Cycling to Beijing, as you do!

stiofan85

Good Morning Guys & Gals,

I'm hoping to cycle solo from Dublin to Beijing next year to raise money for Crumlin Children's Hospital. Aiming to raise €50k :pac:

I've started a site & blog here: www.dublin2beijing.com
Facebook: facebook.com/dublin2beijing
Twitter: @dublin2beijing

There's a rough route plotted out on the blog if you're interested. Estimates from Google Maps are in the region of 15-16000 km. Plan is to do 140km per day, 5 days a week. I've spoken to a couple of people who've done similar trips and that seems reasonable. Of course it'll vary wildly over the course of the trip, but if I hit that average over time I'll be pretty happy.

I'm going to use my rigid framed Specialized Hardrock instead of a dedicated touring bike. Couple of reasons for this - main one is cost. I don't have the funds for a new bike. The other reason is the 26" wheels - most dedicated tourers I've looked at have 700c wheels, but they're not as widely available outside of Europe. This is obviously a gamble as the frame is Aluminium so getting it welded if it breaks is a risk. If that happens I'm sure I can find a fix and maybe put my Engineering degree to use at last I'll be replacing the entire chainset and shifters for a Deore setup before I leave, and have some stronger wheels built. Panniers front and rear with about 30kg of gear overall.

In terms of training and my own cycling experience: I've been cycling my whole life and have done some tours before (800km camping around Ireland, 800km North-South of France, no camping). I also did Cycle Against Suicide this year (800km there too). Cycle to work everyday and head out most weekends on the road bike for 50k spins. Did a solo dry-run from Galway to Sligo about 6 weeks ago with the hardrock, tent and camping stove and got on pretty well. Will need a better saddle though, so I'm thinking of a Brooks B17. The Sligo-Galway run was 120km a day.

I don't have any specific questions, but wanted to throw up a post to see if anyone has any specific advice. I've been given contact details for one of the lads that did the same trip in 2008 - they posted on here as far as remember, so will be giving him a shout this week.

Thanks!

Stephen

ford2600

stiofan85 wrote: »

Good Morning Guys & Gals,

I'm hoping to cycle solo from Dublin to Beijing next year to raise money for Crumlin Children's Hospital. Aiming to raise €50k :pac:

I've started a site & blog here: www.dublin2beijing.com
Facebook: facebook.com/dublin2beijing
Twitter: @dublin2beijing

There's a rough route plotted out on the blog if you're interested. Estimates from Google Maps are in the region of 15-16000 km. Plan is to do 140km per day, 5 days a week. I've spoken to a couple of people who've done similar trips and that seems reasonable. Of course it'll vary wildly over the course of the trip, but if I hit that average over time I'll be pretty happy.

I'm going to use my rigid framed Specialized Hardrock instead of a dedicated touring bike. Couple of reasons for this - main one is cost. I don't have the funds for a new bike. The other reason is the 26" wheels - most dedicated tourers I've looked at have 700c wheels, but they're not as widely available outside of Europe. This is obviously a gamble as the frame is Aluminium so getting it welded if it breaks is a risk. If that happens I'm sure I can find a fix and maybe put my Engineering degree to use at last I'll be replacing the entire chainset and shifters for a Deore setup before I leave, and have some stronger wheels built. Panniers front and rear with about 30kg of gear overall.

In terms of training and my own cycling experience: I've been cycling my whole life and have done some tours before (800km camping around Ireland, 800km North-South of France, no camping). I also did Cycle Against Suicide this year (800km there too). Cycle to work everyday and head out most weekends on the road bike for 50k spins. Did a solo dry-run from Galway to Sligo about 6 weeks ago with the hardrock, tent and camping stove and got on pretty well. Will need a better saddle though, so I'm thinking of a Brooks B17. The Sligo-Galway run was 120km a day.

I don't have any specific questions, but wanted to throw up a post to see if anyone has any specific advice. I've been given contact details for one of the lads that did the same trip in 2008 - they posted on here as far as remember, so will be giving him a shout this week.

Thanks!

Stephen

Search cycling advers forum @cramcycle was selling a brooks saddle.
Glwt

ChainWhip

Sounds great, best of luck with the planning.

I went 6,000kms across the States in 2010. But that was on a road bike with a car in tow so a different sort of trip!

