RRR (REAL ride report)

[[email protected]]

http://www.roundtheworldbybike.com/reports_latest.asp

"Massive walls of rock surrounded me as I yelled at my terminally sick
bike: 15 punctures in four days, four broken chains, two buckled
wheels, a split tyre, a fragile bottom bracket, no back brake, 6 broken
spokes in a cracked rim and split hub and only about 10 gears still
working out of 27. My gloves have duck tape for palms, and my rain
trousers have a duck tape crotch. My panniers are held with string and
my shoes stink. My bike is a total contrast to the Sunday afternoon
riders of Italy who purr along on carbon fibre dream machines looking
every bit the professional in fancy racing outfits. There is a saying
in Italy that it is easier to buy a light bike than to lose weight.
Clearly me and my bike were a lower class of being as the thoroughbreds
rarely stooped to the level of replying to my greetings. Snobbishness
like that is a demand to be overtaken..."

 

[Shawn]

[email protected] wrote:
> http://www.roundtheworldbybike.com/reports_latest.asp
>
> "Massive walls of rock surrounded me as I yelled at my terminally sick
> bike: 15 punctures in four days, four broken chains, two buckled
> wheels, a split tyre, a fragile bottom bracket, no back brake, 6 broken
> spokes in a cracked rim and split hub and only about 10 gears still
> working out of 27. My gloves have duck tape for palms, and my rain
> trousers have a duck tape crotch. My panniers are held with string and
> my shoes stink. My bike is a total contrast to the Sunday afternoon
> riders of Italy who purr along on carbon fibre dream machines looking
> every bit the professional in fancy racing outfits. There is a saying
> in Italy that it is easier to buy a light bike than to lose weight.
> Clearly me and my bike were a lower class of being as the thoroughbreds
> rarely stooped to the level of replying to my greetings. Snobbishness
> like that is a demand to be overtaken..."
>

I was gonna slam this guy for his own brand of snobbery, but then I read
this on his site:

AN ETHICS TEST: With all your honor and dignity, what would you do?
This test only has one question, but it's a very important one.
Please don't answer it without giving it some serious thought.
By giving an honest answer you will be able to test where you stand morally.
The test features an unlikely, completely fictional situation, where you
will have to make a decision one way or the other. Remember that your
answer needs to be honest, yet spontaneous…

“You are in Florida. There is chaos all around you, caused by a
hurricane and severe floods. There are huge masses of water everywhere.
You are a CNN photographer and you are in the middle of this great
disaster. The situation is nearly hopeless. You're trying to shoot very
impressive photos. There are houses and people floating around you,
disappearing into the water. Nature is showing all its destroying power
and is ripping everything away with it.

Suddenly you see a man in the water fighting for his life, trying not to
be taken away by the masses of water and mud. You move closer. Somehow
the man looks familiar. Then you realize who it is… George W. Bush! At
the same time you notice that the raging waters are about to drag him
under. So you have two options:
You can save the life of George W. Bush, or you can shoot a Pulitzer
prize-winning photo of the death of the world's most powerful men.”

And here's the question: (Please give an honest answer)
Would you select color film, or go with the simplicity of classic black
and white?

ROTFLMAO

Shawn

 

[Coyoteboy]

pmsl, excellent.

 

[JD]

[email protected] wrote:
> http://www.roundtheworldbybike.com/reports_latest.asp
>
> "Massive walls of rock surrounded me as I yelled at my terminally sick
> bike: 15 punctures in four days, four broken chains, two buckled
> wheels, a split tyre, a fragile bottom bracket, no back brake, 6 broken
> spokes in a cracked rim and split hub and only about 10 gears still
> working out of 27. My gloves have duck tape for palms, and my rain
> trousers have a duck tape crotch. My panniers are held with string and
> my shoes stink. My bike is a total contrast to the Sunday afternoon
> riders of Italy who purr along on carbon fibre dream machines looking
> every bit the professional in fancy racing outfits. There is a saying
> in Italy that it is easier to buy a light bike than to lose weight.
> Clearly me and my bike were a lower class of being as the thoroughbreds
> rarely stooped to the level of replying to my greetings. Snobbishness
> like that is a demand to be overtaken..."


But it's not you, mate. Then again, you would have to have some part
about sneaking around a military checkpoint or something like that
thrown in for good measure.

JD

 

[dardruba]

[email protected] wrote:
> http://www.roundtheworldbybike.com/reports_latest.asp

Hi Pete
Interesting that the report came from you.
Where are you off to next?
Mike

 

[[email protected]]

Nah, Alistair is The Man:

http://www.bikemagic.com/gallery/image.asp?sp=&v=7&uabn=173&Position==1&uin==981

Anybody who rides a Surly with a shopping basket on the front can do no
wrong in my eyes.

 

[[email protected]]

http://www.bikemagic.com/gallery/image.asp?position=<9&uin=<835&minnie=1&maxxie=11&uabn=173&sp=224131502557272916706&v=7&ord=desc

After clicking on the previously mentioned picture link I was flipping
through them and saw this one. Slightly overloaded bike? That was a
good one, thanks!

 

[[email protected]]

Hmm, it doesn't look like the link is working and I can't fix it. It
is image 8 of 11 in the series.

