The End - Western Europe, A Look Back & The Home Coming

It is all over! Western Europe was very wet and cold, so I rode it as fast as I could. I can honestly say I loved every minute of it, even the hard times. Without a shadow of doubt it is the best thing I have ever done. I had deceived my parents into thinking I was coming back later than I was so I could surprise them. I never rode back to their house as I have toured in the UK before and since I start back at work in a week I didn't want to spend that time cycling in the rain. However when I was paying for the train ticket I thought it would be cheaper to ride.

Anyway, the western Europe section is in the video below, along with a look back and the final homecoming. I enjoyed putting it together and the final day was quite emotional. 

I may do another blog post outlined the visa issues I had for central asia and the equipment I used as this sort of info is useful for other cyclists. I know it was for me as I read other peoples blogs when planning my trip.

So what next? Well work until the end of the season and in that time I need to find a reason to stay in the UK as there are a million reasons to get back on the bike.

Thanks to everyone who has read my blog .... so until next time, take care. x

Central Europe

Just a quick one, this one ... I need to get back on the bike. I am currently in a very rainy Germany. Below is the video for Central Europe - Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic. I haven't been taking many photos or videos as its pretty much raining all day every day. The scenery is just country lanes with the odd main road.

The worst thing about being back in Western Europe is the cost, unfriendly and jobsworth attitude people. Still, not everyone is like that. Still enjoying it .. not long left now :-(

Eastern Europe

I loved Eastern Europe ... Bulgaria and Serbia were great. Actually I have loved the whole trip, it has exceeded me expectations of what I thought it was going to be like. It's coming to an end and I'm going to miss it when its over. I don't know what I'm going to do ... actually I do, as it looks like I've got my old job back. I always enjoyed it so it gives me something to look forward to when I return. So much shit repetitive banter awaits :-) Anyway, here is the video for the last 2 countries.

I write this on my final night in Hungary. I only have 45 km to the Austrian border and I have just realised that I haven't (bar 1 meal pic) taken a photograph or video in this country. So the video for the central europe region is going to be very heavily Austrian focussed.

The clocks have now gone back and the amount of daylight is restricted. I love riding in the dark but it just gets a bit more tricky to find a decent camping spot ... and as I get further west the budget hotels and guest houses are getting increasingly more expensive.

Anyway, until next time, take care. Neil 

Turkey

If you read the last Turkish post you will be aware of my dilema. Well I decided to get the bus back to where my bike became pretty much un-rideable. It may seem silly, but I was happy with the decision, bar the first day back. The trip to Istanbul went OK. An overnight bus dropped me of in the pouring rain at 6am in the morning at a layby of a very busy motorway. I made my way across town to the bike shop which didn't open until 11 am, so I had a few very much needed coffees in a nearby cafe. 

As it turned out it was my shifter which was broke on my bike, so I got that changed as well as new chain, tires and cables throughout. The bike was as good as new. I also managed to pick up some size 13 mtb shoes as it was far from sandal weather. I had one night in Istanbul whilst I waited for my bike and then got the overnight bus back. As it was the shifter I couldn't have got the bike repaired anywhere else as it is a specialist part from a German manufacturer which the shop is a dealer for. The staff were all friendly and I enjoyed my time there. Thanks guys!

I got off the bus back in mid-Turkey at 9am in the morning and had breakfast (soup - which is what they have in Turkey for breakfast ?!?!) in the same service station cafe where I sat and wrote the 'Turkish Dilemma' blog post. I then got on my way, and after a night in the hostel sandwiched by 2 nights on the bus, a raging headwind, hills, rain and cold I did question my sanity. However a cheap hotel and a straight 11 hour sleep that night reset everything - I felt as good as my bike did! So it wasn't long before I was back in Istanbul, where I happened to bump into the bike shop owners out for dinner where I joined them for a big feed and a good evening. I took a spontaneous rest day as I hadn't had one for a while then took the ferry into Europe the next day. All documented in the video as usual ...

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The ride out of Istanbul was interesting. Very scenic, for a dual carriageway, but it seemed to go on for ever. It took me 50k before it thinned out. I'm now right on the border of political Europe and will cross into Bulgaria tomorrow. My route is pretty much Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Belgium and then France. Roughly 2600 km ... won't take too long, well unless I decide to extend :-)

The Turkish Dilema

As I write this I am sitting in a cafe waiting for a bus to take me to Istanbul. I am 900 km away and the bus is going to take 15 hours. Why aren't I cycling, well over the last few days it has been increasingly difficult to change gear. I had a similar problem in China which I managed to get sorted but some of the complications from that fix have come back to haunt me. I have a hub gear, which means that all the gears are internal to the hub, so no external derailleurs. This offers lots of advantages in terms of keeping things clean but when things go wrong it is pretty hard to fix. There is a cable inside which wraps around a brass drum and then the 2 cables come out and connect to 2 cables which come from the shifter on the handlebars. In China the internal (and one external) cable snapped. I fitted the internal spare and snipped it to length with poor quality wire cutters meaning the ends frayed so I could not connect it to the 2 cables from the shifter. The internal cable is 0.9mm and standard gear cable is 1.0mm. Luckily some random cable was found and the bike was fixed. However, there are 5 T20 torx screws which keep a mounting plate attached to the hub which you have to remove to access the internal cable. In China one of these was seized, but with a proper torx screwdriver it came of ok. At that time I only had a small end attachment one which was no good. So, all good in China and I got more spares sent out to Urumqi so if the same thing happens I can fix it. I also purchased some good quality wire cutters and the torx screwdriver.