Just some thoughts off the top of my head:
- Read Mark Beaumont's books (scottish cyclist who set the record for around the world trips). Tips on gear, packing, emergency rations etc.
- Get business cards printed up with your website etc, easy to hand to people you meet along the way and saves you spelling out your details many times. Look at posting these ahead for you to collect so you don't get laden down.
- To raise awareness, make it easy for the papers: produce your own press pack (quotes, route, distances, countries) and send it via email. Bombard them.
- Portable solar panel can be used as an electronics charger.
- Bring one pair of latex gloves to save your hands and clothes during repairs, cleaning.
- Use the 'Irish connection'. People love Ireland. Put an Ireland flag on your rack. Buy some Ireland cycling jerseys. Make contact with Irish groups along your root: Irish pubs, ex-pats, GAA teams, embassies etc. You never know if they'll offer you a hot meal or a roof over your head, or set up a fundraiser for you.

Enjoy the prep and the journey!

hardCopy

Check out crazyguyonabkie.com the site design is poison but it's relatively easy to find logs from people who have cycled through similar regions and routes.

Good luck!

petethedrummer

http://thebikeshow.net/across-africa-by-bike-1/
http://thebikeshow.net/across-africa-by-bike-part-two/

http://thebikeshow.net/category/touring/

stiofan85

ChainWhip wrote: »

Sounds great, best of luck with the planning.

I went 6,000kms across the States in 2010. But that was on a road bike with a car in tow so a different sort of trip!

Just some thoughts off the top of my head:
- Read Mark Beaumont's books (scottish cyclist who set the record for around the world trips). Tips on gear, packing, emergency rations etc.
- Get business cards printed up with your website etc, easy to hand to people you meet along the way and saves you spelling out your details many times. Look at posting these ahead for you to collect so you don't get laden down.
- To raise awareness, make it easy for the papers: produce your own press pack (quotes, route, distances, countries) and send it via email. Bombard them.
- Portable solar panel can be used as an electronics charger.
- Bring one pair of latex gloves to save your hands and clothes during repairs, cleaning.
- Use the 'Irish connection'. People love Ireland. Put an Ireland flag on your rack. Buy some Ireland cycling jerseys. Make contact with Irish groups along your root: Irish pubs, ex-pats, GAA teams, embassies etc. You never know if they'll offer you a hot meal or a roof over your head, or set up a fundraiser for you.

Enjoy the prep and the journey!

Thanks for the advice - read Mark Beaumont's first book. Great read!

The Irish connection is definitely one to cash in on.

I'm in the process of getting business cards. hadn't considered posting them ahead of time. Good shout!

hardCopy wrote: »

Check out crazyguyonabkie.com the site design is poison but it's relatively easy to find logs from people who have cycled through similar regions and routes.

Good luck!

It's a great site for info, but like you said the design is dreadful.

I've been following this one in particular as it's current and covers the "Stans" quite well: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=11347&v=2Xw

petethedrummer wrote: »

http://thebikeshow.net/across-africa-by-bike-1/
http://thebikeshow.net/across-africa-by-bike-part-two/

http://thebikeshow.net/category/touring/

Thanks - more good reading!

I do a lot of reading about this trip. So much reading. The apartment is full of books on cycling around the world, China, Iran. It's fascinating stuff. Hopefully it'll save me hassle at some point or another!

pprendeville

I'll be in Beijing until June 17th next year but I don't think you'll make it before then going by your FAQ section on the site. I'll keep track of your progress though.

My only advice is bring plenty of chamois cream. Assos stuff is good. Have only started using it recently myself and it helps a lot.

Headdy

Fair play Stephen

You can watch about 5 hours of Mark Beaumont trip across the world and cycle across america on youtube its very enjoyable (not sure how technical it will be for your trip but will at least help the frame of mind)

Great advice from ChainWhip

Very best of luck with it

Eoghan

ChainWhip wrote: »

Sounds great, best of luck with the planning.

I went 6,000kms across the States in 2010. But that was on a road bike with a car in tow so a different sort of trip!

Just some thoughts off the top of my head:
- Read Mark Beaumont's books (scottish cyclist who set the record for around the world trips). Tips on gear, packing, emergency rations etc.
- Get business cards printed up with your website etc, easy to hand to people you meet along the way and saves you spelling out your details many times. Look at posting these ahead for you to collect so you don't get laden down.
- To raise awareness, make it easy for the papers: produce your own press pack (quotes, route, distances, countries) and send it via email. Bombard them.
- Portable solar panel can be used as an electronics charger.
- Bring one pair of latex gloves to save your hands and clothes during repairs, cleaning.
- Use the 'Irish connection'. People love Ireland. Put an Ireland flag on your rack. Buy some Ireland cycling jerseys. Make contact with Irish groups along your root: Irish pubs, ex-pats, GAA teams, embassies etc. You never know if they'll offer you a hot meal or a roof over your head, or set up a fundraiser for you.

