I've just bought a Brompton, so am currently binge-watching Brompton channels on UA-cam, as many as I can find! I loved your video. The trip looked great and the music you used was gorgeous, it gave a really laid back, mellow vibe to everything. Lovely! Thank you.
It has been my experience that the hardest things to find on a bike tour are a place to sit down and a place with shade. You can get one or the other, but rarely both in the same spot. That's why the camp chair is so nice. That, and what it does to rest your back muscles. I'd be willing to bet that after watching you, your friend will go out and get herself her own camp chair. And she'll have you to thank!
Hi Rick! Yes, that's exactly my experience. Shade, or out of the wind... The other thing I also need in the same spot is something to prop the bike up against... so it is quite hard to find it all in one spot. That little chair is a fantastic bit of kit!
It's good to see that you have cycling buddies like Lynne. I cycle alone, dine alone and ponder alone. I'm that way inclined, but most definitely not miserable. Love your channel!
Hi Mr Wrong! Yes! I am lucky to have friends like Lynne. I do also enjoy cycling alone - and definitely not miserable either haha. Thanks for watching my channel and for your lovely comment! Happy cycling!
Too many nice moments in this little film to list here, so I'll just say how much I enjoyed it and will come be back to watch it again and again whenever it is dark and rainy outside. You've given me some ideas to plan a few 3 or 4 day leisurely trips myself next summer. Thank you so much for sharing this little film with us again, bless you.
Aw thanks for the lovely comment Pootling along xx yeh isn't it nice looking at images of lazy summer days... Even now, making the film just a few weeks after we did the ride, I was liked seeing how golden and warm it was then (mostly, when it wasn't drizzling haha). Thanks for watching!
Hi again Brian! yeh it was a lovely trip that. About food, if I am on my own I take my own food, but it was great to enjoy a pub lunch (or two), and a cafe stop (or three 🙄) on that trip with Lynne
I have loved watching your travels around the world you are a great inspiration but I am concerned about you and your health please be well all the best Tina B.C 🇨🇦
Another great video, thank you so much. I had a smile at Lynne’s paper map - that was me all over until I (reluctantly) got OS mapping on my phone… I wouldn’t be without it now as I can plan and follow routes so easily with it when I’m in places I don’t know. I can easily divert off if I see something interesting and still know where I am! I didn’t know this Cathedrals route existed, so quite excited to have a go myself! It’s great to be able to pick up at a cathedral near me (Southwell) and just go! I sometimes take my little dachshund with me on my bike trips for company, she has her own little buddyrider, and it gives me someone to talk to 🤣. Thanks again for the inspiration!
Hi Ceri! thanks for the comment! Hope you enjoy the cathedrals rides. THeir website is really good actually, lots of inspiring ideas. Lynne and I thought we would do another but we haven't decided which yet. About maps, yeh, I use kind of a blend of paper and apps. I think both have good points. For getting an overview of where I am and what is round about, I still find the OS 1:50k paper maps brilliant. I did a two-day adventure a couple of weeks ago following a river to its source, and was really glad I had paper 1:50k maps with me for it, to get a sense of where I was and what was round about. Sounds so nice taking your dog! Just looked up buddyriders to see what they are! Wow a proper little seat! haha so cute. Thanks for writing!
Yeh pancakes are a nice thing to do. I buy dried pancake mix and I measure out the amount I need at home and put it in a ziplock plastic bag with some dried egg powder. It weighs nothing, so it's no problem to carry it. Then when you want your pancake, you just tip the powder into a pan, add water and whisk it a bit till it is a smooth batter, then melt a tiny bit of butter in a frying pan and cook the pancakes. I forgot the butter once - very disappointing when you have been thinking about pancakes and looking forward to them... Lesson learned. I never stop learning lessons haha
Loved the video. Looks like a very nice route to do with a friend. As always, the music is perfect for this video. I’m presently on a tour of the east coast of the USA, 1100 miles as of today. All the best, Steve
Hey I just mentioned you in my comment and scrolled down to see you are a fan of Susanna too! I have been looking daily to see if you have posted yet about this new tour you are on. I guess we will have to wait until you come home and are able to post. Stay safe on the road.
Hi Steve! Thanks for watching! Especially whilst you're out there on a ride too! Sounds like it's a brilliant adventure. BTW your 'ride your age' thing is great. A lovely veteran club cyclist I knew did that actually, right till in his late 80s, riding his age on his birthday. He had to split it over two days after a certain point. Fantastic. Thanks for writing! Happy cycling! x
@@susannathornton Hi Susanna, your friend in his 80's sound like an amazing individual! I just finished my trip and will start posting videos soon. Thanks again and all the best, Steve
The great relaxing song at the end is by Cody francis it's called old pen,.love his music and Suzanna your videos are just wonderful, you are.inspiring me a life long cycle tourer to get back in the saddle again. I wish you all that you hope for.
That was great! I love your videos, the music, the sights and sounds, your camping spots, etc. Keep on riding and posting videos! Your videos make me want to plan a bike trip and explore! :)
Hi Char! thanks! aw yes enjoyed that trip with Lynne, a while back now! time we did another one. Lynne has bought a folder too now, and got new bags and everything, very swish
Lovely video thanks for sharing, I covered the first section of your route from Bath to Frome with the Brompton Touring Group about a moth ago, a great route. Looking forward to your next adventure
Hi Terry! Thanks for the lovely comment! Looking forward to your next one too! yeh we really enjoyed that route, the old railway and the teeny tiny lanes and lovely villages, and then Frome is such a nice place for coffee etc 👍🚲
Yes. That was so nice. Thank you Susanna, for taking us with you on your trip... ...and for pulling your footage together into something so involving and watchable.
Hi Christopher! aw thanks, glad you like it! yeh I was really happy with the music I found for this film, fitted so nicely to the atmosphere, old friends, easy, good times
Great video, you inspired me to take my Brompton out on a tour, just got back from the GAP trail and C&O Towpath, Pittsburgh to Washington, DC. My first self-supported camping tour.
Hi Edward! Aw that's fantastic!! How was it??? I just looked up the route. Sounds beautiful and really interesting. So cool!!! Hope you enjoying being back home again after the adventure - surprising how lovely just sitting on a sofa can be, after a few days without haha😎 Thanks so much for writing! x
@@susannathornton Hi Susanna, I thought it was wonderful. The Brompton was awesome. When I got to DC I was able to fold it up and ride the train home. It was so convenient. Keep the videos coming, they are great.
Hi Ace R! Thanks for writing. Glad you liked the video. Yeh, friends are so precious. Even if none of your friends (at the moment!) are into cycling, I hope you have some great friends in your life.
Your video brought fond memories to me again; memories of cycling from London to Bath, and then down thru the Wiltshire Downs (?) via Stonehenge to the channel and on to France. The English countryside is always the "best" imho, and I've rolled thru many places. I liked the "tea stops" a lot, in those smaller villages ... at pubs with a fire going and dogs lounging about. Until I opened my mouth (American English), I felt like I was "home" ... and I was, in a certain way.
Sue and I are gradually watching all your videos on this channel. It was a rainy day yesterday so we travelled from Hong Kong into China with you yesterday - and very interesting it was too. watching this video today reminded me I bought my Helinox chair 7 years ago and it took me until last year to find out turning it on its back inside the tent, with a suitable wodge of clothing/pillow etc, it makes a great backrest too. Your videos are urging me to get out and cycle camp this Spring (Tasmania). I'm just waiting for the rain to stop as the ground is sodden and there's a lot of flooding right now. Bloody La Niña !!
