Eurovelo | FindPenguins

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Trip start
April 19, 2016
Eurovelo Rocky Road
Starting off!
April 19, 2016 in England ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
The moment is here! I'm finally getting on my bike, and riding into the sunset! Well, Sunrise. Lets see where the road (and my Frankenbike, pictured) takes me! :D
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Eurovelo Rocky Road
Two days down!
April 20, 2016 in England ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C
Made my way from London to Harwich, despite my satnav's best attempts to thwart me. It had me cycling through a large indoor shopping mall, and over stiles through a golf course! The first night camping was fun, I eyed up a couple of likely looking woods on Google Maps earlier, and swooped in just before sunset. While no one was about, I ducked down a footpath a few hundred metres into the woods, and sat until dark began to fall, then set up my tent. Despite my nerves, no one noticed, or if they did they cetainly didn't care!

Met Robyn at Harwich, and we were soon on our way to Holland!

(Pictured is the standard lunch, peanut butter and banana wraps. I've decided to have the banana separately, the taste is just too odd)Read more
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Eurovelo Rocky Road
Polecamping in Holland!
April 21, 2016 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
Its more comfortable than it sounds!

Straight off the Ferry, we headed into Robyn's first (and longest!) day of cycling. The first 20Km from Hoek were pretty industrial, but you can''t fault the quality of the cycle paths! and we were able to find some nice spots along the way. The campsite, when we found it, was lovely! vey picturesque, no car noise at all, just the myriad birds of the wetlands! Also, in the morning, the myriad birds of the wetlands... :/

(pictured is Robyn in her natural habitat - sleeping, not gesturing at me on the ferry!)Read more
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Eurovelo Rocky Road
Breda, Antwerp, and more Polecamping!
April 23, 2016 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C
So these Polecamping sites are working well. They're essentially free state campsites with little to no infrastructure - usually a firepit and a water pump, occasionally a toilet. We've stayed in three now, and all have been lovely forest sites. Worth a go if your cheap like us! A chap last night told me that Belgium has a similar setup, called Bivakzone and some of those even have toilets and potable water! Flash. Might try a couple of those out this week.

The last two days took us through Breda and Antwerp, and despite the weather turning we've had a great couple of days. We have the wind behind us now, and we're generally up a gear, so flying along! The bike paths in Belgium aren't quite up to Dutch standards, but they're stll very good. Short day tomorow, and onwards to Ghent!Read more
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Eurovelo Rocky Road
Ghent-ish Town..
April 24, 2016 in Belgium ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C
Short day of cycling today, to Ghent where i'm staying in a hostel tonight. Blowing the budget! but it's a chance to catch up on internet, do some washing, buy a few things and most importantly, shower!

I also sayy goodby to Robyn today, but I'll see her again in three weeks (wherever that is!) for her Birthday, so it's all good. Had a ride around Ghent, seems like a nice old town - bit less touristy than Brugge, but plenty of Old Shit (tm) if you want to see it!Read more
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Eurovelo Rocky Road
Gent to Antwerp
April 27, 2016 in Belgium ⋅ 🌧 6 °C
So I took a day to rest up in Gent - did my washing, recharged everything, looked at old stuff. It seems like a really nice town, a bit more functional than Brugges, but it seems like theta a lot going on.

The weather didn't improve, so the next day was a short cycle in the wind, rain and hail back to our last campsite. I hid inside the tent trying to stay warm and dry, not even getting out to cook.

The next day, my plan was to get through Antwerp and head to a campsite just south of Breda, however the cobblestones of Antwerp were too much for my overloaded rack, and a bolt snapped, leaving a broken stub inside the eyelet. This needed to be drilled out, so I found a hostel and consoled my with a nice (cheap!) Dinner out in Antwerp. Such is life!Read more
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Eurovelo Rocky Road
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Catch up!
April 29, 2016 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌧 8 °C
After getting my rack fixed, I aimed for a campsite a little further away, just east of Breda. Once I was moving though, tail winds and long, straight sections of canal path got me in to Breda by lunch time so I push a bit further, making it back to the hut we had stayed at our first night in Holland. It meant I could sleep in the hut and avoid the rain, and keep my tent dry! Bonus.

From there I pushed further north, aiming for the forests at Austerlitz but once again I made good time (thank you south westerly!) And after a lunch stop in a cute little town called Vianen I continued on to Campanula in Flavoland, which has these little lean to huts. 192km covered in two days, that's recovered a bit of ground! Tomorrow it's time to turn East, toward Germany!Read more
That's the smallest ferry yet!
5/4/16Reply
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Eurovelo Rocky Road
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Bloody bike!
May 3, 2016 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Or at least, bloody idiot who put it together. Towards the end of the day yesterday my breaks had gotten quite soft, and is forgotten to get spare brake pads. No biggie, I swing into a couple of bike shops en route and get it fixed - one of them was completely through the pad, so it was lucky I didn't have to replace the rotor. All good, onwards toward Germany!

