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An unexpected opportunity to update my blog...and a new distance record (which means I'm now less than a day away from Belgrade!)

Posted by Loz at 8:22 pm Bike related, Camping, Cycle Touring, Diary Articles with Photos, Expedition, Latest news, What motivates me, Why am I here?, Why tour? 2 Responses »
Aug 282011
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Well this is almost certainly going to be the most unusual place from which I update my blog! I’m currently camped next to the E-74 motorway … about 95km from Belgrade – and have somehow managed to get free wifi from a phantom motel!
Anyways…a little bit about my day. When I left my hillside camping spot this morning, my speedo read 5990km. It now reads 6190.6km. That’s a new distance record for me of 200.6km; one which I am going to struggle to beat on this trip – with the days getting shorter, and the weather in Western Europe sounding rather inclement.
Still, I’m pretty happy with how the day has gone; and as with all the other Balkan countries, the Serbians I have met at the various service stations have been incredibly polite and friendly. The country is also pretty stunning; both sides of the motorway being flanked by mountains and farmland with what look like wattle and daub storehouses. So yes, all in all, I’m glad I ponied up and shelled out on a new wheel…for if I hadn’t, I’d have blazed past all of these experiences in a train carriage!
Right…I’ve rambled on for far too long already. But I’ll leave you all with a bit of food for thought;
My food intake to cover the 200km…
-2 bananas
-500grams of pasta
-6 stock cubes
-200grams of Choc spread
-1 bottle of coke
-12 liters of water
It’s fair to say that bikes are a pretty efficient form of transport! If you haven’t done so for a while, dust off your bike and go and surprise yourself. Cars are over-rated anyway :-)

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The wheel is fixed...the ride is back on!! (Thanks to some very, very kind Bulgarians!)

Posted by Loz at 8:42 am Bike related, Challenges, Cycle Touring, Diary Articles with Photos, Expedition, Latest news, People & Places, Technical Stuff, Travel, Visual Stuff, What motivates me, Why am I here?, Why tour? 5 Responses »
Aug 272011
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Well what a crazy, crazy few days! I think it was Tuesday when I left Istanbul, turning back towards England courtesy of various visa issues. Since that day, I have covered about 500km, crossed the Turkish border (I am finally a legal migrant – rather than the illegal immigrant that Turkey had pegged me as being!). I have set a new personal best distance record of 175km in a day…have slept on the ridges of a ploughed field and in the entrance of a cemetry. I’ve been mauled by mosquitoes, and chased by snarling dogs (I now stop my bike, park it, get off of it…and chase the dogs! Those plucky fellows need to be taught a lesson or two!). But perhaps most significantly of all; and the subject of this post…I managed to break my rear wheel!

The broken wheel…

With 2,500km of riding still to go, and plenty of fire still in the belly, I was feeling pretty good about the prospect of covering such a distance in under 20 days. I figured that with new chains on my bike, plenty of spare spokes, new chains a nice new Schwalbe front tire, and no stoker (Kez flew home to England on Wednesday of last week), there was very little to stop me in achieving this goal. However, whilst laying my bike down two nights ago, I noticed what seemed to be some stickers peeling off the rim of my rear wheel. Those ‘stickers’ turned out to be the metal fracturing away from the rest of the rim. Given that this is a 48 spoke reinforced tandem rim, I knew I was in trouble!

Now it’s fair to say that tandems are pretty rare in the UK. In Eastern Europe though, you’re more likely to see dragons and unicorns! & so it was that I began a very tentative 3km ride into Pazardzhik yesterday morning. It’s fair to say that I had a heavy heart. Pushing myself from surnrise to sunset every day really has given me such a buzz; a feeling no doubt amplified by the amazing hospitality I have received since leaving Istanbul. With such a rim failure, I was staring down the barrel of a 2,400km train trip…racing through countries that I had hoped to experience at a rather more sedate pace.

I needed friends, & friends I got!

Firstly, there was Itzor. He was just any other pensioner…enjoying a cup of coffee before getting on with the rest of his day. But upon seeing me in my predicament, Itzor took it upon himself to walk me around every bike shop in Pazardzhik in the ultimately fruitless quest to find a wheel rim! He didn’t speak a word of English, but nevertheless walked with me for a good hour and a half…before handing me over to my next set of saviours (pictured above)!