 

[TJ]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> http://www.roundtheworldbybike.com/reports_latest.asp
>
> "Massive walls of rock surrounded me as I yelled at my terminally sick
> bike: 15 punctures in four days, four broken chains, two buckled
> wheels, a split tyre, a fragile bottom bracket, no back brake, 6 broken
> spokes in a cracked rim and split hub and only about 10 gears still
> working out of 27. My gloves have duck tape for palms, and my rain
> trousers have a duck tape crotch. My panniers are held with string and
> my shoes stink. My bike is a total contrast to the Sunday afternoon
> riders of Italy who purr along on carbon fibre dream machines looking
> every bit the professional in fancy racing outfits. There is a saying
> in Italy that it is easier to buy a light bike than to lose weight.
> Clearly me and my bike were a lower class of being as the thoroughbreds
> rarely stooped to the level of replying to my greetings. Snobbishness
> like that is a demand to be overtaken..."
>

I can only imagine what emotions you must be experiencing. You have done
more, and seen more than what 99.9 percent of people in this world will ever
do. Great job on your writing. If you are a wordsmith you will have no
shortage of material. All I can say is WOW!.

TJ

 

[[email protected]]

You need to see a Witch Doctor to get that curse off.

 

[[email protected]]

Tell the guy who wrote it, not me.

 

[JD]

[email protected] wrote:
> Nah, Alistair is The Man:
>
> http://www.bikemagic.com/gallery/image.asp?sp=&v=7&uabn=173&Position==1&uin==981
>
> Anybody who rides a Surly with a shopping basket on the front can do no
> wrong in my eyes.


Would a 1978 Schwinn Speedster be a qualifier too?

JD

 

[[email protected]]

Alistair stayed at my place in China for a few days on his way through,
so not so strange. He's a good writer, worth looking through the words
on that site.

After an extended spell on the bike this year (2.5 months in the Indian
Himalaya, followed by two months camping rough in Scotland
http://petejones.fotopic.net/c757209.html), I've decided the life of an
itinerant cycling hobo is pretty much up my street. Over the next few
months I'll be selling off everything I can't fit into panniers and
hitting the tracks on a semi-permanent basis.

Fancy a bid on the current lot?
http://search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQsassZtrackstermanQQhtZ-1

Looks like Rich was closer than he realised...
http://touart.com/amb/ambar/ambar37.htm

 

[G.T.]

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Alistair stayed at my place in China for a few days on his way through,
> so not so strange. He's a good writer, worth looking through the words
> on that site.
>
> After an extended spell on the bike this year (2.5 months in the Indian
> Himalaya, followed by two months camping rough in Scotland
> http://petejones.fotopic.net/c757209.html), I've decided the life of an
> itinerant cycling hobo is pretty much up my street. Over the next few
> months I'll be selling off everything I can't fit into panniers and
> hitting the tracks on a semi-permanent basis.
>

All I can say is wow.

The Himalayan and Chinese stuff looks amazing.

Greg

 

[JD]

G.T. wrote:
> The Himalayan and Chinese stuff looks amazing.


I didn't see any Hawaiians in the pics either.

JD

 

[[email protected]]

> > http://www.roundtheworldbybike.com/reports_latest.asp
> >
> I was gonna slam this guy for his own brand of snobbery, but then I read
> this on his site:
>
> AN ETHICS TEST: With all your honor and dignity, what would you do?
> This test only has one question, but it's a very important one.
> Please don't answer it without giving it some serious thought.
> By giving an honest answer you will be able to test where you stand morally.
> The test features an unlikely, completely fictional situation, where you
> will have to make a decision one way or the other. Remember that your
> answer needs to be honest, yet spontaneous...
>
> "You are in Florida. There is chaos all around you, caused by a
> hurricane and severe floods. There are huge masses of water everywhere.
> You are a CNN photographer and you are in the middle of this great
> disaster. The situation is nearly hopeless. You're trying to shoot very
> impressive photos. There are houses and people floating around you,
> disappearing into the water. Nature is showing all its destroying power
> and is ripping everything away with it.
>
> Suddenly you see a man in the water fighting for his life, trying not to
> be taken away by the masses of water and mud. You move closer. Somehow
> the man looks familiar. Then you realize who it is... George W. Bush! At
> the same time you notice that the raging waters are about to drag him
> under. So you have two options:
> You can save the life of George W. Bush, or you can shoot a Pulitzer
> prize-winning photo of the death of the world's most powerful men."
>
> And here's the question: (Please give an honest answer)
> Would you select color film, or go with the simplicity of classic black
> and white?
>
> ROTFLMAO


>From Alistair today -
-----------------------------------------------
In 2001 I shaved my head and set off to pedal round the world.
18 months later somebody paid me £50 to hack off the dreadlocks.
Then in Peru a one-eyed barber sheared me to look nice and smart in an
optimistic effort to get through Colombia safely.
In September 2004 I endured a Siberian skinhead look. And now, 15
months later and back in civilisation, the ugly prospect of a haircut
has
re-appeared...
Sooo, the big question is: do I shave off my mop and re-integrate into
the civilised world... or... do I keep the big mullet Wildman look??

I have decided to let you all decide! So I have set up two websites and
by a simple vote you can choose whether or not my head gets shaved at
my party in London on the 22nd. Votes are made by donations to 'Hope
and Homes for Children' and whichever one receives the most will win.
Simple.

So if you want me to cut my hair visit:
www.justgiving.com/baldchristmas
and if you want me to keep the hair visit:
www.justgiving.com/warmearschristmas

Thank you for your fashion advice!
Merry Christmas
-----------------------------------------------

Get voting - but specify, it's gotta be a mullet!!!