Category: Tim’s Adventures
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Crossing the Alps by Bicycle (Video)
The Alps felt like our first proper test. We knew we could cycle 50 miles a day several days in a row with a heavy bike but neither of us had ever cycled over a 2,000-metre pass before now. It wasn’t as hard as we thought it might be and not nearly as hard as…
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Cycling in France
We pass through a succession of tiny villages, each identical to the last. Mass times are displayed on entry to the village and we stop to rest under the trees in the central square, watched over by the mairie. The war memorial displays the red, white and blue: fierce nationalism not often seen in Britain,…
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EuroVelo 6 in Photos
Big Cycle Part 2: Paris to Basel, a set on Flickr. Here’s a collection of photographs taken from our cycle between Paris and Basel, largely along the glorious EuroVelo 6 cycle route. You can browse them on Flickr (which might be easier and/or look nicer) if you click any of the images. We are heading…
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Puncture Watch
A sudden bumping, a thwack thwack sound, a sinking heart. I shout ahead to Tim to wait while I dismount and check. Yep, another puncture. Punctures are a pain at any time, but especially when your bike is loaded up with panniers. They mean dismantling the careful pile of drying clothes tied to the back…
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We Are Not Cycling To Australia
We have been cycling for just a couple of weeks and, of course, the people we meet along the way ask us where we are headed. In the first week, joined by friends who were pedalling with us to Paris, following the Avenue Verte cycle route which carries hundreds, if not thousands, from British capital…
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The First Country Falls
After a pleasant week’s pedalling south east from Paris, we have reached Switzerland via a 200yd stretch of Germany. We followed the wonderful EuroVelo 6 cycle route for much of the way – traffic free, smooth ground, flat following a river and railway line, and with regular picnic benches which make all the difference at…
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Photos from Cycling the Palace to Palace
Here are the first set of photographs covering about 500km of cycling from Hampton Court Palace to the Palace of Versaille and a little bit beyond, following the Avenue Verte for much of the way through France. They’re almost all taken by Laura. (They’re displayed below using an automatic feature from Flickr. It’s really convenient…
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A Holiday
And so a holiday comes to an end. It started at a palace in Hampton Court with a crowd of well wishers and continued with a smaller crowd of cyclists. Through the Surrey Hills we cycled, struggling under the newly heavy burden of a life in four panniers until met by friends and family with…
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We’re Off!
As off about this very moment, Laura and I are taking the first of many pedal strokes of our trip. The first leg is Hampton Court Palace to the Palace of Versailles. Tonight we camp on the South Downs and tomorrow (Monday) we cycle to Newhaven for a late night ferry to Dieppe. From there…
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5 Days To Go
It is only five days until Sunday 18th August when Laura and I begin our cycle to Australia. We are mostly ordering things from Amazon, opening parcels and making long To Do lists. Read on for details of how to wave us off or join us for the first few miles, to see if you…
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We are supporting JDRF: the Type 1 Diabetes Charity
It’s now only two weeks until Laura and I set off on our bikes in the vague direction of Australia and we are pleased to announce that the charity we will be supporting is JDRF. You can donate online now. [divide] Who are JDRF? JDRF exists to find the cure for type 1 diabetes and…
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Commuter Cyclist to Adventure Tourer
As a kid, I was always scared of cycling. I knew how to ride a bike but I could never pluck up the courage to cycle the two or three miles to my school. But I moved to London to study at UCL and soon found myself the proud owner of a £5 Ebay road…