I think I finally have the bike of my dreams...a Stanforth

[Apologies for the change in font size. I don't know why it's happened and can't seem to correct it.]

In my search for a bike that would take me on something akin to the sort of cycling adventures I had begun to read about in 2014 by authors such as Josie Dew, Anne Mustoe and others, two years later in 2016 I bought an Oxford Bike Works steel step-through tourer - which I did not keep, for reasons which you can read about here. Then, as a replacement, I bought a Koga aluminium mixte tourer here in 2017. I had come across Koga bikes through my blogging friend Brenda, who, along with her husband, rides Kogas. It wasn't that easy, at the time, to find any other step-through or mixte style tourers. So I compromised on the steel and bought a Koga. I changed the handlebars, the saddle, the pedals, and the seatpost (because some washers broke on the original and I couldn't get replacements) and although it took a while to get comfortable on it, I finally did, and had some good day and multi-day tours on it. 

However..... I always felt a sense of disappointment that I had never got that beautiful steel bicycle that I had hoped for, and when, a couple of years ago, I came across Stanforth Bikes, who sell custom steel tourers of various descriptions, I  was instantly smitten. I started following them on Facebook, thinking - 

"I know I'm being silly, but maybe, one day..."

Then earlier this year Husband took severance pay and slightly early retirement from his job, and when he mentioned he was thinking of getting a new paragliding wing, I of course leapt at my opportunity! I don't think we're the only couple where a bit of negotiation sometimes goes on in the form of - 

"Well if you're having a new such and such then can I have a new such and such ?" 

 Anyway, I cautiously mentioned that I'd been thinking about getting a new bike, and was pleased to find that he didn't dismiss my idea outright! In fact, surprisingly soon after that he agreed that we could go down to Hove, where Stanforth Bikes are, and get me measured up for one. And, even better, he was soon surprised with a new bike himself, in the form of a retirement present from Eldest Son! Youngest Son had brought it in his van, and when his 3 year old daughter said -

"Daddy's got a bike in his van" 

- we didn't take much notice, though we had wondered why he had come in his van and not his car. But there really was a bike in there, and not his either! It was a brand new one in a box. Husband was gobsmacked!! And our lovely children also bought him a new tool (a multi tool of some sort) and a voucher with which he bought himself a new Garmin.

I admit to then feeling not nearly so bad at the thought of getting a new bike myself!

So at the end of May we went down to Hove, and I was measured up for a custom built Skyelander by Simon Stanforth. I chose the colour and various other bits and pieces and Simon emailed me a day or two later with the geometry of the bike. I was quite surprised at the measurements - it seemed smaller than my other two bikes - and I emailed him with my thoughts, to which he replied in detail, putting my mind - more or less! - at rest. I have to admit I was still rather nervous - would this bike really fit me as well as I'd hoped? Would I like it better than my Koga? Was I being stupid buying this new bike at my age?! Anyway, I sat back and waited.

It was actually ready in about 10 weeks or so - less than the advertised lead time of 12 weeks. I was so excited about getting it, and pleased that Eldest Son, a keen cyclist, as is his wife, would get to see it when they came to visit later that month. But I was also very nervous, for the aforementioned reasons. We drove down to Hove again - and there it was, and there I test-rode it, and then we brought it home.

After bringing it home, we had one or two queries, and emailed Simon, who could not have been more helpful and generous in his replies.

And my verdict?

I have now ridden it several times, yesterday's ride being the longest, up to the Ridgeway, at about 27 miles, and I can honestly say that it is all I hoped it would be, including being very beautiful!! I was almost disappointed to reach home yesterday, wishing I could go further! It is much easier on hills - the gearing is the same as the Koga, so it must be the weight (it's lighter) and the geometry that make the difference. Eldest Son and Wife both had a go on it when they were here, and were very complimentary about it. I feel as if I've waited since 2016 for this bike, but it's been worth it! 

Here it is - 

And here it is, up on the Ridgeway (Harwell in the distance) -

And now I go in the garage and think -

"What a beautiful bicycle!!!"

(And by the way, Husband got his new wing...)

Cooking breakfast outside on my Trangia stove

Before I explain the title of this post, let me just tell you about my trial run to Swindon railway station. I'd already ridden to Didcot station on Bob the Brompton and wanted to compare it to a route to Swindon station, which is a bit further away from us. I didn't ride the Brompton as I wasn't at all sure of a part of the route I'd chosen, which was a bridleway, so I rode the Koga. I cycled via Uffington, Shrivenham and Bourton and then on a bridleway to the village of Horpit, on the outskirts of Swindon, after which I had to negotiate unexpected building works for a new road near the Commonhead roundabout.  Despite there being no signs for pedestrians or cyclists, I found my way through, and then it was on to the cycle paths, or quiet roads on NCN route 45, in Swindon all the way to the station. The whole journey there was 19 miles and took me about 4 hours.... but I didn't set out to do it as fast as possible, but to explore a possible route and to enjoy it. And to chat to people like the lady with a dog who came along just as I was emerging from a field,  having been looking for a bit of privacy to obey the call of nature (unsuccessful) and asked me, probably because I was well off the footpath that runs through the field, if I was lost! We had a nice chat and then further on I was successful....

The bridleway was very muddy in one or two spots but I got round them, and by now they will probably have dried up. It was a really lovely route as far as the roundabout, and even after that in Swindon town it was mainly traffic free. It's rather an odd feeling to cycle somewhere you've only ever driven to before. "Did I really get here on my bike?" I found myself thinking.