I'd just ridden through a very pleasant section of forest near Apeldoorf, when I had to swerve off the tarmac to avoid a reversing truck - with a bang and a grind, I rolled to a halt - the other bolt for my rack had sheared!

I knew this was more serious as it is on the cassette side - there is no room for a nut on the inside, so it's a lot more complex. Again, it was a trip to a bike shop, who effected a rather shoddy repair job and another enforced night in a hostel!

I decided to detour somewhat, and head south east to a bike shop in Bocholt, Germany where I knew they had front racks and panniers. My plan is to reduce the load in the rear in the hope that it'll hold for the rest of the trip, and possibly look for a skewer based rear rack later in the trip. So new front rack bought, gear shifted, and I'm back on my way towards Hamburg. Last night in Holland tonight!Read more
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Eurovelo Rocky Road
Deutschland!
May 3, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
After adding a set of front panniers to lighten the load I'm heading one again towards Hamburg. I camped for the last time in Holland near the border, then pushed across to Osnabrück, where I stayed with my first Warmshowers host, a wonderful experience! Tomorrow is onwards to Bremen!Read more
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Eurovelo Rocky Road
The last straw
May 10, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
So, pretty much at the 1000km mark, my rear rack finally failed for good! So jumped on a train and gone to meet friends in Hamburg while I sort it out. Hamburg is a really nice town! Very green, easy to get around, great food. Sadly I couldn't come up with a solution for my bike, so I've decided to jump on a flight back to London to look at new bikes. Boo, but yay to seeing Robyn a week earlier than expected!Read more
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Eurovelo Rocky Road
London!
May 18, 2016 in England ⋅ 🌧 12 °C
So back in merry old England! A great chance to catch up with friends while I sort out a new bike. I've settled on a Surly Troll, a solid heavy bike that should see me through any touring I throw at it! Took the opportunity to do a test ride and saw a few interesting things on the way. But packed again and off to Riga to celebrate Robyns birthday. Then back on tour!Read more
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Eurovelo Rocky Road
Riga!
May 21, 2016 in Latvia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Turns out to be an awesome city! The old town is cute, the beaches lovely, the KGB museum creepy, and food good. Wish I was drinking, some nice looking beers! We cycled to the beach and kayaked the river, both well worth doing. Great place to celebrate Robyns birthday!Read more
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Eurovelo Rocky Road
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Ventspils
May 24, 2016 in Latvia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
After seeing Robyn off, I headed West, to do a loop of the peninsula. My first night camping was awesome, so quiet and isolated next to this amazing lake. Second night was less awesome, in a forest full of mosquitos but I hid in the tent and survived! Hit Ventspils, and am camping up the coast tonight!Read more
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Eurovelo Rocky Road
Beach!
May 25, 2016 in Latvia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
I camped for two nights on the beach, and it was awesome, if a little lonely! The area has a ton of old abandoned Soviet bunkers. It really brings up the Iron Curtain theme. The only footprints when I arrived where from deer. Awesome!Read more
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Eurovelo Rocky Road
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Riga, and on to Estonia!
May 31, 2016 in Estonia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
So back to Riga for a couple of days after touring the Kolka peninsula, then spent the last three days up the coast and entering Estonia! Estonia seems really nice so far, wifi everywhere and good roads. Nice free campsites as well, though the one in in cost 5 euro but I desperately needed a shower, and as a bonus there's wifi in my tent! Woot. Tomorrow on to Saaremaa!Read more
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Eurovelo Rocky Road
Saremaa
June 3, 2016 in Estonia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
So, made it to Saremaa, and spent several days camped up here. The island is beautiful and I wish I'd spent more time exploring, as I've ended up with a spare day or two! Never mind. Swam in the sea, a lovely warm clear sandy cove by the campground. Awesome.Read more
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Eurovelo Rocky Road
Back to the mainland!
June 8, 2016 in Estonia ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
I've been remiss in taking photos again! From Saremaa I tool the ferry across to Hiiumaa, which was a lovely island in its own right, camped there one night then took the ferry to the mainland to the town of Haapsula. Seaside resort town apparently, quaint and pretty quiet. From there along the coast towards Paldiski, camping for a couple nights in yet another excellent RMK campsite by the sea. Highly recommend using them. Waiting for the ferry now, on to Sweden tonight and Robyn joins me Friday! Hooray!Read more
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Trip end
June 8, 2016