The Rough Stuff Fellowship
In 1955 a smattering of British Fellows formed a fellowship of cyclists dedicated to the path less travelled. Their escapades, reasonably well documented over the decades, remain an inspiration for getting out into places less known.
A couple years ago I stumbled upon this instagram account, dedicated to digitizing and sharing the photographic archives of a small group of British cyclists; The Rough Stuff Fellowship.
I was in awe. I immediately followed and bought the crowdfunded print book, which now sits among other coffee-table books to pique my interest every so often and inspire shenanigans by bicycle.
There’s a certain style of riding in the UK that I am fascinated and enamored by. I haven’t yet had the pleasure to witness firsthand, but color me very interested! It’s somewhat in the style of randonneuring, but has a keen difference in sense of adventure.
While I’ve had a few instances that harken to these images, I’ve only personally witness on of their “routes”, the Monarch Crest Trail, in Colorado. It does indeed require some hikeabike, though my choice bike had a fair bit more suspension and tire tread than most of those Brits!
I got to ride part of Monarch Crest on a larger loop in August of 2024
Tandems seem a common theme in some photos, and I can attest, a good way to get into shenanigans. Anyone care to join me for a tandem ride??
You can find more about the history and ongoing work of the Rough Stuff Fellowship at their website!
Have you done a ride like this? Purposefully or by accident! Drop me a line, I love hearing stories of rides gone sideways!
