Taking the Easy Route

Madrid - The End... (Day 17)

2007-07-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today's planned destination: Madrid

This is the end of my journey. I have finished the last leg of my journey into Madrid on the train, due to illness. I have to say, it's a little disappointing but it is relaxing. To move so far, so quickly, is quite surreal. All in all, this journey has been a huge success. Going back to the initial concept, this "easy route" was far from easy. It really was a grind every day but the things that I saw and experienced on this trip made it totally worth while. Although I set out in the beginning by saying that taking the train was a welcome part of this trip, I have still had difficulty with how much I did that. Oh well, this was nothing more than a journey, an exploration, and I say again that I had nothing or little to prove. I did, with that said, want to encourage all the other fixie riders out there to believe that touring on a fixed-gear bicycle is very possible. It is slower and more demanding in certain ways, but it certainly is possible. So, to summarize the final numbers.. here they are:

Cycling days to date:15
Distance to date: ~ 2645 km (no cycle computer)
Distance traveled by bike: 2120+ km
Distance traveled by train: 525 km
Average bike per day: 141 km
Average riding time per day: 9.1 hours
Number of flats: 1 (amazing eh?)
Traffic: Medium Heavy
Weather: 13 of 17 days with moderate of heavy rain
Terrain: Mostly flat; 3 days hilly, 1 day very hilly
Total cost: less than 300 euros

The 10 main lessons I learned during my first long European tour:

1. Don't buy expensive maps, BUT be diligent using the internet to plan out your routes.
2. Be wary of some bike routes. Ask yourself how you want to ride - fast and direct or otherwise.
3. Write out the names of all of the SMALLer communities you will go through. Know whats next, not only whats coming.
4. Stick to the route you plan, avoid the temptation to look or ask for shortcuts even if someone recommends a different way.
5. Talk to locals if you don't do #4, they are your only way to get back on track. Remind them you are not in a car.
6. You're not lost unless you don't know where you are going, because you always get to planned destinations.
7. Ride predictably and familiarize yourself with local traffic behaviors. (Watch other cyclists)
8. 700 x 23c tires are not common in small European cities.
9. Don't trust that your gear will stay put tucked under a tight strap.
10. When looking for roadside sleeping spots remember: Dry, clean, secluded AND near back-up shelter.

It's good to be finished, but I can't wait to get back on my bicycle.

Spain! - The End of Day 16

2007-07-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today's planned destination: San Sebastian

Today is Canada Day. I know that this is an overly patriotic way to start a blog posting, but I have to admit I was thinking that I would rather be recognizing Canada Day riding into Spain than watching some silly fireworks somewhere. OK, enough about that. I left the small surf community of Lit Et Mixe bright and early and feeling about the same as I did yesterday which was a good sign. My cold seems to have plateaued and since I slept outside last night behind a hardware superstore on another cold evening I am glad I feel fine. So from here it was a long day of flat roads that felt like I was in the middle of nowhere. I stopped at many fruit stands which line the French roads this time of year.

I made my way quickly to Bayonne a very beautiful and very Basque city. From there it was on to Biarritz and toward the border into Spain. The riding was quite straightforward today although in this region there is a significant amount of traffic. I found myself longing for the bike paths of Germany or the courteous drivers of Sweden, but instead the further south one travels the more treacherous the riding. As well entering the Basque country means entering the mountains which, this close to the sea, are not unmanageable but they are a challenge. I latched on the the wheel of another of Europe's pro tour wannabes and let him pace him up the climb into Irun. From there it was all down hill into San Sebastian where I finished the day at around 3pm.

I met with my friend Patxi and celebrated the arrival in Spain with some beer and tapas. I also slept warmly and well. This was to be the last day of my great journey after some easy persuading from myself and my friends to stop. I went to bed that night thinking that there may be another ounce of riding in me yet. And definately there will be. But not on this tour.

Total time on the bike: ~ 6 hours
Total time from departure to arrival: ~ 7 hours

A Cold and Heat - The End of Day 15

2007-06-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today's planned destination: As far as I can get

So it's official. I am super sick and getting worse. It's not that this cold is particularly awful compared to most that would keep you drugged up on meds (if that is your thing) or at home in bed with a bowl of chicken soup. It's just that I don't have a home, or bed and I don't have a lot of energy to ride over 100km's with a Selle Italia seat under my a**. With that said, this is what I got myself into and this is what I should have expected as soon as I began to lose my gear and wasn't diligent to replace it. So I move on.

It was on this day, as I rode toward the coast of France, that I felt I learned a valuable lesson about wants versus needs. I began this trip wanting to explore Europe on a bicycle - to see parts of the countryside of Sweden, Germany, Belgium, France and Spain that most people who even live there may not have seen. I guess I also wanted to challenge myself to see if it could be done, and now here I am realizing that I am coming to the close of my journey. I have realized in the last 14 days on the road, riding a simple machine, with simple goals that as our mother's used to say "You CAN do anything you put your mind to." This is not a profound concept. In fact it seems so lathered with quasi-motivational dribble that I feel a bit ridiculous writing it. What I feel is important to say is that what is more important than if you can or cannot do something it is if you want to do it. Now, this is not a justification for laziness. On the contrary. I get the impression that more often than not these days I find in myself and others that the most pressing aspect of our culture is simply the fact that many people don't want to do anything. Or they get so wrapped up in doing something that it has to be done "the way it should be." I am here to say that I have been fortunate to have the opportunites that I have had, let alone enjoy them. Also, as I said on the first day of this blog, we often get caught up in seeing the barriers of what we are going to do that we don't do them. We want to, but we don't want to fail. This is that want that I am taking about. The want of fear.