So fast forward 10,000 km to Turkey and I am suddenly having difficulty changing gear. Shifting down is fine but it is ultra stiff to shift up, and I do not have the top 4 gears out of the 14 available. The cables from the shifters appear ok and even the cable from the hub appears OK. Maybe the internal cable is slipping out of the grooves on the drum as it was 0.8mm as I shift up jamming everything up. I decided to take the mounting plate of and fit the new internal cable to see if that fixed the problem, but I couldn't get the mounting plate off. All of the 5 screws were seized but 4 came loose, with 1 not budging and the more I tried to loosen it the more the screwdriver would slip of. I could go to a workshop and get it drilled out, or as Julian did with his, get something welded onto the screw to then lever it off. This would save me going to Istanbul on the bus. However, I had already been in contact with the bike shop (which is a Rolhoff hub gear dealer) for an internal oil change, new tires and a general service when I got to Istanbul as there are loads of other little niggly things wrong and I have my spare tire on the rear. The guy who is doing the service is away on a big bike trip in a few days, so I was never going to get there in time. My plan was always to ride as close as I could and then get the bus, which would keep the length and cost of journey down. After the last few days though I was getting more and more frustrated with the situation. The distance to the next big town was quite long and I didn't want something to finally completely fail and be stuck in between towns having to hitch back to a town to then get the bus. I decided to go to Istanbul instead of a local bike or work shop to try and free the stuck screw just in case it is not the cable but something wrong with the hub, plus the fact I can get all the other bits of work done.

So that’s the decision made and I’m fine with that. It’s a bit of a pain and if the guy wasn't going away on a big bike trip (who would do such a thing) I would probably just keep limping along to Istanbul as it is and get it fixed when I got there.

So my dilemma now is do I make the return journey back to where I am or do I just forget about the 900 k’s on the bus?

My original trip plan was just to spend a year cycling around the bits of the world which appealed to me but making my way home as I went along (see the end of the ‘reasons to go video’). This was mainly to miss out the central Asian region as initially I couldn't be bothered with all the visas hassles.  As I started cycling and met other cyclists I started to like the idea of cycling all the way back more and more, especially when I found out the visa issues wasn’t too hard to sort out with a bit of advanced planning. So the pro’s of getting the bus back is that I would have cycled all the way across mainland Asia ... from crossing from Singapore to Malaysia all the way to Istanbul. I’m probably never going to do it again so I may as well do it right. Julian and Elie, who I spent a lot of time in central Asia with, are about 400 km behind me so it will also be a good chance to meet back up and ride with them for a few days. The con’s of doing it, are it’s not exactly pleasant in Turkey at the moment, and it seems a bit pointless. As I type this, the flags outside are pointing due East, its foggy, cold and raining. Not all days are like this though but there are quite a lot of them and as the days go by there are going to be a lot more of them. It will also delay my return by a few days but then again there’s nothing to get back for anyway ... other than seeing friends and family etc. which I am looking forward to.

The philosophy of my trip (and life, lol) is ‘no turning back’, but also ‘no cheating’ (motorised transport) ... so they have come into conflict. As I write this I have pretty much decided to get the bus back (this cafe is just too good), but when I’m 4 hours into the 15, later today I’ll probably be thinking I’m not doing this again. Anyway, this is the end of my rambling, until next time.

Cheers, n

The Top 20 Best Hardcore Punk Lps Ever Recorded

The Top 20 Hardcore Punk LPs ever recorded. Video below, taking you through my selection and then reasons and justifications for each below. Let me know what you think...

Making a list like this is always hard. There are so many classics, over 30 years of quality music and so many sub genres that even setting the criteria for inclusion is difficult. I decided that to make the list it had to be pretty much pure hardcore, influential, aggressive, a great live act, a personal favourite, genuine and stood the test of time. It happens so often in this genre of music that a new release comes out and it’s the best thing since sliced bread for 3 months. Its listened to daily and then something else comes out and it’s never listened to again. I also decided on only one LP per band, no live albums, no EPs and no compilations or discographies (though rules are made to be broken). A lot of classic releases were just EPs or even demos, but I decided on LPs only. It was also really hard to pick the order, though in my opinion each release generally fits into each quarter and for me the top three are cast in stone. I enjoyed putting it together and had to listen to certain albums back to back to decide which one would make it in. I’m interested in everyone else’s opinion or if you think I’ve criminally missed out something. Anyway, onto the justifications...

