{"id":176336,"date":"2019-12-13T11:53:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-13T11:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=176336"},"modified":"2019-12-13T11:53:00","modified_gmt":"2019-12-13T11:53:00","slug":"from-glasgow-to-manchester-bikepacking-home-for-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2019\/12\/13\/from-glasgow-to-manchester-bikepacking-home-for-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"From Glasgow to Manchester: Bikepacking Home for Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2018Bikepacking home for Christmas\u2019 \u2014 it sounds like something out of a Hallmark holiday movie, right? Well, this year, two friends in the UK are taking this story fit for the screen and turning it into reality. Claire Davis and Rosie Baxendine will be biking the Second City Divide, from Glasgow to Manchester, over the 19th-23rd of December. Long-time cycling pals, the pair will be doing the ride in festive attire and are planning to make it home just in time to deck the halls with their families. Relying on the kindness of strangers to help provide shelter along the way, they\u2019ll also be raising money for charities near and dear to their hearts.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The two friends are both active Breeze ride leaders and when they discovered there was a bike trail linking Glasgow and Manchester, they couldn\u2019t resist. The trip was Rosie\u2019s idea but as Claire explained to We Love Cycling, \u201cwe both wanted to ride it and thought, \u2018why wait for the spring when we can ride it for Christmas?\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There was a little apprehension in the initial planning stages and Claire explained that she didn\u2019t think they would go through with such a crazy plan. But then Surly offered to supply a bike for the trip, the Midnight Special, and as she said, \u201cI really couldn’t turn down the opportunity to test the bike out on a holiday adventure.\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/B45sfdElJHa\/<\/p>\n

Claire claims that she\u2019s not naturally a very sporty person but that she loves the outdoors and cycles as a way to escape to remote areas, \u201cfor me cycling is all about the journey, so I love to do long distances and visit a lot of places along the way.\u201d Proving that she is certainly one to jump in with both feet, two years ago \u2014despite never having done a long-distance cycling trip \u2014 she booked flights to Hanoi, Vietnam<\/span>,<\/span> where she bought a mountain bike and cycled 3,000 km to Bangkok. She told us: \u201cI was solo and just making up the route as I went along. It was a challenging ride, crossing 4 countries in extreme temperatures, but it was an amazing experience I would love to repeat.\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Clearly no stranger to life on a bike, this time the trip she\u2019s doing is especially near and dear to her heart. She\u2019ll be raising money for the Lupus UK charity. Claire explained that a few years ago, her cousin Katie died at a young age from Lupus, after fighting for years. \u201cShe is my inspiration to try and live my life to the fullest and to constantly challenge myself and find out what my limits are.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/B3jfzDXlRTC\/<\/p>\n

Claire also thinks of Katie when she needs a little extra motivation to push herself through a challenge, \u201cwhen I find myself in a difficult situation or think that I can’t push any harder, I\u2019m reminded <\/span>of<\/span> Katie and others who are faced with struggles in daily life. I remind myself to be thankful that I am able to do the things that I do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With the motivation to raise money so they can help others, the women will also be keeping their spirits high and hearts warm by embracing the festive theme. \u201cWe are planning on decorating the bikes, and ourselves,\u201d Claire explained. \u201cA friend is making me some wearable LED Christmas lights to make sure I am nice and visible and I have made waterproof fork bags out of Christmas stockings.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Bxt095YhdrK\/<\/p>\n

Making the most of the short days they\u2019ll be facing, the pair will be setting out early and will be putting in some long days to avoid getting cold when they stop. \u201cThe weather will potentially be our biggest challenge and it’s still a bit early to predict what we will get.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoping that the folks they meet along the way will also be feeling the holiday spirit, they\u2019ll be mostly self-supported but are also relying on help from various online groups that they belong to. They\u2019ll be carrying sleeping and bivvy bags and are grateful they\u2019ve also ha<\/span>d<\/span> some offers of barns and stables they can use. As Claire said: \u201cA lot of the support we will be getting will come from strangers, which we feel really encompasses the true spirit of Christmas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BxwmvbyhXCV\/<\/p>\n

They plan to celebrate their arrival in Manchester with a hot shower and a bottle of bubbly before heading off to spend Christmas Eve with their families. Not keen to take much of a break from her bike, Claire assured us that she\u2019ll be back on wheels by Boxing Day, as she\u2019s planning to complete the Rapha Festive 500.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We wish these women all the best in their fundraising and adventure! You can follow their trip on <\/span>Instagram<\/span><\/a> or donate to their fundraising efforts <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2018Bikepacking home for Christmas\u2019 \u2014 it sounds like something out of a Hallmark holiday movie, right? Well, this year, two […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":176339,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[334],"tags":[1280,2359,647,3798,2872],"global-categories":[3366],"class_list":["post-176336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-socialising-and-culture","tag-bikepacking","tag-charity-ride","tag-christmas","tag-christmas-2019","tag-cycling-women","global-categories-cycling"],"yoast_head":"\nFrom Glasgow to Manchester: Bikepacking Home for Christmas - \u0160koda We Love Cycling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u2018Bikepacking home for Christmas\u2019 \u2014 it sounds like something out of a Hallmark holiday movie, right? 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