BIKEPACKING THE CAPITAL DIVIDE 1000 - EDINBURGH - LONDON [PART 1/2]

it's been a little over 7 weeks since my crash but today marks my return to the trails with a bik packing Adventure that I am very excited for the capital divide a route stretching over 600 miles from the capital of Scotland in Edinburgh to the capital of England London my journey will take me through the stunning pentland Hills the rugged hilly Trails of North umberland the North penines and the Rolling Hills of the Yorkshire DS from there I'll head to the east coast making my way to the scenic Lincolnshire WS before making my way into the bustling heart of London finishing my journey at Big Ben this is no small task for me especially as my first ride in quite some time but it's an adventure I've been eagerly counting down the days to be finally able to embark on to be able to get back on the trails to to experience the Ever Changing terrain and experience the challenges ahead that an adventure like this brings I can't wait to experience the beauty and diversity of the British Countryside once more as I pedal my way from one Capital to [Music] another this might be one ride that I'm not actually sure if I'm ready for but you know what I want to get back on the bike with a bang a massive Capital divide this time the true off-road version oh yeah feels good to be back on the bike well they I'm so unfit [Music] heading into the Evening Sun with the fields filled with color as I headed into the pentland Hills the sun shining the warmth on my skin a feeling I have missed a feeling I had almost forgotten my legs my lungs had also forgotten the feeling of pedling these steep hills [Music] oh what a view the sun just starting to set over there feels so good to be back on the bike although it feels quite hard to breathe it's currently 8:00 I spent most of the day getting to edenburgh so it's quite a short day to start out with but it's quite nice because the uh the sun doesn't actually like fully set until about half n it's about 8:00 now so we got about an hour and a half this it's going to start getting dark pretty soon but uh going to start heading downhill and just hopefully find somewhere to set up the uh tent and uh get my breath back it feels good to be back on the trails though let's go find camp oh good morning good morning joining me today about maybe like five or six miles away from uh peall I have managed to set up camp in like a little woods um not the greatest place but it had to do because I had to sort of just go into the darkness a bit to find somewhere and uh I've got a slight slight issue with the bike which I'm hoping we're going to be able to fix in Peebles but let me get up put this tent away and I'll show you okay so probably can't really see it on camera but this this bearing in this jocky wheel is essentially near enough exploded it kind of moves forward when you pedal with the force you can feel it grinding you can't pedal it backwards so the chain just gets all slack uh luckily for me it is mostly downhill to Peebles and there is a couple bike shops there some hoping I can just find a couple new jockey Wheels there cuz I obviously haven't got any on me today um fingers crossed for that they don't open till 10:00 so I slept in quite late um but hopefully when we get there I can grab some breakfast chill out a bit and uh go and hopefully fix this uh bike I was hoping to get up really early of how late the sun goes down and how early the sun comes up I mean it wasn't even darker like half 10 11 o'clock last night really um I want to ride quite into the day like into the evening into the night just before it gets dark but and then also get up really early on this trip and uh cuz the weather's looking pretty good for the next week pretty much and I want to see some good sunrises so we're going to not be lazy if we can get this bike fixed from now on and uh we're going to get out nice and early and just uh enjoy them Suns sunsets and SU Rises hopefully right let's go downhill hopefully the bike lasts until Peebles otherwise we'll have to walk let's go fix this bike and get some breakfast it wasn't the start to the adventure I had hoped for but as I left from the woodlands where I had slept the sight of the lush green landscape reminded me why I do this to be surrounded by Nature despite not being able to Pedal just quite yet I was simply happy to be back on these Trails again [Music] 47 for some jockey Wheels no wonder bike Shop's going out of business seriously I normally pay like 10 quid this is five times the price I mean it's probably not so much of the bike Shop's fault more shr's fault but 47 think it would have been cheaper to just go home and buy new bearings damn but we are now back under the way the bike is working I'm 47b short but we are on our way to London the sky is blue the sun is shining I will have to stop in a minute and put some sun cream on cuz my skin is not used to it but we got some beautiful cycle tracks to cruise along coming out pees I probably got around 7 probably less than that now 60 miles until we get to the Scottish England border so I would quite like to get there today I think that would be really cool oh tunnel of all we'll see what happens but it'd be really cool to like camp on the border I think up high could be good all right let's go and enjoy this sunny day of bite packing woo every challenge is a doorway to New Opportunities and with my bike now fixed I felt the freedom to continue my journey along the capital divide flowing alongside the river Tweed teeming with life I soak in the natural beauty around me before long I found myself ascending into