2009 upon us

Hello,

Sorry for the lack of activity/excitement, I'm deep in the middle of exams and seem to be enormously bogged down with revision. I have, however, allowed myself a few hours of escapism to update the blog and develop the plans!

The cold really has been biting hard at the start of this new year. With the mercury well below zero, one comes to really appreciate how cold it is going to be on my trip. On my bike journeys around and about I have realised that it will be my hands, feet and face that will take the biggest pounding from the cold, the wind and the rain. Therefore as I start to put together my equipment list I'm particularly ensuring that I bear this in mind, so as to prevent an early return home with my tail between my legs!

I am only just starting to appreciate the sheer immensity of the preparations that will be needed if this trip is to be at all successful. A checklist has been drawn up and constantly amended, and even then I'm ever conscious that what I'm thinking about won't be suitable for the trip or the conditions. Anyway, I'll keep you posted on that as the departure date looms.

Out walking the dog on Monday, with thoughts trundling through my head about my trip (more about mindless details rather than the big picture!), I looked out across the fields and the sun setting before an odd shaped cloud caught my eye. It was in the shape of Britain and as far as I'm concerned it was a clear blessing and a good omen for my trip and the year ahead. Happy 2009!

Best,

Charlie

Vandals....

After a recent Christmas party I was cycling home, only to hear a nasty scraping and a click before the rapid fall to the ground as my bike disintegrated under my feet. Some vandal had removed the bolts that secured the main cog (and pedal) to the bike and thus taken away the ability to cycle! Needless to say I was absolutely livid, but it has taught me the importance of understanding the bike and all that each part on it does. Over the past few months, I have learned this and it has been invaluable. When I'm on my journey, I will need to be able to carry out basic maintenance and checks in order to ensure that my bike is in working order, so in some ways I'm grateful for this experience, if not the cost of a new cog...

On a more brighter note, plans are progressing well. I'm starting to note down some rough schedules and routes, and once I have done this I can look at the more interesting bit of places of interest along the way. People that I have spoken to already about my plans have been wonderful in offering contacts and information that I hope will prove invaluable. However, I'm still without a bike - my single speed won't do (and that's broken anyway!).

Another blow that the loss of my bike has brought has been the temporary end to my twice weekly trek to Richmond Park to do circuits. At such a crucial time in the year, when cocktail sausages, glasses of champagne and mince pies are being flung from all angles, I can only hope that the festive period will not leave the fitness side of my preparations dangerously underweight! However, the good news this morning was that despite the festive onslaught, I have now dropped below 12 stone.

Anyway I had best be off - a multitude of things to do and that's even before I finish my Christmas shopping.

Best,

Charlie

Initial beginnings

As we head into the deepest, darkest months of winter, my plans for a cycling tour of Britain are starting to gather pace. Already a departure date has been noted down in the 2009 diary and it would seem that only illness or a nuclear apocalypse are going to stop me. The reality, however, is that unless routes are planned and equipment readied, the actual departure will continue to be elusive.

The actual plan is to travel around the mainland of Great Britain, sticking as much as possible to the coast. There will be forays away from the coast to make contact with family and friends as well as visit sites and places of interest. I estimate that the journey will take roughly four months and cover approximately 8,000 miles. I aim to depart in early February.

So, having made my initial entrance into the world of blogging, I will leave again. But will be back soon with an update of my status. If you have any suggestions or comments, please do get in touch - I would be most be grateful.

Thanks for reading!

Until next time,

Charlie