Winter Bicycle Tour
England February 2019, Garry’s had a long break from bicycle touring. But finally, it’s over. Garry spent the last six months recovering from severe sepsis shock and a hip replacement he had back in August 2018.
But now he feels strong enough to head off on his bike; he wasn’t expecting to cover a huge distance or be away for very long. Mainly because he still has to go to the doctor’s every week.
Garry decided to follow the route he took on his first-ever long-distance cycle ride, cycling the 80 miles to Swanage.
His route would take him across the Isle of Wight. Crossing by ferry from Portsmouth at one end, cycling the 15 miles across the island to Yarmouth, where he would catch another ferry across to the New Forest. He would then follow the coast along to Swanage.
Unfortunately, a series of events. Late ferries, punctures and Garry still not fully up to speed. All meant that he only made it as far as the Isle of Wight and had to spend the night there.
Let’s See How Far We Can Cycle Today
After his forced stop on the Isle of Wight, Garry decided to take his time and go a long way around the island. And followed the south coast, one of Garry’s favourite parts of the island.
On arriving in Swanage, Garry had the intention of camping, but in the end, realised that he really wasn’t up to it. So, instead, he stayed at a Youth Hostel, which incidentally was up a ridiculously steep hill, not what you want at the end of a long day of cycling.
The following morning, Garry set off for Devizes, his next destination. But once again, fate dictated differently. The route Garry decided to take was hard. There were plenty of hills, and to top it all, a nasty road accident meant the road was closed, forcing Garry on a detour. Being forced on his detour, Garry changed his destination, and instead of Devizes, he spent the night in Salisbury.
Another Change Of Plan
After being forced to change his route yesterday, he now had a bit of a dilemma: where to cycle next? Now he was in Salisbury, he was a lot closer to home than he’d anticipated. But maybe just a bit too far for Garry to manage cycling in one day.
He only had tomorrow free, as he had to be home the following day for a doctor’s appointment. But where could he go that wouldn’t take him too far away from home? In the end, he decided to head home, and if he didn’t make it in one go, he would stop the night somewhere en route.
From Salisbury, Garry had his longest day in the saddle. And managed to make it home to Bognor Regis, albeit rather tired and exhausted.
Although Garry didn’t cover a vast distance or cycle as many miles as perhaps he would have done in the past, he still enjoyed himself. Finally, able to get back on his bike. Something he thought, for a while, he may never have been able to do again.
Total miles covered: 240.
Garry’s Bicycle Tour Photos
The Route Garry Cycled
Bicycle Touring Videos
Follow & Support
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.
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.