The Green Grocer.

Today I had reason to cycle 30kms to the green grocer's shop. Normally I wouldn't be seen dead in a health shop or organic shop like the one pictured, since I partake only in foods that are cheap and ones you get a big bang of calories for your buck. Something troubles me deep down inside about paying top dollar for some spuds or carrots just because they've been grown in soil certified free of everything evil known to man.

Always Plenty of Room in the Bike Rack at the Health Food Shop.

But Adi needed some Rice Syrup. Apparently Rice Syrup is the only thing that will successfully stick her homemade slice together. Unfortunately for me you can't get this stuff from the supermarket only from the Greene shop. And because it comes from the Greene shop it must be hand squeezed by Amazonian princesses, because it costs an arm and a leg!I think the organic Greene shop must be one of the few businesses that has a higher mark up than  pharmacies, that I also seldom go.

But anyway while I was outside guarding the bikes and waiting for Adi to come out with the liquid gold I couldn't help but make some observations about the sort of people that frequent these sort of shops. And I must say I am totally confused. I thought that your average organic vegey lover was a planet hugging, un-materialistic , kind hearted person merrily skipping along in his or her bear feet totally focused on what's good for planet Earth.

Everything you need to Know About having a Baby

Kids On the Premises. But Luckily all Food is Wrapped.

Instead you see an empty bike rack while patrons turn up in four wheel drives.  Notice boards on the shop windows shout the joys of producing more babies in a world groaning under the weight of human offspring. I have never really managed to fathom this one. No one I've talked to over the years in this country has been able to explain to me how having kids is in any way helps our planet overcome its problems. When I brought it up with my mother as a teenager she said "if you're smart Niel you'll spent your time on your bike and not even think about having kids, and for that matter keep away from Cathy fisher next door!" And then later being in the cycling club and not in the college rugby or rowing club was all the contraception I needed.

Still later, after many thousands of miles on my bike, I think my virility was finally tamed for good.(not that I've seriously tried to make a little 'Niel the Wheel' you understand).

Anyway I've just put it down to the fact that organic Greene types just want to live forever ,reproduce their own genes,  keep as much of the planet alive long enough for their kids to see it and sod everything else.

I on the other hand just want to ride my bike on deserted roads and sod everything else except Coke and chocolate. (or ice cream on a hot day).

I think I've lost the plot sufficiently today except to say that Adi is very jealous of the fact that I have readers from such far away countries as Ukraine, Russia, Sweden and Georgia. To name a few. All I can say to that is I hope one day to cycle in those amazing places.

I tell you if I was cycling the Ukraine a carrot would go in the pot whether it was organic or not. No hesitation there. But for now I just have to focus on getting up early enough this Sunday to make the group training ride!

A Good Day at Home.

Yes I had a good day today even though I did no cycling.
I awoke at the early call of chicken Woo ( it must have been before 9am !) demanding her breakfast of chicken pellets and sunflower seeds, sun streaming across the veranda and not the forecast stormy rain.
The barometer was dropping so I didn't hold up much hope of the weather lasting. But it did and I got another huge area of scrub cleared for my new corn patch. The neighbours in the orchard turned up with their tractor and got the bonfire going. So while they were away having lunch I dumped all my cuttings on it. Talk about smoke Trev! I've got to work quickly on this little project because my corn seedlings are just coming through the potting mix. They've got to be planted tout suite so that we can be munching our way through summer cobs.

The sun hung around long enough today for me to get the Mercian out to thoroughly dry off after getting drenched on my way home from work yesterday. I had my B17 leather saddle on and although its just my commuter saddle I don't like to risk it staying wet for long. Because if there's one thing a true adventure cyclist cant abide its a wet leather saddle.

Its that time of the year when the barometer is constantly on 'Variable', my bikes always filthy, and if you go out without mudguards and a jacket you're asking for a drenching.

So I had a good day in the sun. Good enough to further my tan. And when I'd had enough of gardening and watching my bike dry I read a bit of book. Awesome. But what topped it all off was finding a free cycle touring magazine on line. Now that I have decided to give up my job at the bike shop and fix the old house for a living Adi has told me that I can no longer subscribe to 'Adventure Cycling' a US touring magazine. And if that wasn't bad enough (actually not that bad because there's too much American stuff in it.) I can no longer be a member of the UK cycle touring club! (Now that hurts.)

But now I have found a new cycle touring magazine that is cost effective (since its free) and is written by people like me who have a passion for cycles and far away places!

http://bicycletraveler.bicyclingaroundtheworld.nl/    

I just cant wait to click the pages on this one. Maybe one day I may even be a contributor.
Tomorrow I'd better get out on the bike and do some kilometers.

