Motivations for the challenge – Cycling Pilgrimage

Hear from JJ on his motivations for the challenge

12 March 2025

Cycling is something I’ve done since I can remember: being taken to school and church on the cross-bar of my Dad’s old postman’s bike; gashing my knees when tumbling off on the ‘ash path’ in Birmingham; unbridled excitement at getting my first drop-handlebar racer at the age of 10; commuting by bike to every single job I’ve had including in sub-zero Chicago and alpine-esque Bristol; going on annual ‘birthday rides’ for my Dad, covering his age in miles (it’s becoming quite challenging of late..!)

Travelling by bike has always been about more than simply getting from A to B. It’s very much a way of life and I have the scars to prove it; and whilst cycling on two wheels is an ideal mode of individual transport, the thing that appeals to me most is how quickly community builds around cycling and cyclists.  There’s a two-wheeled camaraderie that means there will always be an interesting conversation to be had or a helping hand available.

That notion was the genesis for the idea of a cycling pilgrimage around England and Wales* to visit the many places where Cathedral Music Trust has supported music-making.  On our most recent birthday ride (78 miles around Warwickshire and the West Midlands) it struck me just how common it is to encounter great choral singing and organ playing within close geographical proximity.  I realised that by connecting all of these places by bicycle, I might demonstrate how, wherever you are across the country, you’re never too far from an evensong or a sung eucharist: From the challenging hills of Cornwall (Truro) to the gentle flats of Norfolk; from the heartlands of the Midlands to the rugged terrain of Carlisle.

It sounds fairly simple when written down like that, but a Christmas holiday spent looking at maps has left me in no doubt about the magnitude of the challenge. I am hugely indebted to the excellent route-planning provided in the Cathedral Cycling Route, compiled by Shaun Cutler, which has formed the basis for a ride of around 2,700 miles of cycling and 123,000 feet of climbs across 50 days of riding; equivalent to cycling around 10% of the earth’s circumference at the equator and from sea level to the top of Everest more than four times.

But I’ve told too many people now to pull out, so here I am, announcing to the world that on 16 May 2025 I’ll embark upon my most daunting cycling adventure; setting off from Durham and working my way up to Newcastle (in time to join-up with our Friends & Patrons at the National Gathering – apologies in advance to all of the attendees for the lycra…). I’ll then be working my way around the country in ‘stages’ – typically 4-5 days at a time – across weekends and holidays. The key thing I’m aiming for is to hear choirs sing and organs being played in each location – over 100 separate cathedrals, churches, abbeys and royal peculiars. It’s going to take me a full year to complete the ride, with an aim of arriving back in Durham in May 2026. Spacing out the stages to around 1 trip/month means that I can coincide my rides with services and concerts, whilst also keeping up the day-to-day running of the Trust. It will also help ensure my family still recognises me.

*Scotland and Ireland are still very firmly on the bucket list, but will have to wait until next time…