One could almost call today hot – if I forget what hot means in Australia. And sunny. From main roads to little side roads, to soft sand challenges. From fields to forests, from rather flat to quite hilly. From cycling in a group of 3, back to alone. A nice day.
Day 5. 126km. Hamburg – Flessenow
Posted: June 12, 2013 in Cycling, GermanyTags: Cycling, Deutschland, Fahrrad, Flessenow, Germany, Hamburg
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Day 4. 137km. Bremen – Hamburg
Posted: June 11, 2013 in Cycling, GermanyTags: Alster, Alter Elbtunnel, Bremen, Cycling, Deutschland, Fahrrad, Germany, Hamburg, Old Elbe Tunnel
Straight road, slight bend, straight road. Bush bash, soft sand and big rocks. Lovely afternoon and evening with Kai and Kersten from the cycling forum.
Day 3. 147km. Bad Essen – Bremen
Posted: June 10, 2013 in Cycling, GermanyTags: Bad Essen, Bremen, Cycling, Dümmersee, Deutschland, Fahrrad, Germany
Sun, lakes, swarms of bugs, cycling accompaniment, the Bremen town musicians and fresh asparagus looking out over a lake at sunset.
Day 2. 128 km. Sythen – Bad Essen
Posted: June 9, 2013 in Cycling, GermanyTags: Bad Essen, Cycling, Deutschland, Fahrrad, Germany, Sythen
I didn’t sleep too well, was up in the middle of the night, and got up before 5 to leave by 6. The excitement was getting to me, and now also the lack of sleep. Today was a cycle through the haze in my mind and the grey skies in the heavens.
Day 1. 166km. Eindhoven – Sythen
Posted: June 8, 2013 in Cycling, Germany, NetherlandsTags: Cycling, Eindhoven, Germany, Hochwasser, Netherlands, Rhein, Sythen
A cycle trip like the good old days with Ed – singing as we go. Sun, blue skies, strawberries, Rhein River in flood, motor bike cafe Schnitzel, everyone friendly. Ideal start to my cycle trip.
I’m all excited. The trip is about to start. I’m sitting here, full up to pussy’s bow with pizza. A lovely farewell dinner with Jennifer, Chaitanya, Audrey, Ed and Chaitanya’s parents. Now I am carbo-loaded for the North Cape. Let the cycling begin.
Farewell dinner
Ed and me before departure
In the summer of 2013 I am cycling from my home in the Netherlands to the North Cape in Norway. In doing this, I am collecting money for UNICEF to help children less fortunate than us.
Please sponsor me, and support the children!
My equipment list for Eindhoven – Nordkapp 2013
Posted: June 4, 2013 in CyclingTags: Cycling, Equipment
On 8 June 2013 I will be leaving Eindhoven en route to the North Cape. Below is a list of items I plan to take, put together with advice from lots of people and my own experience over the last trips I have been on. This trip will be my longest trip by far (8 weeks beating my record of 2.5 weeks). All suggestions are welcome.
A lot of things to take
Bike and accessories
- Bike: Koga Signature
- Bike Panniers: Ortlieb. (2 front and 2 back).
- Over the years I have used Jack Wolfskin and Agu panniers. All have not been entirely waterproof. I have not yet ridden in the rain with the Ortlieb panniers, but, from what I have heard, they truly are waterproof.
- Two water bottles (bidons)
- 1 bike pump
- 1 heavy duty bike lock
- Bike repair kit (for punctures, replace inner tube, repair broken spoke, oil, multitool kit)
- 5 spare spokes
- 1 replacement inner tube
- 1 replacement tyre
- 1 spanner – to remove the pedals
Electrical accessories
- Smart phone: Samsung Galaxy S3.
- Used to track my trip with EveryTrail, and to write this blog en route. 🙂 I have switched from an iPhone as Apple Maps (which EveryTrail is forced to use on the iPhone) do not display many of the roads I wish to cycle along.
- Smart phone charger and battery packs: 3 spare batteries, and 2x Lenmar PowerPort Wave5000.
- Being away from civilization for several days at a time means I need extra power for the smart phone to be able to keep on using it.. Another advantage of the Samsung over the iPhone is that the batteries can be swapped.
- Smart phone battery charger
- Smart phone battery pack charger
- Mini tripod for camera
- Cable for camera-pc connection
- Smart phone waterproof holder for bike
- Ear phones for smart phone
- Webcam: Ion Air Pro
- Camera
- In the past I have taken an SLR camera. This year I am saving space with this, and taking a small camera that has all the functionality of an SLR camera. A Canon S100.
