I would love to say that this will be an account of the wonders of the city of Portland. Because here is another city of the north-western States that manages to effortlessly exude its own particular flavour from the moment one begins to wander the downtown gridwork of avenues and … Continued →
Full disclosure: Kona have supplied Ben and I with their flagship Sutra 2012 touring bicycles in return for feedback (good or bad), photographs, publicity here on my blog, and a video review. This and future pieces about the Sutra will be published in absolute honesty; if it's a pile of ……
I wrote recently about my developing plans for Janapar, and I know that there are lots of people who've been waiting to see it. So I'm really chuffed to announce a free 'movie night' next month, especially for my blog readers, on a late-June weekend in a central London venue. Free,…
I did no prior research about this trip prior to my arrival in Vancouver just over a month ago. Although it goes directly against the principles of the Information Age, I much prefer letting the process of travel bring some small element of knowledge and understanding to a more or … Continued →
Erin and Nick instantly reminded me of my younger self and Andy; two good friends, fresh-faced and idealistic, intoxicated with the new-found freedom of life on the road in a wealthy and developed corner of the world. The summer of 2007 and that timeless four-month adventure across Europe remains…
British readers may have heard the sad news of Claire Squires, who collapsed and died on the final bend of last weekend's London Marathon. She was running for two reasons - publicly, to raise money for the Samaritans, her favourite charity; and personally, in memory of her brother, who died 10…
"Ben." I lay on my back, staring upwards into blackness. Water dripped steadily from the heavy branches above, pounding repetitively on the fly sheet of my new 1-man tent, invisible and paper-thin. The shelter felt small. Inadequate. "BEN!!!" A brief pause. Some muffled movement…
Down at the Serpentine Swimming Club one January morning, as the last handful of bright pink bodies struggled back into their thermals and began the post-swim ritual of uncontrollable shivering, a chap named Roger made a memorable observation: “Once you’ve s-s-swum the winter season at the…
For someone with a stubborn hatred of cities, I was surprised to find myself liking Vancouver. I even, on a couple of occasions, caught myself imagining myself and Tenny coming here to live some day. The city is well-known as being one of the most desirable places in the world … Continued →
After a lot of head-scratching, many re-scripts, and two failed editing attempts in November and January, James and I sat down on Thursday last week with a gallon of coffee and spent a rather wired day in front of a few hundred hours of footage and a copy of Final … Continued → Related posts: …
My first book ‘Weave of the Ride’ is a chronological narrative laced with philosophy that aims to get the reader inspired to make the big leap and start their adventure. The book is finished, and the cover is being designed as you read this. It will be available for purchase very soon. I have…
Related content: Mountain biking across Mongolia mini documentary film series Mountain biking at Aston Hill close to London A Two Month Storm Portable Drum ‘n’ Bass using a bicycle on the streets of London 10 things I’ve learnt from writing a book so far
I have been wondering about the possibilities of smartphones and their use whilst travelling. Often more adventurous travelers will venture outside of areas where there is network signal and therefore the phone is no longer useful as a phone, however, it can provide other uses such as storing travel…
Thankyou everyone who has followed the journeys. Tom and I rode together from England to Georgia (07-08) and then I rode from the Georgia to India and across Nepal (08-09). In 2010 Tom and I brough the project to it’s logical conclusion and rode across Mongolia (2010). Now the journey has finished…
I’ve moved my blog to http://www.slowquest.co.uk. Cheers Andy Related content: Ride Earth content round up Xmind – Mind Mapping Software for Planning Expeditions Chapters 1 – 10 of my Ride Earth book now available for reading on Autonomy First five chapters of my book posted for reading on…
In a forest in Georgia after a rave. On a riverbed in Mongolia after pushing the bike 25km along it. In a yurt in Mongolia. Next to Lake Khuvsgul in Mongolia. In a car park by a beach on the Atlantic coast of France. In the Khevsureti region of Georgia. In my flat in Tbilisi. [...]
Whilst we were all going about our daily lives, it transpires that a few over eager politicians were busy plotting a mass sell off of the UK’s state owned woodland. In doing so not only would they be placing the country’s woodland into the hands of private companies, who almost certainly…
More than ever recently I’ve been coming across the idea of connoisseurship which is, applied to western society, about rather than owning more stuff, becoming a critic of the quality of owned things & consumables. Education involves more than gaining and exercising technical knowledge and…
Whilst in Istanbul early on in the Ride Earth bike trip, I stayed with a German photographer. He told me a couple of things about photograpy. He said “you have to shoot something which is more than just something to show people at home.” “You have to capture the idea behind the image”.…
I contacted Goat from the ridingthespine.com team because I am planning to do a similar trip in a couple of years time. Goat and two friends rode the Great Divide Mountain bike route from Alaska down to Mexico and then rode off road routes all the way down the mountains of South America. I haven’t…
I often wrote down snippets of wisdoms in my diary if I came across them on my travels. This is one which I feel is particularly useful at the moment. From the Pythagoras verses. “Assess the days activities and reproach, rejoice them. Go through what one has done and assess the ethics, actions.”…
Everywhere you turn, Istanbul is a visual, auditory and olfactory feast. The waft of grilled meat, tobacco smoke, and the smell of roasting chestnuts. Children running and shouting, sellers touting their wares, men sitting, drinking tea and chain-smoking. We wheeled the bikes through a market.…
I recently received an email from the master of misguided, madcap adventures, Mr Al Humphreys to go and devour some delectable Georgian cuisine in a little known restaurant in North London as part of his and Tom the Hungry Cyclist’s A-Z of London food project. They had got to G, and lunch had been…
I was looking at the mission statement over at Couchsurfing and I think that it has some incredibly important messages: I quote from (http://www.couchsurfing.org/about.html/mission) “The Kinds of Experiences We Create In terms of our mission, there are a couple of basic types of experiences…
I am now a cyclist in the city of London. I regularly find myself zipping along the streets of concrete beside pavement walkers avoiding black taxis and people driving aggressively but I love to cycle in the city. There is a great sense of independence and freedom from winding through the mazes of…
Sustainability is the idea of saving the planet whilst maintaining the same everyday routine and pretty much keeping things as normal. Sustainability is about solving the problems of environmental catastrophe by reducing the environmental impact of industry, while keeping the same economic status…
Tom recently edited together this wonderful series of short films about last summer’s mountain biking across Mongolia trip. Enjoy Ride Earth in (Outer) Mongolia: Part One from Tom Allen on Vimeo. Ride Earth in (Outer) Mongolia: Part Two from Tom Allen on Vimeo. Ride Earth in (Outer) Mongolia: Part…
“Adventure Travel Live is the one stop shop for anyone planning an off-the-beaten-track travel adventure. The show is packed with inspiration and travel advice that will help you to uncover the journey of a lifetime, from small group adventures, wildlife encounters, trekking, family adventures,…
I am planning a project as part of my Goldsmiths MA Design Critical Practice course which will involve setting up an ‘experimental’ future-proof, environmentally no-impact dwelling space & everyday activities. I am provisionally looking to lay the foundations of this plan during the summer…
I’ve now posted chapters 1 to 20 on the website Autonomy (a community of book readers). I am enjoying the process of getting feedback and comments on the book. It’s strange to have the things that I wrote in my diary come up in conversation and for me to hear other folk’s spin on my [...]
