I did a lot of that list, but I haven't ridden across my country. Because I live in Kazakhstan and about 80% of it is steppe and desert with no infrastructure. So I'd have to buy a touring bike and A LOT of bags to do that 😅
I'm only 19 y. o. and I have done all of mentioned! However, what's definitely very high on my bucket list: compete at a cyclocross race in Belgium. I'll get a bit closer to that by hopefully going to Belgium for the first time and riding the Flanders Gravel next July.
I've done all but the racing. Living in Canada, I opted for England and Portugal for my cross country rides. Even crossing Canada on a motorcycle took me a week.
I virtually cycled across the USA last year on a stationary bike. There is an app where One picks their starting and ending point and track their progress via a map. Very motivating to see the progress and satisfying to complete the challenge, for those of us who aren’t privileged to do the ride outside.
I reckon that everyone should take part in one of the many mass participation events at least once - like RideLondon, or one of the other big sportives around. They are a fab way to see the scenery, meet other cyclists and achieve something for yourself without the pressure of a race!
I live in Canada but would love to cycle across my home country. I am also not much of an endurance cyclist so I am considering emigrating to Chile, I hear it's only 64 KM wide at it's narrowest part.
Iv recently bought myself a road bike after years of MTB and I love it! Never thought it would be my bag but I can’t get off the thing, started cycling to work (14 miles each way) I work shifts so been getting up at 4am and riding at 4.20am, granted it’s a bit fresh at the minute but the fact I can look forward to riding my bike home means it’s worth it. Just want to say a massive thank you to you guys for the videos, it’s opened my eyes to road cycling and I’m now kind of obsessed! Keep the videos coming!
The £101 deposit is to take it over the £100 contactless limit, forcing you to use your PIN. That way there is greater protection against stolen cards and protects Halfords from the funds being clawed back.
We have a couple of ex-racing Greyhound’s lying around the house (mostly on sofas) so we found your descriptions very funny. However we were also wondering if Dan is also a greyhound whether he needs his medication wrapped in pate before he will take it?
I volunteered at a local Crit and when my shift was done. I watched the Cat 1 race. There was a young gun who lapped the field by himself, so I find myself at the last turn to the finish line on the last lap, where I scream "WHO WANTS SECOND PLACE!!!" which made the field go into frenzied sprint.
JaBig riding AROUND the USA just blows me away. 💥💥💥 Not across. Not up. Not down. But ALL AROUND! Plus, he has that super cool, super smooth French Canadian accent. I bow before him 🙇🙇🙇
I just love sunrise rides , I logged 295 of then in 2021 . Mostly from my commutes to work. Always quiet with a cool mountain breeze and amazing wildlife sittings.The feeling when the first ray of sun hits you after your cold start is amazing and invigorating.
"Which could take a couple of days if you live in Canada". It takes at least that long to drive across in a car non-stop! Many of the provinces are larger than countries in Europe. Truth be told, much of it is very boring and repetitive. There are select areas that are exquisite though. I dream of my days back in Blighty for cycling.
I really enjoy the active travel bits you put in the cycling shorts section. Perhaps you could do some longer videos with an active travel focus? There are loads of awesome guests you could get involved!
Ride into the dawn would be my favourite for this year, heading east, stop for breakfast, trundle home. Sailing into the dawn was pretty special, I imagine cycling into the dawn would be just as cool.
Cycling across a country, and the banter from kids (although not from a cargo bike) reminds me of an all-time fave cycling moment. Twenty miles out from John O'Groats the 9 year old, noticing the lack of traffic, houses or indeed anything else, pipes up from the back of the tandem... Daaad? Yes, son Is this the road to MIDDLE of nowhere?
Living in Australia, I don't think I'll be riding across my country any time soon, but it's on my list for an eventual adventure. I commute regularly to work, and as a shift worker, I've done plenty of sunrise rides on my ride home. Racing is on my list this year too, but they'll be less traditional road races as I'm gunning for my first bikepacking race, a cruisy 1000k.
Whaat? If you live in Melbourne it would be an amazing adventure to ride 'across' the country sideways to North Queensland and back. Understandable that you wouldn't want to cross east to west but use your imagination brah!
8:40 Or, if your country is one of the smaller ones, you can ride AROUND it, following the border as closely as possible. I have done that a few years ago, the memories are still quite fresh. (It was a several days trip, about 1800 km. Wonderful).