Enjoy the prep and the journey!

rob w

Just had a good read through your website, sounds awesome and fair play to you.

Ill definitely be keeping track.

Best of luck with the prep!

petethedrummer

stiofan85 wrote: »

Thanks - more good reading!

I do a lot of reading about this trip. So much reading. The apartment is full of books on cycling around the world, China, Iran. It's fascinating stuff. Hopefully it'll save me hassle at some point or another!

The main points from those africa podcasts are:

1. Arrive into a town/village in daylight if you are looking to get accommodation there.
2. Most people in the world are friendly and helpful.

stiofan85

pprendeville wrote: »

My only advice is bring plenty of chamois cream. Assos stuff is good. Have only started using it recently myself and it helps a lot.

Thanks - I've never used it before. How many rides would you get out of a standard bottle?! I'll probably bring some from Ireland then top up in Europe to save weight. Apparently Iran of all places is good for cycling equipment!

Headdy wrote: »

Fair play Stephen

You can watch about 5 hours of Mark Beaumont trip across the world and cycle across america on youtube its very enjoyable

I've been meaning to watch it - weather's been too good lately to sit down and watch it. As soon as it rains I'll watch it

petethedrummer wrote: »

The main points from those africa podcasts are:

1. Arrive into a town/village in daylight if you are looking to get accommodation there.
2. Most people in the world are friendly and helpful.

These are definitely two of the most common themes that come up time and again. I'm hoping to be on the road just after sunrise most mornings and cycle til 5 or 6 depending on where I am and how the sunlight is.

I think you're 100% right about point 2 - this is one of the things I'm hoping to discover. I'm terrible for asking for directions/help in general, so I'm hoping this will put me well out of my comfort zone and ensure I'll ask for help wherever I go. Although I'm planning on bringing a Garmin for navigation, I think I'll set myself a challenge of "do x days in a row without consulting the Garmin" or whatever. Should make it more interesting!

Thanks for the positive replies guys. Any words of wisdom are most definitely welcome!

-K2-

petethedrummer wrote: »

http://thebikeshow.net/across-africa-by-bike-1/
http://thebikeshow.net/across-africa-by-bike-part-two/

http://thebikeshow.net/category/touring/

The same guy in the above links also cycled from Asia to Europe. It's a great read: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?doc_id=985

manwithaplan

You might feel special about cycling all the way to Beijing but I hope you realise there will be 8,999,999 other feckers at it when you get there.

Best of luck!

GreyEagle

I have a Brooks B17 saddle, little used, if you need one. Just PM.

bambergbike

ChainWhip wrote: »

- Portable solar panel can be used as an electronics charger.

Or a hub dynamo.

Good luck!

Kingdom Man

Best of luck looking forward to following your progress.

thebionicdude

Forget the Garmin. You don't need it and the battery will die after two long days in the saddle. Charging a Garmin is one less thing to worry about every other day, it's annoying to have a Garmin die in the middle of a long ride. You do need a basic battery computer though, for the times you might need to track distances between turn-offs. Papers maps are where it's at and they are a whole lot of fun once you get into them. The more off the beaten path you go, the better the map you will need. Use Reise or Rough Guide maps depending on the country.

I don't know the 'Stans but I do know that visas can be tricky/delayed depending on which one you are going to. Do your homework long in advance for these countries.

I shipped my solar panel home. It required car adapters for each device meaning more stuff to cart. Honestly, you won't use it but if you want to buy one pm me.

I did a 13 month RTW tour, the lessons I learned were:
1) wear bib-shorts for the shoulder straps as opposed to regular lycra shorts, these slip down after a bit and can become uncomfortable.
2) Don't carry a multi-tool, bring the individual allen keys/screwdrivers/spanners instead as you may need the extra leverage.
3) Cart a net-book and kindle. Having your own computer allows you to do stuff offline (edit photos, watch movies, pen emails in advance of a www connection) and often wifi is more accessible than a cafe. What you pay for your netbook you will save on www cafe charges. Books are heavy and cumbersome, just stock up a Kindle. I started my trip with just an iPod Touch but I bought a net-book on the way round.

Here's my equipment list from my big trip, it might provide some food for thought: http://thebionicdude.com/equipment-list/

It'll be a brilliant trip, you can't go wrong ... and if you do it's all part of the adventure.

feel free to pm me if you have specific queries.

