When I met Alain Lenain last weekend (see below), he suggested a small but useful change to my route. He has sent an email which sets out his suggestion; Andrew Me voici rentré chez moi et un grand merci pour ta gentillesse l’autre jour. Je peux d’ores et déjà te confirmer être à la maison le […]
Todd Rygh writes (and I respond in red); Hello Andrew, I just finished watching England-Germany. Not the result I was hoping for. Me neither, but they deserve nothing better! I am preparing my own bicycle journey from Winchester to Brindisi in late August through September, and I have […]
Alain, my warmshowers.com visitor was very good company; within a few minutes of meeting him at the station I felt that I had known him for a long time. After the football (see previous post) and a follow-up post-match discussion over another beer, we retired to the flat and […]
Watching Germany v England with Basil (he of Puglia fame) and Alain (he of Warmshowers fame). And Germany have just scored. 🙁 Update: The final score was 4-1 to Germany (or was that 4-2?). England never deserved to get through to the next round so the defeat was […]
Here is my friend Zoe who lent me her garden so that I could practice putting up the tent for the first time with pegs (I had only previously attempted to do it in my living room, needless to say without pegs…). It went straight up! Nice erection […]
I’ve never been a list person; I would spend more time writing lists than actually ticking things off the list. But I feel the strange urge to write one following the comment in the previous post about having so much to do… Updated at 4.30pm 1. Finish planning […]
We are currently going through a mini heat-wave here in south-east England (confirmed by the fact that earlier this week the first hose-pipe ban was announced…). Temperatures are predicted to soar to around 30 degrees today (in the shade). I cast my mind back to a similar sun-drenched […]
I’ve decided that, as an extra motivation to keep cycling (especially when I get to The Alps!) that it makes sense for my efforts to help support a charity. Over the last month I have been avidly watching Springwatch on the TV and then caught the BBC “Wild […]
At some point this morning, the counter over there on the right (just below the email subscription that you keep meaning to fill in so that you receive an email every time I update the blog 🙂 ) will tick over to 20,000. That’s the number of visitors in […]
Guess what I’ve been doing since I arrived home from work? Which is a pity because I have a few pieces of news to report and now have to write about them while falling asleep… The first should really deserve a whole post to itself as it is […]
This is a plug (an Indian one!) for my niece’s new blog – it does what it says on the tin…. anniegoestoindia.wordpress.com …and this is a picture showing where she is going. I’ve also put an RSS feed over there on the right to keep up-to-date with her adventures. […]
A funny 24 hours has just gone by… I went to a barbeque yesterday afternoon and as it was quite cold in the shade I suggested we move the table and chairs into the sunlight. I then sat down in the very same sunlight for three hours and got very […]
This little device – a FreeLoader solar recharger – should be worth its weight in gold en route; it will hopefully keep the mobile phone topped up with energy without the need to stick it into the mains. It also encourages me to take the i-pod touch with me; this […]
Jon Scott continues to amuse me with his retrospective posts about his cycling trip through continental Europe; this is a fun read. And the pictures continue to be stunning. Hope he doesn’t mind me nicking them and posting them here. If you click on the photo it will […]
Looking very similar to both Bill & Sue’s blogs, here’s Chris Hammersley’s’ new blog. He sets off on the 9th August so will be following in my slip stream! I’ll add you to the EV5 blog list below Chris; think of it as an incentive to get posting […]
OK, the detailed planning has started! Not before time you might think (I set off four weeks tomorrow…). I will write notes about each day on a double page of my Moleskine notebook so that I can refer to them en route. I will then scan and post […]
A couple of weeks ago, Bill Vrabel (he is cycling from Scotland to Rome later in the year – see below and his fledgling blog) emailed me with the following questions; I wanted to ask you a general question, or maybe just need your opinion. I’m thinking of […]
Click the picture for more info! I did 🙂
Not quite there yet, but one day perhaps. Mark Beaumont is a well-deserved member of the list produced by National Geographic. I may have posted this photo here before but it is worth a re-blogging; it sums up so much…
Bill Vrabel, via his blog, is going through the learning process about long-distance cycling that I have had to do over the last couple of years and it’s interesting to see his two most recent posts about camping (or not) and going down the route of clipless pedals. […]
But look at this picture also from the Ortlieb website (see earlier post about how to…). The top of the bag is rolled under and the longer straps (that I have detached and are currently on top of a wardrobe back at the flat) stretch down to the clip […]
Not according to BBC Radio 5 Live; the presenter of the early news programme welcomed the nation this morning with the following words; Good morning, it’s 5 o’clock on Friday 18th July and welcome to Morning Reports… I didn’t sleep well last night so I knew for sure she was wrong and I […]
This cycling thing is catching on…. The following from the BBC website; Adventurers James Cracknell and Ben Fogle are to tackle a 2,745-mile bike race for their next TV challenge. The Tour Divide – which stretches from Canada to Mexico – is the world’s longest off-road race. Cracknell […]
I cycle past these signs every day and ask that question. Work is being carried out on the bridge but the road remains open and cars zoom past… Nonsense!
