Earlier this month, British cyclo-cross star Cameron Mason set a new Fastest Known Time. Or, at least, he almost did. His attempt on the FKT for the 134-mile John Muir Way, a coast to coast route in Scotland, was ultimately deemed to be outside the rules because the Scot had stashed bottles at the trailside ahead of time.
All the same, his 7hr 53min ride – nearly half-an-hour quicker than holder John McKenzie – remains impressive, not least because he did it on a road bike. The rule about stashing supplies, he had not been aware of before the ride.
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James Shrubsall
Having been at Cycling Weekly for over two decades, and cycling a little bit longer, James is in a good position to tell you what’s good and what isn’t in the world of bike riding.
While the John Muir Way lends itself to a faster set-up, with plenty of tarmac alongside the off-road sections, Mason’s maverick approach to his set-up is something we could all learn from. Modern marketing is very good at convincing us that if we want to undertake X, we need a set-up that looks like Y. This does of course appeal to the magpie-like tendencies of the average bike rider – the collection of shiny trinkets knows no bounds, and any excuse for further ‘investments’ is gladly taken up.
One has to wonder, however, how many amazing adventures or life-affirming experiences have been put off or never happened because of a perceived lack of the ‘correct’ gear. It’s something I’m definitely guilty of myself. These days, every eventuality has to be planned for, down to a tee.
Perhaps it’s an age thing, but my current planning fetish is in stark contrast to my younger self. As a student I remember setting for France on a bike that shouldn’t have been ridden to the corner shop let alone taken on a Continental tour. It was devoid of any bar tape (uncomfortable) or even bar-end plugs (dangerous), the pannier rack bolted on with P-clips and a general spec that was low-end winter trainer rather than world adventurer.
It probably goes without saying that the trip was great and lives long in the memory. Modern me would probably have stayed at home instead, making extensive mental lists of potential touring bike purchases that I could never afford, or pitting a variety of ferry crossings against each other in a top-trumps-style spreadsheet, before running out of summer and giving the idea up as a bad job.
Clearly, a certain degree of planning and careful gear choice is wise. My own youthful chaotic approach has probably been frustrating to those around at times and I should probably be thankful I didn’t end up inadvertently giving myself a muscle biopsy with that open handlebar end.
Mason’s approach to his John Muir Way attempt wasn’t chaotic, but he didn’t get bogged down waiting for ‘perfect’ either. The gravel bike didn’t turn up, so he played the wildcard with the Aeroad and, official FKT or not, he did a blinder of a ride.
There’s a quote I often come back to from the British actor and musician Hugh Laurie. “It’s a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you’re ready.” And while that setting out on a potentially hazardous trip woefully under-prepared is never a good idea, Laurie is often right. Worth bearing in mind next time you’re thinking about putting off that next big ride.
