Cycling Around the World, Sadly had to return for major repairs

[hoopdriver]

Your photography is excellent, and easily up to book-publishing standards.

And as it happens, I'm a writer and I've done a fair bit of copy editing too. An awful lot of writers are subject experts first rather than writers first, and what we see published only comes after a lot of copy editing has been done. After some of the stuff I've seen submitted to copy editors in my time, I expect they'd be more than happy to receive your writing.

True. Many years ago I spent some time as a copy editor at a large metropolitan newspaper and I vividly recall one prominent journalist who the copy editors referred to as "riverrun' - the the first word of the nearly unreadable Finnegan's Wake. They called her that because after the first word, she too was nearly unreadable and her copy had to be pretty much re-written, top to bottom. I have also been a section editor on a large metropolitan daily, commissioning freelances and dealing with staff writers, and can agree with the above - there are people earning livings as writers who shouldn't be.

 

[John Peel]

Your photography is excellent, and easily up to book-publishing standards.

And as it happens, I'm a writer and I've done a fair bit of copy editing too. An awful lot of writers are subject experts first rather than writers first, and what we see published only comes after a lot of copy editing has been done. After some of the stuff I've seen submitted to copy editors in my time, I expect they'd be more than happy to receive your writing.

Thanks Alan, I do love photography. Now that I am a more capable cyclist, I will start to make more use of my other lenses. I love wildlife, but rarely do I take many shots of wildlife. I'm going to start capturing images of people, creatures and plant life, instead of mostly landscapes.

With regard to my writing, I suppose having run my own businesses in the past and advertised extensively, writing detailed quotes and myriad other items, I learned to string a few words together to sell my services. I read an article recently about how it is important to use proofreaders, copy editors and others if you wish your work to be taken seriously. It makes perfect sense, as I do suffer chronic typo blindness

 

[tyreon]

Have I got this right now: You're awaiting for your present Koga to be repaired,up and running? You're not going with a new bike? The new transmission will be with bike chain,not rubberized belt?

How long until they right it? I thought it would be done in two weeks.

I like your daily(on the road posts). Weekly would do fine. (Now trapped indoors by the weather it wooda bin sorta fun to see where you were now. Selfish,I know.

Can't blame you for waiting awhile back here until the winter blows over. It can still get plenty cold down in southern Europe,so would be bloody miserable.

Can't/will not accept you are somewhat a novice cyclist given your recent rides,the mileages you've done,the weight you are carrying. You're doing your own thing. I'd probably be slower(tho carrying less kit)

Admire your tech savvy. Am still using paper maps.

Don't know how you find the time to upload,take pics and wotnot on your gizmos. Even off-loading re-loading kit,washing,getting grub takes time. Chris Froome isn't looking out for accommodation,where his next route goes,washing his knickers after each ride. He has it easy!!

Don't hurry this RTW thing: better left wanting to do/see more than doing it all toute-suite then having nothing to achieve,or seeing it all/seeing nothing: sit back and have a KitKat. Savour stuff.

Kinda lazy here: should send you the link but...excellent footage of some guy bicycle touring in Japan. He seems to be using a drone sometimes for footage. No, I shoodna mentiond it: don't get the drone. It's more work. Enjoy the ride.

 

[Alan O]

In case you haven't come across them, here's another couple of people I've been following on their RTW rides...

First is Ed Pratt, who is unicycling around the world...

http://www.worldunicycletour.com/wheres-ed/
https://en-gb.facebook.com/MrEdPratt/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuNy42Y5egf07cSiHbF23wg

He tends to ride for a while, shooting video while he's going, and then spend a week or two putting it all together into a YouTube video - and he's talented as a video artist too, so they're very well produced.

Then there's Super Cycling Man, who is riding round the world dressed as a superhero...

http://supercyclingman.com/
https://en-gb.facebook.com/supercyclingmanfacebookpage/

His videos aren't as long or as good as Ed's, but he's another inspiring guy. He and Ed rode together for a while in China, and Ed's videos of that period are really good.

 

[John Peel]

Have I got this right now: You're awaiting for your present Koga to be repaired,up and running? You're not going with a new bike? The new transmission will be with bike chain,not rubberized belt?

How long until they right it? I thought it would be done in two weeks.

I like your daily(on the road posts). Weekly would do fine. (Now trapped indoors by the weather it wooda bin sorta fun to see where you were now. Selfish,I know.

Can't blame you for waiting awhile back here until the winter blows over. It can still get plenty cold down in southern Europe,so would be bloody miserable.