I have decided that when I reach San Sebastian in Spain, I will stop riding unless I feel much better. My hope is that I will feel better but I am not going to put any pressure on myself. This trip was to see things I had never seen before and I have done that. So as I ride down the coast of France I am taking the pressure off myself, and anyone else wanting to go for a bike ride. Why not go as far as you want, and leave some things to see for another day. It has been a very hot day, going from 18 degrees yesterday to 32 today. Normally I would say that having this cold and, for the first time, this heat was frustrating but it wasn't. The day was beautiful and I rode only 130km's. The day ended late because I was slow but I ate dinner on the beach and watched the ocean. My aim is to reach San Sebastian, or Donostia in Basque, tomorrow and meet up with my friend Patxi. We'll see how much energy I have. As the sun set on my day it also for me set on France, which has been an amazing, albeit challenging, country to cycle through for 6 days. Magnificent.

Total time on the bike: ~ 7 hours
Total time from arrival to destination: ~ 11 hours

Bordeaux! The End of Day 14

2007-06-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today's planned destination: Bordeaux

I woke up this morning very cold, slightly wet and quite sick. I was pretty congested and sore so that made wanting to climb on my bike at 6:30 in the morning about as appealing as sleeping in the rain again. I knew that I didn't have any options other than getting started so I did just that. This morning was very cold and I wore every layer I had left with me - two sleeved T-shirts, two sleeveless T-shirts, and my biking sleeves (that sounds very irregular but it makes sense). I rode until noon before it cracked the 13 degree mark. I was motivated to push myself knowing that if I could muster the energy to get to Bordeaux today I could sleep in a hostel and try to postpone this cold from becoming a real disaster. If it wasn't already too late.

It was really unfortunate that I was feeling as terrible as I was because this particular region of France is gorgeous. This is where the real vineyards began for the route that I selected and the road is constantly rolling through the speckled fields up and down as it approaches the coast. I stopped to gaze over the fields and stretch my ailing back often but only for brief moments. Honestly, I don't remember much about this day other than how I felt physically. I rode the 180 km's primarily with my head down looking at the pedals cranking over and over trying to let my nose drip out everything it had in it.

Oddly enough, although I was feeling much worse than any other day up until this point I was making quick time and found myself within a few kilometers of Bordeaux around 3:30. I also, oddly enough, was hell bent on riding into Bordeaux knowing how disappointed I felt each time I opted to take a train from the suburbs into the larger cities. I again was reminded why. It was over rusty bridges and through industrial and shopping areas while constantly fighting with traffic and stopping every five minutes to ask directions to get into the city. Its amazing how difficult it is to ride into a city you have never been to before. Once I did finally get there I was amazed by the beauty of this city as well as how intentional Bordeaux is architecturally.

I really would love to go back to Bordeaux because although in my mind the city is not as monumental, I believe it to be more beautiful than is Paris. Unfortunately, I didn't have the energy to explore and I went straight to the hostel and to bed. I spent the day reading, blowing my nose and drinking tea. The hardships I had volunteered myself for on this trip were finally catching up to me and although I was inside I could hardly sleep soundly through the night.

Total time on the bike: ~ 9 hours
Total time from departure to arrival: ~ 10 hours

THE Night of Rain. The End of Day 13

2007-06-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today's planned destination: Saint-Julien-De-L'Escape

I left yet another wonderful night of sleeping indoors and good food in Tours and began to really head south. The morning was beautiful and sunny and for the first time on the trip their was virtually no wind which seems to move predominantly from Southwest to Northeast - the opposite of direction of my ride. I actually began to joke with locals that if their was rain on the horizon and wind with it I knew I was going that direction. Today was a nice break from that and the route was mostly straightforward. Their were more vineyards and narrow roads along the river.

At one point on the journey heading toward Poitiers I came across one of the most architecturally unique areas I had ever seen. Futuroscope, an amusement park for adults and children is just off the highway about 5 km's north of Poitiers. Futuroscope is a multimedia theme park which focuses around technology for movies of the future if I understand it correctly. It all sounds very 80's to me. The picture below is just past Futuroscope on the highway. Now, two pieces of interesting information about Futuroscope are that it shows a film called gyrotour which is advertised as a 360 degree film about the Tour de France and as well many stages of the Tour itself have begun and ended at the theme park.

As the day continued on I rapidly approached the the rain began again. In fact you can see the clouds forming i the picture of Futuroscope. I had hoped to make some very good progress today and break the 200km mark travelled so I could be sure to be able to reach Bordeaux tomorrow. After riding well into the evening I stopped short of my goal for the day and camped in a great rest stop outside of Brioux-sur-Boutonne. This night was very interesting. There was a great deal of action at this rest stop, including a woman who came screaming into the stop in her car and dumped a whole bag of make-up, dresses, and lingerie in front of the doors to the public washrooms. And there was also the rain, which, came in a torrent and soaked me completely before I could wake from my sleep and find refuge. Being without my sweater and my rain coat the soaking didn't take long but had lasting effects. I could not get dry and this particular night was very cold. It was miserable, but I slept. After riding ~190km's I needed descent quality rest which this night did not provide and instead ended up being the night that changed my whole tour.

Total time on the bike: ~ 11 hours
Total time from arrival to destination: ~ 12.5 hours

Train, Bike & Tours - The End of Day 12

2007-06-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today's planned destination: Orleans

I decided this morning after a nice long sleep, breakfast and internet search that the thought of trying to ride out of Paris, after the problems I had riding in was not very appealing. Additionally, I searched my new favorite internet resource www.mappy.fr to find a cycle friendly way out of the city and I could not see a great one. So I took the train, and as it just so happened the train on this day did not stop until Orleans. Therefore at approximately noon I had traveled 140km's already and shamefully none of them were done with pedaling. So I made two executive decisions: 1. Ride to Tours. 2. No more Trains unless I am to hurt or to sick to pedal another pedal.

So today's new planned destination: Tours

This route was much more bicycle friendly. I took the 152 along the river the entire way to Blois and little of interest happened actually. It rained, I ate an $8 piece of cake and I almost got killed by a truck pulling a 5th wheel. Be forewarned this is French RV country, which made it feel a little like the US. This route is flat and quite scenic and other than the heavy and wide traffic it is a pleasure to ride through. It is also approaching some of the smaller wine regions on France so if you so desire, you can.