I was either just very fortunate, or Bulgarians are just inherently and unswervingly helpful people. For this next assortment of good natured souls were from the other end of the spectrum. They were schoolchildren, with one – Christina – an excellent English speaker. Upon hearing of my adventure, and of my problems, they cancelled their plans, and proceeded to walk with me the three kilometres to the train station. They then waited with me, entertaining me with break dancing and stories about what they get up to and what they are looking forward to doing in the future (the professions that they aspire to be range from dentists & journalists to forestry stewards and snipers!!). They even waited for an hour for the train to arrive, with Rambo and Arnold (the two guys) helping me to lift the behemoth of a bike onto the raised carriage of the train. A simply fantastic bunch of young adults that I couldn’t hope to do justice to in this little paragraph! (Thank you to you all though…)

& the eventual bike fix…

So I took the train the 80km from Pazardzhik to Sofia, fully expecting to have to continue riding all the way through to Austria and beyond. However, after negotiating the catacombs of Sofia’s railway station (I had to use the service tunnels rather than the stairs – for as per usual, my bike was too big!), I popped out into the main railway terminal…

…and soon had my next good soul helping me out! His name is Kiril, a man fluent in six languages, and a long-term resident of Sofia. He has a fleet of five bikes, and knew exactly the man to get mine sorted. The long and the short of it – I am getting a new 36 spoke rear wheel built, with a downhill mountain bike rim, reinforced DT Swiss spokes and a new hub – for the princely sum of 80 pounds. The mechanic assures me it will be good to get me to the UK and far beyond too…so I can now recommence my ride at my leisurely 21km/h, rather than the unengaging 100km/h of a train (or god forbid, a bus!!).

Where now?

This update has been written from Kiril’s laptop at his apartment in Sofia – where I have had a most wonderful and informative stay. Next stop, hopefully Passau in Germany (where I will hopefully be meeting Anna Reiderer – a German student whom I met at Sinbad’s Hostel in Istanbul).

There’s going to be lots of cycling between here and there though…and I probably won’t get many internet opportunities. But rest assured, I am reading and greatly appreciating all of the messages that I have been receiving.

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For those that have donated to my chosen charities...thank you, thank you, thank you!

Posted by Loz at 8:37 am Diary Articles with Photos, People & Places, Visual Stuff, What motivates me, Why am I here?, Why tour? 2 Responses »
Jul 272011
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As I’m sure you can all imagine, it’s very difficult to keep track of all the emails/facebook messages/website comments/donations…

However, for those of you that have donated – this page is dedicated to you. You have done that most amazing of things – given out of choice rather than obligation in order to assist people in need whom you may never meet. I know it’s an oft used phrase – but your donation really is going to make a difference. I know, because I’ve been fortunate enough to see it happen…read about my experiences at Bansang Hospital by clicking here or, as it’s a quite a long read, 35 pages in PDF form, download the file to your computer by clicking here
 
To all those people listed below, thank you for having the compassion to help people like the boy in the picture above.


Donations online – through my Virgin Money Giving donate page


Anonymous £10.00 (+ £2.50 giftaid)
02.09.11

Marian Rose £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
24.08.11 What an awesome effort, good luck Laurence Mazza (friend of Grant, Matt and Alexia)

Judy Povey £50.00 (+ £12.50 giftaid)
14.08.11 Watching your progress with interest, admiring your spirit and wishing you well

GLENN & SALLY ARMER £100.00
11.08.11 BEST OF LUCK WITH YOUR ADVENTURE. WE THINK ITS FANTASTIC. MET YOUR MUM AT A GARDEN PARTY RAISING FUNDS FOR CYCLE RIDE LE to JOG – ASHLEY ARMER & CO WELLINGBOROUGH SCHOOL. HOPE YOU HAVE SOME GOOD PADDING!! ENJOY

Anonymous £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
07.08.11 Keep up the good work Laurence, and keep smiling!!