Can't/will not accept you are somewhat a novice cyclist given your recent rides,the mileages you've done,the weight you are carrying. You're doing your own thing. I'd probably be slower(tho carrying less kit)

Admire your tech savvy. Am still using paper maps.

Don't know how you find the time to upload,take pics and wotnot on your gizmos. Even off-loading re-loading kit,washing,getting grub takes time. Chris Froome isn't looking out for accommodation,where his next route goes,washing his knickers after each ride. He has it easy!!

Don't hurry this RTW thing: better left wanting to do/see more than doing it all toute-suite then having nothing to achieve,or seeing it all/seeing nothing: sit back and have a KitKat. Savour stuff.

Kinda lazy here: should send you the link but...excellent footage of some guy bicycle touring in Japan. He seems to be using a drone sometimes for footage. No, I shoodna mentiond it: don't get the drone. It's more work. Enjoy the ride.

Yes, the bike is just awaiting a few more bits and as I am here now for a while longer, I'm not in a huge rush to get it back. I would rather time was taking to get the bike in tip-top working order so there hopefully isn't a repeat of last time. I believe my dealer will make certain its A1.

No point at all in my getting back during freezing crappy weather. For one, I hate the cold more than any other weather. Brought up in Australia I have never been comfortable in freezing cold. Besides that, I'm not in a rush to finish this tour, I want to enjoy every place I travel through if I can, not just get through as quick as I can or uncomfortably. Which is why I chose to complete the required minimum 18,000 through countries I wanted to visit. I'm looking forward to India and Thailand more than any other place. All the place I have chosen are must visits. I have been to most of them already, either on holiday or living, but I want to experience them at cycle touring pace. I hope to be in India around June/July during their monsoon season. I think it will be amazing. So yes, hanging around for the winter now I am here, spending time with my children, making sure the bike is A1, I've taken on some bike course like wheel building, a full day on brakes, and a full day on repair including chain repairs. Passport being sent off in Jan for a 6 month visa for India to be used within a year of approval too.

, I was a complete novice before starting out, not one nights cycle touring, never cycling with a loaded bicycle, and photography is my hobby not cycling. In fact cycling kind of bores me to be honest. I know that sounds weird given what I am doing, not cycling on this tour though. Cycling in one direction is great, its the cycling back home again that I can't stand, and especially cycling on the same route, that will kill me. That's why this touring is great for me. I can keep cycling in one direction, East I get bored really easily, so cycle touring is perfect.

Finding time to do the things I do throughout the day is really hard. The cycling bit is the easiest bit of all. All I have to do is turn those pedals and enjoy my surroundings, even on tough hills, rain, gravel, its all just turning the pedals. Its everything else that's the hard work. I try to keep a routine going if I can. I wash the clothes I had on that day in the shower on the campsite, then hang it out straight away in the hope it will dry by morning. If not I have spares.

I spend about 2 hours a night on my photographs and uploads, if I can get a network signal that is. I only upload bits of the video I have captured, and usually in a low file size. I do save all the video I capture though in 4K in case I ever want to make a real video someday or have someone make if for me. All my photos are also captured in jpeg and RAW for future proofing too.

Travelling solo for so long is really pretty hard on the mind, not having anyone to talk to or argue with even. Not having anyone to watch your gear while you nip in a shop or toilet. Going to sleep on your own week in and week out is hard too. I don't get scared of being alone at night, and its just as well. I would have to say that long term cycle touring solo is about 35% physical and the rest mental, and its no wonder most people tour in couples or groups, its would be so much easier. But I'm in no rush and I'm adjusting. I could have done without this bike issue so soon, or anytime, but it happened and its a case of just cracking on. If it goes tits up again in a massive way like this resulting my having to return, I will be posting the bike home and buy a cheaper bike from wherever I am at the time to get me through that country, dump it at the airport, fly to the next country and get another cheap bike to get me through that one

 

[hoopdriver]

The big advantage to touring solo is that it opens you up to meeting people along the way. People who travel in couples or groups tend to be more insulated and set apart - they have each other to interact with and so do not make the effort so much to mingle, while the people they might otherwise have met are less likely to strike up conversations with couples or groups that they would with a solo traveller. That is one of the reasons I have done all my touring solo. It opens you up so much mire to the magic of the open road.

 

[John Peel]

The big advantage to touring solo is that it opens you up to meeting people along the way. People who travel in couples or groups tend to be more insulated and set apart - they have each other to interact with and so do not make the effort so much to mingle, while the people they might otherwise have met are less likely to strike up conversations with couples or groups that they would with a solo traveller. That is one of the reasons I have done all my touring solo. It opens you up so much mire to the magic of the open road.