Hi Ant and Sue, aw glad you like my channel. Thanks for watching! I must get back to making the films about cycling from Hong Kong to England, I got distracted away from them but I want to complete it. Lots to do! Oh that is very interesting about turning the Helinox on its back. I am going to try that! Hope the rain stops so you can get out there
Hi Susanna, greetings from sunny Malaysia 🇲🇾. Loved the video since it brought back many happy memories as I was born and raised in Somerset, so many of the places you travelled through on this trip were my old home turf before moving out here 16 years ago. Good to see it's still as pretty as ever with the thatched cottages and lovely pub gardens. Our lockdown is slowly easing out here so I can finally start to venture out again for local hikes and bike rides . Look forward to seeing your next trip. ATVB and stay safe 😷
Hi Razif! thanks for writing such a lovely comment. I'm so glad the film brought back happy memories. Great that the lockdown is easing there too, hurrah. Happy hiking and biking! Best wishes!
Hi Madiantin! hope you are well! thanks for the comment! BTW I just looked up that shop haha, wondering what it is. They have a great instagram page - wonder why they are called that! 😁
So much beautiful landscapes.... history and lovely cottages. Enjoying all this while having my breakfast, there's almost no better way, Thanks again (-;
Hi Les! Yeh it is a nice idea isn't it. The cathedrals route website is good, lots of nice pics. Lynne had done several more of the cathedrals now, since we did this ride together. Happy cycling!
Ah, those English country lanes are lovely. Good job on following the Roman road! The music was nice too! I am now planning a trip of my own once this Sydney lockdown ends :)
Love your videos and I subscribed, funny, I’ve seen three of them until now and it’s always raining 😂 I always complain a lot when it is raining and I’m cycling. At least I can now take your example and smile 😃
Hi Laurent! haha yes I seem to attract the rain. Thanks for the lovely comment, and for subscribing too. I just did a ride in gorgeous winter sun. Woo! Makes a change! Film coming soon! Best wishes!🌞
Another lovely video, with quaint English scenery and big skies. The Roman Road was lovely, and didn’t seem to give the Brompton too much of a challenge.
Hi Linda! thanks for the lovely comment! yeh the Roman Road was fun, and interesting. The weather had been fairly dry, and the ground was mainly quite hard, so we reckoned it would be doable, and it was. Thanks for watching!
Hi Nigel! Thanks for watching! and for writing from Radstock. We enjoyed those friendly benches at the war memorial, very nice for a relaxing lunch, as you saw.
What a nice surprise- came home from a long hard day, put on my UA-cam and saw that you had posted. Thankyou once again for sharing your bike rides and wonderful videos with us all. I certainly look forward to them. Thanks to you, and Darren The Bicycle Touring Pro, and Steve Retired and Cycling(another little known but great cycling channel) I am cycling 20 miles 5x week. You are very inspiring.
Hi Bernice, it’s great that you are riding a lot. Thanks for mentioning my channel. I will start posting videos mid October once I’m back home. Take care, Steve
Hi Berenice! oh wow that is fantastic that you're out there cycling 20 miles 5x a week. Thanks so much for writing - I feel honoured to be listed alongside those other channels haha! It is so nice that people write nice comments, and great that we can encourage each other on social media like this. Take care! Happy cycling!! 😎🚲👋
Looks like you had a lot of fun there. Some great architecture on that ride. The Roman ‘road’ looked a bit mixed with its mud and fallen trees, but then, this summer has not been the best. I guess you weren’t in danger of overheating. Loved the slo mo tractor scene too. Well done for another nice film, Susanna.
Hi Vin! yes lots of gorgeous old houses. I really liked the sort of "chequerboard" effect they did with different kinds of stone in places. I don't think I've really seen that anywhere else before. Haha glad you liked my slo mo straw! I was trying to think how to make more visible all the bits blowing in the wind
Susanna another excellent film, really interesting scenery and villages and this ride appeals to me as I like to have somewhere, like a cathedral or castle to explore as part of the day
Hi Adam! thanks for watching and for the lovely comment. The new cathedrals route is a nice idea I think. I also love to research the story of something - normally historical things with me - so the ride includes a kind of hunt for a place with a story that I am interested in, a specific house where someone lived, a village, a church, or a journey that someone did etc. I love doing that sort of thing.
Hi Phill! thanks! glad you liked it. Lynne has got a folder now haha. So we are planning another joint ride this year, a Tern and a Brompton it will be
Thanks for watching! I've never tried that before, actually, following a Roman Road, and it was good fun and interesting, and that one was really doable. Happy cycling!
@@susannathornton you’ve probably ridden on a quite a few already to be honest….there’s one with a good surface heading westwards towards Caleva Atrebatum (Silchester). At Silchester there is a surprisingly intact Roman wall and an amphitheatre. Safe riding to you. 😃
Good point that I have probably ridden quite a few, eg I cycle up Edgware Road and Maida Vale quite a lot, and that is Watling Street isn't it... Silchester sounds really interesting. We went to a lot of Roman places when we were little, on family holidays, but mainly in the north of England. I have never been to Silchester. I just looked it up and it looks super interesting.
@@susannathornton I got a real buzz from understanding the size of the town by surveying the surviving wall and amphitheatre…I’d encourage you to visit some time. ua-cam.com/video/8IWYOAooz5M/v-deo.html
nice route beautiful Cathedrals and I just love the English country side.At the pub near the end the Sunday Roast looked yum yum.Here in Canada the restaurants don’t really know how to make Yorkshire’s.🇨🇦🚲😎🥩
Hi Barrie! Thanks for writing! Yeh it was good food on this trip - the fish & chips was good too. Sorry to hear about the Yorkshire pudding situation there
Hi you enjoyed your long spin there. That old fella was such a nice man. I felt like I kind of knew him. But I think there were just quite a lot of people like him among the older members of the club I used to ride with
Hi Tina! Oh that is a coincidence! Actually a couple of years ago I also went by rail London to Bristol for work, and I also thought how nice the countryside looked train window, and the city of Bath. Hope you get to take your bike there one day too !
Thanks Lori! The songs in this film are Firefly/Barefoot; Volcan Peaks/Dreamers of the Shore; and Cody Francis/Old Pen. Actually, because of your message, I rewatched the film myself just now haha, so nice! we had such a lovely time on that ride, Lynne and me! we are planning to do some more adventures together this coming year, good!!! Anyway, meanwhile, thanks for watching!
Hi PJ Billy! Yeh it was interesting actually to do that ride with me on a Brompton and Lynne on her hybrid. Re surfaces, my little wheels did pretty well eg no prob with grassy paths, hard packed trails etc. If there had been deep sticky mud, it would have been much harder for me due to the very tight clearances of the Brompton, and actually if we'd expected really bad muddy conditions, we prob would not have attempted the offroad stuff. On rougher bits of offroad, big wheels will obviously always cope better than small wheels - on rough downhill sections, you can see Lynne can bash on faster than me. I had to go more slowly and carefully, easing the bike over the potholes and rubbly stones etc. On the positive side for the Brommie, we found the small-wheel bike was better for dealing with obstacles eg the fallen tree - that obstacle was a hassle for Lynne, but I could just kind of flip the little bike over the fallen tree and I was away... We also noticed that I could effortlessly step on and off the Brompton, because its low frame is effectively "step-through", whereas when Lynne mounted and dismounted, she always had to hoik her leg over the back of the bike, which is tedious and tiring when doing it numerous times all day. Anyway, there you go. A couple of thoughts! Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed the film!
To my American eye, this trip was quintessential England with it's beautiful landscapes, thatched roof houses, and narrow city streets. It was lovely to see and once again you--and Lynne-- make it look easy breezy. Stupid question? Is a Brompton as fast as a regular road bike? Is it harder to keep up on downhills or is there no difference?
