Kilkenny, Dublin & Belfast
After my wild evening in outside of New Ross the next day of riding was rather uneventful. Like everyday before it rained, it was cold and there was a lot of climbing but around 1 PM I rolled into a town called Kilkenny. The first thing you see when you enter the town is a huge and intact castle which dominates the landscape. I had seen plenty of remnants up until now but never had I seen a whole castle. It was absolutely beautiful. I quickly found the hostel in town which was just on the edge of the town and got a bed for the night. Just to give you an idea, staying in a hostel is like staying in a dormitory in college. Lots of beds in one room, with a storage bin for each bed and toilets and showers all shared in the hall.
This was probably the first sizeable town I had come across. So I decided it was time to pick up a few things that I might need and wished I'd had for the past week. I started with going to an electronic store to get a converter to charge my phone and camera which ran me €8. I also bought a long sleeve shirt since it seemed to be getting colder the longer I had been in Ireland. I also got some food to make back at the hostel where I met two Australians. It was a little ironic as they weren't travelling together, they both just happened to be in the same place at the same time.
Well we got to talking, which turned into 4 hours of talking about all kinds of things: life, travelling, differences between Ireland, Australia and the US, work, kids, philosophy and everything in between. We eventually went out to dinner where I had my first taste of real Irish stew. Now maybe I just don't go out to real fancy restuarants back home but I had never before had what they served me and I've ordered Irish stew plenty of times. It was absolutlely phenomenal!! Tendor lamb, butter soft potatoes, onion, liver and huge helping of a vegetable I couldn't identify. Overall, absolutely amazing. Like any local Irishman, we went out to the pub afterwards and walked into a tiny little place where apparently they had live music. And at first I thought it might just be the normal fake "traditional Irish music" most of the bars advertise they have but it turns out it was nothing of the sort. It was a group of singers who really knew their stuff. They sung, with no microphone, all kinds of old Irish tales and legends. They had poets who stood up and wove tales of glory and adventure, all original works. Never have I been so entranced by someone telling a story before, because thats what it really was. It was a bunch of locals weaving together music, rhythm and rhyme to tell stories of old.
I took off bright and early the next morning as I was determined to make it to Dublin no matter what the cost. I had 75 miles to go, rain in my face and the wind at my back (thank goodness). But right now I'm about to pop off for a bit as my fingers are starting to hurt. It seems like I can't even catch up to life on this blog. I will update as soon as possible but just so you know, I'm currently spending my 2nd night in Belfast, UK and will be crossing over to the main part of the UK tomorrow evening by ferry! As always, Keep Riding!
This was probably the first sizeable town I had come across. So I decided it was time to pick up a few things that I might need and wished I'd had for the past week. I started with going to an electronic store to get a converter to charge my phone and camera which ran me €8. I also bought a long sleeve shirt since it seemed to be getting colder the longer I had been in Ireland. I also got some food to make back at the hostel where I met two Australians. It was a little ironic as they weren't travelling together, they both just happened to be in the same place at the same time.
Well we got to talking, which turned into 4 hours of talking about all kinds of things: life, travelling, differences between Ireland, Australia and the US, work, kids, philosophy and everything in between. We eventually went out to dinner where I had my first taste of real Irish stew. Now maybe I just don't go out to real fancy restuarants back home but I had never before had what they served me and I've ordered Irish stew plenty of times. It was absolutlely phenomenal!! Tendor lamb, butter soft potatoes, onion, liver and huge helping of a vegetable I couldn't identify. Overall, absolutely amazing. Like any local Irishman, we went out to the pub afterwards and walked into a tiny little place where apparently they had live music. And at first I thought it might just be the normal fake "traditional Irish music" most of the bars advertise they have but it turns out it was nothing of the sort. It was a group of singers who really knew their stuff. They sung, with no microphone, all kinds of old Irish tales and legends. They had poets who stood up and wove tales of glory and adventure, all original works. Never have I been so entranced by someone telling a story before, because thats what it really was. It was a bunch of locals weaving together music, rhythm and rhyme to tell stories of old.