the dusty Forest tracks spinning my legs for the first climb of the day the midday Sun beamed down from the sky as I pedal along the endless perfect Forest Trails [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Music] I'm not complaining I promise but it's too hot too too hot I'm going to get to the top of this climb I think and uh rehydrate and just uh try to get a bit of shade for a little bit typical British it's too wet it's too cold too hot doing good though making good progress beautiful route so far if I don't say so myself but done 35 miles so uh time for a little break hot hot [Music] hot this is a good place to stop ah it's so hot so I probably won't stay here too long CU I'll just uh get burnt but perfect place for a quick snack oh God the trails have been so good fast rolling following the river gravel oh just so good but like I say it's really hot for me anyway luckily there's lots of uh nice cold streams to uh get from but yeah I'm going to stop here I think I've got like 10 miles maybe until we come through a little town Village I'm not even sure what it is um but hopefully there'll be a little shop and we can maybe get an ice Lolly or something but 30 nearly 40 miles done today definitely can tell I haven't been riding too much but this is how we get back into it oh it's nice I'm just going to Sun bab for a little bit and now eat some food and then crack on I think there's maybe another 40 miles until the border so uh try and get that today at least [Music] [Music] [Music] what a day currently at about 60 mil just over 60 mil now just have a quick wash it's just so hot it's currently about half six but I'm very very close now to getting to the Border less than 10 miles but it is all uphill and funny enough as I head into North umland and to cross that border at the border is the highest point of the Scot the Scottish section of this uh this ride but yeah it's getting hot man too hot just going to cool off here have a little wash and then uh crack on and get get above um get to that border before sun sets which is for a not for ages anyway this feels so good can definitely feel it in my legs I can definitely tell I have not ridden in a while all right up here we [Music] go making the most of the tree covered Roman Road I sheltered from the afternoon sun getting closer and closer to that border the afternoon felt magical as I glanced back at the hilly winding country lanes I had conquered but even more importantly I looked ahead focusing on where I needed to get to before the sun would set North umberland was in my sights then big lumps in the distance that's the Border that's where we're going north umberland the border of Scotland and England one descent and then one climb and then hopefully find find somewhere to sleep for the night oh it's been a good day it's been a good good day Sun getting lower and lower in the sky now shining on my back as I neared the Scotland England border just one big climb laid ahead of me but just before I could make it to that border crossing I stumbled across the most perfect spot to set up my tent for the night I would watch the sun disappear behind the Rolling Hills before a peaceful night listening to The Gentle stream running between the hills yeah why not one more day of the smelly socks bike packing embrace the smelly feet it's nice and early it's about 5:00 a.m. just G to get out of the tent yesterday was such a good day everything really to be honest after the initial like fixing the bike just felt really good it felt like I was always going in a downhill Direction I just love it when um you're descending and then your descent turns into another descent it's just so good um I didn't quite get over to the um the Border I'm very very close like probably like a mile away um I just found like the perfect Camp spot so I had to stop um but today we're heading into North umberland um as I'm heading into North umberland like right at the start really early and the north umland section on this route is around 60 Mi I think for the next couple days what I'm going to try and do is today I'm going to try and get through North umland the next day I'm going to try and get through the penines and then possibly the next day which will be the hardest one we'll be get all the way through the Yorkshire D was that could be a good challenge but yesterday felt like it was all downhill but today start well it's not I tell you what it's fresh out here this morning the sun hasn't got to us yet so today my start isn't quite um a nice flow downhill or a nice pedal gravel section it's a bit of a hike a very steep hiker bike as I head up and sort of around this hill and like where that's don't know if you can see it but that bit sun on the hill there that's pretty much the Border once we get up to there we're at the border we across into England we're in to Northland so uh I'm going to pack this tent up cuz oh my God it's cold out here this morning and uh let's get warmed up hiking up this hill it's good this is a good camp spot though I did think about camping in here I wonder if it's uh as wet out I did think about camping in this little sheet pen cuz there was quite a good ground there but where I was I had the uh beautiful sound of the stream coming past so it was uh super perfect really just as I got into the tent now I couldn't stay out here too long cuz the midge did start to come but it's so cold right now they're either Frozen or they're pissed off thank God right let's get this 10 packed up before they arrive again and uh let's go uphill up we go England here we come here we go [Music] early in the morning I faced a steep