Hi S W! yeh those thatched cottages and old stone houses with mullion windows and all that - gorgeous. And yes the cathedral cities were beautiful too. So nice to explore. About small wheels and keeping up with Lynne, well, on a downhill on a smooth road in good light - ie not in dappled shadow which hides bumps and other hazards - my little wheels are as fast as Lynne's "normal" bike. We both can just zoom down. No difference really in that situation. Offroad, however, she was much faster than me, because on rough ground, big wheels cope better than small wheels. I had to go more slowly and carefully, easing the bike over the potholes and rubbly stones etc. We noticed a couple of other things actually: the small-wheel bike was better for dealing with obstacles eg the fallen tree - that tree was a hassle for Lynne, but I could just kind of flip the little bike over it. And another thing was that I could effortlessly hop on and off the Brompton because of its low, "step-through" frame, whereas Lynne always had to hoik her leg over the back of the bike to get on and off. It's only a little thing, but actually tedious and quite tiring when doing it lots of times over the day. Anyway, there you go! A couple of thoughts. Thanks so much for watching my channel!
@@susannathornton Thank you for your reply. It sounds like overall both bikes come out equal in capabilities. I've never ridden a Brompton, having only ever owned road bikes, but I find its range of performance fascinating. City commutes to long distance bike adventures--it fits!
A charming video, Susanna. And your audio is now excellent! I like too your laid-back approach to mileage on this trip 😁. That's just exactly my cup of tea... Also your brilliant choice, sometimes cyclable sometimes only semi-cyclable, of the old Roman Road. I'm following all your videos and so far have only missed your last one which I haven't yet watched. Always looking out for any incidental tips I can pick up from your videos as I prepare for my new approach to holidaying: solo bikepacking (also with friends who want to do the same if and whan I come across them) with a bit of wild camping thrown in. I'm slowly but surely gearing up. Two questions if I may: 1. Can you give us more details on your lovely camping deckchair? Very interesting and, at first glance, to be greatly coveted. 2. Did you get a chance to visit inside the cathedrals, and if so how did you deal with the issue of bike and luggage security? Oh, and I DO agree with your polite but confident dissent from the gentleman's declaration that he's getting too old for biking. If I can still enjoy my bike at the age of 71½, then I think anyone can. Why not? Just slow down a bit and adapt to your age. At least, that's what *_I_* think 😏
Bravo to you Muddy283! Yes I think you're right, the answer is to adapt things to suit, don't worry about mileage - short is sweet; don't worry about being fast - being slow is a joy; and make sure you're always as comfortable as possible... On which subject, my *CHAIR* wooo! is a Helinox Chair Zero, and is best thing I have bought for YEARS. Not cheap but simply a fantastic thing. Super-light, takes seconds to set up, and bingo, a deckchair! No more looking for ages for a suitable rock or wall, and no more being in the sun when you want to be in the shade or in the shade when you want to be in the sun etc. You sit wherever you want, in luxury, leaning back looking at the view or watching birds or cricket or whatever, sipping coffee and eating biscuits, and oh how life is sweet. Haha. We didn't go inside the cathedrals, by the way, sadly. Yeh the whole hassle of how to leave a touring bike safely without fretting about it...
@@susannathornton Great! I've checked out that chair and on the basis of your recommendation I'm on the verge of going for it - hovering on that "Continue to payment" button. I'll probably sleep on it before committing! PIty about not visiting inside of the cathedrals. Seems to defeat half the point of the exercise. My idea would be: either to splash out for a super meal in a pub and then ask them whether they'd mind if I left my Brompton there while I visited the cathedral (and just hope & pray that I'd get a positive response). Or: book in advance a bed and breakfast at the cathedral town and ask if I can check in early. Of course, the first option is easier if you have a Brompton and even easier if you're only one. Anyway, thanks a million for your very complete response 😁 !
@@Muddy283 Hi again! yeh outside was already great but a pity not to also visit inside, you're right. Actually with two of us, we could go in one by one. Next time. By the way, did you go for the chair eventually!? I was wondering if you got it and what you thought!
@@susannathornton I held off closing on the purchase until this afternoon, only to find it is now out of stock (choice of colour: black - since it will presumably show less dirt and stains). Drat it! However I've put myself on the list to be notified when it comes back in stock. By the way, do you think it's worth going for the "Groundsheet"? I've noticed in the Reviews that it can sometimes be a bit unstable on some iffy surfaces and it was felt that the Groundsheet might help with this.
@@Muddy283 Aw, pity you missed that chair for now. Hope you get one soon if you have set your mind on it, which I totally recommend. About the "groundsheet" thing, I ummd and ahhd a bit, as it sounded handy but it is quite pricey isn't it. And then I didn't go for it. And, so far I have the used the chair on lots of different surfaces and it has been fine on everything, except "loose" muddy stony wet sand (on the banks of the Thames near the National Theatre actually, when a friend and I sat out on the beach one evening at low tide and watched the boats go by and had a coffee, v nice). The feet of the chair dug into the sand unevenly so that the chair kind of tipped over a bit. So I stood the chair on my old, red foam sitting mat, and it kind of worked, except one of the feet ended up poking through the (soft) mat in one corner (ie damaged the mat a bit). So the chair without the groundsheet is not great on softish sand. But actually on hard-packed flat wet sand (on a lovely beach in Donegal a few weeks later), I used the chair/mat combintion and it worked fine. So, if you are going to do a lot of beaches with softish sand, i would get the groundsheet. Otherwise, I think you'll be fine without it most of the time.
Hi Susanne, do you have a link to the Cathedral routes?! My wife and I did Bristol to Newbury following the canal two years ago, Bath was a great place to cycle!!! Thanks Andy
Hello! that sounds like a nice ride you guys did. The cathedrals website is here - scroll down, and you'll see info for each leg of the route www.cyclinguk.org/cathedrals-cycle-route-challenge
Hi Platypus hatstand, thanks for the lovely comment! The tracks were Slowfly, 'Barefoot'; Volcan Peaks, Cody Francis, 'Dreamers of the Shore'; Cody Francis, 'Old Pen'. By the way, what a name haha, love it.
Nice to see again Combe Down tunnel and Bath where I ended my trip to southern England in spring! Great you rediscovered that Roman Road, it looked gorgeous if a little narrow in some parts...! :) What merino do you use by the way?
Hellooo Gianni!! Yeh it was good fun doing those tunnels. We really enjoyed the whole ride - first following the cycle route, and then going a bit off-piste looking for that Roman road. About merino things, I bought two merino long-sleeve base layers from Decathlon last year, and they have been absolutely brilliant. I wear them kind of all the time, and I have raved so much several friends now bought them too haha and also are in them the whole time
@@susannathornton Great to hear about Decathlon Merino! I have always used Howies which are great but as most merino wool clothes, quite pricey... I had seen those Decathlon ones and had already thought I should give them a try next; hearing what you say I definitely will do! Take good care.
Hello, nice to see you again …Do you really enjoy to travel with somebody ? For me I like when you are alone because you are not affraid to wild camping … and I feel your happiness …Excuse my bad english. Do you understand french ? It ‘s easier for me …😂 hope to see you very soon …j’ai installé sur mon Brompton un plateau 39 dents et je peux grimper de longues côtes, avez-vous le même aussi?
Hi Chantal! Yes I love travelling alone - as you can see from the films! But I do also enjoy travelling with friends or my husband or people in my family. Travelling with other people is a very different experience from going alone. I think both are nice. Yes I understand French, loved it at school. Please use the language that is easiest for you (and of course there is always google translate haha). About your chainring, oh it sounds great with your 39 ring! Yes that is exactly the same as I did, and it helps me so much. I hardly ever - basically never - miss having a bigger top gear, and love having an easier bottom gear. Especially when I have luggage on the bike, making it heavier. Thanks for watching my channel! More (solo! wild camping!) films coming soon! I did two more adventures since the ride with Lynne actually, and am making the films now. Best wishes!