I took off bright and early the next morning as I was determined to make it to Dublin no matter what the cost. I had 75 miles to go, rain in my face and the wind at my back (thank goodness). But right now I'm about to pop off for a bit as my fingers are starting to hurt. It seems like I can't even catch up to life on this blog. I will update as soon as possible but just so you know, I'm currently spending my 2nd night in Belfast, UK and will be crossing over to the main part of the UK tomorrow evening by ferry! As always, Keep Riding!
In the Shoes of the Rider
As any real traveller, hiker, cyclist or athlete can tell you, one of the most important pieces of equipment you'll ever pick out are your shoes. To help illustrate this point, let's go through a day in the shoes of a cyclist:
You wake up in the morning and before you can step out of a dew covered tent, you have to throw on a pair of shoes. And to make it the 2 miles down the road to breakfast, you need to have some comfy shoes. Now begins the long, arduous ride of the day, possibly as long as 80 miles and means your feet are going to be seriously sore afterwards. And just went you thought it was all over, your in a new city with new sights and tons to do, which means more walking. BOTTOM LINE: Your shoes are your greatest asset. That being said, I did some research and have decided to go with Shimano Men's MT32 Road Bike Shoes. They are SPD style so you can walk as well as in cycle in them, which saves me the trouble of having to carry a 2nd pair of shoes.
You wake up in the morning and before you can step out of a dew covered tent, you have to throw on a pair of shoes. And to make it the 2 miles down the road to breakfast, you need to have some comfy shoes. Now begins the long, arduous ride of the day, possibly as long as 80 miles and means your feet are going to be seriously sore afterwards. And just went you thought it was all over, your in a new city with new sights and tons to do, which means more walking. BOTTOM LINE: Your shoes are your greatest asset. That being said, I did some research and have decided to go with Shimano Men's MT32 Road Bike Shoes. They are SPD style so you can walk as well as in cycle in them, which saves me the trouble of having to carry a 2nd pair of shoes.
Its Looking like a Surly Day to me!
Just moments ago I returned home from Spokes Etc. after testing riding several bikes for the last several hours. This was immediately followed by a Chicken Bake from Costco, but thats totally besides the point. Getting back on track, I've finally decided on which I will be trapsing around Europe in:
Ladies and Gentleman, may I introduce you to the: Surly Long Haul Trucker.-> http://www.surlybikes.com/bikes/long_haul_trucker_complete/
The Long Haul Trucker (henceforth abbreviated as LHT) is a bike specifically designed for long-distance touring, specifically non-supported trips. Although it doesn't come with racks, it has brackets with which to attach panniers, and they look pretty universal. The bike also comes with 3, count them, 3 water bottle hook ups for those long days when its 100+ degrees outside. The only down sides were the brakes, which were a little slow to respond and weak at that, and the saddle, which can easily be switched out for a gel one.
One of the things that I've seen on several cycling sites when they talk about preparing for the trip is "breaking-in" the bike. By this they mean getting it a few weeks, in my case about 10 weeks, and riding it several hundred miles, or however long you plan on you daily distances. This way you'll likely uncover any problems or adjustments that need made and can subsequently get them fixed prior to leaving. In other words, imagine the bike gets a flat tire every time you ride on gravel and your trip will be taking you over several gravel trails... just something to think about.
Also, a very good point my father mentioned: How do you know you like the bike and it feels right when you only take it out of a 5 minute test ride, if that? WOW. Good thing I have smart people around me who know what their talking about :) If possible, ask the bike store to see if you can take it out for a 15/20 mile ride over an hour or two. They're probably going to want your credit card and drivers license before they let you anywhere near the thing but just don't go crashing it around the first corner.