  

20.   Avail – 4am Friday

I love Avail. From Satiate through to Front Porch Stories they have never released a poor album. They are a bit different to most HC bands in that they get more aggressive with each release. I first saw them live at the Red Eye in London, where I only went along to see the support band Assert. I contemplated putting in 7 seconds or Gorilla Biscuits here, which I think most people would think would be a more suitable or classic choice. But for me Avail had to make the list, as they make my top 10 bands of all time list. They haven’t played live since 2008, but haven’t officially split up. Let’s hope the hiatus comes to an end soon.

19.   Tragedy – Tragedy

Tragedy, formed from the ashes of his hero is gone (pun intended). They have a very strong dis-core influence and very D.I.Y. Most of the bands on this list are more mainstream underground, where Tragedy is probably the most underground. A great live band and well worth checking out. Everybody will have their own favourite ‘anarcho’ hardcore punk band and this is mine, though I think they musically offer a lot more. In time, this LP could easily climb this list.

18.   The Exploited – Troops of Tomorrow

Punks not dead at all! Some would put The Exploited under the punk umbrella but for me it’s hardcore punk and so makes the list. Great riffs and vocals so as all the right ingredients. They have been going for so long now and have never disappointed.

17.   Shelter – Mantra

Another personal favorite from another band which is one of my favorites. Its probably one of the more mellower records on the list and a lot of people would swap it with a Youth of Today record, but not me. Their later LP ‘When 20 Summers Pass’, is also definitely worth checking out if you've not been exposed to too much Shelter.

16.   Slapshot – 16 Valve Hate

I contemplated Chokes former band ‘SS Decontrol’, as they have released a few classics, but for me Slapshot are the better band. Just the opening guitar riff does it and then it never lets up. A personal fav, but you could easily put in ‘Back on the Map’, ‘Step on It’, or ‘Old Time Hardcore’. Just great straight up hardcore.

15.   Poison Idea – Feel the Darkness

Poison Idea, the heaviest band on the planet – literally. I guess you've all heard that one before. The first band on the list which I've not seen live, but people I know who have seen them say they know what they’re doing. A lot of classics on here, ‘Alan’s on Fire’, ‘The badge’ (I almost used that song for my Uzbekistan video) and the opener ‘Plastic Bomb’. Great Stuff!

14.   M.D.C. – M.D.C.

An often over looked band. I got lent this LP a long time ago and had never heard of them. I loved it though not quite so impressed with some of their later releases. They have a lot of reasons to be angry and it comes across. There was no way this wasn't making the cut.

13.   Madball – Legacy

Up until now, with the slight exception of Avail, it’s been pretty easy to pick each bands best album. It was very hard to do for Madball. Do I go with the ‘Ball of Destruction’, with all the classics or even their proper debut of ‘Set it Off’. For me though their best period is ‘Hold it Down’, ‘NYHC EP’ and ‘Legacy’. A modern day classic from a band which will never let anyone down. Its probably their most aggressive LP and I love it!

12.   The Misfits – Static Age

A tricky one here ... for me The Misfits have always been more Punk than Hardcore Punk, band but who am I to split hairs (or devils locks). They are so influential and distinctive that it didn't seem right to leave them out. It was actually pretty tricky to pick out an LP of theirs as all the classic tunes are usually listened to off compilations these days, so I picked the LP with the most classics on.

11.   The Dead Kennedys – Plastic Surgery Disasters

I almost put the ‘In god we Trust EP’, here but in obeying the no EP rule I had to pick an LP. This one is a bit better than their debut, you normally see on lists like this, for me and on CD has the just mentioned EP tagged on the end. A very influential band, but more on the alternative post hardcore style which formed out of hardcore.

10.   Sick of it All – Built to Last

Again, very similar to Madball, which LP to pick? I first saw these on the ‘Just Look Around’ tour years and years ago and are the band I've seen most live. There is most definitely a reason why I've always gone back to see them... and that’s the humour of Lou Koller. For me the Built-Call-Yours trilogy of LPs is their best period, so it was hard to pick one of those three. I went for Built, due to the title track, ‘Good Looking Out’, and ‘Busted’. ‘Live in a Dive’ was released at the height of this period and makes it into my top 10 LPs of all time list, as live LPs are allowed in that one.

9.   Black Flag – Damaged

This is usually number one in other lists like this I’ve seen. A great band, but for me a touch over rated hence the lowly top 10 position here. This is easily their best LP though and very influential. Their 4-bar flag logo is probably the most tattooed band symbols ever along with the SOIA dragon and misfits skull.

8.  Minor Threat – Complete Discography

Rules are made to be broken, just like the discography one. I could have broken the ‘no EP’ one and just had their debut EP in here, but then I’m missing out ‘Out of Step’. I had to break one of the rules as a top 20 hardcore list with no minor threat would be like watching Motorhead without Lemmy. Just not right. This band also unintentionally spawned the ‘straight edge’ genre. Fine, be positive, live healthy, but why label and pigeon hole yourself? This would have been higher on the list, but as it’s a discography and includes everything they have ever recorded it does tail of a bit towards the end.