Blois is a very beautiful city and I highly recommend visiting it if you can. I wanted to take many pictures here, but as has been the case, my phone decided to stop working for most of the day so it was not meant to be.

From here it was on to Tours, which did present a slight problem as I had arranged a couchsurf for tomorrow night and I would now be in Tours a day early, due to my cheap little train trip. I was growing ever more concerned as well because for the first time this trip I was starting to really feel tired. This day was short (110 km's) riding, but with the train was also significant travelling. And though this was the case I couldn't seem to shake the heavy legs, which is something I thought would not plague me after my rest. I arrived in Tours at around 6 PM and ate a nice meal. After that I contected my couchsurf and they were amazingly helpful by allowing me to stay the night even though it was such late notice. We had more good food and I indulged in wine from the region and I went to bed early. It was my goal to aim for half the distance to Bordeaux tomorrow and what would ultimately be the longest day in km's of the trip.

Total time on the bike: 6 hours
Total time from arrival to destination: 10 hours (3 hours on the train)

Rest Day - The End of Day 11

2007-06-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today's planned destination: Nowhere!

So today is my first and only rest day of the trip. I assume that none of you reading this are really going to be interested in hearing about what museums I went to and what food I ate in the French capital. So here is what I am proposing instead - a quick recap of the trip to date.

I brought my fixed gear bicycle to Europe during a year of studies and after that year decided to do this very trip you are reading about. Here is the first pic of my bike in Europe - in Munich.

I brought the bike (in a serfas bike box) with the hope that I would muster up the desire to do a trip, but in all honesty felt as most people do; that maybe a fixie is not the best idea for a touring bike. I had one distinct advatage. I was living in Sweden (a good departure point) and my girlfriend (pictured below) lives in Spain (a good arrival point) and I had great friends in between. Armed with my mobile phone I was in quite good shape for a European cycle tour.

And now I am in Paris, and I feel that I have some experience to influence you to do a long bike tour, whether it is on a fixie or otherwise. So here is the halfway point information.

Cycling days to date: 10
Distance to date: ~1525 km (no cycle computer)
Distance traveled by bike: 1400 km
Distance traveled by train: 125 km
Average per day: 140 km
Average time riding per day: 9.75 hours
Number of flats: One (+ one tire worn through)
Traffic: Less than my commute which I would say is Medium-Heavy
Weather: 8 of 10 days with moderate or heavy rain
Terrain: 8 of 10 days mostly flat, 1 hilly and 1 very hilly
Total cost: Less than 200 euros. This includes everything

The bike has been great and the fixie is no problem to tour with. My knees are fine to this point but the hands (I taped sleeping foam on the bars) have been sore, the feet (converse) not great and the rear (taped foam on the seat as well) has been moderately sore. The knees were the least of my problems so I encourage any fixie riders reading this thinking about doing the ride...DO IT! You'll never forget it, then again...I'm not at the Pyrenees yet. Tomorrow its back on the bike and au revoir Paris!

Total time on the bike: 0 hours
Total time walking the most monumental city in Europe: 10 hours

Paris! - The End of Day 10

2007-06-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today's planned destination: Paris

Today was another very frustrating day. This was mostly due to the fact that yesterday I unknowingly went away from the route that I selected and I spent the first four hours of this day trying to find my way. In France, especially around the large cities, there happens to be a road planning phenomenon which is very unfriendly for bicycle touring. This phenomenon is that National highways will turn into high speed motorways with no bicycle access with little or no warning. This particular stretch on the N2 does this multiple times requiring one to abandon the highway or risk fines, not to mention avoiding personal harm. It also requires one to be prepared with alternate routes, which I of course was not. I eventually found my way to Longpont after hours of searching and some very desperate behavior.

At this point, after starting the day ~ 100km's outside of Paris, I just wanted to be finished. My patience was running thin and so were my panniers. After losing one of my t-shirts and my sweater (my only warm layer) I lost my rain poncho heading to Longpont. Now I was without my dry layer. After finding Longpont, I was back on track and things started looking up. I progressed quickly toward Villers-Cotterets where I stopped to bask in a piece of Tour de France history with the starting line of the fourth stage of the Tour being in this quiet little village.

And so it was lunch - a baguette, some cheese and some chocolate milk. Ok, so its not wine, but today after morning rain, it really started to heat up and I was not in the mood for wine. Not that milk is much better. From here I followed the map below after another unsuccessful attempt to get back on the N2 (the highway I so much luck with the previous day). Instead, it was along a narrow piece of concrete which I shared with dump trucks, speeding motorists and where the tour riders would be in about a month. I must admit without the traffic it would be a beautiful ride.

I got back on the canal route just outside of Congis-sur-Therouanne. This was a nice change from the busy road I had been on for the last hour. Once in Meaux I tried unsuccessfully to get back onto a major road, this time the N3 which after about 20 minutes turned again into a highway, so it was back to Meaux. I tried two other highways with the same results. Finally, I headed back to the canal and asked two locals if the canal route went to Paris. One didn't know, and the other adamantly said No. Now, as I am updating this blog, I have the opportunity to look at a map and see that the canal indeed does go to the big city. What I may never know is if it has a bike path along the way. That day though, after many hours of being lost, a number of attempts to ride into the city. I gave up. For the second time this journey, I swallowed my pride and rode the train into the city. This was not the dream of riding into Paris that I had. but after more than 1500 km's in 10 days I was happy with my effort. Upon arrival in Paris I rode straight to the Champs-Elysees and as I battled with an astonishing amount of traffic and cobblestones, all the anger, frustration and raindrops I endured to get here gave way to absolute, unbridled joy. To ride down this avenue, the most prestigious and largest in Paris, so significant in cycling history on a bicycle that is more similar to Tulio Campagnolo's than what Alberto Contador would race to victory with two months later, I had tears in my eyes. I honestly can say now, that I doubted I could make it. This was the most incredible moment of the whole trip, with the crossing into Belgium now only a memory. I rode into the mayhem of traffic at the Arc de triumphe and circled until I could force my way into the safety of the concrete island. I was ecstatic. I went to took a picture, and my phone, once again died. Then I got kicked out of the circle by the police for bringing a bicycle in. Oh well. I made it to France, to Paris, and to the Arc. As I left, going back into the chaos of traffic I raised my fists to the air. Now I could celebrate.

