So, as I said, i'll finish this blog properly when I get home. We are currently on the way home via a couple of cities (Amsterdam now) and are finding it difficult to find the time to write any blogs or even find wifi.
I left the last blog in gent, Belgium. Since there I rode through Belgium, holland and all he way up to the Northern german town of Eckenforde, the finish line.
Happily, I maintained a good enough daily mileage to reach the end on target. August 12th, my birthday. It meant putting in some big days, the biggest being 110miles across Germany. Usually that wouldn't be so bad, but when the bike is 20+kg, its a bit of a ballache!
The weather was a pretty big factor too, it rained EVERY DAY I was in Germany, every frikkin day. Waking up on your own to rain lashing down on your tent knowing that you're going to be getting really wet is not a pleasant experience!
I met some interesting people along the way, and some bellends too. I also met a few more policemen than I had bargained for. Mostly due to the illogical way roads are labelled on the continent. You would assume that if a road was labelled as 'B' and you could ride 50 odd miles on it in the morning, that you could stay on said 'b' road until its end. Not the case, I had a few motorway pant changing moments!!
I have notes on each day so i will get this all properly updated over the weekend, I'm just uploading some of he photos now.
I also made a video, its a bit rubbish but it gave me something to do and was an odd companion for the trip. We'll be putting that together over the next few weeks.
Briefly, the route was:
Rugby - Portsmouth - Caen - Arromanche - Hubert Folie - Argentan - Gace - Rouen - Amiens - Arras - Gent - Antwerp - Aarchot - Hechtel - Roemond - Goch - Reichswald Forest - Onsabruk - Luneburg - Trittau - Bad Oldsloe - Kiel - Eckenforde
it was a really rewarding and arduous journey that I am very proud to have done. We have raised so much money!! Massive thanks to everyone who donated!!
Oh, also, I'M GETING MARRIED! :)
A blog following the preperation for, and execution of a 1500 mile solo cycle following the route of my Grandads regiment during WWII
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Friday, 5 August 2011
Another day, Another dolla
I'm in Belgium!!
I like it here, well not here in this hotel in a crappy part of Gent, but Belgium, and Belgians have been awesome so far!! Very friendly, helpful and very bike friendly. Good bike paths everywhere, a brilliant cycle network following the rivers on actual roads and almost no hills!!
I need to catch up about 10 miles or so over the next few days so i'm going to try and push hard tomorrow.
Body feeling good, Brain getting better, wallet taking a beating!!
Eating enough to sustain the effort required is an expensive business, especially with the Euro at near parity, as well as buying water each day in fear of some sort of euroaids!!
Anywho, i'll update this properly when I'm home.
Off to massage my legs with my trusty wooden spoon
KISSES
I like it here, well not here in this hotel in a crappy part of Gent, but Belgium, and Belgians have been awesome so far!! Very friendly, helpful and very bike friendly. Good bike paths everywhere, a brilliant cycle network following the rivers on actual roads and almost no hills!!
I need to catch up about 10 miles or so over the next few days so i'm going to try and push hard tomorrow.
Body feeling good, Brain getting better, wallet taking a beating!!
Eating enough to sustain the effort required is an expensive business, especially with the Euro at near parity, as well as buying water each day in fear of some sort of euroaids!!
Anywho, i'll update this properly when I'm home.
Off to massage my legs with my trusty wooden spoon
KISSES
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
The trip so far...
I'm gonna bung this all in one post - the combination of this notebook and the french wifi makes it a giant ballache!! I'll fix it all and add pics when I get home. **I'M GONNA SMASH THIS NETBOOK!! HENCE THE LACK OF ANY HUMOUR!!*
Day 1 - Rugby to Portsmouth
I was met by lots of my awesome friends and family at the remembrance day gates for my departure. To say I was nervous would be an understatement!! After some photos and goodbyes I left, all on my lonesome. The 1st 40 miles were fine but I soon realised my bike was far too heavy when I reached some hills!! Its amazing , and surprised me how quickly I wanted to give up. This was day 1 chamone!!