Hermoso viaje! Gracias por compartirlo. La música también es hermosa y muy relajante, me gustaría saber quien es la chica que canta, si puedes contestar te lo agradeceré. Saludos desde Puerto Rico!! 🇵🇷
Hi Karmenkin! Thank you for the lovely comment! The song Stay Brave is nice isn't it. I think that is the one you mean. The band is called Bird of Figment. I just tried to find out the name of the singer. I couldn't see the name. But the lyrics are lovely. Here they are Take a leap of faith Run with me Oh clouds go by and the sun is set high And I believe you when you say That this is never gonna change Say, would you like to spend your days with me always Be brave - we all need far too much Just stay brave, beside me Happy days - running on the open fields Yeah Take on me, I’m worth your while Honestly, I’m running a bit wild Be brave - we all need far too much Just stay brave, beside me Happy days - running on the open fields Yeah And I believe you when you say That this is never gonna change Say, would you like to spend your days with me oh Be brave - we all need far too much Just stay brave, here beside me Happy days - running on the open fields We’ll stay brave
Hi Alan! Thanks for watching! On fairly smooth surfaces - eg an average C road in the UK - the Brompton and Lynne's "normal" bike were equal, speed wise. Actually, my little wheels and step-through frame meant I could hop on and dart off much faster than Lynne, and hop off more easily too. Lynne had to hoik her leg over the back of the bike each time we stopped and started, and found it tiring doing that many times a day. On rough surfaces, the Brompton tends to be slower - ie on roads with lots of potholes, or on asphalt with coarse stones, or where there are tree roots going across etc. Little wheels go into every divot, and if you hit a tree root or a stone at speed, you really feel the bangs. Lynne on her "normal" bike could just bash on fast on this type of surface without worrying, whilst I had to go more slowly and pick my way. Actually the Brompton is so well built (and I am quite light) so I could probably go faster and treat the bike much more roughly, but I don't. We didn't have deep gravel, or cobbles on this ride, but they are also much easier on bigger wheels than with small ones. Hope that helps! Thanks for writing!
@@susannathornton thanks for the reply. I have a Brommy and love it and really fancy the idea of touring on it, hence your vids are of great interest. They are such brilliant machines.
Thanks for sharing this Susanna, I really did enjoy it. One reason is I lived in Romsey, which is about half way between Salisbury and Winchester, so I know both places well. We used to cycle to both for a pub lunches. We never went the direct way because of the busy roads. Is this the first two cathedrals your friend has 'bagged'?
Hi Colin! sounds like a nice place to live, nice countryside. We liked the small lanes away from the main roads - and the pub lunches haha. About cathedrals, Lynne has now done six
Hi Gordon! yeh parts of the track were rough. So I had to go slowly on my small wheels, and Lynne on her large wheel bike could roll faster than me, especially downhill. It was interesting to do this ride together, and see how it was on the different bikes. Lynne has bought a small wheeler now actually. Partly cos with a folder it is so much easier to get to where you want to start the adventure, and then end it, just hop on any train etc
These are Videos that may get many more people out on a walk or a bike as they actually don’t do 1000km or a 2000km race and instead it’s 80km in three days. Good idea. Let’s get Cycling U.K. and sustrans showing these maybe?
Great video's and love your thoughtful comentary. One thing which makes me a bit anxious when watching your video's is that you don't seem to ride with a helmet on. Just wondered why as you seemed to wear one in the past. No judgement intended just interested in your take on the helmet issue.
Thanks for the lovely comment! Glad you like the films! About helmets, yes I realise that if I had a bad crash and hit my head, a helmet could reduce the risk of head injury. In the past I wore helmets a lot. For road racing and track racing, which I did through the 90s, helmets were mandatory, so of course I wore one. And when I cycled from Hong Kong to the UK in 2006, I was still in that mindset. But I simply prefer riding without a helmet. When touring, a helmet is a relatively big and awkward thing to carry and store when you're not wearing it. These days, I am really minimalist, paring down my gear, and keeping everything as simple as possible, and a helmet is one of the things I don't take. Generally, on helmets I like Chris Boardman's point of view. He says he understands why some people want to wear a helmet. But if riding a bike looks and feels "normal" - ie does not require body armour - then more people will cycle instead of getting in their cars, and that will mean fewer folks suffer or die from obesity-related illness, and from air pollution. And added to that, I think we'll all be happier too. Boardman puts it better than me. He has a good article here www.britishcycling.org.uk/campaigning/article/20141103-campaigning-news-Boardman--Why-I-didn-t-wear-a-helmet-on-BBC-Breakfast-0 Anyway thanks for watching!! Happy cycling!
@@susannathornton Totally agree. I love what Chris Boardman is doing for cycling in Manchester and hope it trickles outwards throughout the UK eventually. I can see the point of a cycle helmet if you are competing in a cycling sport, or if you are naturally an aggressive rider who loves speed, but for pottering along gently, no - not necessary. I cycle at about the same speed - or slower - as I would if I were into running and I wouldn't wear a helmet to go running.
Hi Dave, thanks for watching. About the captions, you control them yourself - if you don't want them, you should be able to turn them off using a little icon thingy at the top of your UA-cam screen. The icon thing looks like "CC"
I've just bought a Brompton, so am currently binge-watching Brompton channels on UA-cam, as many as I can find! I loved your video. The trip looked great and the music you used was gorgeous, it gave a really laid back, mellow vibe to everything. Lovely! Thank you.
Hi Ladynix! glad you liked this film. Great you got a Brompton. Hope you enjoy lots of laid back, mellow rides... 😎🚲
I am also binge watching Brampton videos and dreaming of touring with mine.
It has been my experience that the hardest things to find on a bike tour are a place to sit down and a place with shade. You can get one or the other, but rarely both in the same spot. That's why the camp chair is so nice. That, and what it does to rest your back muscles. I'd be willing to bet that after watching you, your friend will go out and get herself her own camp chair. And she'll have you to thank!
Hi Rick! Yes, that's exactly my experience. Shade, or out of the wind... The other thing I also need in the same spot is something to prop the bike up against... so it is quite hard to find it all in one spot. That little chair is a fantastic bit of kit!
It's good to see that you have cycling buddies like Lynne. I cycle alone, dine alone and ponder alone. I'm that way inclined, but most definitely not miserable. Love your channel!
Hi Mr Wrong! Yes! I am lucky to have friends like Lynne. I do also enjoy cycling alone - and definitely not miserable either haha. Thanks for watching my channel and for your lovely comment! Happy cycling!
Too many nice moments in this little film to list here, so I'll just say how much I enjoyed it and will come be back to watch it again and again whenever it is dark and rainy outside. You've given me some ideas to plan a few 3 or 4 day leisurely trips myself next summer. Thank you so much for sharing this little film with us again, bless you.
Aw thanks for the lovely comment Pootling along xx yeh isn't it nice looking at images of lazy summer days... Even now, making the film just a few weeks after we did the ride, I was liked seeing how golden and warm it was then (mostly, when it wasn't drizzling haha). Thanks for watching!
How great is it to have a cycle route like that...and pubs all along the way. Awesome. 👍🙂🚴♂️🏕️🍺
Hi again Brian! yeh it was a lovely trip that. About food, if I am on my own I take my own food, but it was great to enjoy a pub lunch (or two), and a cafe stop (or three 🙄) on that trip with Lynne
Bicycles are amazing machines
Thank you for your vlog
Haha, yes they are! 😁🚲
I have loved watching your travels around the world you are a great inspiration but I am concerned about you and your health please be well all the best Tina B.C 🇨🇦
this takes a girls night out to KNIghthood BLESS U 2
Another great video, thank you so much. I had a smile at Lynne’s paper map - that was me all over until I (reluctantly) got OS mapping on my phone… I wouldn’t be without it now as I can plan and follow routes so easily with it when I’m in places I don’t know. I can easily divert off if I see something interesting and still know where I am! I didn’t know this Cathedrals route existed, so quite excited to have a go myself! It’s great to be able to pick up at a cathedral near me (Southwell) and just go! I sometimes take my little dachshund with me on my bike trips for company, she has her own little buddyrider, and it gives me someone to talk to 🤣. Thanks again for the inspiration!
