With 2018 drawing to a close.....

I managed to ride just over 7,500 KM during the course of the year, though my goal at the beginning of the year had been 10,000 KM. 

Unfortunately time, opportunity and motivation went missing for a number of reasons at various points during 2018. 

I am pleased however that this still equates to an average of 150 KM per week. Even when I set my goal I assumed two weeks off the bike, simply to ensure round numbers, so discovering that quite by coincide that there were only two weeks where I didn't ride, pleases me. The fact that there were only 22 weeks I reached or exceeded my goal doesn't.

In a sign of just how much I shifted my cycling emphasis from being a road racer to an  adventure tourer. I discovered that I rode my:

Felt F5 Road Bike - 1,420 KM
The shortest distance this bike has done in any one year since I bought it in 2010.

Surly Troll 26" Mountain Bike - 6,090 KM
Not bad for someone who'd been hooked / raised on road bikes.

The important thing that I have learnt in looking at the numbers though is that:

• Riding regularly beats doing big rides one week and bonking the next.
• Riding in the heat or cold & wet, won't kill you so long as you ride to the conditions

All of which goes to prove that my initial 10,000 KM goal is realistic and that in 2019 I will have to get serious about achieving it.

2018 - A new year! A new beginning!

Whilst my "tour" goals for 2018 are still to be finalized, with March / April potentially entailing a trip from Adelaide through to Brisbane, I'm not entirely sure where I wish to visit during the Southern Hemisphere winter.

At the moment I'm tossing up between doing:

• The Tour de Afrique Silk Road Tour
• A self-supported trip through France
• A self-supported trip from Amsterdam to Warsaw
• A self-supported Lands End to John O'Groats trip

My sneaking suspicion is that I'll ride through mainland Europe, possibly concentrating on France as a legacy to my father.... He rode with a mate through France, as a young lad, back in the late 50's, early 60's, before "touring" had reached the heights it's got to now. I loved to hear about some of his exploits and just wish he'd taken a few photos.

I think it would be a fitting tribute, given that it was him after all that got me into cycling! 

A few upgrades

With my destiny seeming to suggest that I need to spend a LOT more time on the bike, I've purchased in the last month or so:

A Garmin 1030

It apparently has far better navigational & mapping features than any bike computer I've used previously, though I am also willing to admit that I may not have set my Garmin 1000 so as to take advantage of ALL the options it offered. Something that I only discovered during my Tour of Spain.

As a consequence guess who is going to read the instruction manual this time, as I look at setting it all up?

Before I head out the door for any longer multi-day trips (particularly overseas), I want to ensure that I've got it set up so I am taking advantage of all it's functionality.

A Canon M3 Camera with 18-200mm lens

Whilst I will buy a new DSLR Camera in due course, I decided that a Canon M3 was a good medium ground between the lightweight Powershot & DSLR cameras that I had stolen in Switzerland. One camera / dual purpose.

In this way I sort of figure I should be able to take decent photos, maybe not competition quality but more than sufficient whilst out on the open road on my bike and whilst also doing the touristic sightseeing bit when in towns, etc.

It will substantially lighten the weight and the value of my gear. I'll write a post about aerodynamics / weight in due course....

A Canon Connect Station CS100

This device, being an external hard drive, theoretically enables me to transfer my photos to it, by Wi-Fi from my camera(s) or via a camera card reader. This gives me the ability to back up EVERYTHING nightly without the need of a laptop computer and means that I can have two copies of a photo and that's before I have got the computer out from time to time to make a third copy, whilst updating this blog, etc. Having lost some photos (albeit only a couple of days worth), but thinking for awhile that it was my entire trip's worth, the pain & anguish one goes through believing everything is gone is immeasurable. 

Hopefully this device will banish that angst forever more!

With 2017 drawing to a close.....

YAY!

I'm pleased to say that I managed to ride 7285KM during the course of the year. I had to revise my 2017 target in November. I'm not quite sure how or why it happened, but when I stepped off my bike in Barcelona I then didn't get back into the saddle for a couple of months which buggered up both my original 7800KM goal for the year, as well as meaning I lost a lot of the physique and stamina that I'd built up in the proceeding nine months. 

General hint folks - Use it or lose it.

At least though, when I did manage to get back on my bike I managed to ride 175KM or more a week, consistently. I mean my original goal had been to ride 150KM per week, a target that I was well ahead of achieving by the end of September so I am glad that I was able to salvage some dignity... 7280 ÷ 52 = 140 KM per week, so not too far off target. 

I am contemplating the idea of setting a goal of 10,000KM for 2018, something that I can or will only "commit to" around the end of March 2018, having seen how much I can or do ride during the course of a Southern Hemisphere Summer. 

Now talking numbers & statistics, having taken note of my car's odometer at the beginning of the year, it would appear I have ridden a bicycle further during 2017, than I have driven my car, with the totals respectively being:

Car - 5545 Kilometres

Bicycle - 7285 Kilometres

So a quick note to all those whinging motorists... who give me grief at dinner parties, etc.

