Dave and his Bike

Well, July has been a bit of a mixed bag. Preparation started well, as did my training on the bike. I got some decent miles in, solo, with Jane and with good friend Gordon who always manages to lift my level – mainly by hammering me! The Tour de France also came within a couple of miles of home, so a great afternoon was spent watching that after a recce the day before when Gordon and I rode the last half of the stage. Since then the mileage has dwindled. Partly through commitments with visitors but mainly due to me not feeling great for about ten days. I tested negative for covid, but still felt shattered. It may be linked to some of the other preparation I have been doing, namely my travel vaccination programme…

Consultation of the Travel Health Pro website (https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/) followed by an in-person consultation with the great staff at the Departmental Centre De Vaccination in Perigueux resulted in a comprehensive list of my requirements. Therefore I have had vaccinations against Rabies (x3); Japanese encephalitis (x2); Yellow Fever; Typhoid; Cholera (x2) and a tetanus / polio booster. The yellow fever jab may be the cause of me not feeling great. Not surprised that one of them has had a side-effect!

I have also been busy with visa applications. To visit most countries on my route, I either do not require a visa or it is free and granted on arrival. India and Australia are the main exceptions, but both can be applied for on-line. India was a simple process, once I had a photo which was the right size (both physically and file-wise), and an address in India to put down as a reference (booked three nights Mumbai!). It cost a very reasonable $40 USD and was granted within 48hrs. Australia was even easier. A short questionnaire and an upload of my passport, and almost immediately I was granted a visa. Jane also has hers as she will be joining me for the Aussie leg. 

My kit list is now coming together. The decision has been made not to camp, so there’s not too much to carry with me other than the essentials clothing-wise and a few spares. I have invested in a water filter which fits my bottle cage (my old one didn’t), new cassette and chain, spare brake pads etc., and Jane bought me some new shoes for my birthday 😁.

August will be more mileage, more planning and more booking. Flights to Australia, South America and back to Europe need to be booked, and the odd little bit in-between. I have registered with www.warmshowers.org so will be researching the possibility of some overnight stops en-route. An August update will follow, as well as a kit list and bike spec, for those bike nerds and geeks amongst us.

It is now starting to feel very real. I need to ride my bike a bit more, maybe once the current heatwave has subsided a bit – it’s 38º outside at the moment.