As Mike Carter cycled to his job in London, following the banks of the River Thames, he had a thought. What if he just continued, keeping the water to his right? It would eventually drive to the coast, then follow the coast all the way around Britain, finally returning to London.
From this simple idea, an epic adventure was born!
How long?
The Ordnance Survey says the coastline of the island of Great Britain stretches for 11,073 miles. However, if you’re cycling along the UK coastline, on a loaded touring bike, you obviously can’t follow the average high tide mark around the coast, which is where this OS distance is from.
Instead, you have to follow the roads and bike paths, which is what Carter did. In the end, he cycled more than 5,000 miles, visiting John O’Groats and Land’s End, as well as Britain’s two capes: Cape Wrath and Cape Cornwall.
The book
You’ll learn a lot about Carter in the book, but for me the most fascinating aspect of the man is his unerring ability to tell the stories of random people he met on his journey.
Like all really good cycle touring books, the story isn’t about cycling (although there’s obviously a lot to that) but rather about the experience of traveling at a human pace. Carter is a very talented writer and isn’t afraid to backfire. He regularly made me laugh out loud while reading the book.
In search of Britain
If you want to know what the British people are really like, ignore what you hear in the mainstream media and read this book instead. It is a wonderful tale, full of warmth and kindness. The two exceptions are the very rude man Carter encountered in the Outer Hebrides (the man was not from there) and the level of conduct he encountered in Plymouth (the ONLY city in the UK where he distinguishes atrocious conduct).
Carter very clearly paints a picture of the haunting beauty of Britain, a fact sadly overlooked by so many people, in their rush to travel to more exotic places. I would go so far as to say that this book should be required reading in British schools.
The judgment
Oh, that’s easy: it’s a superb book, and I highly recommend you read it. You will thank me afterwards.
Get your copy here or at any good bookstore.