Total time on the bike: ~ 9 hours
Total time from departure to arrival: ~ 10 hours

Inching toward Paris - The End of Day 9

2007-06-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today's planned destination: Soissons

The first night in France was a wet one. I woke once in the middle of the night in a downpour and luckily had learned my lessons enough to sleep near a building with a cover. The next morning wet and cold I was awoken by two French workers who, I guess, were quite surprised to see a cyclist sleeping on the porch of an abandoned industrial building. I started the day between Jeumont and Marpent and was quickly in Maubeuge where I got my first flat of the trip! I was amazed that it took this long. This was also the fitting end to my hours of casual riding along the Sambre river. From here is was a beautiful ride (even with some sun! very rare!) through the sunflower filled fields to Hautmont, St-Remy-du-Nord, Limont-Fontaine, Saint Aubin to Vesnes-Sur-Helpe and the Nationale Deux (N2).

Now, the Nationale Deux is a very fast way to progress through France but it is also very busy with traffic and very very hilly. It was during this leg of the journey where I came across four consecutive hills each seeming to be more difficult than the next. the first I handled without problem, the second was difficult, the third...only pride got me up, and the fourth broke me. I walked up to the top of the last hill, while eating my lunch and ignoring the odd cat-call I got from passing drivers.

From here the rest of the day was straight-forward until I got to Soissons. The route was hilly, their was moderate rain, and significant traffic. Once in Soissons I attempted to leave the city towards Vauxbuin, Ploisy and ultimately Chaudun. Again, this was a night where finding a discreet place to sleep was proving very difficult. I decided that the best thing to do was leave the city and find a place in the woods. That is when things got interesting. I asked a local which way to go and she insisted that she was heading my direction so after riding approximately 150kms and riding for over 8 hours I found myself chasing a mad French women driving through the winding streets of Soissins. After 15 minutes of this we stumbled across a motorcyclist on the side of the road who had been in an accident just prior. The woman, who seemed to be some kind of nurse, frantically yelled around to take control of the medical situation while finding me a guide to continue my journey. Withing minutes I was bake chasing a car with a man driving who was even more mad behind the wheel than the first. Then things got VERY interesting. He quickly determined that the large hil between me and my eventual slumber was much to step for me to ride up while he drove. So, he encouraged me to grab hold of the driver's side window while he pulled me up the hill. To him, a man who has probably seen this hundreds of times on Tour de France broadcasts, this was a genius idea. To me, tired and being pulled into on-coming traffic on a FIXED GEAR bicycle, this was insanity and regardless of how many times I yelled "Un peut plus lentement si vous plait, un peut plus lentement" he failed to slow. Upon arrival to the top of the hill that seemed to go so fast yet last forever, I found my resting place for the night - in the World War II cemetery just outside of the city. As I fell into my slumber the Irony of my resting place did not go unnoticed.

Total time on the bike: ~ 9 hours
Total time from arrival to destination: ~ 12 hours

France! - The End of Day 8

2007-06-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today's planned destination: France

I got off to a great start in Liege, where, for the first time in a while I had more than enough information of where I was going. This was thanks to a great web resource that I found at:

http://www.s97358565.onlinehome.us/cyclebel/

Now, this resource is a little old but I had assumed that the canal routes would not have changed much since this page was updated. For the most part I was correct. The first stop on the agenda was the quaint little town of Huy approximately 39 km's into the journey. The air quality along this canal route is toxic at best, especially when first leaving Liege and steadily improving toward Huy. I stopped here for and early lunch but made it with little difficulty leaving Liege at 9:30 and rolling quite casually along the nuclear reactor rich canals.

The streets of Huy are narrow, charming and full of pedestrians, music and cyclists.

Next on the agenda was Namur, yet another beautiful town in Belgium, some 35 more km's into the journey. Again, traveling along the canals was incredible...no car traffic, beautiful forest to one side (with the odd industrial factory) and water always to the other side. At points the canal may be closed or inaccessible which is most often easily navigated around for less than a km. There were many instances of signs on the canal itself saying "industrial area no permittance." I just ignored these and rode through assuming I could say that I didn't understand French, although I do. Once in Namur I relaxed again in this beautiful city and strolled around, although for the 7th day of 8 the rain came again.

I left Namur on the canals heading for Charleroi another 50 km's away. The route out of Charleroi was a little confusing for me but not for long. I was back on my way heading toward France. It was here that I felt there was a discrepancy between my experiences and the online guide I was following. I moved on past Charleroi assuming the border was 40-50 km's further. After riding for nearly 2 hours, I was told by some patrons of a small cafe on my way that I had another 50km's to go. The only landmark I can remember at this point was the church as seen below which I thought to be the Abbey D'Alune, but geographically this doesn't make sense.

This day kept going and going. I rode into France to Jeumont in the night and looked for a place to sleep. I ended the day at just past 11:00pm riding approximately 190-200km's and being on the bike for nearly 13 hours. Generally though, riding through Belgium was a very pleasant experience. The whole country in one day is a huge push, but the scenery is amazing and the canals are tremendous for cyclists, although a little slow. This day would end up being one of the days most fondly remembered, due to former points and manageable rain.

Total time on the bike: ~ 12.5 hours
Total time from departure to arrival: ~14 hours

Belgium! - The End of Day 7

2007-06-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today's planned destination: Liege

Waking up after a great sleep in Wuppertal was an excellent way to start Day 7 and in addition to that my mobile phone was working again - sort of. It now turned off on a whim, but I could use it sometimes. Leaving Wuppertal I took the B7 to Mettmann and then straight into Dusseldorf. I am not going to pull any punches here, this region has to be the ugliest of my whole trip and Dusseldorf is not very bicycle friendly. I didn't spend anytime exploring this industrial capital due to the aforementioned reasons and the rain. I kept riding on through Neuss, Buttgen and Korschenbroich on the L381 due to a recommendation of an elderly German fellow who quite honestly I couldn't understand at all. I really lost my way after this due to leaving my planned route to Mönchen-Gladbach, which I promised myself I would never do again. I ended up in the middle of nowhere around a city called Juchen.

