# Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted



## smith4188 (10 Mar 2015)

Between 2011 and 2013 I did a massive European tour and it was wonderful except that I spent all of my money. I started looking around for a cheaper and yet still enjoyable way to travel and I hope I've found it.

This summer I'm attempting to cycle from the north of England to Gibraltar living on £1 per day. The majority of my food will come from fishing and foraging. It will take around 100 days. Normally I cycle alone but on this year's ride, without the campsites, bars and restaurants of my previous rides, it might get a bit lonely and so I'm looking for a handful of people to join me on this unique tour.

I appreciate that few people can take three months out of their busy lives but the timing of this tour would be ideal for students, the retired or anyone who is stick of daily life. The trip will cost less than it would to stay at home and you'll get the opportunity to attempt something that has (I think) never been done before.

If you're interested in joining me, or keeping an eye on the trip, please visit http://www.rideandseek2015.com/. It would be great to have you along!


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## tournut (10 Mar 2015)

smith4188 said:


> Between 2011 and 2013 I did a massive European tour and it was wonderful except that I spent all of my money. I started looking around for a cheaper and yet still enjoyable way to travel and I hope I've found it.
> 
> This summer I'm attempting to cycle from the north of England to Gibraltar living on £1 per day. The majority of my food will come from fishing and foraging. It will take around 100 days. Normally I cycle alone but on this year's ride, without the campsites, bars and restaurants of my previous rides, it might get a bit lonely and so I'm looking for a handful of people to join me on this unique tour.
> 
> ...


Hi wot time in summer. And how you getting bk from gib.


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## Arrowfoot (10 Mar 2015)

Op, the charity that you selected is highly rated. Well done.


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## steveindenmark (10 Mar 2015)

I am a little confused and hope someone can help.

Is the Isle of man classed as the North of England?

If the riders are going to survive on £1 a day, how do they get to mainland Europe?

Its a great idea and wish I could do it.


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## smith4188 (10 Mar 2015)

steveindenmark said:


> I am a little confused and hope someone can help.
> Is the Isle of man classed as the North of England?



The exact start point isn't decided yet. I will be starting from the Isle of Man. It may be Liverpool for others. I don't expect anyone else (except a resident Manxman) to start from the Isle of Man. That'd be stupid. If people join me at any point I'd be happy.



steveindenmark said:


> If the riders are going to survive on £1 a day, how do they get to mainland Europe?



That's something I'm working on.



steveindenmark said:


> Its a great idea and wish I could do it.



C'mon.


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## smith4188 (10 Mar 2015)

Arrowfoot said:


> Op, the charity that you selected is highly rated. Well done.


Is it? They're not very good at answering emails.


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## Brains (10 Mar 2015)

Unless you are also going to be using the charity of others, something like a couple of shredded tyres could blow the entire budget.

Having lived for about a week in Europe during the summer on foraged food (we ran out of money), the thing you need to be aware of is what crops come into season and when and where they are grown.
Sweetcorn gets very very boring (and provides very little in the way of calories), potatoes are good, if you can find them.
You might want to time your departure to coincide with what crops are being picked, the left side of France has a lot of grape vines, and mid summer the grapes will be too small and bitter to eat.

By the way: Avoid seagull, it's basically inedible.


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## smith4188 (10 Mar 2015)

Brains said:


> Unless you are also going to be using the charity of others, something like a couple of shredded tyres could blow the entire budget.
> 
> Having lived for about a week in Europe during the summer on foraged food (we ran out of money), the thing you need to be aware of is what crops come into season and when and where they are grown.
> Sweetcorn gets very very boring (and provides very little in the way of calories), potatoes are good, if you can find them.
> ...



I'll be taking the usual spares, including a tyre. But yes, if my bike goes over a landmine no amount of spares will save it. The charity of others will only be accepted if it's freely offered, except when it comes to water, which is (almost) free. I'm not allowed to go seeking charity. If the cycle self-destructs, I'll find another way. I hope it doesn't get that bloody-minded.

There may be a perfect time to start (although I doubt it for all four countries) but this is a window I have. Doing it entirely foraged has never worked for anyone I've found online. But £1 per day will provide flour, salt, sugar, oil, stock cubes and chilli and maybe more. Add in fish, leaves, fruits, nuts, cacti as I get to Spain and I reckon I can find a way not to starve to death. I might even eat well. But I could be wrong.

And thanks for the heads-up about seagulls but I've heard about their fishy qualities. What I only learnt recently is that city pigeons carry chlamydia. In any case I'd probably have a problem killing a bird (hypocritical though that is as someone who eats meat). I reckon it's going to be fish, seafood and plants the whole way.

Also, potatoes could only be had by thieving and that's not allowed either. Fancy coming along?


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## smith4188 (11 Mar 2015)

tournut said:


> Hi wot time in summer. And how you getting bk from gib.



Sorry, didn't see this reply earlier. I (hopefully we) leave northern England mid-June and reach Gibraltar at the end of September. I'll be staying down there for the winter but immediately after the ride I'll be heading east through Malaga, which is a city with a cheap airport from which to get back to the UK at that time of year.


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## tournut (11 Mar 2015)

smith4188 said:


> Sorry, didn't see this reply earlier. I (hopefully we) leave northern England mid-June and reach Gibraltar at the end of September. I'll be staying down there for the winter but immediately after the ride I'll be heading east through Malaga, which is a city with a cheap airport from which to get back to the UK at that time of year.


Dont understand why 100days to gib, your going to spend most of the time looking for food, can be walked in that time. Or you stoping off in places for few days?. Good luck. At least if you get a few people to join you , you can pool your money to have a good meal.


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## smith4188 (11 Mar 2015)

Cheers! It's 100 days because it's about 6,000 km (3,700 miles) sticking to the coast, where the fish are. 60 km per day should keep us moving without burning up too many calories and leave enough time to forage and fish.


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## Blue Hills (13 Mar 2015)

Brains said:


> Unless you are also going to be using the charity of others, something like a couple of shredded tyres could blow the entire budget.
> 
> Having lived for about a week in Europe during the summer on foraged food (we ran out of money), the thing you need to be aware of is what crops come into season and when and where they are grown.
> Sweetcorn gets very very boring (and provides very little in the way of calories), potatoes are good, if you can find them.
> ...


This demands that you tell us more surely - did you ever write it up?


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## bigjim (13 Mar 2015)

September, October is good in France. I've dined off blackberries, raspberries, figs, grapes, plums, apples and pears. All growing wild at the side of roads and canal etc. Amazing the amount of food that has probably seeded through the action of birds or the wind, Nobody mentioned roadkill. I am sure there is a host of food growing wild everywhere but we don't know what it is. I do know that dandelions are very nutricious though.


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## Brains (14 Mar 2015)

Blue Hills said:


> This demands that you tell us more surely - did you ever write it up?



No never wrote it up.

First time was in the very north of Scotland below Cape Wrath, chucked out the back of a land rover in the middle of the night and given 3 days to get to a grid reference, we had no food, no preparation and it rained the entire time.
We aimed for the sea, found a bay, built a shelter and tried to catch fish but gave it up as no idea how to do it, and no equipment, we then collected shellfish, but came to the conclusion that energy expended was greater than energy intake. We then caught a seagull and after a lot of effort in de-feathering it, gutting it (luckily one of the lads had had a Saturday job at a butchers) we roasted it over a fire. The result was a very small bit of meat for each of us that was greasy fishy and actually inedible. We did not kill any more gulls. We found out later another team that were mostly Omani's had managed to catch a sheep, and knew what to do with it. (They had to pay for the sheep later when the Shepard was found) 

The other time was in the Swiss Alps, the cost of everything was so high that we simply ran out of money and with 4 days before our train home we needed food.We found a lot of sweetcorn growing and cooked it, we think later that it may have been cattle feed, as it tasted revolting, was incredibly tough, and did not seem to provide any energy.
On the outskirts of several villages we found allotments and discretely dug up potatoes and carrots, hopefully in such a way as not to be spotted by the owners.And that is what we lived on for 4 days in the Alps and two days back on the train, potatoes and carrots with sweetcorn. We had to hitchhike from Dover to home as we did not have the train fare


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## MarkF (15 Mar 2015)

The concept of foraging and fishing to provide fuel for many miles of arduous cycling a day (when not foraging and fishing) appears flawed to me, although I admit to knowing FA all about foraging and fishing.................it sounds a great idea though and I will look forward to the reading very much.

I keep trying to find the thread where someone was planning to cross Spain on £4 per day, I thought that was just about do-able, but £1? You can consume a huge amount of calories, in hot arduous cycling in Spain, I am struggling to see how you can fuel yourself adequately to make sensible progress possible.

The positives are that I've crossed France and Spain very cheaply and agree no money is needed for accommodation and, I've not spent £1 on any cycle repairs, maintenance consisting of pumping air in the tyres and oiling the chain.


