Chile Con Cycle; Bike Touring The Middle Bits

My promise to myself in 2020 was to bring the blog up to date with past adventures before revealing the exciting new ones planned for this year. A little while ago now (OK, 9 months but who’s counting) I started writing about the first part of our 2018 Chilean adventure by bike. Part one was the spectacular experience mountain biking in the Atacama Desert and a prelude to the main part of our trip, the plan to go cycle touring in the Patagonian South of the country.

Like all good plans however this one had a couple of small flaws.

Small is beautiful; embracing the mini cycle tour.

Oh Mr Claud Butler how I have missed you. Whilst your body may be rather battered and showing the ravages of age and many miles, who am I to judge!

Mountain Bike Touring: The Trans-Cambrian Trail

It started with just a small innocuous advert on the message board of my mountain bike club…..”planning a trip, anyone interested in bike touring get in touch”.

Why not I thought, what harm could there be in just replying……

Midges and Maniacs: A Day in Court (Part 4)

“See that crossing there?” the chirpy breakfast waiter pointed to the busy road outside the hotel’s picture window. “Well two people were run over there last week by a bus…..”

Welcome to Swansea!

Midges and Maniacs: Part 2

Beyond exhausted, the shock finally set in. Shaking and tearful, I refused to get out of the car – so that’s where we stayed, listening to the rain and waiting for dawn.

Continued from the previous post….

Midges and Maniacs (Part 1)

Heading off to Wales for a week of mountain biking, it began to get a bit disconcerting after the 11^th text message which said

“Have fun, don’t hurt yourself too much”.

I don’t know if these concerned messages were indicative of my (lack of) skill or just the perception my nearest and dearest have of the sport.

However as it turned out, the very real danger was to come from somewhere wholly unexpected.

Notes from a Small Island (Cycle Touring in Guernsey)

I’m watching from the quayside at Guernsey as the Ferry pulls away, homeward bound for Poole, horn blaring, passengers waving from the decks .

The only problem is I should have been on it!