Cuyuna Lakes Whiteout – Fat Bike & Ice Bike Racing In Minnesota

Lately I have been spending far too much time cooped up in my hotel room only getting out occasionally to go climbing at the gym or for a quick ride in the snow. I decided things needed to change and I need to make the most of my time in the US. I was keen to head north during winter as I love the winter landscapes and remoteness (it’s cool for me as we hardly ever get any decent snowfall in the UK).

Fat Bikes in The Snow

Throughout the winter I have been following lots of website about fat bikes and snow biking, one was for the Great Lakes Fat Bike Series. Its a series of fat bike races in the snowy North West. As the winter is starting to come to a close I decided that catching one of these races would be the perfect excuse for a road trip north. I got clicking on the web and found the next event was the Cuyuna Lakes Whiteout up in Northern Minnesota.

Up north they will do anything on a frozen lake

Wheels on ice?

As usual I made a plan then did absolutely nothing about it until 11pm the night before. I hurriedly chucked my bike in the back of the car along with  gear for pretty much any eventuality (I am just getting used to touring by car where packing light doesn’t matter in the slightest). I had a super busy day at work and before I knew it I was behind the wheel facing a nice 8 hr drive north. I managed 6 hours before stopping on the Edge of Minneapolis, not before seeing an awesome flaming comet blazing across the sky, it was truly amazing!

Iron Yeti Sagamore Snowxross

The Cuyuna Lakes Yeti

The next morning I got up nice and early then proceeded to be completely useless and take forever to get my ass in gear. The racing was set to start at 10 my changes of getting up there in time were quickly vanishing.  It was an amazing sunny winters day and once I finally hit the road there were lots of sites to keep me amused. I was driving along when I suddenly noticed a snowmobile in mid air in front of me. I took a closer look and realised it was a snocross race (like motocross but on snowmobiles). The guys were crazy launching two at a time over tabletop jumps. I was tempted to stop but decided I should push on to avoid missing the bike racing.

Everyone seems to have a snowmobile up here

Further down the road I was driving alongside a huge frozen lake when I noticed a plane dropping out the sky as if it was coming in to land. I rounded the corner and sure enough there was a mini airstrip on the ice complete with at least 20 planes. It was a hive of activity and I stopped for a while to see if it really was possible to land a plane of a frozen lake (it was).

Jostling for position on an icy corner

By the time I got to my destination the most of the morning had passed and most of the riders had finished but I got to catch a few people coming over the line. For a bike nerd like myself it was great getting to see all the custom fat bikes. Surly and Salsa had tents and I had a good look at a Salsa Beargrease (bloody hell they are light).

Studded fat tires are a good idea

Without studs things get slippy

Everyone was super friendly and soon started packing up their bikes and heading back to Crosby for the afternoon festivities  These included  ice bike racing and bike drag racing on ice. I had planned on taking part in the ice bike race as my bike is currently shod with suitably spiky tires. Unfortunately it turned out you had to register to race on Friday evening so I had to settle for watching the racing (and carnage) which turned out to be great fun.

Riders in the spiral of doom

The course had be made on a frozen lake with the layer of snow removed to create an icy track to race on. Now obviously the layout of the course is critical and someone had done an amazing job (if general carnage and comedy crashes was the plan).

The ice course was impressive

It started with a nice long straight which lulled you in to a false sense of security before the crazy sharp corners and general madness commenced. As if tight corners weren’t enough the last section of the course consisted of a spiral which tightened in to the centre then had a crash inducing crossing before heading back out again. I did a few laps before the racing started and even with pretty decent 3″ studded tires I still felt my front wheel starting to wash out a couple of times on the hairpins. It must have been pretty scary to race on.

Homemade skinny studded tires worked a treat

Who needs a front wheel when you can use a skate?

Going….

Going….

Gone!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a 25min beginners race followed by drag racing and then a 45 mins expert race. It was a great experience, for me it is kinda of crazy to walk on a frozen lake let alone race bikes on one. Fat bike events appear to attract a certain kind of person (you have be pretty keen and/or mad to want to get out and ride in the freezing cold on snow and ice). Everyone was really cool and there was lots of good banter especially between the racers.  I was actually amazed with how fast some of the guys were going, full on leaning in to the corners. Some people decided that the tires available in the shops weren’t even good enough and took things in to their own hands with a power drill and some screws making the most hardcore homemade studded tires you will ever see. Those without studded tires however didn’t have so much luck, the sunny weather had wetted the top of the ice and turned the course into… well and ice rink. I witnessed some pretty hilarious slow mo crashes.

Studded skinnies were good on the corners

The sun started to get low

The weather was great

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soon the sun was getting low in the sky, the racing had come to a thrilling climax, all that was left was for the prizes to be given out and everyone to gradually prise themselves away from the fire (and bar) and head home. It was a great day and a amazing experience and best of all one which I would never get to witness in the UK.