Hi Ceri! thanks for the comment! Hope you enjoy the cathedrals rides. THeir website is really good actually, lots of inspiring ideas. Lynne and I thought we would do another but we haven't decided which yet. About maps, yeh, I use kind of a blend of paper and apps. I think both have good points. For getting an overview of where I am and what is round about, I still find the OS 1:50k paper maps brilliant. I did a two-day adventure a couple of weeks ago following a river to its source, and was really glad I had paper 1:50k maps with me for it, to get a sense of where I was and what was round about. Sounds so nice taking your dog! Just looked up buddyriders to see what they are! Wow a proper little seat! haha so cute. Thanks for writing!
Just simply awesome.! This video put me in a state of pleasant contemplation...nothing much else to say. Thank you Susanna.
Hi Fuji FatBike! thanks for watching and for the super comment! 😎
Love your videos Susanna. And love your song selection, if you ever find the time please do start a Spotify playlist with the music you use!
Agree!
Fabulous food on the trail…. can’t believe you make pancakes!! Yum!!
Yeh pancakes are a nice thing to do. I buy dried pancake mix and I measure out the amount I need at home and put it in a ziplock plastic bag with some dried egg powder. It weighs nothing, so it's no problem to carry it. Then when you want your pancake, you just tip the powder into a pan, add water and whisk it a bit till it is a smooth batter, then melt a tiny bit of butter in a frying pan and cook the pancakes. I forgot the butter once - very disappointing when you have been thinking about pancakes and looking forward to them... Lesson learned. I never stop learning lessons haha
@@susannathornton easy peasy!!
Thx for including historic points of interest. You have a great talent for editing.
Loved the video. Looks like a very nice route to do with a friend. As always, the music is perfect for this video. I’m presently on a tour of the east coast of the USA, 1100 miles as of today. All the best, Steve
Hey I just mentioned you in my comment and scrolled down to see you are a fan of Susanna too! I have been looking daily to see if you have posted yet about this new tour you are on. I guess we will have to wait until you come home and are able to post. Stay safe on the road.
Hi Steve! Thanks for watching! Especially whilst you're out there on a ride too! Sounds like it's a brilliant adventure. BTW your 'ride your age' thing is great. A lovely veteran club cyclist I knew did that actually, right till in his late 80s, riding his age on his birthday. He had to split it over two days after a certain point. Fantastic. Thanks for writing! Happy cycling! x
@@susannathornton Hi Susanna, your friend in his 80's sound like an amazing individual! I just finished my trip and will start posting videos soon. Thanks again and all the best, Steve
The great relaxing song at the end is by Cody francis it's called old pen,.love his music and Suzanna your videos are just wonderful, you are.inspiring me a life long cycle tourer to get back in the saddle again. I wish you all that you hope for.
aw thank you for the lovely comment Mike, glad you like the films. Wishing you all you hope for too🚲😎
That was great! I love your videos, the music, the sights and sounds, your camping spots, etc. Keep on riding and posting videos! Your videos make me want to plan a bike trip and explore! :)
Hi Char! thanks! aw yes enjoyed that trip with Lynne, a while back now! time we did another one. Lynne has bought a folder too now, and got new bags and everything, very swish
Lovely video thanks for sharing, I covered the first section of your route from Bath to Frome with the Brompton Touring Group about a moth ago, a great route. Looking forward to your next adventure
Hi Terry! Thanks for the lovely comment! Looking forward to your next one too! yeh we really enjoyed that route, the old railway and the teeny tiny lanes and lovely villages, and then Frome is such a nice place for coffee etc 👍🚲
could watch your adventures all day.
Thanks for writing! glad you like the films!
Yes. That was so nice. Thank you Susanna, for taking us with you on your trip...
...and for pulling your footage together into something so involving and watchable.
Thanks for watching Effyleven! and thanks for the lovely comment 😁
Loving your videos and the soundtrack is so beautiful.
Hi Christopher! aw thanks, glad you like it! yeh I was really happy with the music I found for this film, fitted so nicely to the atmosphere, old friends, easy, good times
Susanna, I love revisiting your older routes.
Peter
Great video, you inspired me to take my Brompton out on a tour, just got back from the GAP trail and C&O Towpath, Pittsburgh to Washington, DC. My first self-supported camping tour.
Hi Edward! Aw that's fantastic!! How was it??? I just looked up the route. Sounds beautiful and really interesting. So cool!!! Hope you enjoying being back home again after the adventure - surprising how lovely just sitting on a sofa can be, after a few days without haha😎 Thanks so much for writing! x
@@susannathornton Hi Susanna, I thought it was wonderful. The Brompton was awesome. When I got to DC I was able to fold it up and ride the train home. It was so convenient. Keep the videos coming, they are great.
Another lovely video. Enjoyed the captions and the music. You made it look effortless! Keep up the fine work.
Thank you very much Alan! Glad you enjoyed it!
I miss the English countryside. What a lovely video. It's great to see afresh face as well in the form of Lyne. Wish I had a cycling buddy.
Hi Ace R! Thanks for writing. Glad you liked the video. Yeh, friends are so precious. Even if none of your friends (at the moment!) are into cycling, I hope you have some great friends in your life.
Your video brought fond memories to me again; memories of cycling from London to Bath, and then down thru the Wiltshire Downs (?) via Stonehenge to the channel and on to France. The English countryside is always the "best" imho, and I've rolled thru many places. I liked the "tea stops" a lot, in those smaller villages ... at pubs with a fire going and dogs lounging about. Until I opened my mouth (American English), I felt like I was "home" ... and I was, in a certain way.
Aw thanks for writing Frankie. You describe it so well! Glad the film brought back happy memories
Sue and I are gradually watching all your videos on this channel. It was a rainy day yesterday so we travelled from Hong Kong into China with you yesterday - and very interesting it was too. watching this video today reminded me I bought my Helinox chair 7 years ago and it took me until last year to find out turning it on its back inside the tent, with a suitable wodge of clothing/pillow etc, it makes a great backrest too. Your videos are urging me to get out and cycle camp this Spring (Tasmania). I'm just waiting for the rain to stop as the ground is sodden and there's a lot of flooding right now. Bloody La Niña !!
Hi Ant and Sue, aw glad you like my channel. Thanks for watching! I must get back to making the films about cycling from Hong Kong to England, I got distracted away from them but I want to complete it. Lots to do! Oh that is very interesting about turning the Helinox on its back. I am going to try that! Hope the rain stops so you can get out there
Hi Susanna, greetings from sunny Malaysia 🇲🇾. Loved the video since it brought back many happy memories as I was born and raised in Somerset, so many of the places you travelled through on this trip were my old home turf before moving out here 16 years ago. Good to see it's still as pretty as ever with the thatched cottages and lovely pub gardens. Our lockdown is slowly easing out here so I can finally start to venture out again for local hikes and bike rides . Look forward to seeing your next trip. ATVB and stay safe 😷
Hi Razif! thanks for writing such a lovely comment. I'm so glad the film brought back happy memories. Great that the lockdown is easing there too, hurrah. Happy hiking and biking! Best wishes!
Glad you survived the plannedemic
Great video and plenty information for anyone considering having a go.. Thanks!!
Hi Ivan! Thanks for the lovely comment!
Thank you for telling me about this route! Looks like a fun one.
3:43. POOT! =D
What a great trip! So fun.
Hi Madiantin! hope you are well! thanks for the comment! BTW I just looked up that shop haha, wondering what it is. They have a great instagram page - wonder why they are called that! 😁
@@susannathornton Lol! I"ll have to go check them out. =)
Another great adventure with another great video to match.
Thanks again Susanna 👍
Hi Tony! Thank you!! Best wishes!
Fantastic journey, Loved the Roman Road, thanks for sharing,
Hi Peter! Thanks for watching! yeh I never tried to ride a Roman Road before actually. It was good. Might try another one day. Thanks for writing!