I’ve now posted chapters 1 to 10 on the website Autonomy (a community of book readers). I’m looking forward to your comments. So far I’ve received some very positive ones! Thank you! This is my first attempt at writing a book and it’s probably been the single largest, but one of the most…
I went through my book again over Christmas. Slowly it’s getting closer I think but I’m still really in need of finding objective readers and getting constructive feedback. This is my first attempt at writing a book and it’s probably been the single largest, but one of the most natural…
A couple of days ago I went with Tom over to the house of my mate Dan Martin who is an extreme athlete and adventurer planning a trip for next year where he will swim the Atlantic, cycle to Alaska, and then run to New York and then probably have a rest. You might think [...]
On Saturday 13th (this weekend) between 15.30 – 17.30, I will be sitting in on the Bicycle Expeditions Logistics workshop at RGS Explore Expedition Planning Seminar this weekend. Other delegates on the Cycle Touring Panel: Tom Allen – Ride Earth Harold Evans – Cycling the Americas Hallum…
The annual expedition & fieldwork planning weekend is taking place at the Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AR on Friday, Saturday & Sunday 12 – 14 November 2010. Lectures, workshops, and exhibits cover the planning and undertaking of research projects and…
Recently I have met up with people who have called upon me for advice about bike touring, travel advice -and whatever else they get from me as an added bonus ;) . I have had some positive feedback from these meetings and I have also got a lot out of them myself. I would like [...]
I am always brewing new ideas for adventures even though recently I have become city-bound in London. I know that if I don’t capture these ideas and plan for the future they won’t come to bear, because I will have to set a date for them to happen in the future. Since I have done [...]
Over the last year and a half I’ve been getting to grips with Twitter. I am interested in the technology but I find myself looking at it from the perspective of ‘how do I intuitively use it?’ and ‘how can it be of more use to me?’. I post things to Twitter that I find [...]
As some readers may know I have been working on a book about a cycle journey from England to Georgia (the first part of Ride Earth). Now it’s in it’s third draft iteration and at a stage where I am looking for people that I don’t know to read it, e.g. an objective viewpoint. It’s [...]
I did the overland journey Georgia – England, there and back, two and a half times; about 15000km in total. Overland travel in Europe has it’s ups and downs but is generally efficient and reliable. The trains in Eastern Europe are generally well priced and run on time but some of the the older…
I have a Brooks Champion Flyer saddle. Before beginning the ride I bought it because it had the reputation of being the most comfortable saddle for long-distance touring. After the initial break in period of about three months the saddle moulds to ones’ posterior. The saddle is very comfortable…
I was incredibly happy to see this video created from some of the footage that Tom and I shot in Mongolia. The video editor from Kona has hand picked some fine moments from the twelve hours of footage that we shot and created a trailer which captured the essence of the journey well. We knew [...]
In order to organise your thoughts and your time, perhaps whilst preparing for a cycle expedition or for any project you want to achieve, try the super-minimal ZTD approach (adapted from Zen Habits). Trust me, the following will profoundly affect your life: Capture. Get a notebook and carry it…
There looks to be some good mountain biking at Aston Hill, near Aylesbury. How to get there: Go from London Marylebone to Aylesbury or Cycle:- View Larger Map More information link Related content: Rutland Water Weekend in Switzerland, Scott, Moulton, and ‘The Ride’ Journal Curry, Dolma and…
Good design, when it’s done well, becomes invisible. It’s only when it’s done poorly that we notice it. The idea is to design your bicycle touring equipment kit list so well that you don’t even need to think about it when you go on your cycle trip. To begin with you will have to get [...]
When I go on a cycle tour I feel that I am opened up to a huge amount of possibilities and have the perceived freedom to go and do whatever I like which is an inspiring way to think. Perhaps it’s the flood of endorphins from riding a bike all day, the numerous daily meetings [...]
