Travelsonabike2: Headwinds, Busy Roads & A Failed Pizza Dinner | Canterbury to Sidcup

Another sunny morning in Canterbury, but today was a bit of a struggle. I set off towards Sidcup on what turned out to be a day of relentless headwinds, busy road detours, and a very disappointing end to the evening.

Today’s Highlights

Anniversary Ride: Realised it’s the anniversary of my first long-distance tour from Bilbao, Spain, back to England—the trip that started it all!

Canterbury Cathedral: A quick early morning pass by the cathedral to get a photo before the crowds arrived.

Headwind & Hills: The wind was firmly against me today, making every climb out of Canterbury feel twice as hard.

Route 1 Detours: Followed National Cycle Route 1 (which apparently goes all the way to Inverness!) on and off through Sittingbourne and Rochester.

Rochester Castle: Managed to catch a glimpse of the castle walls as I navigated the busy roads and M2 crossings.

The Sidcup Setup: Reached the campsite after 53 miles, feeling pretty worn out.

The Pizza Disaster: After rushing to pitch the tent to catch the campsite pizzeria before it closed, I waited 30 minutes only to be told the chef had gone home!

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I’m Garry McGivern (Travelsonabike2), and I’ve been travelling the world by bike since 2008. Solo self-supported bicycle touring on my trusty bike, Passepartout. My vlogs are unscripted, down-to-earth and honest—sharing the highs, the lows, and everything in between of a long-distance cyclist. I’ve now cycled more than 60,000 miles around the world 🌏 and I’m still going.

My video 📹 blogs complement my written blogs, which I publish daily on my website, https://www.garrymcgivern.com/, each time I head off on a bicycle tour. Bear in mind when watching. The video 📹 is unscripted and recorded as I cycle along 🚲, and might not be of the highest quality. The footage is then cobbled together when I get home. It’s certainly no Hollywood 🎬 production. But it might just make you smile and inspire you to get on your bike and head off on your own bicycle tour.

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Stay safe, and keep pedalling. 🌍🚴‍♂️

DCM Journey & Awareness: Woke up in significant pain this morning, though it settled after my tablets kicked in. However, the busy roads are becoming more of a challenge; my DCM makes it difficult to cycle in a straight line, which isn’t ideal when traffic is heavy. I also managed to catch my leg on the pedals again—I think I need to buy shares in plaster companies at this rate!

Watch my full DCM story: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1RViitJ4TjRocgeUTjOlMSuJ9CM8hcpa

Learn more at: https://myelopathy.org/

Video Chapters:
00:00 – Leaving Canterbury: 53 Miles Ahead
02:40 – Touring Anniversary: Bilbao to Bognor
04:40 – Canterbury Cathedral Morning Views
05:40 – Battling the Headwind
08:30 – Site Warden Chat: Memories of Salisbury
10:15 – Busy Lanes & School Traffic
11:10 – Fruit Fields & The M2 Noise
14:30 – Pain Stop: Leg killing me
16:00 – Route 1: The Road to Inverness?
17:40 – Rochester Castle & The M2 Crossing
19:40 – Straight Line Struggles & Busy Roads
21:50 – Navigating Blue Water
24:00 – Sidcup Arrival: 53 Miles Done
24:15 – Pizza Problems: The Chef Left!

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