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## oldfatfool (15 Mar 2015)

means no beer or wine, I'm out!!


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## smith4188 (15 Mar 2015)

oldfatfool said:


> means no beer or wine, I'm out!!



Ha! That's part of the challenge. I've never gone longer than a couple of weeks without a drink in my adult life. I'd like to see if it's possible. (Or perhaps with a bag of sugar, a few roadside berries and a little wine yeast we could make our own awful-tasting wine on the way down.)


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## jay clock (15 Mar 2015)

There are loads of bits of coast where you will struggle to fish in my view. I think you will do better begging (ok explaining what your charity is for and asking for donations of food to eat and cash for the charity)

Plus you need to think about basic nutrients like vitamin C and various others


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## Eurostar (15 Mar 2015)

Bugger the fishing, are you allowed to forage in supermarket bins? In the UK that's theft, but there are plenty of freegans who live very well this way. If I were doing your trip, that's what I'd do. I tried it in the US and it was OK. Lots of homeless people do it there and it doesn't raise any eyebrows. Unless there's a security guard who sees you and feels obliged to stop you. I also went to Starbucks at the end of the day when they were throwing out sandwiches. I suppose this wasn't theft if the employee actually gave them to you.


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## MarkF (15 Mar 2015)

Eurostar said:


> Bugger the fishing, are you allowed to forage in supermarket bins? In the UK that's theft, but there are plenty of freegans who live very well this way. If I were doing your trip, that's what I'd do. I tried it in the US and it was OK. Lots of homeless people do it there and it doesn't raise any eyebrows. Unless there's a security guard who sees you and feels obliged to stop you. I also went to Starbucks at the end of the day when they were throwing out sandwiches. I suppose this wasn't theft if the employee actually gave them to you.



My nieces and nephews do this in Sydney, for fun, "dumpster diving", I suppose I could do it in Leeds/Bradford whilst cycling. But I don't think you could synch it in with trans euro touring and it being an enjoyable experience.

Raise it to £2 a day and you could buy 12 magdalena buns for power and some fruit, even so.............


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## smith4188 (15 Mar 2015)

No, no bin diving or begging. I want to see if it can be done as much as possible like it was done in the past. The £1 is there as a cushion and because the natural resources available millenia ago have been destroyed. People have tried shortish, entirely foraged rides before and, as far as I can tell, they haven't worked. But nothing on the scale of this ride. Vitamins shouldn't be a problem though. Foragable foods contains more nutrients than the stuff in the supermarkets. Food growers bred out nutrient quality and quantity in favour of attractive products.

I'm not saying it's going to work, but I'll give it a go. If nothing else it'll be interesting.


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## Eurostar (15 Mar 2015)

So no busking either...you want to be a hunter-gatherer. If you take 100 days, that's 20 miles per day so you'd have time to set snares for rabbits. Yum! I wonder what else you could catch in France and Spain...boar? Squirrels? Mountain goats?

Have you been over to yacf.co.uk? Some proper hardcases there, they all do PBP.


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## smith4188 (15 Mar 2015)

Eurostar said:


> So no busking either...you want to be a hunter-gatherer. If you take 100 days, that's 20 miles per day so you'd have time to set snares for rabbits. Yum! I wonder what else you could catch in France and Spain...boar? Squirrels? Mountain goats?
> 
> Have you been over to yacf.co.uk? Some proper hardcases there, they all do PBP.



It's more like 40 miles a day. We're going via the coast to get the fish. The total distance is around 3,700 miles. I'd never even heard of yacf. Cheers, I'll give 'em a look.


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## MarkF (15 Mar 2015)

Can see a Chris McCandless tale here......._." 4 British cyclists found dead near Toledo, 200 yards from Maccy D's"_


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## Ticktockmy (15 Mar 2015)

I would think you will need to find 3000 Cals a day Minumin, I think you will be pushed to achieve that by foraging and too much fish will reduce your immunity to cuts and scraps. When some years ago i was cycling down through Africa, I was hard pushed to find anywhere like the Calories I needed, and after a month I was really suffering and looked like Crap and felt like it.


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## smith4188 (15 Mar 2015)

MarkF said:


> Can see a Chris McCandless tale here......._." 4 British cyclists found dead near Toledo, 200 yards from Maccy D's"_



If we're near Toledo we've gone about as far off course as it's possible to go in Spain. But it's a nice city, so who knows?


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## jonny jeez (15 Mar 2015)

smith4188 said:


> Between 2011 and 2013 I did a massive European tour and it was wonderful except that I spent all of my money. I started looking around for a cheaper and yet still enjoyable way to travel and I hope I've found it.
> 
> This summer I'm attempting to cycle from the north of England to Gibraltar living on £1 per day. The majority of my food will come from fishing and foraging. It will take around 100 days. Normally I cycle alone but on this year's ride, without the campsites, bars and restaurants of my previous rides, it might get a bit lonely and so I'm looking for a handful of people to join me on this unique tour.
> 
> ...


Well it's a proper challenge that's for sure.

I've read the rules and can see its a real tough undertaking.

If I had the time, which is to say I didn't have family or a career then this would be the sort of thing that would really appeal.

Good luck with the planning, I hope you get the scholarship support.


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## smith4188 (15 Mar 2015)

Ticktockmy said:


> I would think you will need to find 3000 Cals a day Minumin, I think you will be pushed to achieve that by foraging and too much fish will reduce your immunity to cuts and scraps. When some years ago i was cycling down through Africa, I was hard pushed to find anywhere like the Calories I needed, and after a month I was really suffering and looked like Crap and felt like it.



Everyone seems to be forgetting about our £1.


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## MarkF (15 Mar 2015)

I ate cheap in France and Spain, but as far as I can recall, 12 magdalenas cost 99 cents, not bakery ones but supermarket cheapest ones, these were great for a cycling "boost" but I looked at the packaging, it was about 1500 calories (and not much else) in total.


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## Bodhbh (15 Mar 2015)

smith4188 said:


> Ha! That's part of the challenge. I've never gone longer than a couple of weeks without a drink in my adult life. I'd like to see if it's possible. (Or perhaps with a bag of sugar, a few roadside berries and a little wine yeast we could make our own awful-tasting wine on the way down.)



I am healthy sceptical about the jaunt, but good luck! Surely the better the turnout, the harder it'll be to forage for food and wild camp etc?

Regarding the booze, I've had a mess about with bread yeast and fruit juice in the past. You can easily get something strong enough to get a buzz off that doesn't taste too offensive within a week. The key is to drink before all the sugar gets turned to alcohol - once it's bone dry there's nothing to mask the off taste! tbh bread yeast is a false economy, get a decent, clean yeast (i.e. Nottingham beer yeast) that doesn't produce too much funky flavours and can handle whatever temperatures you thrown at it and keep re-inoculating. Or google prison wine....

But then you don't really want to be lugging about gallons of fermenting juice I think...


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## smith4188 (15 Mar 2015)

MarkF said:


> I ate cheap in France and Spain, but as far as I can recall, 12 magdalenas cost 99 cents, not bakery ones but supermarket cheapest ones, these were great for a cycling "boost" but I looked at the packaging, it was about 1500 calories (and not much else) in total.



I've done some calculations. At current Tesco prices, flour is 12,000 calories per £1 and pasta is around 9,000. Yes, not much nutrition - that can come from the foraged foods - but the calories are there.


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## smith4188 (15 Mar 2015)

Bodhbh said:


> Surely the better the turnout, the harder it'll be to forage for food and wild camp etc?



As long as there are not loads of us I would have thought a small team is better than an individual. If an individual finds nothing, there's nothing to eat. If in a team of five, two people find nothing, two find something and one finds a lot, the average is better. True about the wild camping but we can split up in the evening if it becomes an issue.



Bodhbh said:


> Regarding the booze, I've had a mess about with bread yeast and fruit juice in the past.



Cheers, I've done some home brew myself (ah, real ginger beer!), but I'd rather use this trip as a good excuse to avoid it entirely, until the end, that is. And yeah, lugging a 30 litre fermenting bin around would be a right pain.


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## Arrowfoot (16 Mar 2015)

OP - I have read your replies to comments from others and feel that you might be stretching this a bit too far or its not well planned. It seems more a foraging experience than an adventure bike ride. £1 is more tokenism than anything else.

If its a foraging challenge, why not setup camp in the wild for a couple of months and do it proper. If the inclination is an adventure bike journey to see people, place and culture and achieve considerable distance on the cheap than make it at least £10 a day. That will certainly avoid illness and create a cohesive group to enjoy the ride with. 

Either one is awesome and a real challenge. But the way that you described it thus far, it best not to bring along others and put them at risk.


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## andym (16 Mar 2015)

All the nettle pasta you can eat! What's not to like?