7.       Suicidal Tendencies – Suicidal Tendencies

I almost didn't include this and then why is it so high once I did decide to include it. It would make the very top of a crossover list which is why I almost left it out, but it’s such a great record from such a great band I changed my mind. Always a very distinctive band throughout their career and still going today. They have had more of an influence on the more metal side of HC in contrast to The DKs which have influenced the more alternative post HC side of things.

6.       Bad Religion – How Could Hell be any Worse?

Melodic HC, is that a contradiction in terms. Maybe, maybe not, who really cares. One thing is for sure though is that Bad Religion are without a shadow of doubt the founding members of this style. So many releases and so compelling, so active and a band which you can always go back to and rely on.

5.       Cro-Mags – Age of Quarrel

A band with a lot of bite! A great release and one of the NYHC classics. Shame that they have had their problems and differences over the years as it would have been good to have seen them carry on through the decades like Agnostic Front have done.

4.       Bad Brains – Bad Brains

Probably the most influential band on the early HC scene on this list. Most people would have one of their releases in the top 3. For me, one of their strengths, which is variety, is also a slight weakness as a HC band. Maybe that is a limited way of looking at things, but it is how I look at things. ‘Attitude’ and ‘The Big Takeover’ are great tunes, a band I would love to see live.

3.       Discharge – Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing

The first English band and only the second non American band on the list. I saw one top 20 hardcore LPs list recently which didn't even have Discharge in there. They created a whole sub genre of HC which is probably the most numerous. Relentless!

2.       Agnostic Front – Victim in Pain

What a band... an amazing 30 year history. Even though I have picked their debut for this list they have released so many great LPs and like a fine wine have got better over the years. The reason I picked their debut is just the sheer amount of classics jammed onto here.  Check out these 2 live clips. The first is from 04 and the second is from 85. Pretty much the same guys playing the same songs at the same venue. Both are amazing, but the 04 clip is one of the best live videos I've ever seen. If you are reading this and not really into HC check it out to find out what HC is all about.

1.       D.R.I. – D.R.L.P.
So it’s time for the number one LP! This might be a bit of a surprise to a lot of people, but for me it was an easy choice. When I was at school, I had all their LPs (at that time) from ‘Dealing with it’ (which would make the top 5 on this list if I was not restricted to one LP per band) through to ‘Thrash zone’. I loved the HC influence on metal. The copy I got of this was bought by a metal kid in the year below me and got passed round all the metal kids in that year as everyone hated it. My mate ended up with it, hated it, knew I liked DRI and gave it to me... I loved it, even though I was more into metal at that time! I knew from ‘Dealing with it’, that they were initially a HC band before moving into crossover but I wasn't expecting the sheer aggression and speed on this. This LP, along with Slayers ‘Reign in Blood’ and Napalm Deaths ‘Scum’ just blew me away... there was nothing else like it. Over the years it has gotten better and even though it is 30 years old, the songs don’t need to be re-recorded or sound better live. These are the best versions of the songs. On the video for this list there are 2 covers for this LP. The second (skeleton one) is the re-issued and re-mixed version from Roadrunner Records. The re-mixing takes a bit of the edge of, so if you do get it on CD hunt down the more recent DRCD release which also has loads of bonus tracks. ‘I play pac-man and I watch TV, I’m so happy cause it pleases me, i couldn't really ask for anything else, except maybe my own chain of taco-bells’ ... Great Stuff !!!

Cheers, Neil

From Central Asia to the Middle East

Hello ... Since the last blog post I have crossed three more countries, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran. I managed to get my Turkmenistan transit visa on time but they only issued me with three days instead of the requested and standard five. Oh well, I have heard of this happening before and even of people being rejected so I was just glad to get my passport back on time and with the visa. I then spent the afternoon riding to the border and managed to exit Tajikistan with about an hour to spare. Crossing from Tajikistan to Uzbekistan was far from smooth but with just about keeping my patience I got across.

Since I did my last blog I still had quite a bit of time in Tajikistan. I went on a short excursion to see some more of the Pamir Mountains and then made my way to Dushanbe. It’s all in the Tajikistan part two video below...

Tajikistan - Part Two

I had a fair amount of time to get to the Turkmenistan border so could take things easy in Uzbekistan, catch up with some things I had to do and see the sights ... err, well lots of desert actually. I’m glad I had a few days in the ancient Silk Road city of Bukhara as I really liked it there even though it was very touristy. I re-met up with Julian and Elie, who I had been bumping into on and off since Kyrgyzstan. It was good to have company camping in the barren desert with giant hairy spiders, so thanks guys.

Uzbekistan

After that it was on to Turkmenistan. The problem was that it wasn't really three days. The border didn't open till nine and it took three hours to get across. Combine that with the fact that the Iranian border shuts at 16:00 and it leaves 51 hours to cycle the 480-520k (route dependent, the shorter route was on a ‘bad’ road), which is a bit tight after stopping to eat and sleep. I was determined to do it and would have rode through the night if need be. As it turned out, it was quite comfortable. I even took the last day easy and I made it with a few hours to spare. It was quite an interesting country from what little I saw and even though I was stopped by the police a lot, they were always respectful and polite (unlike other places).

