Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Cycle Tours => Topic started by: acousticmotorbike on November 02, 2008, 07:33:06 AM
-
After many years reading about people cycling the world, I finally decided to take the plunge. After lots of research I bought an Exp and as much decent gear as I could afford. I had intended to start my trip in May and go to the US, but I had the opportunity to see Neil Young in London in June and then the Brian Jonestown Massacre announced they would be playing a gig on 16th July - So the plans went on hold for a few months until the gigs were out of the way.
I've been on the road for over 100 days now (currently waiting for my Iran visa in Istanbul) and if any of you want to read about my travels you can do so here: www.acousticmotorbike.com
I'm also trying to raise some money for a couple of Orphanages in Nepal, so feel free to sponsor me (if anyone can afford it during the credit crunch)
Aidan
-
Sweet! :) I just read about those rubbish bins that you found in Romania. Please keep us posted, I want to know how it ends! lol
-
Of all the great things I've seen and will see on this trip - it looks like I'll be remembered for the Rubbish Bins!
Story of my life.... ;)
-
Oops, just noticed the link to the rest of the travelogue. I looked at the newspaper clipping and thought that was it. Sorry about that ;)
-
amb,great stuff fair play to you ,round the world fantastic,had a quick look at your pic's there brilliant.i see your flying the irish flag ,dont read many blogs on irish rtw tourers so i hope you make it ,and have a ball doing it.so how is the bike and all the gear fairing out ,have you had any problems .thanks for posting i'll keep an eye on your site hope all goes well best of irish .
-
Hi Jags. I must admit there aren't many Irish RTW's on tour, most of the people I've met have been Dutch or French. I'm not normally one for displaying flags, but I thought that it might be handy to have one on tour as most people ask me if I'm American or English - which may cause problems as I head into Iran and Pakistan. Not that anyone has a clue what flag I'm carrying when they see it!
The bike has been superb so far. The only problem I've had is breaking the chain twice. I believe that this was because I was steaming up a hill in top gear (or there abouts) standing on the pedals with full luggage and the chain couldn't take the strain. The front derailer got jammed behind the big ring, but I managed to free it and get going again. Some guy in a small bike / motorbike shop had a look at it and adjusted it for me (for free), but I could hear the chain rubbing when I changed to the big ring. I was wild camping at this point and didn't have time to work on the bike during the day, but when I got to a campsite in Cappadocia I spent a couple of hours cleaning and sorting the bike and I managed to fix it.
I've learnded not to power up hills - which, to be honest, was never a problem at the start of the tour!
Aidan
-
tough luck on the chain braking pretty unusual i think ,stay out of those hero gears.
glad all is going well for you ,it's some adventure your taking on how are you finding all the different cultures, any major problems along the way.what about highlights or should i (we) just go to your site.
anyway look after yourself keep safe.
all the best jags.
-
The chain break was down to my inexperience, it's been fine since I've stopped pounding up the hills in a high gear.
I'm loving the different cultures and have had no problem so far. For me the real trip started when I got to Turkey and I'm really looking forward to getting into Iran (have been waiting 3 weeks for a visa) and Pakistan.
Most of the people I've met on the trip have been great and have gone out of their way to help me. The people in Turkey have been superb and I've lost count of the free tea, melons, apples, food I've been given.
Highlights? The scenery along the Danuabe in Serbia was stunning, the people of Konstanicolas (Hungary) were fantastic and I spent a memorable weekend in the town - I'd only gone through there to get to Tesco. The landscape of Goreme was out of this world and I'm typing this from my hotel bed in Kaysire and as when I look out the window I can see a snowcapped volcano ;o)
Low lights? It's gotta be cycling along the dykes in Holland, the weather was miserable and there was no protection from the wind, coupled with the fact that there were no shops / cafes along this part of the route.
Aidan
-
thanks for that aiden.(you lucky sod ) sounds like your having the tour of a lifetime, hope your giving your bike some loving attention as in checking all moving parts ,and the odd drop of oil every now and again.look after yourself and post some pic's.
-
Here's (hopefully if I've done this right) are some photo's I've taken in Turkey during the last couple of days.
-
ah well done pic's are great ,i saved the second one to my computer.roll on the summer.
thanks aiden hope your still having a ball.
turkey look's a really lovely place to tour where to next.
-
I've been in Iran for a couple of weeks now and the cycling here is really amazing - it makes Turkey look boring. I've updated my blog and I'll try and add some photo's here when I get a chance. www.acousticmotorbike.com
Aidan
-
Enjoy Iran, I've read many times that people find Iran a great place and the people very friendly despite what we are led to believe about the country.
(axis of evil ) etc.
-
The people here are fantastic and very friendly. They are really big into Western luxuries and culture - everyone is at pains to point out that they are different from the President!
-
so aiden where are you now,how is everything going with the tour.what about a quick review on all your gear,like what's good what's crap.
sure hope your keeping well keep us posted.
cheers jags.
