The Brevet Card has always been a quiet idea in the back of my mind. For me, it’s more than a piece of paper or a nod to cycling tradition. It’s a way of marking the checkpoints in the story of The Fourth. Each blog, each design, each ride — they’re all stamps on that card, moments that together trace the journey of the brand and of my own life in cycling.
There’s also someone behind the idea who deserves to be remembered. My late friend Mike Hall — I met him only a handful of times, but he shaped how I see cycling today. His long-distance rides, the way he approached the road, the audacity of his goals — all of it still inspires me. I don’t have the training to chase the same stamina today. My focus is on building The Fourth and working full time. Yet the memory of those epic rides informs how I ride now, and how I create for others who share that same passion.
The Transcontinental still calls to me, but the road doesn’t. Instead, I seek long rides off-road, at my own pace, for enjoyment and reflection. That’s why the South Downs, right on my doorstep, has become so important. It’s a place where I can stretch out, find flow, and connect with the kind of cycling that underpins The Fourth — honest, immersive, and alive with a sense of purpose.