Here, in Juchen, I tried desperately to find an even shorter short-cut and got lost even further and spent a good ten minutes screaming my head of in a field of mud beside some railroad tracks. I, again, promised myself I would never do that again. After reaching Erkelenz I was back on track using the B57 to Alsdorf, which is quite a charming little city. From here it was through the winding roads into the hills to Aachen, a beautiful little tourist city nestled in the mountains just on the east side of the mountains bordering Belgium. I spent some time here eating and ensuring I would have a place to stay in Liege if I pushed on through couch surfing.

I left Aachen on the N3 and climbed out of the last German town I would see. The motivation to grind up the steep hills of Aachen, even in the rain was not difficult as the thought of seeing the border gave me all the energy I needed. I climbed toward Henri-Chapelle and when I saw the EU stars welcoming me into Belgium I was overwhelmed with enthusiasm as Germany was finally behind me, and the difficult days navigating through the Nordrhein were a thing of the past.

From here it was all downhill a fast and tricky descent into Liege for a fixed gear considering how the Belgians keep their roads, which are full of holes at best. The descent into Liege is spectacular besides the road conditions with narrow winding streets and tall apartments which give the city an intimate feel that needs to be experienced on bicycle to fully appreciate.

I spent the night couch surfing with an excellent host where there was a warm shower and great food. With Germany behind me, the canals of Belgium ahead and my Phone working spuratically, things began to look up.

Total time on the bike: ~ 8 hours
Total time from departure to arrival: ~ 9 hours

Friends and Nightmares - The End of Day 6

2007-06-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today's planned destination: Wuppertal

After leaving Münster, I proceeded toward Wuppertal. Assuming I was going to have a quick and straightforward day, I moved at an easy pace. During challenging bicycle tours there will be unforgettably good days and there will be unforgettably bad days. Today was the latter of those.

This region of Germany is perhaps the most dense and confusing part in the whole country for cyclists and I recommend having a detailed map. This is something I did not have. Originally heading to Recklinghausen I found myself lost, I overcame this and was fast on the trail to Dortmund, where I lost my way again. It was back toward Bockum, where, once again, I was lost. This time, recovering my tenacity was more of a challenge as the wind blew and heavy clouds loomed large. It was 12 o'clock and my phone buzzed. My friend Aline, who was living in Wuppertal, questioned how things were going. Originally I assumed I could be in Wuppertal at noon, so I told her I was one hour and a half behind schedule.

I headed on, now with more urgency, hoping to find a sign that said the name Wuppertal. But I could not find it. It seemed no matter where I rode, how fast or how surely. I could not find the way to Wuppertal. Then I came across another cyclist. A German women who was dressed to the nines in pro attire. She was racing through an intersection heading my direction, and I knew that she could probably help me... if I could catch her. I pedaled desperately, as quickly and with as much energy as I could muster, hoping that my one gear - the 43 x 15 I had, could suffice. Through a small village I chased her gaining little distance as we went and then the road went up. Now, normally this is where a giant grin would befall my face because at 63kg (140lbs) I could take this German women, whose spandex-clad rear-end screamed to me that the lager and dumpling diet is what makes her durndels dance. But this was not the case. With the excess gear I struggled to stay with her up a 2km+ climb and the way down was worse where luckily for me she was caught at a traffic light. Also, luckily for me she pointed me in the right direction to Wuppertal. Unlucky for me - it started to pour rain. This rain continued and increased in its intensity over the next two climbs. By two o'clock it was so rainy and windy that I was soaked to the skin through my plastic rain coat. Then the real hills started - two more before I reached Wuppertal. One of these hills was so steep it had a warning sign at the bottom. I was soaking wet, tired and tremendously cold. My teeth chattered as I, so full of pride and arrogance, refused to push my bike up this cliff. I traversed side to side, stopping to let cars pass only to grind my knees and mash the pedals to get started again. 25 minutes later, colder, wetter and more tired I hobbled to the top of this 750m climb. And then, disaster struck.

My first mobile phone, an item which I had owned for 12 months and I normally curse at each and every day was my link to any motivation and communication to an outside would. Daily text messages from Patricia (my wonderfully supportive girlfriend) and other friends kept me going. And now it, also my camera, was gone. The phone was so wet it wouldn't work...it wouldn't even turn on. Honestly, these things were more devastating than I would have ever assumed but nothing compared to the fact that I had lost, in that bitter moment, my ability to contact my friend, my warm shower, my meal and my bed, when I could no longer call my savior that day - Aline.

I stopped. I climbed off my bike and sat on the side of the road with my bike to the rain. The drops skipped by me sideways as I longed for my sweater. I longed for my phone. I just wanted to be done the trip altogether. After cursing my luck for about 5 minutes I picked up my bike and carried on. Trying to raise my spirits I started singing and then it hit me. Zoo station! When I was 14 U2 had just released Achtung Baby, and this album taught me my first German - Achtung (Attention). The lyrics go like this:

I'm ready
I'm ready for the laughing gas
I'm ready
I'm ready for what's next
I'm ready to duck
I'm ready to dive
I'm ready to say
I'm glad to be alive
I'm ready
I'm ready for the push

In the cool of the night
In the warmth of the breeze
I'll be crawling around
On my hands and knees

She's Just down the line...Zoo Station
Got to make it on time...Zoo Station

What was most interesting about this song is that the "she" in "She's just down the line...Zoo Station" for me happened to be Aline. I remembered then, that in an email she sent me before I left on my trip told me what ultimately turned out to be my most fortunate piece of information on my trip. That she lived right beside Zoo Station.

Miraculously after only a little searching I found her house. Her friendly smile was the best thing I had seen all day, and the food and shower she had waiting for me was absolutely divine. I rested, watched movies and explored. An incredible way to end the most difficult day of the trip. My phone remained out of commission, but my spirits were lifted by my friends.

