2013 Road.cc Tourist Trophy

Resident County: Bedfordshire

January: Middlesex
February: Derbyshire
March: Hertfordshire

I might regret playing one of my local jokers this early come November but I haven't had much scope for adventuring this month. A ride over the Chilterns and down Watling Street. No Romans in evidence and the 'highlight' was having to climb off to traverse a snowdrift in the home counties at the end of March. (Sighs)

January 8th - West Sussex
January 23rd - Cornwall (plus a bit in Devon)
January 32st - London
February - Nil (must try harder...)
March 2nd - Cumbria
March 6th - Lincolnshire (plus Cambridgeshire, but saving that one)
March 20th - Hampshire

Let's see what April brings.

March: West Yorkshire

Home county: Derbyshire

January: Powys
February: Lincolnshire
March: Gwynedd
April: Norfolk.

Did a 270 mile tour from home mostly on NCN routes carrying everything I needed over a couple of days this week. Had loads of counties to choose from but unlikely to get out there again.

Home county: East Sussex

January: Surrey
February: Kent
March: Isle of Wight
April: Dorset (and a tiny bit of Wiltshire)

Starting from near Cranborne, across the edge of the West Wiltshire Downs, over Cranborne Chase, down to the Jurassic Coast. Lunch at Lullworth Cove & a wander over the cliffs to Durdle Door. Back onto bike to Corfe Castle and then back north towards Cranborne.

Next month: Etape Caledonia

blog post for the March ride around the Isle of Wight is now online http://milltag.cc/tourist-trophy/march-tourist-trophy

Resident County: Bedfordshire

January: Middlesex
February: Derbyshire
March: Hertfordshire
April: Oxfordshire

Left it late, almost too late but high tailed it out of work yesterday afternoon to hit the lanes of north Oxfordshire. I got lost on the way out and the way back so took a bit more A road than planned and rode getting on for 40 miles home into an unforgiving headwind but it was a beautiful evening and I'll be back to explore that way again.

Resident County: Bedfordshire

January: Middlesex
February: Derbyshire
March: Hertfordshire
April: Oxfordshire
May: Cheshire

Friday I rode from Bedford to Droitwich Spa almost entirely on back roads but passing the walls of Warwick Castle (Olney - Towcester - Southam - Warwick - Alcester). I barely came across a car, it was a bucolic odyssey albeit one that featured an unrelenting headwind. I shared a lift to Chester with a friend for a reunion and then rode home to Beds on the Sunday. Having struggled to get out anywhere new last month I get to choose from Northants, Warwicks, Worcs, Cheshire, Salop, Staffs and Leics.

Home county: East Sussex

January: Surrey
February: Kent
March: Isle of Wight
April: Dorset (and a tiny bit of Wiltshire)

Dorset blog post now online - http://milltag.cc/uncategorized/apriltt

May:
Stage 1 - Perth & Kinross: Etape Caledonia [medium mountains]
Stage 2 - Fife: Tayport to St Andrews and back again [flat]
Stage 3 - Angus: Tay Road Bridge & Dundee [city centre criterium]
Stage 4 - Perth & Kinross: Cairngorms [summit finish, in Aberdeenshire]
Stage 5 - Cumbria: The Lake District [medium mountains]
Stage 6 - Cumbria: The Lake District [intermediate]

Tourist Trophy trip to the far north for the Etape Caledonia last Sunday. Afterwards drove down to Tayport to visit friends, so day after Etape was a recovery ride along Fife Coastal Route to St Andrews and back again. Day after that a spin over the Tay Road Bridge into Dundee. On the Wednesday drove up to the Glenshee ski station and rode down to Bridge of Cally, and then back up to the ski station.

Started the drive back to Brighton on Thursday morning, breaking the journey in the Lake District. So Thursday afternoon a short lap of Derwent Water and over Newlands Hause and Honister Pass. Up at the crack o' sparrows on Friday for a short ride around the hills near Ullswater. Then the long drive back to the seaside.

