T-10 days

I am sitting on the sofa, not long before we are due to leave, surrounded by boxes containing various essentials that I have, to the frustration of Ben, left to the very last minute to order. If I’m honest I feel physically and emotionally underprepared for what can only be described as a mildly overambitious bike ride, and so naturally I thought to myself – time to write a prologue.

Despite what the photo on the left might indicate, I was a late starter when it came to cycling and to this day I am slightly surprised that my bike setup doesn’t include stabilisers. I learnt to ride a bike aged 8, enjoying a full week of glory before my brother, then half my age, learnt to ride his too, well and truly stealing my thunder (thanks Sam!). 28 years later, that 8 year old me, although still by no means a natural cyclist, feels incredibly proud of what Ben and I are setting out to do.

I only really became a regular cyclist out of necessity: I lived in London and hated the tube. I was petrified at first but I soon learnt to love the freedom a bike gives you. My rides got longer; I discovered the addictive feeling of escaping the city on two wheels, watching one place fade slowly into another or my favourite routes evolve over time and through the seasons.

I remember first realising cycling around the world was a possibility when I zoomed out far enough on google maps that everything started to look quite close together – a memory that will no doubt come back to haunt me when we have been trudging through the Gobi desert for several days, no end in sight. I recently rediscovered a list of new years resolutions I made in 2016, filled with the optimism of my mid twenties. I will spare you (and my own embarrassment) the details of full list, but point 7 read:

Cycle somewhere faraway (possibly Serbia) – adopt cycle buddy and regularly maintain bike.

It has taken a little longer than planned to adopt a cycle buddy not only a suitably “inclined” for such an adventure, but one also determined enough to actually make it happen (multiple spreadsheets have made this trip possible which no one but Ben can take credit for). It has definitely been worth the wait. Serbia is possibly not on the route, and I think my adopted cycle buddy would agree there is room for improvement when it comes to my “regular bike maintenance regime”, but 10 years later that dream is finally about to become reality: we are cycling somewhere far, far away.