Cycling North After Winter

[Luxxo Waftybarger]

If you haven't got padded cycling shorts yet please get some before you go or it will be horrid. You can get them off eBay for next to nowt. Also no one tells you this but they are designed to be worn commando! Pant wearing will result in horrific chafing. TMI.

 

I cycle in Spain for 2 weeks every year, mostly masochist climbing in the Sierra Nevada mountains which night not appeal (look up Pico Veleta!) but have done a fair bit along the coast too. I'd highly recommend the area if you don't mind a hill and Spain generally is brilliant for cycling. Roads are the smoothest I've ever ridden, weather is great and contrary to popular belief the drivers are very courteous to cyclists. The law is you have to wear a helmet outside of towns but I never did on the big climbing days due to heat and never got stopped by the bacon.

 

Cycling in most of North and Western Europe is like a national sport and viewed so much better than the UK where most seem to think you are just a weirdo who can't afford a car and needs to be run over.

 

Something else you need to be weary of is eating enough. No need to go mad with heavy meals but your muscles only have enough glycogen for about 1 hour of serious cycling. If you don't eat regularly you will 'bonk' as cyclists call it. No not that sort, more like what runners call hitting the wall. Basically keep snacking small amounts as you go even before your hungry. By the time you are hungry it will be too late. Fig rolls are awesome or just a jam butty rolled into Swiss roll and stuffed into your pocket

Also good idea to put some sugar or fruit juice in the water bottle.

 

Looks like you have 1 x 500ml bottle which is not enough ideally you want at least 2 x 750ml if you are going to out all day. Dehydration is a serious risk and will make you ill.

 

PS that saddle angle is all wrong and will wreck your nads, too high at the front. Try to get it level.

[Cavcraft]

Have to say, really jealous of what you do Willswitch. It must be amazing biking to/through places like that.

[Rocket88]

One of these is always useful.........poncho/ground sheet, emergency tent.

[richardmorris]

Mr bucketeer has just called in a well know ZX estate, loaded it up with various surplus stock and left happy.

He says he’s all set for the off.

[Bucketeer]

Early yesterday morning I finally got round to booking the ferry and I broke the news to the bike that there's no turning back now.

 

 

It's a few weeks later than originally planned because of reasons, but three weeks today I be gone.

 

 

The night time ferry was slightly more expensive than the day time one (due to the mandatory cabin booking) but it's much better arriving in the morning and having a full day of light rather than getting there in the dark.

 

I reckon I've got everything I need now (let's not mention trailer tyres), thanks to Richard Morris, Skizzer, Nyphur and Skattrd for my recent goodies (soz if I forgot anyone).

Thanks go to everyone for encouragement, advice and kit. I received the odd message telling me I'm a massive idiot and I'll probably freeze to death in the middle of nowhere. The level of my idiocy has never been in question and if I do end up dying to death then, you know, meh.

[andy18s]

Sent you a pm Alex

[Coprolalia]

[oldcars]

Massive LOL at the stan boardman comment. Good luck with the trip, should be exciting stuff.

[Bucketeer]

stan boardman comment.

It was either that or Mrs Miggins/Bradley Wiggins.

[binhoker668]

Just out of interest, how much was your ferry ticket?

[Stanky]

I have a pair of decent 20" BMX tyres which I think are 20x1.75" which have been cluttering up my garage for several years after I swapped them for some less knobbly ones as I rarely ride offroad. They are yours if you send me a postal address? Could I post them to 6cylinder towers maybe? Do you have spare inner tubes if not I can chuck some in. The tyres are a few years old but hardly used and have been stored out of direct sunlight.

 

I think they are maxxis Holy Rollers if it makes any difference?

[Bucketeer]

Chris - It's £45 for the day crossing and £45 + £30ish mandatory cabin for the night crossing. I was expecting to be able to just kip in a seat but you have to book a cabin nowadays unfortunately.

 

Huw - Yes please very muchly, as long as the postage isn't horrendous. I'll message you.

[dollywobbler]

They're nice ferries and cabins to be fair. Enjoy!

[Mally]

Have also been in a Cabin on that route, was 3 off us and quite roomy.

They call you several times before landing because asleep. We held all our row up.

Be fine with a bike though.

Whats happening with the funding?

[richardmorris]

Bon voyage, and watch out for rabid cats in Morocco.

[Bucketeer]

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.

The main reason I'm happy to just build up some fitness once I set off is that I don't have anywhere to be at any particular time so I don't ever have to do more cycling than I'm comfortable with. I never use campsites, I just whack my tent up somewhere inconspicuous when it's about to get dark. I could comfortably do 20-30 miles a day walking so owt more than that on the bike will be a bonus to me.

 

Looks like you have 1 x 500ml bottle which is not enough ideally you want at least 2 x 750ml if you are going to out all day. Dehydration is a serious risk and will make you ill.