Andrea Lowe £25.00 (+ £6.25 giftaid)
02.08.11 Laurence – can’t believe the pictures didn’t turn out! We shall have to recreate the moment when you’re back in the UK. Hope all is still well, I shall get onto to books issue… take care… Andrea xxx

Pat Maxwell £10.00 (+ £2.50 giftaid)
02.08.11 May the wind always blow you forward, may you find hot food and hot showers at the end of the day and may good luck lead you to your final destination.

Glenis Haynes £50.00 (+ £12.50 giftaid)
29.07.11 Hi Laurence. Glad to see just how much progress you are making and what a difference you are going to make to the 3 causes. Keep it up, You know who is with you!!

Alexia (sister sledge) £50.00 (+ £12.50 giftaid)
29.07.11 Laurence this is just for starters! Will of course donate more along the way! Well done old boy.. your doing grand!!

Nicola Dent £50.00 (+ £12.50 giftaid)
26.07.11 Hi Laurence, best of luck with everything, it was a real pleasure to meet you in Croatia and i was very happy you escaped the storm! Look after Suzy Q love the broken girl who had the the worst hang over ever! Nikki xxx

Anita Smith (the other one!!!!) £20.00
19.07.11 Love reading about your trip and seeing the photos – sending all good wishes for continued success!!

Richard Robins £50.00
18.07.11 A great venture. Good luck and have fun!

Loake Shoemakers £200.00
16.07.11 An amazing undertaking – good luck Laurence.

Anonymous £10.00
14.07.11

Barbara £100.00 (+ £25.00 giftaid)
14.07.11 what a wonderful experience for you and a wonderful gift from you for people in need!

Jon Loake shoes £10.00 (+ £2.50 giftaid)
11.07.11

Anonymous £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
08.07.11 I will give more when i have it spare! best of luck mate. x

Andy Dennis £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
04.07.11 Keep going my friend, It was great to meet you. Andy

Anonymous £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
03.07.11

Sara Donnison £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
02.07.11 Andy (Dennis) told me all about your amazing adventure and the charities you are riding for. Inspiring! Best of luck and I’ll be following you along the way.

Grant and Matt £40.00 (+ £10.00 giftaid)
24.06.11 Following your every move, keep pedalling!

Pat and Alan Waller £10.00 (+ £2.50 giftaid)
24.06.11 Best wishes, have a good trip.

Laura Mullens £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
01.06.11 best of luck x

Stewart £20.00 (+ £5.00 giftaid)
25.05.11 good luck see you when you get back

Andy Boath £10.00 (+ £2.50 giftaid)
22.05.11

Dr Andy Leyden £40.00 (+ £10.00 giftaid)
22.05.11

Anonymous £309.00
22.05.11 Proceeds from Laurence’s farewell do at Wellingborough school. Thanks to all who attended and supported.


Donations offline – by way of cash, cheques and standing orders


Miss Joanne Sowerby £10.00 (+£2.50 gift aid)
July 22.07.11 Good luck and well done !!

Simon Scarrow £500.00
July 11.07.11

Kathy Job £10.00 (+ £2.50 gift aid)
July 11.07.11

Dr B Noel £50.00 (+ £10.00 gift aid)
Ju;y 8.07.11

Simon Jacques £100.00
July 2.07.11

Anonymous £100.00
June 25.07.11
 

Make a difference too…

Click on the link below to go to my donations page. Here you can find out the various ways to make a donation…

Go to the Come Ride With Me Donate page

Donating to my chosen charities is not only going to make a huge difference, it is also extremely cost-effective (I hate the thought of donations being squandered in administration costs).

On a personal level, finding out about such donations – and knowing the good they’ll do – is a great incentive and boost for me to keep turning those pedals…so please do give generously.
 