Ladies and Gentleman, may I introduce you to the: Surly Long Haul Trucker.-> http://www.surlybikes.com/bikes/long_haul_trucker_complete/
The Long Haul Trucker (henceforth abbreviated as LHT) is a bike specifically designed for long-distance touring, specifically non-supported trips. Although it doesn't come with racks, it has brackets with which to attach panniers, and they look pretty universal. The bike also comes with 3, count them, 3 water bottle hook ups for those long days when its 100+ degrees outside. The only down sides were the brakes, which were a little slow to respond and weak at that, and the saddle, which can easily be switched out for a gel one.
One of the things that I've seen on several cycling sites when they talk about preparing for the trip is "breaking-in" the bike. By this they mean getting it a few weeks, in my case about 10 weeks, and riding it several hundred miles, or however long you plan on you daily distances. This way you'll likely uncover any problems or adjustments that need made and can subsequently get them fixed prior to leaving. In other words, imagine the bike gets a flat tire every time you ride on gravel and your trip will be taking you over several gravel trails... just something to think about.
Also, a very good point my father mentioned: How do you know you like the bike and it feels right when you only take it out of a 5 minute test ride, if that? WOW. Good thing I have smart people around me who know what their talking about :) If possible, ask the bike store to see if you can take it out for a 15/20 mile ride over an hour or two. They're probably going to want your credit card and drivers license before they let you anywhere near the thing but just don't go crashing it around the first corner.
Handlebar Dashboard - An Intelligent Ride
Just another cool thing technology has brought us. For everyone with an iPhone out there, and unfortunately this does not include myself, iBike has come out with something that makes most racers and cycling enthusiasts "wet their pants." Imagine being able to attach your iPhone onto your handlebars and having it give you turn by turn directions, GPS, compass, speed and heart rate. Well stop imagining because that dream has become a reality.
With the invention of the iBike Dash Cycling Computer, you can have the best of the iPhone along with a cyclometer. Pretty cool, eh? Well I think so and bugger the rest of you non-existent readers for disagreeing! Some of the other features of the "water-and shock-resistant iBike Dash CC measures calories burned, time elapsed in your workout, wind speed, and elevation." The whole story can be found by following the link below.
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2011/02/28/a_dashboard_on_your_handlebars_makes_for_intelligent_exercise/?p1=Well_Science_links
With the invention of the iBike Dash Cycling Computer, you can have the best of the iPhone along with a cyclometer. Pretty cool, eh? Well I think so and bugger the rest of you non-existent readers for disagreeing! Some of the other features of the "water-and shock-resistant iBike Dash CC measures calories burned, time elapsed in your workout, wind speed, and elevation." The whole story can be found by following the link below.
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2011/02/28/a_dashboard_on_your_handlebars_makes_for_intelligent_exercise/?p1=Well_Science_links
Friendly People Help World Travelers
Ever wanted to go somewhere for a quick 2-day getaway but don't want to pay for a hotel? Well, you may be in luck. As part of my research for places to stay at night in addition to youth hostels and fancy 5-star hotels, I came across the following websites:
Hospitality Club &
Global Free Loaders
These websites are a world travelers chocolate cake. It's a listing of people, just like you and me, all over the world who offer up their homes for a night or two to travelers in need. Now imagine you find yourself in a small town in the Germany and you don't want to spend another night out in the woods camping under a tree with nothing but a sleeping bag. Well by using this site, you can now look up people in the local area who are willing to house/accommodate your for an evening. And who knows, if your lucky, maybe you'll make a new friend for life.
The only catch, to use either site you have to register (it's free) to host people yourself. Of course their were plenty of options which, by the time you finished (and it took me 5 minutes to make a profile - jweisman11 ) made it highly unlikely that anyone will wish to come stay with you.