Was just tidying up my flickr stream and remembered Jo has asked us to send a postcard in this thread. So here's April in Denbighshire:

Horseshoe Pass Summit by Bhachgen, on Flickr

and May in Durham:

Three-wheeling at Burnhope by Bhachgen, on Flickr

Home county: Derbyshire

January: Powys
February: Lincolnshire
March: Gwynedd
April: Norfolk.
May: Stirling

(Photo was taken in Highlands!))

Towards Kinlochleven by blackhound59, on Flickr

I might have to bend the rules here a tiny bit to fit in, and am only just starting so will backdate as much as I can... Here goes.

Home 'county' Vallee D'Aulps, Haute Savoie, France.

Jan - Leicestershire
Feb (too snowy!)
Mar (too snowy!)
April - Zillertal, Austria
May - Lake Geneva, Switzerland
June -

just found the postcards for last month.

unfortunately couldn't find any proper old-school postcards with faded photos of ford anglias parked half way up a big hill

Home county: East Sussex

January: Surrey
February: Kent
March: Isle of Wight
April: Dorset (and a tiny bit of Wiltshire)
May: Perth & Kinross, Angus, Fife, Cumbria

June:
Stage 1 - Somerset & Wiltshire: 100 miles from Bath to Salisbury via Cheddar Gorge and Wells. Got 'lost' a couple of times, rained so hard between Bath and Cheddar that route notes disintegrated, and maps got wet.
[I know I did a bit of Wiltshire in April but it was only a tiny bit, not a proper ride]

Stage 2 - Wiltshire, Hampshire, West Sussex: Another 100 miles to get home from Salisbury. Technically Hampshire and West Sussex don't count as Jo is counting West & East Sussex as same place, and Hampshire is bordering West Sussex and I've used up all my neighbouring counties* already. But there were no trains home due to Southern Train banning all bikes on trains to Brighton due to London2Brighton charity bike ride, and I had to get home somehow. Gashed rear tyre on metal or glass near Southampton, patched it up best I could and hoped for the best. Got to Chichester and couldn't face the suburban sprawl of Littlehampton, Worthing, etc, so headed inland to Petworth and back via the countryside.

*However I see rules state riding from home into a neighbouring county for max of two counties. Doesn't say anything about riding from the other side of a neighbouring county, through a neighbouring county and back into home county. Therefore I think I've found a loophole that allows me to claim Hampshire.

Home county: Derbyshire

January: Powys
February: Lincolnshire
March: Gwynedd
April: Norfolk.
May: Stirling
June: East Sussex

Last weekend rode along the SDW so picking Ditchling Beacon, East Sussex, as my point 2 day of loaded touring with a camp at Amberley.

And the tea shop at Pyecombe (The Forge?) is shut. Thought I missed it last year but think it has been converted to a residence.

Here's June's postcard. County bagged was Staffs though I think this photo is just over the border in Cheshire:

Home county: Derbyshire

January: Powys
February: Lincolnshire
March: Gwynedd
April: Norfolk.
May: Stirling
June: East Sussex
July: Warwickshire

I pootled down to North Warwickshire on Saturday, quite close to where I often ride in a 4 county ride (including my home). So some new roads a little further out which I will be visiting again.

August will be a far-flung one as about to disappear for weeks.

May TT blog post http://milltag.cc/riding/may-tourist-trophy

Playing the wild card this month. Off to France to ride up and down some hills, and along some valley floors.

Here's July's postcard from Ironbridge in Shropshire:

January: Middlesex
February: Derbyshire
March: Hertfordshire
April: Oxfordshire
May: Cheshire
June: Buckinghamshire
July: France

I struggled for miles in June and ended up having to play my second local joker which may well doom my attempt at this come December. July, on the other hand, was La Marmotte which was a struggle of a different kind. The French Alps are really exceptionally beautiful in summer and the ride is genuinely tough. Anyone who fancies a crack at the 21 bends of Alpe d'Huez with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees in the shade and 100 miles of Glandon, Telegraphe and Galibier in their legs probably needs their head examining. Go on and examine my head because I'd be back there like a shot given the chance to do it again. It is an extraordinary day out on the bike and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Home county: East Sussex

