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 […]
I need to get back to blogging about cycling but I couldn’t resist pointing this out. Moving to WordPress has certainly drawn in the punters! 20,000 by the summer? Watch this (cyber)space. 🙂
This is a wonderful sight; my work email box is empty! It is not often like this but I have just eradicated my very last email (from the headteacher of all people). I fear that tomorrow there will be a deluge of messages as I return to school […]
Now, I pride myself on being a linguist but I’m struggling here. It’s a website forum that has kindly linked to this website. I’m guessing Turkish so let’s see if I can prove it….. It is! “Bisikletliler Derneği” translates rather prosaically to “Cyclist Association” See right for the proof. Visit their […]
Michael Musto, dragging himself away from the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, has contacted me with some questions about maps: Have you seen examples of the Michelin maps? Yes, I’ve bought the full set that I need to get from my home town all the way to Brindisi. The […]
With a name like Hewitt, Paul Hewitt Cycles could only be located in the north. And it is. In Leyland, Lancashire. It is recommended by Jim Rawnsley who happens to live in Cumbria so not too far away. That said, it does look like a very good shop. […]
He made it! Read Mark Beaumont’s valedictory message by clicking here.
Jim, my kind-of relation in Cumbria writes and adds to the bike and GPS tracking debates; Hello again Andrew Been a while since I last visited your site and you seem to have been very busy! Couple of things. The Ridgeback Panorama. I have had the model down […]
The Internet is sometimes a confusing thing. It’s not helped by the fact we all make it complicated by people like me signing up to a myriad of different ways of communicating. So when I send a message via a website (in this case http://www.sanoodi.com by filling in a form […]
I woke up this morning to find that someone from Ushuaia had visited the blog. This mythical place (the French even have an ecological television programme named after the town) is of course the destination of Mark Beaumont on his top to bottom trek of the Americas. The information above […]
It’s cool (which that word no longer is) when you get a Facebook friend request from the author of the book you are currently reading; introducing my new Facebook friend, Mr Bernie Friend! Thanks Bernie. If Bernie can do it, the rest of you can – just click on […]
George Jemmott adds some useful comments to the GPS tracking and mapping strand of thought; Re: sanoodi, I prefer bikely.com at the moment. It’s more bike-centric, and doesn’t have such a focus on GPS-enabled phone/computers (of which I don’t have one) …and then goes on to explain his […]
Reading is 1° west, 51° north. Brindisi is 18° east, 41° north. That is an easterly shift of 19° and a southerly shift of 10°. Pythagoras tells me that (assuming the Earth is flat, which it clearly isn’t unless you adhere to what these guys say – great quote: ““Deprogramming […]
My first rough attempt at a route for the Eurovelo 5 is now on my Sanoodi profile – click here to see it. I’d like to refine this is the months to come but the basic profile of my journey is here. Can you spot the Alps?
It appears that it is not possible to embed Sanoodi maps in WordPress. This is a real, real, real shame 🙁 Why? (Non-technical answers please – I have read the technical reasons on the Internet.)
I’ve been having an email conversation with Bernie Friend, writer of the book Cycling Back to Happiness. He certainly got there if this picture was taken after he finished his trip (I am on page 79 by the way). Here are the interesting bits. He is in blue, I’m in […]
Remember I asked George Jemmott (him of GPS fame) about the photo at the top of his new Eurovelo 5 website? Well here is the answer: It just so happens that the only picture I have of my bicycle and trailer together is there in front of that American […]
This is a truly amazing piece of software. It’s the kind of thing that makes you wonder how people occupied their time before the invention of the Internet, GPS, GPRS etc… Just what did people do? I have spent the last two hours delighting in having mapped my first […]
I’ve mentioned Sanoodi Mapping before – read the previous post here. I’ve just revisited the site, created my own page and produced the map and profile that you can see in the picture for my commute to work. It’s impressive stuff! Click here to visit the webpage itself. The profile […]
I went to WH Smith to see if the latest edition of The Bicycle Buyer had any reviews of touring bikes… but it didn’t. So when I got home I dug out a copy of the magazine that I had bought earlier in 2009 to see if they got […]
I haven’t made an error in the title. It is the final final piece of the map jigsaw. I wrote here about having bought the final map which covered the heel of Italy. I glossed over the fact that I was ignoring the journey from Reading to Dover by […]
I believe in competition; it gives people an opportunity to benchmark what they do and try and make improvements. It sometimes gets bad press when it encroaches on things like health care or education, but I am generally very supportive to the whole concept of the chase. It’s just […]
I have started reading everything here… but have yet to finish any of them. Let’s see how much I can get read while on holiday this week.