 

I've also got a Camelbak, a fold up 5L water container and a filtration unit so I'll be alright for hydration.

 

Whats happening with the funding?

I've managed to get some funds together doing a bit of cash work, so I'll use that and then worry later if I run out I guess.

[richardmorris]

Damn, i meant to to give you the bladder ( brand new and unused) from my Decathlon back pack.

[Cavcraft]

We'll all be raising a (metaphorical or otherwise) glass to wish you will, HyALcynth Bucketfear.  Swashbucketing tales of derring-do, epic tomes of foreign lands conquered on your trusty steed and occasional electronic updates of your good health are the order of the day.

 

Or just an update on the dysentery you got after you had a puncture outside a knocking shop and were invited in to eat at the Y free of charge.

[Bucketeer]

I've dug out my old memory cards to re-use for this trip and I've been reminding myself of some of the places my tent took me last time.

In lieu of owt much of interest until I set off in three weeks time I might post a few of these memories up here.

 

One of my favourite/least favourite camping spots was halfway up a waterfall on the side of Lake Konig/Konigsee in Austria.

 

The path to the lake went as far as here.

 

 

I then spent an hour or two scrambling further round the lake until I found a big waterfall with a small ledge halfway up it that looked just big enough for a tent.

 

The view from inside my tent, looking down to the lake.

 

 

It was hard to take pictures as there was nowhere to step far enough back to get a shot.

 

This was the top part of the waterfall as I approached it before setting up camp. Note the lack of flowing water.

 

 

Unfortunately as night fell the heavens opened. Around 2am I had to leave the tent to take my ease and that was when I discovered that the heavy rain was increasing the flow of water down the falls massively. At this point I had the choice of packing everything up and heading off (in the pitch dark and heavy rain) or getting back in to my tent, closing my eyes and waiting 'til I got swept down into the lake. I chose the former option. It wasn't pleasant, but preferable to being dead I guess.

[willswitchengage]

Sweet, really hope that's a joint behind your ear too

 

Good luck dude

[Bucketeer]

Contrasts.

 

Winter in Slovakia. I think. Or maybe Hungary.

 

 

 

And summer on the Black Sea coast.

 

 

[Bucketeer]

I had a lovely wander across the mountain spine of North Cyprus, which provided some great camping spots.

 

 

A lot of the mountainous regions are controlled by the Turkish army. I had asked locals previously if I was alright to walk through these areas but got no definitive answer so just went for it.

Signs like this didn't say I couldn't.

 

 

Most of the nights I didn't bother putting up my tent and just slept in my sleeping bag instead. It was chilly after dark but my sunburn kept me warm.

I had a particularly pleasant night on this ledge looking out to the South.

 

 

 

The next day I was strolling along the road, talking to the goats and revelling in the surroundings, when I came across an army checkpoint. The soldiers and their machine guns didn't seem happy to see me. No amount of shrugging and smiling seemed to placate them and they held me there for about an hour until a car finally came along the road. He was stopped and I was shoved into the car. After we set off the driver (who spoke some English) informed me that I was definitely not allowed to be walking up there and that the soldiers had told him to take me away out of the military zone and dump me near a main road. Apparently I was lucky they let me off so lightly. You live and learn.

[DeeJay]

I'd definitely take one of those flint/steel fire starters Bear Gryll uses (I know he makes it look easy).

[Mally]

I'd take Bear Grylls.

[Cavcraft]

I'd take George Foreman's. 

[richardmorris]

I'd take Bear Grylls.

Ray mears is better in the Wild I think - bear will tell you how to catch and eat a fish, but ray will light a fire and cook it first after finding some wild herbs.

[castros_bro]

Ahhh not sure that this will help but here is a picture of foreignland beyond my foot in my tent.

 

 

[Bucketeer]

I'd definitely take one of those flint/steel fire starters Bear Gryll uses (I know he makes it look easy).

I tried one of them last time but it was impossible.

I am absolutely hopeless at starting fires so this time I will be using the age old method passed down from generation to generation over thousands of years -

 

[DodgeRover]

Tbh poundland sell packs of lighters, far less messing in a get warm or freeze situation.

[Shirley Knott]

Literally just picked up on this thread, phrases like "Bollocks like an elephant" or "Brass ring-piece" spring to mind!

 

I'm truly in awe of you for having the confidence to get stuck in and go. I'd lack the backbone to ever even get myself started on an adventure of this calibre but your pictures show that you've got 'form' for it and know what you're doing.

 

At the risk of echoing the exact same stuff others have said, start a go fund me page and write a blog capturing memoirs of your travels/experiences as you go. I'd happily pledge some cash to be kept up to date of your exploits as would others, I'm sure many people outside of AutoShite world would too. You could pretty much be penning a modern day answer to Kerouac's 'On The Road'... It would provide a welcome antidote to the wall to wall reality television/Netfix drama's that my wife subjects me to on a daily basis and would make for some great reading.