One of my favourite foods of all time is Georgian Khinkali. Here are some links to recipes:- http://stlchow.blogspot.com/2009/02/recipe-khinkali-or-how-i-learned-to.html http://www.millionmenu.info/eng/recipes/collection/drecip3263/ Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khinkali…
Congratulations to the Britain in Tandem team for completing their length, height and width of the UK for http://www.enaikishomi.org/. Read more on the site here: http://www.britainintandem.com. Related content: Portable Drum ‘n’ Bass using a bicycle on the streets of London The Surprising Truth…
Related content: Mongolia Mountain Biking Adventure – Some thoughts in retrospect Frozen Lakes, Mosquito infested bogs, and riding down rivers Georgia – A Photo Essay Armenia by Bike – A Photo Essay Where I Slept Part 1
I recently began following Tim Moss on his website The Next Challenge which aims to help people to be more adventurous in their everyday lives. I find Tim’s approach inspiring because it focuses on the fact that you can have adventures wherever you are and inexpensively. What comes across strongly…
I continue to edit the travel book of the journey from England to the Caucasus and the experiences of living in the Caucasus. I am finding myself removing quite a lot of content which would better suit the blog. These are some quotes that I scribbled in my diary, taken from a book I found [...]
Related content: Britain in Tandem, length, height and width of the UK – the Video The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us ‘Pedal’ Documentary about bicycle couriers and bicycle courier racing in New York City The Collective – Roam – Six million ways to live, choose one. Cairo to Cape…
I just recently got an email from these guys who are planning to do a bike ride through Africa, Cape to Cairo, to support an organisation called Hear Us which raises money to sponsor cochlear implants and provide deaf children with the gift of hearing. Normally funds are raised per individual…
I recently spent a fantastic weekend in deepest Switzerland; near to the city of Bern with an engineer at Scott bikes who has just recently finished work on the new Scott Genius LT full suspension bike which is the most advanced do-all mountain bike available on the market today with suspension…
Whilst cycling I read the book ‘Ancient World, Modern Wisdom’ by the Dalai Lama and I wrote down a list of maxims in my diary:- 1. Develop patience 2. Inner peace arises within the context of others 3. Happiness is closely connected with the happiness of others 4. cultivate positive qualities 5.…
In the past my mind has wandered onto alternative types of bike design particularly in the context of expeditions. Would a four wheeled ‘quad’ bike be feasible. Perhaps it would offer the ability to carry more luggage or be more suitable for certain types of terrain. Perhaps two people could…
I recently read some of David Byrne’s Bicycle Diaries; his observations by bicycle as his primary mode of city transport during his career as a musician and artist. In a conversational style, Byrne talks about the thoughts inspired by what he sees whilst riding his bike. I recently listened to a…
This is a fantastic mountain bike video with a great soundtrack. I particularly love the shot at 2.18. enjoy. Related content: Portable Drum ‘n’ Bass using a bicycle on the streets of London Britain in Tandem, length, height and width of the UK – the Video The Surprising Truth About What…
I’ve been back in England for 1.5 months now. What is sticking in my mind about Mongolia? 21 quick fire thoughts for the prospective Mongolia traveller. There aren’t many people in the rural areas but you’re never far from a settlement of some kind. Steppe is beautiful but it soon gets tedious…
Related content: Expedition Web design – Ben Saunders’ Website, Dieter Rams, and Lewis Pugh Portable Drum ‘n’ Bass using a bicycle on the streets of London ‘Pedal’ Documentary about bicycle couriers and bicycle courier racing in New York City Britain in Tandem, length, height and width…
I am inspired by the design of Dieter Rams, famous for his design commandments, two of which are: ‘design is thorough down to the last detail’ and ‘design is as little design as possible’. Which incidently are ingredients for successful expeditions. The second one certainly applies to…
My cousin, James Peach, is partaking in an admirable challenge to cover the the height, width and length of Britain in 15 days. The challenge starts in John O’Groats and heads, by bike, to Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK, which they will climb (coinciding with the 240th anniversary of…
I recently used a program called Xmind for planning the Mongolia expedition. I have always been interested in mind-mapping. It is like brainstorming but somewhat more focused on the ‘associative’ way that the brain structures information. I find mind-mapping particularly useful for getting what…
I first came across the bicycle courier scene in New York in a documentary called Pedal . The documentary investigated the lifestyles of the couriers and the sorts of characters who end up in that line of work. I was impressed with the way that the majority of it was filmed by a guy following…
Related content: ‘Pedal’ Documentary about bicycle couriers and bicycle courier racing in New York City Portable Drum ‘n’ Bass using a bicycle on the streets of London Britain in Tandem, length, height and width of the UK – the Video The Collective – Roam – Six million ways to live,…
When I was travelling in India in 2009, I often dreamt of going back to Georgia and doing loads of mountain biking. I wanted to get involved in the local biking community and contribute. Back in Georgia, I was lucky to meet some local mountain bikers. I didn’t expect to find them because I thought…
At the start of Ride Earth, I came across the website for ‘Revolution’ - “In November 2008, Simon Evans and Fearghal O’Nuallain began the first Irish circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle. Their unsupported expedition will cover over 30,000km, passing through 30 countries and some of the…
Last weekend I was in London and I was invited to a social event at which I met someone who I had never met before and they invited me to their house for a roast dinner. If this happened whilst I was traveling by bike I would accept the offer and attend without a second [...]
“Utility cycling encompasses any cycling not done primarily for fitness, recreation such as cycle touring, or sport such as cycle racing, but simply as a means of transport. It is the most common type of cycling in the world” I recently cycled from Dover to London and from London to Stevenage on…
When Tom and I travelled to Mongolia we used overland public transport and didn’t pay extra to take the bikes with us. However, it seems that the guidelines about paying for taking bikes are unclear and require some clarification so here are some of our findings. I boxed up my bike and trailer…
Yesterday I cycled 140km from Dover to Central London where I now reside. I’ve had a lot of time to digest the brilliant travel experience I’ve had in the last 2 months. The relative shortness of the Mongolia trip compared to previous trips has not made it feel less worthwhile. On the contrary…
Tom and I headed from Moron, where we had taken some days off to rest, to Hatgal which is a town on the Southern tip of lake Hovsgol. We had grown sick of pedalling across the steppe and were in search of a change of scenario (quite literally). We met two Finnish and an Australian [...]