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## Eurostar (16 Mar 2015)

I think it's doable if somebody knows how to fish and you find some berries. Just those two foods will keep you healthy for 3 months. The £1 gets you enough pasta to pedal, plus salt and tabasco. That's enough to get you to Gib without losing your sanity. Forty miles per day average leaves you loads of time for foraging and cooking. If you also get shellfish, mushrooms, seaweed and root vegetables, so much the better.


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## smith4188 (16 Mar 2015)

Arrowfoot said:


> But the way that you described it thus far, it best not to bring along others and put them at risk.



I'm not sure I understand the risk. The worst that could happen is that, after a period of time, we don't have enough to eat. In that case we'll re-assess the situation. No one who comes along is contractually obliged to do anything they don't want to do. We are all adults.


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## vernon (17 Mar 2015)

andym said:


> All the nettle pasta you can eat! What's not to like?



The boredom.


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## SatNavSaysStraightOn (17 Mar 2015)

I think there is a lot of negative on here regarding the food situation.

It is easy to make flat bread over a camp fire and bread provides a lot of calories and goes with everything. Vary the type of four and you have variety. Add some butter/mag/oil to that and you have plenty of calories.

Soup and stews or casseroles are easy to make and with a touch of baking powder dumplings can be added to create variety.

Cooking eggs in the soup/stew adds variety. We are not talking about 3 meals a day made for €1 of there is more than 1 person.

Beans and pulses will add necessary protein, again not that expensive. Red lentils are great in this aspect, but baken beans are also great.

Consider splashing out on some tahini or halva as well. Both are made from sesame seed paste and very rich in nutrients and calories. Tahini can be added to most dishes and in particular mixed with something like grape molasses, date molasses (my favourite) or just and sweet sugary substance and spread on bread for breakfast. Halva is a great energy boost during the day and a good nutrient hit if running low and far better for you nutritionally than straight sugar like jelly babies. We lived off it through eastern Europe on our big tour, but it is widely available nowadays if you know where to look for it.

Nettles have already been mentioned and they are very nutritious, something people often don't realise and dismiss. And there are plenty of edible tree leaves if you know what you are doing. They may not add many calories but they do add variety, the same with flowers and petals, many of which are edible.

Oatmeal is a good choice for breakfast and any berries picked (query on time of year, I forget now) just checked and it is June, so start of the very season, berries will add the necessary vit c to the daily diet but from experience they do take a while to pick (for 2 people picking for 2 put half an hour side and remember to have a suitable container handy), but it is easily doable (I have done it and so have both my oh and I together until the season finished on us in mid September).

Eating off the land is not that hard with the right training and practice. It's the latter that is more important! Time and patience are key.

Of you want anymore nutritional advice, please come over to the CookingBites forum, the link is at the top of the page. It is another of the site owner's forums.

Edit: I would have loved to have come but sadly I doubt my back injury will have recovered enough by June for me to join you.


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## smith4188 (17 Mar 2015)

SatNavSaysStraightOn said:


> Of you want anymore nutritional advice, please come over to the CookingBites forum.



Thanks for that. I think tahini might be outside the £1 budget though. The last time I lived in the UK it seemed expensive. Has that changed?



SatNavSaysStraightOn said:


> I would have loved to have come but sadly I doubt my back injury will have recovered enough by June for me to join you.



If you find a miracle cure it would be great to have you along.


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## SatNavSaysStraightOn (17 Mar 2015)

smith4188 said:


> Thanks for that. I think tahini might be outside the £1 budget though. The last time I lived in the UK it seemed expensive. Has that changed?
> 
> If you find a miracle cure it would be great to have you along.


Wrt tahini, it really does depend on where you buy it. I don't use health food shops but Asian supermarkets and you only need something like a tablespoon a day. You will find asain supermarkets a much better place for shipping cheaply and being the nutrients you need and they are available far and wide abroad as well.

Sadly my back injury is bad. A ruptured disc has left me partially paralysed and I have had to buy a recumbent trike just to get cycling again. Walking still requires crutches some 4-5 months on and right now a miracle would be needed to get me touring again by June this year! We may well have to move house just because of me and I'm not sure my average speed of 6mph at the moment would work well with others! 

Edit: I pay about £5 per kg for tahini. And it is much cheaper the further south you go where it's use is more common.


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## Incontinentia Buttocks (17 Mar 2015)

I think this is a brilliant idea, not for me, but horse's for courses. I wish you every bit of luck in your trip, life is very short, there is no rehearsal so make the most of it. And if you ever do the same trip but stopping at B&B's I'm probably your man!


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## smith4188 (17 Mar 2015)

Incontinentia Buttocks said:


> I think this is a brilliant idea, not for me, but horse's for courses. I wish you every bit of luck in your trip, life is very short, there is no rehearsal so make the most of it. And if you ever do the same trip but stopping at B&B's I'm probably your man!



:-) Thanks for your positivity. I hasn't been a feature of every reply to this idea when I've mentioned it here or elsewhere. If I fail with £1, then I'll do £3, then £5 and eventually I'll get to an amount that can afford a nice B&B.


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## Ganymede (17 Mar 2015)

I love this idea. I'm a keen forager and like to fish. But I couldn't be away for that long, I have a marriage and some pretty heavy family responsibility to think of!


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## e-rider (18 Mar 2015)

I don't quite see the pleasure in this. So, your last tour was of 'premium' standard and you ended up blowing a whole load of cash right? Now you want to do a cheaper tour which is fair enough but why limit it to £1 per day and living in very poor conditions - surely any reasonable person would just calculate the cost of a 'budget' trip, save the money, get the bike out and cycle off for a good time!


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## Ganymede (18 Mar 2015)

e-rider said:


> I don't quite see the pleasure in this. So, your last tour was of 'premium' standard and you ended up blowing a whole load of cash right? Now you want to do a cheaper tour which is fair enough but why limit it to £1 per day and living in very poor conditions - surely any reasonable person would just calculate the cost of a 'budget' trip, save the money, get the bike out and cycle off for a good time!


You write as a cyclist... but if you are a forager AND a cyclist, it's different. If you are a forager you are always asking yourself that question... could I survive with what I forage? What is the minimum input from civilisation/farming that I could get away with? Would I stay healthy? Would the food be nice enough? It's a hobby in exactly the same way as "as a cyclist, could I get up that hill? Could I cycle 100 miles? Could I get to my destination without using a car or public transport? Could I beat that bloke in the red jersey who's just gone past me?" It's just another way of having a good time.


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## Eurostar (18 Mar 2015)

Lots of people are very interested in foraging - sometimes they do courses with Ray Mears or former SAS members. It seems entirely logical to me to combine foraging with cycling, which after all is just 'natural' human powered transport, with 6 or 8 times better mechanical advantage than legs alone. I'm sure the OP will find people who will jump at the chance of joining this expedition. But perhaps these people are more likely to be on bushcraft forums than cycling ones?


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## SatNavSaysStraightOn (18 Mar 2015)

Eurostar said:


> Lots of people are very interested in foraging - sometimes they do courses with Ray Mears or former SAS members. It seems entirely logical to me to combine foraging with cycling, which after all is just 'natural' human powered transport, with 6 or 8 times better mechanical advantage than legs alone. I'm sure the OP will find people who will jump at the chance of joining this expedition. But perhaps these *people are more likely to be on bushcraft forums than cycling ones?*



Being one of those people, I'm not certain they will. Normally foraging is on foot and most of the people I know from 'that' society would travel by foot or car. In fact the only other person I can think of away from here that I know would not bat an eyelid over cycling that kind of distance (in excess of 2,000 miles) is my husband. And my experience of people who do the Ray Mears or similar courses (have done them) is that they are that half of them have never even camped before let alone slept outdoors (and half of those have never cooked their own food before either) and the other half have been camping all their life and are looking at survival options for more remote areas. It is only the ones who have gone on and subsequently applied those principles and carried on living outside that could be interested and then you have to convince them that cycling is an option. I think you stand a better chance with cyclists personally. The outdoor survivalists I know are much more overweight and lazy!


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## Ganymede (18 Mar 2015)

SatNavSaysStraightOn said:


> The outdoor survivalists I know are much more overweight and lazy!


That's funny! Perhaps they want to live off their own stored resources!

I do cycle to forage - there's a patch of wild garlic on my commute! I was working with a woman who was into all that stuff like me and used to collect a carrier bag-full on the way in to give to her. She loved it as there was none near her.


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## SatNavSaysStraightOn (18 Mar 2015)

Ganymede said:


> That's funny! Perhaps they want to live off their own stored resources!
> 
> I do cycle to forage - there's a *patch of wild garlic on my commute*! I was working with a woman who was into all that stuff like me and used to collect a carrier bag-full on the way in to give to her. She loved it as there was none near her.



can you get me some please? I can't get my trike to the only patch I know of here because the barriers are too narrow to get a trike through and I can't travel by car (can't sit) and can't walk that far, so we are having to do without this year. No wild garlic pesto


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## Ganymede (18 Mar 2015)

SatNavSaysStraightOn said:


> can you get me some please? I can't get my trike to the only patch I know of here because the barriers are too narrow to get a trike through and I can't travel by car (can't sit) and can't walk that far, so we are having to do without this year. No wild garlic pesto


Oh that's bad! Do you think it's postable? I guess first class it shouldn't be too horrible by the time it gets to you?


