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

[John Peel]

Yes I get your thinking, but the thing to remember first is that I'm a father of 2 young adult daughters, and I am prepared to return at the drop of a hat if I'm about to be a grandfather, give my daughters away at a wedding, or even if they need me for something, and god forbid if it something not good. Yes, I think you usually find that most round the world cyclist don't have children, or at least not young ones, or the cyclist is quite young with no ties to anything really.

Being so close to home I had no problem with returning when I did, and as it happened my bike would likely have gone t#ts up completely had I travelled much farther, meaning no bike and no way of continuing. To complete a record or to enter the record books in some way, Guinness Rules for a record state that you must continue in one go, and that is perfectly understandable in a record attempt for a circumnavigation.

I'm not attempting any records by Guinness Rules, and it's just as well hey I have no intention of starting again from Cheshire, and I will be returning to Marseille on the 1st of March to continue on from the very point I left off when I had to return. I've know people who have cycled around the world and had to return for medical reasons, such as being run over or sickness, and some have got well, returned to the point they fell ill, and continued on.

I hope I can continue on this time without having to return for anything at all until I have completed my tour, but if I have to return for any reason I will. Some reasons behind people not returning are the costs in doing so and the time out.

You will also find that rules for solo cyclist state they are to cycle solo. They can have someone tag along for the day now and then, but not for days or weeks at a time. You will see people who state they have cycled solo around the world, but then read how they set out with someone else who later returned home. Some that say they completed a solo world cycle but you read they cycled a whole continent with with someone going the some way. Does it mean they didn't complete an around the world solo cycle tour? It's all a bit here and there.

The main thing for me, is that I cycle what is considered a circumnavigation of the Earth. 18,000 miles crossing 2 antipodal points on the Earth. I have chosen Madrid and Wellington. These points can be off by so many degrees. And that's about it really. I'm cycling solo, but if I meet someone along the way who is going in the same direction for a while, I'm not going to turn them away, more likely I will welcome the company for a while, but not the whole tour.

I might actually write an article about this, it would be really interest to some and if I gather more info on it too. And as far as the bike goes, if it packs up beyond the repair capabilities of the nearest big city, it will be sent home and I will be buying another more simpler cheaper setup and have it flown out to me where I might be if I can't get one in that city. There comes a point where the cost of travelling would cost nearly as much as another bike.

Best wishes and Merry Christmas to you.

Steve

 

[Blue Hills]

I like your approach to all of this John. Am sure anyone would be more than happy to ride with you a fair few miles and sod it if that disqualifies you from any meaningless gong. Seasons greetings.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I sense that a lot of good has come out of your enforced stop Stephen (as well as spending Christmas with family) as I think you embarked as a complete beginner, accumulated lots of experience in your first leg, and have had the opportunity to reflect on it and refine your kit, add some mechanics skills etc.

In a sense you've done what other experienced tourists have done over multiple tours - it's just that yours was a single one that started in Cheshire and didn't stop until Marseille

 

[hoopdriver]

Exactly. You are doing this is just the right way. Forget the meaningless “rules” This is your trip. Have a great Christmas

 

[John Peel]

I like your approach to all of this John. Am sure anyone would be more than happy to ride with you a fair few miles and sod it if that disqualifies you from any meaningless gong. Seasons greetings.[/QUOTE

Oh there will be a gong alright , but yeah like I say, if something like getting a job somewhere for a few months, falling in love, cycling with someone for a while, getting medical treatment, attending a family event, disqualifies a person from a world record attempt, I'm glad I'm not going for a world record . Best wishes to you too.

 

[John Peel]

I sense that a lot of good has come out of your enforced stop Stephen (as well as spending Christmas with family) as I think you embarked as a complete beginner, accumulated lots of experience in your first leg, and have had the opportunity to reflect on it and refine your kit, add some mechanics skills etc.

In a sense you've done what other experienced tourists have done over multiple tours - it's just that yours was a single one that started in Cheshire and didn't stop until Marseille

Cheers. I have indeed learned a lot. It's been an amazing experience and I feel very lucky.

 

[John Peel]

Exactly. You are doing this is just the right way. Forget the meaningless “rules” This is your trip. Have a great Christmas

Merry Christmas and all the best.