Best of luck with the preps.

cdaly_

Also, in preparation, you'll need to watch Beijing Bicycle...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpKh79XngZU

stiofan85

bambergbike wrote: »

Or a hub dynamo.

I'd looked at them, but for the price I don't think I'm bothered - I've read a detailed review of a few solar panels (http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?doc_id=9258) and think I'm going to go with one of them. They're quite cheap.

thebionicdude wrote: »

Forget the Garmin. You don't need it and the battery will die after two long days in the saddle. Charging a Garmin is one less thing to worry about every other day, it's annoying to have a Garmin die in the middle of a long ride. You do need a basic battery computer though, for the times you might need to track distances between turn-offs. Papers maps are where it's at and they are a whole lot of fun once you get into them. The more off the beaten path you go, the better the map you will need. Use Reise or Rough Ride maps depending on the country.

Thanks for the heads up on the Garmin - I may change my mind so. It was always going to be a nice to have item, so it's up in the air for now. I've a good wireless speedo on the bike already. I must check the upper limit of the odometer though. Don't wanna run out of digits!

thebionicdude wrote: »

I don't know the 'Stans but I do know that visas can be tricky/delayed depending on which one you are going to. Do your homework long in advance for these countries.

Reading a good diary on CrazyGuy and she has some good details on these. Main story seems to be they're easy enough to get in the embassies in Georgia and Azerbaijan. Although I'm going to see about sorting them before I leave. Her diary is here: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=11347&v=2Xw

thebionicdude wrote: »

I shipped my solar panel home. It required car adapters for each device meaning more stuff to cart. Honestly, you won't use it but if you want to buy one pm me.

Will drop you a PM - I'm just taking an Android tablet and Android phone with me, so both of these charge off a USB connection. This is the one I was going to get as it has a battery charger too: http://www.amazon.com/Goal-Zero-19006-Adventure-Batteries/dp/B004OHIYLW

thebionicdude wrote: »

I did a 13 month RTW tour, the lessons I learned were were:
1) wear bib-shorts for the shoulder straps as opposed to regular lycra shorts, these slip down after a bit and can become uncomfortable.
2) Don't carry a multi-tool, bring the individual allen keys/screwdrivers/spanners instead as you may need the extra leverage.
3) Cart a net-book and kindle. Having your own computer allows you to do stuff offline (edit photos, watch movies, pen emails in advance of a www connection) and often wifi is more accessible than a cafe. What you pay for your netbook you will save on www cafe charges. Books are heavy and cumbersome, just stock up a Kindle. I started my trip with just an iPod Touch but I bought a net-book on the way round.

Great advice - thank you! I'm happy enough to use my Nexus 7 for ebooks and photo editing. I'm taking an SLR camera with a WiFi SD card so I can go through photos on my downtime on the tablet. Also good for the blog and emails. Not as good as a netbook, but I reckon it'll suffice.

Thanks for all of your input - I've bookmarked your blog and will give it a thorough read tonight.

stiofan85

Holding a table quiz in Dandelion on the 2nd of October to help with the fundraising. Hoping to sort some cycling gear for prizes, so maybe a few boardsies will attend!

www.dublin2beijing.com/events

Tickets are a tenner, tables of 5, raffle etc..

miketv

Looking forward to it Stephen, count me in.

miketv

Thought I would bump this thread. Just a reminder there is a table quiz at the Dandelion Bar & Club on Stephen’s Green tonight at 7pm.

outfox

2 words: Immodium & Motilium. Your water supplies may be dodgy.
Best of luck.

GreyEagle

The Big Day can't be too far off now. Have you set a date Stephen and are you going to have a bit of a 'do' to get the extra publicity?

I'm sure there are many like me who would love to gather for the send-off. Maybe cycle the first few Kms in a group?

Russman

I don't know if its any of the posters above (haven't read the thread fully), but someone cycled from Dublin to Beijing for the Olympics back in the 2008. I'm sure he did a book or a blog about it, I'll try to find out, I've never met the chap but know his father through golf. Think his name is Paul Ryan.

chippers

Russman wrote: »

I don't know if its any of the posters above (haven't read the thread fully), but someone cycled from Dublin to Beijing for the Olympics back in the 2008. I'm sure he did a book or a blog about it, I'll try to find out, I've never met the chap but know his father through golf. Think his name is Paul Ryan.

