Cycling North After Winter

[SierraMikeHotel]

There is a small but keen market for cycling travel books.  Keep a diary day-by-day and turn it into a book when it's all over.  You write well anyway, but if you want some help I think I can make a half-decent paragraph and I'd be willing to act as an editor/ghost-writer pro bono - I'm sure other shiters would assist too.  It won't make you rich but it might give you a little trickle of income later.  Think about your earlier experience too, if you remember that well enough there might be another book in it.

 

I live in Lewes, which is not very far from Newhaven: if you're determined to do this insane thing then please spend your last night here in a comfy bed in my house, eat a big cooked breakfast and let us either drive you or escort you to Newhaven and wave you on to the ferry.  I know you don't want to accept money but FFS at least let me buy you your ferry ticket.

[mrbenn]

Wow. What a lovely offer.

 

This place is etc....

[SierraMikeHotel]

Wow. What a lovely offer.

 

This place is etc....

 

Karma, not charity.  I haven't met Bucketeer but I've seen on here how generous he's been to other shiters - he's already earned the offer.

[Bucketeer]

That is a very kind offer SMH. I was sort of thinking of ferrying from Harwich to the Hook of Holland though. I saw one for £40 which seemed pretty flipping reasonable. Plus Holland would be a good starting point for a someone who hasn't cycled for many years due to it's lovely lack of hills.

I got asked numerous times on my previous travels if I was writing a blog or keeping a diary or whatever but I thought who's going to be interested in my tedious tales. People told me I was mad for doing all the walking and whatnot through Europe but in my mind I was just having a nice little stroll about in some lovely countryside. I met some people who put my travels in perspective and who were properly bonkers however. In Romania or Bulgaria (can't remember which) I came across a Korean guy who was cycling around the world and he told me about two people he had met. One was a bloke who was also cycling across the globe, but with a full sized canoe strapped widthways on the back of his bike. Another was a German guy who was heading from Germany to India on foot, pushing a supermarket trolley! Now that's proper crazy. Compared to that my journey is nothing.

I'd completed a lot of my travels and settled in Bulgaria for a bit by the time I started my thread on here, which was why I kept it mainly to spots and the like. Nowt much going on really. But then I did Turkey, Cyprus, France and probably others afterwards so tried to add a bit of stuff outside of just papping rusty shitheaps. I'm happy to detail more of the traveling side this time if people are interested (I'll still be spotting like a Trojan though).

 

I tried to make a proper list of kit I still needed earlier but got sidetracked looking at pink spoke beads for the bike. I'm hopeless.

I would like to take something absurd/useless/unnecessary/whatever this time, I just haven't been inspired by owt yet. I'm very open to suggestions. Perhaps summat like a dinghy or a six foot stuffed unicorn or a croquet set or a window box full of flowers on the handlebars. Something like that, but not that.

I'm kind of hoping I win Egg's mandolin raffle 'cos that would be right useful to have on a long bike journey.

[Mally]

If I'd known that I'd have bought all the Roffle tickets for you.

 

Edit, if the winner wants to sell it let me know, we might sort something out.

[castros_bro]

A pointless cycle addition? wicker basket carrying a palm tree

 

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pattle/nacc/arc0408.htm

[loserone]

Jetski? Pink stuffed dragon?

[The Moog]

Ax on an A frame?

[Six-cylinder]

A pointless cycle addition? wicker basket carrying a palm tree

 

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pattle/nacc/arc0408.htm

 

If he finds lost kittens on his journey he can abandon the palm and put the kittens in the basket so useful!

[Cavcraft]

A blog, if you can, would be absolutely ace. If you take a musical instrument you could play music and sing the words of some of Conelrad's words in the eBay tat thread for example, that should give us a bloody good laugh. Especially if you're riding no-handed at the time.

[Bucketeer]

I used to play the trombone at school. That might be a little bit bulky though.

[mrbenn]

Karma, not charity.  I haven't met Bucketeer but I've seen on here how generous he's been to other shiters - he's already earned the offer.

 

No suggestion that it was charity, just one shiter helping out another.

[Mrs6C]

 would like to take something absurd/useless/unnecessary/whatever this time, I just haven't been inspired by owt yet. I'm very open to suggestions. Perhaps summat like a dinghy or a six foot stuffed unicorn or a croquet set or a window box full of flowers on the handlebars. Something like that, but not that.

I'm kind of hoping I win Egg's mandolin raffle 'cos that would be right useful to have on a long bike journey.

 

A string of solar powered fairy lights to wrap all around the bike frame, obviously...

