Went on my first ever trip – from Dover, UK to the Isle of Skye in 6 days (1100km), before running the Skye Trail that crosses the Island south to north in 2 more days (about 50km of running each day).
Why only 8 days? All 3 friends had jobs, or kids and responsibilities to go back to and we enjoy the challenges as much as the travel.
I was nervous as the 2 first days were my 2 longest days cycling, ever – 185 then 203km respectively, but everything was smooth and my body adapted quite well after initial pains (mostly in the neck as I wasn’t relaxing). We averaged 8 or 9 hours a day on the saddle without the breaks which was definitely new to me.
My setup felt perfect as I never really noticed my saddle bag (Toppeak 15L) that held everything I needed for the week (except for my running gear that I posted in advance to our final destination on Skye).
UK roads were sometimes intimidating because of the traffic, but besides being uncomfortable at times, nothing major happened. It’s also definitely not a flat country! Some of these hills killed me.
Weather was really British with rain and cold mornings, and I might have underestimated how cold I would get on the bike as I was mostly biking in Z1 and not warming up as much as I’m used to when I’m exercising.
Will I do it again? Definitely! I might not go for the stupid long days anytime soon though!
by berlinparisexpress
3 Comments
And thanks to the very kind Redditor /u/jordee1873 who held our bikes in storage while we ran the trail – legend!
Love this! I’m curious what was in your packing list. Maybe you could share
Wow that’s my dream bikepacking tour! I’m only worried about the roads, as you wrote, because as far as I know there are no bicycle paths there. Where did you sleep? Camping or hostels? And how did you manage the wetness? Were you constantly cycling in rain clothes?