The bicycling itself was quite easy. I had already practiced a bit here on Paros, so I knew what it was like to ride 70km on a bicycle weighing 50 kilos. I had ridden up and down hills already on the treacherously questionable roads of Paros. Imagine my joy at the roads of Ireland–smooth, well-paved, clean and, until I reached County Antrim, free of potholes. So riding 50-80 km a day on the bike was not difficult. The hills and “mountains” of Counties Cork, Kerry, Galway, etc…not so tough. What was difficult was Day #4, when I woke up and realized I had to ride another day. And then Day #5 when I was resigned to my fate. After that I rarely thought about where I was going or how far I needed to ride that day. I had established my routine. When it was raining I packed up the tent and rode in the rain. There was no other choice. As I remarked to someone in Donegal Town, “If I didn’t ride in the rain I’d still be in Cork City.”

And it rained a lot. Sometimes three times a day. Mostly on me. I got wet. I didn’t melt. I dried out. I rode the kilometres I needed to and then I was done. I saw some beautiful sights–dramatic cliffs all along the coasts; sudden bursts of sunlight that made the landscape glisten and sparkle jewel-like…it’s all there. You can have it. I have learned there is no need for me to return. Rain is one thing, but every day, twice, thrice a day…no thank you. Such was the learning curve. You’ll have to pay me to go back. And that old saying about “the soft Irish rain…” Bullshit. It’s rain.

I missed Greece every day. I missed the food, the people, the climate. The food in Ireland is alright. Not great, really, yet ideal for the weather that one is forced to endure. Heavy, thick stuff, devoid of fresh produce (except potatoes). Mussels cooked in milk (yuck!), a severe lack of garlic and tomatoes that would be best used to repair dry-wall. I missed the heat of summer, the boiled-honey sun glazing the earth in late July through August, the din of the cicadas. By the 2/3 mark, the rain was not so much an obstacle but rather a tedious bore, a meteorological raconteur drawing out the same dull tale. I doubt the temperature ever rose above 22C while I was there. I missed the 35-40C days here on Paros. I missed the people I know, I missed my friends, my parea. This was the learning curve I traveled.

I enjoyed the long-distance bike tour. I enjoyed the hills, the distances. But I knew that going in. I had researched enough before hand and was prepared regarding gear. Everything I brought with me, I used. My kit was sound: waterproof, windproof, serviceable, warm and dry. My Dawes Karakum was the right bike for the job and I enjoyed riding it. I brought it home with me to Paros where I use it throughout the week. I am already looking at next year’s ride. I will stay in Greece, a country I love and in actuality have seen very little. I will ride in May so I don’t miss my summer heat and early morning swims. I will ride for a month because I can ride 2000km in that time. I will ride into the mountains northwest of Athens, to Corfu. Then east through the Pindus to Ioannina and Meteora. South to Trikala…these will be the places I visit. It will rain some but that’s ok. I won’t melt. But I will never leave home.

–JDCM

The post Riding a learning curve… appeared first on .

The weather will be interesting, and I am prepared for rain with enough Gore-Tex to cover myself, and the bike if need be. I am expecting daily rain, not necessarily torrential downpours, but sometimes maybe that too. As one very experienced touring-bicyclist mentioned in his blog, when it rains, you ride anyway.

I recently took a long weekend to another island and did a little bike-packing just to see how it was traveling for long distances with all the gear, making camp, etc…Although the geography was different and the weather more so, I learned some important lessons. The most relevant is that I am not longer in my 20s and the romance of wild camping really has lost its charm. Sleeping on the ground is a pain. Literally. As someone in their mid-50s, I will do a little wild camping, but the majority of my camping in Ireland will be in organized or semi-organized sites that provide showers, laundry, electrical hook-ups, sanitary facilities, etc…a couple even have cafes. I like my creature comforts. I have booked a few BnB stays and also a few actual hotels (Dingle, Donegal Town, Kinvara, etc…) for more than one night. Yes, there are a couple of places where I am kind of forced to find a spot off the road for the night, but even then I am waiting to see what happens. You never know. The kindness of strangers.

The first stage (Map 1) will be, by necessity, the fastest part of the trip. Although I am sure West Cork, Kerry, etc…are beautiful, it will also be the most touristic section. I will have to be extra careful of traffic on little roads. I am also riding 100km days (6-7 hours of riding) for the first week. I want to be off of the Ring of Kerry by August 1st. The second stage (Map 2) will be slightly less difficult, with some chill 60-70km days with a couple of 100km days mixed in. I am meeting a friend in Galway for a long weekend (August 9), so that is a date I have to make. The third stage, through Northern Galway and most of Mayo will be more relaxed still. The tourists will mostly be left behind, the tourist season will be slowing down and the roads will be a little more wild, a little more quiet.