Work and Home Work.

Well that's it! It was hard to do but I have given my notice at work. In one month I will cease to be a part time bicycle sales boy and become another jobless person scratching a living from the land.

Poor old 'Potters-End' has been slowly falling down around our ears and its time I concentrated on fixing it up a bit.  So I have reinvented myself as a restoration expert and gardener. Since fixing the house myself saves us lots of money but doesn't actually earn us anything I will have to plant veges and Adi will have to keep working for a bit yet. I've told Adi  I can't start my new job as house renovator until I officially finish work as a bike boy. But today I started clearing more ground for vege growing because we don't want to starve next winter.

Clearing for veges is hard work and if your observant you will see that I have a man size bag of pick n mix sweeties to keep me going. One of the benefits of Adi working at the local grocery is a regular supply of good for me food such as pick n mix, chocolate and cheese flavoured chips. I'm always the first to greet my girl when she rides up the driveway after work. Adi's boss Jim is pretty up there when it comes to making my life a pleasure as well. He often donates a block of chocolate or dated frozen goods to the Potters-end  pantry.

Now I'm smiling because I've found a licorice allsort. My favourite.

Apart from giving up my job and clearing part of the garden for self sufficiency this week, I have also collected more bicycle equipment for next years cycling adventures. Because as tight as our budget will now be we will still have enough money for cycling overseas.

You may well ask yourself, "How can someone on next to no income still  manage to go on cycle trips in far off countries?"

Well I'll tell you. And most of you wont like it because you're probably already stuffed.

If you don't have KIDS , drive a CAR or OWE lots of money you don't need that much money to survive. And when you do go on holiday if you cycle and camp all you need to pay for is food and a tent site. So there you have it. It's not rocket science and I had it pretty well worked out by the time I was 18yrs old.

As you can see from the photo of my beloved Mercian, this week I got the four pannier bags, racks and other small bits of touring kit. I did have old touring bags that I used on touring holidays prior to using BOB trailers but these old bags are really past their use by date now. And besides I've always wanted black bags because they match everything so nicely and also allow one to blend into the countryside in  a traditional quiet sort of way. No fluoro touring for me! I've got a lovely Brooks handlebar bag just to finish it all off nicely. The idea is to have plenty of bags but not to put too much in them. A well balanced bike with little strain on racks is the desired effect. Early next year when I'm packed and ready for the road, we'll see how light the whole thing is!

I've got to go now the rugby world cup is on and I should watch it even though I don't give a toss about rugby. I do like a bit of national pride. And the chance to beat the Aussies at anything.

Bloody Wind!

I decided this week to do a 330km circuit near home.  Because I was going to be riding a touring bike with a bit of gear and because I'm not that fit at the moment I thought I'd make it easier on myself by making it a two day romp in the countryside.

An achievable 160km each day seemed to be the go.....  But life on the bicycle doesn't always go to plan and this little jaunt was one of those trips.

My first mistake stemmed from the fact that as mentioned previously I am the reluctant cyclist so I didn't end up leaving on day one until 11am, much to Adi's concern." No problem I said I often do 130km in an afternoon". Second mistake cockiness! Well the bike with overnight camping gear and spare clothes was somewhat heavier than  expected and I headed out into a southerly headwind that just kept getting stronger as the afternoon wore on. The first 70kms were up hill and by the time I had got to the half way point for that day I was ready to just give up, turn around and come back home with my tail between my legs. Four pm and I'd only covered 70kms! Before tossing the whole thing in I had a pie and triple strength energy drink.

Nothing like a pie and energy drink to make you really feel immortal. I decided to push on mainly to save face and because it was too late to get home anyway.

The great Bicycle Lord was looking after me because I picked up a tail wind and by 7pm had completed 130kms. I even managed to find a dumpy country tavern with a hot shower and a piece of grass out the back. All for $10. (Believe me a bargain in NZ)

If I look Buggered Its Because I was!

Tired as I was that night it had dawned on me that since my circuit was 330kms, and since I had only covered 130km, I was in for a 200km ride the next day or another night in my one man tent. My one man tent is not only the heaviest one man tent in existence its also the most uncomfortable and claustrophobic.

After waking up a couple times in the night thinking I'd died and been buried, only to find that I was still alive but just zipped up in a nylon  body bag, I decided I had to make the 200kms the next day.

The Coffin.