Home Time!

Chicago Snow Biking Mini Adventure

I’m currently living in the suburbs of Chicago so you wouldn’t think there  would be much adventure on my doorstep. Well OK I’ll admit that most of the time the possibilities for cycling adventures are pretty limited. However sometimes things stack up and an adventure just happens out of nowhere.

One happy snow biker

The other weekend I awoke to glorious sunshine glistening off the few inches of snow which still lay on the ground.  I looked out the window for a while and gazed, admiring ‘that thing in the sky’ (we don’t see the sun much back in the UK).

My Surly Troll snow bike gets used to the snow

As I looked back in to my room I couldn’t help but notice my bike sitting patiently in the corner still wearing its big 3 inch studded snow tires from a previous ice biking trip. I decided it was fate and soon I was gearing up heading out in to the sub-zero sunshine for a ride in the snow.

Custom studded Nokian Gazzaloddi 26×3″ snow tires

Leaving from my hotel I tentatively crossed some icy sidewalks  completely forgetting I had uber sharp studs in my tires so there was probably no need to be so careful. I then started satisfyingly crunching my way through a good few inches of frozen powder. It seemed the snowplow guys were on my side as they had left numerous piles of snow across the sidewalk which created great tricky icy obstacles to try and clear. I got some hilarious looks from passers-by as I (very) slowly trudged along one sidewalk where the snow had drifted to a good 6 inches.

Nice day for snow biking

When I got to my local  parkland I was relieved to see the start of the bike trail had been inadvertently groomed by some snowmobiles. The conditions seemed to randomly changed from nice to horrific as I progressed along the trail. Lots of people were out on cross-country skis, I got pretty funny surprised looks from some of them. I even saw snow shoe prints on one part of the trail. 

Getting used to snow biking

You have to take care to avoid the cross-country ski trails, those funny Lycra clad pain junkies get pretty pissed if you bugger them up!

Watch out for skiing trails

Even though I was never more than half a mile from hustle and bustle of ‘the burbs’ you could have easily mistaken parts of the ride for back country wilderness.

Chicagoland wilderness

After a while I started to get used to the slight reduction in traction and steering accuracy. It was pretty easy riding apart from a few random frozen ruts to spice things up a bit.

Getting away from it all

There is a reason this picture of my bike looks so cold and chilling…. it was bloody freezing!

The blue bits were as cold as they look

My 47mm wide Schlick Cycles Northpaw rim up front helps add some float to the 3 inch tires by allowing lower pressures ideal for better traction on the slick stuff (or should that be Schlick stuff?).

White Brothers Snowpack fat bike forks make a 3″ tire look small

Half way round I met some of the locals. I was able to get pretty close right? I think I might change professions to wildlife photographer.

I got pretty close to the local Elk

Man these pictures are good I should be a wildlife photographer

OK I kinda forgot to mention the fence

So I did get pretty close to the locals but mainly because there is a fence round them so they are pretty tame.

Troll meets an Elk

As it’s was almost valentines day I though I would get the mummy Elk to kiss the little baby one so I could take a lovely photo, make it in to a card then make millions…..it kinda worked…..apart from the bit about making millions.

Love is in the air

So obviously with a blog named ‘leave only tread marks’ the day wouldn’t have been complete without taking this photo

leave only tread marks

I did manage to see some actual ‘Wild’ life, why do deer always stand by the road?

Taking lots of photos of Elk (and my bike), stopping to chat to skiers and turning the pedals in snow takes longer than you think and soon the sun was starting to set on an amazing mini adventure.

The sun sets on a perfect day

So I don’t quite know why this felt like more of an adventure than just a ride. Maybe it was the unusual conditions, the unusual sights or the thrill of staying out until it got dark. All I know is it was a bloody nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon in Chicagoland!

Fixed Gear Touring Tips

Having completed a couple of fixed gear tours I  learned that there are a few simple things which will help you on your way to a successful trip.

Touring on a fixie in Belgium

The first  thing is being used to pushing  a fixed gear. I know it sounds obvious but you use slightly different muscles when you ride fixed. Your legs have to be strong enough to get started with the extra weight of your camping gear (you don’t quite as cool when you get beaten off the lights by a granny on a sit-up-and-beg). If you don’t ride fixed much your knees might start to struggle after a while. Andy and I were both noticing a bit of aching on our second tour and between us we probably ride hundreds of miles a week fixed.  The other reason is that you have to be totally comfortable riding fixed. You will probably want to have your feet clipped-in in some way shape or form. I prefer using mtb clip in pedals to toe straps. Being double sided they make it easier when you have to clip in and out lots, they let you concentrate on the road and route rather than your feet. Note although proved possible by Andy, track stands whilst clipped in and loaded are pretty damn hard (and bloody scary). Unless like him you happen to be a track stand ninja you will probably be putting your feet down more than you’re used to.  So in short you have to be able to cope with extra weight on the back and how it affects your balance.