• During the time I was on my bike, I wasn't blocking your path by being another car on the road and seriously if you can't safely get around me as a cyclist, then maybe you shouldn't be driving. 

• Furthermore, I was still paying for the same "right" to use the roads via car registration as you were, my car was just parked in the garage. As a result I was doing less damage to the roads (or the environment) by being on a bicycle than in my car, so don't see why I should pay a rego fee, twice. Even if you were to give me a rebate on my car rego, for the distance I rode on my bike instead! 

I mean, please, give me a break with your profanity / negativity towards cyclists it's complete B.S! 

Oh, and if you think I'm wrong and that cyclists should pay a registration fee to ride, here's an interesting article with 18 reasons why registering bicycles is a bad idea.

Genetic Legacy

Given the significance that genetics seems to have on our susceptibility to certain medical issues being passed down the family line. IE: Breast Cancer in some families, heart health in others (such as mine), I cannot also help but wonder...

Are other personality traits or otherwise also passed on.... and I know that this is getting into the whole nature or nurture debate but the thing that got me thinking is that:

• My father would have died somewhat alone as an alcoholic had it not been for some very unusual circumstances.

• My father's, father died an alcoholic having lived alone in the UK for years whilst the rest of his family was here in Australia.

I know that this is something that haunted my father many, many years down the track and that he also was worried that it would happen to him and I now find myself in a very similar predicament, wondering whether this is to be my destiny also....

All I know is that right now - I've got to continue cycling. It keeps me physically active, does immeasurably good for me mentally and ensures that I eat sensibly and stay away from alcohol somewhat. 

Cycling in Spain

Having left Spain and crossed the border into France, I thought I should publish a bit of a brief summary of my impressions of cycling in Spain.... cause I've got to say - I've enjoyed it!

I mean, from the day I set out from Seville, I can't recall ever once feeling intimidated or threatened on the road by motorists. That is despite probably having held up traffic (momentarily or otherwise) from time to time, because there was no way that they could pass safely as I struggled up hill, because I was trying to find my way through town or whatever....

In point of fact, I'm only ever aware of having been honked (and even then not done in an aggressive fashion) on a couple of occasions, with at least one of them being as a result of my doing something wrong. 

I just wish that Australian motorists were half as considerate.

The other thing that has surprised besides motorist behaviour, is the number of times I have seen some of the locals, on their training rides either individually or in a small group.... Seriously it can & has been in the remotest / weirdest of places...

Sure most of them won't acknowledge or say anything to me, despite my always giving a friendly wave, but that's OK, I suspect that's in part because I'm a 'touring' cyclist, something which seems to be a bit of an enigma here in Spain.

I mean I've only seen a few nutters like myself (mainly between Valencia and Barceona) and perhaps the locals realize / suspect that as a 'tourer', there's likely to be a language barrier...

The other thing which has amazed me is the amount & nature of the bike paths here. They are found in virtually every city / town regardless of its size and what's more, they can run for miles into the countryside... They're generally separated from pedestrian foot traffic and the roads (though not always) frequently by way of bollards, ripple strips or the like. 

Of course they aren't perfect, as they suffer some of the same design flaws as found elsewhere around the world.... They can begin / end abruptly for no apparent reason and aren't always that well signposted. All in all though I've been very impressed.

A little bit of ouch.....

It's funny, whilst I've done slightly more than 4000 kilometres so far this year, and in so doing fulfilled my goal of doing 150 per week, it is amazing how it feels when one rides 80 odd kilometres on two or three days in succession, as I've done this week and is something that'll just have to get used to once I arrive in Spain, of course..... I mean sure I've done it before, this time it's on a fully loaded Troll and hopefully if experience is anything to go by, then it'll only take a few days to get into the routine. Now in the meantime, can someone please pass me the Denocrub and / or recommend a good physio, my legs are a little tired! 😊 😊 😊

Another step closer....

With the Troll having been given a bit of a service along with a couple of modifications, I realised that it was time to start looking at my list of potential "European Adventure" travel requirements, working out what & how I wanted to sort / carry them on my bike, etc.

In the process of going down this line of thinking, I contemplated the idea of using the Melbourne Edition of the Swift Campout, organised by my good friends at Commuter Cycles as a bit of a trial run. During the packing process however I realised that I should apply a water proofer to my tent, given the problems I had experienced in South America and noting that the weather forecast for Melbourne was a bit sketchy! Unfortunately however because I spent time applying then waiting for the "Storm - Fast Dry Proofer" to dry, I missed the boat as it were to meet up with the Commuter Cycle crew.

The Yarra River

I did manage however to get a bit of a ride in on the beloved Troll, along some of the bike paths of Melbourne, including a stretch of road typically used by the road cycling crew, including myself, as a bit of a training ground - The Kew Boulevard. 