I would just like to add a note about Swindon here: As a child I had some friends who lived down the road from me, in a flat over a shop, and when they moved to Swindon my mum made a negative comment about it (I can't remember the comment specifically) and ever since then whenever I think about Swindon, in my mind it is a grey place....it's that thing of associating names and nouns with colours. 

My route home was to go out of Swindon through Lower Stratton and past the police headquarters, and then I was out in the countryside again and going through the village of South Marston, then Nightingale Woods and Rove's Farm (had cup of tea in the cafe and looked round the farm shop) , Sevenhampton (burial place of Ian Fleming), Watchfield (home to the Defence Academy of the UK - I wouldn't mind a snoop round there..!) Compton Beauchamp, and the hilly and winding B4507 to home. 39.46 miles in about 8 1/2 hours....

So - back to breakfast outside. I'm not someone who just goes for bike rides for the sake of it - I like to have an aim and a purpose behind it. As well as cooking breakfast outside, I wanted to see if some bridleways and byways were rideable on my bike, for future rides perhaps. With reference to the stove, I have often used my Trangia burner with cross members, and kettle, to boil water for coffee (and no I don't pour it on boiling, I leave it to cool for precisely one minute) when out on a ride, but had only ever used the whole stove (a Trangia 25 Duodossal) to cook breakfast in our garden, and it hadn't been particularly successful. I knew that I had to challenge myself to take it on a bike ride and cook in the wild (with the hope of doing a spot of wild camping this summer) so that was the aim of this ride. After much map reading I decided on a route, and while preparing to go I remembered that on that route there was a very beautiful and peaceful wooded burial ground at Sheepdrove Organic Farm. This is it - Sheepdrove Natural Burial Ground. Jus' perfick! as old Pa Larkin of The Darling Buds of May would say.  There were two good climbs on the way there, one of which I knew I could do, and did, and the other I knew I couldn't (up to the Ridgeway) and didn't....but I like to have a go.

The owners of Sheepdrove Farm,  Peter and Juliet Kindersley, of Dorling Kindersley Publishers fame, live in the house below, on the byway - the house is very unusual, surrounded by trees on three sides,  and the garden is beautiful, though my photo doesn't do it justice.

And opposite. Not a bad view to have from your house.... 

I chose a nice spot on the edge of the wood, with a fairly new grave (the mound in front of the bench, complete with dead tulips. Incidentally, none of the graves are marked with names.) and a bench. As Mrs Armitage would say - "What every campsite needs is somewhere to put your stuff!". If everything has to go on the ground, including yourself if there isn't even a log to sit on, then it all gets a bit tricky, I have discovered. A bench served the purpose of both table and seat. 

A bit burnt but still very tasty, and  better than my garden attempts - 

I also had yogurt and banana and my home made elderberry syrup, and two small chocolate digestives -  I don't often have biscuits these days but my son and family, who have recently been staying with us, had left them behind and I took upon myself the onerous task of finishing them. It was a lovely spot to sit and eat, and I thought - I must do this again!  However..... I was just packing up when a group of mourners appeared on the path ahead of me, which shocked me a bit! I wondered if the smell of bacon and coffee was lingering in the air..... Fortunately they weren't visiting "my" grave, and in fact they didn't even glance in my direction, though they were only yards away. 

Having had quite a chilly start (it's been like that for many days now, chilly days that take ages to warm up, and I have only just stopped wearing winter clothes) it was now getting pretty hot, and after leaving the wood I removed two layers from on top, and the zip-off bits of the zip-off trousers I'd recently bought. I am always interested in what other cyclists wear (unless it's lycra...), so in case you are too, these were Peter Storm men's ones. They actually fit me really well, though I don't think I've got a manly shape.... The men's clothing in Go Outdoors, where I bought them, is always in colours much more to my liking than the women's, and they also seem to have a better choice of styles and fabrics. I bought some women's Brasher trousers a while ago, in a synthetic stretchy fabric, although I don't normally go for fabrics like that, and for a while I really liked them for cycling in, as they were very comfortable. I even bought a second pair. However, they have gone out of shape and look terrible. The Peter Storm ones are a much nicer cotton mixture fabric. I used to like Craghoppers trousers and shorts until they too started using synthetic stretchy fabrics.

And after that I rode on bits of bridleway, and parts of the Ridgeway, going east. Some were easily rideable, like this part of the Ridgeway (you can see why it is called a white road) and some I had to get off and walk. I nearly fell off once, but recovered myself and bike in time.

In the photo below, looking down from the Ridgeway, the arrow on the left is pointing to new houses (there are thousands...) built on the east side of Wantage, the one in the middle points to the road to Wantage from Newbury, and the one on the right points roughly to Didcot power station.

Another part of the Ridgeway, looking east.

I took a byway down from the Ridgeway towards East Hendred, and then turned off onto part of NCN route 544 and headed west to Wantage, and then home, refilling my water bottles with lovely cold water from a tap outside Ardington church.

I am glad to have completed the challenge of cooking outside in the wild, and I really enjoyed doing the off-roading. I wouldn't want to do it in the winter on my bike, but at this time of year it was fine, and made a lovely change from riding on the road all the time, and I don't mind at all having to get off and walk. About 26 miles - in 8 hours!! That's my kind of cycling!!