Loaded track stands are pretty damn gnarly and not for the faint hearted

So the most obvious thing is route selection, if you only have one gear you have to make sure your route is reasonably flat. I would suggest that you pick the flattest route possible when your starting out, the extra weight and long distances will be challenge enough. Once you have completed a flattish fixie tour you will then be able to gauge how many hills you and your buddies (assuming you have some) can realistically handle. There are no hard and fast rules as so many factors affect this, what gear you’re pushing, how much weight your carrying, what the weather is doing, if your name is Chris Hoy etc etc. The only thing I would suggest it to pick nice quiet scenic back roads. It’s not pleasant to have to put your head down and blast 10 miles on a busy main road. It’s also against the idea of fixie touring, it’s not a race rather a nice cruise on a funny looking bike. Beautiful views and good company will help take your mind off the fact you only have one gear and your legs are totally spent. It generally makes the whole experience much more enjoyable. It’s worth noting here that fixed gear touring should be relaxed and fun. If you want to go crazy distances for months on end you’d be silly not to use gears (not that it wouldn’t be possible on a fixie). The way I treat fixed gear touring is a chilled out bizarre cycling adventure which is more about the ride than where I end up. I plan my routes accordingly making sure there is always lots of spare time to stop off at cafes. So take note of this advice and don’t take things to seriously and remember if the shit hits the fan you can always ride to the pub!

Looking out from the highest point on our ride

Tied to route selection is gear selection. The added weight will mean that unless you just cruise around on your fixie normally you will want change your rear cog (and maybe chainring). For example I normally ride 46 x 16 for the hilly country roads in Herefordshire (I used to use 48 x 16 round town) but touring I used 44 x 18. This is a topic which is pretty personal and I’m sure loads of people will suggest other gear ratios. I like to push an ‘easier’ gear round with a higher cadence. This puts less stress on your legs when you’re getting started and improves your endurance, prefect for touring.

Chainring selection is very important. I like to use mtb SPD pedals for touring

As well as hills there is another little gremlin which can play havoc with your tour, the darn wind. We got caught out with this in the flat Dutch landscape and also racing back to catch the boat. I would advise taking a selection of rear cogs. An extra couple of teeth on your rear cog will make far more difference then an extra couple of teeth up front. They weigh hardly anything and can be switched over pretty quick. I would recommend a couple reasonably close in size maybe two teeth different. For my set up I would take a 20t cog as well as the 18t. For them to be useful you have to make sure that you size your chain using the larger cog with the wheel set nearer the front. This will then mean that when you put the smaller cog on you can slide the wheel back and it will still be in the frame (which always helps!). Another thing to watch is that you have the right tool to unscrew your cog. When I get time I will post up a pic of the very neat little cassette removal tool I have that doesn’t require a chain whip for easy removal on tour.

How big is yours?

If you want to go further afield and over  more adventurous terrain you might want to consider going singlespeed instead of fixed. Yeah I know this post is called fixed gear touring tips and fixed is hip right now but there is nothing wrong making your life easier so you can put in some killer miles over gnarly terrain. Yes I know you might have bought your fixie  because it looks ‘cool’ but once you load it up with gear it never going to be that cool so I don’t think your street cred will be damaged any more by having a freewheel. I would probably consider this if for example I was doing Lands End to John O’Groats. You still have the challenge of one gear but your legs will be able to take a rest on the downhills, which will mean they last longer and also probably improve your overall speed.

Pick the right gear and everything will be good

So the next most important thing is packing and loading your bike. You have probably guessed the most important thing here……TRAVEL LIGHT! There is no easier way to discover your bags are too heavy than to carry them on a bike with one gear. After dong a fair bit of touring I am lucky to have amassed quite the collection of gear most of it pretty lightweight. Although my panniers look  pretty big and heavy in the pictures they are actually packed with bulky lightweight stuff like  sleeping bag, matt, tent and clothes. If you are worried about weight on your first tour and your only going for a couple of days you could always just pack your credit card and stay at a B&B or Motel and eat out (you also don’t have to spoil the look of your super cool bike by attaching silly bags to it, this may be the best choice if you’re a poser).

My setup for our first fixie tour

For our tours as I had the lightest camping gear I carried everything needed to camp out and the overall weight wasn’t bad at all. As I was carrying the tent and cooking stuff Andy filled up his extra space with food and supplies. TOP TIP: Its worth noting that for any tour if travelling with others you should split up the supplies and water evenly making sure the things your going to eat during the day are split evenly. Doing this means that everyone’s load gets reduced equally as you progress (this might stop people winging that they are carrying more weight than everyone else). If you ride with one of those really annoying uber fit racer types you may want to ignore this completely, in fact I recommend slipping a couple of rocks in their panniers when they go to take a leak, knock em down a peg or two.