Turkmenistan - Desert Time Trial ... Tightrope!

So finally after a few months in Central Asia it was into the Middle East and Iran. All cycle tourists have nothing but praise about Iran mainly due to the great hospitality you receive from the people there. So I was quite intrigued to see what it would be like and yes the people were very friendly (bar one). I got given lots of nuts, grapes and water which were welcomed. Tehran had the craziest traffic ever without a shadow of doubt. Bishkek was definitely the most dangerous but Tehran was just crazy! I pretty much nailed it across Iran and rode 2067 km in 12 days. It was good to be on perfect roads after most of central Asia. This is what a ‘silk’ road should be like.

The Islamic Republic of Iran

So now I am out of a so called ‘axis of evil’ country and in Turkey. I had to take a week of to finish some none trip related things, which was also one of my reasons for cycling Iran so quickly. I have got that done and in the meantime the seasons have started to change. I had a day of storms yesterday and combine that with a cold coming on and I am not feeling too good today. So it was an enforced rest day which has enabled me to catch up on my much neglected blog. Tomorrow is another day so I hope I feel better. It seems a long time since I was in the cycle-eat-sleep trip routine and I'm missing it.

Central Asia - Part One

Central Asia has been great. I was originally going to miss out on this whole region at the start due to potential visa hassles and that would have been a mistake. Although saying that I have my first potential trouble coming up as my Tajikistan visa expires on Monday and my Turkmenistan transit visa is still not ready. They said to come back on Monday and if it is not ready I will then have to extend my Tajikistan visa. This takes a week which will then give me 3 days to ride the 600 km to the Turkmenistan border as the dates for the transit visa are fixed. It should be OK if the visa is ready on Monday but if it isn't things could get a bit problematic. I have had it fairly smooth with regards to visas so far and this is the last one I will have to get. There is one cyclist here, Paul from the UK, who has been stuck in central asia for 8 weeks as his Iranian visa has been delayed.

So as I have been going along I have been putting together the videos for each country which are below. I got quite excited when I entered Kazakhstan due to the wide array of chocolate that they had and the fact that the kebab shops had chips !!! Such small things do make me happy these days. I had the seat post snap in Kazakhstan which meant I had to ride 300 km into Almaty to find a bike shop with a very low saddle position. I hadn't originally planned on going into Almaty and rode the longest yet for a 237 km day. 

Central Asia Part One - Kazakhstan

From Kazakhstan it was onto Kyrgyzstan which is the only country out of all of the 'stans', which is visa free on arrival. It was a great country and I had to take a week here in Bishkek to get my Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Iranian visas which all went pretty smooth. From Bishkek it was into the mountains which were great and it was also good to escape from the blistering heat for a while. I really enjoyed Kyrgyzstan, it was cheap, the people were friendly, the roads were good, shops were fairly regular and the scenery amazing.

Central Asia Part Two - Kyrgyzstan

On the way into Almaty I met Hannah from the UK who had just come from the Pamir mountains in Tajikistan. This is a very famous cycle route but I hadn't originally planned on riding it on this trip. she convinced me it was worth doing so from Kyrgyzstan it was into Tajikistan to ride along the M41 otherwise known as the Pamir highway. This is without a a shadow of doubt some of the best scenery of the whole trip so far. I had to cross 6 passes over 4000m including the worlds second highest road at 4655m. In parts the roads were really bad and always at the top of the passes which meant for some tough but visually rewarding cycling. I also passed 20,000 km for the trip along this route. I also met loads of cyclists along the way mostly heading east so hello to all. The video below only takes you up to half way through Tajikistan so there may be a part two.

Central Asia Part Three - Tajikistan

So hopefully on Monday I will be of to cycle the 1100 km across the deserts of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to finish of the central Asia section of the trip. Its going to be hot! From there it will be into the middle east of Iran and Turkey. In the last blog I mentioned how I have started to try and raise some money for the Birmingham Childrens hospital charity. A lot of people have said they would donate but not many people have. If you have a spare few quid it would be good if you could make a donation. Thanks.

http://www.justgiving.com/CycleEatSleep

As of tomorrow I have to pay attention to what day it is as the premiership starts :-)

Anyway, hope all is well with everyone back in the UK and around the world.

Cheers, Neil

A good cause.

When I started this trip a lot of people asked me if I were going to raise money for charity. I always answered that sometime along the way I might put up a just giving page to raise some money for a good cause. As I am approaching the 20,000 km milestone and have some tough new challenges ahead I feel it is a good time to put the request out. 

About this time last year me and Phil Hayward (Wolves head of medical department) started to train for the Chester marathon where we collectively raised over £2000 for the Birmingham Children's hospital. This seems like a good cause to try and continue to raise some money for, especially since I am cycling back to near Birmingham.