Excellent thank you 👏👏👏👏👍😊🙏☘️
The gentleman has been doing it 50 years 👏⚙️
Aw yeh, he was lovely. Hope he keeps going many more years
How lovely. ❤️
So much beautiful landscapes.... history and lovely cottages. Enjoying all this while having my breakfast, there's almost no better way, Thanks again (-;
Another great video and what a great idea a Cathedrals cycle route that appeals to me. Just found the link to this route. Thank You!
Hi Les! Yeh it is a nice idea isn't it. The cathedrals route website is good, lots of nice pics. Lynne had done several more of the cathedrals now, since we did this ride together. Happy cycling!
Thank you for taking us with you along this trip.
Hi DeeDee! thanks for watching! 😎
Ah, those English country lanes are lovely. Good job on following the Roman road! The music was nice too! I am now planning a trip of my own once this Sydney lockdown ends :)
Hi John! Hope the lockdown ends soon there and you get out on a trip soon. Thanks for writing!
Love your videos and I subscribed, funny, I’ve seen three of them until now and it’s always raining 😂
I always complain a lot when it is raining and I’m cycling. At least I can now take your example and smile 😃
Hi Laurent! haha yes I seem to attract the rain. Thanks for the lovely comment, and for subscribing too. I just did a ride in gorgeous winter sun. Woo! Makes a change! Film coming soon! Best wishes!🌞
Another lovely video, with quaint English scenery and big skies. The Roman Road was lovely, and didn’t seem to give the Brompton too much of a challenge.
Hi Linda! thanks for the lovely comment! yeh the Roman Road was fun, and interesting. The weather had been fairly dry, and the ground was mainly quite hard, so we reckoned it would be doable, and it was. Thanks for watching!
Loved the video Susanna. Im hoping to complete the King Alfred's Way cycle route when time permits which starts and ends in Winchester.
Hi Bill! thanks for watching and for writing too! Happy cycling!
Lovely very nice route
Lucky to have such a good friend
🥰🥰😊
Hi Dr Ajay! yes I am very lucky. Thanks for the lovely comment!
Very familiar scenes and great to see in a video as a resident of Radstock. Nice of you to drop by. 🙂
Hi Nigel! Thanks for watching! and for writing from Radstock. We enjoyed those friendly benches at the war memorial, very nice for a relaxing lunch, as you saw.
What a nice surprise- came home from a long hard day, put on my UA-cam and saw that you had posted. Thankyou once again for sharing your bike rides and wonderful videos with us all. I certainly look forward to them. Thanks to you, and Darren The Bicycle Touring Pro, and Steve Retired and Cycling(another little known but great cycling channel) I am cycling 20 miles 5x week. You are very inspiring.
Hi Bernice, it’s great that you are riding a lot. Thanks for mentioning my channel. I will start posting videos mid October once I’m back home. Take care, Steve
Hi Berenice! oh wow that is fantastic that you're out there cycling 20 miles 5x a week. Thanks so much for writing - I feel honoured to be listed alongside those other channels haha! It is so nice that people write nice comments, and great that we can encourage each other on social media like this. Take care! Happy cycling!! 😎🚲👋
Looks like you had a lot of fun there. Some great architecture on that ride. The Roman ‘road’ looked a bit mixed with its mud and fallen trees, but then, this summer has not been the best. I guess you weren’t in danger of overheating. Loved the slo mo tractor scene too. Well done for another nice film, Susanna.
Hi Vin! yes lots of gorgeous old houses. I really liked the sort of "chequerboard" effect they did with different kinds of stone in places. I don't think I've really seen that anywhere else before. Haha glad you liked my slo mo straw! I was trying to think how to make more visible all the bits blowing in the wind
Lovely video, thank you.
Hi! Thanks for watching! 😎
Loved your video thank you so much
Hi Janie! Aw thank you for the lovely comment!
Lovely! Just lovely. Nearly makes me want to come back to England, that green and pleasant land!
Hello ShotenZenjin! thanks for the lovely comment! 😎🚲
Susanna another excellent film, really interesting scenery and villages and this ride appeals to me as I like to have somewhere, like a cathedral or castle to explore as part of the day
Hi Adam! thanks for watching and for the lovely comment. The new cathedrals route is a nice idea I think. I also love to research the story of something - normally historical things with me - so the ride includes a kind of hunt for a place with a story that I am interested in, a specific house where someone lived, a village, a church, or a journey that someone did etc. I love doing that sort of thing.
Another great video
Hi Phill! thanks! glad you liked it. Lynne has got a folder now haha. So we are planning another joint ride this year, a Tern and a Brompton it will be
An excellent video and a very nice bike route. Thanks for sharing. Greetings friend
Hi Hari Suso! Greetings to you too! Glad you liked the video! thank you for watching!
Another lovely video 🤩 beautiful scenery you just keep getting better .
Hi Keith! Aw thanks, so nice of you
Lovely views and villages, very nice. Thanks
Hi Alex! thank you for the lovely comment!
Lovely video, thanks for sharing!
Hi Stuart! Thanks for watching! glad you liked it
Lovely video
Thanks Colin! Glad you liked it
The Roman Road looks interesting - will have to look at that one some time in the next summer. Thanks
Thanks for watching! I've never tried that before, actually, following a Roman Road, and it was good fun and interesting, and that one was really doable. Happy cycling!
Very lovely video, I enjoyed it so much.
Cheers from Germany
Hi bergolli1! Thank you! Glad you liked it!
Lovely video…thanks for posting….beautiful England, cycle touring and some Roman “stuff” too…happy days! 😃
Hi Andy! Thanks for writing. Actually I've never tried following a Roman Road before. It was great. Might try some more! best wishes!
@@susannathornton you’ve probably ridden on a quite a few already to be honest….there’s one with a good surface heading westwards towards Caleva Atrebatum (Silchester). At Silchester there is a surprisingly intact Roman wall and an amphitheatre. Safe riding to you. 😃
Good point that I have probably ridden quite a few, eg I cycle up Edgware Road and Maida Vale quite a lot, and that is Watling Street isn't it... Silchester sounds really interesting. We went to a lot of Roman places when we were little, on family holidays, but mainly in the north of England. I have never been to Silchester. I just looked it up and it looks super interesting.
@@susannathornton I got a real buzz from understanding the size of the town by surveying the surviving wall and amphitheatre…I’d encourage you to visit some time. ua-cam.com/video/8IWYOAooz5M/v-deo.html
nice route beautiful Cathedrals and I just love the English country side.At the pub near the end the Sunday
Roast looked yum yum.Here in Canada the restaurants don’t really know how to make Yorkshire’s.🇨🇦🚲😎🥩
Hi Barrie! Thanks for writing! Yeh it was good food on this trip - the fish & chips was good too. Sorry to hear about the Yorkshire pudding situation there
What a wonderful video. I really enjoyed this. Thank you for sharing it :)
Thanks for watching!
Wonderful!!
Hi John! thank you!! glad you liked it!
Great video! Hope you are well🥰
Hi Reli! thanks so much! hope you are well too! and have had time to get out on some adventures!
@@susannathornton i have managed to escape London but for hikes only!:)
When I am done with this workthingy I will take my bike for a loooong spin. Like the old fart on his randoneur in your video. 👍🍻❤🙏
Hi you enjoyed your long spin there. That old fella was such a nice man. I felt like I kind of knew him. But I think there were just quite a lot of people like him among the older members of the club I used to ride with
Nice to have a friendship like that from school days - and both cycling - nice laid back tour - nice to see compared to some of the 'epics' on youtube
Hi Paul! yes, old friends, so precious. Thank you for the lovely comment 🚲😎
There's a Wellow village on the Isle of Wight. Keep Safe xx
Interesting coincidence, just went though Bath Spa on the train for the first time on a work trip just now, and thought “I must take my bike here” :)
Hi Tina! Oh that is a coincidence! Actually a couple of years ago I also went by rail London to Bristol for work, and I also thought how nice the countryside looked train window, and the city of Bath. Hope you get to take your bike there one day too !
I love this so much! The music is perfect. Who is that?