Andy’s rather sketchy looking wobbly seat pack arrangement

Packing your gear is very important and this is one of thing which both me and Andy changed between tours and it made a significant difference.  Unlike a normal bike you tend to want to ‘wobble’ a fixie from side to side to help put the power down when you’re getting going. If you try this with too much weight on the back then you will likely be eating a concrete sandwich or at the very least participating in some hilarious YouTube ready slow mo crashes. First you need to make sure that any panniers or bags on the back are securely fastened. For our first tour Andy didn’t have rack mounts so had most of his gear in a very wobbly seatpack attached to his seatpost. This not only looked pretty sketchy it also wobbled like crazy making his bike hard to control. TOP TIP: Panniers such as Ortlieb’s often come with different fixings to ensure a good fit on different sized racks. However even these aren’t good enough for me (especially when touring fixed) as they still rattle around and allow the panniers to move a bit. What I do is to wrap the contact points with duck tape or electrical tape, I like to get the fit tight enough that I have to push the bag on to the rack. This can be done with any panniers, granted it doesn’t look cool but it will stop the annoying rattles and make everything way more secure, you’ll thank me for it when you realise how much more peaceful your tour will be.

My rack taped up to prevent wobbling and rattling

For our fist tour as I have rack mounts I had all my gear in rear panniers. This  meant I had to be careful not to over balance when starting. For the second tour I used a small frame bag to stash all my heavy items, tools stove food etc. This made a huge difference to my bikes handling and meant I used a lot less energy to get started. The bike handled much better as well, I could balance the bike with my weight easily and ride along no-handed (always a good measure of how a bike rides). Other options to consider would be a larger frame pack or a bar bag etc and also lashing your tent poles to your top tube, anything to help spread the weight and keep it centred. By the second tour Andy had changed bikes, he also went for an On-One, a Pompetamine essentially the same as my Pompino but allows the use of disc brakes. This is probably the best purpose-built fixer tourer I can think off. I am considering upgrading when I can find one of the earlier baby blue ones (so I can transfer all my pink and blue bits over). This also meant that he now had rack mounts so he sensibly decided to ditch the most sketchy looking saddle bag set up ever and carried his gear in panniers.

My fixie in lightweight touring mode

There are a couple of things to consider with the set-up of your bike. The first is the tyres, I understand if you are just doing a weekend tour you’re unlikely to want to change your tyres (I didn’t, although mostly because they are pink and sexy). The main reason I suggest this is that with extra weight on your bike you will feel any potholes in the road much more, but it’s not only you, your rims will also take more of a beating. As most fixed gear bikes aren’t built for carrying loads the chances are the rims are pretty feeble, larger tires say 28c will still roll well but will help soak up any impacts and protect your bike from damage.

Photo opportunities are a good excuse to rest tired legs

The next thing to consider is mudguards (fenders for you American folks, i’m learning slowly). I have them on my bike all the time as I use my bike like a car and live in the countryside. I have discovered people don’t take cycling very seriously as a mode of transport if you turn up with a massive muddy line sprayed on your arse all the time. For our second tour Andy also had them which was lucky as the weather was pretty wet a times so it helped prevent our gear getting covered in crap. It’s not vital and if it’s the summer who cares but if you’re somewhere like the UK where the chance of rain is pretty much 100% then probably a wise choice. If you don’t have mounts you can get clip on ones like the SKS raceblades.

Regular tea breaks mandatory

There are a couple of disclaimers required here, check your toe overlap and rear wheel removal. We both now ride what is essentially a single speed cyclocross bike so the toe clearance is pretty good even with 172.5mm cranks. If your riding a track bike your toe clearance will be poor to start with so add some mudguards and I can pretty much guarantee certain death on the first decent bend. If like me you have a bike with sliding rear dropouts adding a rear mudguard can make rear wheel removal a nightmare. I have found that with my setup I can simply unscrew the two bolts holding the mudguard stays and there is enough room to wiggle the wheel out (let the air out your tire first). If this is a no go you can always cut your mudguard in half (approx level with the top of your tire) so you can still slide your wheel out. I did this on my Surly Troll, they don’t work quite as well but makes wheel removal a breeze.