This time I was on my bike at 9am. But not before having another hot shower just to get my $10 worth.The wind was unpredictable and the bike just as heavy but this time I was a little more focused. I zoomed out to the most northerly part of the circuit along Marlborough Sounds and then headed West before fighting the bastard southerly wind again for the final 50kms home.

And here I sit happy that not only did I complete the mission but also that I managed 200kms on a reasonably heavy bike. I deserve chocolate.

Daylight Saving!

More hours in the day for you know what!

When you're a young man that means just one thing. But when you mature a bit it means more daylight hours on the bike. Now that I can concentrate on the Global Bike Race again my cycling has picked up. I managed to knock off 403 kms last week without unduly inconveniencing my time on the couch with cup of coffee and chocolate. I hate to say that this will not always be the case.

My change of route has necessitated the ordering of new guidebooks and some of these arrived from Amazon last week.(Cycling the Amazon, now there's an idea). They were my first ever purchase over the Internet and I can tell you they wont be my last since not only did I get them sooner than I would have from the bookshop but the price worked out to be half that of the stores even including freight!. O'yes I know what your thinking , that I missed out on all that social banter at the book shop. Well I could still go there for a chin wag but this time it wont cost me money.

Daylight saving means I could finally take the lights off my Mercian and while I was giving her a good clean I decided to take the commuting wheels off and put my touring wheels on as I've got a little 2 day trip planned next week that involves a bit of steep bullock track riding . Nothing like a bit of back country riding without a car in sight. It will be the first time in the tent this summer too. I got Adi an MP3 player for her birthday last week and on our normal Wednesday ride I didn't hear a peek out of her. I couldn't believe that someone could ride listening to music for 5 1/2 hours straight! I may as well have gone out on my own. As long as she's happy though. A happy Adi is a happy' Niel the Wheel'.

Last week our friend Brian S dropped off the Tour of Spain for us to watch. I'm currently watching it although its not as good as the Tour De France.  Paul Sherwin and Phil Legget are not commentating it. Adi however shocked me by saying that she was too busy planning my new route around the world to watch bike racing! She's very focused is my Adi.

I'd better plant some corn so that she is well fed while I'm away. The big bumbling farm flies are just starting again. Have you noticed how they refuse to go out the open windows but then you blast them with fly spray and they immediately go out straight away, flying until their little heads explode.

Silly wee things.

Birthday Girl.

I have to be honest. Last week, and I suppose a week or two before that, my motivation towards the global bike race has been pretty low. And because of that my fitness and kms travelled has also been naturally low . Last week was rock bottom with 200 odd kms travelled. This you might think is not that bad until you consider that it represents 200kms of commuting and 0kms of actual training.

The reason that I have dropped to these depths is two fold. The first is the logistical problems of getting Adi's Vespa sorted to follow me in the race and the second is the lack of definite structure concerning what is permitted in the race regarding accompanying helpers ,rules, guidelines etc.  The race organiser was / is threatening to put me in a second class because Adi wanted to follow me on scooter. My initial response to this was to think about shelving the whole idea of the race and for Adi and I to just once again go overseas cycle touring together. This would save a lot of dosh because we wouldn't have to ship Vespa's all over the world. Not to mention all other bureaucracy associated with motorbikes. I also felt that I was being treated as a second class competitor before I had even started the event. So we started planning this option while I mulled over the whole thing. With any fitness I had gained dropping away.

I honestly felt that this had to be an adventure that Adi and I could share. So although I found it difficult to explain to friends why I was now having many second thoughts on the whole thing I also felt justified in my decision to concentrate on our cycle tour together.

My other concern was that the expense incurred by us to get to the event start in London was considerably more than most of the other contestants who are British. If the event was to fall over due to  lack of interest from contestants, organisers or sponsors we would be very much out of pocket whereas the others could just pack up and catch the next bus home.

So these things have been waying on my mind. Last week was Adi's birthday and because I couldn't give a gnat's whisker about cycling we decided to go out on the Vespa's cafe-ing for the day. I was under strict instruction not to go anywhere off road or on gravel. But as can be seen from the photo I found a short cut that involved only two river crossings and managed to rejoin Adi further up the road. We had a good day and I presented my birthday girl with a miniature Vespa and an mp3 player. Adi shockingly refused to cook me dinner that night!!! So I  zoomed of to get Fish&chips which we ate while watching a video. Engrossed by an adventurer and MTBer who had to cut his hand off because he was silly enough to get it stuck between a rock and a hard place, we ate our F&C's

That night I was violently ill with food poisoning which serves me right for not cooking Adi a birthday dinner. I cant use the illness as an excuse for not cycling much though.