-
I'm now in Quetta, Pakistan - got here after a 44 hour bus ride from Tehran. You're not allowed to cycle from Bam due to the 'security situation' and are often picked up by a police escort before then, so it was a bit of a drag being on a bus for so long. There were a couple of delays due to road blocks and a crash, but otherwise it was uneventful. I'll update my blog tomorrow and try and post some photos here. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Iran and highly recommend it and I'm looking forward to whateve challenges Pakistan throws my way.
I've updated my website with some equipment reviews, but not sure if it's loaded properly - I can't view any of the photos from this end.
Aidan
-
good on ya aiden look's like your having a great tour, the new tent looks fantastic.
you do realise you'll never settle down after all this touring .mark beomont the guy who broke the world reckord for touring the world,had major problems in pakistan, mainly with police ,so give them a wide berth .how is your healt, have you lost loads of weight,(not been smart) anyway keep us posted great to hear from you,
best regards
jags
-
I've just managed to post some video footage to YouTube you can few here: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=AitAIeEuLH4
It's footage from bike ride through Tehran. It's not my normal style of riding - but when in Rome.
Pakistan is great so far. No problems at all and the food is magnificent. I've updated my blog at www.acousticmotorbike.com and added some photos from the last few days. I'll post some here when I get a chance.
Aidan
-
ah fantastic stuff aiden great blog ,look forward to the next installment.
-
Very nice survival skills indeed!
How did you fasten the camera to the bike?
-
aiden just reading your blog ,great stuff. you said you had problems with the exped mat with down getting stuck in the valves , did you sort this problem out,if so how did you do it.
i have one of those mats hate to think im going to have problems with it.
-
Hi Jags,
I've been chilling in India for a few months now and have been lucky enough to have the use of an Enfield 500cc motorobike for most of the time, the change of pace is nice ;o)
I swapped my mat at a shop in Passau. They told me that they would have to send it to Switzerland to get tested, but when I told them of my trip, they gave me a new one there and then on the spot. They didn't even check the old mat. I hear that it's a fairly common problem with them, but that it's been "fixed" on the new model.
Aidan
-
Just a quick update to let you all know that I'm still alive. I've spent most of the last four / five months on a motorbike in India, which was a nice change of pace. Unfortunately my bike got damaged on the roof of a bus on my way down from the mountains, so I've left it in storage in Delhi and I'll deal with it when I get back to India. There's not too much damage, bent handlebar (I think) and damage to the gear cables / handlebar mount when it got hit by a low hanging tree.
I've added some new videos to my YouTube page, one is a slide show of my trip in Iran and another is descending the Rothang La (pass) in India, which may be of interest to anyone considering cycling that route. Hopefully I'll manage to upload a slide show of Pakistan (crashed twice already).
All the best
Aidan
-
Hi, wow round the world trip, and I thought traveling round Sicily was going to be challenging, it doesn't even compare! Great to hear you're still doing well. Good luck with it all.
-
so aiden does this mean your finished cycling,how bad was is the bike damaged like is it fixable.
besides all that im glad your still alive and going strong,keep us updated if you can cheers for now
jags.
-
There's not too much damage to the bike, nothing a couple of hours and a hammer won't straighten out!
I'll be back on the bike at some stage, my plan was always to spend a lot of time in India / Nepal where I have many friends from previous visits.
I want to enjoy my trip and I'm in no rush to finish it, but I do miss my bike and I'm looking forward to getting back on the road and making my way (slowly) towards NZ.
Aidan
-
goodstuff aiden enjoy your tour hope you don't loose your fitness on the bike.
-
nice, we could meet in australia, i did same just me start in new york
salam istok
-
Well, I've finally managed to extract myself from India / Nepal / India after 11 months! I haven't done any serious mileage on the bike since March 09 as I've been using motorbikes that friends have lent me or public transport, but that was always the plan. I spent Christmas in Goa with a load of friends and had a great time and I flew from South India to Chiang Mai (North Thailand) and I'll be back on the bike properly from next week.
I met up with an old friend here today and have plotted out a rough route through some of the Golden Triangle (Thailand, Burma, Laos corners) and I can't wait to get back on the road. I had some work done on the bike the other day (replaced gear cable and housing) and a few adjustments to the front mech and the cost came to €4! Not bad at all, seeing as though I haven't had someone "proper" look at it since I was in Iran. I updated my blog with some photos (www.acousticmotorbike.com), but for some "technical" reason I can't update my website, but that's another job for another day.
Aidan
-
test
-
admin test
-
Hi all,
Unfortunately for some unknown reason page 2 of this thread is bugged and unreachable. Both Adrian and myself have tried to fix or recover the posts - but without success. We will keep on trying.
Stutho
-
Technical error happened (I think) after I tried to upload a photo... Doh. I'm currently in Vieng Vian, got here after a tough three day slog over the mountains, which included a combined climb of 1600 meters in one day. I'll update my blog at www.acousticmotorbike.com tomorrow with text and photos. Bike running well after recent new rear hub.
Aidan
-
Technical error happened (I think) after I tried to upload a photo... Doh. I'm currently in Vieng Vian, got here after a tough three day slog over the mountains, which included a combined climb of 1600 meters in one day. I'll update my blog at www.acousticmotorbike.com tomorrow with text and photos. Bike running well after recent new rear hub.