Studley Park Boathouse Cafe

As I was in somewhat "relaxed" mode and waiting for the water proofer stuff to dry on my tent, I decided to stop for a coffee at the Studley Park Boathouse Cafe, something that I haven't done in I can't think how long! Years I suspect, despite having ridden past it's driveway countless times in the last 4 - 5 years. 

Essentially it would seem that there's a need / requirement to have at least one cup of coffee when out on a bike, regardless of what type of bike one is riding. 😊 😊 😊

The Troll undergoes a bit of surgery!

As you may recall, a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I was contemplating the idea of buying a new bike, in the form of a Surly Long Haul Trucker a concept that had been brewing ever since I returned from South America, having seen how well they coped with all manner of conditions on the open road and having been bitten by the bike touring bug.....

The more I started planning & visualizing myself cycling around Europe, the stronger the urge became, to the point I'd started thinking how I'd set it up, etc. Heck, I even had a couple of chats with my mate from Commuter Cycles about potentially putting an order in to get something built up....

It was only when another friend reminded me that I was "touring" and should be taking it easy rather than worrying about Strava segment times or time spent in the saddle getting from Point A to Point B, that I realised that a few minor modifications to the Troll would not only make the trip a little easier / more reliable but would also save me money & storage space in the bike room....

As a consequence, I've revised my "list of essential equipment", I mean it is Europe after all, with towns or villages every 50-100KM or so, not like I am riding the Birdsville Track or The Canning Stock Route. 

Hence the need to buy / fit some additional panniers on the front forks, etc, went out the window as it would after all just encourage me to buy / carry more stuff and I probably wouldn't use it all anyhow, so why bother..... 

Instead, I have invested in a Dynamo Hub and properly mounted lights as opposed to USB rechargeable ones, which now means I can charge a number of my electronic gizzmos, whilst on the go as well as running a set of lights, front & rear, whether I am riding with panniers, handlebar bag or not... 

It also means, I can now ride all night, should I choose to do so, without worrying about batteries going flat.

During the course of my conversations with the good folk at Commuter Cycles I also came to the conclusion that, should I wish to fit panniers to the front of my bike, I'd be better off doing so, with fixed forks rather than the set of suspension forks currently adorning the Troll. Why, cause the weight within the panniers, dampens the effectiveness of the suspension anyhow, as well as limiting the number of suppliers of racks on which to hang the panniers, etc. 

Soapbox Rant - Cyclists Lives Matter

The recent death of world renowned endurance / global touring cyclist, Mike Hall, has highlighted just how dangerous riding in Australia is considered to be by cyclists from abroad, if blog & forum sites are anything to go by!

Whilst most local cyclists have acknowledged the risks involved and accept them as an inherent risk in doing something they love, they're often unaware of the behaviour that motorists abroad, and particularly in Europe, have towards other road users....

What's particularly worrying however when incidents such as this occur, is the deafening silence, coming from organisations such as:

• Amy Gillett Foundation - "Making Bike Riding in Australia Safe"
• Bicycle Network - "More People Cycling More Often" 
• Cycling Australia - "To be the World's Leading Cycling Nation"

The implication seemingly being a tacit acceptance that the government / statutory authorities have got the rules right, that the issue of changing motoring behaviour is too big / hard to change or that the death of an average of 37* cyclists nationally and the injury or hospitalisation of how many others, annually, is an acceptable number. 

With a cyclist being killed nearly every week and sure some death's resulting in a protest ride being organised, by friends of the deceased, event organisers or occasionally by one the above groups, themselves, garnering all of five seconds of media coverage, it's time for change. Whilst I don't know what the solution is, surely:

These cycling organisations realise

That unless there is change, riding a bike is still going to be considered a dangerous activity by many in the community, which in turn inhibits the sport's ability to grow to it's full potential and that ultimately they're not living up to their own mission statements.

The State & Federal Governments realise

There's an economic impact as well as a human / societal one. 

• Lost productivity within the work place; 
• Further cost pressures on the medical system both in dealing with the victims of road accidents, and from an obesity crisis that continues to swell, as a potential exercise route, is "closed" to some who have weight control issues;
• The adventure tourism sector being unable to grow to it's full potential because of the real / perceived risks involved in taking to Australian roads, by an international clientele 

Now whilst I'd like to think that there was likely at some point in the near future for there to be a change in attitudes, such that cyclists & motorists had more respect for one another (I acknowledge it is a two-way street), that motorists realised that the odds and therefore the onus is more heavily weighted on them to ensure that we all get home to our families / friends safe & well, and that government's realised that it was up to them to push this message through, I can't see it changing anytime soon. 

As a result it's just another thing that adds to the impetus for my looking at the idea of moving abroad. Cycling has become such an integral part of my life, I need to feel that I can do so safely without the constant fear of not knowing whether I'll make it to my destination or not.....

* Australian Government - Dept of Infrastructure & Regional Development - Aust Road Deaths Database