Having a coffee before work… (that’s some other bloke btw – I’m sitting opposite, behind the camera of course!)
Ha ha! This is a question that someone has filled into a search engine and was directed to eurovelo5.com . Not that they would find an answer here as it is a question I was asking myself only earlier this week as I was preparing for my cycle […]
Susan Hausberger emails from Austria. Hi Andrew! Hope you don’t mind me writing to you (otherwise I don’t suppose you’d publish your email address!). I am very interested in your tour as I am planning to go from my home in the Tyrol to Christchurch/Bournemouth in August – […]
My day started by cursing (under my breath) a French colleague for not really doing her job properly and I then spent this morning teaching French to a bunch of enthusiastic (in the main) 12 year olds (including one American). This afternoon I went to Reading University and met […]
Remember Rachel McCormack & partner Giovanni who are cycling from Ireland to Puglia for the Irish Cancer Society? They are following a sightly more easterly route than me but it is interesting to see that they used the Saint Gotthard pass to cross the Alps – see the […]
It’s getting difficult to motivate myself for work when I know that five weeks today I set off on my big adventure; it’s going to take some time to get my shirts ironed tonight.
Marks & Spencer stands out in the high street as a shop that sells things at sensible prices. I don’t mean low prices (it’s a long time since I gave up any pretence of being able to do my weekly food shop in their high-class supermarket), I mean […]
This is purely a self-imposed pressure. No advertisers to keep happy or critics to placate. But, as my subtitle tells you, this is a journey by blog and bike and I do keep a keen eye on my WordPress stats page which a fascinating mine of mathematical facts […]
It was late night opening at A.W. Cylces yesterday so I took a slight detour on my way home last night to see what they had on offer in the cycling shorts direction. One of the familiar faces greeted me and after a few pleasantries, he said he […]
In replying to Simone (from Pavia – see posts below), I asked him if he knew a god route to miss out the centre of Milan (well actually it is not the centre of the city I suppose I want to avoid; it is all those suburbs full […]
Not sure why but this morning I smashed the time it takes me to cycle to work; 23 minutes and 40 seconds. From memory that is around a minute and a half faster than the last time I timed myself. Was it the new bike? Was it my […]
A potentially very useful website as recommended by Simone in Pavia (see previous post).
Just received this message (via Facebook) from Italy; Hello there, My name’s Simone and with some friends I work in a cycle co-op in Pavia. I’m also a bike enthusiast, for all kind of pedal powered vehicles. I saw your blog and I was immediately fascinated by your […]
…back to school. Thought I would try out the panniers; the first day back of each term always means I am heavily laden on the bike so I thought I would make the most of the situation to put Reggie’s pulling power to the test. He looks good […]
What a brilliant book… but I won’t be buying it. I wandered down to Cotswold Leisure this afternoon for a general browse and to ogle at all the things I would buy if money were no object; quite frankly I could purchase everything in the store. I was […]
I have spent many pounds on many glossy cycling magazines in the last couple of years but I have to say that one of the best is the one that I receive for free by being a member of the CTC (OK, it’s not really free I know […]
Bill Vrabel has got his own site up and running. Called “Orkney To Rome – A Cycling Journey” with the subtitle “A librarian’s autumnal journey southbound through Europe on a bicycle” it does what it says on the tin! I love the clean style that he has chosen; […]
Well I did 109.3 kms in the end (that’s nearly 70 miles for the oldies!); well over the average that I will have to do en route to Puglia. I continued from Newbury along the Kennet & Avon Canal but on arrival in Hungerford, chatting to a fellow […]
But where am I? Clue: this guy is Alfred the Great and he was born here. A less helpful clue is that I have cycled 68 kms so far. Would like to hit 100 before getting back home. Update at 8pm (when back at home): I win my […]
No. Just mild annoyance and an important threshold to have passed in owning a new bike; taking it apart for the first time!
