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.

Seville! The adventure looks set to begin

Having re-assembled my bike and taken it for a short ride around the block as it were, I came across a couple of small issues which needed to be resolved before I could begin my ride in earnest.

A bent rear brake rotor and the need for a third hand so as to align everything when I bolted my front light back in place…

Fortunately Valentino the wonderful owner of Bike Life came to my aid and made sure everything was rolling smoothly and so finally I can say… “I’m ready to begin” and with that, tomorrow I’ll be heading out on to the wide open road to discover the rural scenery and to see what Spain has to offer in the way of unique sights and sounds.

2017 Itinerary

Here is my proposed route itinerary which I will endeavour to continually update as it outlines where I hope to be and what I expect to be encountering along the way in terms of distance, profile & touristic hot spots, for the next couple of months or so. Do be aware however, that even I am somewhat skeptical about the time line, given that I will be riding according to the weather, how much I am or am not enjoying the attractions, the hospitality or otherwise of a town, my fitness / fatigue levels and so on....  

It's very different to what I had originally envisaged and had plotted out for myself, which had my going North through Portugal, then through the Spanish Pyrenees, into France, and ultimately finishing up in Berlin, but there's always next year. 

The "holiday" can wait, first things first - Let's see what making a permanent move to Europe might entail.....

Loaded look....

In preparation for what I am proposing to do, I decided to do a fully loaded 80KM trek around the suburbs of Melbourne today. It's about what I expect, I'll be doing daily through Europe though admittedly it was perhaps a tad flatter than what I'm likely to encounter....

I just wanted a bit of confirmation that I had the weight evenly distributed and to see how the Troll handled. Sure I'll probably refine how & where I've packed things during the course of my ride, in terms of accessibility to things, but otherwise I think I've got it right. 

So what did I pack and how much does it all weigh, I hear you ask, well......

Pannier One

The weight of which was some 5.5 kilograms and comprised of 

• Asus Laptop Computer
• Exped Sleep Mat
• Mont Zodiac 700 Sleeping Bag

Pannier Two

The weight of which was some 6.5 kilograms and contained

• My SLR Camera & Two Lenses
• A pair of jeans
• A Windcheater
• A second Summer cycling jersey
• A second set of bib knicks
• A couple of t-shirts
• Several pairs of socks & jocks

Essentially from a clothing perspective, I've got sufficient casual gear that I don't have to go site seeing in my lycra gear. 

Cafes, pubs and casual restaurants I'm fine, anything more and I suspect a clothes shopping expedition will be required. 

Handle Bar Bag

The weight of which was less than two kilos because it only comprised of

• My wallet
• My phone
• My drugs 
• My Canon Powershot camera

Rack Pack Bag

I ran out of time, to load & fit this bag to my bike properly before I went for my test ride.... but am proposing to fill this with my "need to be able to access with ease items" in the event the weather starts to get a bit cold / wet midway through my ride. The weight comes in at around 8 kilograms, which isn't bad considering that it comprises of:

• Exped Venus II Tent
• Exped Tent Ground Sheet
• A Gore - Rain Jacket
• A Gore - Winter Jersey
• A pair of Gore - Rain Pants
• A pair of Ground Effect "Daddy Long Legs' tights
• A set of Winter cycling gloves
• A thermal long sleeved shirt
• Some thermal pants
• My hiking boots

So all up, I'm carrying somewhere in the vicinity of 22 - 24 kilograms of "stuff".

I mean, as someone who used to think riding a carbon road bike, as quickly & efficiently as was possible was the way to go, this feels like I've got the world on my shoulders...  Now it may of-course not be the way other's would do it, and I may be carrying more than is actually required, but we'll soon find out. 

In the meantime, I do have to be thankful that a couple of friends reminded me there's no need to pack the kitchen sink, as otherwise I suspect it would be a heavier load still. 

Now as I say, I suspect things will get moved around somewhat as I try to what works best but who knows. 

This is all very much trail and error after all......

As for today's ride, well it went OK and as a result, I think everything is on track. I just can't wait now till the adventure begins. 

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! 😊 😊 😊

The excitement builds

It would seem, having recently wandered out of town for a bit to catch up with friends, that there's something to be said for living in a rural environment. A slower pace of life, a greater sense of community and some wonderful scenery to boot, assuming you choose wisely and according to your preferences / requirements of course.

I mean sure there's bound to be some negatives, but I'm coming to understand why some people are tempted, well here in Australia at least, to explore the idea of undergoing a seachange / treechange experience. A situation which was exacerbated for me when I was out & about riding in the outer burbs of Melbourne yesterday.

The sun was shining, though the temperature gauge was struggling to reach double figures and yet the level of animosity / anxiety on the roads, bike paths and in the cafe was frightening. I got home and immediately got on the Internet to look at flight options and to let a few colleagues know I was heading over.

Seriously I don't care how bad the inclines are in the Alps or Pyrenees, dealing with them has got to be substantially easier than:

• Australian motorists;
• Dog walkers who can't / don't control their animals;
• Mobile phone obsessed twits;
• Ninja cyclists & joggers

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. 

Really...

Whilst at a dinner party on Saturday night, a couple of people asked about where I'd been on my bike, having heard that I was a bit of a fan of using a bicycle as a means of exploring foreign lands... Unfortunately however there were also a couple of others who used it as an opportunity to vent their spleens about how cyclists ran red lights, blocked their roads, and so on, which then initiated the whole almost inevitable argument that cyclists:

• Should carry / require a license if they want to ride on the road;
• Should display a registration plate of one form or another;
• Should pay a tax for the use of said road infrastructure

Having heard all this nonsense before, knowing that their views were entrenched. I decided rather than biting and trying respond to their argument to instead simply get up from the table, help the host with the dishes in the kitchen before departing for the evening. 

Oh, as a bit of a hint as to why I get so hot under about these sorts of stupid suggestions and as a bit of a post-script, here are some comments / thoughts from the endurance cyclist Mike Hall, about cycling in Australia, before he was killed by a motorist on the outskirts of Canberra, earlier this year.