Planning my first cycle tour, and asking if anyone would like to join me?!

[Alex11]

What bike do you have Tom?

 

[vernon]

What bike do you have Tom?

So, a bit more information-I've built a bit of an all rounder bike, its an on-one Inbred mountain bike frame (nice n strong, quite relaxed and it means I can put knobbly's on and go off roading!), 22/34/44 crankset, 11/34 cassette, BB7 disc brakes, Hope hubs n rims (second hand off a friend) with panaracer tyres. I only have normal bars but want to get some ends to give me a couple of position options.

 

[Thomas Mellish]

Hi satnav, thanks for all the info! The spot GPS sounds like a great idea-especially as I'm diabetic, can you give me an idea of where to get started with them please? Who makes them, how does the emergency call out thing work-is it insurance as in if you get rescued it'll be free and you'll be taken to hospital??? Who runs the system/is it in conjunction with the European health card?

It would be really nice to have an exact record of where I'd been and could look back in the future

Cheers!

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Hi satnav, thanks for all the info! The spot GPS sounds like a great idea-especially as I'm diabetic, can you give me an idea of where to get started with them please? Who makes them, how does the emergency call out thing work-is it insurance as in if you get rescued it'll be free and you'll be taken to hospital??? Who runs the system/is it in conjunction with the European health card?

It would be really nice to have an exact record of where I'd been and could look back in the future

Cheers!

Hi

The company link is here http://www.findmespot.eu/en/index.php?cid=102&referrer=EuSpotHomeEN_BannerBottomSPOT
setting it up took a while. there are a few additional things that have to be done after you have purchased it, including activating the spot messenger itself - waiting 24-48 hrs I think it was, and then activating the insurance side of life - which only covers 1 person. we added me on for £11 pa I think it was. there is also an annual charge (for the spot device), but if you are only using it for the one journey, then that won't be an issue. We have kept ours renewed simply because we have a habit of disappearing to remote locations even in the UK where you are on your own if anything goes wrong. If I recall correctly, the rescue is free, the insurance covers you outside your home country and does not cover repatriation. It is emergency cover only, so would get you to hospital, it won't get you back to the UK: you would have to pay that yourself or have 'other cover'. We looked into using the British mountaineering council's insurance for this, but whilst in Europe did not take it out (they cover cycle touring under one of their categories).

I wrote a 'write up' on it in our journal, which can be found here. https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=8S&page_id=192519&v=aw . The only time we ever had issues with it was in the very far north of norway up by the russian border where our signal simply did not get through (this is not actually particularly surprising because of the location (above the 70th parrallel and close to Russia (as it we could have thrown a rock into russia without trying).

 

[fossala]

SatNavSaysStraightOn, looks good. Can you tell me the battery life on them?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

SatNavSaysStraightOn, looks good. Can you tell me the battery life on them?

bearing in mind that we only sent 2 check-in OK messages a day (rather than running the tracking option all day) we found that we only needed to replace the batteries once in 12 months. We suspect now that we didn't actually need to replace them when we did, (norwegian/russian border above the 70th parrallel) but they are AAA lithium batteries so we always carried spare (we were not exactly in well populated areas). I will add that the device itself is very rugged and has survived being run over (when it escaped from my OH's pocket and was run over by a vehicle behind us somewhere in Serbia. We like the concept, but it does take a while to get the hang of it for what we wanted - which was not to run it all day every day with a signal every 10 mins, but to basically say we had lunch here, camped here....

 

[Harry_B]

Hi Thomas,

Just thought I'd let you know that I am planning to do a bike ride from London to Gibraltar at some point this Summer. Also a novice but essentially if you fancied a cycling partner for a bit of your tour (maybe from the UK to South of France?) (and timings work) then I would be happy to accompany you. Let me know if you're keen for this!

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Sounds fun...don't be afraid to ride alone though...like others have said you will meat more people and all will be good.
About solar chargers...IMHO don't bother...especially in Europe...you are unlikely to be that far away from a power supply and/battery shop/gas station etc. Solar panels seem to take forever, over promise and under deliver and TBH I found mine a PITA to have to carry/plug in etc so I ditched it.

 

[Laura Cavalcante]

Hello Tom!

I would like to do a world bike tour also... And I think it was very nice to have a partner during some part of it!
But, I only have the possibility to start this travel in the beginning of the next year (January 2014)...

But if you are already on the road, we can meet in some place and do some part of the trip together! I live in Portugal but I didn't decide yet if I will start the tour in Portugal, or if I will take a flight to another place and start there!!!

If you or anyone else want to, please be free to contact me!

Laura

 

[Schteffaknee]

• Would anyone like to join me!? I live in Newquay in Cornwall, I have a fair amount of savings but really I would like to do some volunteering (WWOOF, workaway etc) and get food and lodgings when possible.

Hi there! How far have you got with your trip? Perhaps you have already gone?! I have also quit my job and I'm leaving to tour in Europe this week - ! And would be up for a cycle buddy on some of it I'm fairly new to touring as well, but cycled from Bristol up to the Llyn Peninusla this summer to get me started.
I am starting in Holland then the plan so far is to head through Belgium, Gemany, France and spain. Like you, I hope to camp wild as much as poss, use warm showers and couch surfing when I'm in/near cities and maybe call in on a few WWOOF hosts too. Let me know if you think our routes might cross or if you've got any other questions
Cheers, Steph

 

[Schteffaknee]

• Would anyone like to join me!? I live in Newquay in Cornwall, I have a fair amount of savings but really I would like to do some volunteering (WWOOF, workaway etc) and get food and lodgings when possible.

Hi there! How far have you got with your trip? I have also quit my job and I'm leaving to tour in Europe this week - ! And would be up for a cycle buddy on some of it I'm fairly new to touring as well, but cycled from Bristol up to the Llyn Peninusla this summer to get me started.
I am starting in Holland then the plan so far is to head through Belgium, Gemany, France and spain. Like you, I hope to camp wild as much as poss, use warm showers and couch surfing when I'm in/near cities and maybe call in on a few WWOOF hosts too. Let me know if you think our routes might cross or if you've got any other questions

Hi Tom,
I had a similar idea to go cycling and WWOOF, initially my plans had been to cycle to Tuscany via East/South France and find somewhere there for a month or so.
Due to various things, I don't think I can go when I intended (and am thinking it may have to wait until next year!) - but there is an outside possibility that September would work for me

If you're still able to leave in Sept and want to talk about cycling similar route drop me a line

 

[Schteffaknee]

Hello Tom!

I would like to do a world bike tour also... And I think it was very nice to have a partner during some part of it!
But, I only have the possibility to start this travel in the beginning of the next year (January 2014)...

But if you are already on the road, we can meet in some place and do some part of the trip together! I live in Portugal but I didn't decide yet if I will start the tour in Portugal, or if I will take a flight to another place and start there!!!

If you or anyone else want to, please be free to contact me!

Laura

Hi Laura, If things go to plan I might be in Spain Oct/Nov this year. If you want to do any cycling together?