Over the past few years I've taken up the fantastic sport of cycling, and combined that with my love of travel, to go cycle touring.
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| A hot mountain descent in Utah |
In summer 2010, I cycled over 4,000 miles with my good friend Andy Kenny across the USA, from Los Angeles to New York. It's definitely the most enjoyable but hardest thing I've ever done. Braving 46oC heat in the deserts of Nevada and Utah, climbing numerous 9,000 ft passes in the Rockies, cycling 100 mile days and eating 6,000 calories a day is an arduous task, especially in the oppressive American summer, which was the hottest on record in 2010. Having said that, as a way to travel, it's unrivalled in my opinion. In a country such as the States, you pass through a seemingly never ending list of spectacular places, meet the most wonderful and friendly people imaginable, and get to eat a footlong Subway everyday! I kept this blog updated through out my trip, and if you would like to read more about it, just look through the 2010 Blog Archive, between July and September to find more detailed accounts of our incredible journey, and there is a post of the trip's overall
facts and stats.
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| Pont du Gard, Southern France |
It's a very addictive way to travel, but obviously time and money restrictions don't let you do a continent busting trip every year, and so for my holiday this summer, I cycled from Spain to Italy, between Barcelona and Milan with another friend, Matt Baines. The compact nature of Europe makes it much more suited to touring than the vastness of the States, but the physical challenges still remain. Stifling temperatures, Alpine passes and crazy Italian driving being just some of them. This trip was just over 700 miles long, which we covered in 2 weeks.
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| Myself and Andy, arriving in New York. Sept 2010 |
Cycle touring is possible all over the world, even though it's easier in more developed countries for numerous reasons in my opinion, but nevertheless, the possibilities are endless. Over the next few years I'd like to explore more of South America on my bike, and hopefully cycle between the two "Calis," - Cali, Colombia, where I've been living, through Central America, to California, USA.
I'm gradually working on a book to encompass all these various adventures, and if anyone would like to publish it...let me know!
