Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Tuesday It All Starts Again...

"Jet plane, fast train, automobile, sometimes we fly on a wing, 
  most times we roll on wheels…"      The Waifs - Goodbye - Sun Dirt Water - Sep 2007

The clock is counting down until I jump another big bird, headed for Ol' London Town. It's been 4 years since I last touched British soil so I'm looking forward to seeing Old Blighty again. 

All going well I plan on spending Easter in London before rolling south to Brighton to take in the sights and sounds on the iconic pier. Turning west I'll cycle straight for Cornwall, detouring via Lands End, just to say I've been there. From Cornwall my journey takes me north through Wales and into Scotland where I'll jump a ferry in early June. Destination, Belfast. 

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

A Bicycle Caravan, REALLY?

With only one week until stage 2 of my adventure commences, I have found the perfect UK cycling touring accessory. A caravan for bikes. There's just one little problem, HEADWINDS!







Friday, March 16, 2012

Bicycle Music

I originally tripped over this track whilst listening to the The Sprocket Podcast produced in Portland Oregon. Take a listen to Track 2 - I Like My Bike. The band is Hurtbird and the tracks are taken from their recent album, Nature vs City.

Select repeat on the iPod and it makes for great mountain climbing music.


Thursday, March 15, 2012

Friday, March 9, 2012

The Kiwi Diet

A lot of diets come and go but I'm here to tell you about a sure fire way to loose weight. How does loosing 9.1% of your body weight over 7 weeks sound whilst on holidays, eating and drinking all of life's best on offer? 

It's the real deal my friends!

I call it the "Kiwi Diet" and no, those fluffy little birds are not a staple in this diet but feel free to eat as many as you like... 

Here's a sample of my diet over the past 7 weeks. 

Thursday, March 8, 2012

It's A Wrap

51 Days, 2351 Kilometres, 16,362 metres of climbing through rain, hail, dust and sandflies the size of helicopters, equates to one messy bike and very dishevelled, hungry rider, willing to do anything for his next meal.


Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Arthurs Pass

After 10 continuous days of rain in the lead up to Arthurs Pass it was evident that I was not about to see the iconic pass on a fine summers day. Alas, no amount of cold, wet or windy conditions could take away from this mammoth climb. 

Arthurs Pass at 960 metres sits some 120 metres lower than the Crown Range road but don't be fooled, although lower and shorter, Arthurs Pass, from the Western approach is most definitely the most gruelling climb on New Zealands South Island. 

Sunday, March 4, 2012

NZ Fuel Prices

Bicycle touring is definitely the way to travel in NZ judging by the price of fuel...