Stage 1: Reading to East London
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 […]
Pity The Fool Who Steals Bikes
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 […]
Change Your World (with Sustrans)
Click the picture for more info! I did 🙂
Today’s Ultimate Adventurers
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…
Blogging the EV5
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. […]
How to Close an Ortlieb Back Roller Classic 2
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 […]
One Month To Go?
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 […]
James Cracknell and Ben Fogle Take on Bike Challenge
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 […]
Simple Question: Why?
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!
Civilised Start to the Day
Having a coffee before work… (that’s some other bloke btw – I’m sitting opposite, behind the camera of course!)
How to Close an Ortlieb Back Roller Classic
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 […]
Austria (I Think) Calling
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 – […]
Citizens of the World
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 […]
Cycling from Ireland to Puglia: Update
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 […]
Adventure v Ironing
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.
Calais v Dunkirk & Sensible Pricing Policy
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 […]
Pressure to Perform
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 […]
Won Over By Lycra?
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 […]
Ciao a tutti…
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 […]
Smashed!
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 […]
Piste Ciclabili in Italia
A potentially very useful website as recommended by Simone in Pavia (see previous post).
Pavia: Simone Giappone Sacchi
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 […]
Ready to set off…
…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 […]
The Adventure Cycle-Touring Handbook
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 […]
Cycle – The Magazine…
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 […]
Breaking News!
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; […]
Knackered…
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 […]
Not Bath
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 […]
Disaster?
No. Just mild annoyance and an important threshold to have passed in owning a new bike; taking it apart for the first time!
Shake Down for Reggie
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, […]
CrapReading Blog
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 […]
Bonjour Alain!
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 […]
Steming the Gap
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 (?), […]
Back to the Positive!
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 […]
Orkney to Rome
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 […]
Brilliant Idea…
…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 is Free!
Comment 300 is about to be made; make it a good one!
Flavio the Florentine; Inventor of Grandride
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, […]
Des Vélos Electriques Dans Les Compétitions de Cyclisme
Look out for the snail! See the original report on TF1 here.
London to Athens with the Mizuns
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 […]
June First
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 […]
Heading Home
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. […]
Je vais à Paris :)
The 30 students who are accompanying my two fellow teachers and myself are just out me shot!
Busy Day
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 […]
Finally!
Extra-Long Stems…
…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.
Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad
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 […]
e-Bay Update
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 […]
In Training for Italy
Recession? What Recession?
On a day like this it’s easy to forget about life’s problems….
Heading North with Jon Scott
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 […]
Shifting the Shifters
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 […]
A Date for Reggie’s Surgery
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 […]
The Butterflies Are Here!
New Books, New Hope
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 […]
EV5 – 2 Months
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 […]
Removing the Belgian Kink
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 Scott’s Photos on Flickr
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.
Eurovelo 5 Catch Up
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 […]
Has Twitter Met Its Match: Geoff Boycott
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 […]
At The Risk of Sounding Like an Advert…
…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 .
My Cold But Picturesque Commute
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 […]
But Will He Still Cycle to Work?
I suppose his excuse will be that he lives above the shop.
The Last Post Was Post Number…
…500 🙂
Past My Bedtime
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 […]
The Bike That Cycled The World
Camberley
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 […]
All Life Isn’t At Ascot Station
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 […]
Rome to London with Jon Scott
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 […]
A Snippet of Advice from Mark Beaumont
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. […]
Exams, Jobs & Mark Beaumont… but no Handlebars!
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, […]
Beautiful Morning
Update: Jonathan Scott
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 […]
“pictures of hybrid bikes with butterfly”
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 […]
Searching for Eurovelo 5
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 […]
Love This! But Where is www.eurovelo5.com?
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…
White Rabbits!
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, […]
Immigrant Handlebars
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 […]
Eurovelo 5: Remember That?
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 […]
Bars of Beauty
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 […]
Dumbo?
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 […]
Northern Sense!
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!). […]
Butterflies and Brakes
Look how these butterfly bars (which look like Modolo Yuma Traveller Multi Position Hybrid Bars) have brake levers allowing access not just from the horizontal part of the bar but also from the sides; useful. While using this picture to illustrate this, it’s worth noting that, despite what […]
Caution; This Post May Contain Swearing
I spoke to a chap in Cyclezone; he said the same as the guy in Evans yesterday. Estimated that to change to butterflies would cost around £100 to £150 minus the amount I could get on Ebay for the current levers and shifters. I then braved it and […]
Butterfly Bars?
I went into Evans in Reading yesterday evening after work and had a good chat with one of the staff about changing handlebars. They conveniently had a Ridgeback Panorama on display so we could chat while referring to the bike. He said there would be no problem changing from […]
Salvation in Flat Bars?
I found this on Cycle Chat; I rode drops as a youth and young man, but I now ride with flat bars for reasons of comfort. What is it about drop bars? There seems to be some sort of kudos about them; if your bike doesn’t have […]
Getting a Grip on the Handlebars
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 […]
The News: Ice, Falls & Barrow
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! […]
Ten Thousand!
…since the move to WordPress in mid January; 17,500 including the hits when this blog was a Blogger blog!
The Antidote….
….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 […]
1 quarter / 3 months / 13 weeks / 91 days… to go
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 […]
The European Cycle Network; Eurovelo
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 […]
Cycling from Ireland to Italy for Cancer Research
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 […]
Can’t Fly? Cycle!
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 […]
Cleats – (Minor) Disaster!
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 […]
Final(ish) Version of the Itinerary
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 […]
Hi, my name is Debbie….
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 […]
Cleats: The Verdict!
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 […]
Reggie Meets Rockrider…
…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 […]