Yeah I remember that cycle - there was 2 or 3 of them. UCD students doing it for charity. I saw them on a morning chat show before they headed off. Can't for the life of me remember their names.

stiofan85

GreyEagle wrote: »

The Big Day can't be too far off now. Have you set a date Stephen and are you going to have a bit of a 'do' to get the extra publicity?


I'm sure there are many like me who would love to gather for the send-off. Maybe cycle the first few Kms in a group?

Hi Paddy,

I somehow missed your bump on the thread

Yep, d-day is arriving fast. Sunday the 5th at 8:45am to be precise! The ferry isn't running from Rosslare to Cherbourg until mid-January so I'm going to Holyhead and through the UK, so the Irish leg is only about 3km from my door in Kilmainham to Dublin Port! In terms of a 'Do' for extra publicity, I'm gonna keep it low key, mainly because it's an early start and my parents want to send me off. They're not over-joyed about the whole thing so respecting their wishes on that part at least.

All's sorted I believe at this point. In my OP I said I was using a Specialized Hardrock but that was stolen so I'm on a Surly Long Haul Trucker now. Definitely a step up in durability for this type of trip.

All the equipment is bought, clothing, spares, spare spares, cameras and everything in-between. Cycling through the UK should be beneficial as there are plenty of good bike shops there so if anything goes wrong early on I can sort it out easily enough. Camping the first night in Wales, then a night in a hostel, then more camping.

Russman wrote: »

I don't know if its any of the posters above (haven't read the thread fully), but someone cycled from Dublin to Beijing for the Olympics back in the 2008. I'm sure he did a book or a blog about it, I'll try to find out, I've never met the chap but know his father through golf. Think his name is Paul Ryan.

I was given Paul's number during the Summer but lost it and forgot all about it. Only remembered that now after reading this - guess it's a bit late for advice!

Koobcam

Just saw this thread now. Best of luck on the trip, quite a challenge. I spend quite a bit of time in Beijing with my job, probably will be there in September, so I'll buy you a pint when you arrive. I could also suggest some great mountain roads to cycle near Beijing, but I reckon you'll probably want to throw your bike under a train after cycling all that distance.

miketv

Best of luck tomorrow morning on your big adventure Stephen! Enjoy it all, a trip of a lifetime.

helimachoptor

Good luck!

Fatbiker

Best of luck, Stephen. Safe travels. Hope we can follow your progress. FB

Supercell

Best of luck Stephen, hope all goes well for you!

stiofan85

Thanks for the support folks. A seriously, SERIOUSLY, difficult start with the weather the way it's been the past few days. Definitely not what I was planning on.

First day was supposed to be 70km over 4 hours. Hahahaha. Not a hope. Ended up only doing 35km in that time.

Second day was supposed to be a long, but relatively flat 180km. Another one ruined by even worse weather. Had to accept a lift at one point the wind was so strong. I was pushing the bike for 3km and couldn't even push it sometimes because the wind was so strong. Only managed 60km over the course of 8 hours. Sounds laughable, but my oh my were they tough kilometers. I've never experienced anything like it.

Day 3: I'd given up all hope of any plans. It was just a case of get as far as you can. Again, weather ruined even that one, preventing me from leaving the tent this morning until 9am when the wind eased enough to take the tent down. So I was on the road 2 hours later than planned at 10am, ultimately stopping me from breaking the 100km mark and only made 80. Weather was hit and miss during the day. Sometimes it was fine, other times just as bad as previous days but when it was better I was averaging a steady 20kph which, after hours of 8kph I was quite happy with. Afternoon brought back the dreaded slow miles though. 12kph average or so this afternoon.

Costs of BnBs and lost bookings with hostels mean I'm getting a train to London tomorrow as I'm meeting my gf there on Friday and have some stuff to do when I get there before she comes.

When planning this I thought "yeah, wind is a bitch, but sure that happens. Wind and rain, yeah that happens too and it sucks but I'll get over it." Chuck in 75kph gusts, carrying 50kg or whatever my gear and bike weigh up a mountain and torrential rain....I think that pretty much sums up what I never expected. Certainly not in the first 48 hours.

Anyways, 3 tough days done. Was planning on a big day tomorrow but as it happens I can only get the train from early in the day, so the bike goes away tomorrow afternoon until Tuesday. The girlfriend is going to work with an NGO for 6 months while I'm away so it's the last time I'll see her. Will be good to recoup and hopefully by the time I'm on my way to Dover the weather will be much much better.

That's all for now!

Stephen

Supercell

As you get a bit inland the winds should be less of a problem, and most of your trip should be well inland, keep the head up!

inc21

It can only get better now.