I first mentioned Silvia Nilsen (“Sil” to her friends!) in a post way back in April last year. She is a keen blogger and walker and she runs a whole host of mainly pilgrimage walking blogs including this one about her experiences of walking the Via Francigena (see the full […]
I mentioned in a post earlier today that, quite a few months ago, Mark Beaumont had been in touch and he had passed on some advice about tents. I remember telling him at the time that I had just finished reading his book about cycling around the world […]
This route almost takes in my daily commute to work from Reading to Henley. It launches on the 18th June 2010 and is described as follows: “This new 170 mile (274 km) circular route in the Chilterns, links attractions, market towns and places of interest. The route is on-road, […]
I wish the people who moan about the council not having invested in sufficient snow clearing equipment (see any newspaper letters page a few weeks ago) could see this. Some chump – you can ring them if you want – presumably bought some snow chains for their car […]
I honestly don’t write this blog for anyone apart from myself and to begin with that was fortunate as no-one else read it. However, as Google began to pick me up and as links began to appear elsewhere on the Internet directing people to this blog, I have […]
When I first posted this picture, the title was “Bad cycle storage design” but actually there is nothing wrong with the design. There is everything wrong with the placement of the bike sheds; at the back of a brand new prestigious development in Reading town centre (soon to be the […]
I sometimes wonder how many people have cycled in the past or are planning to cycle in the future from the UK to at least northern Italy. It doesn’t take long to find other blogs. Here is another: Oli Robbins, who cycled a fairly direct route from Essex to Venice […]
41/4 miles this morning with three short breaks….47 minutes worth of running. I’m not going to break any records here. Slight extension to my route – along the Thames from Reading Bridge to Caversham Bridge and back.
Abbey Wood Campsites Federation Road, London, London, SE2 0LS
Here it is; Cycling Day Date (w/e) From To Time Kms Cum. 1 18/7 Reading London 4h35 65 65 2 19/7 London Canterbury 6h41 94 159 3 20/7 Canterbury Dover 1h54 27 186 3 20/7 Calais Saint Omer 3h08 44 230 4 21/7 Saint Omer Lille 4h40 65 […]
…but it’s a beautiful morning in Reading. This is the view looking down the canal towards the town centre. I live in the block of flats behind the camera. Which you can’t see. And actually it’s a phone. I’ll shut up.
This organisation have their annual meeting in London at the start of March. I wonder if it would be worth going along? I don’t consider myself a pilgrim due to my complete lack of any religious belief, but could be interesting. It describes the meeting on their website: “The Practical […]
Following on from the previous post which refers to academic research in the USA, I have just received this interesting email from Todd Rygh in Washington State along the same lines. Most people who contact me via this blog have questions about the route or the bike or the equipment […]
This refers to the children rather than the teachers – see the extract from the CTC weekly email – but after another week of winter commuting to work, I am aching for the Spring to arrive with its lighter mornings and evenings and slightly warmer temperatures. Whether I am still […]
What a great web page – so colourful!
I asked my boss today if I could have three days (unpaid) leave at the end of the academic year – Monday 19th to Wednesday 21st July. She said yes! So the date of departure is fixed: Sunday 18th July 2010. This gives me a full six weeks […]
This is a great blog (not mine, the one in the title, although mine is OK too…): blog.ch3.gr . Georgios writes: “In August 2009, after being in the Uk for 7 years, I decided it was time to move back to Greece. My ambitious plan was to cycle […]
A photographer, Patrick Taylor, appears to be a fan of the Ridgeback Panorama. Have a look on his website. Here is one of his pictures:
Iain Harper has contacted me via the Bike Radar forum I mentioned yesterday. There is some really useful practical advice in his email and it is worth the read. As the list of “tags” at the end shows, he manages to pack in a whole host of different […]
The light dusting of crisp, dry, white snow was actually quite fun to cycle on. Not really very icy at all. And across the Oxfordshire countryside, the nearly full moon was reflected off the white layer on the ground to make the morning feel, ironically, almost spring-like.