That’s what they would call it if Reggie (that’s the name of the bike btw for any new readers) were a rally car. So far so good. I am blogging from Newbury, a town which is 36 kms from my road in Reading via the Kennet and Avon Canal, […]
I like this and sympathise with the guy who has written with it; Reading is not a good place to be a cyclist because of the state of the roads. He writes in his first post at crapreading (don’t hold back mate!); Many towns have angry people who […]
My first Warmshowers guest is on the horizon; Alain from Boulogne-sur-Mer. Il écrit…. Bonjour Andrew I’m Alain and I live in the north of France. I’m cycling to my friend Phil’s birthday party in Shrewsbury later this month. I hope to be in Reading on the 27th during […]
You are probably fed up of seeing pictures of handlebars and mine in particular. Sorry 😉 . The new stem arrived this morning and I have just fitted it. For the first time I think I am approaching a point when the bike, dare I say it (?), […]
Facebook took me to happier places this morning, including Oli Broom’s Cycling to the Ashes page where I found this fab picture. Oli is currently in India – Calcutta to be exact – and you can also follow him at his website. He also has a Flickr site with […]
As I have said before, I love the fact that people all over the World read my blog and contribute either through the comments or by taking time to email me. It is no doubt the nearest I will ever come to receiving fan mail (teenage school kids […]
…but will it be available in the UK before the 18th July? On e-bay perhaps? I found the article in the London Evening Standard. The Sydney Morning Herald adds the following which verges on stating the bleeding obvious in the last line; The bicycle charger models — some […]
Comment 300 is about to be made; make it a good one!
Flavio has commented on my post of the 1st June (below in blue) and also on the CTC Eurovelo 5 forum (below in red) with the following messages; Hi Andrew, Great project! I found it only today.. two years later For the question posted in August, 6th… 2008, […]
Look out for the snail! See the original report on TF1 here.
I quote; Hello, I will be biking from London to Athens taking most of Eurovelo 5. If you are interested you will be able to find Eurovelo 5 infor on my site. I will be blogging throughout the whole ride to give more detailed info on this route.About […]
There was just a big bang in Reading. And then what sounded like a low-flying Lear jet. How strange. I have stuff everywhere and lots of little jobs to do today; the photo shows just one of the various piles of “stuff” that I have managed to create […]
Didn’t find much to say about Eurovelo 5 from Paris. Too busy herding around the kids. I did notice that one of the streets just round the corner from our accommodation was rue St. Gothard and was a darn sight flatter than the pass that shares its name. […]
The 30 students who are accompanying my two fellow teachers and myself are just out me shot!
I’m off to Paris in the morning – in five hours time to be precise and am still trying to get my washing done – with 30 students from school; I’ll post a few pictures of cycling-related Parisian things. Did my commute today with the new bars; definitely […]
…do exist, at a price! This one is 150mm, 20mm longer than the current one which is 130mm. Is 2cm worth it? I will see how comfortable the riding position is tonight when I pick up the bike after than butterfly bars have been fitted.
So far my dealings with Evans Cycles regarding the change of the drop handlebars to the butterfly bars have been good; both assistants I have spoken to have been knowledgeable and encouraging, discussing the issues I may have and finding solutions. I took Reggie down for the work earlier this […]
No bids yet on my e-Bay ad but five “watchers” (which sounds a bit creepy but I am assured this is a good thing). One person has contacted me via email asking for more detail explaining that they were looking to upgrade a Ridgeback Element hybrid bike to have […]
On a day like this it’s easy to forget about life’s problems….
Jon Scott continues his journey north – he was in Bern on the 20th so he is making very good progress – and he continues to post some stunning photos on Flickr; here is a little montage of four of his recent images. His blog is here (or you can […]
I’ve put the shifters on e-Bay; why not make a bid? 🙂 I have set the bid starting price at £80 (that’s a massive 60% reduction on the approximate RRP!) and I’ll see what happens. The handlebars are brake levers are also up for grabs. Wonder how much they […]
I headed off into town last night to chat to Evans Cycles about having the butterflies fitted. There is no way I am going within a mile of AW Cycles with the intention of discussing arranging for the bars to be changed by them; they have made their opinions […]
Some books of potential interest, especially the one in the middle; Great Cycle Journeys of the World. The blurb reads: With 34 classic cycle routes covering six continents, through some of the world’s most stunning natural landscapes, this book provides something for everyone planning their next cycling holiday. Featured areas […]
My handlebars arrived but they were motorcycle-type number plates (registration P26 something). Despite the contents of the package, the bike had been converted to an “upright” style, but looked like a Winnebago complete with roof canopy and shed at the back. The forks were very angular and had bright […]
I posted yesterday that I was thinking of removing part of the route and avoiding Brussels and most of Belgium. It does make sense on all levels apart from the one that wants me to tick the box of having followed the route of the Eurovelo 5. George […]
Jon is posting some amazing pictures on Flickr as he cycles up through Italy; this is just an example and was taken in the Cinque Terre.
