March 11, 2025
Summer 2025: England
Moving beyond the Schengen Zone the next stage is more vision than plan, but if things have gone well so far we hope to return to the United Kingdom again. This time we envision seeing it in much the same way we experienced Italy and France, and in particular we intend to see a considerably less vertically challenging side of the island than last time, one that avoids as much as possible those 15-25% walls we slammed against in the past.
Our plan for the UK is to use London as our base. From there we’ll take two tours: one beginning in London and biking up the Thames to Oxford, then west through the Cotswolds, Bath and Somerset. From there we’ll continue west through Exmoor National Park to the Irish Sea before doubling back east through Dartmoor National Park and the Jurassic Coast, ending at Dorchester.
From Dorchester we’ll take the train north to Morecombe Bay and bike across the top on the Way of the Roses and then follow the coast south to London. We’ll return to London in early October and are likely to hang around for a while. depending on the weather situation and how soon we think we need to head south. Americans can stay in the UK for up to six months on a standard visa, so we’ve got some flexibility. I haven’t been to London since Carol and I went there over fifty years, and Rachael has never seen it at all. Seems like it’s about time.
London to Dorcester (550 miles, 22 days, 32,000’)
Dorcester to Morecambe Bay by train
Morecambe Bay to London (550 miles, 22 days, 20,000’)
Fly to Leon, Spain
In total:
- Travel days by train: 1
- Travel days by bicycle: 44
- Layover days: 45 (or possibly more - we can stay longer in England)
- 1,100 miles, 44 days, 52,000’
- Average travel day = 25 miles, 1,200’
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