Andy’s On-One Pompetamine loaded up on tour

This brings us to a contentious one, I would recommend having a rear brake for fixed touring. I know people wanna be cool and skid lots and brakes are for sissies etc and this is ok if your riding round town. For the record I always have two brakes I generally don’t use the rear but it’s there in case. In certain situations arriving sideways with smoke coming off your rear tire might give the wrong impression. I like to ride long distances and I like to go fast, I really don’t think I would be able to live with myself if I went under a bus because I couldn’t stop fast enough (he he). Anyway stopping a loaded bike with your legs for a few days straight puts so much strain on your knees which really isn’t a good thing. There are lots of other reasons you might need to stop quickly on tour, you will likely be riding unfamiliar roads and making wrong turns etc (or even be on the ‘wrong’ side of the road like we were. The disc brakes on Andy’s bike are the best solution as you’re always guaranteed to stop no matter what the weather is doing and how much weight your carrying.

A relaxed riding style and chilled out mentality is the key to enjoying a fixed gear tour

So the only other thing I can think to mention is to consider your riding style. I have already mentioned using a rear brake to save your legs. This will be unusual for some who are not used to one. You have to try to get in to the habit of using your brake instead of your legs. You also have to remember to slow up sooner, turn less sharply and generally develop a more relaxed riding style. Trying to pin it off the line might be cool in the city but with added weight you legs will be knackered in no time. Another little thing to remember is that your likely be riding different roads, with much faster traffic than you get in town so make sure you are reasonably visible.

Hopefully these tips will help those already considering a fixed gear tour and maybe even convince some readers that touring on a fixie isn’t such a crazy idea after all. So go chuck some gear on that funny looking bike of yours, pick a sunny weekend and give it a go, I think you’ll be surprised just how fun a fixie touring adventure can be.

Why Fixed Gear Touring?

So I guess it’s question many people are asking. Well the simple answer is Why Not? To most the idea of taking cycle touring, something which isn’t exactly a walk in the park then getting rid of your gears and freewheel well that just seems silly. To be honest, come to think of it, it is silly and a bit hard and that’s  probably exactly why I wanted to give it a go.

Flying along on my loaded fixie

I commute and use my fixie most of the time instead of a car (I have never actually had my own car on the road). When back home I used to regularly ride 12 miles to meet mates in the pub then ride back again at 1am through the eerie country lanes. Whilst at university me and Andy (a  friend from the cycling club) were always busy with work/lectures and found it hard to find time to go out on the Wednesday afternoon club rides. The solution was night riding. The roads in the winter were pretty crappy, riding a nice road bike on them at night would be less than sensible so we decided we would use our fixies for a laugh. Its actually a pretty practical solution as there is much less to go wrong minimising possible brake downs. We had one puncture I remember where is was so cold we had take it in turns mending whilst the other ran up and down to keep the blood pumping.   Also you don’t really have to worry about cleaning a fixie, it will keep on going regardless of how much crap you get on it.

Fixie Touring

Luckily the terrain in Cheshire is pretty damn flat so often we were able to do a 50 mile ride with an average speed only slightly lower than a normal club run. It’s funny how night riding on a cold winter night focused on a narrow beam of light causes you to tap out a really good pace (probably also due to the eagerness to get back to civilization). There is nothing like the feeling of riding back in to the city at midnight, with the temperature below freezing watching all the students stumbling home from the bars. You can’t help but smile and think to yourself if they only knew the adventure we had just been on. I remember rides with snow, windchill so cold our bottles would start to freeze and even crashing in to an ice cold puddle as it had started to ice over.

Fixed gear touring set-ups for first tour

Whilst riding we always used to ponder about touring on a fixie (among other things). We both decided that one day we would give it a go. Eventually a year or so later after I arrived back from cycling round Europe, the weather was nice and that day came.  We set off from Manchester on the very same Cheshire roads we used to night ride for our first 3 day fixie tour. We didn’t go too far, about 300 undulating kilometres, we were carrying full camping gear and had a really great time. The fixed gear bikes added some extra challenge to make the flat roads more interesting but we were both surprised with the ease at which we chewed through the miles.

You don’t often see shadows like this in the UK

During this tour we pondered once again amount lots of stupid things but among them was how cool it would be to do a fixie tour on the continent. There are lots of ideal countries like Belgium and The Netherlands, countries which we laugh at (in the UK) for being so flat.  However when fixie touring is concerned they are perfect especially as they have amazing networks of bike paths. So that was why last Easter I found myself on a train clutching my bike heading towards Dover ferry port to begin our trans-national fixie tour. We road from Calais in France to the Netherlands through Belgium then back again. The distance was about 400 kms which we covered in 4 days (actually slightly less as we had to make sure we were back for the boat). The trip was a great success even though the weather was a bit variable. There’s nothing like crossing an international border knowing that you only used one gear to get there. Almost as good was seeing the look on the local cyclists faces as I cruised past on a pink a blue fixie loaded up with gear.