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## SatNavSaysStraightOn (18 Mar 2015)

Ganymede said:


> Oh that's bad! Do you think it's postable? I guess first class it shouldn't be too horrible by the time it gets to you?


they wilt something chronic unfortunately so I'm not certain they would survive postage. they are such fragile leaves sadly. I guess I will have to try nettle pesto instead. Never tried it before, so that will be some consolation. I can easily get at nettles that are well out of the way of even a certain Irish Wolf Hound. thank you for the offer! SNSSO


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## Ganymede (18 Mar 2015)

SatNavSaysStraightOn said:


> they wilt something chronic unfortunately so I'm not certain they would survive postage. they are such fragile leaves sadly. I guess I will have to try nettle pesto instead. Never tried it before, so that will be some consolation. I can easily get at nettles that are well out of the way of even a certain Irish Wolf Hound. thank you for the offer! SNSSO


Nettles are really delicious too, aren't they. I am looking forward to my first nettle flan - they are still a bit small round here for picking.


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## Eurostar (18 Mar 2015)

Is there also a tie-in here with the paleo diet? The hunter-gatherer thing? If the OP has invented a 'thing' maybe it needs a new term....paleopedalling?


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## SatNavSaysStraightOn (18 Mar 2015)

Ganymede said:


> Nettles are really delicious too, aren't they. I am looking forward to my first nettle flan - they are still a bit small round here for picking.


Nettles are much tastier than spinach and far more nutritious. I much prefer them. Some are now around 1 foot high here, but the growth is not vigorous yet, it is still quite spindly... so they will need a little longer - but today is quite warm now and a few days like this will get them growing really well.

over on Shaun's CookingBites forum I have posted up some nettle soup, nettle bread and nettle cordial recipes. I have yet to post up my favourite which is nettle gnocchi!
must post up the nettle pesto recipe as well...


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## smith4188 (18 Mar 2015)

Eurostar said:


> Is there also a tie-in here with the paleo diet? The hunter-gatherer thing? If the OP has invented a 'thing' maybe it needs a new term....paleopedalling?



:-) I like the term 'paleopadalling' but the paleo diet bans grains, doesn't it? And flour and pasta are two of the cheapest ways of getting calories into your body. So it definitely won't be paleo, maybe more 17th century.


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## steveindenmark (18 Mar 2015)

I think its a great idea but also think £1 a day is a big ask. £5 would be an achievement. If the other riders cheat and use more than a quid, do they get sent home in disgrace. Or you just glower at them over the campfire while they eat their chocolate?

Here is my cooking tip.

Banana pancake......can also be eaten cold the next day.

Mash a banana really well with a fork. Add 2 eggs and whisk it all together. Cook like a pancake. I like mine with honey. Full of protein and cheap. I make small pancakes and take them on rides for lunch.


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## smith4188 (18 Mar 2015)

Cheers! The banana pancake sounds good.



steveindenmark said:


> I think its a great idea but also think £1 a day is a big ask. £5 would be an achievement. If the other riders cheat and use more than a quid, do they get sent home in disgrace. Or you just glower at them over the campfire while they eat their chocolate?



If the budget constraints break anyone I think they'd be off to the pub rather than sat around the camp fire.


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## w00hoo_kent (18 Mar 2015)

SatNavSaysStraightOn said:


> The outdoor survivalists I know are much more overweight and lazy!


I want my survivalists a bit podgy, I don't trust the skinny ones to know what they are doing :-)

I know someone involved with Bushcraft magazine, I don't know whether they would be interested in the idea.


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## Ganymede (18 Mar 2015)

Re paleo: just thought I'd share. _Do not read_ if you are a paleo devotee. Otherwise read and crack up. @SatNavSaysStraightOn, in your case read the whole website. I'm in bed ill at present and it's kept me going...

http://the-toast.net/2014/12/03/day-life-cavemen-ancestors/

EDIT: NOT SAFE FOR WORK, LANGUAGE!!! DO NOT CLICK IF YOU HATE SWEARING!


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## Bodhbh (18 Mar 2015)

Ganymede said:


> I do cycle to forage - there's a patch of wild garlic on my commute!



Well you have plenty of opportunity to notice it on a bike. Wrong time of year, but the commute takes in plenty of blackberries, elderberries, wild hops, some sloes, and....roadkill. There's generally a dead pheasant on the road every couple of months. I've never collected them, but I've been close. You know they're fresh if you do the route twice aday, tho I guess someone who know's their stuff would be able to tell. A fresh badger appeared this week!

The blackberries, the couple of times I bothered to stop last September, I was picking a 1-2 kg per hour. Hardly made a dent in what was out there. Inexustable suppy, at least for my uses.

I dunno if you could eat well from foraging, but it can't be any worse than a couple people I've seen on tour - just chomping bowls of cheap museli to keep going and no eating out or cooking_._ It sounds like a step up from that. Then again, some people have zero interest in food.


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## Ganymede (18 Mar 2015)

Bodhbh said:


> Well you have plenty of opportunity to notice it on a bike. Wrong time of year, but the commute takes in plenty of blackberries, elderberries, wild hops, some sloes, and....roadkill. There's generally a dead pheasant on the road every couple of months. I've never collected them, but I've been close. You know they're fresh if you do the route twice aday, tho I guess someone who know's their stuff would be able to tell. A fresh badger appeared this week!
> 
> The blackberries, the couple of times I bothered to stop last September, I was picking a 1-2 kg per hour. Hardly made a dent in what was out there. Inexustable suppy, at least for my uses.
> 
> I dunno if you could eat well from foraging, but it can't be any worse than a couple people I've seen on tour - just chomping bowls of cheap museli to keep going and no eating out or cooking_._ It sounds like a step up from that. Then again, some people have zero interest in food.


I did once pick up a pheasant, but I was driving. I had to whizz to the local town to pick up something, and on the way back 15 mins later there it was. It had obviously run into someone's wheel as there wasn't a mark on it. Luckily my Mum in law lives locally and knew exactly how to prepare it - these days I have a book and there's the internet (this was in about 1988!). I would do it again, it was delicious!

I have a recipe for badger ham but it's now illegal to possess any part of a badger (I think there's some exemption for bristles...?) so I'm not trying it. It's in a brilliant old book of around 1940 about game, includes recipes for heron, squirrel, moorhen and various small birds.


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## rich p (19 Mar 2015)

There's an old tv programme about a bloke who eats road kill. He was hardcore but concluded that badger was pretty horrible to eat.


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## rich p (19 Mar 2015)

Ganymede said:


> I did once pick up a pheasant, but I was driving. I had to whizz to the local town to pick up something, and on the way back 15 mins later there it was. It had obviously run into someone's wheel as there wasn't a mark on it. Luckily my Mum in law lives locally and knew exactly how to prepare it - these days I have a book and there's the internet (this was in about 1988!). I would do it again, it was delicious!
> 
> I have a recipe for badger ham but it's now illegal to possess any part of a badger (I think there's some exemption for bristles...?) so I'm not trying it. It's in a brilliant old book of around 1940 about game, includes recipes for heron, squirrel, moorhen and various small birds.


This is it! Worth a gander.... so to speak 

<edit> I've just watched it again and he loves the badger! False memory syndrome.


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## Ganymede (19 Mar 2015)

rich p said:


> This is it! Worth a gander.... so to speak



Ta! I also found this page which has good advice but hilarious drawings: http://www.wikihow.com/Eat-Roadkill
It also manages to suggest that you should wear hi-viz...


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## rich p (19 Mar 2015)

Ganymede said:


> Ta! I also found this page which has good advice but hilarious drawings: http://www.wikihow.com/Eat-Roadkill
> It also manages to suggest that you should wear hi-viz...



Drawings like Janet and John books!
I love Rule 9 - Bestow a blessing on the roadkill 
http://www.wikihow.com/Bestow-a-Blessing


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## Ganymede (19 Mar 2015)

rich p said:


> Drawings like Janet and John books!
> I love Rule 9 - Bestow a blessing on the roadkill
> http://www.wikihow.com/Bestow-a-Blessing


Love how it ends up with a glass of whisky! Quite sweet really. I've realised I actually do that quite a lot, as I'm often the person at a dinner or tea or party or whatever to propose a vote of thanks or toast. I'm an incurable public speaker who is unembarrassed about expressing feelings but without embarrassing anyone else! I also know how to keep it short...


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## Blue Hills (19 Mar 2015)

SatNavSaysStraightOn said:


> over on Shaun's CookingBites forum I have posted up some nettle soup, nettle bread and nettle cordial recipes. I have yet to post up my favourite which is nettle gnocchi!
> must post up the nettle pesto recipe as well...