 

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/SaneLikelyArmedcrab-size_restricted.gif

[chodweaver]

If you decide against the trailer, or indeed if you want some front panniers as well, I have a pair that are basically unused to which you are welcome. Not as large as rear panniers, but I found that several smaller compartments was often more use than one very large one anyway - when you want access to something other than your sleeping bag, you don't have to empty all your clothes out in the rain by the roadside...

Let me know if you want them.

Also, a handlebar bag might be useful - they tend to have some sort of quick release mech and act as satchels/manbags off the bike, and I've accumulated several over the years: again mostly unused and you're welcome to whichever suits best. I can probably provide the clamps/quick release mechs for each one, too (I never bin nor sell on anything. Ever.)

I survived several years of night time cycling using the Union dynamo sets, but the weakness with them is the knurled wheel on the dynamo wears down and slips once the sidewall gets wet or muddy. Increasing the pressure with which they press on the tyre usually just wears them quicker, or can even wreck the tyre - and you will certainly notice the drag if using any tungsten lights with one. I would hope that a modern kit using the same dynamo but LEDs could produce a very bright light output for much less drag.

I'm trying to remember the details of a system I rigged up years ago with (early) rechargeable batteries, so the lights stayed on (for a while) even when stationary. If I find any remnants that are of use, I'll let you know. My other foray with dynamo lighting was a Sanyo set with a much nicer (and allegedly more efficient) dynamo styled apparently on Barnes-Wallis' dambuster bouncing bomb - I was gutted that this lovely piece of kit - a Christmas present from my parents - would not fit the frame of my Puch, because of the design of the dynamo clamp and the chain stays behind the bottom bracket, where this dynamo was designed to fit. I also suspect that it would have been useless with wet or muddy tyres, but never found out - it got exchanged for a Union set that fitted. Has the choice/design of dynamo's moved on, or are they dead with the advent of superbright but miserly CREE devices etc?

 

+1 for getting a bike fit. I cycled lots in my teens and into my twenties, paying way too little attention to geometry, and screwed up both knees not just for the short term, but long term too.

 

And if I haven't already berated you on this point, (and even if I have, I'll say it again): DO NOT ride with anything other than the clothes you are wearing on your back. The more weight you put up there, the more pressure you are putting on everything below it, and as others have said, once your arse gets sore, aching, chapped, blistered or home to Chalfonts, you will not want to cycle any more. Plus the novelty of your own crotch going numb turns into panic very quickly. Panniers, saddlebags, handlebar bags, trailers - use anything but a backpack.

 

Enough doom and gloom. So jealous. Keep posting about your musings and preparations. And then continue posting while you are on the road. Please. Write down everything that happens. The few times that I have diarised any travels, they have proved both a brilliant aide memoire and fascinating reading years afterwards. Even for me, and I was there. Anything you write from the road, be it blog or memoirs, will make for brilliant entertainment - I can't see it not selling, if that's what you want.

 

You jammy bastard.

[Mally]

I used to play the trombone at school. That might be a little bit bulky though.

 

There's a guy in Benidorm with a mouth organ, he can't play, but blows and sucks as you go past.

Some times I chuck a euro in his box.

No reason it wouldn't work with a Mandolin.

[Mally]

A string of solar powered fairy lights to wrap all around the bike frame, obviously...

 

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/SaneLikelyArmedcrab-size_restricted.gif

 

That's a good one, get noticed without the weight.

[loserone]

A string of solar powered fairy lights to wrap all around the bike frame, obviously...

 

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/SaneLikelyArmedcrab-size_restricted.gif

I had Christmas lights on my unicycle one year, that caused a few grins.

[DodgeRover]

Did you spot my post about the life straw? Sounds like it would have saved a lot of vomiting on your last trip.

[Bucketeer]

I'm staying for a couple of days at Casa del Moog so had a good opportunity to have a bit of a fiddle about with the bike and do some pound shop and charity shop shopping.

 

First off, both the tyres on the trailer were flat so I replaced the inner tubes with Poundstretcher's finest.

 

 

The tyres are a bit cracked where they have been stood/sat without air.

 

 

 

Once pumped up with air that remains inside the 'tubes the cracks vanish, so that's another problem sorted.

In all seriousness, the trailer isn't going to be carrying much weight and the tyres won't be stressed too much so I would be happy to ignore the cracks and take it as it is, but if anyone knows of anywhere selling megacheap BMX tyres (20inch) then please let me know. Ideally I'd like to get some less knobbly ones for enhanced rolling freedom.