Total time on the bike: ~ 10 hours
Total time from departure to arrival: ~ 10 hours

Münsterland - The End of Day 5

2007-06-20T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today's planned destination: Osnabrück or Münster

The ride from Bremen to Münster was the first in Germany and in three days in which I felt like I was on the right track. I didn't get lost, I saw little rain (only on day 2 did I get less rain) and I made quick progress following the 51. Münster is referred to as being the bicycle capital of Europe, with even higher numbers of riders than Copenhagen and Amsterdam. Whether this is true or not, I don't know for sure but the biking facilities along the highways in this region definitely communicate an intention towards being bicycle friendly even 100km's away from Münster itself. I find this commitment towards alternative transport reassuring when comparing the mindset of Vancouver City planning. As well, the area is not shy to alternative energy either. I saw the largest bank of wind generators that I have seen on land. I counted 26 turbines in a small area which I have tried unsuccessfully to capture in this photo.

Since this day itself was straightforward I found myself with the time to reflect on the journey thus far without being distracted by more stressing factors. Until this point the terrain had been rather flat and I found no disadvantage to the fixed gear set-up. The first real test of my climbing abilities on the fixie were the mountains around Osnabrück which were difficult both due to the grade, traffic and heat. Other than this, I found being fixed advantageous in terms of the effortless attention to the bike. There was much more of a sense of 'feeling' the best way to ride as opposed to adjusting to find the best way through gear selection, coasting and feathering the brakes. With that said, I did find myself wishing I could coast down the very long hills. I was also sure that more of this desire was to come in the Wüppertal area. Physically, I felt great. My left knee has always had some problems with long touring and the pain that I experienced came in waves from (most frequently) little to (infrequently) the pain you just try to ignore and push through. My hands, feet and ass were another story. By this point I was slowly trimming away more and more of my sleeping foamy and duct-taping small pieces to my seat and tapeless bars. The balls of my feet were also suffering do to using the Campy Superleggera Pedals which were digging through the soft soles of my Converse. I guess I should have seen that coming. The most difficult factor, though, has been the wind and rain. With the rain coming everyday thus far, it has made the hours long and finding a place to sleep a painfully long process. This was also the case in Münster (pictured below). Before I found myself struggling to find a place to sleep I was able to enjoy the very bike rich city of Münster, where I had dinner and rode along the Dortmund Ems Kanal. The total day ended after approximately 160 km's.

I remember after I finally found a place to sleep in a densely wooded area that I couldn't help but looking back to my maps to see how far I had come. It was also a good reminder of how far I had to go. I fell asleep quickly and comfortably on the mulched forest bed. It was only later, when I was awoken in the night by what else other than the rain.

Total time on the bike: ~ 10 hours
Total time from departure to arrival: ~ 13 hours

Bike Path's No More - The End of Day 4

2007-06-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today's Planned Destination: Just Outside of Bremen

I left Hamburg in better spirits after a good nights sleep and a breakfast in a Hostel. The food and bed were much needed luxuries to get my spirits up again after using the trains, the rain and my lost faith in the bike paths I had chosen. The sun was out and the route to Harburg was a little convoluted with much traffic, bridges and urban sprawl and once in Harburg I lost the bike path again. After about 35 minutes of searching I found a bike store which was immensely helpful giving me a map to me find the way. Unfortunately due to a poor map (or map reading abilities) I struggled to clearly navigate around the lakes and through the Harburg Heights. Once there, the Heights and Nature park Harburger took me up into the fields above the suburban town and wound into the countryside once again. At this point I was again becoming quite frustrated with the German Bike Path Network that I was utilizing both due to inconsistent signage and winding routes. A map I did find very useful for this region can be found at:

http://www.niedersachsen-karte.de/

One thing that is certain, the German bike network takes you to such remote regions of the country that you have little need to worry about car traffic, as people traffic is extremely rare as well between many cities. As the time pushed past 2pm I pushed back trying to pick up the pace, often tempted to abandon the Hamburg-Bremen trail going toward Sittensen due to the nature of the slow progression. As well, along the way, after already losing a T-shirt to an emergency chain cleaning I had my wool sweater fall off the back of my bike somewhere before Sittensen. Now I was minus warmth as well. When I did finally arrive in Sittensen I opted to take the secondary roadways to Zeven as opposed to the bike paths. This was a remarkably fast way to progress making my decision easier to fold up my bike path maps, stow them away and find other means to progress.

If you were to look very closely in the above photo you could almost see the bump in my rear wheel from where it was worn through to the stitched nylon layer. Note: for those who plan a cross Europe trip 700x23c tires are NOT common in the small towns. I would not find a replacement for this wheel until I got to Bremen, which worried me immensely because I didn't pack a spare tire assuming I could find replacements in any of the Local Bike Shops. I could not. They only have a regular supply of 27" touring tires. The rest of the journey was quite straight forward all the way to the beautiful town of Bremen, where bicycling is fully embraced and the roadways have great facilities for this. Most secondary highway have bike paths running beside them in this area. It is NOT necessary to rely on the network of winding bike paths in Germany. If you are going from main town to town you will find paths straight there as well! and they are excellent! The following photo is outside of Bremen where I would spend the night in a park just off the 51 highway. I would use the 51 almost the entire way through Germany. It is clean and quite bike friendly, but there is significant traffic. My day ended late, with one of the most memorable sections of riding during the trip along the dyke network out of Bremen towards Bassum. I slept under a tree beside a small creek which was quite and well hidden from the public. It was truly a great end to an otherwise long (~165km's) and challenging day.

Total time on the bike: ~ 13 hours
Total time from departure to arrival: ~ 14 hours

Rain, Mud and a Field of Screams - The End of Day 3

2007-06-18T13:43:00.000-07:00

Today's planned destination: Ratzeburg

I began the morning filling myself with as many carbs as possible with the breakfast buffet of the Huckleberry Finn. As I approached Rostock I could see the clouds forming on the horizon making me anxious about another rainy day. As I departed the ferry itself though, the sky for the moment was clear.

