Tuesday, September 27 2011 11:35

That’s all there is to it!

I worked out that I‘ve completed around 6,300 miles in total, the enormity of this still hasn’t sunk in. To me, each day was just a ride, free time, seeing new landscapes and meeting new people you wouldn’t normally get to meet. Some parts were tougher than others but not one day was so hard that I felt like giving up. I’ve always had the support of my friends and family, this has always been on my mind when times have been hard, like climbing some very long, steep mountains in Slovenia, or several days of constant rain through Sweden, Denmark and Germany.

Picture taken by Jodie Bromley of Amaranthine Photography

What I have enjoyed most about the trip is experiencing a continent from an entirely different perspective. On a bike all your senses take in the environment around you. Seeing some absolutely breath taking natural landscapes, exchanging glances with locals in remote villages, swapping stories with fellow travellers from every corner of the world, taking in the smells of the countryside, spotting wildlife I’ve not seen before, feeling the intense heat in the mountains on the Mediterranean coast and the cool breezes in Scandinavia. The list could go on and on.

I didn’t plan the trip meticulously but I was lucky that everything went smoothly. Although I must admit, everything i took with me (see my equipment list) was used at some point. I don’t feel I had taken anything with me that I didn’t need, or was missing anything when I needed it. In a way I wish more things had gone wrong, this might have challenged me more, plus everyone loves a story of peril and misadventure!

I’ve been home almost a month now and I’m settling into life out of the saddle a little too easily. It already feels like I completed my ride months ago. Since my trip I’ve been trying to keep up my fitness but I’m not doing anything like the distance I did on my trip. I’ve also had time to sit and reflect on my trip. The more I think about it, the more I want to get back on the bike and cycle off into the sunset.

I would encourage anyone to do something similar. The experience is so liberating and each day so fulfilling.

If you have anything you’d like to ask me about the trip feel free to email me.

Monday, April 18 2011 19:24

Photos

I have added a few of the photos i've taken to a public facebook gallery. I should be adding these now and again and grouping them by month below:

Travelogue Photos - August 2011

Travelogue Photos - July 2011

Travelogue Photos - June 2011

Travelogue Photos - May 2011

Travelogue Photos - April 2011

Sunday, March 20 2011 20:46

Fully loaded tour

Just come back from 4 days riding to and from Brecon in Wales (around 190 miles). Scenery was absolutely stunning. Those hills in Wales aren't half hard work though, especially riding a bike i can hardly push! I shouldn't need quite as much gear for the real thing. Here's a picture of my bike fully loaded!

Updated: Ferry is booked, so my date of departure from the UK will be from the port of Weymouth on Monday 11th April 2011. Getting excited now!! So from this date keep an eye on my Travelogue for (hopefully) regular updates and a plot of my route.

Thursday, January 27 2011 9:30

Propsed Route Update

I have added part of my proposed route for the first 50% (ish) of my ride. As well as a little red line on the Europe map to give a rough, plotted representation of my route.

A small text summary for the UK, France, Spain, Italy and Slovenia has been added. Its not too descriptive because I don't want to be tied down to a specific route. I like the idea or wandering Europe, going to different places as and when I choose. That said, I think a basic route is important to give me some direction.

I have been training with my bike recently. Carrying 40Kg of books in my panniers to get used to the weight and build up some strength. It's going ok but I think i need to put more weight on as I seem to be getting tired quickly over further distance.

Friday, November 26 2010 9:30

Bike Build Complete

The bike is finally complete. Well, its been complete for a few weeks now. I messed up the bar tape a bit but will redo this at a later date.

I’ve been out on two 30 mile rides, both were very enjoyable. Would like to have done more but the weather has been so bad recently. Overall I’m happy with the build but probably should have gone for a 1.5” tyre. Still to buy are racks and panniers and then I’m pretty much all set!

Thursday, October 28 2010 9:21

Bike build progress

Its been some weeks since I started building my bike for the trip. Its now starting to resemble a bike, the only remaining items to buy before I can ride it is a brake and gearing system. I’ll need to buy mudguards, racks, panniers, etc but at least I can ride it soon and start wearing in that Brooks leather saddle.

I have been updating the equipment list if you’re interested in my specs. I’m yet to fit the bottom bracket and chainset, just waiting on the delivery of some grease.

Building the bike myself will (hopefully) allow me to fix/bodge any breakages on the road. Thank you to the guys at Two Wheels for ordering my frame and building my wheels!

Tuesday, October 12 2010 12:39

Website is up and running!

I’ve finally put the finishing touches to my Ride4Life website/blog. It may not comply to all W3C standards, and it may not work on all browsers (for which I apologise), but with planning the trip and building my bike it’s the best I could do in a short space of time.

This site is a work-in-progress. I’ll add route information and equipment lists as I go along. It may be a little bare at the moment, but things should start coming together soon! If you spot any bugs please email me via the contact form (unless it’s the contact form that’s not working).

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Ant