You know I've never thought about getting up early before sunrise and go up for a bike ride. Although I have been at the start of triathlons that have started just as the sun comes up.
1 Watched the Tour de France in Holmfirth in 2014 2 Did the Way of the Roses (Morecambe to Bridlington) in September last year 3 On this ride did the 'iconic' climb east out of Settle 4 Take our Hase Pino tandem on holiday all the time and have cycled in Wales, Scotland and England 5 Used to cycle to work all the time - mostly because I didn't have a car!
Ticked off 5 so far. I'm saving for a Ti frame and I'm doing the coast to coast in June before I turn 40. The big hill/mountain is the one that's eluding me at the moment.
Ridden across Iowa over 7 days at Ragbrai, climbed Mt. Figueroa in California, cycled to work (27 miles) in very dangerous traffic, climbed over 13,000 feet over 108 miles at one event...still need to attend a famous ride, likely a Monument or perhaps the Vuelta.
Because I am 73 years old, I came of age as a serious cyclist in the early '70s, when everything you needed to know about bicycle parts was contained in the first edition (1973?) of Sutherland's Handbook for Bicycle Mechanics, which is, get this, less than half an inch thick. At that time, unlike today, the racing bicycle was a simple, precision machine, and it was possible for any person with middling mechanical ability to build a bicycle from the ball bearings on up. Start with a naked frame, two rims, a set of hubs, a box of spokes, all the parts whether a set or not, and build a bike. Talk about a feeling of accomplishment.
The only thing I have not done is watch a Pro Race in person. In my teens I raced and watched live many Amateur Races. Oh, I have cycled across Canada twice. Once with a Touring Group and once with a Cycling Buddy.
Great List!! I've ticked them all off (across the USA 2x). Here's an addition, riding from a warm weather sunrise to sunset (GCN has a great vid on this topic, in the cold!)
Just noticed Glasgow was the first UK city mentioned in that list and is also in the top 20 worldwide.. As a Glaswegian that surprises me. I had a map of the UK and i drew a circle with a 200 mile radius around my hometown and i then used to stick a pin in the map and wherever it landed is where i would ride, my partner would drop me off and i would make my way home on my bike. So i could be be away a few hours or a few days had some very interesting journeys doing this.
I rode across the US from California to Florida, wild camping, in winter, on my own. Best experience of my life so far, everyone I met was so friendly. Ironically I haven't ridden across my own country yet but it's on the list, I'm a Brit.
I believe you've got one thing wrong. Not just tune your gears. I believe every cyclist should build his very own bike at least once. (Badasses include repairing or building a whole frame)...
I started riding again 2007 at the age of 61 with a second hand bike from the tip. Pumped up the tires, oiled the chain and started to ride. Since then I have ridden every beach (on the beach) from Philip Island to Wilson’s Promontory Victoria Australia. Many Rail trails and 360 km of the Mawson trail in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges. I now have set my sights on The Simpson Desert Cycle Challenge. Some 600 km from Purni Bore through the Simpson Desert to Birdsville Hotel. It’s a fundraiser for the Royal Flying Doctors. Which I will do this year covid permitting Cheers Kelvin.
Hey GCN. Take a look at Pittsburgh to Washington DC ride on the GAP and the C&O canal. Epic ride. Would make a nice video for bike packing. Many cool spots on that route that would blow your mind.
I have: * Been to a LBS * Saved up for a massive purchase (and gotten it stolen) * Been in (and won!) a race * Done a gran fondo * Gone up a famous climb (Mt. Diablo has been in the Tour of California, the year Sagan won it) * Ridden way the hell out in the middle of godforsaken nowhere * Bonked, hard * Ridden to work (every day!) I have not ridden across a country.
Zoncolan via Ovaro on a 97 steel Peugeot with a shamelessly heavy brooks cambium ✅ (Had to stop some 6 time en route not to die but made it to the top)
11/12 for me the last one being impossible locally here in Canada. That said, zero interest in bike packing so it'll have to be a road ride across Lichtenstien or San Marino. One day.