challenge pushing my bike higher and higher up the hills the morning sun greeted me its warmth for my skin felt incredible after the cold fresh start reaching the top of this climb I was met with an overwhelming Stillness the glistening Sun hung in the sky with no wind and no movement just pure tranquility [Music] now back in England a little bit more climbing to go until I get um to the top of this Hill for a bit of a descent today is Sunday which is like the worst day for bike packing I think because trying to like find somewhere that's open in these tiny little Villages and stuff to resupply there always a nightmare I've probably got enough that I can um get through most of today of the food I've got if I'm careful with I rashing it a bit but um hopefully I'll find somewhere I know hwi will be like the main place I will be going through a couple little uh places but nothing too nothing too significant right wet feet from the boggy Trails but we are now back in England and the Sun is still shining yes [Music] [Music] oh we at the top that was one one long slug we made it so we're down there from now right look at the views it's incredible up here this morning [Music] well going have to take a route detour now going to be going down here to get through to like a forest track or the other end as you can see all the trees are falling falling down I think there's another way around but it's kind of long all the way around and then backround it's just turning into one long ass log I know once I get on through this bit of woods there really nice gravel Trails but whether I can or not remains to be seen oh god well that's a big fat nope [Music] [Music] you know the Telltale sign that you're back in England it's these things gates gates after gates after Gates despite a less than smooth start to the day it was a relief to finally find myself back on the trail I had set out for another day of epic adventure awaited me with North umberland posing new challenges with every pedal I turned the Steep and incredible gravel roads making each turn of them pedals a test of strength and determination [Music] [Music] wow what be beautiful brutal day just come through utum something a I don't know and uh along all the uh military roads man them roads them RS are fun long ass descents long ass climbs but uh generally it was good today has been very slow going after this morning all that hiker bike I've only done about 40 m I've got about 30 until Hal thisle I don't think I'm going to quite get there I might it's already about 430 4 I don't even know four I think um so I'm just going to try and do 20 miles or so 25 I know I've camped just before hotw before so I know a good little spot that I can uh pitch up for the night but we got a bit more climbing to do and then tomorrow we'll be going into the north penines so that'll be fun but just has some nice cold drinks and sugar strawberries well strawberries in a tin but you know they're good so now let's get these next 20 or so Miles done and uh let's find somewhere nice to camp [Music] [Music] [Music] finally stopped for the day I actually managed to do just over 65 miles I think it was I've got a few miles away until I'm technically out of uh Northland Norland North I can't say it now that's it mid um yeah it was a brutal day it was Bloody beautiful but brutal from this morning everything was very wet so this was all this is my jacket drying here I've set up the tent however it's very wet so I'm just sort of letting it dry out a bit uh let the inner dry out the real problem with this tent is it's too big I camped here perfectly with the solarist this one's just too wide it's just never really it's just hard to get into places I'm having brake issues issues being basically don't have any brakes my uh rear one I had to change the pads earlier and I think to be honest I can fix it I just need to take it off I think one of the Pistons is just not moving and then the front one I have no idea what it's doing cuz it sort of works and then like if I'm pushing it it works but then when I'm going fast it just doesn't really do anything so I'll have a look at that in the morning I think right anyway stop waffling on I'll see you bright and early in the morning North umberland you you were tough oh good morning good morning that was such a good sleep oh slept from like half n it's about 600 this morning so I'm feeling quite re revived from yesterday's ordal but today we got to go um to H whistle pick up a few supplies try fix these non-existent brakes before we uh get on into today first point of call is to get to Hot whistle just a couple miles away and then fix the brakes and uh get some resupplies before slowly we're gradually heading to the highest point on this ride for the for the whole entire trip actually so that should be fun I've done the climb many times but I must have brakes to do The Descent right after H wh we go ah was so peaceful last night mid your around this morning there let's go oh let's go so so far the rear brake is now working the Piston it was the Piston uh one of them was just stuck so that's just like popped out eventually and now the rear brakes working so I was looking now I'm looking at the front brake because it's been just like felt really lacking of power which was worrying because normally that that means either air in the system or I don't know but looking at it now no pad in if I press the uh the lever the uh the Pistons do move but there looks like there's some fluid some hydraulic fluid coming out beside the Piston as well so it looks like the Pistons are knackered and seals are obviously so I don't know if I'm going