Testing my new Sonder Camino with a fully laden camping trip from Bradford to the Tents on the Went Campsite between Doncaster and Selby.
Here is the cycle camping Facebook group I used to find the site https://www.facebook.com/groups/cyclecampinguk
I stayed at Tents on the Went https://www.tentsonthewent.com/
Good morning. I’m uh just out on my new bike today and I’m doing a little tester overnight ride. So, right now I’m on the Leadeds Liverpool Canal heading towards Leeds for about 10 miles or so and then after that uh heading between Doncaster and Selby to a little campsite to stay overnight. So, I’m fully laden, got the tent and everything. So, I’ve tried to pick a route that is nice and flat. So, there’s virtually no elevation on this route at all. Um, but yeah, so that’s that’s the plan. So, we’ll see how we get on. Yeah. So, slightly overcast this morning. Forecast to be about 20, maybe the odd shower. But yesterday was really, really hot. Um, so bit cooler today. I think it got up to about 30 31 maybe yesterday. So much cooler today. Much better. So, made it to Leeds’s Dock. Um, here’s the Royal Armories. So, it’s just a pretty straightforward cycle ride from Lee’s Liverpool Canal out this way. So, so far’s good. Um, I know the bit where um we kind of cycle and branch off to York, but uh I don’t know the next bit as well. Oh, there’s the lead’s water taxi. Just coming down there. Um so yeah, going to stop for a coffee around here, I think, and then see what the next bit’s like. Okay, so come through leads. Um just about to join the Transpanine Trail now. Um so so far so good. This is just the start of the transpanine trail just coming across uh the bridge crossing over the air here. I don’t know how well you can see that, but there’s a corrant down there just drying its wings just on the rock. One of the things I’ve not learned how to do with this new camera is zoom in. So, I’m sorry. You’ll just have to have a look at that spec that’s down there on the water. Um, but yeah, I thought what I’d do is just talk through the new bike for a second. So, it’s a samino aluminium. Um, titanium would have been nice, but that was an extra 500 quid. So, this is the first time that I’ve uh ridden it fully laid. So, I just wanted to tell you a couple of things about it. Um, I’ve gone for tubeless because uh with my last bike, I just had so many punctures on my gravel bike. It was ridiculous. I just had so many. So, I’m I’m having a go with tubeless on this trip. Um, and I’ve gone for Brook saddle. So, I’ve got this uh Brooks is B17. I can’t remember. Um, so yeah. So, I’ve got a a Brook saddle, which we’ll see how I get on with that. Um, I’ve always wanted one, and this was the ideal opportunity. Um, so, uh, yeah, it’s quite the gears. It’s got quite a quite a lot of gears. You can’t really see it from that angle, but I think it’s got into the 41140 or something. Um, I don’t really understand gears very well, but it’s got a single chain ring. Um, and uh, yeah, so giving a go with that. And then Brooks bar tape on the front. So, I think those are the major kind of upgrades that I went for. Um, so it’s just a ride out and a stay overnight and then a ride back. So, some of the things I’m I’m finding sort of straight away is that this uh saddle bag at the front um was actually rubbing on the wheel as soon as I set off this morning. So, I’ve had to uh strap it up with a bungee. So, it’s hardly the most elegant solution. So, that’s one on the to-do list there to actually have a look at. Um but yeah, so that’s a quick look. See how we get on. One thing that really tricked me is I’ve never ridden a bike with this uh single chain ring. So, it’s got the up and down shifter is the same the same lever here. So, you just press it once um to go up a gear and then you press it again but press it further to go down again. So, the first time I I went out, I couldn’t I couldn’t work out to go down a gear. So, I was quite stuck to start with. But yeah, it’s every day is a school day and uh yeah, so we’ll just uh just ride them from here and uh see how we get on just crisscrossed the river air again and transparine trails down here. So, not the most fun bits of cycling infrastructure, especially not with a laden bike, but I can see a lot of riders having an issue with this. The other side was great cuz the other side it was a path that just had a smooth gradient that zigzagged round and then came over. I’m not going to film this bit. If the video stops here, you know, I didn’t get down. It’s a river called just coming towards Castleford now. Uh we’ve been traffic free most of the way. Briefly joined a road. Um just been through Methley. Just had something to eat at a pub. Very nice. Um, continuing along this, I assume it was like a a coal a wagon way for um or a a goods coal line. But yeah, just going along this way now towards Castleford and then out the other side. Well, just about there. I hope it’s uh Yeah, thanks. Kimoot sent me on the A19 on a main road and then uh the route I was supposed to go on the other side didn’t exist. So, so I’ve sort of picked my way with a combination of Google Maps and commute rerouting and then hopefully I’m just about to get there. So, I think this is just the last little bit coming to the campsite around here. I hope. So I think this is the river went very small and then there’s a sign just in there of the national cycle network and then uh should be there. Okay, so finally got here. Uh I’m at a site called Tents on the Went. And uh as the name suggests, it’s right next to the river went. Um so we’ve come in. I’m actually the only person staying here. I mean, it’s a it’s a Tuesday and it’s not school holiday, so that’s kind of to be expected. Um yeah, so I’ve set the tent up. this uh little Vango tent that I’ve got. Please excuse all the mess. I’ll get all that tidied up in a bit. Um yeah, so still kind of finding out my way how to set