The Fold Up Bike Trip

Friday 12.06.09

Got a text from my sister – “Are you on your fold up bike trip yet”?
She once asked me how I managed to get everything into my panniers and I made the mistake of going into great detail concerning my gear, how essentially it was backpacking equipment that folded up very small. Ever since then she has taken the, light hearted, piss out of my travels!
Finally the sun has come out and I spend the day checking over the bike and repacking my gear.

I’ve made a few changes this year –

• I’ve put the old screen back on, I think its helping to stop the buffeting I experienced with the wider screen last year
• I’ve put the Preload and Damper back to the Factory settings. I think that hardening these setting caused the bike to be ‘twitchy’ last year.
• Also I have new tires and brake pads.

Credit Crunch

Its been a tough year for anyone travelling ‘across the pond’. At one point there was parity between the pound and the euro - £1 = €1. Last year €1 was worth 80p. So I have decided to camp as much as possible and I have stocked up on ‘Ready Meals’. I am also taking a few ‘Campsite Recipes’ with me.

The Plan

• Head off down to Dover, across the Channel and do 100 miles to Neufchatel
• Day 2 + 3. Head for the Dordogne.
  Day 4 – Free day in the Dordogne
• Day 5. Carcasonne. Pick Judith up from the Airport
• Next 5 days spent touring the Tarn Gorges
• Put Judith back on the plane and head for the coast (Med) 2 days
• 3 days in Central Spain
• 3 days in the Pyrenees
• 2 days travelling North to Brittany
• 2 days in Brittany then head for home

Home Next Start 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 End