About

Back in 2020, I discovered an increased enthusiasm for cycling.

In the summer evenings, and at weekends, when there was little else to do during lockdown, I would explore out of town in the surrounding villages, doing rides of 20-30k. With each ride, I found I could steadily increase the mileage, and I gradually went further and further afield, getting one village further and ticking of places I hadn't seen before.

It wasn't too long before I was able to build to more challenging distances. By later in the summer, I would decide a fun way to visit a friend for an extended weekend was not to get the train, but to cycle 150km to his house.

The second lockdown came, and the with it, the same friend decided a group of us should ride together on Zwift as a way of regularly keeping up with other. We'd meet virtually, ride together virtually, frequently throughout the week. Then one of us decided we should ride the Coast to Coast together, once lockdown lifts. It was also decided, we should do it in a day. One day. A bonkers challenge looking back at it, but we completed it.

Throughout this time, I grew to love long-distance cycling. It was my favourite way to explore somewhere and get to know the geography of a place. And from there, I set out to go on some of my own multi-day tours. Starting with the famous UK challenge - Land's End to John o' Groats.

Rowan Sugden