Handlebars have been on my mind for quite some time and certainly since I bought Reggie Ridgeback; he has drop handlebars and I am finding it difficult to adjust to them. This website – Handlebars for Touring – gives some alternatives which are worth thinking about. I don’t […]
Just cycled to work on Reggie Ridgeback and my feet were frozen when I arrived; George Jemmott mentioned that he had purposefully not used the cleats on his bike on his recent ride from Milan to Calais and I can see why – they are incompatible with cold spring mornings! […]
…since the move to WordPress in mid January; 17,500 including the hits when this blog was a Blogger blog!
….to the first day back at work after a long two-week holiday is receiving an email from a new blog reader that exudes positivity in the way only Californians can manage, which is useful for JJ Istrin as he hales from Los Angeles! JJ and his wife have exciting plans […]
Just realised what day it is today. There is a nice symmetry about the whole thing, no? And it’s a Sunday when I leave for Italy; Sunday 18th July 2010. It’s a long, long time since I wrote this on the 29th August 2008; 700 Days: The first numerical […]
If, on a Sunday morning at 8.30am I am spending time reading a document written by “Policy Department B, Structural and Cohesion Policies” for the “Directorate General for Internal Policies” of the European Parliament, I do wonder whether my cycling adventure along the route of Eurovelo 5 has […]
Rachel McCormack emails from Ireland; Hi Andrew, Just happened to come across your website and found it very interesting and quite relevant to me and partner Giovanni. We are finalising preparations for our bike challenge which will see us mountain bike from Dublin, Ireland to Santa Maria di […]
Pan-European cycling might catch on a bit more if this volcanic cloud hangs around much longer. Mark Beaumont is stuck in the French Alps; I did suggest via Twitter that he cycle back (see feed to your left…), as did lots of other people by the sound of […]
I cycled to work this morning and by the time I arrived, the left shoe had become very loose – it was “floating” much more than the right shoe. On dismounting, I uncleated the right shoe but the left refused to do so…. until I forced it and […]
Thanks to Massimo for some comments regarding the route south of Rome. The bit between Como and Rome remains sketchy – I have suggested on the itinerary itself that I leave the detail until I actually arrive in Italy; is that wise? You can see that I do […]
How can you make a living out of “teaching” mountain biking for 10 years? Is it that difficult? (Hey, son, push your bike to the top of that muddy hill, sit on it and release the brakes….) I want her job…. She comes across as a bit nervous […]
Just tested the shoes on the road (well the empty trading estate next to where I live) and they are brilliant! Didn’t even fall off (apologies to the bloke waiting with a video camera – where did he get that idea?). I can’t say for definite whether they […]
…but can you spot the thing that is missing? Answer: my foot! Now, that was a few minutes ago. This is a silly little comedy of errors. I eventually figured out how to fix the piece of metal to the shoes (which fit perfectly btw; may wear them […]
Making progress, but not quite there yet! Thanks to Massimo in Benevento I have some detail south of Rome but north of Rome still lacks a day by day breakdown, as does the bit between Luxembourg to Strasbourg. This latter stretch has given George Jemmott some issues on […]
Just picking up the “international” theme at the end of the previous post, I do like it when the traffic feed looks like this rather than a string of Union Jacks (note to UK readers: please don’t take this personally, I love your visits too!). Bracknell is me […]
Long-time readers will remember that last summer, in order to see if I was physically capable of cycling day after day on a long journey by bike, I decided to cycle along the Pennine Cycleway from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Derby. It took me nine days and I stayed in a […]
I’m not about to start a coal round but I could on the bike with the new Ortlieb panniers – the “Front / Back-Roller Classic”. Comically massive if you take the picture at face value but fear not, I shan’t be pedalling to Italy with them looking like […]
I put the question above on Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree forum (nope, me neither if you are asking the obvious question!). I quote myself; I’m planning to cycle from the UK to Italy this summer along the route of the Eurovelo 5. However, the route is very aspirational and […]
…but he did come across very well, answering people’s questions while stood on his soap box. My first politician of the campaign. Watch tonight on the local news, I might be on! It was interesting watching his detectives as they watched the crowd; every time I fiddled with […]
One little debate on this website can now come to an end as I have a tent! Just delivered and kind-of pitched in my living room with the help of a couple of chairs, a pair of sandals and a pot plant. I may have to use the […]
Just been to work (yes, on a Sunday!) to collect some stuff that I need to do during the second half of the school holidays; I was planning on doing the work actually at work but now I am expecting the tent, panniers and shoes to be delivered […]
Now that my detailed itinerary has hit the Italian border, my efforts need to turn to La Via dei Pellegrini in Italy itself. Regular readers of this blog will know that the Eurovelo 5 cycle route, although often associated with the Via Francigena pilgrim route does not really follow the same path. The […]
I’ve just registered the domain http://www.eurovelo5.com …but fear not, http://www.puglia2010.wordpress.com will continue to bring you here as well 🙂