1- closed 2- ugh, mornings 3- kind of 4- 1987, new frame 5- not yet 6- Tour of Britain? 7- I'm 52. No. 8- no sense of direction, not hard 9- too often 10- mmmm
Got a 2000km Hokkaido Japan trip in back in 2019. Nearly postponed it for 2020, so I could do a longer trip, but impulsively booked the trip after a tough semester at University. So glad I got it in!
I want to ride across the US and I’d be willing to use up vacation time and pay for the hotels to do it. The only thing holding me back is that I don’t carry a backpack at all much less 3000 miles. I’ve googled for a sag support service and all I’ve found is all-inclusive tours that are crazy expensive.
I rode across the states it was the best experience of my life so far, no back pack required if you use panniers or bike packing bags. I did it independently, there's an organisation called the Adventure Cycling Association which sells maps with lots of useful info on such as where shops , water, campsites ,motels etc are. There are several routes. I did the southern tier in winter. Hope you get to try it one day
I did my first ftp test during sunrise. Finished the warm-up, and just as the sun was cresting over the mountains, I went for the 20 minute time trial.
It should simply be a rule that anything that permits one to finish a ride and/or get back home cannot be a "bodge." Repairs made mid-ride when needed are not bodges when they work. And, I'd include the strap on the dog-chewed shoe. If it is a fix that allows you to not miss a ride, then it is probably not a bodge. If you are still riding with it next month, then it very well might be a bodge. I would add a century or metric century to the list of must do for cyclists. It is one of the goals most can make, but it may very well drain you, especially the first time.
Talking of epic indoor rides: as a grand finale for the Festive 500k, on New Years Eve I rode the Cannibalette on Fulgaz and ended up going up Mont Ventoux. 124 km, 3000m, 7h 17m (i'm not fast!). Didn't want to get back on the bike again for 5 days.
I’ve managed to do most of the items listed, except ride across a country. I did ride across a single state (Delaware, USA) twice in a single day. And my addition to the list is ride a track bike on a velodrome.
My wife and I were visiting Luxemburg as a stop on an extended tour. We realized that we could bike in four countries in one day. We picked a starting point where we could cover Luxemburg, Germany, France, and Belgium on a 70+ mile ride. Back then we could even get our passports stamped except for Belgium which did not have an official border post. Not sure if there are any other road bike options on the planet where you can accomplish this feat.
I've only done the easy ones. Visited LBS (not recently though, unless you include chains such as Tredz). Fixed gears. Riding somewhere new ( of course!). Ride to work - do that regularly when in the office (15 miles each way). I'll probably never enter a race. And I will probably never have something for the bike that I really really want and have to save for.
Cant do the second one. Well I could but living in the Candian Rocky Mountains our sunrises and sunsets are boring. Everyonce in a while they will be great, but thats like a handful a year, and our riding season in super short which cuts down on the number of spectacular sunrises and sunsets.
Interesting bit about the air pollution. I was born bang in the middle of the December 1952 Great London Smog, I was okay (obv!) but an estimated 8,000-12,000 thousand people died. Hasn't stopped me cycling though and loving GCN.
I think every cyclist should build up a bike from scratch. Starting with a frame and install all the components including building a set of wheels. Then learn how to tune it as well. To go one further, build the frame from tubing!
Si. Aluminium WILL definitely corrode! Trust me. I know. Sweat running down my downtube destroyed my Cannondale SuperV MTB frame at the bottom bracket junction. At first, it looked like a bubble of blistered paint, but underneath it was just white powder. Thankfully Cannondale replaced the frame. But since then I've been VERY careful. I caught the earliest stages of corrosion at the same spot on my Cannondale cyclocross bike. Sanded it out, repainted it. No problems since, but I keep an eye on it. I advise anybody riding an aluminium or steel frame ( I dunno about Ti ) to be VERY fastidious about washing off any sweat after an outing -- off the bike I mean! Live long and keep pedalling.
If you're going to get out for sunrise, stay out until sunset. We managed a 200 mile ride a few years ago although we were a little late home. Probably my most enjoyable day on the bike.
When I first went to my local bikeshop they took atvantage of the having no idea to sell me the gear. Not all bikeshops are honest places run by lovely people who just want to get people cycling.
Yeah this is true but you need to get advice from experienced local cyclists. and why don't people listen to experienced cyclists when we recommend LBSs? You all still go to ripoff chain shops instead of my local man who always gives a great deal at prices better than the internet. Give your heads a shake/