So if you enjoyed reading my blog, or asked me before I left if I was raising money for charity then now is your chance to donate some money to a good cause. One of the players at Wolves FC where I used to work, said I could 'raise a million', if I did it for charity. I don't really think that is possible, but even if a small amount is raised I'm sure the hospital would appreciate it. I have not set a target as I see it as any money raised is a bonus and know that people get asked all the time to donate money to charity all the time. So if you feel it is a good cause it would be good if you could spare a few pounds.

DONATE HERE: http://www.justgiving.com/CycleEatSleep

I am currently in Osh, Kyrgyzstan and about to take on the Pamir mountains into Tajikistan and along the Afghanistan border. I will be cycling up to an altitude of over 4600 meters so it will be very cold and with spectacular views. During this time I will pass the 20,000 km mark for the entire trip before arriving in Dushanbe. Here I will have to wait a week for my Turkmenistan transit visa which is the last visa I have to obtain. From here I will cross the scorching deserts of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran. After Iran I have a choice to make. I can either go straight across Turkey or up through Armenia and Georgia and then get the ferry across the Black sea. I am currently thinking of the later option especially if I spend the whole month in Iran. All cyclists say it is the highlight of their trip and with the cost of the visa I think I should maximise my time there. Once back in Europe it a 3000 km time trial to get the ferry to the UK! 

China

Well I had started writing about the time in China, but the videos are finished so thought I would just upload them and post a video blog. I may do another written blog in the future as a lot happened and the mechanical problem in the second video had  a lot more complications and issues than simply replacing the cable. Anyway the videos will give you a good idea of the trip. China is now my favourite country to cycle in beating France into second place.

China Part 1 - Yunnan Province

China Part 2 - Up To Lanzhou

China Part 3 - The Hexi Corridor

China Part 4 - Exit The Dragon

South East Asia Revisited

I am currently in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan awaiting for my Iranian visa after obtaining ones for Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. I should get it on Thursday all being well and then its off to cycle across the Pamir mountains which I am very much looking forward to. The only visa left to get will then be the Turkmenistan transit visa which I hope to get in Dushanbe. I arrived here after cycling through Kazakhstan from China both of which were great.

China was an incredible journey. It was a shade under 2 months and 5573 unforgettable and epic kilometers. This makes it the most cycled country on the trip so far beating New Zealand by about 100 km. It is also now the third county I have spent the most time in. England is obviously first, Germany second (3.5 years when younger), China third (3.5 months for work in 2006, 2 months now and a few trips to HK) and then the states fourth (3 months in 1996 and various holidays and work trips of various lengths making about 5 months total). 

China will probably be 4 videos, 2 of which are done and 2 I've got to put together so should be up fairly soon. The reason I do the videos is document the trip whilst I’m going along and prefer them to just looking at my photos. I try and use music which I am listening to at the time or which represents a theme in the clips. I've been listening to ‘The Streets’ a lot whilst in China, which is not something I would usually listen to but the lyrics make me chuckle and some remind me of home ... “the hazy fog over the bull ring”, “If they don't win this one and the next one, they're getting relegated to the third division” ... hmmm ... unfortunately that happened to Wolves where I used to work but let “push things forward”. At least Villa survived! I know this all happened ages ago but I was without access to this site whilst in China.

Before I blog about the ride in China it’s time to go back to South East Asia, as I’ve uploaded the videos for Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Take a look!

South East Asia, Part Two - Cambodia

South East Asia, Part Three - Laos

South East Asia, Part Four - Vietnam

SE Asia - Part 2 and Entering the Dragon

Well it’s been a long time without a blog update so I though I would do a short written one before I enter the dragon of China and do not have access to this website.

Since leaving Thailand a lot has happened as Mike and I cycled across Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam to Hanoi. Mikes blog is here and he has already detailed some of what has happened so take a look.

To summarise; we got food poisoning in Cambodia which slowed us down for a while. I knocked over a pot of boiling dumplings with my bike and had to make a swift exit after negotiating a payment settlement. We experienced Laos New Year which was crazy. Everyone was in very good spirits, having water fights and giving us free beer. We rode into the night on one occasion (which was great) as we wanted to make big distance that day and thought the further town might have a better hotel, which it didn't.

We rode from Laos into Vietnam across the number 12 road which was one of the best rides in South East Asia, had a bit of trouble getting into Vietnam as Mikes visa had sustained water damage in Laos ... but after extended checking and phoning the guy let us through.

The contrast from one country to the other as we cycled over a mountain range into ‘nam was incredible. The sound of the birds and insects in Vietnam was straight out of a ‘nam film (bar the chopper) and we were cycling through swarms of flies. It was just hilly jungle and getting late. We were thinking of pitching the tent somewhere before it got dark just after seeing a big black snake slither down the road, when we saw what we thought might be a guest house so went to investigate. As it turned out it was a small primary school. We got invited in by the totally non English speaking teachers who shared a meal, gave us shots of their home made rice spirit  lost at chess to me, let us use the bucket for a wash and then let us stay in the class room under the watchful eye of a Ho Chi Minh portrait. We got up early and then cycled of to the bemusement of the local arriving school children. The people of Vietnam were intrigued by my height which meant that we got a lot of attention. We didn't actually see any other white people until we got to Hanoi. I intend to do the usual video blogs for this section of the trip but will have to do them at another time. So a few should appear once I exit the dragon.

