Mostly coasting.

[Mr Sparkle]

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[Mr Sparkle]

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I have no idea why this is upside down.

[Mr Sparkle]

17th August 2024
Old Park Wood to Warton

Planet X Tempest
Alpkit Elan bivvybag (not used)
Sleeping bag
Pod 1 harness
Ortleib quickrack

Weather- dry, slightly cloudy. Cool as evening fell.


Caravan to bivvy - 31.6 miles. Bivvy to home – 45.13 miles

What better way to close off a week’s break than to ride home via an overnight bivvy? After tea at the caravan I took the usual route south via Grange over Sands to Milnethorpe and the A6. I had a brief stop near Witherslack to chat to a guy washing a beautifully engineered Classic Trials bike (see photo below and note the exquisite titanium exhaust).
Soon I was on the A6 so I could switch my brain off and hammer along. It was pleasantly uneventful until I got near Capenwray when I got passed at a reasonable pace by a guy on a road bike. I sped up a bit and got a tow. I let him know I was there and we engaged in a conversation. He was retruning to Lancaster after a ride in the Lakes. I explained what I was doing and said I was headed for Warton. We were travelling a bit too fast for my tastes but it was getting late and the tow was appreciated. I took my turn in the front and, after missing the turn I’d planned to take we got to Carnforth. I shouted my goodbyes and headed off to find the Old School Brewery for some liquid refreshment.
I stopped outside another pub and checked the route to find that I was just at the junction to the road that it was on so I headed uphill to the quirky pub. Leaving my bike outside next to a window so I could keep an eye on it from inside, I ordered a pint and took a seat. The beer was brewed on the premises and was good. I engaged a guy sat nearby in coversation. He was visiting too and had done a bit of cycling in the past, including LEJOG, which was quite impressive.
After another couple of pints I thought I’d better head off to my bivvy so I rolled out into the cool darkness. I was undecided whether I’d find a spot below Warton Crag or to head to a bird hide by the sea. Eventually I decided to go for the latter, mostly for the novelty.
The Leighton Moss ‘Allen’ hide was unoccupied when I got there luckily! Parking my bike against a bench I quickly blew up the air bed, laid out the sleeping bag and, after nipping out for a pee, I put my warm sleeping kit on. I could hear machinery from somewhere and peering out of the windows I could make out the lights of tractors working the fields in the darkness.
It was the first time I’d not slept in either the bivvy bag or the tent. The wind got up during the night and the bird hide creaked and rattled a lot. I was glad of the ear plugs but they still didn’t remove all of the din. It was a disturbed night’s sleep.
Waking up before dawn I packed up and had a couple of bars and some fruit then headed for the door. Riding along the bumpy track back to the road I pulled over to let a large 4x4 vehicle pass. It was either a very keen birdwatcher or a Ranger. Either way I was glad to be leaving.
I took the scenic coast side route back to the A6 and home.

[Mr Sparkle]

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[Mr Sparkle]

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[Lazarus]

the bird hide creaked and rattled a lot.

Yes theyblook in iting but the birds get up early and are not that quiet. For tend to avoid them( one just off canal at withnell fold for a local poor nights sleep)

[Mr Sparkle]

7th September 2024
Darwen to Galgate

Planet X Tempest
Alpkit Elan bivvybag
Sleeping bag
Pod 1 harness
Ortleib quickrack

Weather- dry. Cool as evening fell.
Home to bivvy - 31.21 miles. Bivvy to caravan – 37.9 miles

Another trip involving water but not the sea or a lake. As per usual the A6 was involved. On the road straight after eating my tea and off into the gathering dusk. By the time I’d reached my ‘refreshment stop’ it was pretty dark. And by the time I’d quaffed a couple of pints it was full dark. And very quiet. I bumped over the canal bridge further down from The Plough and onto the towpath heading back South. There were a few lights on in a couple of the narrow boats along the bank but no one was in sight. I carried on until the next bridge which was at the junction of the Lancaster canal and the Glasson Dock branch.
I had reccied the bivvy spot remotely using video’s, photo’s and Google Earth. I’d noticed a bench behind the canal bridge and an information sign a few yards in front of it. This turned out to be as level as I’d hoped. Perfect. The bike was propped up against the bench and the Bivvy bag quickly put up.
It was still quite early and my mind was replaying the ride up and the pub stop so I wasn’t ready to settle down for the night. I walked up and down the canal, over the bridge and then, feeling brave, I crossed the lock back to the bivvy. This was not as easy as it sounds as my cycling shoes were skittering about on the metal in a worrying way! Surviving this I decided it was enough excitement for the evening and went to bed. I did a bit of peering at the stars and contemplating my place in the world, whilst listening to the (surprisingly busy) A6 and railway line. Eventually I slept.
Waking without an alarm before dawn, I had another walk around the bivvy spot and then packed up and left. Still no sign of anyone at the canal marina as I passed. Onto the A6 and northwards to the caravan. I rode through Cartmel for a bit of variety and through the woods beyond the racecourse before dropping down to the site. It had been a good trip. I was lucky with the weather and had chosen a decent bivvy spot. On to the next mini adventure!