 

I moved on to the bike itself next. I removed, cleaned and lubed various bits and was going to fit the monkey spunk inner tubes that Doug kindly sent, but I noticed they were Presta valved ones whereas my pumping technology is Schrader. I'll make sure that a Presta to Schrader adapter is a thing, and that I have one, before fitting the 'tubes.

 

 

With the front wheel off I noticed that it has a dynamo hub.

 

 

Neither myself or Cavcraft are too optimistic that it still works so I'll break out a multimeter and see what's what. I'm not bothered if it doesn't work TBH, I'm just happy to have the extra little bit of drag on the wheel as the cycling won't be fun if it's too easy.

 

I attached the connector for the trailer and hooked it up so I could try out the full train for the first time.

 

 

 

 

 

Richard has provided all the lighting solutions I could ever need. Illuminated.

 

 

I'm going to go out for a decent ride today to get used to everything. I was hoping to wait 'til the Accrington weather was more clement, but I don't have months/years to wait.

 

I got some good stuff during my mingebag shopping yesterday including a bike cover (£1), some long johns (£2, although due to my uncontrollable lankiness they're more like short johns), a water bottle (89p) and a three pack of thermal socks (£1.49).

I also picked up a couple of books.

 

 

 

It would be criminal to waste the money spent on them so I will have to visit Trier and the Ardennes.

I have been looking at a couple of maps recently, getting some rough ideas for a possible route. The cheapest ferries are from Harwich to the Hook of Holland. I like having rivers as guides and from Rotterdam I can use them across to Arnhem/Nijmegen, down to Koblenz and then along past Trier into France.

 

 

Sort of this kind of route.

 

 

I won't be following the rivers exclusively (I may not be following these plans at all) but I would defo like to follow the Mosel from Koblenz down to France. There appears to be a lot of built up areas along the Rhine around the Dusseldorf area so I'll probably avoid that, but I have a good friend in Koln/Cologne so want to go there if possible.

That's pretty much the entirety of my route planning so far. Once I'm in France, that will take care of itself. I feel really at home in France and with the French people so I'll just follow my nose more or less. Everything after France I'll deal with once I get there too, I really don't like to plan too much.

 

I'm doing well on the equipment front so far. I have the bike and trailer and spare inner tubes and puncture repair kits (thanks Cavcraft), a brand new Camelbak (thanks loserone), a reusable water filtration system (thanks Moog), lights (thanks Richard), gooey inner tubes (thanks Doug) and a place to visit in France (thanks Saabnut). I also have chain links, tools, waterproof ponchos, a towel, maps and such like en route/to collect from Nyphur, Chadders, Skizzer and Castros_bro. China Tom has some panniers for me (as long as he is back in the country before I leave) and I need to visit Richard Morris's clothing emporium for some bits.

Off the top of my head, I still need to get a sleeping mat, a sleeping bag (probs rectangular) to go over the top of mine (and maybe a duvet, I've got a trailer so I may as well use it), a proper warm hat/balaclava type thing, some sort of mileometer, a kick stand, and lots of little bits that I have written down somewhere.

I want to book the ferry in the next few days (probably for in about 15 days time) and I guess I need to work out the best way to get to Harwich.

Other than that, I'm sure everything else will sort itself out.

 

Right, time for a ride out on the beast to see how unfit I really am.

 

[Mally]

FFS chuck those trailer tyres in the bin and send me the bill for 2 new ones.

Seriously.

[Six-cylinder]

FFS chuck those trailer tyres in the bin and send me the bill for 2 new ones.

Seriously.

 

I agree they look like disaster waiting to happen.

 

You could have tyre failure in the South of of France miles from anywhere and when a beautiful woman in a sports car stops to help, has no room in her car so you have to abandon it before being taken aboard her yacht!

[Richard]

Good to see a "This guy knows what he's doing" beacon on the trailer.

 

I'm not sure if I've provided all the lighting solutions you'll ever need, but they should be adequate if you don't quite get where you're going before dark.

[Cavcraft]

+3 on the tyres, hadn't realised how shit they are, sorry.

[Dave_Q]

Sounds like you're more or less sorted, you can get 20 inch tyres for a tenner each or so new, if you're going to be at Moogs for a few days pls PM address and I will send you some.

[willswitchengage]

I have done numerous tours from long weekends to USA coast2coast, LEJOG and London to Istanbul so know a fair amount about this kinda stuff, but don't come on here often so PM me if you want any specific advice.