Leaving the ferry terminal in Rostock was unintuitive to say the least and riding to the town centre was difficult with extended strips of cobblestones and a very industrial backdrop complete with a nuclear power station gracing the horizon. My original plan was to ride the approximately 45km's to Bützow but that was quickly derailed by my inability to find the bikepath there. I had to hang my head a little as I relied on my first train of the journey.

From Bützow things didn't become any easier. After a quick train journey that cost about 8 euros, I found myself struggling for orientation to the Hamburg-Ruegen bike path. Once on the bike path things became a rapid degradation from decent to bad. Initially, the path wound through the German countryside - an ideal backdrop for Porsche advertisements. Rapidly, as I approached Warin I found myself on more and more cobblestones, dirt paths and muddy hillsides. Not the ideal terrain for a fixed gear Bianchi. I was quick to determine that the route before me was nowhere near a rapid path ideal for covering long distances and instead was better suited to hourly jaunts on a mountain bike through the fields of Germany. And then the rain came again. It was at this first time, and definately not the last, which the task ahead of me seemed to be impossible. I decided the best resolution for this was to scream my head off, standing ankle deep in the mud and stop pushing my bicycle.

Then I came up with a plan. First, find concrete. Second, use my worst shirt to clean my chain. Third, head for the roadway. I abandoned the cycle path entirely, and aimed west. With no map, I abandoned the route I did have and rode with instinct, roadsigns and knowledge of two German words. Danke Schön. Within no time, I was wet, frustrated and with a great sense of discouragement in Schwerin - where my spirits were lifted by the Schwerin Schloss.

From here, I 'B-lined' it to Ratzeburg (where I saw the most amazing cafe beside the train station), Mölln and Lauenburg. Completely wet and without a plan for sleeping, a broken man I found myself quickly within 40km's of Hamburg - my destination for tomorrow. I made a quick decision to take the late train to the city centre and stay in a hostel. My plans seemed to have collapse - the no-tent concept, utilizing the bike paths and pre-arranging couchsurfing. I only wanted to sleep. It was back to the drawing board after what would ultimately become the fourth most difficult day of my 15 day journey to Spain.

Total time on the bike: ~ 12 hours
Total time from departure to arrival: ~ 14 hours

Sweden is Behind Me - The End of Day 2

2007-06-17T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today's Planned Destination: Trelleborg (for a pre-booked night ferry)

Today has been a more eventful and all around much better day than the first. I awoke from my slumber in my little pink mansion dry, reasonably warm and with the sun beaming through my tiny little curtains. Additionally, I felt well rested. I woke (at little late) at 7:30 sleeping for nearly 10 hours. Yes, I was tired. I rushed to get on the road and departed in the sun riding about 20 km's before I reached my first climb of the journey. It was long, steep and surprisingly less difficult than I assumed it would be. I was greeted by my first windmill at the top of this 1.2 km climb.

From here it was an undulating ride until I hit Ystad, the southern most tip of Sweden and the ocean. The route until this point as well as the rest of this day's journey was unplanned and much better than the first day. I followed the 19 highway from Åhus to Ystad the entire way. It had few cars and a good biking shoulder. Once in Ystad, I followed the increasingly busy, but manageable and beautiful coastal highway. The number 9 to Trelleborg.

After a brief run-in with a very curious and frightening giant ant which bit where no ant should bite I enjoyed my final swim in the ever-cold Baltic Sea. Additionally, I couldn't avoid having my final Swedish pizza and ice cream upon arrival in Trelleborg. I finished riding today at around 3pm (~110km's) which was surprisingly early giving me time to explore, read and nap before my night ferry to Rostock in Germany. I found the ferry to be fittingly named the Huckleberry Finn.

I slept warm, dry and well under the stairs near the crew cabins looking forward to breakfast. Mmm Ferry food.

Total time on the bike: ~ 6 hours
Total time from departure to arrival: ~ 26 hours (to Rostock)

The End of Day 1

2007-06-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today's Planned Destination: Valje

Today, was a very frustrating day, to say the least. I forgot how difficult it can be to ride a long distance when you haven't been accustomed to doing so. I am not entirely sure of how many km's I rode in total today but I believe it was approximately 160. The day began very peacefully and the km's seemed to melt away. The only difficulty I had was getting familiar with the weight of the gear on the bike. As I approached Vanneberga...it started to rain.

The roads, for the most part have been spectacular, clean and not busy with traffic at all. I was following a route set out by the cycling in the Blekinge region .pdf that is available online. (You can access the .pdf in my links section under Biking in Blekinge.)

This route is NOT very direct as I found myself winding all over the beautiful Swedish country side. As my initial finish location of Valje came and went I decided it may be best to push on to Åhus so that day 2 could be a shorter day of riding. And that, boys and girls, is when the rain really started. It is quite an interesting situation to find yourself in riding in a monsoon, when you're tired with no food, or tent to speak of. I held the fort outside a grocery store in Åhus, before slowly riding around the community looking for somewhere to sleep. I checked hostels - full, hotels - to expensive, a church - to religious, the beach - wet, the forest - also wet and then I found it ...at 7PM. My little pink Oasis in the middle of ...well, given the water situation the desert analogy isn't a strong one. Without further ado my home for the night.

Now, this picture was in the morning of the next day, and to be honest I am writing these entries after the ride has concluded but ignore those facts and imagine me, held up in a tiny little house, somewhere undisclosed with the curtains drawn and my bike inside curled in a little ball trying to sleep. The whole time waiting for the police to yell "Hey you, come out ... of that tiny house with your hands up!" I smiled as I thought of this, until I fell asleep. So tired, but very dry.

