Bike Touring on a Brompton

Now for something different. I’ve discovered a YouTube channel that is super soothing—even when she gets lost, which she definitely does and is very transparent about, but in a happy-go-lucky kind of way.

Susanna Thornton is a freelancer and videographer from the UK. She is an optimist.

“Oh, dear, it’s starting to rain.”

“It’s certainly hard-going.”

“There’s a head wind.”

“I can’t seem to find water and shelter and night is falling.”

All of these predicaments I’ve faced as a solo cyclist but without her cheerful attitude. Is it British stiff upper lip or putting on a face for her viewers? I have a feeling she was born this way—with an outlook that finds beauty in the sublime and in the experience of freedom cycling brings. She easily conveys this to her audience.

That’s why the films are so addicting. I need optimism, I need to feel freedom; I long for the open road. Especially after getting back from hiking the Kungsleden in northern Sweden. Folks ask me if I miss it, and I say, I miss being outside all day. I miss being away from the Internet, from headlines, from world chaos.

It makes you question: What is civilization?

Susanna’s can-do spirit is contagious. I find myself looking up spots on Google, contriving to pedal there. Her tours are not epic, some are easy-peasy, her words. They start from home and might involve public transport or regional train and involve camping out one night. The total distance might be 70 miles or less. Literally: The joy is in the journey. Her gear is old, not high-tech. She’s on a folding bike with (I’m guessing) 24” tires. So she’s not making tracks. There are multiple coffee stops where she pulls out a Helinox Zero chair and sips from a thermos cup. It is about taking things slow, taking it in, living in the moment—even if that moment is torturous. Before bed, her films are a cup of Zen.