LongAnt

Yesterday we went from London to Canterbury. The original idea of this project was and still is, to have fun on the bicycle. So, even though we got lost 5 times, we kept the smile on our faces and the miles went away not quite as fast as we expected…

Lessons learnt:

- Getting out of London is quite time consuming. Expect an average of 18/20 km/h.
- The route is quite hilly!!! Get ready for some up & downhill. They are not very high, but the last climb before Canterbury will make you swear, we promise!
- Having enough time is key to enjoy the experience.

Actually, arriving to Canterbury was harder than we had expected. To the point that we’ve been reconsidering the whole master plan. We’ve decided to modify the route to make it more enjoyable. It’s not about endurance, it’s about having a good time. Sleeping in Dover and catching the ferry early in the morning without the pressure of cycling to be at the ferry gates at a certain time is perhaps the best decision. It really worried us that people could miss their ferry slot and have a disappointing experience. The other thing is that splitting the route in 3 will make it easier, so more people can enjoy the longant experience

Many things can happen in the road and cycling all the way to Dover is quite a long ride. The fact that we would’ve had to decide at what time we would need to take the ferry made us very uncomfortable. Splitting the route in 3 will make it easier for everybody: less pressure, less stress, and more time to spend in the different cities we will be cycling through.

So, the first big test is done, and plenty of changes have been made in order to make the whole experience more satisfying.

One of the biggest problems that we face with this challenge is the ferry. Why? because you have to book in advance, and because you have to check-in 45 minutes before departure… so you have to calculate how long you think the first 140 km of the journey is going to take…

So far, booking a ticket for a foot passenger with a bicycle costs £10.