Over the last week of riding Tom and I have hit the off the beaten track after deciding that it would be more interesting. From Bulgan we reached the end of the asphault which was a token gesture as we left the settlement. Soon we were back on the dirt tracks which have made Mongolian [...]
Summed up the last week has been a lot of fun cycling off-road tracks through stunning scenery with a generous helping of bizarre weather conditions. We started out from Ulaan Baatar on a hot sunny afternoon through the gridlocked traffic but were soon in the countryside. We stopped briefly for a…
Tom and I are now in Ulaan Baatar. The bus journey here was arduous. We expected it to take around seven hours but it took the entire day. However, one day is nothing compared to the four days on the train. The bus had extra springy suspension and Tom and I were lucky enough to [...]
Tom and I are in Ulan Ude. We spent 4 days on the train and 5600km on the Trans Siberian crossing Russia from Moscow. I came overland from London to Moscow via Eurolines and Ecolines buses. Tom came from Yerevan on trains and buses and took the ferry from Trabzon (Turkey) to Sochi (Russia). The…
In light of the financial crisis and the weather and when we’re stuck inside working, I thought I would give out let slip some ways that I motivate myself. Change your scenery. Get on a train and go somewhere else for a weekend. Get on your bike and go for a spin for a couple [...]
I travelled back to the UK from Georgia by public transport to spend Christmas with my family. The journey was an adventure of it’s own. I took overland public transport instead of flying because of the environment impact of flying from carbon emissions. I also find flying quite boring and…
Georgia is a country which I think of often. I spent a long time there on my travels. I remember the most, the warm of the people I stayed with. Related content: Armenia by Bike – A Photo Essay France, Brittany – St. Pierre – A Photo Essay Where I Slept Part 1 India, Amritsar [...]
/////// Edit:- I’m reposting this blog because it occurred to me that people might be wondering how long a section of my book I would be reading to them just so you don’t have to worry about dying of boredom. I have now split my book into 65 chapters and seeing as the book is [...]
Armenia a country close to my heart. It is full of wonder and rugged landscapes. Check out more photography at http://www.andywelchphotography.co.uk Related content: Georgia – A Photo Essay France, Brittany – St. Pierre – A Photo Essay Where I Slept Part 1 India, Amritsar – The Golden Temple…
Whilst I was travelling I would set myself the task of photo assignments for places that I visited or a particular thing or essence that I wanted to try to capture. Crowds at the border ceremony between Pakistan and India. This is a nice photo with the colours of the saris and the energy from [...]
Tom emailed me last week to tell me he was going to follow an old man on a horse to a hot spring at 3000m. That sounded like my idea of fun so I decided to go to Yerevan and do it. I went to the bus station in Ortachala in Tbilisi at 9.30 am [...]
Tom, David and I went for a bike ride into the Caucasus mountains of Georgia. I’d been planning it for a while and I wanted to get some proper riding in before the snows descended. Tom arrived on the Sunday but leaving was delayed until Tuesday. To pass the time we decided to build up [...]
On 24th October cyclists, walkers and skaters gathered outside the Philharmonia theatre in Tbilisi to parade down Rustaveli as part of Climate Week combined with the ‘Tbilisoba’ or Tbilisi’s day- a yearly traditional celebration. All the cyclists from the locality were there including some 50…
This is the first post in a while to the Ride Earth blog because I’ve not been cycle touring recently. I returned via Public transport back from France to Tbilisi at the end of the summer. I met Tom in Venice and we spent a long and strange evening sleeping on a bench drinking wine [...]
I wanted to write something more about my experience in Iran. At the time I didn’t write much on the blog. But I did write a lot in my diary which will appear in a book in the future. Some experiences stay in my mind in particular. They started at Agarak, the Armenian-Iranian border. I [...]
On Monday I received a shiny new Kona Caldera aluminium hardtail mountain bike frame from Kona. They supported Tom and I with our Explosif frames. However, my frame came a cropper in New Delhi when it snapped near the rear dropout (after 16k of riding loaded with luggage). I was able to get it…
Long time since I wrote, I know. In fact I’ve been spending a lot of time in front of a computer. I’ve been writing every morning and now have written 95000 words of my book. I met one of my sister’s friends a couple of days ago who has just finished writing a book she [...]
I’m now 55,000 words into my book’s first draft and I’ve learnt a few things which I thought I’d share: Get up early in the morning to write. e.g. 6 am. I tried writing late at night and got into a counter-productive routine of falling asleep at 10.30 pm, waking up at 2 am and [...]
After leaving the Iran embassy having been rejected for the visa a second time, I cycled over to the travel agency, and booked a flight to Istanbul. Flying is not the best transport for me because I feel that it cuts out the point of travel which is the adventure of meeting people and having [...]
I’ve been working a lot on creative stuff recently. My profession is in the field of web design. I’ve been posting artwork onto the Ride Earth flickr photo album, and other creative nuggets of inspiration and perhaps they don’t belong there. So I’m working on splitting things up so that Ride…
I heard about a public-driven journalism website from a friend, http://www.citizenside.com and I uploaded some photos I took of the ‘cells’ that appeared all over the main street, Rustaveli, Freedom Square and around the Parliament building yesterday morning. These metal framed cuboids covered…
Being in a new location, and having hatched new plans I’m finding myself at that stage of tilling the ground and sowing the seeds to hopefully grow into burgeoning new projects. I’m organising my design resources and getting my website workflow sorted. I made a time plan to organise my day.…
Writing is going ok. It’s new territory and a new challenge and I’m enjoying it.I have written about a previous adventure before- a mountain bike ride from Inverness to Fort William in May 2006. You can read that account in the earlier blog archives. I feel that my writing then was particularly…
So, I’m hanging up the panniers for a while and I’m living in a flat with Fanny in Tbilisi. I decided to write up my journals into a book which will cover my journey from England to India and Nepal. My goal is to write 1000 words a day for the greater part of the [...]
