Pannier.cc’s Route Beer Ramble: London To Bristol

Photos thanks to Dave Sear & Andy Matthews MK1

Since discovering Pannier.cc and hearing about their alternative nature; including their annual ‘loaded hill climb’ challenge, I’ve long wanted to join founders Stef and Dave on a jolly. Hence when the proposition of a long weekend from London back to my city of Bristol was announced with just 20 places going, I was quick to jump on it. Finishing up in a brewery would be just the cherry on top of a very delicious cake.

It’s no great mystery or secret that you can find the Pannier.cc route from the Route Beer Ramble on Strava or Komoot, but the role of a Pannier.cc experience is so much more than that. Sure, you can go and ride the route any time, but you’d be missing out on the generous Tunnocks™️ resupplies, the gourmet porridge and chocolate digestives breakfast and most importantly the camaraderie that comes with riding alongside 22 other loaded tourers who are just as ‘niche’ as you are.

Day 1: Richmond Park to Winton, via Swinley Forest – 97 miles

Saturday was a big ol’ day. Richmond Park is a cycling hive at the best of times, so watching the bag-laden bikes with chunky tyres filtering in beside the mega-spenny elitist road bikes was a delightful sight. Heading out along the Thames, it was near impossible to get a positive reaction – or even just a ‘hello’ – from passers-by; which of course made it all the more a mission of mine.

Not all rides involve a ferry crossing, but they certainly are fun when they do! Hopping over the river for an espresso and a spot of dog-bothering, we headed on due West out towards Ascot and Swinley Forest. Now that’s a place I’d love to return – our time on the blue MTB trails was all too brief before we carried on trucking along the up-and-down sandy fire roads towards our lunch stop. Around Virginia Water it was really hotting up; I hadn’t anticipated being down to base layer and shorts in March!

A well anticipated shandy and fishcakes later, we set off again from the pub to slay the second half of the day’s route to the next pub (I sense a theme here). Gorgeous Berkshire lanes gave way to narrow, muddy bridleways which filled me with total glee as I snaked past Gravel Kings-equipped riders and put my more aggressive WTB Nanos to perfect use.

The winds were really picking up now, and by the time we came to cross Crookham Common I had to channel my full inner spring classics specialist to push on into the b-r-u-t-a-l headwind. We’d learnt of the women’s Strade Bianche podium by then, which was more than enough to get me psyched about it.

Topping up fuel levels before dark in a Tesco petrol station (we are classy, don’t you know) and emergency pork pies later, it was time for the last few hours reaching into the darkness on lanes to our final destination for the night. Aided by fig rolls and muddy puddles lubricating some very vocal chains, we rolled into the The Golden Swan at about 7.30pm, hungry and very thirsty.

Setting up camp could wait for 2 pints of liquid recovery, when we discovered by head-torch-light that the promised trees weren’t quite so appealing. No bother – the hammocks were strung in a right angle of fencing between camp pitches and the tarp was up, time for tea!

Despite the rain and not being able to sit around the campfire outside, we had a cracking evening scoffing pies and pints in the warmth of a genuine Westcountry pub, sharing tales with (& mostly poking fun at) our fellow riders.

Day 2: Wilton to Bristol, via Devizes, Bradford-On-Avon and Bath – 48 miles

Somehow, everyone survived the night to breakfast. The wind blew so strongly, and rain lashed down so hard that I was convinced at least a few would be lost to the gusts. The hammock and tarp set up held up strong, with just one guy rope peg blowing out just minutes after my snoozed alarm as some God-given call to get-the-hell-out-of-bed-already.

After noshing down some breakfast porridge, choccy digestives and coffee in the gale, we packed up to complete the remaining 48 miles of our ride into the even stronger winds today. You could sense the anticipation, or rather reluctant dread, as we prepped to set off into it.

Despite clinging on for dear life on the lanes to Devizes, the headwind wasn’t quite as bad as feared and our touring-spec peloton soon crunched the miles to the first Greggs stop (told you we’re classy). From Devizes we hopped onto the Kennet & Avon Canal, trucking all the way to Bradford-On-Avon traffic-free, dodging puddles and the odd adorable doggo as we went.

Fuelling up once again for the rest of the ride at Bradford-On-Avon, and making the most of a Westcountry Cream Tea, we went ahead for the last leg to Bath and Bristol. The wind seemed to be subsiding a little, or perhaps it was the feeling of being on home turf. Or knowing there was a visit to my spiritual home (Business As Usual) and Cocksure Brewery to come…

Sailing into Bristol on the B2B cycle path after passing through the infamous Two Tunnels, I certainly had stoke legs. After a brief catch up with Tim & Jammy we headed on to taste the very Route Beer that had been brewed especially for us, starting some 2 weeks previous. And did it disappoint? Hell no. Many a dangle mug was consumed of the pale stuff from this new local brewery, but let me assure you there was no dangling to be seen.

Bristol to Reading

The prologue to this weekend adventure was not a 10-mile TT but rather an 84-mile race against the clock, crossing the Wessex Downs from Bristol to Reading to make our bike reservation time on the train into Paddington Station.

Allowing a 10mph average seems overly generous, until you factor in stopping for refuelling, navigational blunders, mechanicals and nature breaks. Armed with 16 sandwiches, an 8-pack of Tunnocks™️, 3 pork pies and many chocolate macaroons, we set off at 8am on our 10mph budget to get to Reading for the 16.02 train.

Oh, and did I mention we were going off road? A mixture of lanes, bridleways, byways, forest tracks, cycle routes and The Ridgeway later, we were thrashing it into Reading with just enough time for grabbing warm pasties and a 4-pinter to spare before hopping on the cosy and dry coach to the capital.