Laura Birchenough writes from Greece in response to my question about how she got on Couchsurfing in southern Italy; Hi Andrew, How are your plans coming along for your trip, good luck! I can honestly say that it is my couch surfing experiences that have made this trip […]
Not quite finished (well, not finished at all; I have the whole of Italy still to do!) but made good progress…
I love the Swiss! I couldn’t find the Swiss Romansh for “I love the Swiss” so if anyone can let me know, I’ll add it so that the whole country can benefit from my opinion. Why? Well, I have mentioned on here the Swiss National Cycle Network website and […]
I cycled with a bar bag last summer. Very useful, especially as it is a place upon which you can lay a map. However the Ridgeback has much more going on on the horizontal bar than my Trek does, notably the new bike has two brake levers; can […]
I joined Warmshowers.com last night. Mark Beaumont mentions the site in his book about cycling around the World and I have mentioned them on here before. They are a Couchsurfing service specifically aimed at cyclists. Apart from setting up a profile, I have started a forum thread about […]
I said in a post just before Easter that I was going to avoid buying lots of equipment for the trip over the holidays…. errr, failed miserably on that score. I have just bought, sorry, invested in (sounds less fickle) some panniers – the Ortlieb ones I mentioned, […]
I’m not sure how this happened but…. As you can see from the previous two posts, I’ve just spent the morning in Oxford. Hand on heart, I have a love-hate relationship with Oxford; I hate the traffic that is everywhere and the fact the fact that the city elders […]
No word from Decathlon about the shoes – see post below – so my search takes me to the dreaming spires of Oxford and its bike shops. It’s a short and inexpensive train journey from Reading and, with the sky a deep blue and the run shining, a […]
I just came across these webpages which have been archived on the BBC website. They are about Jane Tomlinson and how she cycled from Rome to Leeds in May 2004. Here is an extract about Jane Tomlinson from Wikipedia; Jane Emily Goward was born in Wakefield in Yorkshire in […]
This is an interesting read; I will have similar issues along the route of the Eurovelo 5 in just a few months time… It encourages in my quest to have a secure route in place before I leave.
From Puglia 2010’s Cumbrian correspondent on a mission to Egypt. They are probably quite comfortable; the one on the left has plenty of padding…
The price on the cheaptents.com website was too good to refuse; £149.99 for a Vango Helium 100 that elsewhere would have cost nearer £200. It was always the favourite; the Terra Nova was always just a bit too expensive for my pocket. I did see one in Decathlon this morning […]
I could finally have found some cycling shoes. And here they are, from Decathlon and not completely black! When I went to the Decathlon store in Surrey Quays, East London this morning, they didn’t have them in stock but they did have some black ones in size 43. […]
Sign on the automatic toilet outside London Bridge station. There was no bike to be seen when the door slid open…
A very large, impressive cycling emporium but…. all their cycling shoes were black. Grrr…
Difficult to beat them on a price / quality ratio. My bikes always used to come from here, especially when I lived in France. Purchases; helmet, cycling shorts, map carrier (for £3.99!) and nearly a pair of cycling shoes and a tent. More reflection needed on those last […]
It looks to me as if the Swiss National Route 3 – full details are here – segways perfectly with the Italian National Route 3; La Via dei Pellegrini. What joined up thinking! This sign (take your pick of the language) is the one to follow in Switzerland (but will it […]
The Internet is great… for lots of things. But one thing it doesn’t do well is lingering over big things. That’s why, although you can see almost any piece of art you may wish to see within a few seconds by tapping its name into Google image search, […]
I just set this up. Click on the picture to access it directly if you are already a Couch Surfer…
Just catching up with some people who have been in contact with me and who I have contacted over the past few months…. George Jemmott continues his journey to Calais and you can read his blog here. It will be interesting to see his GPS data when he […]
From probikekit.com, a company that still talks imperial! This is the 21st Century boys…. These are the panniers that Mark Beaumont uses; From Oslo to Cape Town, ORTLIEB Back and Front-Rollers have long since been classics among waterproof bike panniers. Outdoor specialists swear by the functional and strong […]
Some frightening moments in the 2nd of Mark Beaumont’s documentaries. I have only just finished watching this episode as 10.30pm on a Tuesday night is just far too late for a school teacher! On leaving Mexico and entering Guatemala, Mark was joined by a cameraman from the BBC. […]
I think I’ve finally been won over by Reggie’s handlebars. The new ones have just passed a 16 km test; they are comfortable, in a better position (the old ones were too far away from me!), have much more room for hands on the horizontal bar and enable me […]
Well so far, my aim to make Good Friday “Bloody Marvelous Friday” is going to plan. I’ve picked up the bike from AW Cycles and they have, as promised, changed the handlebars for a set that are much wider and have far more space to place my hands […]
It’s been a few weeks since anyone new has been in contact with me who is in some way interested in the cycling to Italy project so I am delighted to have been emailed by a guy called Neil Shirley who is planning on cycling from Oxford to […]
Start the fitness regime (PPP) Join the gym Cycle to Bath along the Kennet & Avon Canal Finalise the detailed route from Reading to Brindisi Escape to London at least once Do enough school work to make being absent from home during the summer inconsequential Mark GCSE coursework […]
If I wrote this blog for a living, I’d be worried… What’s happened?
