungry now just three and a half hours in 3 hours 17 in and uh ready for another breakfast [Music] right bit of a food bar i’ve blown straight past Jacob uh I’m here so I’m just waiting under the shelter for him to come and find me i’m a bit cold so I’m going to uh dry robe on work out where he’s going to park and uh get some food in bloody starving uh legs are actually feeling okay it’s just um you know it’s mindset day today and it’s only going to get worse this weather but it’s taking such a long time 21.2 km an hour i mean I’m 3 hours 30 into the day it’s going to be a long long day everything’s malfunctioning this morning right including me i’m just eating cake and flapjack and gels and track bars and biscuits and shortbread and a can of coke and just get going as much as I don’t want to start again Alex doesn’t get an option so nope unless it becomes dangerous then we stop yep keep going to the wheels fourth mate and then keep going more yeah yeah okay mud guards are on i’m going to just have to go slow today these are sails it doesn’t matter today’s just about survival now uh if it takes me 15 16 hours I don’t care i’ll just sleep less nothing’s going to be harder than today nothing you know it was 24° blue skies water to all sunshine last week wasn’t it and for the four weeks previous and now at least the uh the rain’s only coming from above and not below as well and I’ve got an extra layer on so just uh yeah just get on we had getting stuck in traffic to the next two [Music] [Music] snaking my way out towards the coast now apprehensive about getting there but I’m kind of hopeful that that wind doesn’t happen and if it does it becomes a slight tailwind oh you’re going to have to go away yeah i don’t know what you can say across there i’m not going to be able to show you much i’m really struggling to get you back in my pocket at the moment unless I’m on an uphill so sorry it’s uh very noisy here wherever it is I am about 7 milesi out from Port Albert [Music] all right update after a bit of a busy road still busy road i’m just passing through um MG Maste not sure how to pronounce it sorry pretty sure it came through here on the dragon ride but definitely doesn’t look like that today so we’re just coming down in Port Oh Port Tolbert there you go so I’m just coming down to Port Orbert just as the wind is starting to pick up so the exposed bit just when I don’t want it but hey that’s what today’s delivering uh I finally got over half of the climbing done it’s taken a while to get there i’m at just under 2,000 m and 114k i’ve got a downhill but I can’t see much and the views are for days again have nothing these descents are horrible not for the descents but the uh gusts the cross winds and the rain really sting in the face i’m only even really to go up to like 45 50 km an hour i dare go anymore cuz it’s just snatching the front wheel up on me it’s uh a little bit terrifying uh I’ve got another one coming up in a second oh god I’m not gaining my speed back oh that was really really close guy just did a UI had the witness behind but God yeah i mean I was moving but he just did a U-turn in the road fortunately I just aim to the back of him cuz I knew he was going to pull out started moving and just carried on moving god horrible that thought it was a goner [Music] [Music] really struggling to make any headway at all just a few miles out of Swansea i’m sort of at the Amazon area between Pulva and Tons bloody hell it’s windy howling right in my face it’s funning down the roads I’m going down i hope I get to turn a bit northward soon so it’s at least a grossy wind might regret saying that but Oh I’m going to have to hide for a second i cannot convey how absolutely bloody grim this last 20 minutes has been at least a 20 mph probably more block headwind right next to a dual carriageway on a cycle lane but the noise just relentless today have to get me loop ear plugs in again but hopefully I’ve only got less than 10k to meet Jacob to get some food in me i’m not going to get changed cuz the clothes I’m wearing are wet i’m actually still relatively warm relatively comfortable despite the uh obvious um I can’t believe I’m not even halfway and we’re over 7 hours into the day but hopefully the second half’s going to come a bit easier with at least a slight tailish wind god I hope so [Music] hello welcome to headquarters again sweet relief i think I’m 7 and 1/2 hours into the day and I’ve just hit halfway um is what it is uh legs are fine heads fine i’m just laughing it off i just wish this wind would win uh I will say sod off because I’ve been thinking much more vulgar vocabulary but I’m all right i feel sorry for this guy here cuz he’s just sat around for hours on end just waiting for this prick to get a move on which I’m not doing because it’s really really hard today really really hard i am I’m not struggling i’m just It’s I think I’m at 22 km an hour yeah I mean it’s pitiful it really is but it’s about as much as I can do cuz I think the average power is Yeah it’s still in the mid to high 160s which isn’t great but again there’s not been any hills for hours right i’m going to eat soon obviously if you fancy sponsoring me Pot Noodle whoever owns Pot Noodle get in touch so I’m going to check the map i can’t remember how northwards I turned but I think I’ve still got at least an hour of this crap along the coast which I’m dreading that’s way too long wasted not wasted but way too long taking an hour i’ve been there about 45 minutes maybe an hour the weather’s been downgraded to just disgustingly horrible maybe just slightly dangerous now so time to crack on we’re going to get on the road actually hang on one