to be able to fix this I'm just going to play around put a new set of pads in um maybe push the Pistons in a bit more I don't know we'll see I'll see what I can do it wasn't fluid I don't know but they're working kind of bit squeaky but they're working yet another day on this adventure began with a new problem to solve but it seemed I had managed to overcome it at least for today my morning unfolded with an easy pedal along the Old Railway line leading me to the incredible lamle Viaduct picturesque Viaduct built in 1852 this Victorian gem was once a vital path the railway line between olon and Hol whistle until its closure in 1976 standing over 100 ft tall and stretching 850 ft long it impresses me every time I get to cycle over it [Music] [Music] ah it's so so windy I'm just about to get to the hike biky part and I've just got a headwind fuddling through this Valley it's just going to be crazy and uh the weather can't really make up its mind I knew I wouldn't get the whole way to London without any rain but it's like the clouds that are passing by they're carrying a bit of rain we got a I am making quite good progress though but I think I'm going to put my jacket on now because this wind is quite cold I'm not really looking forward to this hiker bike normally this hiker bike isn't really that hard CU it's not overly steep but there really isn't a trail to follow so it can be a bit boggy um but once you get to the top The Descent is awesome right let's try and climb this first of things first let's get a jacket on it's getting cold [Music] ah yes time for some vog this is what what I mean like the trail it just looks really good and then it just ends and then where it's just all like torn away from the river and then it sort picks up again there it's really quite random but just a hi creu and vog and some awkward trails that aren't really Trails here you go got to be a bit careful on this bit because it isn't much of have half to follow I found myself battling the elements as I made my way to the highest point of this adventure pedaling when possible and resorting to pushing my bike when necessary following closely to the winding Rocky River as the wind tried to push me back [Music] [Music] [Music] right I'm nearly at the top now I'm at 2,157 FT High the top is just up there along that Ridge line normally by now you have like a nice view you can see the observatory but today you can't see that so you don't really have like that visual guide that visual goal of getting there but behind me looks bloody Sunny up there not so much bit cloudy so we're going to be descending through the cloud I think the top of this hill is about 2,400 2,500 ft we're nearly there here we are we're at the top there's a great view that way although the clouds are rolling in it's time to descend the awesome descent let's just check the brakes yeah rear one's working there's the front one okay it looks like it's working I'm just going to just going to take it easy down here I'm going to control my speed and not go too fast cuz anything over like 25 mph it just seems to not feel that great but let's see let's just do a little test oh my Horn's working that's good ah I love this descent I just wish my brakes are working fully and the shoot don't fall out okay take it nice and slowly a suddenly over there [Music] [Music] H [Music] yeah can stop now [Music] w [Music] sun's out kind of guns out going to be now heading over to the York Dales probably got about 10 miles until we get to uh something Kirk Steven is it that is that the one terrible with names obviously sun is shining now I'm making good progress actually now today um done about 45 miles probably a bit more now but I'm hoping to get to the Yorkdale tonight so I can find somewhere to Camp it's currently about 4:00 p.m. so plenty of time plenty of daylight left and uh yeah should be good I've got like a long drag for the next uh I don't know 20 20 or so miles so uh let's go to the Ys and uh yeah no right let's go to yor DS a great feeling knowing I was getting ever closer to leaving the hills behind but there was just one more hilly National Park to get through the Yorkshire Dales a place I love to ride with its endless windy roads and descents I would push myself to get deep into the Yorkshire Dales tonight while the weather was looking good and my bike was working well enjoying the Epic views that The Dales are famous for [Music] I would pedal up high to find a spot for my tent tonight I would sit back and watch as the clouds rolled over the hills in the distance those clouds rolling over the hills from the West always means one thing I would be waken up to a white out [Music] waking up in a cloud was one thing but with the wind howling and my break not working at all today it meant my next few miles to Banbridge would mostly be hiking riding only when the hills were against me I would try to fix the break as I did the previous day but nothing was working [Music] I tried to push on into the wind up along the old Roman Road while the wind would try to push me back the way I had come but ultimately this adventure had to end I wouldn't make it this time sometimes letting go or giving up it's just a temporary detour a detour to return stronger wiser and more prepared for what lies ahead

Channel: Keep Smiling Adventures

Views: 11,776

Keywords: bikepacking, ukcycling, gravel cycling, keep smiling adventures, solo adventures, wild camping, bombtrack bike, alpkit, sonder camino titanium, mtb, bikepacking scotland, capital divide, sonder camino, gravel bikepacking

Id: Deu5kIA-mmE

Length: 46min 36sec (2796 seconds)

Published: Sun Jun 16 2024