GreyEagle

We're all rooting for you. Enjoy the weekend and head out refreshed.

stiofan85

Hello folks,

I've made it as far as Lille in France. Tough enough going from London to Dover, then mixed bag on the 100km to Lille yesterday. Having knee trouble now though, which I've never had before to this extent. My right knee is in a lot of pain. It's difficult to cycle with and even to just go down stairs. I've taken the day off to rest and am going to try raising my saddle. The guy in the shop did a thorough enough fit, but clearly it's all wrong. I'd had no trouble with it on this bike prior to leaving, but I hadn't done any day-after-day cycling with 30kg of gear on the back.

My biggest fear is that I can't get enough rest to heal up properly and then try out different positions. First I'll raise the saddle up and check the usual indicators for correct height and distance from saddle to stem. Then I'll just take things slower by leaving earlier in the morning and reducing my speed and cycling in lower gears as much as possible. It's flat enough for the next few days anyway, so that should help.

Otherwise the bike is holding up well. Rear wheel is slightly out of true, but it's fine. I'm comfortable on the Brooks, thanks again Paddy. The panniers are fine and perfectly waterproof. Not much camping yet due to the weather. Getting sorted in cheap hostels so far. I guess the camping will come in time, but for now with my knee being sore and it's quite cold out, I'll stick to the hostels.

That's all for now. More on the blog too! www.dublin2beijing.com

Koobcam

stiofan85 wrote: »

Hello folks,

I've made it as far as Lille in France. Tough enough going from London to Dover, then mixed bag on the 100km to Lille yesterday. Having knee trouble now though, which I've never had before to this extent. My right knee is in a lot of pain. It's difficult to cycle with and even to just go down stairs. I've taken the day off to rest and am going to try raising my saddle. The guy in the shop did a thorough enough fit, but clearly it's all wrong. I'd had no trouble with it on this bike prior to leaving, but I hadn't done any day-after-day cycling with 30kg of gear on the back.

My biggest fear is that I can't get enough rest to heal up properly and then try out different positions. First I'll raise the saddle up and check the usual indicators for correct height and distance from saddle to stem. Then I'll just take things slower by leaving earlier in the morning and reducing my speed and cycling in lower gears as much as possible. It's flat enough for the next few days anyway, so that should help.

Otherwise the bike is holding up well. Rear wheel is slightly out of true, but it's fine. I'm comfortable on the Brooks, thanks again Paddy. The panniers are fine and perfectly waterproof. Not much camping yet due to the weather. Getting sorted in cheap hostels so far. I guess the camping will come in time, but for now with my knee being sore and it's quite cold out, I'll stick to the hostels.

That's all for now. More on the blog too! www.dublin2beijing.com

Best to take a few days off if your knee is acting up. I believe it's normally recommended to completely rest until all pain is gone. In your case, there's no point in making it worse given how far you have still to go.

stiofan85

Koobcam wrote: »

Best to take a few days off if your knee is acting up. I believe it's normally recommended to completely rest until all pain is gone. In your case, there's no point in making it worse given how far you have still to go.

I'm going to press on to Luxembourg, which is 3 days' cycle away. If it doesn't improve at all in that time, I'll take a few days off. I can't stay where I am as the hostel is quite small and has no facilities for cooking so it's expensive. It's a flat route most of the way though, so hopefully I'll survive!

If not, I'm not sure of what I can do. The knees are important for this type of thing!

Koobcam

stiofan85 wrote: »

I'm going to press on to Luxembourg, which is 3 days' cycle away. If it doesn't improve at all in that time, I'll take a few days off. I can't stay where I am as the hostel is quite small and has no facilities for cooking so it's expensive. It's a flat route most of the way though, so hopefully I'll survive!

If not, I'm not sure of what I can do. The knees are important for this type of thing!

Fair enough, look after the knee anyway, good luck getting to Luxembourg

cdaly_

stiofan85 wrote: »

If not, I'm not sure of what I can do. The knees are important for this type of thing!

I don't know what your normal pedalling style is but pick a lower gear and pedal faster. That should ease pressure on your knees.

stiofan85

cdaly_ wrote: »

I don't know what your normal pedalling style is but pick a lower gear and pedal faster. That should ease pressure on your knees.

I'm usually quite a spinner, dunno what my cadence is but many people have commented that I spin at a high rate. I've seen videos with me cycling and I do stand out for it.

With that said, when going up a hill with the heavy bike and head first into the wind, it's less spinning, more grinding, even in the lowest gear!

