How big do you like your adventure to be?

[smutchin]

It's not the size of the pocket that counts, it's what you put in it.

(That's meant to be profound wisdom but I don't actually know what it's supposed to mean.)

 

[mjr]

By many people's standards, my idea of adventurous is quite tame. My big adventure recently was riding a tandem to Paris, staying in hotels. We were never far from civilisation, but my work mates thought we were bonkers. I can't see me traveling around the world.

Depends whose standards. I think this forum is a bit twisted. Someone fairly new to cycling does a spot of mountain-climbing, a few record attempts and enters the Transcontinental and the local press goes wild because it seems so amazing to them... whereas here they get asked when they'll do something worth discussing

 

[Crackle]

It's not the size of the pocket that counts, it's what you put in it.

(That's meant to be profound wisdom but I don't actually know what it's supposed to mean.)

Confucius says....................wot!

 

[Dayvo]

Time and distance (if I could choose to tour as I wanted) wouldn't present a problem in itself. Nor, really, would terrain, although I wouldn't go on tour just cycling UP massive climbs, or on terrible road surfaces.

The extremes in temperature, conditions of roads (or otherwise), the friendliness of the local inhabitants, and access to basics (food, drink, supplies, spares, safe overnight stops etc.) would all have to be on the plus side. I would be looking for cycle touring with a large dose of freedom and a sprinkling of adventure, not survival touring.

 

[MikeG]

I pretty much know from experience of actually being outside my comfort zone where my comfort zone is and whilst I like to push the envelope a little, by my standards, by others I'm fairly conservative.

So for instance, if I had the chance would I do a round the world tour - No! I love reading about other peoples adventures but I don't hanker to join them. On a smaller scale would I take on a 600 or even 200k audax, let alone the big stuff. Again, no. This time on the basis I couldn't be arsed to put the time in on the bike I'd need. In the same vane, would I bivvy or camp. Maybe, is the answer but I like a nice warm hostel and a bit of company.

I like my adventures pocket size mostly but pocket size is not the same for everyone. So what's your pocket size?

Did you mean on a bike? I've driven the length of Africa, camping in the bush every night in a homemade tent.

 

[Crackle]

Did you mean on a bike? I've driven the length of Africa, camping in the bush every night in a homemade tent.

I guess I had cycling in mind foremost but not exclusively.

 

[Drago]

I like real adventure and excitement. I'm the large skinhead chap who wandered into a West Indian restaurant while drunk and tried to buy some chips while a load of angry looking rastas glared at me

 

[Dave 123]

We both say that we'd like to just bugger off on the tandem, rent the house out, chuck jobs in. It's a great fantasy to play out (a bit like the big lottery win) but will we ever be brave enough to do it?

So long as you do SOMETHING. This weekend we car camped near Chipping Norton and went for a spin round the Cotswolds on the tandem. A very small helping of adventure, but it still tasted good!

 

[ChrisEyles]

Never really done anything too adventurous on the bike, but the best holidays of my life have been month long hiking trips in the Pyrenees and Carpathians. There's something about going up against nature and taking responsibility for your own safety that puts life's daily worries into perspective. Although the consequences if anything went wrong on a trip like that would be really bad, I've only once felt out of my comfort zone (and that was worrying about a friend rather than myself).

If I had the time and money, I'd be looking to do something similar on a MTB. Good job I don't have either as I'd probably kill myself (a trip to the local trail centre with my level of bravado and ineptitude is much more dangerous than the hiking trips I've done!).

Most weeks this Spring/Summer I've done a little bivvying micro-adventure, and that's also been great, though for me it's kind of a substitute for the "real thing".

So in an ideal world, I'd choose the third option... reality dictates the first.... I voted for the middle on average!

 

[booze and cake]

I'm interested in all of the options on the poll really. But as Chris above says, financial embarrassment and work commitments rein in the being dropped out of a helicopter at the top of the Andes and cycling to the ocean, and other fantastical ideas. So I'm currently cycling around London getting lots of street art and trying to visit 1500 champion trees for a flavour of the epic, but on a budget and local

 

[classic33]

Used to just set off with virtually nothing. Dossed where we could and used the odd hostel if nothing else was available. We could have taught Ray Mears a thing or two. Latterly used a tent but still wild camped with a single skin canvas effort and the traditional 1\2 pint primus. No money to spare for anything else. Nowadays I prefer the comfort of a site with decent toilet facilities rather than scraping around in the woods. Still have one or two secret spots for wild camping tho' but all sorts of medical problems now crop up. You do read from time to time of people being found dead in a tent in isolated places. Probably end up there if I continue. That probably puts me somewhere between 1 and 2 on the adventure scale now

Done that, but a lot closer to home. The second one survived, in no condition when found to know what was going on.

Self inflicted though.

 

[cisamcgu]

Mrs cisamcgu and I often talk about taking 6 months off work and cycling on the tandem to Istanbul .. not sure if we will ever do it, but it is nice to dream

 

[PaulSB]

It's a really hard question. My longest ride/tour is the Channel to Bordeaux. I used a route which was very rural but usually arrived in civilisation each night to find some form of accommodation. I did spend one night sleeping in a hedgerow wrapped in a survival blanket.

My non-cycling friends think I'm crazy and full of admiration, my cycling friends think great ride.

It took me outside my comfort zone in many ways.

The next trip I'm planning is the Channel to the southern tip of Italy. I see this as a challenge for a man of 63, probably 64 when I do it.