Ive told half my friends that I'm not now doing the Global bike race and have warned Diane our friend and travel agent that Adi and I will now need two round the world tickets so we can go cycle touring in far away countries together, minus Vespa hassles.     (That was then).

But I can report now that I am not writing this blog with a heavy heart but with renewed enthusiasm. Because after chatting with the' Vespa chick' today I found out that she is not only happy with me still doing the Global Bike Race without her, she wants me to do it! She says she will be my unpaid planner and will visit me at certain points in the trip to give my no doubt lagging spirits a boost. So I'm really happy because she is behind me and will be able to hold the home fort while I'm gone riding the world!

So now training can once again start in a focused way. I WILL START TOMORROW.

The Rugby World Cup.

I read in the Cycle touring Club newsletter about a couple of English cycle tourists that have spent the last year and a half or so cycling from England to the World Cup in good old New Zealand

http://vimeo.com/27143281

 I tell you, as a cycle tourist, their video and pictures of the trip don't make me envious, as it looks like they did a great portion of the adventure in sleet and ice. I'm not a softy cyclist but I still think cycling in temperatures down to -25 degrees a bit silly when, if you planned the trip a bit better, you could cycle and still have some feeling in your fingers and not have to carry 6 layers of merino with you.

The other part of the trip that doesn't inspire is their preoccupation with everything rugby along the way.Unfortunately for me my father decided to immigrate to NZ before I was born and then instilled in me from an early age how stupid the game of rugby was and how only thick people played it! Thanks Dad for leaving me in a country obsessed with rugby. You could have at least taught me to enjoy it while sucking on a bottle of beer like your traditional kiwi bloke.

The funny thing though apart from my dilemma at university when I found out that my professor in Chemistry not only loved rugby but also played it (how can that be Dad?), was the utter chaos in Auckland yesterday when people couldn't get to the first game or home afterwards because the public transport system failed completely.

Politicians are up in arms and heads will roll they reckon because we have had 6yrs to plan for this. Two hundred thousand people all of a sudden want to use public transport and it all falls over and nobody can get anywhere. And I say its hardly surprising in a country totally addicted to the car as a means of personal travel and a succession of governments happy to spend billions on new roads but hating the fact that a few dollars might be better spent upgrading public transport. City elders thinking God forbid clipping on a cycleway to the Auckland harbour bridge so some nutters can cycle to work.

Well that English couple managed to get to the game on time from the other side of the world. While some All Blacks mother missed her sons game, because she didn't think along with thousands of other kiwis, that she could have made it easily if she'd just jumped on her Raleigh 20. When will people realise that a bicycle is not a toy or just a piece of sporting equipment. Its a vehicle for travel. And capable of taking you from A to B.

I've spent every day cycling to and fro this week but didn't clocked up many kms. Two hundred kms of commuting and the odd shopping trip with the BOB trailer. Had to pick up a new vacuum cleaner as our old one blew up in a cloud of electrical smoke early in the week. Whenever I buy something bigger than a bread box from the hardware or other store I always get the same response. "Are you going to carry that on your bike!!!!!"

I've been plagued a bit this week by born again cyclists on the cycleways. The spring fluoro jacketed cyclists are out again now its warmed up a bit. You can easily spot the born again brigade of cyclists. They're the ones that dawdle along the cycleways with their fluoro jackets , rear vision mirrors which they never use, pushing knobbly tires better suited to tackling Andean mountain trails rather than urban cycleways.

 Travelling in bunches of two to four they're usually easy to negotiate around once they realise there are other cyclists in existence wishing to  pass. Behind them and wishing only to get by they slowly come to grips with how to manoeuvre their bikes onto the correct side of the cycleway so that you can overtake.

Then you're past and on your way to the next fluoro blockage. However on three separate occasions last week I'd be past the jacketed geriatrics only to glance around a couple of minutes later to find one sucked into my slipstream head down with jacket flapping in the wind evidently hell bent on getting a better look at my campag rear derailleur,(his mates are long gone). What is it with urban wheel suckers? I know I haven't got a number on my back so why is it that they think this is a race? In fact I think it's really rude to sit on someones wheel when they don't have a number on their back! There is a certain amount of pleasure to be had in dropping the Mercian into a higher gear and riding them off your back wheel but I still find the thought of it very irksome.

These Viagra induced junkies are a menace since their bike handling skills rarely match their will to win what they must perceive as the' Cycleway Worlds'.