Do you push long distances on your bike? Perhaps for an Audax or for training purposes?Have you ever thought of having a reason to your rides beyond training?

Over the last few years, I have been adding an agenda to my rides. Last year I was attempting a RRtY(Randoneur Round the Year), which is an award you will receive if you successfully complete twelve months of riding a 200km distance once a month.

I completed my RRtY by riding DIY events. These are where I submit my intended route to my area rep and get the ride authenticated. From there I must stay true to the course and then submit my completed ride to the same person to compare the files. Many people do it the traditional way and ride a calendar event, unfortunately most of which are on a Saturday and I'm always working.

The other choice is to ride a permanent event, which has a set course you follow and many distances to choose from. The caveat is that you have to get to the start point which could be a couple towns away, so for me a DIY was the right way to go about it as you can start your ride from your very own doorstep.

Some people can just do the same loop every time, but that is not for me. I need a bit more inspiration to get me out of the door, so I'd go and grab some fish and chips in Cromer or a donut in a remote part of Suffolk. It wasn't all just food based, I rode up to Lincoln to watch the Lincoln Gran Prix, arriving just in time for the final laps up the crushing cobblestone climb of Michaelgate.

The trend for me started to head towards all things Neolithic. After visiting the Rollright Stones, the Hoar Stone, Grimes Graves and the majestic Belas Knapp; I was sold on this being the narrative structure to my rides. Fast forward to this year, a friend and I built a route to ride from London to Durham taking in as many Neolithic, and some Bronze Age sites as possible. The line blurs slightly when it comes to dating some of these places as they can be used over different historic ages by different sets of people.

The cool thing with the stone age is that the type of stone used can depend on the geology of the site. So as we flitted back and forth across the map, we connected ourselves to the land itself; from oolitic limestone plateau's to the red sandstone of the Northern Pennines...

In the Peak District we hunted down Arbor Low and were beaten back by the awful weather, retreating to the pub for warmth a restorative pint. In Boroughbridge we found the imposing standing stones intriguingly named the Devil's Arrows. On a climb up into Ilkley Moor we got off the bikes and explored the area by foot until we found the exposed Badger Stone on a ridgeline that was sprouting with ferns and peppered with heather...

All these sites come laden with folk tales, a modern interpretation of something so old it has more than one tale to tell. I rode with unabashed joy towards every location, the excitement picking up as these ancient monuments drew into my line of site. Their stillness in complete contrast to my movement. The days were long, between 150-200km daily. There was plenty of climbing and perhaps not enough time to take everything in, but that's what you get when two long distance riders plan a multi-day ride.

If you are thinking of hitting the road for some longer efforts, think about adding some flavour to the ride. I mean, I think that is what cycle touring used to do or be about. Perhaps I am reverse discovering this type of riding and calling it something else, minus the triple chainring. Maybe loads of people already ride like this, and I am duped by the algorithms on social media to think everybody is just riding ultras and nothing else.

Let me know, because this is a breath of fresh air in the world of cycling. I want to hear about more adventures that don't just involve crushing the K's. Perhaps we can make this a feature, dare I say send me a submission about your ride and let's see where it takes us. The narrative history tour.....

Ride for a reason, ride for an adventure....