The Cycling Podcast

Explore returns with Escape From Lockdown, an episode celebrating the simple joy of riding a bike.

The coronavirus pandemic has made it difficult to explore the world on two wheels. Most of the world has experienced lockdown or travel restrictions of some sort and we've all been tethered to home more than usual.

For this episode, four riders took advantage of loosening restrictions to go cycling and they ended up enjoying four very different adventures. The result is an hour or so of pure escapism.

We'll travel from coast to coast in northern England with Felicity Cloake, join Richard Moore as he tackles his first 100-mile ride in years, go bikepacking and outdoor camping with Ian Boswell and his wife Gretchen, and scale the 1,909m ascent of Mont Ventoux with Hannah Troop and her friend Ollie.

Explore by The Cycling Podcast is supported by iwoca and Science in Sport.

HANNAH TROOP'S VOYAGE TO VENTOUX
Where was your ride?
Montpellier train station to the top of Mont Ventoux and back again... more or less
How long was it?
Day one: 160km
Day two: 70km
Day three: 93km
When was it?
October 8-10
Who were you riding with?
My friend Ollie
What bike were you riding?
My Cannondale Evo
What was the terrain like?
Mainly road but Komoot took us over some amazing gravel too
What are you most glad you took with you?
Hannah: A pair of Vibram-soled trainers that could be rolled up easily, and so fit into my handlebar bag without taking up too much room. Also the Rapha Explore down jacket, which packs down into a small bag so doesn't take up a lot of room, but it's so nice to have warm and comfy clothing to change into at the end of a long day on the bike
Ollie: Backpack
Hannah: I will not accept this answer, I said to Ollie that if he ever came cycling with me again while wearing that backpack, I'd take it off him and burn it. This was explained to him about 155km into the first day of riding, while I was carrying it up a 3km climb that was ramping up to 12%! What do you wish you'd not left behind?
Hannah: The outbound route for my Garmin...LOL! And the Garmin mount for the other bike. If there's more than one of you it's great if you can both see the route. It's a huge help having someone else share the navigation. It just lessens the load on your brain once you become fatigued, and it's always good to have two pairs of eyes checking that you're heading in the right direction
Ollie: Chamois cream
Hannah: Can I add another question? What do you wish you'd left behind? Ollie's 8kg rucksack. Frame bags are definitely the way to go. Cycling with that much weight on your back just makes things so much more hard work. It also means you get a lot more saddlesore.
Highlight?
Hannah: Has to be ascending Mont Ventoux and reaching the top of a mountain that has so much cycling history encapsulated within its slopes. Taking it all in, while having two hours of being inside your mind and body, experiencing your body go through moments of feeling strong and then moments of struggle. It's a wonderful moment that holds many parallels to life, especially after this year. It was a lovely, albeit hard, moment for reflection
Ollie: Descending Mont Ventoux with my partner in crime
Lowlight?
Hannah: Spectacularly bonking on the third day, while carrying Ollie's 8kg rucksack...
Ollie: The nappy rash

Hannah and Ollie stayed at La Ferme des Belugues courtesy of Friends of the Podcast Karen and Spencer Martin.

RICHARD MOORE'S RIDE PICARDIE
Where was your ride?
The ride was to Contalmaison from Croissy-sur-Celle via Saint-Just-en-Chaussée, Montdidier and Albert How long was it?
167.96km
When was it?
August 15
Who were you riding with?
It was a solo ride
What bike were you riding?
Canyon Endurance CF SL Disc 8.0 Pro
What was the terrain like?
Rolling terrain. No serious climbs but 1,452m elevation
What are you most glad you took with you?
A face mask What do you wish you'd left behind?
About 5kg* of blubber
Highlight?
Welcome party and picnic in Contalmaison
Lowlight?
Within five minutes of setting off after lunch a wasp flew into my helmet and stung my head

*conservative estimate

Sponsor Richard's ride for Pancreatic Cancer UK.

IAN BOSWELL'S BIKEPACKING AND CAMPING
Where was your ride?
We started at our house in Peacham, Vermont, and stayed the night at Ricker Pond in Groton State forest. How long was it?
Only 40 miles, 20 each way
When was it?
Mid-July
Who were you riding with?
My wife, Gretchen
What bike were you riding?
I was on my Specialized Diverge gravel bike, Gretchen was on the Creo e-bike from Specialized
What are you most glad you took with you?
The s'mores! What do you wish you'd not left behind?
I could have used a sleeping bag and sleeping pad. We shared one sleeping pad and I slept using a quick dry towel as my blanket

FELICITY CLOAKE'S WAY OF THE ROSES
Where was your ride?
The Way of the Roses from Morecambe to Bridlington
How long was it?
Day 1 (Thursday afternoon): 63.6km (Lancaster-Morecambe-Settle)
Day 2 (Friday): 72.4km (Settle-Ripon)
Day 3 (Saturday): 83.7km (Ripon-Pocklington)
Day 4 (Sunday morning): 73.8km (Pocklington-Bridlington)
When was it?
Early October
Who were you riding with?
My friend, (annoyingly fit Strava addict) Gemma
What bike were you riding?
A Condor Fratello by the name of Eddy
What was the terrain like?
In general, undulating terrain – day two across the Dales was relentlessly hilly, while day three near York was very flat. Some “fun” cross country stuff through muddy fields en route, but mostly on road
What are you most glad you took with you?
Wet wipes – it was ridiculously wet and muddy on day three and we had to clean ourselves down next to York minster before we could even contemplate going inside for lunch  What do you wish you'd not left behind?
While I didn’t use my new winter tights (legs dry quicker than Lycra) I do regret not getting waterproof shoe covers. My feet were VERY soggy for three days straight
Highlight?
Swooping majestically through the Fountains Abbey estate on the way into Ripon after a hard day in the Dales. Or possibly a large fish and chips in Bridlington
Lowlight?
Arriving at the B&B just outside Pocklington in the dark absolutely soaked through to find nowhere to dry our stuff and nowhere nearby to eat. Pretty dispiriting getting back into the soggy gear and on to the bikes in the storm