Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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smith4188
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by smith4188 »

beardy wrote:Ah, different accounting styles. I take the sum of my outlay and divide it by the number of miles cycled so far. So my newest bike is "costing me" 10p per mile just for the frame and forks at the moment.


Yes, that's roughly what mine has cost using your accounting method. But to work it out like that for this trip, why stop at the bike? It would only be fair to include the panniers, tent, cooking gear, clothes as well as all the food that had got me to my current weight, a large portion of which I will burn off as I cycle. I thought I'd keep it simple and just add up what was spent on the road.

beardy wrote:Is it "allowed" to exchange services for food? I have had opportunities on my travels to get a meal and board in return for some small job. This was once common practice in NZ.


I hadn't considered that, mostly because in 40,000 km of touring that situation has never presented itself. But no, it's not allowed because then what would differentiate the ride from working a normal 9 to 5? The only trade that is allowed is bartering in the highly unlikely event that we catch more fish than we need.
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smith4188
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by smith4188 »

jamesgilbert wrote:It's a shame that websites like this one aren't more popular: http://www.urbanforager.org.uk/


Interesting site. Pity it's not more used. According to it there's barely a plant to be had on our route. :(
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nirakaro
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by nirakaro »

I was told in Pakistan that Islamic law doesn’t consider it theft if you pick what you can eat as you pass through a field. I don’t know if that’s true, but it sounds like a reasonable approach.
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smith4188
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

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nirakaro wrote:I was told in Pakistan that Islamic law doesn’t consider it theft if you pick what you can eat as you pass through a field. I don’t know if that’s true, but it sounds like a reasonable approach.


I'm not sure that grabbing the occasional legal fruit is enough justification to advocate the adoption of Sharia law throughout western Europe. I'd rather run the risk of getting nabbed for picking the odd lemon overhanging the road than live in a world where women get stoned to death for adultery. I suspect I'd fall foul of blasphemy laws too. But, thanks, I'll use what you said in my defence if any of the field workers or police are Algerian or Moroccan.
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nirakaro
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by nirakaro »

Crikey, struck a nerve there. i don't recollect advocating any such thing.
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smith4188
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

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nirakaro wrote:Crikey, struck a nerve there. i don't recollect advocating any such thing.


Joke. :D
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robing
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by robing »

Hi Steven,

looking forward to reading about your exploits. I've read loads of cycle touring books and yours is easily the best one! I'd be up for coming along, but I'm actually doing my own tour the other way from Roses - Gibraltar and then back home through Spain and France so our paths may cross as I'm doing it in May/June! I'll certainly buy you a beer if we do!

About your Kindle, I had one of these early ones with the keyboard and you could get free internet access anywhere at home or abroad via 3G. But Amazon have cottoned on to this and I believe this is no longer available, you can only get online via wifi only. You'd be better off with a cheap 7" tablet. I got the Acer Iconia One from Argos for £90. Great little tablet.

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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by Tangled Metal »

Does anyone know if the French Pharmacists still have to know what funghi are safe to eat or not these days? I heard it was part of their requirements to practise. Might be good to know or not.

Sounds a hard trip with living from foraging. I can see how fishing can get you your protein but it is the rest that is difficult. I've heard of similar trips walking but not too many worked out. Good luck (meant in a good way not trying to be negative).
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smith4188
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by smith4188 »

Tangled Metal wrote:Does anyone know if the French Pharmacists still have to know what funghi are safe to eat or not these days? I heard it was part of their requirements to practise. Might be good to know or not.


Someone mentioned that earlier, or over on CycleChat. I'd never heard of it. Could be useful.

Tangled Metal wrote:Sounds a hard trip with living from foraging. I can see how fishing can get you your protein but it is the rest that is difficult. I've heard of similar trips walking but not too many worked out. Good luck (meant in a good way not trying to be negative).


All the cycling/foraging ones longer than a couple of days that I read about failed (the longest being Vin Cox who had to stop after a week after getting sick from roadkill) and that is why I added in the £1 per day thing. It can provide the bulk of the calories and hopefully nature will provide the flavours. Or maybe not.
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smith4188
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by smith4188 »

I apologise if this comes up twice. The first one seemed to disappear.

robing wrote:looking forward to reading about your exploits. I've read loads of cycle touring books and yours is easily the best one!


Wow! Thank you.

robing wrote:I'd be up for coming along, but I'm actually doing my own tour the other way from Roses - Gibraltar and then back home through Spain and France so our paths may cross as I'm doing it in May/June! I'll certainly buy you a beer if we do!


And I will trade your beer for my handful of seaweed and some nettles. :D

robing wrote:About your Kindle, I had one of these early ones with the keyboard and you could get free internet access anywhere at home or abroad via 3G. But Amazon have cottoned on to this and I believe this is no longer available, you can only get online via wifi only. You'd be better off with a cheap 7" tablet. I got the Acer Iconia One from Argos for £90. Great little tablet.


It was working here in Spain last week. It never worked on the Isle of Man. But thanks for the heads up. Maybe the service has been terminated in the UK and/or France. The advantage the old Kindle has over any new tablet is how long the battery lasts if you don't use the internet option too much. I'll do some digging. Cheers!
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khain
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by khain »

What are you going to do for fuel and water?

A wood burning stove is nice and cheap but becomes a real pain after a few days and could cause problems if wild camping. Wild camping in a group could be interesting. It's fairly easy for one or two people to be discreet but a group less so.
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smith4188
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by smith4188 »

khain wrote:What are you going to do for fuel and water?


I'm looking into fuel at the moment. Water can be from fountains or cemeteries (in France) but it is the one thing we are allowed to knock on doors and ask for since it is (almost) free.

khain wrote:Wild camping in a group could be interesting. It's fairly easy for one or two people to be discreet but a group less so.


If it's an issue, there's no reason why the group has to wild camp together. We can spread out and meet up again in the morning.
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Sweep
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by Sweep »

smith4188 wrote:
nirakaro wrote:Crikey, struck a nerve there. i don't recollect advocating any such thing.


Joke. :D


Yes it was, and a good one.

Please mods, get a like button then i don't have to occasionally clog threads up with appreciative comments.
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by Vorpal »

robing wrote:About your Kindle, I had one of these early ones with the keyboard and you could get free internet access anywhere at home or abroad via 3G. But Amazon have cottoned on to this and I believe this is no longer available, you can only get online via wifi only.

No they used this as a strategy to test their software and sell more books. It's not available in every country, but it is available.

http://kindleworld.blogspot.no/p/countr ... ccess.html
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smith4188
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by smith4188 »

Vorpal wrote:No they used this as a strategy to test their software and sell more books. It's not available in every country, but it is available.

http://kindleworld.blogspot.no/p/countr ... ccess.html


My Kindle's registered in the Isle of Man (which never had the free service) and I'm currently in Spain, which according to that page has no free service, and yet my old Kindle can access the internet for free here. I wonder if it'd work in UK (non-Isle of Man), Portugal and France. If, as the page says, some Kindles do work in countries they shouldn't, I've no way of knowing without going there. I'm fairly certain it worked when I passed through all three in 2011 but maybe it has changed since then. Bugger.

Thanks for the link.
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