Is it possible to link to them?

Otherwise I will have to register separately wont I? Am not a foodie as such but these sound interesting.


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## Blue Hills (19 Mar 2015)

w00hoo_kent said:


> I want my survivalists a bit podgy,.



I trust you aren't contemplating extreme measures.


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## w00hoo_kent (19 Mar 2015)

Blue Hills said:


> I trust you aren't contemplating extreme measures.


Depends on how long we're surviving for, as the Breakfast thread showed, people like their 'bacon' sandwiches :-)

No, I just view a well fed forager as a better bet than an emaciated one!


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## SatNavSaysStraightOn (19 Mar 2015)

Blue Hills said:


> Is it possible to link to them?
> 
> Otherwise I will have to register separately wont I? Am not a foodie as such but these sound interesting.


you can browse without signing up... just search for nettle...


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## Blue Hills (19 Mar 2015)

ah, silly me - should have guessed, as now and again when googling for some cycling info I've found my own posts on here without having to sign in

many thanks.

I have rather simple tastes in food - I can see myself living off nettle a fair bit - love greens.


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## Jefferson Meriwether (21 Mar 2015)

I'm seriously interested in joining you. At the moment I'm currently not in work so haven't got any work commitments to get in the way; the down side is, I'll probably be back in work by the time June comes round and won't be able to commit to the trip. What's the latest date you need to have a definite "Yes, I'll come along"? Obviously the sooner the better.


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## smith4188 (22 Mar 2015)

Jefferson Meriwether said:


> I'm seriously interested in joining you. At the moment I'm currently not in work so haven't got any work commitments to get in the way; the down side is, I'll probably be back in work by the time June comes round and won't be able to commit to the trip. What's the latest date you need to have a definite "Yes, I'll come along"? Obviously the sooner the better.



I've got six or so people who are very interested. A few of them also have a good reason why they might not be able to make it. (One of them needs to sell a house.) Life gets in the way of rides like this. PM me your email address and I will keep you informed of anything important that happens during the planning. I'll need a definite yes (or as close to a definite yes as I can hope for) in mid-May, a month before we set off. There'll be no hard feelings if you can't eventually make it. Life's like that. But it would be great to have you along.


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## tournut (26 Mar 2015)

smith4188 said:


> I've got six or so people who are very interested. A few of them also have a good reason why they might not be able to make it. (One of them needs to sell a house.) Life gets in the way of rides like this. PM me your email address and I will keep you informed of anything important that happens during the planning. I'll need a definite yes (or as close to a definite yes as I can hope for) in mid-May, a month before we set off. There'll be no hard feelings if you can't eventually make it. Life's like that. But it would be great to have you along.


Hi i was going on a long year out touring but been put off. I will def join you. If you like. Just send me more info please.


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## man in black (9 Apr 2015)

I would like to join this one, but work stops me until end of July and then I am only free for around 8 weeks


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## smith4188 (10 Apr 2015)

man in black said:


> I would like to join this one, but work stops me until end of July and then I am only free for around 8 weeks



I've got two definites so far and a bunch of possiblies. Have a look at the route map on the web site (RideAndSeek2015.com). It now gives the dates of where we'll be and when, along with nearest airports served by RyanAir and EasyJet from the UK (amazingly, there's an airport roughly once a week on the trip). You're welcome to join us for a few weeks if that's all that work will allow.


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## ScotiaLass (12 Apr 2015)

Wow! What a fantastic challenge! 
Health issues mean I can't take part, but my head is screaming 'yes!'. 
I reckon I'd be the one losing the most weight


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## SatNavSaysStraightOn (12 Apr 2015)

ScotiaLass said:


> Wow! What a fantastic challenge!
> Health issues mean I can't take part, but my head is screaming 'yes!'.
> I reckon I'd be the one losing the most weight


same here - if my back had not gone on me...


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## ScotiaLass (12 Apr 2015)

SatNavSaysStraightOn said:


> same here - if my back had not gone on me...


We can commiserate together


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## Pale Rider (13 Apr 2015)

smith4188 said:


> it's about 6,000 km (3,700 miles) sticking to the coast, where the fish are.



Sea fishing isn't possible directly from the coast - you can't stand on a beach and do it.

How will the fish be fished without a boat?

Or are there lots of piers on the route?


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## w00hoo_kent (13 Apr 2015)

We used to fish from the bank, you needed a fairly hefty bit of kit though as you were hoisting the line quite a way out (this was estuary fishing, don't know if that's different, but I'm sure I've seen people beach fishing too). Most likely to get flat fish, which I think can be interesting to prepare and eat (I'd presume they need a lot of washing through, or will taste primarily of mud). I'm not sure you could do it with a bit of line and a stick from the road side though. My wife caught a much nicer bit of Cod fishing in the same estuary from a boat though, much better than we ever caught on our many attempts from the shore as teenagers...


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## Jefferson Meriwether (13 Apr 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> Sea fishing isn't possible directly from the coast - you can't stand on a beach and do it.



Having seen hundreds of people fishing from the beach I've always assumed you could. Granted I don't know if any of them ever caught any fish. Genuine question; why can't you fish from the beach?


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## smith4188 (13 Apr 2015)

Pale Rider said:


> Sea fishing isn't possible directly from the coast - you can't stand on a beach and do it.



Mmm, I've seen hundreds of people fishing from the beach here in Spain but, to be honest, I'd prefer rocks. None of the British coast, the French coast, the Spanish north coast and the north Portuguese coast is short of rocks. Farther south in Portugal might be more of a problem. We'll have to see.


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## Ganymede (15 Apr 2015)

smith4188 said:


> Mmm, I've seen hundreds of people fishing from the beach here in Spain but, to be honest, I'd prefer rocks. None of the British coast, the French coast, the Spanish north coast and the north Portuguese coast is short of rocks. Farther south in Portugal might be more of a problem. We'll have to see.


I've done beach fishing from the shingle in Sandgate (Folkestone). It takes a good swing of the arm, much more hard work than boat-fishing. People do it all the time - you can get mackerel and seabass and all sorts.


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## rich p (16 Apr 2015)

Ganymede said:


> all sorts


Liquorice?


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## Ganymede (16 Apr 2015)

rich p said:


> Liquorice?


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Swedish-Salt-Salmiak-Gluten-Liquorice/dp/B009XT8F60

I didn't believe it either...


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## rich p (17 Apr 2015)

Ganymede said:


> http://www.amazon.co.uk/Swedish-Salt-Salmiak-Gluten-Liquorice/dp/B009XT8F60
> 
> I didn't believe it either...


And a snip at 20 quid a kilo! I'm almost tempted. 
Sorry about the temporary derail, smithy


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## smith4188 (18 May 2015)

As a follow-up to the original post we are now a team of four setting off from Liverpool in a little under a month's time. We also have two or three other riders who'll join us for part of the way. On another cycling forum the other day someone was describing cycling touring and said, "It doesn't have to be fun to be fun!" So whatever happens it's definitely going to be fun.


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## Jefferson Meriwether (18 May 2015)

100-ish days without chewing tobacco; I reckon by the time we reach Gibraltar my cravings will be long gone  That's one habit I definitely want to kick during the trip.

I'm starting to get really itchy feet and a bit impatient for the off. I agree with you Smithy, whatever happens it'll be an absolute blast.


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## Mandragora (18 May 2015)

Ganymede said:


> I've done beach fishing from the shingle in Sandgate (Folkestone). It takes a good swing of the arm, much more hard work than boat-fishing. People do it all the time - you can get mackerel and seabass and all sorts.






Yup! My OH fishes from the shore in Aquitaine all the time - two amazing bass here; another time, in the space of a couple of hours he caught 18 weaver fish - tricky beggars to handle, but delicious to eat once filleted and fried with a bit of garlic and lemon. While he fishes, I make sure the required amount of cycling gets done.








.


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## Mandragora (18 May 2015)

Mind you, he spends more than a quid a day on 'this will be great' spinners, hooks, bits of kit he 'just' has to have, wetsuit boots etc etc etc.

ETA we once had two cyclists camp virtually under our caravan who were cycling from Bordeaux to Biarritz on two cheapo bikes they'd picked up in Decathlon, and fitted out with kiddie seats on the back to carry all their kit on. They were existing on lentils, dried, which was all they could carry, and all their budget stretched to. The were so close to us because there was a hoolie of a storm brewing up - and when it landed, we took pity and fed them up on spag bol and English beers; we had a party in the awning while the gales raged around us.. To say they were appreciative is putting it mildly!


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## Jefferson Meriwether (18 May 2015)

Mandragora said:


> Yup! My OH fishes from the shore in Aquitaine all the time - two amazing bass here; another time, in the space of a couple of hours he caught 18 weaver fish - tricky beggars to handle, but delicious to eat once filleted and fried with a bit of garlic and lemon. While he fishes, I make sure the required amount of cycling gets done.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Mmmmm, those Bass look tasty. I'm just imagining them nicely fried in a bit of butter with garlic seasoning.