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Thank you Suzy, Nicola, Andrea and Lucy...(a most unexpected evening spent with a few good souls)

Posted by Loz at 4:03 pm Camping, Cycle Touring, Diary Articles with Photos, Expedition, Latest news, People & Places, Travel, Visual Stuff, Why am I here?, Why tour? 2 Responses »
Jul 222011
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Having spent our previous two nights on the roof of the local cemetry, Kez and I decided it was high-time we joined normal society. We therefore had every intention of going to our festival campsite a day early. This would also save us from having to get up at 5:30am as was now necessary given our rooftop camping spot (such campsites – though beautiful at night – are very exposed during the daytime). & so it was that we made our way down to our usual beach side location…

I guess we should have expected it to be an unusually good day. Leaving from our rooftop campsite at the unholy hour of 5:30am ensured we had the beach all to ourselves. Rather than take advantage of a private beach, both Kez and I fell into deep sleeps. When we awoke a fair while later, there was a trail of ants between us both, leading all the way to yet another food parcel (yes, our old Croatian friend had passed through yet again!).

But this wasn’t a day of food parcel deliveries alone. By early afternoon, we had a clutch of English women sunbathing/recovering in front of us. They were clearly women of means, for they had splashed out on renting sun loungers (I can’t remember the last time we treated ourselves to anything other than extra food!). & to our good fortune, they were also interested in finding out more about the waifs and strays that were sharing their part of the beach!

As it turned out, Suzanne (second from right in the picture) has not only been a Guatemalan cycle tour guide; she’s also completed an ironwoman. When I heard this, I was already thinking of her being potential tandem partner material! & amazingly, she is now looking to come and join me in India. (Hauling a tandem on my own through France often seemed like a fruitless endeavour…but having the opportunity to share the travel experience with absolute strangers makes it all worth while)

Now at this point, I’d have been more than happy with having just met a group of people that were interested in the ride. But as was quite clearly the case, these were no ordinary girls. Before the afternoon was out, Kez and I were on our way back to their apartment block – tandem in tow – looking forward to the prospect of an evening spent in good company, and two spare beds for the night.

At their apartment block, the landlady allowed us to use the washing machine (such a welcome treat!!) – where we then got chatting to an English guy working for Visa. In many ways, he was an older version of me. Like me, he has done away with as many possessions as possible (they only ever seem to add worry anyway, and they stop us being footloose!). But he has gone a few stages further than me. He made up what sounded like a rather ambitious wish-list of things to do before he gets to 40. Unlike most people that make up such lists, he is actually making them happen. At number 3 and 2 on his list were to write a book, and to climb to basecamp of Everest. He has done both of those.

& number one on his list – to visit space! Now of course, his astronaut opportunities are never going to materialise…but he is going to do the next best thing. He will be visiting a Russian airbase near Moscow, where a Mig 31 will take him to 65,000 feet – the very edge of space. Pretty incredible – and a reminder for me that pretty much anything is possible, just as long as the desire and self-belief are there.

One last bit of good fortune…

The rest of our welcome evening away from wild camping was spent having dinner and drinks with Suzy, Lucy, Nikki & Andrea – along with a DJ from the Electric Elephant music festival. Unfortunately, the photos from that evening didn’t save properly on my camera (for whatever reason) – but the memories will certainly persist. & how glad we were to have a bed for the night…not only for the comfort, but also because a crashing electrical storm came rolling through in the early hours; one so wild and foul that we’d probably have spent the night hiding in the campite toilets or such like.

So yes, in short – thank you girls. A most unexpected treat. I shall definitely look forward to catching up with you all back in the UK – and of course cycling with Suzy in India. & they’ve also promised me some inspiring/captivating books, which is truly music to my ears given that I am scraping the very bottom of my library barrel!
 

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Monday 18th July - yet more unexpected generosity. Thank you Croatia!

Posted by Loz at 4:58 pm Diary Articles with Photos, Diary Articles with Video's, Latest news, People & Places, What motivates me, Why am I here?, Why tour? 4 Responses »
Jul 182011
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I didn’t plan on posting another update today. However, I’ve found some free wifi, and we’ve also been treated to the most random acts of generosity!

A Croatian man, who doesn’t speak a word of English, keeps coming up to us throughout the day with ever nicer food parcels.

It started with a few apples. He then glided in a little later with chicken, pork and a slab of bread. Then there was a delivery of lava cake…and just now, we’ve had a delivery of donuts!!

Who this man is, we do not know (he literally floats in on the breeze, and is carried away with it just as quickly!). I can only imagine that he has guessed what it is we’ve been up to, and has taken pity upon us.