Things did take a slight turn for the worse though as Mike gashed his leg on his pedal when cycling on a really rough road. This then got infected as we rode into Hanoi in really bad weather on really bad roads and covered in filth. Things then got really worse as his leg swelled up to the size of an elephants and he was sick from the antibiotics (a common side effect with this particular type) meaning he had to go into hospital for a few days to have them delivered by an IV drip. Thankfully it seems he is on the mend though and will be heading back to KL and then Canada in the next few weeks.

I really enjoyed Hanoi and Vietnam and will miss it, but it is time to move on. I am near the border with China and should cross in the next few days. I have been cycling up to the border with Darren a great guy (and another Canadian) who is then heading to Sapa and then into Laos. He has just come the way I am heading so has been a great source of info. You can find his blog here. It’s been great riding with the Canadians and will be back on my own in the next few days which makes it seem like the start of a totally new trip.

My route is to be China (got the visa OK but have to extend it half way across or ride very long each day), Kyrgyzstan (No visa needed), Uzbekistan (paid an agency for an LOI so can obtain a visa on the spot in Bishkek), Turkmenistan (will have to get the transit visa in Tashkent), Iran (visa application code applied for, which if I get I can apply for a visa in Bishkek), turkey (no visa needed) and then into Europe. Total distance will be about 15,000 km to give a total of 27,000 km for the whole trip and home sometime in September.

It’s going to be epic!

SE Asia Part 1 & Route Home Options

Well it has been a long time since the last blog and a lot has happened. I left Indonesia and arrived in Singapore and then cycled into Malaysia to meet Mike in Kula Lumpur. During this time there was some sad news from home. After spending a few days at Mike’s cousin’s house (thanks again) we set of up peninsular Malaysia and into Thailand. We met some interesting people along the way and had some great riding. As usual it’s all in the video so take a look ...

As you can see from the video it was getting hot. It was also time for a hair cut so went back to my roots (literally) ...

Anyway we are now in Cambodia, where the plan is to cycle up through Laos and into Vietnam. Mike leaves Hanoi on the 25^th of April and I’ll have to make my way home. I've currently done just over 10,000 km and anticipate another 2,000 km to Hanoi. From there it will be between 12,000 and 15,000 km (route dependent) to Calais to jump on a ferry and to see the white cliffs of Dover.

I’ll spend some time in Hanoi sourcing visa and planning route options, but I basically have 4 options:

1: China -> Kazakhstan -> Russia -> Europe

2: China -> Kazakhstan -> Ferry across the Caspian sea -> Azerbaijan -> Georgia -> Europe

3: China -> Tajikistan -> Uzbekistan -> Turkmenistan -> Iran - > Europe

4: Go to the Himalayas and then fly into Europe and cycle back

All have their pro’s and con’s.

Option 1 is relatively straight forward, apart from insects and potential swamp land in Russia. It could also be a bit boring for long stretches. It is dependent on getting a Russia visa in Hanoi, but there is an embassy there and loads of people must decide to go and get the trans-Siberian train home and have to pick up a visa somewhere. China and Kazakhstan visas should be relatively easy to obtain.

Option 2 is on paper quite straight forward. The trouble is that you can only get a 30-day Kazakhstan visa. The route to the ferry is not direct and additionally the ferry only leaves once a week meaning I have to get there within 23 days. I may also need time in Kazakhstan to obtain an Azerbaijan visa which makes things more tricky and tight on time frames.

Option 3 is the best but a visa nightmare. The Pamir highway through Tajikistan is meant to be one of the worlds cycling highlights but has recently been shut off to foreigners due to civil unrest. Further on from there obtaining visas could be a headache. Apparently they can be obtained at each neighboring country but at a time cost of at least a week at a time. Due to the amount of countries I have to pass through, time and cost will add up, plus the fact that I will arrive in Europe in late autumn which is not ideal.

Option 4 was my original idea. I have always wanted to cycle in the Himalayas and it is only possible to do it during July, August and September. Tibet is also a no-go area for individual foreign travel. It is possible, but highly risky, to enter by sneaking through check points at night. If I went to the Himalayas I could either fly in to Nepal and then into northern India (which would give me time to cycle south-east China) or cycle across China to Kashgar and then south down the Karokaram Highway into Islamabad. A big problem here is O’Bhamas drones and militants. Again, the KKH is always cited as one of the worlds cycling highlights but isn’t really practical at this point in history.

Basically I have until I enter China to decide. It’s currently looking like option 1 and home for September.

Anyway, thanks for reading and watching.

Take care, Neil

Indonesia

Well that’s the trip to Indonesia done bar packing the bike up tomorrow and sitting around the hotel. As with New Zealand and Australia the time here has gone too quick. I have to try and make the most of every moment, even the bad ones, as before I know it I’ll be back in the UK. So as usual the highlights are in the video below.