 

Get on https://www.warmshowers.org/ - I used it in the USA but not Europe, there I was treated to a free meal, warm shower bed and company whenever I used it. Top generosity and heartwarming people. Regardless of how shit your day was, a warmshowers host will make it better.

 

Personally I find being fit makes your life a lot easier as then you have one less thing to worry about going wrong if you know you can 'do the distance' every day problem free.

 

Traffic in every country I've been to outside of the UK has generally been a lot better than here, mainly though as the roads are a lot wider and friendlier, and there is less congestion. However in a lot of places cycling on main roads is banned so route planning is important - however there are a lot more bike paths generally everywhere.

 

Dogs are your biggest enemy. Be prepared to be able to outrun one, kick it to death, get an anti-dog siren or whatever they're called, or get rabies. Once however I experimented and let the dog run towards me and it just licked me loads. But you never know.

 

Everyone has their own opinions on tyres. I used Marathon Pluses (Pli?) on my big tours, you don't get punctures but the ride is not gooch-friendly. The bigger the tyre the more supple and it will wear down slower, but they are heavier and slower.

 

I used a dynamo hub and a B+M e-werk USB rectifier but it was very expensive and a bit pointless in hindsight. Nowadays a USB powerpack will last you between hostel stops and a solar panel would be better in the wilderness.

 

Generally bike touring is a very accessible adventure and I have met loads of randomers in hostels doing huge trips - albeit typically quite slowly.

 

The most important thing though is to have the right mindset and you will have an incredible time. Without going all preachy it really is a very 'real' way to see the world in an age of instagram tourism and infinity pools.

 

The wilderness awaits you...

 

[Mally]

Sounds like you're more or less sorted, you can get 20 inch tyres for a tenner each or so new, if you're going to be at Moogs for a few days pls PM address and I will send you some.

 

Oi! there's a queue here.

[Bucketeer]

I'm very grateful for the offer Mally and Big Dave, but I'm sure I'll sort summat out.

 

All very interesting stuff from our resident cyclepro willswitchengage. As is obvious from this thread so far my cycling level is defo more Stan Boardman than Chris Boardman but it always great to hear from proper cyclists. Some of their advice I will definitely use, some goes straight over my head, and some is just not suitable/usable for a skint oaf like me, but it is all interesting.

 

I guess there are two ways of looking at fitness. The correct way is to get fit beforehand to make progress easier and quicker, whereas my way will be to gain fitness on the journey. At least with being unfit I will be getting more hot and sweaty quicker which will keep me warmer through winter (not the sweaty actually, but my point stands).

 

I didn't consider that some main roads in some countries might not permit cycling but that doesn't bother me too much. I won't be going on anything with more than a single carriageway and am happy to ride on owt else that looks suitable. If any police want to tell me not to ride somewhere then I'll do as they say, otherwise I'll just use my (limited) common sense. I'll take my lead from my time in Istanbul, where I was told that there are lots of things that are supposedly illegal, but if there isn't a sign telling you not to do it then just crack on 'til you get arrested.

 

I guess dogs like chasing bikes then? I encountered a lot of stray dogs during my walks through Eastern Europe but all of them were dissuaded from getting to close to me by just a proper hard Paddington stare, except for the Transylvanian forest dogs. They are not happy to see you. TBH they may have been wolves but I wasn't hanging about to ask them.

 

I've just signed up on the warmshowers site as mentioned twice on here and surprisingly it wasn't repellent porn. Throughout France previously I used HelpX and similar where people provide you with accomodation and food in exchange for a few hours of work a day, and I'll be considering using that again also.

I reckon I'll be spending one night every couple or few weeks in a hostel, it would be nice to do it more often but the costs soon add up.

 

I think I'll be sticking with the tyres that came with the bike, because free, and if they wear out or whatever then I'll deal with it then. I'm not particularly concerned about performance, I'm not expecting to do big distances every/any day. Plus spotting is one of my main priorities and I don't want to go so fast that I miss something.

 

Please tell me if I'm wrong or have missed something but I really can't see the point (for me) of writing a blog. I'll be doing the equivalent on here anyway, so why write everything out twice when I will have very limited battery and internet. If I wasn't trying to keep the AS collective very mildly entertained then I wouldn't be writing anything.

[Broadsword]

This is an amazing thread. Unfortunately I have no bike parts or expertise to offer, but should the need arise I would certainly help out when you need money. Definitely get a funding page set up!

[castros_bro]

Blog,

 

Only as old gits need to live vicariously through your young gits eyes. May have a ex-army artic sleep sack if you pop in.

