Two rides, one there and one back. Between just after half past midnight on Saturday 10 October and just after seven on Monday morning I rode from home to Portsmouth and back the long way, for a total of 706.3 km and 6,401 m of climbing, with 33 hours and 39 minutes on the move. On the way home the year passed 20,000 km. The day posts tell each ride’s story; this one puts them on one map.
Where I rode
Hover over a day to pick out its route; tap a route for its post. Each ride’s first and last 800 m are trimmed for privacy.
The ride out on the Saturday was as indirect as I could make it: east to Tenterden first, then west over the Weald and the Surrey Hills to Winchester, and down through the New Forest to Lymington. It took my best distance from 305.6 km to 353.3 km and got me to Portsmouth just before nine that evening. After about twelve and a half hours off the bike, the ride home set off on Sunday morning with the sea on my right and covered the entire coastline of Hampshire, Sussex and Kent, past Brighton, Beachy Head, Hastings, Dungeness, Dover and Margate. It had nearly 1,500 m less climbing and ran on through Sunday night, finishing just 246 m short of the record I’d set the day before.
The other number came near the end. Just past Bredgar on the North Downs, at about 06:18 on Monday morning and with 19 km still to ride, the year ticked over 20,000 km. Strava had handed out 169 PRs by the time I got home, 117 of them on the way back. I was in just after seven, with 20,019 km on the year’s total.
From the road
Day by day
| Day | Date | Ride | Distance | Climbing | Garmin climbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 Oct | The Long Way to Portsmouth | 353.3 km | 3,941 m | 30 (4 Cat 4) |
| 2 | 11–12 Oct | The Long Way Home | 353.0 km | 2,460 m | 10 (2 Cat 3, 3 Cat 4) |
| Total | 2 rides | 706.3 km | 6,401 m | 40 |
The numbers
- Rides: #1112 and #1113 on Strava, rides 241 and 242 of 2026, days 121 and 122 of the streak
- Distance: 706.3 km
- Moving time: 33:38:43 (41:56:51 elapsed)
- Elevation: 6,401 m
- Climbs: 40 Garmin ClimbPro climbs: 2 Cat 3, 7 Cat 4, 31 uncategorised
- Biggest climb: The Bourne, Hastings, Cat 3 – 3.75 km, 171 m, 17:24 at 182 W (day 2)
- Longest day: 353.3 km and 3,941 m (day 1, a new distance best)
- Calories: 15,557 kcal
- Year to date: Distance 20,019 km, Elevation Gain 205,494 m
Every town, café, beach and landmark from my rides is collected on the Links page.