One man's grand tour: Stage 4 of 6

Day 4: Keswick to Glasgow. Just had my midnight shower after finding the hostel by being navigated to it over the phone via my wife Allison. Its been hard work all day. The wind is still against me and it took its toll on the climbs even more than normal. I had to push the bike up the last mile of Shap fell, 1400 ft, and then pedal down the other side. The village hall, the mythical half way point, still has no plague celebrating the fact! Out of Carlisle i've been on smoother cycle cross courses then the old road to Glasgow, bounced around for ages on the very rough surface. The climbs though gentle go on forever and some longer still! I got my first puncture just before the descend down. The road into Glasgow was very quiet and I did manage to get some speed up for a change, in the dark now. 155 very hard miles.

One man's grand tour: Stage 3 of 6

Day 3: Craven Arms to Arnside (Keswick). Had a slight north wind today which made the journey harder. Breakfast where I was staying started late so it was a tin of rice pudding by the side of the road! Lots of HGV traffic on the A49 to Shrewsbury and to Whitchurch. Thankfully they all turned left to Wales. I bumped into a guy who done this ride when he was 65 in two weeks. He had a friend with him; he was 70! The jacket I had been keen to avoid wearing was on for a short while in the cold wind. The hills have now gone, but heading into the cities of Wigan and Warrington the average speed didn't go up by much. My nose for navigating was still in Devon mode. It took 12 hours to complete the 147 miles (including city detours). The day ended watching the sun set over Morecambe bay with my parents who who had come to see me en route.

One man's grand tour: Stage 2 of 6

Day 2: Tauton to Craven Arms, Shropshire. The weather has been damp most of the day, but still too warm for a rain jacket. I got breakfast in Cheddar thinking I had time but didn't. The rolling hills into Bristol were slow going and Redhill was a long grind. Bristol was quite difficult to navigate. I'm sure I saw the Cathedral three times. Eventually I did cross the Severn Bridge where I found the going windy and exposed. The Wye Valley with the ruins of Tintern Abbey was just reward for my efforts. The haul from Monmouth to Hereford was tough but after that stretch the terrain became more manageable and I was able to keep a steady pace going. 140 miles clocked but it still took 12 hours.

One man's grand tour: Stage 1 of 6

Amid the spectacle and glory of the Tour de France that grips this nation at present one man sets out on a grand tour of his own. Having already ridden Land's End to John O'Groats once before, Paul Rippon set out today from Land's End to do the journey again, this time his goal is to do it in six days riding a single speed. We admire the strength of character and will that motivates a rider to take on a solo challenge such as this. For us it defines the true nature of cycling - the challenge and the quest. We met up at London's Liverpool Street Station yesterday with Paul and escorted him safely across town to Paddington for his connecting train across to Penzance. Paul is having to travel as light as possible but will in the next six days be sending text updates of his progress. We'll be keeping you posted daily but with long days in the saddle ahead reports will be coming through sporadically. We wish him every success on his own grand tour. Day 1: Lands End to Taunton. An 8am start saw Lands End deserted except for one kind soul who took my photo. The A30 was quiet to begin with but soon gets busy as the miles pass. Taking occasional detours off the main road proves slow and at Bodmin there is no option. Two heavy showers but opt not to stop in an attempt to make up for the late start. I pass Launceston without leaving the main road, the undulating A30 has me standing on the pedals on too many gradients. Lunch is taken at ASDA in Bodmin then on to Okehampton and Crediton via the scenic route. The roads now are getting steep but as my speed drops to 5 mph I'm determined not to get off. After the surprise of reaching Taunton by 7pm, a pub lunch is called for having clocked up 145 miles.

Back to basics

Here at Simpson we love technology. We enjoy the convenience it brings to our lives and we welcome the boost it gives to our performance. The strength, stiffness and efficiency of modern bikes are truly astonishing compared to what came before them and we wouldn’t have it any other way. We eagerly adopt the latest developments in everything from shoe technology to frame materials and we bask in the glow created by the improvements they enable in our performance. But we also believe that every now and then it’s a really good idea to set aside some of the technology at our disposal. Park the Garmin, forget about Strava, dust off the hack bike and leave the Lycra in the wardrobe. Freed from the niggling urge to improve on your segment times or nail a KOM you will have more time to take in the views around you. Unaware of your average speed you will relax into a comfortable pace that allows you to chat to the people you pass – or who pass you. This is why we’re so excited about L’Eroica Britannia, the vintage ride we’ll be joining at the end of next week in Derbyshire. We will sit astride our heavy, unsophisticated steel bikes that were built before we were born. We’ll rejoice in our woollen shorts and cleatless shoes and we will labour up those hills and try not to go too fast downhill because our old brakes won’t work very well. We will feel like heroes for completing the 55 mile ride and all the while we will be smiling like fools – celebrating that simplest of pleasures: riding our bikes.