January: Surrey
February: Kent
March: Isle of Wight
April: Dorset (and a tiny bit of Wiltshire)
May: Perth & Kinross, Angus, Fife, Cumbria
June: Somerset, Wiltshire (properly), Hampshire

July: Lot and Correze, France

http://www.themanfromicon.com/rapharising2013.html

next up...somewhere flat

Home county: East Sussex

January: Surrey
February: Kent
March: Isle of Wight
April: Dorset (and a tiny bit of Wiltshire)
May: Perth & Kinross, Angus, Fife, Cumbria
June: Somerset, Wiltshire (properly), Hampshire
July: Lot and Correze, France

August: Suffolk, Norfolk (somewhere flat as promised)

Home county: Derbyshire

January: Powys
February: Lincolnshire
March: Gwynedd
April: Norfolk.
May: Stirling
June: East Sussex
July: Warwickshire
August: Sweetwater County, Wyoming

Did an almost 7 week touring trip from Fernie, Canada to Denver covering about 1,800 miles including rest days. September will be more mundane.

Home County Bedfordshire

January: Middlesex
February: Derbyshire
March: Hertfordshire
April: Oxfordshire
May: Cheshire
June: Buckinghamshire
July: France
August:Warwickshire

Injury, holiday and work had all conspired to keep me off the bike. Thanks to this and the MCC I had to swing a leg over the bike yesterday and eat up the miles. It was a beautiful day, I combined part of the Phil Cooke challenge route with a route across Northants and Warks I had done in May. Thanks for the inspiration to keep on riding, I wouldn't have gone out without you. The Phil Cooke is a great early season leg stretcher and charity fund raiser. If you are in striking distance of Rugby or Towcester it is well worth a try.

Home county: East Sussex

January: Surrey
February: Kent
March: Isle of Wight
April: Dorset (and a tiny bit of Wiltshire)
May: Perth & Kinross, Angus, Fife, Cumbria
June: Somerset, Wiltshire (properly), Hampshire
July: Lot and Correze, France
August: Suffolk, Norfolk

September: Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire, Powys

First day rode from the Wye Valley over the border into Wales and to the Black Mountains and back again. Day two was a "recovery" ride in the Forest of Dean.

Home county: Derbyshire

January: Powys
February: Lincolnshire
March: Gwynedd
April: Norfolk.
May: Stirling
June: East Sussex
July: Warwickshire
August: Sweetwater County, Wyoming
September: Northumberland

Rode from Kielder to Newcastleton in Scotland and back using the border trail. Saw 3 people all day, none on bikes in 40 miles.

the year so far in pictures

http://www.themanfromicon.com/TT2013/TT2013.html

Home county: East Sussex

January: Surrey
February: Kent
March: Isle of Wight
April: Dorset (and a tiny bit of Wiltshire)
May: Perth & Kinross, Angus, Fife, Cumbria
June: Somerset, Wiltshire (properly), Hampshire
July: Lot and Correze, France
August: Suffolk, Norfolk
September: Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire, Powys

October: Derbyshire, Staffordshire

Tour of the south eastern part of the Peak District from Ilam up through Bakewell to Winnats Pass, and back via Taddington and Hartington. Then a short ride in the Staffordshire Moors the day after.

Home county: Derbyshire

January: Powys
February: Lincolnshire
March: Gwynedd
April: Norfolk.
May: Stirling
June: East Sussex
July: Warwickshire
August: Sweetwater County, Wyoming
September: Northumberland
October: Staffordshire

Had a weekend away with Herself and got a spin in around Rugeley area although also visited on a long road ride from home,

Home county: Derbyshire

January: Powys
February: Lincolnshire
March: Gwynedd
April: Norfolk.
May: Stirling
June: East Sussex
July: Warwickshire
August: Sweetwater County, Wyoming
September: Northumberland
October: Staffordshire
November: Leicestershire

I entered Leicestershire just 13km into my ride via Nottinghamshire. I crossed county boundaries a few times venturing into Staffs as well before getting home after a 167km day.