[Mr Sparkle]

[Mr Sparkle]

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[Mr Sparkle]

20th September 2024
Ainsdale Pine Wood and home

Planet X Tempest
Alpkit Elan bivvybag
Sleeping bag
Pod 1 harness
Ortleib quickrack

Weather- bright but windy.
Station to bivvy – 9.49 miles. Bivvy to home – 29.72 miles

As a big proponant of public transport I was very keen to have a go at taking my bike on the train on my way to a bivvy. I’d studied the UK Rail map, looked for cheap tickets and done my usual Google Earth research. The decision was made. A £12.50 ticket was purchased and off I rode to the nearby Bolton railway station after work one Friday afternoon.
I was pretty early as I was anxious not to miss the train so walked a little self-conciously up and down the platform pushing my bike. There was one other person with a bike amongst the commuters waiting to board so I thought I’d keep an eye on what he did. Eventually it arrived and people began to get on. I tucked in behind ‘dodgy looking e-bike boy’ and ended up standing near him in the disabled section, trying to not get in the way.
After a couple of stops the loud and irritating pair of air heads sitting right in front of me got off and I could finally sit down and peer at the scenery out of the window, trying to work out exactly where we were. This is, of course, pretty much impossible as railways tend to be tucked out of the way and hidden behind bushes, anonymous industrial estates and allotments.
Fifty five minutes after setting off I had arrived in Southport. I made my way out of the station and, after orientating myself, set off to find sustenance. More accurately – a chippy. I tucked away a rather dry cheese and onion pie and some chips sitting overlooking the Prom. I couldn’t help noticing quite a few Police knocking around and signs about ‘Event Parking’. Hmm, mysterious.
I’d planned on riding towards the sea and then taking a left turn along the front. I set off to do this but was thwarted at every turn by blocked roads and security staff. It was apparently the British Firework Display Championships that evening and they weren’t going to let anyone within sight if they didn’t have a ticket. I rode on.
Eventually I fetched up at a pub (you will be astonished to hear). I had a couple of bevvies but when everyone started leaving to go and watch the Fireworks I headed in the opposte direction. I have to say that the cycling infrastructure round there was pretty bloody good. Tootling along a loooong straight and segregated cycle lane I took in the views of the sands and the sea whilst heading towards my likely bivvy spot.
The sparse traffic on the road had dwindled even more as I reached the woods and onto the sandy paths that threaded their way through to the pine woods. Dusk was gathering and my hunt for a flat spot became a bit more urgent. I reached the far side of the woods without spotting an obvious place so I doubled back, reluctant to try riding through deeper sand to find one. I reached ‘Sod it, this will do’ point and climbed over a stile to a flat spot under the trees. It wasn’t *that* flat but it would do. I cleared sand and pine needles with my foot until I reasonably happy. The bivvy bag was pegged out and sleep kit tucked into it. It was still quite early but darkness was falling. I made myself comfortable and took a few swigs of the hip flask.
Lying in the bag and gazing up at the stars through the trees I began to feel quite mellow and relaxed. The resinous smell of the pine trees seemed to add to the effect. ‘Well, isn’t this nice?’ I thought. Suddenly – BANG! Then another. BANG! What the hell is that?? Ah, of course – the Firework Display had started. It was a couple of miles away but it was still pretty loud. As I was surrounded by the pine wood I couldn’t actually see any of the fireworks but then I didn’t have a ticket…
I slept, woke, slept, pee’d, slept. Got up early and broke camp. One thing I learned was that pine woods – as pleasant, romantic and aromatic as they are - tend to leave a sticky residue on your kit. And your hands. I retraced my wheel tracks through the woods and then onto the cycle track back to Southport. Blimey, it was windy. It was a proper grovel into the teeth of the headwind. Sadly it was the same all the way back.
On my return to Darwen I bumped into a mate also heading home after riding out with a small chain gang. That speeded up my return home! Reflecting on the trip later I decided that utilising trains could well be a feature in future trips. We will see.

[RIP]

Compliments on your efforts to write up your escapades - always good to hear about people's exploits.

As a big proponant of public transport I was very keen to have a go at taking my bike on the train on my way to a bivvy.

Good for you. Numerous benefits - paradoxically much more of a feeling of freedom than using a motor, have a few beers on the way home, chat to other punters (assuming they're not glued to their blasted phones), keep your blood-pressure down, stare out of the window, do your bit to try and cut the ridiculous overuse of motors etc etc.

Eventually I fetched up at a pub (you will be astonished to hear).

Not astonished at all. Perfectly normal behaviour

Reflecting on the trip later I decided that utilising trains could well be a feature in future trips. We will see.

Look forward to hearing about them! It can be done - have a nosey at my October bivvy-a-month for example with its multiple changes of trains. Coasting by train? Loads of options at the end of little branch lines. Now there's a theme! St Ives, Looe, Newquay, Exmouth.. carry on for a while... Skegness, Cleethorpes... Pwllheli, Holyhead... Er, Southport ... and eventually... Mallaig, Kyle, Wick.... Thurso!

[Mr Sparkle]

Thanks for the kind words, Reg. I took some inspiration from your train trips.

A few pics of the trip.

[Mr Sparkle]

[Mr Sparkle]

[Mr Sparkle]