Reading a bit more on other people's experience, I think I'm gonna tone down the distances and take a few days in Luxembourg to heal up. I've adjusted the saddle up an inch and forward about half an inch. I now have a slight bend at the knee when the pedals are at 12 and 6 o'clock and my knees are above the middle of the pedal when at 9 and 3. It looks right, but again, I'll have to try it to see. Hopefully tomorrow won't be too bad :pac:

stiofan85

Okay, I'm convinced. Staying another day in Lille to rest up. Voltarol gel and ibuprofen are working. Gonna keep each day under 80km for the next fortnight to try to heal up. If I need extra time in Luxembourg, so be it.

This is a marathon, not a race. If I get my body right now it'll pay dividends later. I'll be sure to document all of this on the blog so anyone else stupid enough to take on something like this doesn't make the same mistakes as me!

GreyEagle

Hi Stephen,
Why Luxembourg?
I spent about a year, on and off, working in Luxembourg. I found it to be a fairly pricey place to live, unless you have friends there who can accommodate you. At this time of the year it can be very cold especially if the wind swings around to the east. My trusty Renault 12 let me down one morning when the temperature got down to -24c. Lots of cycling fanatics there too but they mostly put the bikes away until spring and do some winter sports instead. The forecast this week is for low single figures and icy conditions on the roads. Next week is much worse with snow forecast. See http://www.wetter.com/wetter_aktuell/wettervorhersage/16_tagesvorhersage/?id=LUAIR6296718

stiofan85

GreyEagle wrote: »

Hi Stephen,
Why Luxembourg?
I spent about a year, on and off, working in Luxembourg. I found it to be a fairly pricey place to live, unless you have friends there who can accommodate you. At this time of the year it can be very cold especially if the wind swings around to the east. My trusty Renault 12 let me down one morning when the temperature got down to -24c. Lots of cycling fanatics there too but they mostly put the bikes away until spring and do some winter sports instead. The forecast this week is for low single figures and icy conditions on the roads. Next week is much worse with snow forecast. See http://www.wetter.com/wetter_aktuell/wettervorhersage/16_tagesvorhersage/?id=LUAIR6296718

Hi Paddy,

I saw your post earlier this morning and have had the day to think about it! I thought about it a lot in fact!

Luxembourg? It's on the way I guess. With my knee giving me so much grief, I figured I'd head towards the next large city I could find with a hostel. If it's expensive, so be it. I've enough food in my panniers combined with some shopping in Lidl/equivalent to get by on 30-35 per day, in line with my budget including the hostel.

I'm finding the terrain in east Belgium very tough and hilly. I never factored Belgium in the original plan, but because my knee is so bad, I've been trying to hit smaller distances in the 80k region. Today was an 85km killer of hills. I'm going to check out the elevation gain on mapmyride, but I think I climbed maybe 15 hills, each about 300m. I had nothing left after 45k with my left leg taking the majority of the load.

If you have any suggestions on the route after Luxembourg please suggest away.

I know of the issues with the cold. Unfortunately my hands are tied regards having to depart in January to make my sister's wedding in September, so I was always going to have to cycle in the worst weather. It was 3 degrees today and I felt no problem with it. I still have two thermal layers in my bags including a fleece on top of what I was wearing today, so I think I'm okay on the cold. Once it's not bucketing down rain!

Spending a week in Luxembourg should eat into the Winter weather a bit too. Then Germany and Austria hit me. I'm trying to stay north of the Alps for obvious reasons but once past them I think I might head south for better weather. What do you think?

GreyEagle

One option you might consider after Luxembourg would be to route to Nuremberg by the flattest road you can find on www.ridewithgps.com and from there follow the Danube all the way (downhill) to the Black Sea. Then follow the coast south to Istanbul. That’s about 2900kms. Perhaps others with more knowledge than me may have better suggestions.

stiofan85

GreyEagle wrote: »

One option you might consider after Luxembourg would be to route to Nuremberg by the flattest road you can find on www.ridewithgps.com and from there follow the Danube all the way (downhill) to the Black Sea. Then follow the coast south to Istanbul. That’s about 2900kms. Perhaps others with more knowledge than me may have better suggestions.

Really good suggestion on the Danube route. Have looked at it there and I think it's a winner. I'll just figure out the easiest way to get to it then off I go I suppose. Knee troubles permitting!

dissed doc

I think routing into Luxembourg is a bad idea completely so being just up front here is my advice about biking across europe. You should aim to get to pretty much anywhere in Germany before stopping for a rest. Along with being cheaper, Germany is cycling heaven and there are well planned national routes across the whole country.