Hospitality Club &
Global Free Loaders
These websites are a world travelers chocolate cake. It's a listing of people, just like you and me, all over the world who offer up their homes for a night or two to travelers in need. Now imagine you find yourself in a small town in the Germany and you don't want to spend another night out in the woods camping under a tree with nothing but a sleeping bag. Well by using this site, you can now look up people in the local area who are willing to house/accommodate your for an evening. And who knows, if your lucky, maybe you'll make a new friend for life.
The only catch, to use either site you have to register (it's free) to host people yourself. Of course their were plenty of options which, by the time you finished (and it took me 5 minutes to make a profile - jweisman11 ) made it highly unlikely that anyone will wish to come stay with you.
Touring Bikes. Worth the time.
I was doing some research into what kind of bike I should get for my ridiculously long bike ride and I kept coming across the Specialized Tricross Sport Triple as a sturdy and dependable touring bike.
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=38443
Just wondering if anyone out there in the cycling and touring worlds had an opinion of the bike and whether it made a good touring bike. Any other bikes out there that you would recommend?
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=38443
Just wondering if anyone out there in the cycling and touring worlds had an opinion of the bike and whether it made a good touring bike. Any other bikes out there that you would recommend?
Gear, Beer and a small pink Towel.
A lot of what this trip involves is planning. And the very first thing I decided was to write out a list of everything I would need. Below is the list I made up and it turned out I needed a few more pounds of gear than I initially anticipated bringing.
Bike & Equipment
- Bike
- Programmable Bike GPS
- Spare Inner Tubes
- Multi-Purpose Tool
- Chain Lube
- Gloves
- Helmet
- Tire Iron
- Spoke Wrench
- Patch Kit
- Rain Cover
- Duct Tape
- Bike Lock – Heavy Duty?
- Panniers
- Bike Pump
- Fenders?
- Water bottles
Food & Equipment
- 16 oz. pot – light weight
- Fuel Can
- Light weight cup
- Spork & Knife
Clothes
- Bike clothes
- Shorts (x2)
- Shirt (x2)
- Socks (x5)
- Underwear (x2)
- Shoes (Riding and Non-riding)
- Hat
- Rain Jacket?
- Bike
- Programmable Bike GPS
- Spare Inner Tubes
- Multi-Purpose Tool
- Chain Lube
- Gloves
- Helmet
- Tire Iron
- Spoke Wrench
- Patch Kit
- Rain Cover
- Duct Tape
- Bike Lock – Heavy Duty?
- Panniers
- Bike Pump
- Fenders?
- Water bottles
Food & Equipment
- 16 oz. pot – light weight
- Fuel Can
- Light weight cup
- Spork & Knife
Clothes
- Bike clothes
- Shorts (x2)
- Shirt (x2)
- Socks (x5)
- Underwear (x2)
- Shoes (Riding and Non-riding)
- Hat
- Rain Jacket?
Non-Bike Related Gear
- Camera
- International Cell Phone/Calling Card
- Bungee Cord
- Flashlight
- Clothesline/Rope
- Light Sleeping Bag & Stuff sack (double as pillow)
- Waterproof bag
Additional Items
- Maps
- Language Guide Book
- Passport
- Notebook and pen – General notes OR Electronic Recorder
- Toilet Paper
- Water Purification Pump
- Pocket Knife
- Ear plugs
- Ziploc bags
- Padlock
- Lighter/matches
Toiletries
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Soap & case
- Nail Clippers
- Small First Aid Kit
- Pain Killer (Advil)
- Razor
- Camera
- International Cell Phone/Calling Card
- Bungee Cord
- Flashlight
- Clothesline/Rope
- Light Sleeping Bag & Stuff sack (double as pillow)
- Waterproof bag
Additional Items
- Maps
- Language Guide Book
- Passport
- Notebook and pen – General notes OR Electronic Recorder
- Toilet Paper
- Water Purification Pump
- Pocket Knife
- Ear plugs
- Ziploc bags
- Padlock
- Lighter/matches
Toiletries
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Soap & case
- Nail Clippers
- Small First Aid Kit
- Pain Killer (Advil)
- Razor
