I set out for what I thought would be a fantastic gravel ride, with the first stretch taking me around a sea wall. The ride started strong, with six miles of coastal views ahead. But about four miles in, the ride turned into an unexpected challenge. The path narrowed to a precarious strip on top of the sea wall, flanked by steep banks and marshland on either side. To make things worse, the sun was starting to set.
Although the path was unrideable, I decided to press on, pushing my bike rather than turning back. With hindsight, this wasn’t my best call! I ended up walking the remaining two miles of the sea wall as the last light of day disappeared completely.
Despite the slow progress, the adventure didn’t end there. Once off the sea wall, I pedalled into the night across Two Tree Island. Thankfully, the gravel tracks were solid and straightforward, even in pitch-black conditions. After navigating the island, it was a smooth ride along the seafront cycle path to home.
Lesson learned? Sometimes turning back is the smarter choice - but where’s the fun in that? Gravel riding is all about embracing the unexpected, and this ride delivered that in spades!