Nearly there. Just one more day until the second biggest reason to be a teacher starts; the Easter holidays. I know that sounds a bit cynical so apologies to those educational purists who want us all to be teachers because it is our “calling”, but we all have […]
The downside of British Summer Time. That said, it was a mild and swift ride to work. Why is it that when I cycle in damp conditions it is a far smoother ride? Perhaps the water “oils” the bike….
On the 18th March I blogged about it being four months exactly until the day that I set off on my little cycling adventure. Actually, although I was correct, the most important period of time in terms of preparation is going to be from the 1st April to […]
Just had a very interesting Skype conversation with Michael in Vancouver; a keen cyclist who is planning to cycle in Italy later in the summer. It’s so nice to have a face-to-face conversation with someone about cycling plans! Thanks Michael. We promised to catch up again soon. You […]
In around twice the amount of time that I am planning on cycling from the UK to Puglia, this guy – Alan Bate is his name – is planning to cycle “around the World”. In the words of his own press release: On the 31/03/10, British professional racing […]
I have to say that when I picked up the Ridgeback Panorama and rode it back home from AW Cycles in Caversham last Tuesday, I was a bit disappointed, even a little bit worried. It was very unsteady, I wasn’t used to the new riding position and the […]
Quick jaunt down the Thames. Very happy with performance. Already getting used to the different riding position. And now the sun is coming out!
There is a certain irony that my previous post – Banned at Last! – appears to be having some problems getting published on this site. It doesn’t appear unless you are logged in, which means that only I can see it! Very strange. Let’s hope the censors at […]
My cousin David has emailed in response to the email that I sent out myself informing friends and family that the blog had moved from Blogger to WordPress; 2 months since you sent me this and I wasn’t allowed to do the link at work – you’re censored! […]
Click on the picture to watch the first episode of Mark Beaumont’s American cycle. From the BBC i-Player site: Mark Beaumont, who broke the record for pedalling around the world is back on the road. This time the adventure promises to be more exhilarating and agonising – Mark’s […]
If you have been reading the comments to the previous post, here is the picture than Jim Rawnsley has found of himself on Google Street View. Apart from being a valued contributor to this blog, Jim is also the brother of my sister-in-law! Why have they blurred out […]
Collected him / her from AW Cycles after work tonight. As I was walking up to the shop in Caversham, cycle gear on and helmet in hand, some wag on a folding bike commented “there’s something missing…”. But not for long. Quick explanation of how to fit the […]
This is a brilliant chart. It shows how the length of the day changes over the second half of March in and around London – more or less the same latitude as Reading and only a few degrees to the east. Every detail is fascinating and has a direct […]
Only one week to go before the horological shift that puts us into British Summer Time. I can’t wait! Today has been a very Spring-like day (it should be ; yesterday was the Spring Equinox – just after half past five in the afternoon apparently!). No arguing, it […]
He might have a better chance of not falling off his bilke if he weren’t holding a camera at the same time but I suppose that is what you have to do for the sake of gripping television… Looking forward to Mark Beaumont’s documentary starting on Tuesday 23rd […]
In the great camping v hostel debate that will no doubt kick in at some point on this website over the next few months (as it did last year when the hostel option won), this site – Hostelling International – may be useful. It has a very good […]
Middle of the night catch-up. The ticket for the Mark Beaumont lecture arrived – see left. No information from AW Cycles as to which bike they have ordered for me; the 52 cm or the 54 cm frame (I’ll call in after work later today if nothing is […]
This bicycle odyssey never ceases to amaze. And today it amazed me more than it usually does. Voucher in hand (see yesterday’s post), I arrived at AW Cycles for my “fitting”. I was a little apprehensive as I got the impression from speaking to them yesterday that it […]
Click on the image to see the trailer to Mark Beaumont’s new three-part series about his cycle from Alaska to Argentina via two very big mountains; Mount McKinley in North America and Mount Aconcagua in South America (no, I’d never heard of that one either). Some stunning images […]
It was a good news morning all round. Shortly before receiving the voucher you can see here (suitably “redacted”) I also received a clean bill of health from my doctor; she told me I had a 1% chance of having a heart attack in the next five years and had […]
This is a comical tale from the late 1930s, but the more you think about it, the more sensible it is. As the following article from the BBC website explains, in the days before satellites, it was actually not a bad idea: Summer 1937. What could be more fitting […]
The sun streaming through the window of my study, window open to keep the tempearture down. I went out earlier and could have left the gloves and probably the coat at home. Please don’t get cold again!