Border crossings mean more with only 1 gear

So a couple of tours down and I can’t imagine not doing another, I can see it becoming a yearly tradition. Using a fixed geared bikes adds an extra dimension and also adds some limitations which in a strange way makes it easier to narrow down possible routes and makes the whole trip more of an adventure. You can only go so fast and so far which forces you to relax a bit, sit up and make the most of your surroundings.  Its perfect if you only have short time or you don’t want to stray far from home….. though there’s is nothing stopping you going further afield. I can’t see a better way to get your touring fix on a nice sunny weekend with nothing to do. Who knows when or where our next tour will be, I’ve never been to Luxembourg come to think of it I have never done Lands End to John O’Groats…………

There’s bikes everywhere!!!!!!

Leaving Cambridge
So I since my last instalment I have done quite a lot. I left Cambridge on Thursday morning bound for Harwich. The weather was amazing but to be honest I was slightly preoccupied thinking about my exam results and also if I would get to the ferry in time! I ended up phoning up to get my results from the side of the road in Essex (such a glamorous location). I was really chuffed with my results and am now the proud owner for a 1st class master’s degree in chemical engineering!!!

Getting my exam results by the side of the road in Essex

The rest of the trip went surprisingly quickly (probably because I was in such a good mood!). To celebrate I had the joy of catching a ferry at 23:45 (what fun). I decided I would treat myself when I got to Harwich and have a nice pub dinner. As is always the way I got there to find it was like a ghost town with only a couple of pubs none of which did food (but to be honest I don’t know that I would have wanted to try it if they did!)

You hear lots of stereotypes about Essex and although I was only in the county for a few hours I have to say that many of them are quite true. I ended up getting a handmade pizza, as I watched it being cooked I talked to the Romanian guy who worked there. It was an interesting conversation. He asked if I was going to Romania, I said I was, to which he replied “Don’t go there, the drivers are mad, they don’t think bikes should be allowed on the road, you will definitely be killed!” It turns out he was probably over reacting but he did have some useful info and told me not to have much money on me when passing into and out of Bulgaria and Moldova (sounds like they could be interesting boarder crossings!) 

Harwich Port

Catching the Ferry
Riding onto the ferry was a pretty cool experience. The ferry in question was a brand new Stena Line super ferry. It was amazing, like a massive floating hotel. The cabin (which I had to book as it was an over night crossing) was pretty posh and it only cost 24 quid, it had a TV, on suite and was basically like a mini hotel suite (I recommend it to anyone thinking of going to Holland).  (I had to write quid in the previous sentence as the keyboard doesn’t have a pound sign, luckily the keys are in the right place however this will change when I get to Germany where the crazy letters like z are moved to prime positions, very confusing!)

The only downside was that after using the amazing shower and having a couple of beers to celebrate my results I only got 4 hours sleep before the on board wake up call at 6:45 (I lost an hour due to the time difference). There were a few other cyclists on board, some were going to see the Tour De France, others were just off touring round The Netherlands, the worrying thing was that they all had a plan and when they asked me mine I was only able to say “well I’ll have a cup of coffee and get my map/travel guide out and decide then” I have done lots of planning but haven’t really touched the route. 

Greenhouses full of flowers

The Dutch are Cycling Mad!!
As it turns out The Netherlands is amazing and there are cycle paths everywhere with sign posts to most places. Before long I was belting through a very stereotypical (and flat) Dutch landscape covered in miles and miles of greenhouses. I was a bit worried about being on the wrong side of the road, as I’m not great at telling my left and right at the best of times! It turns out that it really wasn’t worth worrying about! The cycle lanes are amazing, there are signposts just for cyclists, special crossing lanes and bike traffic lights. The drivers are so used to having bikes around that you can pretty much do anything and go anywhere and no one cares. I say this but my sat nav did take me on a reasonably major road today and I did had a few people honking at me, what I think they were trying to say is “what are you doing on the road, are you mad! use a cycle lane” there are so many cycle lanes you don’t see so many bikes on the roads out of town.

Bike Traffic Light

Peaceful Bench

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So many people ride bikes it’s amazing, especially extremely attractive tanned girls with long blond hair (which I’m liking very much!). There is always somewhere to lock you bike. At the stations and in the center of town the number of bikes locked up is just phenomenal (see pics for an idea). There are also so many different types, a common one is a cargo bike which is kind of a cross between a bike and a wheel barrow, mums seem to like them for ferrying their kids to school (I’m going to try and get some pics of some of the more crazy ones).

Typical Dutch bike rack

First Day in The Netherlands
Despite only having 4 hours sleep and feeling a bit like death warmed up, I did manage to ride north to Dan Haag. I spent a few hours looking around and got some local info from the tourist information office. There was also a great photo exhibition of European wildlife photos in the street, some of them were mind blowing! I also saw the queen’s palace and parliament buildings. In the afternoon I headed north to Leiden hoping I would find a campsite there. When I got to the visitors centre and asked about camping it turned out that as is often the case, there was somewhere but it was south of town so I had pretty much ridden straight past it. On the way I witnessed a scene which just about sums up the Dutch attitude to bikes. Two kids passed me walking on the pavement, one was pushing a bike. Two policemen (on bikes of course) passed in the opposite direction, soon they turned around onto the other side of the road and stopped the kids. I assumed as I’m sure you would too they thought the kids had stolen the bike and were questioning them. However a few seconds later one of the policemen took the bike and start fiddling with it. It turned out that they had a puncture or had broken down and the policemen had stopped to fix it for them how amazingly cool is that!!

