Adventure

Clueless In Europe: Help Needed

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With the placing of the order for the new touring bike – see previous post – the fuse has been lit on the firework of a new cycle tour. But to where? And when? Tentative plans have been discussed over the past few months here on CyclingEurope.org but in the back of my mind, I knew that if I didn’t replace poor old Reggie – another long trip is beyond him I’m afraid – none of them would come to fruition. Now that he has (nearly) been replaced, the ball is back in my half of the court. (Not that, in fairness, it ever left my half of the court but let’s not quibble; you know what I mean…) I need to decide where I will take my new, as yet un-named, bicycle, the KOGA Signature WorldTraveller-S 2.0…

Japan was pencilled in for 2020. Will that happen? Who knows? 2020 is scarily close to ‘now’ and I am sceptical that I will ever manage to jump the not-insignificant financial hurdles that would be required for me to fly to Tokyo in an Olympic year and then cycle the length of the country. (If anyone with a spare wad of cash would like to sponsor me, I’m open to offers.)

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. That is 2020 and we are still in 2019. I had very credible plans to return to Andermatt and cycle down large sections of the Rhine – full details here – which would have combined with a speaking engagement I have booked on a river cruise from Basel to Dรผsseldorf in early June, but the delivery date of the new bike at the end of June has put paid to that plan. Back to the drawing board… Or rather, the EuroVelo map:

It’s almost 10 years since I set off from my flat in southern England with Brindisi in southern Italy as my destination. Since then I’ve not only cycled the length of the EuroVelo 5 but also the EuroVelo 8 and much of the EuroVelos 1 and 3. Lots of EuroVelos remain and it would be good if, over the next 10 years, I were able to cycle the rest of the network. To get me started with the new bike, perhaps one of the new, shorter routes; EuroVelo 17, the Rhone Cycle Route, or EuroVelo 19, the Meuse Cycle Route?

Or how about breaking free from the constraints of the EuroVelo network and going rogue, ‘off grid’ if you like? Catching a ferry to Rotterdam and then, upon arrival, tossing a coin to see if I turn right and head along the coast in the direction of France or turn left and head along the coast towards Jutland. That northern coast of France is an enticing one…

As I sit here at 10:45pm on a Tuesday evening in April I’ll be honest; I haven’t got a clue… Suggestions more than welcome!

Categories: Adventure, Cycling, Travel

12 replies »

  1. Depends how long you want to be away. Last year I cycled to Rรผgen and island in Germany, on the Baltic. Then back along the coast across to Netherlands and back down to Hook of Holland. 2017 Hook of Holland across Germany to the Polish border at Zitau the along the river Oder to Usedom the along the coast until Weimar and then down to Hook again.

    Check the ADAC German Maps which only show Cycle routes with roads int he background, Bikeline books are another good starting point.

    If you need any more help please contact on keith.bright@yahoo.co.uk I have cycled for the last 18 years going away for at least 7 weeks (a teacher) camping.

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  2. Whatever you choose there has to be a book at the end of it. How about doing the Tour de France route for next year just like a chap called Miller did? Canโ€™t remember what it was called but was a great read. You could do something like โ€œThe Tour Revisitedโ€ giving it a more modern twist?
    The other option would be somewhere completely different like India – crying out for a cycling odyssey!

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  6. You could always do what Anna McNuff did. Each day she did a twitter vote on the destination for the following day. There was usually 3 or 4 options to choose from. How long do you have for the Tour?

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