THE LONG RIDES - A SUMMARY

Where it all started:

Rides at the end of 2019

Back in 2010, Mary and I tackled our first big cycling journey. The 600km ride from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean crossed 20 of the highest cols in the Pyrenees including the renowned Tourmalet. We were hooked!

Our Blog begins in the following year, April 2011,when we started preparations for our cycling adventure on the EuroVelo 7 “Route to the Sun”. Travelling down the length of Europe from Nordkapp, the most northern point, to Malta in the south, we started in lands where the rivers were still frozen and the sun shone at midnight. 7,000 km later we completed our trip in arid Mediterranean countryside with temperatures in the 40's

2012 saw our old bones back on the bikes with the intention of cycling the EV6 “Rivers Route” from Nantes to Constanta. Didn't quite complete the 4000km when Old Broken Bones came off her bike. Read the blog for the full saga.

It's March 2014 and we we're off again. Leaving our home in central France and heading for Santiago de Compostella. It's an old Pilgrim's route now well frequented by travellers from all over the world. We were not the first Welsh to visit this area! Our celtic ancestors settled here c. 1,000BC  giving rise to the Celtiberian tribes. Felt quite at home.

2015 and another ride. This time it's the Velodyssey, a cycle route down the length of France from Roscoff to Hendaye. 1400kms. This one didn't go to plan with master navigator breaking a couple of ribs. But it was a game of two halves and Mary finished this ride solo.

After a forced and prolonged absence, we were fit and tested ourselves on the 1200km "Tour de Manche".  Big differences between cycle touring in the UK and France. See the blog for Mary's reaction to the inconsiderate car driver!!

And still in 2018 we decided to combine family commitments in the UK with a 600km journey combing the "Hebridean Way" and the "Caledonian Way". We were lucky with the weather and enjoyed the magnificent scenery of this part of Scotland

It's 2019 and we tackled the newly opened EV1 Atlantic Route in Portugal. It's over a 1000kms and follows the coast between the Spanish borders to the  north and south. Fantastic scenery and wonderful people but the worst Eurovelo gpx route we have tackled so far. Mr EV Lardy drew this route from Google maps. Sandhills, steps, motorway, 15% stone and gravel and a 10 km straight line through Lisbon.

September 2019 and we're taking the bikes by train to Andermatt to cycle the length of the Rhine to Rotterdam. We're told that the Swiss, Germans and Dutch have made a better job of this  EV route.