Searching for the path less pedalled

We moved down to Galloway from Edinburgh. Beautiful as that city is, the traffic is a nightmare. Years ago we came to the conclusion that you could get from A to B far faster by bike than public transport or car. You arrived at ‘B’  buzzing and without the stress of the journey. Our bicycle love began right there.

Within a few years we were pinning numbers on our backs and riding fast and long on exotic bits of carbon and metal. We rode to a plan and going for a bike ride became training. Then we took off around the world on bikes for 4 years and we still had that race mentality.

The path less pedalled - an old drove road

We never walked, that was the rule. Then one day in New Zealand there was one hill climb too many and we blew, bonked, hit the wall, crashed and burned. When you climb at 4mph you may as well walk. We broke the rule.

It is so easy now to get sucked in to the culture of Strava. I know 20 years ago I would have gone down that rabbit hole and never been seen again. I like to think I have a different view now, one where I never want to pin a number on ever again. If you get held up on the roads of Galloway it is going to be an experience. We always ask our guests what they liked about the ride, “ Getting held up by the sheep/cows” is often the top thing. We go out searching for the slow roads now, the road less pedaled.

An old road above Gatehouse of Fleet