Thanks Lori! The songs in this film are Firefly/Barefoot; Volcan Peaks/Dreamers of the Shore; and Cody Francis/Old Pen. Actually, because of your message, I rewatched the film myself just now haha, so nice! we had such a lovely time on that ride, Lynne and me! we are planning to do some more adventures together this coming year, good!!! Anyway, meanwhile, thanks for watching!
Pleasant video, lovely musical accompaniment. Looks like a good route, how did those little wheels go over that "rough stuff"/
Hi PJ Billy! Yeh it was interesting actually to do that ride with me on a Brompton and Lynne on her hybrid. Re surfaces, my little wheels did pretty well eg no prob with grassy paths, hard packed trails etc. If there had been deep sticky mud, it would have been much harder for me due to the very tight clearances of the Brompton, and actually if we'd expected really bad muddy conditions, we prob would not have attempted the offroad stuff. On rougher bits of offroad, big wheels will obviously always cope better than small wheels - on rough downhill sections, you can see Lynne can bash on faster than me. I had to go more slowly and carefully, easing the bike over the potholes and rubbly stones etc. On the positive side for the Brommie, we found the small-wheel bike was better for dealing with obstacles eg the fallen tree - that obstacle was a hassle for Lynne, but I could just kind of flip the little bike over the fallen tree and I was away... We also noticed that I could effortlessly step on and off the Brompton, because its low frame is effectively "step-through", whereas when Lynne mounted and dismounted, she always had to hoik her leg over the back of the bike, which is tedious and tiring when doing it numerous times all day. Anyway, there you go. A couple of thoughts! Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed the film!
To my American eye, this trip was quintessential England with it's beautiful landscapes, thatched roof houses, and narrow city streets. It was lovely to see and once again you--and Lynne-- make it look easy breezy. Stupid question? Is a Brompton as fast as a regular road bike? Is it harder to keep up on downhills or is there no difference?
Hi S W! yeh those thatched cottages and old stone houses with mullion windows and all that - gorgeous. And yes the cathedral cities were beautiful too. So nice to explore. About small wheels and keeping up with Lynne, well, on a downhill on a smooth road in good light - ie not in dappled shadow which hides bumps and other hazards - my little wheels are as fast as Lynne's "normal" bike. We both can just zoom down. No difference really in that situation. Offroad, however, she was much faster than me, because on rough ground, big wheels cope better than small wheels. I had to go more slowly and carefully, easing the bike over the potholes and rubbly stones etc. We noticed a couple of other things actually: the small-wheel bike was better for dealing with obstacles eg the fallen tree - that tree was a hassle for Lynne, but I could just kind of flip the little bike over it. And another thing was that I could effortlessly hop on and off the Brompton because of its low, "step-through" frame, whereas Lynne always had to hoik her leg over the back of the bike to get on and off. It's only a little thing, but actually tedious and quite tiring when doing it lots of times over the day. Anyway, there you go! A couple of thoughts. Thanks so much for watching my channel!
@@susannathornton Thank you for your reply. It sounds like overall both bikes come out equal in capabilities. I've never ridden a Brompton, having only ever owned road bikes, but I find its range of performance fascinating. City commutes to long distance bike adventures--it fits!
A charming video, Susanna. And your audio is now excellent! I like too your laid-back approach to mileage on this trip 😁. That's just exactly my cup of tea... Also your brilliant choice, sometimes cyclable sometimes only semi-cyclable, of the old Roman Road.
I'm following all your videos and so far have only missed your last one which I haven't yet watched. Always looking out for any incidental tips I can pick up from your videos as I prepare for my new approach to holidaying: solo bikepacking (also with friends who want to do the same if and whan I come across them) with a bit of wild camping thrown in. I'm slowly but surely gearing up.
Two questions if I may:
1. Can you give us more details on your lovely camping deckchair? Very interesting and, at first glance, to be greatly coveted.
2. Did you get a chance to visit inside the cathedrals, and if so how did you deal with the issue of bike and luggage security?
Oh, and I DO agree with your polite but confident dissent from the gentleman's declaration that he's getting too old for biking. If I can still enjoy my bike at the age of 71½, then I think anyone can. Why not? Just slow down a bit and adapt to your age. At least, that's what *_I_* think 😏
Bravo to you Muddy283! Yes I think you're right, the answer is to adapt things to suit, don't worry about mileage - short is sweet; don't worry about being fast - being slow is a joy; and make sure you're always as comfortable as possible... On which subject, my *CHAIR* wooo! is a Helinox Chair Zero, and is best thing I have bought for YEARS. Not cheap but simply a fantastic thing. Super-light, takes seconds to set up, and bingo, a deckchair! No more looking for ages for a suitable rock or wall, and no more being in the sun when you want to be in the shade or in the shade when you want to be in the sun etc. You sit wherever you want, in luxury, leaning back looking at the view or watching birds or cricket or whatever, sipping coffee and eating biscuits, and oh how life is sweet. Haha. We didn't go inside the cathedrals, by the way, sadly. Yeh the whole hassle of how to leave a touring bike safely without fretting about it...
@@susannathornton Great! I've checked out that chair and on the basis of your recommendation I'm on the verge of going for it - hovering on that "Continue to payment" button. I'll probably sleep on it before committing!
PIty about not visiting inside of the cathedrals. Seems to defeat half the point of the exercise. My idea would be: either to splash out for a super meal in a pub and then ask them whether they'd mind if I left my Brompton there while I visited the cathedral (and just hope & pray that I'd get a positive response). Or: book in advance a bed and breakfast at the cathedral town and ask if I can check in early. Of course, the first option is easier if you have a Brompton and even easier if you're only one.
Anyway, thanks a million for your very complete response 😁 !
@@Muddy283 Hi again! yeh outside was already great but a pity not to also visit inside, you're right. Actually with two of us, we could go in one by one. Next time. By the way, did you go for the chair eventually!? I was wondering if you got it and what you thought!
@@susannathornton I held off closing on the purchase until this afternoon, only to find it is now out of stock (choice of colour: black - since it will presumably show less dirt and stains). Drat it! However I've put myself on the list to be notified when it comes back in stock.
By the way, do you think it's worth going for the "Groundsheet"? I've noticed in the Reviews that it can sometimes be a bit unstable on some iffy surfaces and it was felt that the Groundsheet might help with this.
@@Muddy283 Aw, pity you missed that chair for now. Hope you get one soon if you have set your mind on it, which I totally recommend. About the "groundsheet" thing, I ummd and ahhd a bit, as it sounded handy but it is quite pricey isn't it. And then I didn't go for it. And, so far I have the used the chair on lots of different surfaces and it has been fine on everything, except "loose" muddy stony wet sand (on the banks of the Thames near the National Theatre actually, when a friend and I sat out on the beach one evening at low tide and watched the boats go by and had a coffee, v nice). The feet of the chair dug into the sand unevenly so that the chair kind of tipped over a bit. So I stood the chair on my old, red foam sitting mat, and it kind of worked, except one of the feet ended up poking through the (soft) mat in one corner (ie damaged the mat a bit). So the chair without the groundsheet is not great on softish sand. But actually on hard-packed flat wet sand (on a lovely beach in Donegal a few weeks later), I used the chair/mat combintion and it worked fine. So, if you are going to do a lot of beaches with softish sand, i would get the groundsheet. Otherwise, I think you'll be fine without it most of the time.
Hi Susanne, do you have a link to the Cathedral routes?! My wife and I did Bristol to Newbury following the canal two years ago, Bath was a great place to cycle!!! Thanks Andy
Hello! that sounds like a nice ride you guys did. The cathedrals website is here - scroll down, and you'll see info for each leg of the route www.cyclinguk.org/cathedrals-cycle-route-challenge
The countryside in Wiltshire & Hampshire looks very inviting.
Please can you state the music tracks that accompany your film?
Hi Platypus hatstand, thanks for the lovely comment! The tracks were
Slowfly, 'Barefoot';
Volcan Peaks, Cody Francis, 'Dreamers of the Shore';
Cody Francis, 'Old Pen'.
