The UK has thousands of miles of cycle paths, and one of its longest, National Cycle Route 4, runs from the centre of London to the shores of west Wales, following old railway lines across flat plains, country lanes up steep valley walls, and main roads through urban settlements over many hundreds of miles. In late August last year, I set off on a cycle ride that lasted for almost two days, with about 20 hours of my life spent peddling over a distance of 100 miles. While my original goal was to ride from my home in South Wales to the city of London, I reached my limits just as I was approaching the city of Bath in Somerset. It was perhaps the most trying experience of my life, and yet one of the most rewarding, and is one that come next summer I am eager to repeat and exceed. Naturally, I took plenty of snaps to share with you as I relay the trials and triumphs of my time on the trail.

Yes, there’s a village in Caerphilly County called Machen. Funnily enough, it’s close to another called Waterloo. There’s another village in the same area called Sebastopol. It’s curious to think that little part of East Glamorganshire was subject to a wave of villages being named after battles in which the British Army fought, but believe it or not ‘Machen’ is descended from Welsh origins. From here, one cycles south east following the Rhymney River before reaching Michaelstone Bridge, crossing into Newport county, and climbing a really horrible long, seemingly-endless hill (it’s only about 100ft in actuality, but this may have been a reflection on how sick of hills I was by this point :P). This is, however, the end of the traditional valleys, as descending from here takes you into the suburbs of Newport and to the Usk river, but that is a story for another FA post.

In the meantime, pictured here is my beloved blue and white Daicycle! I will be honest, I said some things to this simple, innocent bike that I’m not proud of, but having been told that she was a piece of crap that wouldn’t even get me to Cardiff by one person, I am very happy to call her my main mode of transport. She’s light, she’s stable, she’s comfortable with a bit of padding, and while she doesn’t always give me what I want, she gives me what I need, and that’s all I can ask for. ^__^

Hope you enjoy!