I arrived back in Tbilisi in Georgia just in time to witness a demonstration in a similar mould to the one Tom and I witnessed when we arrived for the first time back in January 2008. 50,000 people gathered on the main street, Rustaveli, outside the front of the parliament building. There is a large…
I watched this today and it really struck a chord. Luckily I think I’ve worked a certain amount of what he is saying out over the past few years and been able to act on it. Related content: The Collective – Roam – Six million ways to live, choose one. Portable Drum ‘n’ Bass using [...]
In response to a Youtube video: ‘Is cycle touring becoming boring’? It’s as interesting as you allow yourself to make it. It’s the same as any travel, but you’re on a bike. If I’m not mistaken, you cannot say that travel in general is becoming boring…. If you’re a boring person and…
“Build it up, tear it down” “A period of expansion, and a period of consolidation” So I’m back in Tbilisi (story on that to come shortly). I’m on the lookout for creative projects / work to earn some cash. My intension to stay in Tbilisi for some time as Fanny has a job which is [...]
Turn up to the Iranian Embasssy having just arrived in New Delhi and say you want to get a visa. Tell them your nationality (bad decision if British) Remember that you absolutely definitely need a pesky ‘Letter of Invitation’ obtained either through a pricey tour agency or by a friend who…
Freedom Friends Sharing interests Witnessing reality Challenge Independence Achievement Transferable skills Cycling Serendipity Trusting the process Becoming a better human being Creating a visual representation of my experience through photos and video Hopefully creating something to communicate my…
Last week it was the Holi festival where people throw colourful powder and drench each other with water. I took a cycle ride through the Mehrauli area near the Qutab Minar monument just as the festivities were peaking in the morning. Most people were stained from head to toe a shade of purple which…
Found on a page about the meaning of vice-versa (http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/vice-versa.html) A similar term, ‘arsy versy’, has now become archaic. For example, from Richard Taverner’s Prouerbes or adagies with newe addicions, gathered out of the Chiliades of Erasmus, 1539: “Ye set…
I’m not talking about Ikea but the bureaucratic situation I face regarding visas. I’m in Delhi, I got a Pakistan visa about 2 weeks ago. I had applied for an Iran LOI (letter of invitation – required for the visa, through tour agency Stantours.com for a princely sum) and was waiting for the…
Taskmaster burst the bionic zit-splitter Breakneck speed we drown ten pints of bitter We lean all day and some say that ain’t productive That depend upon the demons that you’re stuck with Cause right now, I see clearer than most I sit here contending with this cheese on toast I feel the pain of…
“Everyone believes very easily whatever he fears or desires.” — Jean de La Fontaine Related content: Words of Wisdom Weddings, unlike lightning, strike in the same place twice… War Memories from Iran New Kona Caldera Mountain Bike Frame
To see more recent photos from Varanasi, Northern India and Nepal please visit my flickr page. Related content: Bicycle Critical Mass Tbilisi, Georgia for Climate Week Demonstrations in Tbilisi Georgia – A Photo Essay Donating a bike on behalf of Wheels4Life Armenia by Bike – A Photo…
1. Pursue my music production interests+ meet likeminded people 2. Paint and draw – making art in general 3. Spend time with mum, dad, sister, grandparents, in fact my entire family 4. Be totally unselfish and put others before myself 5. Break habits 6. Be the small observer 7. Dance, sing,…
“Every era has a currency that buys souls. In some the currency is pride, in others it is hope, in still others it is a holy cause. There are of course times when hard cash will buy souls, and the remarkable thing is that such times are marked by civility, tolerance, and the smooth working [...]
“Basically you have to suppress your own ambitions in order to be who you need to be” – Bob Dylan Related content: New Year’s Resolutions Quoted New Kona Caldera Mountain Bike Frame Back in Tbilisi- On the lookout for work Xmind – Mind Mapping Software for Planning Expeditions
Having arrived in Delhi, I had been wishfully thinking that I would pick up Pakistan and Iran visas again and make my way by public transport back to Turkey. However, the world’s borders and their associated bureaucracy and political connotations are seemingly there for the only reason of making…
I left Kathmandu and cycled through the smokey diesel traffic of the suburbs up out of the valley. I was not used to the mountains but glad to be back on a gradient and off the flat. It felt like the beginning of another adventure and with the bare trees and grey weather it reminded [...]
I arrived last night in the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu. The country holds great intrigue for me and my initial impressions do not disappoint. Kathmandu is a relaxed and historical place which, I get the inkling, has a great deal to offer for those who are willing to hang about and dig deeper below…
I was taking photos of a beautiful sunset after a long day’s ride when I chanced upon a couple of Hindu nuns who were standing outside their school / orphanage. When I first noticed the orange-clad ladies they spent some minutes watching me do various acrobatics getting different angles of the sky…
Breakfast is required. Slept in police station last night. Roti and Aloo Gobi – Chappati and fried cauliflower and potato. India republic day today. The police had a little ceremony putting the flag up, then ate loads of jelebi (gooey sweets). I cycled to Varanasi. Whilst getting there was too…
Last night, I was taking some photos of an amazing sky and I met two Hindu nun teacher volunteers. It turns out that one of them walks 1 hour to work each day so I thought she would be a good candidate for a donated bicycle. Today, we went to a bike shop and bought [...]
1. Eat fresh local fruit and vegetables when possible. 2. Get up early (6.30 is a good start) 3. Use lateral thinking 4. Involve people 5. Be sure to record the details. 6. Be polite, respectful and listen in the face of (one or all of, what I may consider to be) hysteria, stupidity, staring, [...]