I was riding along one day and a monkey jumped out of a tree and looked at me quite inquisitively, a bit different to squirrels you see when riding back home. Certain sections of the island did have a lot of mosquitoes which had a good feed on me. After the last 2 weeks I think the mosquito population of Bali is going to have an obesity epidemic.

The people here were really friendly and happy, the food was good and the riding was interesting. As I said in my last blog the riding was always going to be reduced for this portion as I had some other things to finish off for back at home. I haven’t got as far as I would have hoped but progress is being made. I will just have to try and maintain a little each day approach. I have been doing that with stretching and can now quite easily touch my toes. I have really long legs and am really inflexible. Those toes always seemed so far away, but they are now within touching distance (pun intended). I just have to keep working on my left hip.

Cheers, Neil

Australia

Australia was great and I really enjoyed it. The first few days were a bit tough due to rain and a strongly southerly wind which I had to cycle straight into. After that it was into the heat, hills, fly's and long, long roads. Nothing that couldn't be handled though. I feel like it was too short a trip there, especially after so long in New Zealand so I may have to return one day to get a few more thousand kilometers in. The summary is in the video below so take a look ...

As I mentioned in my last post I met some great, friendly and very hospitable people through the warmshowers website which made my trip more interesting so I would just like to say thanks again. Also, once in Melbourne I stayed with Rob from school who has just moved out there and met up with Steve from Philips/NXP. It was good to catch up and see some familiar faces. So thanks very much for everything.

Flying out from the airport was a bit of a hassle mainly due to how my bike was packed (which met all the airline guidelines on their website) and being 4 kg's overweight. They wanted $100 for that but they let me take it as hand carry, which was good but a bit of a hassle to repack.

So I am now in Indonesia and will be here until the 1st March. First time in Asia for a few years. Cycling requires a whole different approach for various reasons ... but more on that next time!

Cheers, Neil

On the Bike Again

I’m now halfway through my time in Australia and just outside Melbourne. I am going to cycle past Melbourne and out and back down the great ocean road to catch my flight on the 18^th. It is a bit of a shame that I won’t cross the whole country and make it to Perth, but that just gives a reason to come back.

 One of the questions I get asked a lot about my trip is ‘what has been the best bit?’. For Australia it has been meeting a wide variety of kind, interesting and generous people through the warmshowers home stay for touring cyclist’s website. In New Zealand I only used it once but over here I have used it several times mainly due to the price of accommodation ... one campsite wanted $35 !! The hostel was only $23. So all of this has meant that what is shown in this blog posts video has been kept to a minimum. I would just like to say thank you againto all of the people who have put me up over the last week and to any future hosts who put me up over the coming week. It really is much appreciated.

Onward Plans & North Island part II

Well that’s New Zealand well and truly cycled. I pretty much went everywhere apart from Taranaki, Northland and Milford Sound and covered 5400 km in 259 hours of cycling. Some of the highlights from the last few weeks and some strange quirky things in New Zealand are in the latest video compilation so take a look to save me typing about them.

So I am now in Australia and it is not what I expected in terms of weather. It has just been pouring with a very strong South Easterly wind which since I’m heading down the coast from Sydney is not welcomed. I don’t mind the hills, in fact I like them, but the wind is tough. Oh well, just have to get on with it.

My original plan was to cycle from Sydney to Perth, but that has changed to Sydney to Melbourne for various reasons. Mainly as Mike, the guy I spent the last few weeks cycling with in NZ, is in Malaysia from early March and we have decided to cycle up to Hanoi together. So it is just 18 days in Oz with the aim of getting to Melbourne but hopefully also up the great ocean road. If I just go to Melbourne it will be about 1000 km and another 600 km to do the great ocean road, so it should be achievable.

On the 18^th of February I fly from Melbourne to Bali where I’ll have a couple of weeks to mainly finish off some things I need to get done and a bit of cycling around. The island isn't that big but is meant to be quite hilly. I’ll probably stay in one or two places instead of moving from point to point each day. In early March its then of to Singapore and about 350 km up to KL in Malaysia. It will then be up to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. If I can get the required visas for central Asia I’ll cycle all the way back to Europe otherwise I’ll head through China then double back on myself through the Pakistan and Indian Himalaya regions towards Nepal. This way I’ll be there in the cycling period of July, August and September and miss out Tibet where individual travel is not permitted. If I do this I’ll then have to fly back to Europe missing out central Asia.

The football scores are really depressing at the moment and the run Villa had over Xmas must be the worst run of results I have ever known any team have. I am starting to fear for relegation which would be a total disaster.  Anyway, other than the football, I hope all is well back in the UK.

Cheers, Neil

South Island

Well its been over a month since I've posted a blog entry and basically in that time I've been cycling around the South Island. Its all summarised in the video below so no need to write too much. Trip is going great and looking forward to the rest of it. Went through a spell of really bad weather so I really hope that is behind me now. I've met some other cyclists and a few cycling family's as well and spent the last week or so cycling with Mike from Canada who I am trying to convince to extend his trip. Anyway, i'll write another blog a bit sooner than the gap to this one. Hope you enjoy the video. Cheers, Neil