Aidan
Hi Aidan,
Been following your blog for a while now. I even splashed out the money on an Exped down mat as you raved about it. Was a great buy!
What happened to your "old" rear hub?
I'm nearly ready for the off on my adventure. Can't wait :)
All the best
Simon
-
Hi Simon,
Glad to hear that you're enjoying the Exped, great piece of kit.
My rear hub packed up in Chiang Mai, Thailand and I had to get parts shipped over from Thorn (I put a post about it under the General Banner on the forum). It's great to be back moving again after my time off the bike in India / Nepal / India although the last few weeks in the mountains have been tough due to my excess bodyweight...
Good look with your trip.
Aidan
-
Hi all, I'm back in Thailand after a couple of challenging weeks in the "very steep" hills of Laos. Managed to do 122km today and the temp peaked at 42c (107.6 F), bloody hot for an Irishman.
I'm meeting up with my mate Mark tomorrow, who I cycled with from Munich to Istanbul. He had more sense than me and flew from there to Thailand where he's now teaching English. We then cycle down through Thailand / Malaysia / Singapore. I hope the rain comes before my blood boils...!
All the best,
Aidan
Latest blog can be found here:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=RrzKj&page_id=142234&v=3
-
I'm currently in the US, I flew to London at the end of April to attend my God daughters Holy Communion and then cycled from London to Holyhead and spent a couple of weeks in Ireland. I flew to NY on 6th June and got the train to Richmond, Virginia and rode from there to Yorktown to start the Trans Am Coast to Coast route to Oregon.
My laptop broke when I got here, so I sent it to friends in Fort Collins, Colorado (where I am at the minute), so here are a couple of photos I've taken in the last few weeks. I'll try and get around to updating my blog soon.
Aidan
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs088.ash2/37735_412310850845_691270845_5143631_349916_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs077.snc4/35225_412140430845_691270845_5136922_5953404_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs188.snc4/37735_412310840845_691270845_5143629_1607337_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs037.ash2/35225_412140405845_691270845_5136917_5271371_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs057.snc4/35225_412140410845_691270845_5136918_7220574_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs037.ash2/35219_412310905845_691270845_5143637_6091123_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs057.snc4/35225_412140435845_691270845_5136923_3754670_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs168.snc4/37735_412310875845_691270845_5143636_1846973_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs057.snc4/35225_412140415845_691270845_5136919_1986654_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs168.snc4/37735_412310830845_691270845_5143627_5502726_n.jpg)
-
BRILLIANT pictures! Thank you. Real America.
John
-
Great pictures! Great journey!
Paulius
-
I've just entered Wyoming and the weather has been pretty rotten the last three days. The bike is running well and I had a great tailwind today before getting caught in a heavy storm. Photo's of today's ride below.
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs216.snc4/39114_415105500845_691270845_5227075_3237109_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs267.snc4/39687_415105400845_691270845_5227068_4037550_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs217.snc4/39199_415105445845_691270845_5227070_6414704_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs217.snc4/39199_415105440845_691270845_5227069_3278912_n.jpg)
-
A few more photos from my ride through Wyoming today.
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs214.snc4/39047_415514260845_691270845_5233995_3946268_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs272.snc4/39934_415514330845_691270845_5233998_6323639_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs272.snc4/39934_415514335845_691270845_5233999_1655634_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs252.snc4/39934_415514340845_691270845_5234000_767371_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs132.ash2/39934_415514345845_691270845_5234001_4819975_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs251.snc4/39912_415514355845_691270845_5234002_2162514_n.jpg)
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs236.snc4/39121_415520210845_691270845_5234123_4114657_n.jpg)
-
Absolutely brilliant. They make my pictures look feeble.
John.
-
Hi Aidan
Read all about your ride on Crazyguy and was one of the inspirations for my www.midlifecyclist.me.uk (http://www.midlifecyclist.me.uk) adventure.
Nice to see your cycling behind me now ;) as I'd have never caught you up! I finished the Trans Am three weeks ago and I'm now in Canada on R&R, about to set off on the Pacific Coast route South.
Enjoy the rest of the Trans Am it's such a great ride, lovin the photos.
Regards
Stu
http://www.midlifecyclist.me.uk
Subscribe to Mid Life Cyclist by Email
Cycling across the USA to raise money for Shelterbox
Donate via http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/StuartWoolger
Follow me on Twitter
http://twitter.com/stuwitterer
-
Hi Stu,
Congrats of finishing the Trans Am, I'm stuck in Missoula with a dodgy knee at the moment and have been keeping off the bike for the last week. My 90 day Visa Waiver is up on the 4th Sept, so I'm going to have to jump on a bus to Seattle on Monday as I've also got to go to Redmond and visit the Hilleberg factory as I need them go have a look at the zips on my tent. Things are starting to fall apart after two years on the road!
I'll be back in the US on 6th Sept (if the buggers let me back in on another Visa Waiver) and I'll be following you down the West Coast. If I don't see, best of luck!
Aidan