Macho, ego says: ‘what if you regret not continuing East?’ My heart says: ‘Go back to Georgia and then see what happens’ My realistic head says how? – 3 onward travel options: 1. Nepal, Tibet, China 2. Pakistan, Central Asia 3. Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Georgia 1. = Expensive, painful… 2.…
Amritsar, through Punjab, Bathinda, to Bikaner in Rajasthan. Then down to Nagour, Jodhpur, and Mt Abu. Onto Gujarat to Amdavad, Surat, and down to Daman and then Bombay. From Bombay I left the bike and took the train with Fanny to Goa, then we went to Kannur in Kerala, Calicut, and Sultan Bathery…
I was in an internet cafe this morning, feeling crappy and depressed. I woke up this morning with a head full of heavy thoughts about my future travel plans, feeling worried. I connected my hard disk to the computer and as what often happens I spent a good hour wrangling with it to try and view…
I was cycling through Bombay traffic about 15 minutes ago and suddenly snap- there goes my front derailleur cable frayed into a throng of discombobulated threads. It makes me reminisce of the gradual process of wear and weakening that lead to the point of fracture. The bike, somewhere down in my…
I intended to get up again at 5 this morning like I did yesterday. However, unfortunately today there was no mosquito to bite me and make me feel a bit strange and thus like getting up. Only my alarm clock which I was able to ignore twice. Eventually at 8 I naturally woke up. I [...]
I feel a bit like I haven’t been telling the full story through the blog in terms of what’s been going on. This is mainly because I’ve had to do everything from internet cafes and time and expense are a factor. December involved a decision to get off the main highway and spend some time [...]
I just had a thought whilst uploading photos to Flickr. None of them exist in a physical form. I’m getting high on my own pictures. I think some of them are good but then I would wouldn’t I. Evermore I feel I need to try harder with photography. I am limited by a good but [...]
Check out more photography at http://www.andywelchphotography.co.uk Related content: Georgia – A Photo Essay Armenia by Bike – A Photo Essay Where I Slept Part 1 India, Amritsar – The Golden Temple – A Photo Essay Magic Mongolian Moments
I’ve had a strange last week. The urge to use some of my newly rediscovered lateral thinking skills has been bubbling to the surface. I found Edward De Bono’s book Lateral Thinking in a book shop in Quetta and through reading it, I’ve found inspiration to find new challenging adventures and…
Indian food is addictive. To start with it’s like ‘curry for breakfast,lunch and dinner’ – hmmmm…. But Indian food isn’t really about just eating for the need of it. It’s an experience of taste bud adventure pretty much every meal. In fact the whole Indian experience is a bit like a…
I am in the Gujarat capital Amdavad spending a few days relaxing here before continuing on towards Mumbai. It’s a nice city to spend some time. I’ve been using couchsurfing here and my hosts have made the experience. I’ve visited a friend at the architectural university wandered about the…
I have noticed quite clearly that since I entered Pakistan and India the significant drop in air quality in general. In Pakistan if I blew my nose I would get similar coloured nasal mucus to if I had spent a day in Central London. The air pollution is quite visible in even small urbanised strips…
I’m in India. I feel tired to be honest. It’s a good job I have the opportunity to rest for a few days. I rewind my memory, jolting to yesterday, riding to the Pakistan-India border, getting caught up with a load of super-rich Dutch classic car enthusiasts, sitting having a beer, contorting to…
I’m in Lahore after gradually making my way up here from Quetta. The mountains down from Quetta to Sibi were beautiful but in Sibi I ran into my police escort. They proceeded to ruin the process for the next few days. This meant that I couldn’t do what I wanted, I had to stay in [...]
I cycled from Kerman. I was scared. I’d heard nothing positive about the road after Kerman. Luckily as usual the negative hot air is hyped out of proportion. I met a great guy in Mahan who gave me a huge insight into the Iranian and Islamic way. He spoke good English and we chatted for [...]
Iran has at times been a challenge with regards to cycling alone. I have dealt with this mostly by recording myself talking on a voice recorder, singing, shouting, listening to the Mighty Boosh and occasionally weeping. However, along with feelings of lonliness which quickly evaporate I am presented…
Just a quick one this. I’ve pedalled down into the south of Iran. The weather has been pretty hot during the middle of the day so I’m on the road by 6 to make the most of the cool clear mornings. I’ve visited the cities of Esfahan, Yazd and Kerman. Esfahan has a river (mostly [...]
Hi, I’m back in that bumpy, unforgiving place of discovery they call the road. This time I’ve only got myself and the wildlife for company. I’m in exotic ancient Persia, or Iran on modern maps. I traversed the mountainous land of Armenia in a thigh burning, vodka toting, but rewarding 6…
Right now, I (Andy) am sitting in the garden of my girlfriend’s house in France. I’ve just realised that one mosquito has bitten me on my neck, elbow and leg which is why I’ve been furiously scratching. I’ve just received my new trailer which I will look forward to using when I get the…
They are very light (3.5kg) The wheel can be used as a spare. Can carry 120 L of luggage weighing max 30 kg (with 2 60L drybags) They are comparatively cheap (260 EU) Responsive handling Ease of attachment / detachment with the ingenious clip on fork Simplicity – chunk of steel and a wheel Works…
I got my new Extrawheel trailer this morning. It is the original version. I have noticed some improvements over the one I broke whilst cycling in Austria. The hood material has been reinforced where it had previously worn through on my old trailer. The frame seems more chunky and the hood is…
I am guilty of slating Extrawheel previously in a podcast. I described a problem I had on the trailer as a design error. It was actually human error. At the start of the trip I massively overloaded the trailer which caused numerous problems. The drybags contained too many bulky objects which…
This morning I have been digging through the news about Georgia to find some articles which are closer to what I consider to be closer to the truth. Typing ‘real news’ into Google I came across a news website which is member supported and do not accept advertising, government or corporate…
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ilZCL7D8RFEr-W6z3jGp4e0d6k3wD92KN13O0 These athletes are still competing in the Olympics under very different training conditions to athletes in more luckier nations not affected by the blight of war. It sends a message of the strength and determination of the…
I’ve been following the news on the situation in Georgia and observing the media frenzy in response to the conflict. There are hundreds of media channels and I’ve been watching the news breaking on google.co.uk/news and it snowball over the last ten days. On the Times website –…
Today Georgia declared a state of war with Russia. Luckily I’d left on the 26th of July to come home to England to surprise my family. I travelled by bus and train. I’m planning to start to travel back towards Georgia on Monday. I hope that by the time I intend to get back to [...]