Happy Couple

By the time I got to the campsite it was getting late and the visitors centre was closed. I decided that the best thing to do was to put my tent up anyway and then pay in the morning if there was someone around (pretty standard in the UK, right?). After putting my tent up and getting my dinner on the go (pasta, as usual) I was bursting for a pee. It was at this point that I realised to use the toilets, showers and even drinking water you needed a special key and swipe card!! This was definitely not good, to make things worse I later found out that I had pitched my tent in someone else’s pitch and they duly turned up with two caravans and two cars. This was not the best first European camping experience. I did later manage to steal some water from the tap on the washing up sink and sneak into the toilet block after someone, but no luck on the shower front, really not what you want after cycling in the baking sun all day!

Riding under Amsterdam International Airport

Ah there we go, first sighting of a Windmill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today has been more of the same I have travelled north to Amsterdam. (I am going to move faster than this however it takes a while to get into the swing of travelling and 4 hours sleep on the ferry took it out of me). I’m getting much more confident on the maze of cycle lanes and cycle paths and can just about remember to look the right way when crossing a road now. I did give one guy on a scooter a scare, scooters are allowed on the cycle lanes, just to make things a bit more interesting. I had decided to over take one of the hundreds of couples out for a nice gentle Saturday bike ride in the sun, and slightly misjudged how fast he was coming towards me. 

My favourite sight of the day came courtesy of my sat nav which decided to take me on the shortest route through town. What I hadn’t bargained for was that it was a Saturday which meant there was a huge market on and so many people cycling wasn’t possible. The market lined one of the main canals and as I neared the end I could hear a live rock band playing. I looked around to try and figure out where it was coming from figuring that it would be on the other side of the canal. On further inspection I discovered it wasn’t coming form the other side but it was actually coming from the canal. There was a full rock band and sound system on a boat just motoring round in circles on the canal. Many of the restaurants and cafe’s have old boats moored up with chairs and tables on giving the band a guaranteed crowd that couldn’t leave even if they wanted to, pretty clever really. People also lined the bridges that cross the canal. After a couple of numbers they decided a change of venue was needed and whilst they continued to play they motored down another canal to find some more people to spread their music too. 

Dutch rock band playing on the canal

Key Facts
I forgot to introduce this in my earlier posts but from now on I’m going to put a few key facts on the bottom of my posts so you can judge how well my trip is going (I may add more as and when I think of them).

Distance covered – Approx 520 km (323 miles)
Countries visited – 2
Max speed – 60.4 km
Longest day – 147.5 km
Punctures – 0
Things broken / worn out (given my luck in the recent past this could increase rapidly) – 0
Different beers tried – 6
Languages spoken (well attempted) – 2
Proper mountains climbed – 0
Ferry Crossings – 1

And so it begins…

So I have actually gone, it was pretty strange riding off over the common in the blazing sun thinking that the next time I will be back it will hopefully be November and probably snowing! It’s also pretty strange leaving knowing that I won’t see my family for 5 months! But they say the hardest part is leaving (which is very true) so now that’s out the way, let the fun begin!

Cycling off over the common

I have done a fair bit of cycling in the first two days despite leaving late on Monday I have still managed to cover about 160 miles and find myself in Cambridge. I stopped off to visit a mate at uni here and thought I had better take a look around at the same time.

My dog Molly see’s me off

For a cyclist Cambridge is amazing and is a pretty good taster for Holland, its flat and there are bikes and cycle lanes everywhere (there are even traffic lights for bikes). Literally every railing in town has a bike or 3 lashed to it so much so that I struggled to find somewhere to lock mine. Cambridge is a really cool place, especially when the weather is perfect like today!

Cambridge is home to loads of bikes

Kings College Cambridge University

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a great time watching people punting on the river and wandering round all the colleges (don’t think I should have been in some but no one seemed to mind, I obviously fitted in, only joking).

Kings College

Kings College

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was really great but come about 3 o’clock I was becoming a little parched. As luck would have it there happened to be a small game of football on TV with some team called England playing so I felt it would be rude not to watch it with a beer (I was lucky as its the first world cup game I have watched and it was just about worth watching).

