Time travel
No, we haven’t gotten bored with making bikes and decided to move on to quantum physics. But maybe the title of this post got you interested enough to read on. This post is about travel time and how I have noticed that many touring routes have a proposed amount of days the route should take and how these often seem quite short compared to the number of miles. Why is that and who’s deciding these times are the appropriate allotted time for said route? We always hear the saying “It’s about the journey” Well if that’s the case why the rush?
At the end of last summer, me and two friends of mine rode the King Alfred Way. It’s a fairly new route and as it passes through Salisbury which is close to where we live it seemed like a good option for a late summer jaunt. Most of the write-ups about the route recommend taking 3 days to complete it, but at 220 miles we decided to take 4 days. 55 miles a day seemed like a good pace and enough time to take in the sights along the way. As I’m sure many of you have experienced things don’t always go to plan. So after only covering 35 miles on the first day due to our pal Phil getting a lot of flats and quickly realizing he had the wrong tool for the job (skinny 40mm tyres) we now had to cover 60 miles for the remaining 3 days.
It hit me straight away that even adding 1 day to the recommended 3 days to finish this route wasn’t enough, not that I was concerned at that point though as I was having too much of a good time. But still since having time to reflect it does make me wonder who’s making up these route times and what their goal is on a trip like this. A trip like this is so personal to the individual so setting the pace should be something that you consider according to the experience that you want to have.
I’m not knocking anyone who wants a challenge and wants to knock out a route in a set amount of time. We met some people while riding King Alfreds who very clearly had somewhere to be, a quick hello, and boom they were off before you could ask even the most mundane question. That said we did meet one guy from Belgium who was clearly seeking the kind of vibe were going for. Shirt off, flip flops, and an acoustic guitar strapped to his rear rack.
For me and those that I ride with a trip like this is a time to disconnect with the world that can so easily consume us. If you try to push on and get it done in a set time just because that is what seems to be the norm, then you are going to miss the little things that cultivate memories for years to come. In an ideal world, I would set out on a tour with no set time frame, but life and its commitments aren’t always so generous so that’s not always an option. What I would say is be generous with your time when planning a route, if someone is saying it will take 4 days then look at the miles, look at the terrain, and decide for yourself how long you want to take. Then give yourself a little bit more time if possible. I would say for myself on any future tours that I do I wouldn’t plan to ride any more than 40 miles a day, that gives plenty of time for long lunches, pedaling as quick or as slow as you like, and plenty of time to soak up all that you encounter. Then if you finish before you planned to at least you know you didn’t have to rush.
Researching anything is never a bad idea, though I’m not great at that kind of thing and always selfishly depend on someone for that. I mean let’s face it we all have our strengths. Mine is more like bringing electrolytes so everyone stays properly hydrated. I watched a video of a couple riding King Alfred’s before we left and they planned a week for their trip. I remember thinking, “Man a week to ride a 3-day route that’s a bit excessive” but now after doing it they had the right idea. I’d say your best bet is to do some research but don’t get too attached to it, make your plans but keep them loose and surrender to the unknown. We always think we need to know everything, but things are forever changing and everything looks different from a different perspective. The mindset that I’m learning to live by is that uncertainty is the rule, not the exception. If you don’t know then you tune in.
photos by Rimecuda