Total time on the bike: ~ 8 hours
Total time from departure to arrival: ~ 12 hours

Tomorrow is the Big Day 1

2007-06-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm getting tired and it is time to get a good night sleep before tomorrow. I will be trying to update the blog text as I go, but it may not be possible so we will wait and see. I hope to feel good tomorrow and aim to ride about 120 km's. This will be a good test of everything for sure. The clouds loom large and the bike has only been packed with about 3/4 of the weight it will have on the ride. I have extra space for food which is good, but I think I will be eating at rest breaks for the most part. I am nervous, definitely, and the thought of not doing this is already in my mind - this happens every time. I hope to sleep well tonight and just get pedaling. Then, I will be happy to be on the road. Until next time, and hopefully with good stories. Goodnight.

Clothing

2007-06-15T10:36:00.001-07:00

For this trip I have opted away from technical clothing. I have tried to do my best to stick to what I have here in Sweden - aiming for mostly wool. Wool definitely is not as compact as synthetic clothing, and it isn't as waterproof as goretex, but riding around these last months the comfort, breathe-ability and stink-resistance is unmatched. We'll see how this turns out... so, the question is raised. What is better old technology or new?

I should say that the majority of the gear that I have purchased (panniers, wool trousers, net etc.) came second hand from the Swedish Military. The stuff is in great condition and looks worthy of some tough treatment. The four bag pannier set was 60:- which is $10 Canadian.

Ma Maison

2007-06-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

This is where I am attempting to lose a lot of weight and bulk. I have opted for no tent... and a very lightweight sleeping bag. Thank you Patricia. My sleeping arrangement consists of the sleeping bag, a garbage bag, a dead game bag (a noseeum mesh sack that you stuff skinned animals in, even that thought grosses me out because I have never hunted) and a poncho if it rains. I have cut a sleeping foamie in half for a half-foamie comfort plus!

I am really hoping for a lot of clear nights during the latter part of the journey where I can just sleep under the stars and be protected from the bugs. Its a risk, but I hope it will pay off. If it keeps raining, I could be in for an interesting first night tomorrow. The weight and size pay-off looks great though. Packed, it seems to take little space at all. PS. This includes all of my toiletries.

Other than the 28 spoke rear wheel, the sleeping plan and equipment is what I am the most nervous about.

The Tools

2007-06-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

The following tools are the ones that I have selected to bring along with me. Some might feel these are excessive, some might feel the opposite. They are as follows:

1- 15mm combination wrench
1- Small crescent wrench
1- 4,5,6 mm Y Allen key
1- 13/15mm flat pedal wrench
1- Flat multi-wrench
1- Micro Chain Breaker
1- Replacement set of brake pads
3- Plastic Tire Levers
1- Patch Kit
1- Pump
1- Replacement Chain
1- Spare Tube
1- Presta/Schraeder Adapter
5m of Duct Tape
5m of rope
Extra Brake Cable
Front and Rear Lights
Needle and Thread
4 Straps
2 Extra Batteries

It all fits nicely in the very little rear pannier bag I have. Inside I have also brought along my journal, a pen and a Spanish/English dictionary. Oh, and On the Road by Jack Kerouac - thanks Dan.

The Bike

2007-06-15T03:35:00.000-07:00

Starting with the Basics, this is what I will begin my trip with:

First, my wheels: A late 70's early 80's Bianchi (I'm really not sure what date it is). I will disclose now, that unfortunately all the pictures on this blog will be taken with my cell phone camera. I need a phone on the trip for safety reasons, but I don't need a camera. Luckily, I have a poor two-in-one. To all the photophiles out there: forgive me.

The bike is mostly Italian equipped. 1974 Campagnolo Pista Record Rear Hub and Nuovo Record 170mm cranks. 2004 Campy Chorus Headset. 19xx? Campagnolo Quill Pedals with Cages. Cinelli XA stem and EXA Bars. The latest addition, is for the tour only: a 1968 Universal Extra 51 Brake Caliper. A Selle Italia SLR seat which I re-leathered is another of my favorite pieces. I am going to try starting with two used 700x23 Michelin Krylions because I love those tires and we'll see how they hold up. The one concerning factor is the 43x15 single fixed-gear setup which may cause me troubles down the road. For those who aren't familiar, a fixed-gear bicycle has no free-wheel and only one gear. This means, no shifting to an easier gear going up hills as well as no ability to coast going down hills. That's right, I will even have to pedal down hills, whether I want to or not. Oh well, I have no money to buy anything new or more appropriate, so what?

Oh yeah, one other thing. I crashed about two months ago, stupidly tying my shoes while riding and broke my seat. Its ok to ride on, but it may literally turn into a pain in the ass. We'll see about that too. Remember the money thing?

All things told, it's a great bike and a super ride, and with the other junk I added: rear rack, fenders and a brake, it weighs in, all told, at about 10kg (22.5 lbs). Lastly, the way it is set-up is the way I will leave with it - no handlebar tape, homemade straps, one brake, used 700x23 tires and a broken seat. However, all or most of these items may change by the time I am in Madrid.

Prologue - The Day Before

2007-06-15T03:13:00.000-07:00

It's raining. It's also 12:15pm Swedish Time and I have decided to try to blog my newest zany adventure on a bicycle. By the way...did I mention it's raining. This is significant because this is the blog of my fixed gear bicycle trip from Karlskrona, Sweden to Madrid, Spain. I will begin tomorrow the 16th of June 2007 at 6am. This trip is approximately 3000kms.

First...the rules:

1. If you are responding to this blog, I don't want to hear discouraging words like "You are a crazy, stupid idiot... how are you going to get through the Pyrenees?" I will figure this out if I get there.

2. I am allowed to walk, train, hitch or do anything I need to get to Madrid. My goal is to have fun, and to "take the easy route." I will ride as much as I can and try to report this information in as clear a fashion as possible so that others like myself can use this information to get on their bike and ride for the fun of it. With that said, I have some experience with difficult rides - I have ridden 330kms in 11 hours from Montreal, QC to Kingston, Ont. I have climbed 8990 meters (29,492ft, 292ft higher than Mt.Everest) in 12 hours (http://www.lawrencesilcox.com/10:1/)

3. I am going to set out in as minimalist a fashion as I think I can handle. From there, I will buy or upgrade things as necessary. Think of this as a science experiment. If this sounds fun to you, read on. I hope to have some fun with this.