By the time I get to Donegal Town, it will be the end of August, the end of the tourist season and I won’t need to make a lot of reservations before hand. I have learned this from different people I have already spoken to on the telephone in Donegal. In fact, by the time I get to Donegal I will have 25 days left to cycle about 600km. Do the math. I can dawdle.

This is all the Big Plan. What it is actually going to be like on the ground will be something else. I know I can do the distances. I know I can make the waypoints. It’s just a matter of doing it. I will be using Instagram as a platform for ‘blogging’, so to speak, with more pictures than text. So keep up with me through Instagram.

For now…I think that’s it.

–JDCM

The post Counting down the days… appeared first on .

I am getting ready for my bike trip in a big way. I have been packing, unpacking, trying to sort out what I really need from what I think I might want or what I could probably getting Ireland. Since I will be riding a fully self-supported ride of 2700+ km then I will need a fair amount of stuff–mostly camping gear. I hope to not be staying at any B&B, hotels, etc…unless I really feel I need a break (or a shower). I have been practicing with a fully loaded bike (42 kilos, including the bike) and can easily ride 60km in 4 hours, including the occasional stop for a snack, a coffee, buy a t-shirt, whatever…so I am hoping to make at least 70-80km per day. People have said, “oh but you will also be sight-seeing…” True, but a large part of riding a bicycle on long trips is trying to make good time, riding the bike. It’s not about lolly-gagging about or dilly-dallying along with my head in the clouds. It really is very much a ‘point-A-to-point-B’ event.

I will be buying Dawes Karakum touring bike in Cork. Not much else to say about that. Here’s a picture…look it up if you want the specs. I’ll be bringing it back to Greece with me.

I finally found a good tent in Athens last week. A North Face Storm Break 2, 2 person tent. It weighs 2.4 kilos and is my heaviest item. My new sleeping bag weighs 790 grams. You laugh. Trust me, 500 grams is a lot of weight when you’re cycling or hiking. (2.2 pounds in a kilo, right?) Here’s the tent, set up on my terrace. It took about 5 minutes to set it up. I bet it will take less when it is raining.

And here are some pictures that give you an idea of the gear and weight I am taking. It may not seem like much, but it adds up. Remember, the bike weights about 18 kilos, so an additional 24-25 kilos is a lot.

And this will be the contents of one of the rear panniers…clothes. Note that my rain gear is in one of the front panniers. It is easier to get to it that way.

The other rear pannier will have my house–sleeping bag, tent, ground cover…and food. And water. I’ll stash water in equal amounts around the bike the best I can. The handlebar bag will contain stuff like my phone, wallet, ID, snacks, glasses, a map…It should even out all around the bike with 60% of the weight in the front.

This is something I feel very strongly about, this long distance bike thing. It’s one of the few things in my life that really felt right, does that make sense? As if it is a path I should be on for reasons perhaps I will never know. As if it is something that must be done, and done often. There are established bike routes all over Europe and even beyond, I’ll start with this one first. July 22 cannot come too soon!

–JDCM

The post Treading water… appeared first on .

A few years ago I bought a bicycle to get around town, go shopping, go to the beach, etc…basically save money on car rentals. The side effects have been a general improvement of my physical fitness, a sense of community with the other bikey folks and an overall emotional well-being. I started with one bike, a used mountain bike. Then I bought a road bike. Then I bought a better mountain bike because I had outgrown the first bike. I still have all three–my donkey, my mountain bike and my road bike.

I really love bicycling. I have ridden some races, both road and mountain, preferring mountain but enjoying the speed and adrenaline of the road race. What I really love is a long mountain bike ride, mostly uphill, and not so fast. No race, just me and the elements.

A couple of years ago I watched a documentary called ‘Janapar’, by a bikey named Tom Allen. So I guess that’s when I caught the bug and I guess that’s where this is all leading: bicycle touring. This summer it will happen. I will ride the Wild Atlantic Way, south to north, i.e. Cork to Derry. +/- 2700km. July 24 to September 12.

There are a few ways to do this. I could spend huge amounts of money and stay in hotels, B&Bs, etc…this is called ‘credit card touring’. Or I could pack up all my gear (plus some new stuff) in four panniers, camp as often as possible and really have an adventure. I have been in contact with a bike shop in Cork and was going to rent a bike from them. The cost, like the hotels and B&B, would be high, even with any kind of generous discount they may grant me. So I’ll buy a new bike. I’ll buy it from them. And I’ll ship it back to Greece when I return mid-September. So that’s it.

There are some nice bikes for someone like me. I’ll expand on all of this in upcoming blogs. For now I am practicing my knots, getting my gear together and getting fit. Four months from now I’ll be riding through West Cork. Crossed fingers.

–JDCM

The post The road ahead… appeared first on .