"It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle."
~Ernest Hemingway
Given that it's the time of year when people tend to relax and put their everyday routine aside, I thought I'd mix things up a little. So here's a more general update of how things are going...
I suppose the most important recent development in terms of the trip itself is that we have finally decided on dates. We will set off from Land's End on Saturday the 25th of June 2011 and, if all goes well, arrive in John O'Groats two weeks later on the 9th of July. As we have never ridden together on the road before, we have also decided to spend the weekend of the royal wedding (end of April) on a 3-day trip around the Lake District. These dates were agreed over a few festive pints with Malc recently, and have brought an increased sense of realism to my attitude towards training! The training weekend will also give us the chance to try out various bits of kit, get to grips with navigation, packing etc. It should also give us a pretty good idea of how we'll cope on the actual trip itself.
Over the past weeks and months I've also come across various bits and pieces, which have motivated, inspired and informed me about all things cycling:
1) http://vimeo.com/groups/6916/videos/11154268
A lecture by Rob Lilwall on his epic 3-year cycle from Siberia back to the UK. He also wrote a book about it, called "Cycling Home From Siberia". I was also very excited to get Christopher J A Smith's book "Why Don't You Fly?" for Christmas, and can't wait to read it.
2) http://www.markbeaumontonline.com/
In a similar vein, I've found Mark Beaumont's book "The Man Who Cycled The World" and his corresponding TV series' absolutely fascinating. He places a different emphasis on his expeditions to people like Rob Lilwall, choosing to focus on physical achievement rather than spiritual/cultural adventure, but I find both aspects make for great reading/viewing and the contrast between the two is really interesting.
3) http://www.chainreactioncycles.com
Just as they were when I was spending all my pocket money on MTB bits, Chain Reaction seem to be the best one stop shop for bike bits, clothing etc.
4) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t6ylx
A BBC show in which author Rob Penn goes round the world gathering components with which to build his 'dream bike'. Also looks at the history and evolution of bikes in general. A great watch.
Right, that's it for now. I'm off for a quick spin on the turbo trainer to gauge the damage caused by the festive feasting!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you.
"When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments. Here was a machine of precision and balance for the convenience of man. And (unlike subsequent inventions for man's convenience) the more he used it, the fitter his body became. Here, for once, was a product of man's brain that was entirely beneficial to those who used it, and of no harm or irritation to others. Progress should have stopped when man invented the bicycle."
~Elizabeth West, Hovel in the Hills.