- Camera charger
Camping Equipment
- 2 heat pads (it can get cold up north)
- 1 bowl
- 1 pot set (2 pots and lid/pan)
- MSR Whisperlite international cooker
- lighter/waterproof matches
- 1 plastic cutlery set
- 1 swiss army knife
- Tent + plastic sheet for under the tent
- Super light and compact tent. Nordisk Telemark 2
- Sleeping bag
- Thermarest
- Thermarest repair kit
- Tent repair kit
Clothes
- Trekking pants: (light, fast dry, zipper to turn them into shorts if the weather is right)
- Fleece
- Rain coat (Gortex)
- Down jacket
- 2 cycling shorts
- Lycra long running pants (wear over the cycling shorts in cold weather)
- Cycling gloves (for stopping blisters on the hands)
- Warm waterproof gloves
- Buff
- Waterproof gaiters (to stop the shoes from getting wet)
- Cycling tricot (1x short sleeve, 1x long sleeve)
- Helmet
- 3 underpants
- 3 t-shirts
- singlet
- Teva Sandals
- Warm, waterproof, hard soled, light weight hiking shoes (can cycle in them, can be evening shoes, and can do short several hour hikes with them on the cycle trip)
- Socks (2x warm wool, 1x cooler)
- Towel (small flannel towel – super compact)
- 1 cap
- 1 pair of sunglasses
- Small, compactable pack to be used as rucksack for short hikes are errands to the shop etc.
- Long sleeve inner layer for upper body
- Paper thin rain coat layer (for warm rain)
- Bathers
- Mosquito face net
Food
- Muesli bars
- Bananas
- Apples
- Dried apricots
- Dried pasta/sauce mix
- Müsli
- Powdered milk
Miscellaneous
- Maps (for when the smart phone doesn’t work)
- Tissues
- Toilet paper + alcohol hand wash
- Ear plugs
- Sun screen
- Pen
- Torch
- Medical kit
- Needle and thread
- Cable ties
- Duct tape
- Super glue
- DEET insect repellant
- String
- Passport
- Plane tickets
- Money
- Credit cards
Things not to take
- Poncho: I took a poncho to Norway in 2012 and it was utterly useless. It was so windy (headwind), the poncho just meant that it was like sailing into the wind. Much better to take a proper Gortex raincoat and a paper thin rain shield for when it is warmer.
Only 2 weeks to go until I leave Eindhoven on my bike, heading north to the North Cape in Norway. I have done lots of training – getting fit and testing my equipment.
2013 Training. Map and gpx files
Here is a YouTube clip of my trip!
YouTube clip: Training 2013
Day 4 of England cycle: Calais to Breda (295km)
Posted: May 13, 2013 in Belgium, Cycling, France, NetherlandsTags: Belgium, Cycling, France, Netherlands
Contrary to yesterday, today was a day of burning through the kimometres (and the müsli bars). Blown by a gale tail wind, I scooted through Belgium and out the other end to Breda to take a night train back to Eindhoven. A final 7 km in Eindhoven saw me break my day record of 301 km.
I left the hotel shortly before 7 out into the cloudy, blustery morning. Maybe not ideal weather for sunbathing, but, perfect for cycling. You don’t sweat much, you don’t need much to drink, and you can go like (with) the wind. Learning from my last cycle to Calais, I avoided the coast. The area around Dunkirk is horrible for cycling, and I took a detour inland to my favourite place from last time – Licques – a cute little village nestled in a steep valley behind Calais.
From there I was bound east. And the wind was… also heading east. A match made in heaven. I have never had this. I look on the map – I need to head there. And then, next time I look, I am already there. Next place. Before I know it I’m there. After 70 odd kilometres, I found myself in Cassel – a village perched on the top of an unlikely hill in a fairly flat landscape. Some wares from the patisserie – and then a refill. I was hungry, and my appetite today was eternal.
Then, hello Belgium.
Hello Belgium
The morning was punctuated by stopping in market squares – ah yes, another cute little town hall.. 🙂
Poperinge
Tielt
As time went on, I realized that today was not just going to see me enter well into Belgium to catch a train home. I could get much further. For a while I entertained the possibility to cycle all the way home to Eindhoven. When I finally zoomed out on the map to see all of Belgium when I was in Gent, I realized the impossibility of this – it would be about 350 km. Still, a day record (301 km+), and reaching the Netherlands was still in reach. But it would take a concerted effort. And minimizing stops.
On I went. No rain. But some serious looking clouds. It must have rained everywhere except over me.
No rain.
Into Gent. Central square. Tick. Lovely buildings. Tick.
Gent
Out of Gent. More direct roads. Straight line with the wind. Speed speed speed. I arrived in Lokeren hungry and with not much water. Pizza. Quick and an energy boost. Then on. St. Niklaas, and through some suburbs of Antwerpen. How do I cross the harbour? Explored. Tunnel closed to bikes. How do I cross? Ask. Of course. The pedestrian tunnel (!). Cool.
Pedestrian tunnel in Antwerp
It was 20:30 and getting distinctly dim. I didn’t know how far it was to Breda in the Netherlands, but, I had to be there by 23:21 to catch the last train. The road was dead straight. I could do it. Or die trying. Suburbs of Antwerp. More suburbs. Then forest. Then Wuustwezel. Then the border.
Entering the Netherlands
On and on. The train station was on the other side of Breda. Still, there was no traffic and I had some time up my sleeve. Just as I arrived at the Breda train station, the rain started – for the first time for me. And I was presented with a stairway to heaven – with a super heavy bike and 295 km in the legs.
Stairway to heaven
Goal reached with 20 minutes to spare.
Breda
And then, some would say, the ultimate madness. Others understand. I cycled 7 km around Eindhoven in the rain at midnight to get my day total to 302 km – breaking the record I held with Ed when we cycled from Delft to Den Helder and back in a day. Then I could go to bed satisfied.
Day record
arctic-cycler.com 