By the way, what a name haha, love it.
Nice to see again Combe Down tunnel and Bath where I ended my trip to southern England in spring! Great you rediscovered that Roman Road, it looked gorgeous if a little narrow in some parts...! :) What merino do you use by the way?
Hellooo Gianni!! Yeh it was good fun doing those tunnels. We really enjoyed the whole ride - first following the cycle route, and then going a bit off-piste looking for that Roman road. About merino things, I bought two merino long-sleeve base layers from Decathlon last year, and they have been absolutely brilliant. I wear them kind of all the time, and I have raved so much several friends now bought them too haha and also are in them the whole time
@@susannathornton Great to hear about Decathlon Merino! I have always used Howies which are great but as most merino wool clothes, quite pricey... I had seen those Decathlon ones and had already thought I should give them a try next; hearing what you say I definitely will do! Take good care.
Hello, nice to see you again …Do you really enjoy to travel with somebody ? For me I like when you are alone because you are not affraid to wild camping … and I feel your happiness …Excuse my bad english. Do you understand french ? It ‘s easier for me …😂 hope to see you very soon …j’ai installé sur mon Brompton un plateau 39 dents et je peux grimper de longues côtes, avez-vous le même aussi?
Hi Chantal! Yes I love travelling alone - as you can see from the films! But I do also enjoy travelling with friends or my husband or people in my family. Travelling with other people is a very different experience from going alone. I think both are nice. Yes I understand French, loved it at school. Please use the language that is easiest for you (and of course there is always google translate haha). About your chainring, oh it sounds great with your 39 ring! Yes that is exactly the same as I did, and it helps me so much. I hardly ever - basically never - miss having a bigger top gear, and love having an easier bottom gear. Especially when I have luggage on the bike, making it heavier. Thanks for watching my channel! More (solo! wild camping!) films coming soon! I did two more adventures since the ride with Lynne actually, and am making the films now. Best wishes!
Hermoso viaje!
Gracias por compartirlo. La música también es hermosa y muy relajante, me gustaría saber quien es la chica que canta, si puedes contestar te lo agradeceré.
Saludos desde Puerto Rico!! 🇵🇷
Hi Karmenkin! Thank you for the lovely comment! The song Stay Brave is nice isn't it. I think that is the one you mean. The band is called Bird of Figment. I just tried to find out the name of the singer. I couldn't see the name. But the lyrics are lovely. Here they are
Take a leap of faith
Run with me
Oh clouds go by and the sun is set high
And I believe you when you say
That this is never gonna change
Say, would you like to
spend your days with me always
Be brave - we all need far too much
Just stay brave, beside me
Happy days - running on the open fields
Yeah
Take on me, I’m worth
your while
Honestly, I’m running a bit wild
Be brave - we all need far too much
Just stay brave, beside me
Happy days - running on the open fields
Yeah
And I believe you when you say
That this is never gonna change
Say, would you like to
spend your days with me oh
Be brave - we all need far too much
Just stay brave, here beside me
Happy days - running on the open fields
We’ll stay brave
@@susannathornton Realmente hermosa!!
Gracias por compartirla y tomarte el tiempo para contestar! Buen día!
Gorgeous film thank you. Did you find your Brommy slower than the big wheeled bike? Was it an issue?
Hi Alan! Thanks for watching! On fairly smooth surfaces - eg an average C road in the UK - the Brompton and Lynne's "normal" bike were equal, speed wise. Actually, my little wheels and step-through frame meant I could hop on and dart off much faster than Lynne, and hop off more easily too. Lynne had to hoik her leg over the back of the bike each time we stopped and started, and found it tiring doing that many times a day. On rough surfaces, the Brompton tends to be slower - ie on roads with lots of potholes, or on asphalt with coarse stones, or where there are tree roots going across etc. Little wheels go into every divot, and if you hit a tree root or a stone at speed, you really feel the bangs. Lynne on her "normal" bike could just bash on fast on this type of surface without worrying, whilst I had to go more slowly and pick my way. Actually the Brompton is so well built (and I am quite light) so I could probably go faster and treat the bike much more roughly, but I don't. We didn't have deep gravel, or cobbles on this ride, but they are also much easier on bigger wheels than with small ones. Hope that helps! Thanks for writing!
@@susannathornton thanks for the reply. I have a Brommy and love it and really fancy the idea of touring on it, hence your vids are of great interest. They are such brilliant machines.
Loved the video, what make is your chair?
Hi Paul! Thanks for watching. My chair is a Helinox Chair Zero, expensive but a brilliant thing I love it
@@susannathornton thanks for replying I enjoy your videos
Thanks for sharing this Susanna, I really did enjoy it. One reason is I lived in Romsey, which is about half way between Salisbury and Winchester, so I know both places well. We used to cycle to both for a pub lunches. We never went the direct way because of the busy roads.
Is this the first two cathedrals your friend has 'bagged'?
Hi Colin! sounds like a nice place to live, nice countryside. We liked the small lanes away from the main roads - and the pub lunches haha. About cathedrals, Lynne has now done six
How was that trail with the Brompton, was it rough?
Hi Gordon! yeh parts of the track were rough. So I had to go slowly on my small wheels, and Lynne on her large wheel bike could roll faster than me, especially downhill. It was interesting to do this ride together, and see how it was on the different bikes. Lynne has bought a small wheeler now actually. Partly cos with a folder it is so much easier to get to where you want to start the adventure, and then end it, just hop on any train etc
These are
Videos that may get many more people out on a walk or a bike as they actually don’t do 1000km or a 2000km race and instead it’s 80km in three days. Good idea. Let’s get Cycling U.K. and sustrans showing these maybe?
Great video's and love your thoughtful comentary. One thing which makes me a bit anxious when watching your video's is that you don't seem to ride with a helmet on. Just wondered why as you seemed to wear one in the past. No judgement intended just interested in your take on the helmet issue.
Thanks for the lovely comment! Glad you like the films! About helmets, yes I realise that if I had a bad crash and hit my head, a helmet could reduce the risk of head injury. In the past I wore helmets a lot. For road racing and track racing, which I did through the 90s, helmets were mandatory, so of course I wore one. And when I cycled from Hong Kong to the UK in 2006, I was still in that mindset. But I simply prefer riding without a helmet. When touring, a helmet is a relatively big and awkward thing to carry and store when you're not wearing it. These days, I am really minimalist, paring down my gear, and keeping everything as simple as possible, and a helmet is one of the things I don't take. Generally, on helmets I like Chris Boardman's point of view. He says he understands why some people want to wear a helmet. But if riding a bike looks and feels "normal" - ie does not require body armour - then more people will cycle instead of getting in their cars, and that will mean fewer folks suffer or die from obesity-related illness, and from air pollution. And added to that, I think we'll all be happier too. Boardman puts it better than me. He has a good article here www.britishcycling.org.uk/campaigning/article/20141103-campaigning-news-Boardman--Why-I-didn-t-wear-a-helmet-on-BBC-Breakfast-0
Anyway thanks for watching!! Happy cycling!
@@susannathornton Totally agree. I love what Chris Boardman is doing for cycling in Manchester and hope it trickles outwards throughout the UK eventually. I can see the point of a cycle helmet if you are competing in a cycling sport, or if you are naturally an aggressive rider who loves speed, but for pottering along gently, no - not necessary. I cycle at about the same speed - or slower - as I would if I were into running and I wouldn't wear a helmet to go running.
Agora ficou melhor, com amiga.
That’s some bit of road/pathway enroute to Winchester! Hold on to your bladder and kidneys eh😮😮
Thanks for posting another video. Having to read the commentary quite annoying.
Hi Dave, thanks for watching. About the captions, you control them yourself - if you don't want them, you should be able to turn them off using a little icon thingy at the top of your UA-cam screen. The icon thing looks like "CC"