Either way, it’s a really nice thing for someone to do – and though he will almost certainly never read this, we are extremely grateful!!

Being treated to such generosity by absolute strangers – this is literally what the trip is all about. Thank you Croatia for churning out so many good spirited people!!

 

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Onwards to Europe

Posted by Loz at 7:38 am Challenges, Diary Articles with Video's, What motivates me, Why am I here?, Why tour? No Responses »
May 222011
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So this is it…

In about 12 hours time, I’ll be somewhere in France. To my west will be the life that I know; the loving family, the wonderful friends, and the predictable, sheltered life. To the east? More than 20,000 miles of cycling through 20+ countries.

I always expected this moment to be exciting. But as I sit here waiting for the rain to stop, I can’t help feeling hugely apprehensive. Truth be told, saying goodbye to my family has been one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. Seeing the pain etched on their faces hurt enormously, and will probably continue to do so until the day I return to them.

I’m sure as my adventure progresses, this fear and trepidation will be replaced with the wonder and excitement that got me here in the first place…

I hope it does.

…onwards to the gates of Europe
 

(My thoughts from a few hours later, as I head across The Channel)


 
 

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Closing one door...opening another.

Posted by Loz at 9:06 pm Challenges, Diary Articles with Photos, Diary Articles with Video's, Why am I here? 4 Responses »
May 202011
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Here I am again … opening the door to another adventure, and closing the door (for a while) on my last one.

& as I stand here, I wish I could say the whole escapade makes absolute sense (as it has throughout much of the last year). But right now, it doesn’t. All that I know, I have cycled away from. There is now just miles and miles of the unknown.

Reading my previous blog articles certainly does help at moments like these.

One nasty surprise from my time on the road thus far (and something I had forgotten about from my previous cycle tours) — I really am a shockingly bad chef! I pity anyone that has to eat one of these grizzly creations!

<

 
 

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More of the 'why', and a little of the 'how'

Posted by Loz at 12:00 pm Challenges, Diary Articles with Photos, What motivates me, Why am I here?, Why tour? 1 Response »
Mar 252011
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Land's End, 2009

What a difference a year makes!

This time 12 months ago I was tickling the very base of my £1,500 overdraft. I still had the dreams and convictions that had been cultivated over my many years of education…but seemingly no outlet through which to pursue them. I was heading towards 25. I was watching those around me pursue their careers, but found myself unable to find sanctuary in chasing their kinds of dreams. I spent many a tortured hour trying to shoehorn my passions and abilities into a myriad of careers. I failed.

I needed more. I needed that elixir which has fired me since my earliest years. I needed that rush which comes from self-sufficiency, travel and new experience. I needed to escape the comfortable shroud that had begun to suffocate me.

I needed change.

I searched.

I found “Cycling Home from Siberia”

Written by a guy called Rob Lilwall, it describes a person who decided that the life he was leading wasn’t where he wanted to be. He finished working as a geography teacher in England, bought a plane ticket to Siberia in the middle of winter…and proceeded to cycle home. Seemingly unprepared for many of the places through which he travelled, he nevertheless prevailed two and a half years later. It was a story that completely enthralled me. & it wasn’t because of the physical magnitude of the undertaking – but the way in which it was pursued. Rob took a chance with life. He brushed off the overwhelmingly negative media reports, and instead entrusted his life to a belief in the shared humanity that exists between seemingly different peoples and cultures. It was a wonderful escape from the despair that had begun to manifest itself within me. It inspired me.

Whereas Rob’s journey was an off the cuff, sell all possessions and escape kind of adventure, mine has been different. Years of university, followed by living on a charity wage in the middle of London…these things had emptied my coffers. Starting from such a low ebb, I set myself a tentative dream of cycling from England to Australia. As with all such things, my dreams snowballed. Places cropped up that captivated the imagination, and aspirations as to the purpose of my trip also increased. The route is still very much a fluid one, defined as much by the obstacles of crossing oceans as it is by my desire to cycle particular countries. What I know for sure is that I want to follow a path that’ll take me away from my comfort zone, and that’ll challenge preconceptions of countries. I have never cycled through mountainous regions (Scotland doesn’t really count), nor have I experienced Central or South East Asia. I haven’t cycled in the intense cold, nor intense humidity. I also firmly believe that adventure is something that should be shared…and wondered how I could share such a seemingly individual pursuit.