I’ve discussed much on here recently; Mark Beaumont, butterfly handlebars, commuting, Twitter, Geoff Boycott(!)… but not much of Eurovelo 5 and my plans to cycle from Reading to Brindisi kicking off on Sunday 18th July, a little over two-months away. So here is a summary of progress I’m […]
I just knocked off my 200th tweet and was browsing the tweets of the people I follow, including @cyclingtotheashes (aka Oli Broom)who is currently in India (he is the guy who is, as you may have guessed,cycling to the Ashes cricket in Australia which starts later in the […]
…by filling in the box just there on the left, you can be emailed every time I post something new on http://www.eurovelo5.com .
I have to say that I have a pretty nice commute compared to some. Once I have escaped the urban wood that is Reading and Caversham (I was going to say jungle but Reading isn’t quite there yet…), I cycle along a long, quiet country road that cuts […]
I suppose his excuse will be that he lives above the shop.
…500 🙂
It will be midnight before I get home but the evening was certainly worth the trek. Mark Beaumont came across as an interesting and humble guy. Just like he comes across in his book actually and it was interesting that he said he would be writing another one […]
I’ve never knowingly been to Camberley before: it could be twinned with Bracknell if the local councillors wanted to cut down on the expense of travelling to an exotic foreign location. A row of Wetherspoon-like pubs, a drab station and lots of offices. I found the theatre not far […]
I remember being at Cologne train station years ago on a Sunday evening and it really was a circus of life and activity. This is at the opposite end of the spectrum. Mind you, at least the rail replacement bus got me here on time. In fact before […]
Jon Scott – I mentioned him a few days ago – has now set off from Rome. His blog is here and I have put an RSS feed over there on the right to keep up with his progress. For some reason his blog wouldn’t allow me to […]
In anticipation of seeing Mark Beaumont tonight in Camberley, here is an interview he has done with Touch FM in Leamington. The man himself has re-tweeted the following comment from @timmay Giving the personal insights and mental battles you faced, not depicted on tv, makes this a must see. […]
Just spent a few minutes moving things around and changing some of the settings here on Eurovelo5.com . I often change things back after a few days if I don’t like them although I thinks it’s nice to have a home page to the website. Problem may be, […]
A name from the earlier days of this blog has just emailed; Jonathan Scott is an Australian who is planning to cycle from Rome to London and he is one of the people to be listed down there on the left as a Eurovelo 5 / Via Francigena […]
Read the last post before you read this! I just looked at today’s list of searches (only three so far today!) and the expression in the title was listed. If you copy it into Google, one of the pictures you find on the first page of a Google […]
I do find the statistics of the Internet fascinating almost to the point of geekdom, hence the previous post. It is, for example, depressingly fascinating (but very predictable) that the USA dominates the list of the 100 most-visited sites and that Google tops that list. Interesting that Luxembourg (a link with […]
Click on the pic! This is from the same part of the BBC website and I like how the blog post statistic is actually a number you can visualise…
There is a lull in action on the Eurovelo 5 front; I think the election is drawing my attention away from cycling. The Couchsurfing Group has a new (2nd) member, a certain Joe Barnett but I know little about him…. On the other social networking site that is Warmshowers, […]
My immigrant handlebars (Modolo Yuma etc…) are winging their way to the UK as I type! She was a bigot in my opinion (the kind of person who starts sentences with “I’m not a racist but….”). My handlebars are just as welcome as all the other hard-working residents of our country […]
I have spent tha last week banging on about butterfly handlebars so it is a relief to post about the Eurovelo 5 again, albeit during a “nuit blanche”; I have man flu and can’t sleep…. So, as one does on such occasions, I was browsing the list of […]
It’s an Italian proverb that says that “a meal without wine is like a day without sunshine”. My postings recently have been so regular that my proverb should be “a day without a post is like….” errr…. that’s why I don’t write proverbs for a living. Answers on […]
I quote; After the Modolo Yuma designed to increase comfort for trekking riders, came DUMBO … With DUMBO you can adjust the handlebar geometry when and how you wish, obtaining the best possible riding position. Simple in adjustment, strong in its forged blockings, lightweight, DUMBO can become a […]
At last, some positive encouragement to get the butterflies fitted! Darrell, from Manchester – remember him? – he is cycling the route of the Pennine Cycleway this summer and I sent him my maps (which he has kindly acknowledged on his own website with some very nice comments, thanks Darrell!). […]
