After tales of chocolate being exchanged for access to tiles, it seems VeloViewer adventures are fuelled by food – and this extends much further than a traditional cafe ride! In our latest tale British rider Peter Draper, a retired Professor of Nursing, shares how VeloViewer tile hunting has renewed his passion for cycling and increased his love of sausage rolls.
For our followers outside of the UK who haven’t had the pleasure of trying a sausage roll this is what you’re missing: a piece of sausage meat wrapped in pastry and baked.
Peter’s story
I have always loved riding a bike. As a child of the carefree, car-free sixties my bike gave me a territory to explore and the means to be home by teatime. In my forties my brother and I tackled John O’Groats to Landsend (after which trauma my bike lay untouched in the shed for 5 years); and last year I completed Audax UK’s Randonneur Round the Year.
Now I’m retired I have more time to ride, but my cycling was just a constant repetition of the same old loops and was getting a bit, well, boring. But last year my friend Graham Thornalley introduced me to VeloViewer and it brought back the love. I’m ten years old again! Here then are three accidental joys of VeloViewer.
1. A new respect for maps. My favourite approach to cycling is instinctive. “Ooh, I think I’ll go that way”. That’s why I used to get lost all the time. I struggle to read paper maps and these days I never go out without my route loaded to my head unit. VeloViewer is teaching me to enjoy reading maps as I plan routes to reach new Squares, and so often those new squares delight me with fresh views of familiar places.
2. A competitive instinct. I’m not a racer. I don’t really care who wins, and I don’t see the point in going so fast that you can’t say good morning to cows as you pass them in a field, but I’m very motivated by goals. My Max Square is only 15 but with just a few more rides I can double that, putting me ahead of Graham’s total. Just picture his face as I casually mention it over a coffee!
3. Sausage rolls. It’s a well-known, scientifically proven fact that the best nutrition for endurance cycling is a sausage roll and a cup of tea. It’s only a matter of time before the Tour de France catches on. So imagine my deep joy when I serendipitously found myself in Holme-on-Spalding-Moor, where the best sausage rolls in the world are baked. It wouldn’t have happened without VeloViewer. I think I’ll suggest it as a new metric!
Taken by Peter’s tales of sausage rolls we found out more about his cycling adventures.
Your bike of choice
I love road cycling, distances between 50k-200k if I’m feeling particularly energetic. I generally go off on my own but sometimes head out with my wife or my son or a good friend. I’m horrified by the idea of riding in a big group!
My bike of choice is my carbon Trek Domane which I have upgraded with a SRAM electronic groupset and some Hunt carbon wheels. This replaced the Woodrups steel bike which I had ridden for 30+ years. This summer I got a spare set of wider wheels for my Trek to enable me to explore off road routes and I’m finding that loads of fun.
Your Explorer Score
My explorer score is 80.147 and my Max Square is 15.
What’s your next planned adventure?
As for my next adventure… I’ve seen the Fred Whitton Challenge and will apply for a place for 2025. I’ll have to do some serious training for that. I might also do another Addax UK Randonneur Round the Year (200k x 12).
Do you have your own stories to tell about your own VeloViewer Explorer Tile hunting? Email us at veloviewer@gmail.com and you could win a VeloViewer casquette.
Simon Hargrave says:
Explorer tiles 👍👍👍👍👏