I met one couple of cyclists who said they could easily go a few weeks or maybe a month or so on their own and no doubt enjoy it, but for anything longer they would need company. I feel that I could go company for a few days or a week or so from time to time while away for many months at a time, or years, but that I would be looking forward to being on my own after that. One day cycling through France towards Spain, I joined 9 great guys for the day who were cycling in the same direction. They were credit card touring and so had hardly any gear to carry. It was really great and a nice change, but by the time we parted that day, it was nice to then go at my own pace, my own way. I have had friends who have asked to join me at certain points, and that's cool, but I can't see that happening because I don't know where I will be myself from one day to the next really. Lots of pluses for couples and for solo, its just different, and depends on the person too.

 

[hoopdriver]

It very much depends on the person. I am solitary by nature and once did a nine-month cycling trek solo and enjoyed every monent. Did not want company at all. I was quite happy to meet and chat with people along the way, but always rode alone. It woukdn’t Suit everybody, but it suited me perfectly.

 

[John Peel]

It very much depends on the person. I am solitary by nature and once did a nine-month cycling trek solo and enjoyed every monent. Did not want company at all. I was quite happy to meet and chat with people along the way, but always rode alone. It woukdn’t Suit everybody, but it suited me perfectly.

Agreed. Where is you blog or story about your 9 months trip. I have been to your webpage but don't know where to look. I would be interested to read it.

 

[hoopdriver]

Agreed. Where is you blog or story about your 9 months trip. I have been to your webpage but don't know where to look. I would be interested to read it.

That particular nine month trek is not on my blog. It appeared as a three part series in National Geographic Magazine and later appeared in book form, Cold Beer & Crocodiles, published by National Geographic Adventure Press. I have been meaning to reprint the book and put it on my website but gaven’t Gotten around to it yet.

I have a cycling blog www.my-bicycle-and-I.com on which I have a series of stories about a six week solo trek from England to Istanbul.

 

[John Peel]

That particular nine month trek is not on my blog. It appeared as a three part series in National Geographic Magazine and later appeared in book form, Cold Beer & Crocodiles, published by National Geographic Adventure Press. I have been meaning to reprint the book and put it on my website but gaven’t Gotten around to it yet.

I have a cycling blog www.my-bicycle-and-I.com on which I have a series of stories about a six week solo trek from England to Istanbul.

That's great. Everyone's dream to get in NG. I found a PDF of your tour on multiple sites but all of them wanted my credit card details just to be a member. I will keep searching for it. I have an interest in the Australian tour because I was brought up in Perth Western Australia and travelled extensively through Western Australia. Had the time of my life back in the 80's there too.

 

[Alan O]

I've never done any cycle touring longer than a week (though I've done it alone and with friends), which isn't really long enough to either get lonely or to crave solitude.

But I've been backpacking in Asian countries (and still do on occasions when I can), and other than very short trips I much prefer to travel alone. I think it's great to meet up with people, travel with them for a little while, and then go our separate ways. I think any long-distance trip with a permanent companion (or companions) would lead to us hating each other before too long.

 

[hoopdriver]

That's great. Everyone's dream to get in NG. I found a PDF of your tour on multiple sites but all of them wanted my credit card details just to be a member. I will keep searching for it. I have an interest in the Australian tour because I was brought up in Perth Western Australia and travelled extensively through Western Australia. Had the time of my life back in the 80's there too.

I have been contributing to National Geographic for over twenty years. My book Cold Beer and Crocodiles can be found quite cheaply secondhand on Amazon. Western Australia was a fabulous adventure in its own right - as I expect you must know having traveled throughout it. The Kimberley and The Great Sandy Desert hold some wonderful memories. I met some great people up there. WA was also - by far - the toughest place to tour, especially coming down the coast in the height of summer - brutal, but the efforts during the day were more than repaid by the fabulous blaze of stars at night.

And of course the southwest corner, below Perth, with the karri forests and Margaret River wine country was a wonderful counterpoint to the harshness up north. I even enjoyed the Nullarbor!

 

[John Peel]

It is a brutal and massive state. It’s been over 10 years since I was in Australia up in Broome. Heading down towards Albany and a completey different landscape. I would have loved to have traveled completely around. My girlfriend back in the 80’s was quite famous there had driven her 4x4 around Australia with her dog. The flies! Now, the flies are brutal!

 

[hoopdriver]

The flies are indeed ghastly, although the worst place I found for flies was the Barkly Tablelands in western Queensland. Unbelievable.