So far we’ve got to number 10 in the list of my Top Fifteen Tips for Long-Distance Cycling…
- Do a trial run
- Never buy a one-person tent
- Don’t let the weather put you off
- If you see a mountain, cycle towards it
- Try to be lucky!
- Write about your adventures
- Avoid taking planes
- Find iconic places to start and finish your trips
- Never look at route profiles
- Stay at Camping Castel San Pietro in Verona
You can read more about top tips 1 to 5 in part one of this mini-series of posts, and top tips 6 to 10 in part two.
But what about the final five, from 11 to 15? The wait is over…
11. WarmShowers hosts will probably not murder you
The WarmShowers website is a fantastic resource for travelling cyclists. Basically it’s Couch Surfing for those who move around on two (self-propelled) wheels but with the added bonus that you almost always have one thing in common with the people who stay with you or indeed host you on your own travels: cycling. WarmShowers has been mentioned on a regular basis on this website – explore the posts here – and I’ve met some great people over the years on my travels around Europe. Only once was I a little concerned, high in the Pyrenees in the summer of 2013…
It turned out, of course, that Eddy – the Belgian – was just as friendly and welcoming as everyone else…
12. Quit your job at least once to go off on a long cycle
An easy one. I could just about fit the first two of my trans-European cycles into the summer holidays of a school teacher. That wasn’t going to be the case in 2015 as I cycled from Tarifa to Nordkapp so there was only one thing for it; I quit my job and I have yet to regret the decision…
13. Bear in mind that cycling isn’t really about cycling
Yes, the physical act of ‘cycling’ is about cycling but cycling, well… is also about so much else…
14. Be curious, ask questions
One of my major concerns when setting off on my very first long-distance cycle – along the Pennine Cycleway in 2009 – was whether or not I would be lonely. I soon discovered that my worries had been misplaced to say the very least. People were curious and asked lots of questions; ‘where have you come from?‘, ‘where are you going?‘, ‘why are you cycling?‘… I’ve always tried to reciprocate the curiosity and my travelling has been so much richer and more fulfilling because of it.
15. Always take time to stop and stare
Start practising now. Stare at this for a couple of minutes:
So there you have it: Cycling Europe’s Top 15 Tip for Long-Distance Cycling: Part One, Part Two and now Part Three.
Many more top tips in the books of course…
- Crossing Europe on a Bike Called Reggie (2011)
- Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie (2014)
- Spain to Norway on a Bike Called Reggie (2017)
Happy reading. Happy cycling…