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## Mandragora (18 May 2015)

Jefferson Meriwether said:


> Mmmmm, those Bass look tasty. I'm just imagining them nicely fried in a bit of butter with garlic seasoning.


They were just delicious. French campers flocked from around the campsite to see them as I cleaned them out, bringing small children across to wonder at their size and beauty! Big shocked intake of breath, though, when I cut off and discarded the heads - apparently the 'cheek' is the best bit!


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## smith4188 (18 May 2015)

Mandragora said:


> Yup! My OH fishes from the shore in Aquitaine all the time - two amazing bass here; another time, in the space of a couple of hours he caught 18 weaver fish - tricky beggars to handle, but delicious to eat once filleted and fried with a bit of garlic and lemon. While he fishes, I make sure the required amount of cycling gets done.



Any idea what bait your OH used to catch these beauties?


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## Ganymede (18 May 2015)

Mandragora said:


> Yup! My OH fishes from the shore in Aquitaine all the time - two amazing bass here; another time, in the space of a couple of hours he caught 18 weaver fish - tricky beggars to handle, but delicious to eat once filleted and fried with a bit of garlic and lemon. While he fishes, I make sure the required amount of cycling gets done.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I love the "Swan Vesta" box added for scale! They really are beauties.

And I love this:


smith4188 said:


> "It doesn't have to be fun to be fun!" So whatever happens it's definitely going to be fun.



Have a fantastic time. I wish I was in a position to join you but I just ain't. I will content myself with some home-made wild garlic soup instead!


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## Mandragora (19 May 2015)

smith4188 said:


> Any idea what bait your OH used to catch these beauties?



Spinners. There's more technical stuff I can find out, if you like, but that's as far as my independent understanding goes! He goes down at low tide, flings the hook in and reels it back in. He does this a lot, and sometimes there's a fish on the end. These two he caught within about ten minutes of each other, and I think he'd still describe it as the best day of his life, until he saw me glaring at him and correct it to the 'second best' day of his life... 

Sorry to have taken it so off topic, especially as your challenge sounds amazing. End of fish-related anecdotes now - but if anyone wants more of the technical details, I can find out and reply via pm or a new thread! Les Landes is miles away from your route, otherwise I'd say to swing by on your way through, and we'd see what we could offer in the way of supper!


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## smith4188 (19 May 2015)

Mandragora said:


> Sorry to have taken it so off topic...



No, it's all useful information and catching fish will be hugely important for us. Thanks for the info.


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## Mandragora (19 May 2015)

smith4188 said:


> No, it's all useful information and catching fish will be hugely important for us. Thanks for the info.



I've consulted with himself then, and he says:

Sea spinning lures, apparently, or a lure about 30-40 grammes, 3-4 inches (100mm) or FiiiSH Black Minnow (lethal for bass he says). Fish in the surf at turn of low tide, or in rocky water at high tide, but be prepared to lose some lures if you do that. You can buy lures in France, but cheaper to buy them here before you go, he says. He uses these two sites: http://www.fishingmegastore.com/lures--spinners_365.html and http://lurefishingforbass.co.uk/lures-by-brand/

He uses a 9 or 10 foot spinning rod with about a 12lb line.

If you do decide to do this, the only advice I can give you is to remove the protective plastic cover that hooks come with, having watched my OH spend two days coaching an enthusiastic French bloke on bass fishing. At the end of the second day, the French 'fishing apprentice' sheepishly came up the beach clutching a small piece of plastic he'd removed from outside the hook. Things were a lot more productive after that 



ETA - Just looked at your website/route. We go to Les Landes every summer - but sadly. we'll miss you by just a couple of days - we'll be arriving about the 12th August, but you're in Moilets-et-Maa about a week before that. This is such a shame, as we'd have loved to have been somewhere along the cycle route waving a flag and doling out British beers. BUT, we have a great (top secret!) little cheapie camp site that we use after Mimizan but before Moilets - pm me if you'd like to know more, and definitely, I think you need to have a word with my OH - I've sent him an invite to your Facebook page. He knows that stretch of the coast for fishing like a native would.


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## Mandragora (2 Jun 2015)

Steve - just been looking at your route, and wondering whether you'll be doing it all on roads (which I imagine would be the fastest, most direct option) or if you'll be using cycle trails. I'm particularly wondering about your Ilfracombe/Bude leg and whether or not you're planning on using the off-road Tarka trail between Braunton and Bideford perhaps?


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## smith4188 (2 Jun 2015)

Mandragora said:


> Steve - just been looking at your route, and wondering whether you'll be doing it all on roads (which I imagine would be the fastest, most direct option) or if you'll be using cycle trails. I'm particularly wondering about your Ilfracombe/Bude leg and whether or not you're planning on using the off-road Tarka trail between Braunton and Bideford perhaps?



Cheers. I'll have a look at the Tarka trail. Our route will be a compromise between being close to the sea for fishing, being away from traffic where possible (which might be impossible near the sea) and accessing wooded areas for non-seashore foraging. I see that the Tarka trail runs by a river. Do you know if the area is well wooded?


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## Mandragora (2 Jun 2015)

smith4188 said:


> Cheers. I'll have a look at the Tarka trail. Our route will be a compromise between being close to the sea for fishing, being away from traffic where possible (which might be impossible near the sea) and accessing wooded areas for non-seashore foraging. I see that the Tarka trail runs by a river. Do you know if the area is well wooded?



Yes, but higher up, really, beyond Bideford on towards Torrington The route goes over the Taw and Torridge rivers between Bideford and Torrington, my OH says there'd be good river fishing there, but I have no idea a) how you'd get down to the banks from the bridges, and b) what the local regs would be - I imagine they'd want you to buy a licence for freshwater fishing. For the early part of the trail it runs alongside the tidal estuary, as you go between Braunton and Barnstaple. Cycling past I see lots of fishermen out there, and blokes pootling about in the water with waders/nets doing things I think are related to shellfish, but I really don't actually know what I'm talking about, and I'd think it depends heavily on the state of the tides. My OH is away fishing in France at the moment, but I'll ask him for more info and if he has any suggestions when we speak later in the week. On a positive note, along that north coast, there's rocky inlets (Barricane bay at Woolacombe - basically any coastal bit that isn't a long straight beach on the map!) with lots of seaweed/limpets/rockpools to forage in.

However, I wasn't suggesting that you *ought* to use the trail - just wondering what your actual route was going to be, and whether you'd finalised it or were going to deal with the final choices along the way. (FWIW I think the road would probably be a lot swifter and more direct.) What I had in mind, though, was seeing if I could get a rough fix on when you're going to be in our neck of the woods, and what your route will be with a view to seeing if one of us could drop by with something more appetising for you all that we've 'foraged' from the garden. Or the freezer.

I've also been thinking about your route down through Aquitaine (Bordeaux to Biarritz leg) which is where my OH is fishing right now. For about 140k it's almost ALL beach - you will struggle to find much in the way of seaweed there. Lots of pine trees, but unless you fancy chewing on the cones and needles, you may need a Plan B for that stretch. There are mushrooms in the woods (dodgy, though, that one) and I saw the odd pheasant up and down the cycle route between St Eualie and Leon, and plenty of doves. Will you be taking a strong catapult?

Himself has been fishing on and off all week and hasn't caught a thing so far, either - sorry to be the bearer of mixed, but mostly bad, news. (Mind you, there was a heady two hours last year when he caught the18 weaver fish - so you never can tell!)

PM me, if you like, if you feel like making more detailed arrangements for us to pay you a flying visit when you're near North Devon and drop by with a bit of 'garden forage' and I'll send you contact details.


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## smith4188 (3 Jun 2015)

Cheers, Mandragora! We should be passing your way on the 1st July. Yes, I don't mind breaking laws if they are stupid and/or it is unavoidable (like needing a licence to fish in the sea in Spain, when it is actually impossible for us to get one) but I don't want to fish dodgily in a river when I can fish legally in the sea just down the road. We'll make the route up as we go but we'll definitely have to pass through Bideford as that seems to be the easiest way to cross the river. Thanks for the heads up about France. There's a similar stretch in Portugal. I wasn't planning on taking a catapult but it might be worthwhile. I'll have plenty of time to practise. If you'll be about during the day time on the 1st, PM me your number (I'll have a new, as-yet-unorganised number so there's no point me giving you mine) and I'll give you a ring. We'll almost certainly be on schedule as we have to pick up a temporary co-rider a couple of days earlier just up the road. Happy fishing to your OH!


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## smith4188 (5 Jul 2015)

Just to let you know that we are now 20 days into this 100 day tour. We've lost one cyclist to a dodgy knee but are on schedule and on budget and have experienced some really quite incredible kindness. France in a few days. Follow us on Facebook - Ride and Seek 2015.