Before Tom and I left on this expedition we spent a lot of time preparing. We created a research website which we named the ‘Biki’ (based on Wikipedia software). It contains way more information than you would ever need to leave on a bicycle expedition from choosing a bike down to the last…
Tom and I construed the idea to satisfy a desire to see the world. We minimalised our possessions, with most sold on ebay to fund our trip or given away. We researched the ideal items of equipment we would need for a life on the road. When we left we realised soon we still had [...]
Peep through the door It seems as though the grass was much greener before The dead life has been washed upon the sea shore Money and greed deluded what is truly pure And yet our flesh keeps screeching out for more Now you’re trapped A hole in the ozone about to make the world collapse [...]
It’s a BBC documentary by Adam Curtis called The Trap. Related content: Mixed Feelings ‘Pedal’ Documentary about bicycle couriers and bicycle courier racing in New York City Utility cycling and long distance cycling Xmind – Mind Mapping Software for Planning Expeditions Can I help you?
At the moment, I’m working with Tom, on a website for a real estate company here in Georgia. This is because I have ran out of budget for the trip. I’m living with a Dutch architect and an English real estate company director. It’s a nice novelty to live with an English, but we’re just [...]
I have recently designed a website for a new building in Tbilisi. It is the first Class A+ building, designed by a German architects Wandel Hoefer Lorch. It is an impressive looking structure with a glass fascade which stands out amongst traditional Tbilisi buildings. The special thing about the…
If you live in the UK you will have heard and probably know a little about climate change by now. It concerns me how I talk to people about the issue and it is possible to know the scientific evidence of what is happening and yet compartmentalise the problem and switch back to the everyday [...]
I enjoy being outside in the countryside. I like to walk, swim in rivers and lakes but my main interest is mountain biking. Mountain biking took me out into the wilds, and gave me a way to move around, and unwittingly take in and immerse myself in the environment. I get a huge amount of [...]
Last night I went to teach my English speaking lesson at the ‘Georgian-Scottish-House’ in Tbilisi. Recently I have had another gear-change with regards to my thinking on how I can do my bit to help reduce the now widely accepted human-induced climate change that is happening. A main aim of Ride…
These are some quotes from E.F. Schumacher’s series of books, Small is Beautiful: “The most striking about modern industry is that it requires so much and accomplishes so little. Modern industry seems to be inefficient to a degree that surpasses one’s ordinary powers of imagination. Its…
I’m in Tbilisi and hopefully this blog will fill in what has been happening with me. As you may know I arrived in Yerevan for the first time, by bicycle, on the 24th January. I met up with Tom in the city after we had cycled alone from near the Georgian border. Fanny came out [...]
The driver’s wearing a leather jacket, thick material. I think “that’s too hot inside this cramped vehicle – it must be for the look”. The driver looks like a gangster out of a Guy Ritchie film. Somehow I convinced myself to put my trust in this gold-teeth-laden man with gold ring and…
Last summer when we set off from England on our bicycles we had dreams of long wonderful summer days and leaving our waterproofs at home, replaced by an extra pannier of suncream. However, in practice we were reaching for the ponchos more than expected and precipitation was an often occurence. The…
I arrived in Yerevan last Wednesday. I have been staying with some wonderful new friends who work at the French Embassy here. From the first village after crossing the border into Armenia from Georgia, Tom and I decided to cycle alone to Yerevan. Cycling alone gives one more freedom. I decide when…
When Sylvester, the Polish cyclist we met on Christmas Day in Batumi, was explaining that conditions were difficult here for local people in Georgia, coping with the cold midwinter, I remember thinking, surely it’s not as difficult as cycling round the world? What a weird comparison and abstract…
The other day I was cycling towards Trabzon. We went through a number of dark, ominous looking tunnels through the hills. I’m cycling along, and then there it is, another black hole. My blood pressure rises, the hard shoulder thins and squeezes me off onto the road, to share it with the…
Although people are helpful and friendly, we often get looked at like we have three heads. I find it funny, and its completely harmless and utterly understandable. Two bearded English men turn up. One is wearing a fluorescent sock on his head and looks like a traffic cone, the other is wearing a…
I smell pretty terr?ble but I’ve got a fishing boat to go and sleep on tonight, and I just bought a new blanket which I hope will keep me warm as the nights have been uncomfortably chilly recently. Normally camping is a perfectly fine option for our sleeping arrangements, but I’ve been more…
We arrived in Istanbul after cycling through 75km of suburban sprawl along the dangerous highway. It was a traumatic experience. We rewarded ourselves with a gourmet kebab that we couldn’t afford from a small place full of old men drinking, smoking and chatting. It had become dark in the city,…
I am in Kadikoy on the Anatolian side of Istanbul. We have reached Asia by bike. Today commences our third week in Istanbul. It is a multi-layered and vibrant place, enough to make one consider staying longer. The open road and adventure beckons once again. Crossing a whole continent is a…
The first few days in Romania were mentally tough. We donned full wet weather gear and ventured into the terrible weather that the first day offered us. It was overcast, drizzle, cold and miserable. The road away from the border was full of lorries, one after the other, spraying bucket-sized amounts…
We arrived in Romania a couple of days ago. We crossed the border and had a long night after realised we had crossed at a place we shouldn’t have. We had to return to the official crossing and cross there. It was dark, wet, lightning was striking around my feet, again, and the officials were…
Sitting on a park in Vienna after a huge thunderstorm during which I feared for my own life, I find a moment of tranquility and reflection. Earlier on I had walked down into the city to have a wander about. As I strolled along in a semi-trance, the thick air made my head woozy and [...]