At Steves house im Pompey, I left a load of crap I didn't actually need to lighten the bike as much as possible'
Day 2 - portsmouth to Arromanche
Ferry at 0730. A long, very nervous crossing left me wondering what I let myself in for but as soon as I was on the bike, I felt good and was enjoying myself!
Arromanche is where Grandad and his regiment landed, I found it a very emotional place - I will go back with more time soon.
Camped, sorted out kit and spent my 1st night alone. Didn't sleep much!
Day 3 - Arromanche to Gace 86 mles
Here's a giant lesson; use common sense, not technology! The Garmin (sat nav) took me some back routes, including single track roads through fields!! That meant the progress was slow. I got to Huberts Folie where there was a nice monument thanking the Brits and Canadians for liberating their village- I left a poppy.
Continued down to Falaise and Argentan a broken man after terrible roads.
This is when I made the decsion to alter the route and use only main roads. So thanks to some conversations with Sonny back home, I have a new route each day, still taking in the important towns.
Camped in Gace, met an awesome couple who charged my stuff in their caravan and even managed to convince a closed restaurant to cook me some food all in French!!
Went to bed feeling much more positive!
Day 4- 100 miles - Gace to Gournay-en-bray
With a route planned involving only main roads, I woke up feelin good. A chance to prove to myself that I can do this, and I can do it consecutively.
The 1st 25miles were so flat!! Awesome roads and no wind meant I was having my 1st coffee at 0930, 25 miles in!
Feeling good I carried on through to Rouen where I bumped into a leather faced Frenchi on a bike who, after some broken conversation rode with me all the way through the city to where I needed to go. Unfortunately, that was a mental motorway junction like Spaghetti junction, pretty scary on a bike in Lycra.
Hilly last 30 miles and i'm in a hotel. the owner has the best moustache I EVER DID SEE!
Day 1 - Rugby to Portsmouth
I was met by lots of my awesome friends and family at the remembrance day gates for my departure. To say I was nervous would be an understatement!! After some photos and goodbyes I left, all on my lonesome. The 1st 40 miles were fine but I soon realised my bike was far too heavy when I reached some hills!! Its amazing , and surprised me how quickly I wanted to give up. This was day 1 chamone!!
At Steves house im Pompey, I left a load of crap I didn't actually need to lighten the bike as much as possible'
Day 2 - portsmouth to Arromanche
Ferry at 0730. A long, very nervous crossing left me wondering what I let myself in for but as soon as I was on the bike, I felt good and was enjoying myself!
Arromanche is where Grandad and his regiment landed, I found it a very emotional place - I will go back with more time soon.
Camped, sorted out kit and spent my 1st night alone. Didn't sleep much!
Day 3 - Arromanche to Gace 86 mles
Here's a giant lesson; use common sense, not technology! The Garmin (sat nav) took me some back routes, including single track roads through fields!! That meant the progress was slow. I got to Huberts Folie where there was a nice monument thanking the Brits and Canadians for liberating their village- I left a poppy.
Continued down to Falaise and Argentan a broken man after terrible roads.
This is when I made the decsion to alter the route and use only main roads. So thanks to some conversations with Sonny back home, I have a new route each day, still taking in the important towns.
Camped in Gace, met an awesome couple who charged my stuff in their caravan and even managed to convince a closed restaurant to cook me some food all in French!!
Went to bed feeling much more positive!
Day 4- 100 miles - Gace to Gournay-en-bray
With a route planned involving only main roads, I woke up feelin good. A chance to prove to myself that I can do this, and I can do it consecutively.
The 1st 25miles were so flat!! Awesome roads and no wind meant I was having my 1st coffee at 0930, 25 miles in!
Feeling good I carried on through to Rouen where I bumped into a leather faced Frenchi on a bike who, after some broken conversation rode with me all the way through the city to where I needed to go. Unfortunately, that was a mental motorway junction like Spaghetti junction, pretty scary on a bike in Lycra.
Hilly last 30 miles and i'm in a hotel. the owner has the best moustache I EVER DID SEE!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)