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## Hill Wimp (5 Jul 2015)

Well done Steve only had the conversation yesterday that we hadn't heard an update.

Will look up FB.


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## Ganymede (30 Aug 2015)

I saw your new thread about touring the weird and wonderful sights of Britain - so are you home? how did it go? Or did you do a report thread which I've missed? You obviously survived!


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## Jefferson Meriwether (30 Aug 2015)

Steve did do a report thread; it's the '£1 a day tour' thread. It went very well indeed I think; the occasional low points were more than made up by the many many high points. We got into Gibraltar on Thursday 20th, about a month ahead of schedule; we then spent a few days in La Linea just chilling out & enjoying the fact we were no longer on a tight budget and could therefore eat pizza/Chinese & drink beer 

I was the 1st to get back home. I got a flight from Gib to Bristol last Sunday which went nice & smoothly; the 3 hour delay to the flight didn't bother me, it just meant a bit more time to read my book. Steve's cycling home taking a more direct route than the one we took down to Gib (Hope you're having a good journey so far Steve .) & Joe's flying home from Mallaga on 8th September.

I've been home a week now & a part of me still hasn't adjusted to being back home. I'd become so accustomed to going to bed in a tent anywhere between 30-70 miles away from where I woke up that it still feels strange going to bed in an actual proper bed in the same place I woke up. There's lots of things I'm missing such as cycling through lovely countryside day in day out & foraging copious amounts of fruit. There's things that I don't miss such as going days/weeks on end without a shower etc; even though I quickly adjusted to being a sweaty/smelly/dirty oik it is nice to be able to start the day with a shower and clean clothes


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## Ganymede (30 Aug 2015)

Thanks for the reply @Jefferson Meriwether, it sounds great and I wish I could have done it too! I will search for that thread - I must have missed it when it started and didn't get "in on it".


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## smith4188 (30 Aug 2015)

Yes, 'tis done. As you'd expect it had its ups and downs, and now cycling home alone I'm still working out what they were. It's been a psychologically more complicated trip than I imagined but was often beautiful in its simplicity. Hopefully by the time I get home in two or three weeks I'll have worked out what it all meant ;-)


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## Jefferson Meriwether (30 Aug 2015)

smith4188 said:


> ...was often beautiful in its simplicity.



One of the things I really enjoyed, and miss, about the trip was it's simplicity; pretty much the only things we had to thing about was food, water, not getting lost and finding somewhere to camp at night. Being in a situation where we were too busy thinking about the practicalities of daily life on the trip to have time to worry about anything else was so refreshing.


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## roundisland (17 Nov 2015)

Sounds like an interesting trip. Looking forward to the book, any idea of release date?


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## smith4188 (19 Nov 2015)

roundisland said:


> Sounds like an interesting trip. Looking forward to the book, any idea of release date?



Depends. I've another publisher possibly interested. If that's an avenue worth pursuing then the release date would be up to them. Otherwise I'm just in the final proof-checking stage and I hope to have it out around the 1st December.


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## Hankydoodle (19 Nov 2015)

Wow, Very impressed. I have just donated a fiver on your justgiving page. I am a newbie here so a bit gutted I missed the opportunity to join you. All the best. Hank


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## jay clock (19 Nov 2015)

Hankydoodle said:


> Wow, Very impressed. I have just donated a fiver on your justgiving page. I am a newbie here so a bit gutted I missed the opportunity to join you. All the best. Hank


 A fiver? That'll get him half way across France


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## Hankydoodle (19 Nov 2015)

jay clock said:


> A fiver? That'll get him half way across France


Now that did make me laugh haha


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## smith4188 (19 Nov 2015)

Hankydoodle said:


> Wow, Very impressed. I have just donated a fiver on your justgiving page. I am a newbie here so a bit gutted I missed the opportunity to join you. All the best. Hank



Thank you very much, Mr Doodle.


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## jay clock (19 Nov 2015)

Hankydoodle said:


> Now that did make me laugh haha


btw am not suggesting he pockets charity funds!


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## Hankydoodle (19 Nov 2015)

smith4188 said:


> Thank you very much, Mr Doodle.


No probs. It looks like you had a fantastic time, (apart from the sunburn and falling off the bike)


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## jags (23 Nov 2015)

man i only seen this thread yeah i know im slow bit like my cycling.
but yeah what a trip unbeliveable, fair play to you lot stone crazy but fair play.


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## roundisland (24 Nov 2015)

Thank you I will keep an eye out I'm sure it will be an excellent read.


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## smith4188 (3 Dec 2015)

I just wanted to say that the book of the ride is out now for Kindle and in paperback from Amazon. It's called "Hungry for Miles: Cycling across Europe on £1 a Day". I hope you like it.


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## Blue Hills (3 Dec 2015)

Fast work. Impressed.


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## smith4188 (3 Dec 2015)

Blue Hills said:


> Fast work. Impressed.



Cheers, but it hasn't felt fast ;-)


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## Arrowfoot (3 Dec 2015)

smith4188 said:


> I just wanted to say that the book of the ride is out now for Kindle and in paperback from Amazon. It's called "Hungry for Miles: Cycling across Europe on £1 a Day". I hope you like it.



Just bought it from Amazon after reading your hilarious description of the Liverpool guys and gals. Agree on the footballer part. Not sure if you have to find another way out of Isle of Man after this.


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## smith4188 (3 Dec 2015)

Arrowfoot said:


> Just bought it from Amazon after reading your hilarious description of the Liverpool guys and gals. Agree on the footballer part. Not sure if you have to find another way out of Isle of Man after this.



I'll wear a disguise. Maybe a 'tache and a curly wig. Thanks for buying it. Hope you like the rest of it.


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## Jefferson Meriwether (6 Dec 2015)

Flipping good book indeed. My copy arrived in the post Friday morning. Bang went 6 hours or so of my Friday evening as I read it to the end. I must admit that as I read it I remembered the hunger etc and thought to myself 'Stuff cycle touring on £1 a day again; I want at least £5 a day budget'


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## tallliman (10 Dec 2015)

Bought the book from the positive comments here as my partner was in another room in the hospital with the Wisden I'd brought along. Very good read so far, recommended.


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## smith4188 (11 Dec 2015)

tallliman said:


> Bought the book from the positive comments here as my partner was in another room in the hospital with the Wisden I'd brought along. Very good read so far, recommended.



Cheers, talli. Glad you like it.


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## Blue Hills (11 Dec 2015)

Bought it, read it.

A good read.

Inspiring that it's possible to cycle so far on so little, especially as the fishing scheme came to not much.

And the freecamping was interesting.

Didn't enjoy it as much as your first cycling book and I think you identify the reasons yourself - I think you find stuff more interesting, and the reader gets the benefit of this, if you travel alone, with the increased interaction with a variety of folks and situations.

But thoroughly recommended, as is the first - so go get it folks, especially if you have suffered from a few turgid tales of cycling trips.

Congrats as well to your fellow travellers.

Sorry things didn't work out with the gf - brave of you to put that stuff in.

Very impressed by, if I remember you correctly, you losing 3 stone.

Looking forward to the next one.

all the best

PS - is it a goer for you to sell some directly? Maybe more margin for you, would allow deals on "buy 2" etc.


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## tallliman (11 Dec 2015)

^I wish I hadn't just read your post!


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## Blue Hills (11 Dec 2015)

tallliman said:


> ^I wish I hadn't just read your post!


??sorry, i don't understand.


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## tallliman (11 Dec 2015)

Blue Hills said:


> ??sorry, i don't understand.



You told me things I've not gotten to in the book yet! Like a spoiler! Though reading what you wrote again, there's not much so don't worry!


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## smith4188 (11 Dec 2015)

Blue Hills said:


> ??sorry, i don't understand.



What you say is absolutely true. I really hope people enjoy this one but there was much more for me to work with on the first book. That one was outward-looking, at the people I met and all the new places and experiences. This one is more about the challenge and the team dynamics and stresses. But hopefully it still has some fun bits. For next year I'm planning an everywhere-in-Britain tour which specifically puts me in front of people. I like people. Hopefully enough will happen to justify another book.

One other thing if I can be cheeky: A honest review on Amazon would be massively appreciated. In any case, thanks for reading it.


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## smith4188 (11 Dec 2015)

Blue Hills said:


> Bought it, read it.
> PS - is it a goer for you to sell some directly? Maybe more margin for you, would allow deals on "buy 2" etc.



Sorry, missed this bit. 

I could, but I'd need to order them and for bulk orders they have to come from the States rather than the UK for reasons that make no sense whatsoever and so it's either a massive wait or a massive delivery charge, neither of which is much good. And I'd need someone here to parcel them up 'cos I'm off again soon.


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## Blue Hills (12 Dec 2015)

smith4188 said:


> One other thing if I can be cheeky: A honest review on Amazon would be massively appreciated. In any case, thanks for reading it.


