Withers On Wheels

Firstly, thanks to everyone who came to meet me today, so lovely to see friendly faces after all this time.

So that’s it. 11 months and 5 days, 29, 454K, 23 countries, 15 million pedal strokes, climbing the equivalent of 17 Mount Everist’s, temperatures ranging between minus 5 to plus 45, sleeping in a 5 star hotel to the floor of a baptist chapel. What a fantastic journey, full of life long memories. It has given me some of the biggest highs of my life and a few lows to remind me it was quite a task I took on. I would not change a day of it. What a wonderful and beautiful world we live in!

It hasn’t passed me by that I am lucky, very lucky. Few people can pack up, go off for months on end on some round the world odyssey. The support I have had from loved ones and friends has been a continual source of inspiration and has kept me moving forward. Also to work colleagues who covered for me and made the business stronger while I was away. To all of you thank you, without you it would not have been possible.

Also special note to Pat, I am still unsure of if it’s a he or a she, whatever it is it’s just a fantastic and reliable piece of kit. The weight Pat had to carry over that distance and some very harsh conditions without a complaint was amazing, just 4 chains, one set of brake pads, 4 tires and 8 punctures. Thanks Pat, we made a great team!

When I started I had absolutely no concept what it would take to complete such a journey. You can still be completely naive at the ripe old age of 57. I also knew once started I would finish and complete the 29,000K, what was the option?, give up and come home with my tail between my legs, it never entered my mind. The trip has reaffirmed that the body is an amazing thing, you can teach it to do something and if you look after it the right way, it will step up and perform day after day, maybe after a few early morning complaints!

I am not a religious person, but I do believe I had someone or something looking over me. Hundreds of thousands of cars overtook me, everyone of those people had to make a judgement to pull out and pass me, I find that a miracle in itself. Whoever, whatever looked after me, thank you!

For me the trip was about meeting people first and the sights second. When you live in a big city you sadly become pretty cynical about people. 99.99pc of people I met on this journey were friendly, supportive and just good human beings. We are all sometimes too busy in our own bubble to even see those around us and especially those that need help. I can’t tell you how much it means to get a simple hello or a wave when you down and on your own. For those I met and the kindness I was shown, thank you so much.

Naturally cycling in the Rockies is better than through the city of Mumbai, for obvious reasons. I have seen beauty that makes your eyes hurt and I have seen poverty that makes your eyes water. The world is full of extremes, I remember watching kids climbing into a helicopter on their parents multi million dollar ranch in Colorado and it made me think about children as young as five making bricks in India in the baking sun to survive. How can there be such extremes in today’s world?

People asked me why I started the journey. I never had an answer, gave them something like, it’s better than working. I still don’t know, it was a challenge which I knew physically I could do, but I wasn’t sure I had the mental capabilities. I guess I know now.

There is no better way to see the world than from the saddle of a bike. You see, feel and even smell your environment better than any other form of transport. It is true to say that some of the smells I could have done without! Someone wrote, if world leaders could experience the sunrise from the seat of a bicycle there would be no more wars. Couldn’t agree more.

I was up and out early today. It was dark and when the light came, so did the fog. Not great cycling conditions, but I pressed on with all lights and dayglow kit on. You can see by the photos I was above the fog for a lot of this morning. The route was completely different to today, climbing steep hills taking me through small Basque villages. Very enjoyable and strangely quite relaxing. All you could hear were bells on the sheep and goats. The locals were out in force running up and down the mountains, all shapes, sizes and ages. The one thing struck me, the older the man, the shorter the nylon shorts and always bare chested. Good luck to them it’s a fantastic place to exercise.

I started the day with an option to finish at 120K, or push on to Bilbao. Once I got to the 120 town, I felt fine and decided to push on and give myself a nice buffer before the ferry tomorrow. Coming through Bilbao was as tense as any large city and when you have been cycling for 10 hours, your decision making isn’t always the best. I turned into one road a merrily cycled 200M up the wrong side of the road, luckily the car coming towards me was going slowly!

I didn’t book a hotel, so I rolled into town and pulled up at one on the road to the ferry. Perfect. I walked in, sweating up a storm, dehydrated and starving hungry. I was told no lift, she put me on the 3rd floor in a empty hotel. I managed to carry 4 bags and 2 bottles of water up 3 flights, like a contestant from the Krypton Factor. Got to the room, it was like an oven. Small sign, call reception for AC, strange. Called, no answer! I walked downstairs to reception to be told no AC after 5PM. What!! I know there has to be rules in life, but who made this one up?? I was told to open the window. The owner obviously liked to control of the whole hotels AC from the comfort of her air conditioned office! In the end she turned it on after I was literally dripping sweat on front desk. I went out for a quick bite and she had turned it off. I am now naked on the bed, with the windows open with a wet towel for comfort. (curtains closed if you were wondering)

I am sure Spain is a good place to tour on a cycle, just not the route I am taking. Today I followed the main motorway for basically most of the route, so motorway on my left, scrubland on my right. Still it was pretty easy cycling and the temps were down to around 30, perfect conditions. I even broke my no music or podcasts before 75K, a rule that I have kept throughout the journey. I was in need of a bit of motivation.

I arrived at Burgos and had a look round, a nice small city with the usual large square and huge intricate cathedral in its centre. I will walk back later today and have a bite to eat. It will be strange actually eating with other people, after so many months on my own. I will need to try to slow down, eating has become a function rather than a pleasure.