Here’s an interesting twist on cycling to Rome, or in this case cycling from Rome. Lawrence Dallaglio, the former international rugby player is on his bike for charity. This is from his website (click on the picture to visit it): “OK, so there are easier ways to take […]
Just found a forum on this website discussing cycling from London to Rome, I’ll add my thoughts once I’ve registered with them. One guy seems to be very anti-camping which in my humble opinion is bizarre. I would have thought that anyone who relishes the freedom of cycling […]
My free transfer from Blogger (sponsored by Google) to WordPress seems to have gone well and I haven’t lost my readership. At least I think I haven’t; the statistics supplied by WordPress for the first week are in the picture and are at least comparable with my latter days […]
Back home now, sinking my first beer of 2010 – 4% Stella Artois so I can still feel a bit virtuous (although by the time the bottle of Shiraz I bought to accompany my evening meal is demolished later, my argument may fall down a bit) – and reading the posts […]
This could be what I am looking for: The Ridgeback Panorama. It kind of ticks all the boxes although not the ones about being sleek and swish. Panniers back and front – that was the demise of the Bianchi – sturdy steel frame that will ‘last for years’. […]
Not sure why I bother to trapse around all the other shops when I always end up here: AW Cycles in Caversham. The best selection, the best advice. People have said they are pricey but you get what you pay for.
Just seen a very retro-looking Ridgeback in here. It looked sturdy and up for the job. But I want something that is a bit more sleek and swish. Problem is that in the cycling world those words don’t fit comfortably with mundane words like touring and panniers. Mr […]
There is a site, run by CTC where you can report your pothole. I’ve just done it and my pothole is officially number 27775. Go to http://www.fillthathole.org.uk to see it in all its glory. This is becoming an obsession.
This is a pothole. But not just any pothole. It is the pothole that my bike has fallen into twice this week. I say “fallen into” in the loosest sense of the word – the hole is probably 4ocms long but when you are cycling in the dark, […]
I’m beginning to miss the sun. Cycling back from work this evening, the sky was clear (and the evening, as a result, cold) and the moon was about two-thirds of full. It was sufficient to cast a shadow and light up the pot holes that I now have […]
Ian Hendry is planning to cycle the Eurovelo 5 this coming summer – a bit earlier than me – and as you can see, he has bought a new bike….
How does it look?
I’ve just spent the last few hours creating a new home for the blog. See previous entries detailing my recent frustration with Blogger. I’m not saying that I have left them for good – the big disadvantage of moving to WordPress is that I will lose my http://www.puglia2010.com […]
Blogger is playing up; I’ve mentioned the disappearance of my counter already today and now my voter numbers over there on the right have dropped from 50 (this morning) to 43 (this evening). It’s also taking a long time for some of the widgits to appear. All very […]
It’s a month since I registered with Google Analytics and the picture you can see here is not a cross-section of a particularly strenuous day on the Eurovelo 5 but the visititor numbers in the last 30 days to this site. Interesting that people stay for an average of […]
Jimmy Clark writes in blue, I respond in red…. Hi Andrew, Hope you don’t mind me emailing you, absolutely not!!! This blog would have died a death a long time ago without them I think 🙂 I found your email on the your blog on ctc.org. Mmmm… Makes me wonder if […]
Michael in Canada writes: Hello again. I have scowered the internet and came across the same info you were kind to show me in your blog. I am working on four main logistical tasks at the moment. Time and money, trying to get fitter, flight coordination and developing a […]
This website is playing up…and pissing me off!!!!!
It feels like a spring day today with the snow gone and the temperatures soaring to 8 degrees so time for the website to get a bit of a new look. Can you spot the difference? Not too tricky…
If you have read the previous post, I was wondering who Michael was (he had left a brief message in the chat box). Now I know; he has sent an email. He writes in blue, I answer in red: Hello Andrew, Hello Michael – thanks for the email […]
I need to remember this: Sanoodi mapping. It is a way of recording your route, en route and showing it live via the Internet. Oli Broom (Cycling to the Ashes) appears to use it (although it is credited on the map on his site with two other companies: […]
Just recieved the following email. Rob’s comments in red, my comments in blue: Hi Andrew Just been looking at your blog which is very helpful and inspiring. Thanks! Me and my girlfriend are planning to cycle London to Istanbul in May (for our honeymoon) and are considering route […]
I just signed a pledge at this website to always stop at red lights when cycling. Why not do it yourself? You can see a full list of all the previous pledgers by visiting their website.
