Name: Andy Jennings
Residence: Frome / England
Year of birth: 1963
Bike: Trek Superfly
Riding period: 1 July -17 Sept 2024, North to South
Most favourite part: (1) a cold beer at the finish; (2) the solitude of the long gravel roads in Sweden, interspersed with reindeer wandering about, and wild camping beside seemingly endless rivers and lakes; (3) how generous, kind and helpful everyone was, pretty much everywhere I went; (4) the truly amazing scenery, throughout; (5) bumping into the Tour de France (Femmes); (6) how every day was a similar routine but totally new experience.
Random thoughts: (1) how chilled it is to ride on smooth tarmac, after hours and days on gravel and dirt / how great it is to ride on gravel and dirt after days on boring and super smooth tarmac; (2) I love my bike – no punctures; went through two chains, two front tyres, three rear tyres; one minor issue with deglazing rear brake disc/pads was the only mechanical; (3) every calorie is a good calorie when you are burning through them all day every day; (4) curious food cravings, at different stages of the route – pears; apples; chocolate milk; savoury Spanish pastries; peanut m&m’s; (5) I am so glad I did this on a hardtail mountain bike, even so I wish I’d had more gears / less gear; (6) solitude is great (but eventually you run low on food); (7) what a seriously incredible variety of amazing landscapes; (8) a great sense of achievement at the end, and at multiple points along the way; (9) I really don’t like mosquitos; (10) it was great bumping into other people who were also riding the EDT (mostly going South to North), or other long distance rides; (11) how big a part wood plays in the lives of millions of people across Europe, from Swedish firewood to Portuguese cork; (12) how resilient people living in remote places are; (13) what a truly great experience.
Instagram: none, but this one instead: https://ajridestheedt.wordpress.com/