In general I hate shopping, but over the last month I had to research and buy all the stuff I will need for a safe and comfortable ride. Dozens of advice from experienced cyclists, forums, and other touring diaries, as well as numerous visits to shops, begging for discounts.

Today, I finished my to-buy list with all sorts of things. Shoes, pedals, rack, panniers, shorts, raincoats, cloths, tools, spares, maps, insurance and of course a small and lightweight tent that will be my portable home for the next two months.

After all this frenzy of consumerism, the big highlight was of course the stuff I didn’t have to buy my self! All my good friends from the company I was working for the past four year, offered me the most appropriate leaving present. Top quality and very stylish cycling cloths that make me feel like a pro cyclist, who climbs the Alps for breakfast! So I’d like to thank everybody that signed my leaving card and contributed to the present, Dean and Ashley who organized it all and finally Rapha.cc who provided and designed all these amazing clothing and they were happy to support me by adding even more stuff towards the gift.

So that’s me and the bike fully loaded. I went up the steep hill of Highgate to see how much harder it is to ride. I have to say it was tough, but doable. People say I’ll get stronger on the way, so probable by the end of the trip I will look like the Les triplettes de Belleville character.

]]> http://blog.ch3.gr/gear-lot-of-them/feed/ 1 http://blog.ch3.gr/and-yes-it-is-happening/ http://blog.ch3.gr/and-yes-it-is-happening/#comments Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:52:08 +0000 Georgios http://blog.ch3.gr/?p=175

It’s now official, I just bought a single ferry ticket to France!

On Tuesday 18th of August, I’ll be taking the train to Bournemouth, where I will spend the night at my friend’s Mauricio. Next day early in the morning, I’ll be catching the Ferry from Poole to Cherbourg.

Luckily I managed to recover fast from the mild fever I had last week. I started my training again, I bought a tent, my first map, made my plans. I now have to do some final arrangements, say good buy to friends here in London and then I am off… A week from now I’ll be somewhere in France making my way to the south.

Happy days!

=]

The trip is due to start around mid August 2009. After I pack and send all my stuff to Greece, I will load my bike, leave the house key and the confort of my room and start cycling. The first destination won’t be very far, probable one of the Train stations in London to go to Portsmouth or Bournemouth. From there I’ll take the ferry to Bretteville in Normandy, from where the actual bike tour will start. Many people suggested to me, rather than taking the shortest route, I would rather go by the west coast of France which is a lot more beautiful. Depending on my strengths at the time, I may attempt to go through the Pyrenees mountains which everybody says are gorgeous. Then I cycle next along the south coast of France in the Mediterranean sea and cross to Italy. There I’ll head to Venice from where apparently there is a boat to Greece. If I do make it all the way there, I feel strong enough and I still have money, I may attempt to cycle further down to Ancona or even Bari. The boat goes to Patra in Greece, from where I am sure my parents will be waiting to drive me back to Athens. Unfortunately cycling from Patra to Athens (300km) will probable be more dangerous than the rest of the trip. Greece is one of the European countries with the most fatal road accidents and drivers are not used to cyclists at all.

The plan is by no means fixed at all, but it will be adapted on the spot, based on the mood, strength, money and what locals and other cyclist suggest. And of course there is always the possibility that for one reason or another I’ll have to quit the mission and I may have to take the train or the plane to the next destination or even to Greece. The route is about 3000km and I’m giving my self about two months to cover. I’ll be camping along the way as much as possible in order to save money for baguettes, cheese and red wine.

I will try to update this blog as often as possible, to let people know how I am doing. I’ll be having my mobile with me, so if you want to find out how I am doing at any point, don’t esitate to call me.

After that point, I started looking into it more and more, by reading loads of  articles and forums on the Internet about bike touring and asking people that have already done long rides in the past. Then I bought the first piece of gear which officially marked the beginning of my very ambitious trip. That was a  £0.99 mini compass.

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