 

[Blue Hills]

>>Oh there will be a gong alright

methinks you have designed/packed your own gong

 

[tyreon]

FWIW there's 40+ pages on the ctc forum on the Shimano Alfine hub 11,Stephen. Not this alone...people discussing Roholff hubs, problems,settings etcetera, Sturmey Archer, I can't say I understand it all, but it might interest you...on a rainy day when you are inside and twiddling thumbs.
I tried to follow some of it,but become a somewhat muddled. At the same time(excusing myself),if I had never seen a puncture repaired/wheel taken off and had just had to read it from a book,I'd still be at the side of a road now.

I always thought hub gearing was fit-and-forget. Maybe...sometimes...

I think I still believe in derailleurs...altho I have two hub geared bikes! https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=64432&sid=ac50bdceda4c5a38d938c22238bfd392&start=120

 

[John Peel]

if I had never seen a puncture repaired/wheel taken off and had just had to read it from a book,I'd still be at the side of a road now. 120

I know what you mean. I'm glad I have quick release to get the wheel off. With the belt it was a little fiddly as it had to lined up perfectly and the tension had to be spot on. With the chain now I'm hoping for a little give. Touch wood, I haven't had a puncture in 3300 km's, but no doubt a few will be coming soon. Even taking the wheel off on the front means unpinning the dynamo and taking out the quick release rod completely because the wheel won't slip past the front panniers otherwise. Still, hardly major problems, a puncture doesn't concern me much.

 

[Blue Hills]

Apologies if it is somewhere in this long thread jp, but in view of a current interest of mine, can I ask what you are doing about keeping electronic stuff charged?

 

[John Peel]

Apologies if it is somewhere in this long thread jp, but in view of a current interest of mine, can I ask what you are doing about keeping electronic stuff charged?

Oh man, this was harder than I thought at first. I have a son dynamo in the front hub and 2 USB adaptors, but I'm just not good enough yet to keep a good fast pace to charge anything, so it's been pretty useless really. Well, I do get some charge from time to time, but not much. I make the most of campsite receptions and just plug 2 battery banks in. They are 2 EasyAcc at 10,000 mAH, and they are 2 of the best things I have bought. I would be lost without them. A full charge on both will power my iphone for a couple of days, as well as my Bluetooth speak, Walkman, and even charge my camera batteries. So if I use them wisely once charged, I can get 3 or 4 days. The laptop is another thing, but I still charge that in receptions, digs, or ask for a power lead when I'm at a campsite.

 

[Blue Hills]

What are you using as a converter between the dynamo hub and powerbank jp? I am currently at your mains recharge stage using an anker 2100 powerbank. This of course means periodic beer stops

 

[John Peel]

What are you using as a converter between the dynamo hub and powerbank jp? I am currently at your mains recharge stage using an anker 2100 powerbank. This of course means periodic beer stops

I have a double adaptor for the plug socket and it has 2 usb sockets in it too, so I love getting into digs knowing that everything is charged and will give me a few days camping. The dynamo is a Son 3w, and the converter is Igaro D1 V5. It's a tricky bit of kit I'm told to go from hub to USB. The lights switch off at the lights thank goodness as the lights and the USB are all live. It's nice when I hear the phone ding as it starts to charge, then sad when 100m farther on I hit a hill and it dings again to say its no longer charging . From what I can work out from my experience, a steady 10mph will keep an iphone and a Garmin Edge alive, but wont give them any extra charge, but that's OK. Getting over 10mph and you start to give those same things a little charge. But keeping things alive is handy in itself I guess. I have also worked out that doing 30 mph down a hill for 5 minutes, is still only 5 minutes charge you would get at 15 mph on a flat road. Hope that helps. I had to stop as I was starting to convince myself the 400 sobs for the dynamo and converter were worth it!!

 

[Blue Hills]

Thanks for the reply. I thought the Igaro was supposed to be a good bit of trouble free kit and one would hope so at that price. I understand that you can buy an inline modular switch for it to switch between powering the light or charging a powerbank but I like the simple sound of a switch on the light. Which light is that?