Not cheeky at all. Will try to get round to over Christmas, May reread your first one so that my review is more on the ball.

PS: edit - it won't be anything like this review I spotted of your wonderful first cycling book:

"As a keen touring cyclist, I became very bored reading this book. He provided very little detail on the type of bicycle he had,e.g. weight, size of tyres, were they Kevlar. Type of cycling clothes, e.g. breathable tops, cycling shorts, raingear. Also type of panniers their weight fully packed. He could have been driving to the capital cities. Also amount of calories burned per day. How did he deal with dehydration. Lastly, what were his average daily cycles. I could go on."

Rather reminds me of the contemporary reviewer (for a country mag maybe) of Lady Chatterley's lover who complained that it contained virtually no animal husbandry/land management tips.


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## Blue Hills (12 Dec 2015)

tallliman said:


> You told me things I've not gotten to in the book yet! Like a spoiler! Though reading what you wrote again, there's not much so don't worry!


sorry. But as you imply it is a very small point. Mr smith is a true brit/northerner and very discrete/tight lipped about such matters. Mind you, i don't know what his spanish sde is up to/contemplating.enjoy the rest of the book.


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## robing (13 Dec 2015)

Another great book Steven, I read it in about 2 days flat! Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you and the gf, but as I know too well, combining cycle touring and a relationship can be difficult! I admire couples who cycle together - but like you I'm more of a solo cyclist.

I'm intrigued though, what did Dave, Joe (and Sabby) think of the book? It's not particularly flattering for them, but did make for very entertaining reading! And did you prefer your cycle home, free to cycle at your own pace and not limited to £1 per day?


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## Jefferson Meriwether (14 Dec 2015)

robing said:


> I'm intrigued though, what did Dave, Joe (and Sabby) think of the book? It's not particularly flattering for them, but did make for very entertaining reading!



I thought the book was brilliant. I didn't think of my portrayal in the book as unflattering when I read it, more a humorous portrayal; I chuckled at Steve's perception of me  Steve's certainly not going to get any complaints from me about it all 

When my girlfriend read about the goats she told me I'm not allowed to go chasing after goats anymore hehe


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## smith4188 (14 Dec 2015)

robing said:


> Another great book Steven, I read it in about 2 days flat! Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you and the gf, but as I know too well, combining cycle touring and a relationship can be difficult! I admire couples who cycle together - but like you I'm more of a solo cyclist.
> 
> I'm intrigued though, what did Dave, Joe (and Sabby) think of the book? It's not particularly flattering for them, but did make for very entertaining reading! And did you prefer your cycle home, free to cycle at your own pace and not limited to £1 per day?



Cheers, Mr G! Glad you liked it. Yes, I was a bit worried at first about what the others would think but it would take a nuclear weapon to wipe the smile from Dave's face. Joe has been in touch and said he thought it was fair. Sabby is back in Hungary helping the homeless. I doubt he's had time to read it but I don't remember saying anything even vaguely negative about him. And Mark has recommended it to someone else on Facebook and so he can't feel too badly about being presented as a whinger.

Any road, as I said on an earlier message, if you could copy what you wrote here into an Amazon review that would help me immensely and Santa will probably bring you even more presents for being such a good boy.


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## smith4188 (14 Dec 2015)

robing said:


> And did you prefer your cycle home, free to cycle at your own pace and not limited to £1 per day?



Cycling home was very weird. After racing down to Gib on very few calories and wanting to go even faster, I went back more slowly, usually doing less distance each day, and eating like a pig and drinking like a fish and I still felt more tired, although perhaps that was the previous 10 weeks catching up on me. I put on about 5 kg. Did I enjoy it more? I enjoyed not having to hang around for people, and I saw some interesting landscapes in Spain. I think I missed having them around more than I thought I would, but I'm a solo cyclist at heart. Wild camping alone was less fun - there was safety in numbers - but still bearable. In Spain I tended to wild camp one night followed by a cheap hotel followed by a wild camp. In France, I only wild camped once because the campsites were so cheap. I was though (and still am) struggling when it came to buying anything. Everything is calculated in terms of how many days I could survive for if I had to.


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## robing (14 Dec 2015)

smith4188 said:


> Any road, as I said on an earlier message, if you could copy what you wrote here into an Amazon review that would help me immensely and Santa will probably bring you even more presents for being such a good boy.



Done! I did LOL at the Frosty the Snowman joke! And also "tonight we're going to party like we've £1.99" - brilliant!


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## martint235 (15 Dec 2015)

I'm only a chapter in and already hooked. I don't read many cycling books: the Reggie books; Tim Moore and of course Barring Mechanicals so it's rare for me to enjoy one this much. If it stays this good all the way through I'll post to Amazon too


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## smith4188 (16 Dec 2015)

martint235 said:


> I'm only a chapter in and already hooked. I don't read many cycling books: the Reggie books; Tim Moore and of course Barring Mechanicals so it's rare for me to enjoy one this much. If it stays this good all the way through I'll post to Amazon too


 
Cheers 235! I hope you continue to like it.


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## Brains (27 Dec 2015)

Read it, very good, a real Boys Own adventure.

Obviously a few tweaks that could be made before the second reprint that gets it onto the Sunday Times Best Travel Book 2016 list, but overall it kept me interested and reading all the way through in about 4 days. I admire all of your self determination not to cheat !
I understand the obvious fixation on food, but some of the lessons you have shown are worth remembering, such as fishing is a waste of time and effort, and wild fruit appears to be surprisingly effective.
The one trick I think you may have missed was using something like a wood gas burner to cook on, it would have taken your fuel costs to zero.
Also from experience of taking 10-15 bikes across Denmark and Holland a through check of each bike, including the quality of the wheels and tyres would probably have got you to Gib a couple of days earlier, you don't get one bike with nine punctures in a single day on decent tyres.

I think with a more realistic budget of closer to £5 a day you lot could have lived like kings across Europe!

In summary, a great Christmas read, when is the next one ?


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## smith4188 (28 Dec 2015)

Brains said:


> Read it, very good, a real Boys Own adventure.



Thank you, Brains.



Brains said:


> The one trick I think you may have missed was using something like a wood gas burner to cook on, it would have taken your fuel costs to zero.



I've never used a wood gas burner but wouldn't that produce smoke? We didn't want to draw attention to ourselves when wild-camping. And it would have meant finding dry wood, which would have been surprisingly difficult last summer in our bit of southern Europe. Meths in France and Spain was much cheaper than in the UK, but if we could have found a workable, smokeless foraged solution then, yes, that would've been better.



Brains said:


> Also from experience of taking 10-15 bikes across Denmark and Holland a through check of each bike, including the quality of the wheels and tyres would probably have got you to Gib a couple of days earlier, you don't get one bike with nine punctures in a single day on decent tyres.



Yes, the puncture thing was a bit weird. My bike had been properly serviced and Joe was more technical than me and could have rebuilt his bike from scratch. Tyres aside, his gear was good stuff. Dave's bike was a nightmare.



Brains said:


> I think with a more realistic budget of closer to £5 a day you lot could have lived like kings across Europe!



You're not wrong there.



Brains said:


> In summary, a great Christmas read, when is the next one ?



On my three-year, everywhere-in-Europe ride, I viewed the UK as just a place to cycle out of. On this trip though I really enjoyed England and Wales, and so I thought I'd do a trip this summer through every county in mainland Britain but I would determine my route by following the recommendations of the people I meet along the way. That way I'll see places I wouldn't otherwise have found. I reckon five months should have me seeing a little bit of everywhere. I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully enough will happen to justify another book. Failing that, I'm working on another couple of novels.


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## jay clock (29 Jun 2016)

I have just read this, and having done UK to Gib (roughly half camping) I am in awe at their fortitude. Great book


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## Dave Davenport (16 Jan 2017)

Just finished the book. Have to admit I only bought it 'cos it was 99p on the Kindle daily deal and it was only after I'd started it that I remembered seeing this thread. Anyway, thought it was a very good read, me and Mrs D have ridden quite a bit of that route and it was interesting to compare the experience on a 25th of our budget. I've just splashed out a whole £1.99 on 'No place like home'.


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## smith4188 (23 Jan 2017)

Thanks for buying the books, Dave. I'm sure 25 quid a day is a much more fun way of doing it.


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## steveindenmark (23 Jan 2017)

Steven, have you more plans to write more non fiction books like George Pearly is a miserable old sod?

How many books are planned for the Round Britain trip.


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## smith4188 (23 Jan 2017)

steveindenmark said:


> Steven, have you more plans to write more non fiction books like George Pearly is a miserable old sod?
> 
> How many books are planned for the Round Britain trip.



Hi Steve! Yep, I'm currently writing a sequel to the George Pearly book. That should be available at the end of February. (And then I've a long list of other silly stories I want to write.) And the second half of Route Britannia will be ready this summer. All the best cycling is in the second half. Scotland and especially the west coast is just amazing.


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