The email that people use to contact me is puglia2010@hotmail.co.uk (use it!). However, I only periodically trawl through the junk mail and junk mail filters are not perfect. Fergal in Ireland has become a victim of the over zealous filters at Microsoft but I did manage to pick […]
Hi George Thanks for your email – your enthusiasm is infectious! I’m glad to be in touch with another person who is interested in the Eurovelo 5. My initial enthusiasm was not the Eurovelo 5, simply an interest in cycling and a wish to do something a bit […]
Just received this interesting email. George has also commented on the earlier post about maps: Hi there Andrew!I just found your site about EuroVelo5, and I’m rather excited. Introductions first – I’m George Jemmott, a silly American who is similarly interested in EV5. I think we might be […]
I mentioned a few posts ago that I might contact a couple of people who I know who may be interested in meeting me en route to Puglia in the summer. One of those people was Claus, my friend in Stuttgart. I trained as a teacher with Claus in […]
You know when you look at websites and you think wow, that must have taken ages to set up and get working…. Well it doesn’t! I set up that chat box down there on the right hand side (just below the advert for my friends’ yoga retreat in […]
Today was a first: I recieved an email from someone who I actually know and who has contacted me as a direct result of seeing this blog! The person concerned is James or “Jim” as he now is. He is my sister-in-law’s brother (or, as he reminds me […]
From: RichardTo: AndrewSubject: Maps Hi Andrew, Hope you’ve had a good Christmas. I see you’ve been busy on the blog. I’ve started telling people about my plans and am very much committed and excited about the trips. I think I will plan to try meet you in Brussels […]
Happy New Year 2010! I woke up feeling very groggy this morning, not because of any excesses of New Year’s Eve but because my cold has dragged itself into the new decade. Switching on the radio after a long night’s sleep courtesy of the soporific effects of “night […]
As you can see, piecing all the maps together in a long line would have been impossible in my relatively small living room, but here they all are stacked up on one another. I have followed the route from Calais and the good news is that there is […]
Between now and the 18th July 2010 is a mere 200 days! The proof is over there on the right… I can remember writing on here when it ticked over to 700 days to go. It really doesn’t seem that long ago. A bit disappointed in all that […]
I’m on the train en route home after Christmas with my family and thought I would use the time to pull the strands of my preparation for my trip to Puglia in the summer together. Let’s kick off with the route. That is more or less in place: […]
…from a very snowy Yorkshire to all readers of my blogs.
I just opened my Christmas presents (it didn’t take long) and I have received a new bike! Here it… could be. As it’s not actually a new bike for me buy for someone who needs a new bike more than me in a developing country. The Oxfam Unwrapped […]
Knowing that I had cycled from the North East to Derby earlier in the year, someone did ask me last week if I were planning on cycling to Yorkshire this Christmas. It had crossed my mind but then I thought better of it. Winter long distance cycling really […]
Nothing to do with cycling but as it rarely snows like this in England, worth a mention. It is wonderful! I did see one cyclist by the canal – complete with shorts: respect!
It’s been a while since I have mentioned any of the cycling adventurers who have inspired me over the past 18 months or so….Mark Beaumont: he is in Peru and still going strong. Not sure when he is due to arrive in Ushuaia, Argentina – his final destination. […]
Canada, The USA, The UK, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Luxemburg, Denmark, Switzerland, Poland, Austria, Portugal, Greece, Sweden, Finland, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Thailand, Australia, Japan… plus all the others who have been and now gone from the map. Amazing who is interested in this drivel!
Just found this description on Bicitalia: perhaps my initial thoughts of following the Ciclopista del Sole were a tad premature as number 3 follows more closely the Via Francigena…N°3 La Via dei Pellegrini (The Pilgrim Route)This route is along the old Via Francigena as far as Rome (thus […]
I was only thinking earlier this week that no-one had been in contact for quite a few weeks about the blog and cycle to Italy…. and then this happens:From: “Richard Burton”Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2009 3:17 PMTo: AndrewSubject: Puglia 2010 Hi AndrewI keep getting drawn back to your […]
Windows 7 allows for a rotating series of desktop backgroups. These are the six scenes available for the Italian themed set of desktop wallpapers. Not sure where they were taken in Italy but they do tick all the boxes of stunning Italian scenery, especially the one in the […]
Winter is well and truly here. Yesterday was the first cycle to work which I would describe as numbingly cold. The kind of cold that actually hurts. I am well wrapped up and have four thin layers to keep me warm, but when I arrived at work I […]
You don't see the best side of the outskirts of Birmingham while sitting on a stationary train.
…or “The Slow Movement” which has nothing to do with a difficult bowel situation and everything to do with walking and cycling. A nice concept for a “movement”. There have been a few people visiting this website via the website of “Il Movimento Lento” so I went to […]
The following post was on the Via Francigena Yahoo group – it’s quite relevant (usually they talk about walking rather than cycling):HiMy husband and I completed the Via in mid Oct. Assembled our bikes at Gatwick then rode to Canterbury and then to Rome – it took about […]
…not in the rain.
It’s nice for someone to email again about the cycling next summer – it’s been a while since anyone has done so.Chris Hammersley writes:Just out of interest, how have you come up with this route? Have you avoided going down the east coast of Italy for a reason?I […]
