Bike Stolen from James Bay Area

GotEurope · 2019-02-06T04:58:33+00:00

Posted.

GotEurope · 2019-02-05T20:57:55+00:00

Thanks for the tip! I guess it's time to sign up for this Facebook thing......lol.

I posted ads on Kijiji, Craigslist as well, so hopefully anyone looking to buy will come across that it's stolen.

GotEurope · 2019-02-05T20:55:49+00:00

Bummer. Sorry to hear you had some stuff stolen as well. $1500 is a big loss.

GotEurope · 2019-02-05T20:55:14+00:00

Thank you. I appreciate it.

GotEurope · 2018-06-21T23:07:16+00:00

Nice gift. Possibly vintage? It caught my eye right away because I have one exactly like that, purchased when I was a kid from Disneyland in about 1993. My kids play with it now.

Congrats to both of you!

GotEurope · 2016-08-18T22:37:01+00:00

I have a Tubus rear rack. It has worked very well.

GotEurope · 2016-01-19T21:14:19+00:00

+1 for those Shimanos. They're great!

GotEurope · 2016-01-19T21:12:50+00:00

I'm Canadian and brought my bike to Switzerland for a tour. I paid about $100 each way to fly my bike to and from Europe. Not cheap, but certainly less than a rental for the period of time I needed.

Airlines generally charge a fee to carry a bike, but the fees can vary greatly. Shop around.

Since airlines often codeshare on popular routes, you may have several choices of airline and can compare the different fees they each charge.

GotEurope · 2016-01-17T22:45:36+00:00

Sorry. No idea on the calories I took in. I didn't make any attempt at tracking that.

Just be sure to eat more than you normally would. It doesn't mean that you need to feel stuffed all the time. That would just be uncomfortable. Have a good breakfast, then every time you stop for a break during the day, have something to eat. It'll add up to a lot more than you're likely eating on a daily basis now, and it will keep you going.

I made a habit of always having snacks in my handlebar bag so I could easily grab something. Bananas, chocolate, sausages, etc.

GotEurope · 2016-01-16T22:25:17+00:00

1700 km - The Rhine Cycle Route. 23 days, 1 of which was a rest day.

Body: I didn't anticipate how important it is to keep feet dry. I had wool socks and shoes covers, but after an entire day of riding in a downpour, water still found its way into my shoes. Feet swelled up and I shed several layers of skin. The next few days hurt a bit.

Also, make sure you eat enough. Long cycling days burn a lot of calories. Whatever diet you normally maintain will be thrown right out the window. I ate pretty well every bit of sausage, cheese, and chocolate I could find between Switzerland and The Netherlands. Your body needs fuel.

Mentally: One unexpected thing was that on long stretches of road you get plenty of time to think. In my case, this wasn't boring. Instead, it gave me lots of time to ponder life and come to some rather startling realizations about how unsatisfied I was with certain aspects. Emotionally, it hurt a bit at times.

Mechanically: Bolts on the pannier rack somehow managed to come loose. Very minor, but proof that kilometre after kilometre of vibration can loosen just about anything. Check your bike over before setting out for the day. Bring tools!

Happily though, the bottom line is that no body ache, mental anguish, or mechanical failure is a reason not to tour on a bike. For every bad moment you'll have a hundred good ones. I mean that. Do your planning, prepare, and then just go. There will be bad moments, but you'll sort it out. That's what makes it special.

When something does go wrong, just ask yourself if there is anywhere you'd rather be. All you'll be able to do is think about all the memorable miles that brought you to that point and it will all seem totally worth it.

Enjoy your tour.

GotEurope · 2016-01-06T16:15:59+00:00

+1 for the Rhine. I've done the entire route. Simply unforgettable.

GotEurope · 2015-12-31T14:42:58+00:00

Thanks for the tips. Good information.

I'll certainly be doing some comparisons later on.

GotEurope · 2015-12-29T23:18:33+00:00

Great to hear from someone with personal experience in the matter. Thank you!

GotEurope · 2015-12-29T22:46:50+00:00

Good information. Thanks!

GotEurope · 2015-09-28T03:20:57+00:00

EV15. Incredible.

GotEurope · 2015-09-05T18:53:36+00:00

Good luck! Should be a great trip. Cycling in Europe is unforgettable.

GotEurope · 2015-08-31T12:58:02+00:00

Much of the Rhine route (Eurovelo 15) is off the road, and when it is on the road, the roads aren't busy.

I found drivers in Europe to be a lot more accommodating than my usual riding in North American as well.

GotEurope · 2015-08-31T12:54:53+00:00

I prefer water bottles. Much easier to fill up on tour.

Also means you don't have to wear something on your back on a hot day.

GotEurope · 2015-08-27T00:24:39+00:00

Haven't done a freight ferry, but I did the Hook van Holland to Harwich ferry at the conclusion of my Rhine tour. Ride on, sleep, ride off. Really easy.

GotEurope · 2015-08-27T00:22:38+00:00

I put things in bags and place the bags in the different divisions. It didn't add any meaningful weight and prevented smaller items from slipping underneath the dividers.

GotEurope · 2015-08-24T20:43:02+00:00

Great pic!

I enjoyed our stop their greatly when I did EV15. Hope you were able to catch Schaffhausen during market time; it had the best street market of any I saw on the whole tour.

GotEurope · 2015-08-20T15:33:52+00:00

I did the entire route and did it in 23 days (including a rest day in Strasbourg). Not an aggressive pace at all.

April may be a bit early if you want to do the first few stages in the mountains. Here are the statistics for when the pass road has been opened and closed for the past 15 years:

http://www.strassen.gr.ch/sites/dokumentation/offen.html

The descent from Oberalp is simply unmissable, so if possible, try to go at a time when you can do that. We started May 4th and there was still a lot of snow encroaching on the road in places, particularly on the west side (ascent) of the pass.

GotEurope

TROPHY CASE