Punts under a shady willow tree

Punting on the Cam

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I ended the day with a true Cambridge University experience and got roped in to playing cricket for the Cambridge University Medics Cricket team, as you do! It was great fun to get back on a cricket pitch (must have been 5 years since I last did it). The weather was perfect and the ground was amazing. Each college at Cambridge has their own cricket pitch (yes it’s THAT posh!) we were playing on the Queens ground which was just out of town in the countryside, it looked perfect! As is always the way in cricket, I was there to make up the numbers however I always seemed to be fielding where the ball was played, I also played my part in a run out which I was pretty chuffed with. The opposition (zoology) made 121 off 20 over’s, but the medics batting line up was pretty strong and they knocked it off in fine fashion whilst only loosing one wicket.

Queens College cricket ground

Tomorrow is pretty special for a couple of reasons, I will hopefully be able to get my exam results in the afternoon and find out what degree (if any) I got. I have then booked the perfect way to celebrate, catching a ferry at 23:45 bound for the Hook of Holland, didn’t plan that very well! Anyway I have about 11 hours to get from here to Harwich it’s going to be a scorcher so hopefully I’ll make it!

Manic Packing

Finally Off!
I know I have been saying this for a while by I am actually finally off!!!!! For all those people that keep saying “your still here then”, I challenge you to arrange a 5 month cycling trip in a few weeks, its pretty bloody hard!  I had the best intentions of going as soon as possible but to be honest have been pretty knackered after finishing my degree and had so much stuff to arrange (I had pretty much done none until a few weeks ago!). I have also had some set backs in the last few days such as a broken sat nav, which was replaced pretty much instantly by Garmin without even asking where I got it or if I had a receipt (lucky considering it came off eBay!). It was really amazing I was mega impressed with their service. I posted it at 5:15 and they had a replacement in the post by 1 the next day, so a massive thanks to the dudes at Garmin.

Everything but the kitchen sink! The kit I started out with for a 6 month tour of Europe

I have also had a change of route as the ferry to Denmark was going to cost 260 squid which I think is way too much for me and my trusty steed (not sure about this yet as I have only been on her for a day, but lets hope she is). Instead I will get a ferry to The Netherlands for 33 notes then ride the 700-800 km to where I was initially going to start from. This is pretty cool 1) because Holland is flat, 2) because it means I get to go through a few countries initially to get my tally up and most importantly 3) because I appear to have chosen a route right over the mountains in Norway so it will give me time to get my legs match fit before attempting it!

Packing
I have had an amazing final packing day in the shire with blue skies and sun hopefully this weather will be following me round Europe (if it does then you probably won’t recognise me when I return!).  Packing for a cycle touring trip is an interesting business. As I’m going for a long time I need to account for all eventualities (it could well be snowing when I get to Andorra) and also be reasonably comfortable when camping. I have done some cycle touring before in New Zealand and this made me realised a number of things. For instance although though they are light and easy to cook in a hurry, you can only live off super noodles for so long before you start to feel more than a little crap! I also learned that the main thing that will be on any cyclists (but specifically cycle tourers) mind is weight. They won’t buy anything without asking how heavy it is or is there a smaller one available. There is a good reason for this as on those long climbs (some of which can last for hours) at every pedal stroke you ask yourself, do I really need that six pack of beers, why do I want an inflatable pillow and why did I think it was a good idea to pack the kitchen sink. Because of this I have been trying to pick my gear carefully and keep the weight down. Unfortunately this often means shelling out huge amounts of wonga to very expensive outdoor shops to shed some grams and get stuff that’s compact. I’m not going to pretend I mind though as like all cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts I’m a bit of a gear head, and easily exited by shiny gadgets and gismos.

Packed – Phew it all fits!

 

In the last few days I have also been observed systematically ripping pages out of my European atlas saying things like “that’s too far north”, “I don’t want to go there its full of French people” and “sod that have you seen the size of those mountains”. I have not reached the stage of cutting the handle of my toothbrush or drilling holes in things yet but who’s to say I won’t get there after I hit the first few hills.

I think I have managed to get my gear pretty much perfect, nice and compact and pretty light whilst still having some comforts like a shower (no I’m not joking its ace, although a bit chilly if the sun isn’t out to warm it up) and (like all Brits should have) a nice big frying pan so I can cook a proper full English breakfast every once in a while!

 

Perfect final day in Herefordshire

My bike passes the ‘can I pick it up test’, you would be amazed the number of people I have met before who carry so much they actually have to take their panniers off the bike to lift it over a curb! No doubt I have forgotten stuff and taken loads of things I don’t really need so I’ll have to re-evaluate after the first week and have a ruthless cull of gear (some backpackers might end up getting lucky and find themselves acquiring all sorts of interesting goodies)!

I’m setting off first thing tomorrow morning and heading towards Cambridge which will probably take me a couple of days. After that I will be heading to Harwich to get a ferry over to The Hook of Holland and from there who knows where I will end up so stay tuned to find out!