This ride through the quiet lanes between Oakham and Rothley brings back memories of cycling in this part of the world as a kid.
Back then my bike was a Coventry Eagle, weighed down with every accessory imaginable — mirrors, racks, speedometers and anything else that could be bolted to the frame. I always carried 10p in my pocket so I could phone my mum if I had a puncture I couldn’t fix.
Cycling felt like freedom then, and in many ways it still does.
During this ride I’m remembering one of my first proper long-distance adventures — a ride from home to Geneva. After days of riding across France, grinding up climbs south of Dijon and weaving through quiet mountain roads, the final descent into Switzerland felt like a small victory.
There’s a moment on long rides where you realise you’ve actually made it.
Rolling down into Geneva, finding the lake, taking the obligatory photograph by the fountain, and then sitting in an Irish bar with a pint of Guinness — that was the moment the trip felt complete.
It took eight days, and I learned a lot along the way: about navigation, gear, pacing, and the simple logistics of moving yourself and a bicycle across a country under your own power.
That ride was the start of something bigger.
Since then the bikes have multiplied — a titanium road bike, a Trek Domane, a Trek Checkpoint gravel bike — each one suited to different kinds of adventures.
And with them come bigger plans.
From gravel events in Spain to a long ride north from Gibraltar… the journey is continuing.
The Long Way Strong
This channel follows my journey from 110 kg occasional rider to mid-life endurance cyclist, preparing for longer and more ambitious rides — including ultra-distance events and eventually a ride from the UK to the Land of Two Rivers and the City of Peace.
Because the best way to explore the world is slowly…
and under your own power.
Endure to Explore.
#cycling #enduranceriding #bikepacking #longwaystrong #cyclingjourney