I posted this back in August 2009 but it is worth re-posting. I just watched the whole thing again after visiting Youtube to see the new Lady Gaga video (who hasn’t?). It reminds me of the joys of cycling in the summer (my video not Lady Gaga’s). There […]
Quoted from the BBC website: Mark Beaumont, the record-breaking cyclist, today had a final spin on the bike that he pedaled 13,000 miles down the Americas. Mark, 27, from Perthshire, was back on the bike outside the BBC Scotland headquarters, where the finishing touches are being added to a three-part […]
They are very supportive – two fellow languages teachers – but they are sceptical as to whether I will be able to cycle from Reading to Puglia. I shall prove them wrong of course…
When I posted the previous message, I did worry that it was a bit boring and administrative; it was simply a letter from my employer confirming that I would be able to purchase my bike through the “cycle to work” scheme. It is bizarre then that such a […]
This may look like one of those letters that was published at the height of the parliamentary expenses scandal, but it isn’t. The first line explains all: I am writing to advise you of the amendment to your contract of employment following your recent Cycle-Plus application…. I can […]
I think this is the southern side of the Gotthard Pass so I will be cycling down it rather than up!
Google Earth does give interesting perspectives on the Eurovelo 5 route. By clicking on this link and then selecting “View in Google Earth” you too can have a middle-of-the-night play, just like I’m doing now….
In a comment to the previous post about the St. Gotthard Pass, William, chair of the Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome points out diplomatically “You know that is a picture of the Great St Bernard Pass of course”. Well, in all honesty, I think I got distracted by […]
Yesterday’s practical pilgrimage day got me thinking about crossing the Alps again. The Via Francigena crosses the mountains at the Great St. Bernard Pass. The Eurovelo 5 crosses at via the Saint Gotthard Pass. I have just found a useful website all about cycling in the Alps. Its […]
Meeting my niece in London after the meeting yesterday was the thin end of the wedge. Several beers later I arrived home in Reading and then tackled a bottle of wine so, as I write, I have a little bit of a hangover. What follows is a more […]
Interesting afternoon. There were a variety of people to listen to. None had actually cycled to Rome although cycling was referenced quite a lot, as was camping which of course is relevant. My main thoughts however are about why I am following the Eurovelo 5 from Calais to Switzerland […]
Ann Milner discusses her walk from Canterbury to Rome along the Via Francigena.
From the confraternity’s website is the programme for Saturday; 12.00 Basic review of the route, its history, the way-marking and maps and guide-books by Joe Patterson 12.20 Question and answer session. What do you want to know? Clothing and footwear, terrain, accommodation, tents, climate, time of the year, […]
I wanted a motivating, happy picture because I don’t have anything to write about today so typed “europe” and “cycle” into Flickr. This came up; great image – it sums up the freedom of cycling at its best. Click on the photo itself to see it in situ on […]
I did warn you about the seasonal obsession with tents… Jim, my brother’s brother-in-law (or my sister-in-law’s brother), has found the list of the left on the website Cheap Tents (dot com of course; someone, at the inception of the Internet could have, and probably did, make a […]
On 1st August 2007 I caught a train from Reading to London at 9.42am, wearing something white in celebration of it being Yorkshire Day. The sky was blue and the moon nearly full. I was going to Paris with a friend on the start of a round Europe […]
Isn’t it wonderful that, despite being competitors in the social networking world, WordPress, Twitter and Facebook all allow cross posting resulting in a spidery lattice of information to span the ether (they could call it the World Wide Web, no? It will never catch on…); there is no […]
Long-time followers of this blog will remember a period last summer when I seemed a little obsessed by tents. Clearly I needed to get out more at the time and the topic stopped when I decided that I would use hostels instead. It proved to be a wise […]
Michael Musto is a regular contributor to this blog via the “comments” buttons after each post. He has just commented upon my previous post about all things Alpine and I think his words deserve a promotion from the Championship that is the comments section to the Premiership of […]
Do you ever want to scream? Today is one of those days. I live in a flat where I pay a communal charge and it has just been increased by 500% from around £90 to just under £430. Now this is clearly an error but it annoys me […]
Apologies to everyone who is Welsh. “Hwyl” is not some alternative name for “Paul”. It means (control your laughter) “cheers” and so when Paul from Sanoodi emailed me last week, he was simply being friendly and not trying to confuse me with an alternative spelling of his first […]
