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I Rode Back Through My RAF Career | Coltishall, Marham & Coningsby

Bike Ventures

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There are some rides that are about the miles… and others that are about the memories.

In this three-day Bike Ventures adventure, we set out from the former RAF Coltishall and ride back through some of the places that shaped our lives during my Royal Air Force career. Passing through RAF Marham and RAF Coningsby before finishing in Lincoln, this is much more than a bikepacking trip — it’s a journey through RAF history, old memories and the landscapes that formed part of our story.

As always, we stitch the route together the Bike Ventures way, linking quiet lanes, old railway trails, gravel tracks and hidden pieces of local history to create a ride that’s every bit as much about the journey as the destination.

Starting at Coltishall — where we began married life together during my first posting — this ride takes us across Norfolk and Lincolnshire, revisiting stations that played a huge part in our RAF years and seeing them now from a completely different perspective from the saddle of a bike.

If you enjoy bikepacking, railway trails, RAF history and story-led cycling adventures, we hope you enjoy coming along for the ride.

#bikepacking #gravelcycling #cyclingadventures #raf #bikeventures #coltishall #rafhistory #railwaytrails

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komoot: https://www.komoot.com/user/168121314...
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Instagram: bike_ventures_uk

Equipment I use:
DJI Action Cam 4
DJI Mic Mini

DJI Neo 2 Drone

Rob's Bike:
Planet X Tempest V4 Titanium.
Hunt all road front wheel with SON Dynamo front hub
Spa cycles handbuilt touring rear wheel

Lisa's Bike:
Sonder Camino Al
Grx Groupset
Hunt all road rear wheel with DT Swiss Dynamo front wheel

9 Comments

@TeflonDave2024 1 month ago (edited)

I love RAF Coltishall, My first posting out of training in 1988. Worked in Ground Radio, so worked in the Air Traffic Control Tower and all across the Airfield working on Radars, Navigational aids and Comms Equipment, before a posting in 1991 to the Transmitter site at RAF Neatishead. Bought our first house in Aylsham, so the Marriotts way in and around Aylsham was our regular dog walking route... so your tour is bringing back loads of memories.
Thank You

@Bikeops2021 2 months ago

The intro to this video was amazing Rob. Loved seeing the aircraft’s again. I managed to catch the Vulcan Bomber at RAF Waddington back in the 80’s. What a spectacular aircraft that was, the noise from her was deafening, in fact I could feel the amount of thrust through the ground!
As always great vid with some brilliant snippets of info. Thanks Rob/Lisa for sharing this journey…👏🏼

@lordgonzo. 2 months ago

Thanks for sharing, very interesting.

@WobblyJohnPhysics 2 months ago

If you are in the Broads area again, RAF Neatishead is worth a visit. Radar and Cold war ops room museum, but they also have rooms dedicated to RAF Coltishall. I lived near Marham in the 70s and the main aircraft based there in those days was the Victor tankers. When I was in the air cadets, we got a guided tour of a B52, when the USAF used Marham for a few weeks.

@michaelheaton5469 2 months ago (edited)

Loved watching that as brought back some memories for me as had quite a few bikes from Pauls Cycles over the years in Dereham, are you from Yorkshire originally? I worked at British Aerospace in Bolton and back in the 80s we used to do work on the Martel missiles which used to go to Marham. Also we did repairs on the Lancaster propellers which went to Coningsby, i remember they came in once with a 52 ft long RAF Wagon to collect the propellers and offered me and my mate a trip out on the Lancaster Bomber if we went to Marham and we never took them up on their offer, that remains one of the greateast regrets of my life to be honest. Guy Penrose Gibson and the Spitire and Lancaster boys legends in my heart for eternal life.

@willmcallister8464 2 months ago

Just found your channel. Strangely did a cycle route yesterday around Coltishall. When I moved to Norfolk RAF Colt was 1st place I stayed as my brother in law was in 54 Squadron. Will pop up there again shortly & have a look at the Jag. Thanks for vid

@HighFell 2 months ago

I rode from Edinburgh to Lossiemouth last week, wild camping along the way. Sadly it’s not legal to now take pictures even from public access areas of military installations in UK, but a good move long overdue. Saw some great sites on the way 😁👍