handed lovely oh maybe no we’ll get back on the cycle path about to fix the uh windy muff again oh I’m just about to get full in the face again so I’m going You’re not going to see much more of it um it’s probably going to take me 3 and 1 half hours to get to the next rest stop and then I should uh well all I’ve got after that is two sod massive hills with a tailwind but let’s just get a rig on i’m going to go along by the coast road now up to three [Music] so at the moment I’m just um skipping sort of westerly northerly bypassing the Gowa Peninsula i think this is not around let not it be known um the issue with traffic lights is as a cyclist they don’t know you’re there cuz they work on sensors and human on the bike isn’t heavy enough trigger one so I sat there for three rounds of traffic lights which uh didn’t do anything trying to keep steering not possible shit’s dangerous [Music] i’ve uh I’ve made an executive decision i’ve gone off that damn path which would be awesome there’s just no let up i’m doing what 16 17ks an hour just wearing myself to the bone so I’ve come up onto the road just to try and get a bit of rest bite from the coast wind just horrible there’s loads of trees down all over but it’s becoming mixed now finally picked up a bit of tailwind it’s gone through Pengri heading up towards Kamadan there’s a lot of Kamadan I’ve been doing big place biting me i’ve still got 100k to go i’m trying to laugh about it i’m really struggling to at the moment i’m pushing one moon cake in wow know I’ve still got an hour or so till I see the next rest stop and then another 3 hours after that oh can’t get to the end if I don’t do it though now I’m on the struggle bus right now if it was lovely and sunny it would have still been hard it isn’t 1,400 m of climbing to do i’m just uh coming up to come out of them it’s been a hell of a long way to get here from Swansea hell of a long way from wherever I got to come out of the machine from Swansea crossing over by the Gower there I think norm but my brain’s not working now feeling a little bit better now had some mint cake had a gel perked up a little still tough feeling uh not defeated i don’t ever do defeated but yeah I’ve just realized I need to get off this road and onto a cycle so here’s one for mindset like I say Jacob’s further away than I thought to my next stop but that means the last bits uh shorter i’m just starting what looks like a decent hill but then I look down i’ve done 190k today that means I’ve done 1,000k so far in 3 and 3/4 days that’s something I can say I’ve never done before right I’m tempting fake getting warm some hills to climb still i’ve still got 1100 m to do some more meat cake come on let’s go the drivers around here are awesome got to be said every single one of them wherever I am there’s been a lot of up to get here and there’s still a bit more to do yet but between the little uh sights that I get behind these massive hedges it does look lovely right we only got half an hour to go if that to get to Jacob minutes are feeling like hours at the moment but I will not let my spirits down i should say I will not let my spirits get down actual views yay hop last stop done 53k to go that lovely downhill was lovely um I’ve got one enormous uphill to do apparently and then a a spiky one to finish we are starting to turn around towards the north typically uh down in a valley so that one’s gone and that’s the first time I’ve taken a shake dry off on the move and why you ask uh because up very tempting i’m sure that’s how you say hello i’m wrong i apologize [Music] wow didn’t know that was there should have come back more often wow awesome so that means a tailwind home 34 k to go for this tow wind and 15 yeah 30ks to go got a spring bringing my stuff well that tailwind tell you to get back in it’s going to be half a 14 and 1 half hours out okay starting to hurt now might have to stop in a second that is Oh no no no no no no oh stopping jesus back of my knee i need a stretch jesus Christ i’m lightheaded let’s just wait here a sec oh I’ll come back to you just a stretch that’s all we needed on the way again now come about half an hour to go it’s been a hell of a wind today it’s felt like like a full training weekend like me 50 100 days i rolled into one today it’s been grueling oh ready for a shower and some food and a damn good sleep behind that tree wait for it there’s a village there’s a village back there woo jesus what a day what a day i really want to get drunk but I know I can’t starts coming in a minute let me get to the end first so 270.8 km i don’t want to talk about the average speed cuz it’s pathetic it’s 23.2 um oh elevation gain is actually more where is it have I gone straight past it there you go 3,945 m that’s 300 m off half an Everest i’m knackered i’ve been running on adrenaline for the last well hour and a half um I’m sorry if I’m shouting i’ve got me earplugs in um we’re going to go and find camp i’m not sure how to end this one cuz this is the end of video two isn’t it um yeah genuinely those two days are the hardest thing I’ve ever ever ever done and that includes all the running I did which had much more long-lasting impact um injury-wise oh wait little sick um I’m holding the van for a reason um if you would like to donate to the cause today is probably probably just cause for that um Jesus wept what’s that is that that’s about,00 km now in 4 days hopefully tomorrow is going to be more kind but I’m not guaranteeing anything so hit that subscribe button thumbs and all that malarkey do the usual algorithm stuff please um yeah I do this just to help my boy and others that’s the only reason I’m doing it um I need to stop