So with all these things said, what does my own adventure look like;

Departure date:  late May, 2011
After 12 months of working & saving, I shall open the door to the family home, walk to my tandem, and cycle away from the life I know. I will have 14 feet of bike and trailer, camping gear, a pannier bag full of books, a mind full of imagined experiences, and a spare seat with which to share them…

Original Route;
UK, France, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tibet, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia’s perimeter, then on to the ring of fire; Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Japan, the Aleutian Islands, & then…the Americas? Dare I think that far??

Revised Route;
UK, France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tazikstan, Tibet, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia’s perimeter, then on to the ring of fire; Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Japan, the Aleutian Islands, & then…the Americas? Dare I think that far??

Why a tandem?
It seems like such a waste to travel so far, see so much, yet only be able to share it with others in those fleeting moments when my pedals stop turning. With a spare seat, my journey of discovery doesn’t have to be mine alone..

Interested in joining my ride…go to the ‘Contact’ page and send me a message.
 
 

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Casting off from the shore...

Posted by Loz at 6:06 pm Diary Articles with Photos, What motivates me, Why am I here?, Why tour? No Responses »
Mar 202011
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Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go

(T. S. Eliot)

Beginning in late April, 2011, I will be embarking on a multi-year tandem bike tour that will hopefully see me traverse every great landmass – and in so doing, circumnavigate the globe. With so many people around me bemused as to why I would consider doing such a thing on my own, I thought it fitting to devote this first entry towards attempting to justify it…

Like so many others that have gone before me, I stand at a fork in the road. In one direction, I head towards comfort, convention, and normality. In the other direction, I face uncertainty, a physical challenge like none I have ever encountered before, and the almost unbearable pressure of knowing that I will be adding worry to the lives of those people whom I love.

So what is it that has drawn me so irresistibly away from a life of ‘comfort’? Why commit myself to a life that is so alien to the one that I have encountered thus far…?

Answering the ‘why’ is perhaps the most difficult part of a cycle tourers life. For those that have experienced the joy of saddling up a touring bike, cycling 130+ miles in a day, and then settling down in a wild camping spot, you will no doubt understand how the experience sears through all of the ‘worries’ of life – and awakens the soul to the beauty of the world around us.

It is unlike any other type of adventuring I know – just quick enough to travel sizeable distances and see amazing new horizons, yet slow and tiring enough to demand us to embrace (if only fleetingly) the cultures through which we pass. There is no respite from the elements, nor from the ever-present thought that if trouble were to arrive, there can be no quick getaway. To be successful, it requires something that many of us never have to embrace in our social cocoons – empathy and compassion for the plight of absolute strangers. In a world whose media focusses so overwhelmingly upon the divisions between peoples, having the opportunity to challenge such preconceptions is something for which I feel privileged.

But are such justifications really reason enough to cut loose from all that is familiar and safe? It is a question that has clouded my mind for months. Time and again, my swirling thoughts settle around a few overriding convictions. I personally can’t help but feel that as things currently stand, I am squandering what abilities I have. That is not to say that I think I am capable of anything extraordinary. In all honesty, I know that I have set myself a task that I likely may not achieve (I guess, why set a challenge where the outcome is assured?). But ‘what-if’ I achieve my goal, and manage to haul a tandem and trailer the length of each great landmass? If a distinctly average person can achieve such a dream against adversity, what then for those people that have far more ability than I?

For me, I no longer wish for those times when I feel most alive to merely be the addendum’s to a comfortable, predictable existence. I want every day to be filled with wonder, uncertainty, trepidation. I want to seize my moment…to test my own resolve. & I hope that in striving to reach my own goal, someone else may just strive towards theirs.
 
 

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Interesting & informative websites…

www.roblilwall.com

www.worldtravellers.dk

www.crazyguyonabike.com

www.alastair humphreys.com

www.goingslowly.com

www.betterlifecycle.com

www.cyclingsilk.com