Its been six weeks now and I’m settling in to the lifestyle. Each day is is a mind expanding experience. The creature comforts such as shower, comfortable bed, etc that I was once used to are now an occassional luxury. Each day is limited only by our own decisions in each moment, leading us off…
Another day on the road. I drink a large coffee, pack the trailer and panniers pedal on to the next big adventure. Each new experience is challenging my preconceptions and leaving me with an excitement and anticipation for the next one. The most difficult thing so far is the challenge of working in…
Today we drove to the National Bike Show at the NEC after generously being giving some tickets by the organisers. I was up early and went over to pick Tom up at 8.30am to drive down. We collected our previously prepared (at midnight last night) press packs and printed a couple of cheap t-shirts with…
Coming along with us to the One Life Live exhibition in Earl’s Court, London next weekend will be Project Carbon. Project Carbon is a UK based, not-for-profit carbon reduction service that aims to help one to understand and reduce one’s carbon footprint and compensate for non-reducible carbon…
Time is ticking away from us in the count down to leaving. Thinking about all aspects of the equipment, navigation, etc… Which bike frame, wheels, brakes? What combination of clothes? Do I really need to take a dinner jacket? We have been kindly donated a stand at this year’s One Life Live…
On Saturday I biked around Rutland Water and went windsurfing. The biking was great. 16 miles in about 1.10 hours. The wind was not in the right direction for the launch beach. I think it was North Westerly and therefore blowing offshore. The wind started about 8 mph and dropped. Not ideal…
This is a kit list I dug out for the Scotland biking expedition in May 2005. I am currently in the process of writing up my journal which I will post here when finished. Bike kit Small tube of grease WD40, chain lube Headset bearings hub bearings pedal bearing spare pedals spokey spare spokes wheel…
Just a quick note before you start reading. This is the last day’s entry of my (Andrew’s) journal on our Scotland trip May 06. I suggest to start at the beginning scroll to the bottom of the page or have some common sense and start on day 1. I did warn you. Don’t try and [...]
We gathered our stuff together fairly promptly that morning eager to complete the last leg to Fort William. I did a few minor tweaks to the bike, mended a puncture and gave it a clean at the river. Then I strapped the kit to it again with duct tape and was ready to go. I [...]
The morning came round like I’d been on sleeping tablets and put to bed by a touch from Mr Spock. I slept so deeply I think I temporarily left the building. My nightly antics could not be accounted for (no, not those sort), partially because I, and everyone else was asleep (hold on, where am [...]
We soon arose and started packing up our stuff with the intention of leaving early. The morning was quite beautifully doused in morning sunlight and freshened from the rain. The morning after a night of torrential rain. The bothy in all its glory. I felt like I could live in the bothy. It was a…
The morning arrived and after collecting up all the clothes which had mostly dried and packing our stuff, my brained kicked in at the prospect of continuing cycling with the huge amount of weight all in one place, on my back. After yesterday afternoon’s painfully strenuous slog along the road it…
We reached the exit from the forest back onto the road from the day before. Tom hurriedly checked the map and sped off nonchalantly down the road like he was glad to be escaping the grips of the forest. Mark followed and then me. After about five minutes Tom stopped, turned round and pissed off…
Heading off on the train to Inverness. It was an overcast morning. Excitement and anticipation pulsated through my veins. I felt happy to be sharing the experience with my fellow travellers Tom and Mark. Tom, being a most exceptional friend of mine and Mark, being a most exceptional friend of…
I am going on a trip to Scotland between the 13th May and the 21st. I am going to Portugal next weekend. I am designing the website where I work as the customer services engineer. I am planning and packing for the Scotland trip. The portugal trip is only a weekend and only involves taking [...]
Last weekend I did a walk in derbyshire, starting from Carsington next to the reservoir. From here we headed off towards Brassington then over to Harboro Rocks across the Pennine Bike Trail then over and down to the nothingness that is a number of disused mines and onto Middleton around the most…
Yo, On sunday I did a walk in the White Peak area of the Peak District. The route started from Thorpe and mades its way up Thorpe Cloud, along Dovedale next to the river, turning right at Lover’s Leap and off the main tourist route on a footpath past Moor Barn. Just before the footpath [...]
This is a pile of gobbledigook from the land of barlow. Bar ram you, ponies in your nose. Fiddle me ree, fiddle me raw. Grandma where art thou? Pants to the monkey, gribble to the trimdiddle-e-dee, grimple and the rest. Pass the parcel parson and dont rush the grasscarn. Bib biddly bomb toes to the…
Hello, went biking around Belvoir castle in Leicestershire today. Really suprisingly good route. Got the route from www.mountainbikerides.co.uk. Some good climbs and descents for leicestershire. The ride gets its altitude from ascending tree covered ridge line. It follows a route through a variety…
Next weekend I am doing a hike in the Peak District taking minimal survival gear and staying overnight. We are going to try and cover as much distance as possible in the North Peak area. Look out for more information on our route and I will post pictures and details here soon. This one is [...]
Road at Cannock Chase today. The follow the dog trail is pretty cool. It is mostly really twisty singletrack of on a variety of terrain with some fun sections. The downhill area is very difficult to find and we never actually did find it in the end and ended up doing a huge loop of [...]
I am going riding at Cannock Chase tommorow which is apparently great for mountain biking. We are going to do the Follow the dog trail which has purpose built technical sections. I am looking forward to it. More can be read about Cannock Chase at http://www.chasetrails.co.uk which has all the news…
This post is a modification of one from when I had just finished working as a guide on the beautiful island of Korcula in Croatia in October 2005. I used to get up nice and early in the morning at 6.30 ready to start the first ride of the day at 7.30. Then I would [...]