Wandering Sebastabator: September 2014

I've been sitting here, reflecting on my latest trip and wondering what 2015 will hold in store for me.
In a way, I have already begun to prepare for it.
It will begin the moment my visa expires, I shall have 3 months to do all and see all that I want.

Melinda is currently having her first 10,000 km service (6,000 km overdue, oops!)
She was fitted with new tyres last week.
The originals were Metzlers and we only got 10,036 miles (16,000 km). I'm used to getting a consistent 25,000 km from Michelin Pilot Road 3s. I've fitted her with Michelin Pilot Road 4 Trail and am expecting much better performance. We shall see!

Sure, she'll sit around for around 9 months or so, but better to prepare her now than try and source everything last minute. I shall fit new rear brake pads, as soon as the parts arrive and I get the time to pop over. That shouldn't take very long at all.

It's all the other stuff that will be easy. For a 3 month trip, I'll need basically the same as I took for a 2 week trip. I think that I'll also throw in my cooking and eating utensils, should make the whole thing easier and cheaper.

Of course the GPS etc. will be the same, but I don't think their coverage of Iceland or Northern Norway and Sweden will be very good. Think I'll take some road maps just incase.
I plan to travel the whole of the 3 months and that will take me till the end of Summer.

I hope to be in Iceland in the beginning of July, for about one week, then the Faroe Islands for two nights. After that up to Nordkapp, Norway. and then South to Gibraltar.
I'll spend most of July and August in and around mainland Europe.
Visiting friends and riding Awesome distances in minuscule amounts of time.
I shall apply what I learned from this trip.

Looking at what I achieved this trip, 3 months should be a doddle. It's what I'll do after that. I guess I could always ride from Brisvegas to Perth!

What an Amazing 2 weeks I've had.

On around the 17th of August my boss informed me that I could take some time off, Starting the 18th.

Without wasting any time, I packed my stuff and was ready to go in a few hours.

Like a kid the night before christmas.

Monday came and I managed to escape Alcatraz (A.K.A. Brecqhou) on the mid-day boat.

I had various parts, accessories and things to mount on/attach to Melinda.

By evening she was ready.

But due to the Ferry times I couldn't leave until after lunch, arriving on the continent around 1630.

I managed to get 400 kms under my belt that day. The ride proper didn't start till the Wednesday, that morning I rode about 360 kms to my start point - Bach.

In retrospect, this was one of the contributing factors in my failure to achieve the FHB-48.

Despite this, my ride across France, into Germany and onto Austria was uneventful. Eventually arriving in Fucking, Austria.

From Fucking, I then rode back into Germany and basically in a Northerly direction.

I reached my friends, Michi and Heike, in Northern Germany (Schwaförden) by 1600 Thursday.

We worked out that I could afford 2 hours break and I went straight to bed and slept like a log.

After eating with them I Continued north into Denmark, over the Öresundbron and into Sweden.

About 1-2 hours after leaving Michi & Heike, I encountered extremely heavy rain. Counting on it staying dry I didn't wear my wet-weather gear. This was my second Mistake.

I became absolutely soaked. Causing shivering, inability to concentrate, stiff sore limbs. I was a mess.

Eventually, at 0400, I decided that it would be safer to stop and continue after a sleep.

I would not achieve the FHB-48 but I would eventually ride onto Hell.

Being Scandinavia, I was unsure if I was in Sweden or Norway, I was basically able to camp wherever I wanted and did just that. I found a little green patch, off the road, hidden away. I pulled out my tiny tent, sleeping bag and slept for about 5 hours or so.

I got up mid-morning, packed away my gear and continued on my quest.

By mid-afternoon I reached my goal, Hell.

Once in Hell, I rode out to Trondheim and a campsite on it's outskirts.

Trondheim, Norway’s original capital, is Norway’s third-largest city after Oslo and Bergen.

I had done it, Ridden to Fucking Hell and Bach.

No major incidents, no near missed (well, only one), no drama, and NO FHB-48.

I didn't achieve my goal because:

I didn't start fresh, but rode nearly 400 kms on the day of the ride
I allowed myself to get wet and quickly fatigued
I didn't recognise the distance, I thought it was several hundred kilometres shorter
from Oslo - Trondheim I took the wrong route

Poor Prior Planning Precedes Piss-Poor Performance.

But I did learn a massive amount:

Melinda is awesome an built for exactly this type of ride
Norwegians love old american cars
they also have an affinity for the Tesla Model S
cold and wet drains energy quicker than I gave credit for
this type of challenge must commence in Scandinavia rather than finish there, one is unable to make up time on these roads and the environment is less forgiving than in the south.
The speed limits are generally much lower in the Northern countries.

That evening, after arriving at the Camping ground I got talking with a Norwegian who also rode bikes and he proceeded to point out that my bike had one major problem. This got my interest so asked him to explain. and he elaborated that the problem with my Melinda was that she was just TOO PERFECT. We both had a bit of a laugh but he really is correct. the bike is completely forgiving and will make up for the shortcomings of the rider. It will not only make a good rider look awesome but make a bad one look good. He had a point!

After a couple of days rest, making friends and recuperating and exploring Trondheim, I decided it was time to make a move and I pointed Melinda in the direction of Bergen. We rode on and on, what an awesome, relaxing ride. Around Fjords, across fjords on Ferries, through ice capped peaks at more than 1400m, temperatures dropping to 5.5. We made it as far as Voss. It seems Voss is a centre for extreme sports, trendy cafes and cool people. My type of place.

The next day on to Bergen and then on to Oslo. After Oslo onto Malmö, the home of one of my favourite buildings and the beginning of the Brön.

Malmö campsite was just what I needed, but signified the beginning of the end of this adventure.

The next couple of days I visited Michi & Heike again, met up with plenty of old friends and made some new ones. Then onto visit Nathan, Monika and Emma. And finally across France and back to Guernsey.

In just under 2 weeks, I rode more than 8,600 kms (over 5,137 miles), achieving around 50mpg and an average speed of 55.9 mph (around 90 km/h). Not bad.

Today Melinda is getting new tyres, 10,034 miles (16,000 kms) is disappointing. I'm used to getting over 25,000 kms on Nicole.

She's also going to BMW for a service, only 2,500 miles overdue.

So, all that's left is my plans for 2015...what an adventure that will be.

I'm excited already!