[willswitchengage]

I'm very grateful for the offer Mally and Big Dave, but I'm sure I'll sort summat out.

 

All very interesting stuff from our resident cyclepro willswitchengage. As is obvious from this thread so far my cycling level is defo more Stan Boardman than Chris Boardman but it always great to hear from proper cyclists. Some of their advice I will definitely use, some goes straight over my head, and some is just not suitable/usable for a skint oaf like me, but it is all interesting.

 

I guess there are two ways of looking at fitness. The correct way is to get fit beforehand to make progress easier and quicker, whereas my way will be to gain fitness on the journey. At least with being unfit I will be getting more hot and sweaty quicker which will keep me warmer through winter (not the sweaty actually, but my point stands).

 

I didn't consider that some main roads in some countries might not permit cycling but that doesn't bother me too much. I won't be going on anything with more than a single carriageway and am happy to ride on owt else that looks suitable. If any police want to tell me not to ride somewhere then I'll do as they say, otherwise I'll just use my (limited) common sense. I'll take my lead from my time in Istanbul, where I was told that there are lots of things that are supposedly illegal, but if there isn't a sign telling you not to do it then just crack on 'til you get arrested.

 

I guess dogs like chasing bikes then? I encountered a lot of stray dogs during my walks through Eastern Europe but all of them were dissuaded from getting to close to me by just a proper hard Paddington stare, except for the Transylvanian forest dogs. They are not happy to see you. TBH they may have been wolves but I wasn't hanging about to ask them.

 

I've just signed up on the warmshowers site as mentioned twice on here and surprisingly it wasn't repellent porn. Throughout France previously I used HelpX and similar where people provide you with accomodation and food in exchange for a few hours of work a day, and I'll be considering using that again also.

I reckon I'll be spending one night every couple or few weeks in a hostel, it would be nice to do it more often but the costs soon add up.

 

I think I'll be sticking with the tyres that came with the bike, because free, and if they wear out or whatever then I'll deal with it then. I'm not particularly concerned about performance, I'm not expecting to do big distances every/any day. Plus spotting is one of my main priorities and I don't want to go so fast that I miss something.

 

Please tell me if I'm wrong or have missed something but I really can't see the point (for me) of writing a blog. I'll be doing the equivalent on here anyway, so why write everything out twice when I will have very limited battery and internet. If I wasn't trying to keep the AS collective very mildly entertained then I wouldn't be writing anything.

 

Just to elaborate a bit... there are loads of things that can go wrong, typically these are mechanicals, crap weather, getting lost, injury, lack of food/water. Basically if you are 'fit enough' (this is not trying to be arrogant I promise!) you don't have to worry about 'can I do that hill?' etc and 'can I make the next campsite?' you just keep on plodding. I had a couple of friends who tried trips around Europe but they spent most of their time in hostels sat around and on trains because they realised it was too hard - but then again their main hobby back in England was weed. There are 1,000,000 blogs out there though that suggest anyone can ride around the world, and they do, if you take it easy and focus mainly on having fun.

 

Something I missed before was weather and ride timing. I have done all of my tours bar one just before the summer solstice (to maximise daylight) and when it's no longer cold but not baking hot. Still I've had temperatures well into the 30s which are a nightmare and riding through and camping in snow.. in May. My mates and I did London to Paris in August and it was uncomfortably hot. In winter you'll have six hours of daylight a day and it's freezing at night. Honestly I would wait until summer, if anything just for the light, but I guess one of your initial statements was the now or never thing. Still, this this is a great book about an amateur who started his ride in Siberia in winter to ride to England and it worked for him, even if he did convert to some weird Christian evangelism along the way.

 

Austria, Italy and Slovenia were the only places IIRC where cycling was banned on main roads but there was a good networks of paths to use instead, other than in Austria where I essentially had to push my bike on some crazy trail over the Alps:

 

 

Things improved though later:

 

 

Dogs yeah honestly you need to see it to believe it. Unlike here they aren't always penned in to people's gardens and will peg it after you as soon as they hear you. Most of the strays around in town are too lethargic but some will still chase. Be very careful, although it's mainly an Eastern Europe thing.

 

Warmshowers is basically like couchsurfing but easier and 'less risky' as it's community led. I only stayed with one nutter but most people almost want to have you over as it's company and someone interesting to talk to - that's the part of the bargain you have to keep up! Arrange visits on the day or the night before, it works really well I found. The app is really good. One of them even let me play with his guns! #staysafestaysecondamendment