up this tent and what to do cuz please don’t judge me. It’s awful. I know. I know the way that I’ve set it up. Um yeah, so it’s lovely little site right next to the river went. I’m in a Facebook group called Cycle Camping and uh they have a Google map with all these sites and um I think it’s got to be below 16 pounds a night. You can just turn up and uh it’s got to be um some of them have a special rate for cycles. Um and it’s really good. And so I thought I’ I’d do this one because it’s a it’s a decent ride out and back from where I live. I think it’s supposed to be 39 mi, but the route, oh my goodness me, Kimoot really let me down because it sent me over I’ll just move you away a bit. Uh, it sent me over um the A19, which is like a really busy route. So, uh, yeah, it sent me over the route. Hang on, I’m just going to sit down. I’ve got this fantastic I love this. It’s this uh just this little thing. folds down to nothing, but it supports your back. So, I can sit down here and my back is supported. It’s great. So, um yeah, Kimu sent me down to the A19. I was supposed to just cross over and then um take a track on the other side. And when I got to the other side, it was somebody’s driveway. So, there was there was no track. So, I had a bit of a think and I I had to go back down the A19 for another mile um and then find my way onto a road that ran parallel to the one that I wanted. But, you know, it’s not ideal going alongside uh big lries and cars on a on a 60 mph road. Not ideal at all and not fun. uh you know I mean when you consider the rest of this ride it’s been so much of this ride has been um traffic free and then to have that right near the end you know like three or four miles before the end was uh was not great. So yeah um but we got here I got here in the end so I’m just going to have a shower um and then decide whether I’m going to eat me fire pot meal or whether I’m going to go to the pub. There’s there’s a pub about a 4m minute cycle away. So, or a 15-minute walk, but I might cycle. Um, just get something to eat at the pub. Um, but have a shower first. And uh, yeah, it’s uh, it’s a lovely, like I say, it’s a lovely site. I’m just conscious of the fact that there’s water. Um, I’m next to a river and then there’s a pond as well. So, uh, I want to get everything in the tent and get the fly screen up so I don’t want to get bitten later on. Um, but yeah, so £12 a night. Let’s see what it’s like. [Music] just on the way back now. Um just started raining in uh the night and then stopped just as I was packing away. So, uh, a little bit of a a wet set off this morning and it’s, uh, sort of damp and been raining, so it’s just a bit a bit steamy at the minute. Quite humid. Um, so I’ve just got to follow in this path, then back to the road, and then uh going to follow the roads back to Darington and then uh pick up pick up the trail there. Okay, so I’ll see you later. Just on this cycle path between Darington and uh Pontiff now. Uh I could go on the road, but I’m just taking it easy. I just fancy a bit of a poo on this bit as you may have heard from that. Oh, for goodness sake. When I pull the brakes on, might might be because the new brakes. Sorry about that. Lost you a bit then. But when I pull the brakes on, they make a terrible squealing noise. But worse than that, it sets off this Garmin alarm that says that I’ve had a I’ve had an accident. So, uh, yeah, that’s twice that’s happened, though. Looks like I’m just heading into uh a bit more rain. It’s just drizzle just starting up. Cars with headlights on. So, yeah, this drops us into Pontifract. Got to go through Pontiffract and a place called North Featherston. Uh, and then just at the outskirts of Castle, they’d pick up the cycle path again, so I might join you then. Uh, phew. Well, I’m uh just coming towards Methley now. I’ve picked up this greenway again. Uh, the last time I spoke to you, I think it looked like it was going to start drizzling. Well, it absolutely hammered it down. It’s so strange because with Monday it was like 30° so it was so hot and uh luckily I brought all the waterproofs but wow really came down. Um, I’m pleased so far because, um, I’ve extended my knowledge that I can get from home to, as far as Castleford and the, uh, A M62, potentially the A1 if you go to Darington. Um, on mainly on traffic free paths. Um, so yeah. Yeah, I’m quite pleased at that. Um, so I’m just going to head towards Methley and then try to find a cafe. There was a cafe that I wanted to go to yesterday, but it was closed on Tuesday. So, I’m hoping it’s open on Wednesday. I can actually see blue sky up there. So, uh I’m not sure how much battery life I’ve got, but uh I’ll keep trying to keep you updated. And uh I’m on my way to a cafe. right then. Let’s see how we get on this time. Going up. Not too bad. The panas keep getting stuck on the side. Uh, and it weighs quite a lot, but got there. Right. Next bit. Wind’s kicking up. Got a bit of a headwind now into leads. So just got into leads now. Uh this is just the royal armies on the left. Uh obviously the river air. Um so at the moment this is the uh the trans penine trail that we’re on. You can actually get a water taxi. I think I s I saw it on the way down, didn’t I? Um a water taxi that takes you from lead station to um the warf where the royal armies is. Um and uh yeah, so it’s pretty straightforward here. We just follow the river and cross over and then join the Le Liverpool Canal. But uh I think I’m going to have a paint before I go and do the Le Liverpool Canal. Just on the last bit now. I hope you can hear me. Absolutely. This headwind is unbelievable. Uh I’ve had this right from leads I think. Yeah. So it’s been a bit of a slog really this last bit. Yeah. So if you’ve made it this far, thanks. I’ve just got a few more miles to go and then climb up a hill and then back home. So, thanks very much for watching. Hopefully see you on another one.