After biking Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, we crossed into Northern Ireland to cycle the Antrim Coast. The Coastal Causeway was stunning but very popular with camper vans and RVs, which posed an extra challenge. We took a ferry from Larne to Cairnryan in Scotland and chose a meandering route into Glasgow.
Quiet gravel roads, easy wild camping, and the beautiful Loch Lomond National Park were just a few highlights of the first leg of our Scotland bicycle tour.
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Bicycle gear list below. We’re running a mix of traditional panniers and bikepacking bags.
– 2020 Surly Ogres
– 36h Rohloff Speedhubs
– 36h Son 28 Dynamo hubs
– Ryde Andra 40 rims
– Marathon Mondial 29×2.0 DD tires
– Avid BB7 brakes, 200mm front, 160mm rear
– Sinewave Cycles Beacon headlight/USB charger
– Brooks B17 (Andrew) Terry Butterfly Century (Jenny) saddles
– Rogue Panda custom frame bags
– Ortlieb Back Rollers Plus rear panniers
– Bedrock Bags Hermosa front panniers
– Tubus racks
– Planet Bike AL fenders
Camera Gear:
– Fuji X-T4
– Fujinon 16-80 mm f/4
– Fujinon 23 mm f/2 prime
– GoPro Hero 8 Black
– Rode VideoMic Pro
– Mavic Mini 1 drone
Music Credits:
Tom Doolie – Rain on Sunday
– Provided by Lofi Records
– Watch: https://youtu.be/xfwZ88qI92Y
– Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/naoko
Tom Doolie – Darjeeling
– Provided by Lofi Records
– Watch: https://youtu.be/s7lf6O0iId4
– Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/naoko
Tom Doolie – Circuit
– Provided by Lofi Records
– Watch: https://youtu.be/pI6KHU0u1GE
– Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/naoko
Tom Doolie – To the Sea and Back
– Provided by Lofi Records
– Watch: https://youtu.be/R2wvlxRJyW4
– Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/naoko
softy – Ease Out
– Provided by Lofi Records
– Watch: https://youtu.be/9QvF7biaQmk
– Download/Stream: https://fanlink.to/TheDayIPassed
22 Comments
Epic shots epic ride !!
Beautiful scenery.
Remembering the Isle of Skye and the Highlands in Scotland when I was there.
Thank you both for sharing your Rolling Existence journey, which isn’t always easy but worthwhile.
Can’t wait for the next episode!
More than a year of bike touring… wow! Hat off!
So glad to see this new video! I really enjoy your comments and your great attitude about traveling!!!
I can't see a reason to remove the bags every night. I've done some longer bike touring rides and I have never removed them, it saved us a lot of time! 🙂 😀
Well done as always thank you👍👍✌✌❤❤
I've said this before in one of your videos: you have some kind of magical touch when it comes to recording or editing or both. Your videos just do not get monotonous no matter how many times I watch them. I look forward to each one that you upload. Great work, and enjoy your time travelling. 🙂
Nice. Thanks. I admire your resilience in the crap weather. I'm from Scotland and to laugh at your pronunciations of place names but I'm sure I make mistakes too. Watch out for Kingussie which is pronounced kinoossy. Looking forward to the next section.
Great video, so happy to see some more of your travels. 5:55 – that is a Rhododendron; SE and southern Asian species, a common garden plant for cool climes. It was probably brought to Ireland by the British from India.
Welcome to Caledonia. Love the outrageous pronunciation of our place names. That breakfast highlights the best and worst of our cuisine. Tasty but to be be avoided wherever possible.
Onward.
Northwards, and ‘we in dreams behold the Hebrides’.
Congratulations on a year of bike travel. I really enjoy your videos. What would you change on your bikes or gear after a year of use? I am starting to set up my bike for touring. Have a great second year.
We really enjoy the relaxed nature of your videos along with the beautiful camera work, thanks. I was wondering how you dealt with the wind noise so effectively in this video? It is an area I am trying to improve in my videos.
HAVNT BEEN BACK THERE FOR OVER 25 YEARS LOOKS LIKE IT HASNT CHANGE AT BIT // ULSTER
It doesn't look like you visited the Giant's Causeway at the top of the Antrim coast? Did you realise that you went right past Rathlin Island where the first telegraphic transmission was made in 1898 by Marconi and his employees? If you go further inland from the Antrim coast there are some fabulous glens and forest trails. Glenarm is a very pretty small town. NI and Ireland are not know as the Emerald Isle for nothing. Their rainfall is measured in yards!
Shame you didn't show anything of the ferry crossing from Larne to Cairnryan. The A75 main road from Stranraer east to Gretna Green at the top of the M6 motorway is a very busy trunk road. It is 100 miles of single carriageway. Well it used to be. You took the sensible option of getting off it as soon as you could and heading north along much quieter roads and tracks.
Scotland is famed for it's rhododendrons in May and June. They are very beautiful in full bloom.
Scotland is all infamous for the midge. Apparently it is only the female that bites.
So I've done a bit of cycle touring and haven't now for a couple of years I can say this my partner and I have looked at each other and said OMG do you realize what we have done you will keep going back in your mind and wow awesome guys you will never forget what a great experience
I always love that view of Dunluce Castle there at 1:55
Its the Isle of Arran, not Arran Island.
My wife and I just binged your vids for the last couple of hours!! Thank you guys for uploading such honest and genuine bikepacking videos. We're planning a 3 or 4 month Europe trip starting in February. Was the cold much of a bother for you guys?
Really fantastic videos. Great combination of scenery, narrative, and sharing your thoughts and what the lifestyle looks like. You both have a natural style of speaking to the camera. I also think that you both hit the powerball lottery in finding each other as partners in adventure and in life. 1600 miles in the rain in Ireland would definitely be the last thing many couples would do together! I was wondering what camera you are using when you’re on the bike. Thanks for sharing your tour. Keep peddling!
I really enjoy your videos. Thanks
I stumbled upon your videos a few days ago and I was instantly hooked so I have been binging and finally caught up, I really enjoyed all of your videos and especially loved seeing my home country Scotland. I apologise about the awful weather🤣you just got your timing wrong as we actually had a drought this year, thats the way the cookie crumbles sometimes😉I got to cycle around Arran twice in beautiful weather this year, luckily I only live 50 miles away so I can choose my days, for me its cycling heaven and so beautiful👌At least it was sunny when you arrived there haha! I look forward to watching the remainder of your incredible journey and wish you both all the very best👍
awesome