An easy suggestion like following the Danube is to first follow the Rhein Radweg (this well known route is excellent , you can follow it all the way to Basel in Switzerland). To get to the rhein from luxembourg, aim for Trier and follow the Mosel river route to the Deutsches Eck (where the Mosel and Rhein join. There is a flipping huge statue like the collosus of rhodes at this join, you can't miss it).

At Mannheim (near Heidelberg) branch off and follow the Neckar river route. Again, easy going, flat, well signposted. Stay in Heidelberg, it's like the House of Elrond when biking.

You then move towards the Heilbronn and Stuttgart region. Mostly awful but the prize is getting to beautiful Nördlingen, making it a very easy trip to join the Danube just south west near Augsburg.

Then the Isar Radweg If you choose, but basically you want to get the Danube radweg. This means getting on on the very popular Passau route which is along the first stage . What i recommend is the route into munich to join the Isar and back out towards Deggendorf where you can follow the Donau to Passau, Linz and on to Vienna with complete ease.

It is possible to go a direct route, as the crow flies, but the rivers are so easy to route along. If you avoid the rivers prepare for slower going and less predictability with daily distance. i would also avoid following the routes closer to the alps in an effort to get to the Donau because its hilly and at this time of year dependent on weather, could be impassable drops below freezing. (i am referring to the danube route more southern and long before deggendorf). Rivers are the literal paths of least resistance, so will save you planning.

After that, it is beyond my knowledge. I do it like river route for a few days then cross country to join the next one, then again river route.

Filibuster

Pull into the nearest bike shop and get a fitting. Your not positioned correctly and that's what's giving you the knee pain. When you get the bike aligned properly mark the saddle height etc with a permanent marker so it's there for the rest of the trip.

pprendeville

Filibuster wrote: »

Pull into the nearest bike shop and get a fitting. Your not positioned correctly and that's what's giving you the knee pain. When you get the bike aligned properly mark the saddle height etc with a permanent marker so it's there for the rest of the trip.

Excellent advice. You mentioned you moved the seat post up/down an inch in an earlier post I think (maybe fore/aft, can't remember). That's a huge amount. I think 3-5mm increments is more than enough of a shift. Bike fit is the best option. Before getting a fitting done make sure you are clear about the process. It should at least include a Q&A about previous injuries whether bike related or not, some sort of test of your flexibility as well as obviously putting you on the bike and making adjustments. Also nice to have some sort of software input also where they make a video of you and relate it to ideal positions. This doesn't have to be a Retul Bike fit (a fairly expensive scientific fit) obviously.

pprendeville

dissed doc wrote: »

I think routing into Luxembourg is a bad idea completely so being just up front here is my advice about biking across europe. You should aim to get to pretty much anywhere in Germany before stopping for a rest. Along with being cheaper, Germany is cycling heaven and there are well planned national routes across the whole country.

An easy suggestion like following the Danube is to first follow the Rhein Radweg (this well known route is excellent , you can follow it all the way to Basel in Switzerland). To get to the rhein from luxembourg, aim for Trier and follow the Mosel river route to the Deutsches Eck (where the Mosel and Rhein join. There is a flipping huge statue like the collosus of rhodes at this join, you can't miss it).

At Mannheim (near Heidelberg) branch off and follow the Neckar river route. Again, easy going, flat, well signposted. Stay in Heidelberg, it's like the House of Elrond when biking.

You then move towards the Heilbronn and Stuttgart region. Mostly awful but the prize is getting to beautiful Nördlingen, making it a very easy trip to join the Danube just south west near Augsburg.

Then the Isar Radweg If you choose, but basically you want to get the Danube radweg. This means getting on on the very popular Passau route which is along the first stage . What i recommend is the route into munich to join the Isar and back out towards Deggendorf where you can follow the Donau to Passau, Linz and on to Vienna with complete ease.

It is possible to go a direct route, as the crow flies, but the rivers are so easy to route along. If you avoid the rivers prepare for slower going and less predictability with daily distance. i would also avoid following the routes closer to the alps in an effort to get to the Donau because its hilly and at this time of year dependent on weather, could be impassable drops below freezing. (i am referring to the danube route more southern and long before deggendorf). Rivers are the literal paths of least resistance, so will save you planning.

After that, it is beyond my knowledge. I do it like river route for a few days then cross country to join the next one, then again river route.

Have you ever thought of quitting the day job and applying for a position with Garmin as the voice navigator on the next Garmin Edge release?
Love the house of Elrond comparison.