Cycling England in The Summer
July 2018, bicycle touring England, and still no news or any sign of Garry getting his hip replacement. So, rather than sit around, Garry decided to go away bicycle-touring.
Initially, he was off to France. Unfortunately, after getting up early and starting to ride to Newhaven to catch the morning ferry, Garry ended up in too much pain and had to return home.
After getting some stronger painkillers from the doctors, Garry once again set off, but decided that, because of the pain he was in, it was probably best to stay in England. So once again, Garry headed west and for the New Forest.
One of the reasons for going away, apart from keeping active, was to try out another new tent from MSR. Garry had been having various problems with his tent, and this was now his fourth one.
Garry spent his first night at his usual campsite, Hollands Wood, just outside Brockenhurst. He had intended to spend another night there. But after learning that there were 300 people due to arrive, Garry decided to move on. Because his pain was so great now, he wondered about going home. But what would he do there? Sit around and feel sorry for himself? Not Garry, he’d rather be out and about where he’s forced to do things; it also helps to forget about the pain briefly! So Garry decided to head to another of his favourite campsites. Grange Farm at Brighstone, on the Isle of Wight, was only 22 miles away, so a nice, easy ride.
Garry spent two nights at Brighstone before moving on to Adgestone, where he spent his last night on the island.
From Bad To Worse
Garry was really struggling now and couldn’t even manage to cycle the 40 miles home, and had to stop the night in Southbourne, 12 miles from home. He was now in so much pain he could hardly move, and to top it all, there were a couple of mysterious blisters that had appeared on the back of his hands!
One week later, Garry was in hospital, in intensive care, fighting for his life after contracting sepsis!
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If you’re enjoying the ride and want to fuel Garry’s next mile, you can always support him by buying him a beer. Or subscribe to his blog and follow him as he travels around on his bike. As a subscriber, you’ll be among the first to receive news and updates on future tours. And, of course, you can always follow Garry on social media: Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, X, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. Garry’s also on Flickr, where you’ll find pictures from all his tours, along with regular photo updates that he generally publishes each month.
If you want to find out if Garry’s away touring at the moment and check his location, visit the Where’s Garry page. And after thousands of miles on the road, Garry’s condensed everything he’s learned into one place. So if you’re planning your own cycling adventure, read his reality check on long-distance touring.
Garry McGivern is a solo, self-supported bicycle tourist and the creator of Travelsonabike2. Having cycled over 70,000 miles worldwide on his trusty bike, Passepartout, Garry documents the reality of long-distance travel. Follow along for updates, gear insights, and the daily highs and lows of bicycle touring, whether he’s camped beside the road or in the luxury of a hotel. Join Garry on the road, and be inspired to start your own adventure. Read more.