Welcome home John! Great to know you are safe at home.
Annie and Denise stayed on Saturday night on their way from Lowestoft to Lands End. Looking good and going well.
Looking forward to seeing you soon to give you a well deserved hug.
Love
Mike and Jean
Best of luck finding your way home buddy, as you know, there’s no place like it. I think Mike might be on to something with the Fort Lauderdale but sadly flying might just be the way to go in time for some summer surfing. See you soon buddy!
John, I suggest you cycle to Fort Lauderdale 40km North East of Miami, and see if you can get on a boat leaving in the next two weeks, there must be some boats late in the season going to the Med to avoide the Caribbean hurricane season, get to Fort Lauderdale, and you can get some tips from this website. http://wikitravel.org/en/Hitchhiking_boats
They say that it might take a week to get on a boat, if any going. Its possible, but a challenge. Good luck, see you on the beach in Cornwall soon. M
Friend of Noah’s here, meddling. You could try booking on the Queen Mary 2 for May 31 on this Canadian site — http://cruises.redtag.ca
Interior, Oceanview, and Balcony cabins all going for the same last minute price, 1099CAD (or, at the moment, 688 Euros, or 939 USD). Departure is from New York, so you’d need a train back. The cruise line might assign you a roommate, but – if they’re still trying to sell three levels of service, cheap, at this late date — odds are good that they would not.
Thing is though Rich it doesn’t leave until June 19th and my visa expires on June 1st. And it is still $1400 (per person), which is quite a lot. I don’t really want to fly but time is running out and I may have to.
No ideas at the moment. Don’t fly though. The whole trip is about not flying and there is always a way. Even if you highlight the fact there needs to be cheaper alternatives than a $2500 cruise. Try visiting cruise ship offices and seeing if you can get a cheaper crossing by working or giving lectures – it might be worth it and if they can’t then they may know someone who can.When do you have to be out of the states? It will seem really weird as well after travelling so long to just arriving at an airport after a few hours. Have you tried the “This is for charity thing?” You never know. Good luck anyway. if you need a bit of cash then let me know.
No room for an Englishman on the yacht. No cruise ships until July. Cheapest container ship so far $2500. Any ideas? Otherwise I may have to fly, ending the trip in glorious anti-climax. Until then I am living it up in Miami!
If you get a minute give us a call. If you have a number then I can call you. We bothhave to bve there at the same time though or we won’t be able to talk to each other.
Your photo’s proved you are fit and well. We were pleased to see. Do take great care. Will you give Mexico a miss now? Not the safest place to be. We send our love.
Mike and Jean
John, are you sure you’re in love? I think you might be in rainbows…
You’re America shirt looks good. I’m glad Katie let me help her pick it out. It’s still missing blood stains, and it really needs more prominent pit stain discoloration.
dude, i’m glad you’re skipping mexico. for now. godspeed – or, uh, take it easy. -Noah
p.s. i’m in ashland, oregon these days. just missed you here and in vegas. oh well…
hey Kellie. I would love to meet your friend, I will only be there 6 hours (1.30 to 7.30pm) on the 27th so if he thinks he can squeeze in 10 or 12 beers in that time then put us in touch.
Ok mister-
I have a good friend in DC who would be delighted to show you around and have a few beers with you. He’s awesome, so let me know if you want a contact there.
Where have you got to and in what direction? I got to Hackney this morning by travelling due East. It would have been weird if it hadn’t been there. Got a new bike. I will send you a photo. My last one got nicked. It was in the basement car parked which was locked. My bike was locked. They nicked it. Aaahhhhh. New one is coolio though. And a little bit too expensive. A bit “all the gear….”. Hope all is well. Let me know if you’re travelling East or West. Laters dude,
I’m glad to hear that you survived Death Valley…that was the only part that I was worried about! Are you going through Texas? I have family that would enjoy your story and feed you there.
John, we were left breathless by your wonderful blog. Glad to know you are still in one piece after all that.Look forward to some pics just to prove that!
Thinking of you often. Take care of yourself.
love
Mike and Jean
You’re friends at 1122 27th St. have all been wondering how the road’s been treating you… Glad to hear you’re alive and well. Too bad about the heat stroke – but then again, what’s Vegas without a little fear and loathing?
Good luck with the new wheel…
Also, I’m thinking about starting a donation fund to buy you one of these…
I know you’d rather be sleeping beside your bike every night…
well hello Dad! On arriving in Vegas I promptly had my wallet stolen, the $120 removed and the wallet returned. It sounds like a tall story and I’m sure there are thousands of other guys telling their wives the exact same thing but it really is true. I would love to meet my thief, just for 5 minutes. I also had the front light stolen off my bike by some other thieving prick but that’s not what you asked about. Two dollars of the ‘fun money’ went towards 1 cent fruities, which I consider a sensible investment. There was a brief and successful flutter on roulette, a loss at a poker table, a gain at a poker table and another, final, crushing loss at a poker table. So the money ($150) lasted about 6 days, on the road it could have kept me alive for 20 days but where is the ‘fun’ in that?
A great piece on your trip to and in Vegas – although you didn’t say how long your parental ‘fun-money’ lasted at the tables. I sweated through the desert with you and shivered with your sun-stroke – but you made it !
We have enjoyed hosting some of your Seattle friends – Christa, Carly and Laura for a couple of days whilst they did England (expected) and unexpectedly
Scotland (thank you Tom for planning their unplanned 12oo mile round trip to Edinburgh rather than Cambridge to see you !)
Here my London Marathon programme says I’m reaching a peak ‘plateau’ of fitness – ready for the Big Day on 26th April – which of course I believe – must be a few others running as I’m number 47097 ! My gharish orange running outfit can be viewed at http://www.justgiving.com/petermitchellmarathon09.
(At the risk of annoying the editor another comment from Mike and Jean! )John, your photos are wonderful and we were pleased to see you looking so well( something maybe due to the lack of hair!) Enjoy the journey and keep safe. We think of you often.
Lots of love to you, Mike and Jean
ps The house has gone all quiet again , as it did two years ago at this time. Tom and Christa have gone up to Edinburgh. If we’re lucky Tom might just write about it here!
Hi John so have resorted to writing on here as you’re ignoring my e-mailed birthday messages ) Hope you’re having a great time, just wanted to say – like Rich I now have a skype phone, so if you wanted to call me you need to find chattymitchie on skype ) Would be great to catch up. Everything good here – just off out for a 12 mile run …. arhhhh the pain ….
Anyway – get in touch when you have a moment, hope you’re 26th year is running smoothly so far.
Happy birthday for yesterday honey. I must admit I hadn’t realised until I came on to check on what your up to- read your wonderful blog on the sandwhich and needed to tell you how wonderful it was! Then read your birthday messages. Hope you had a great one.
I’m in Phnom Penh, capitol of Cambodia- having an absolutely awesome time. General direction north from here- and then I see.
Take care honey and enjoy xxx
Hi John,
Have a great birthday – when I’ve finished golf today I will propose a toast in your honour – probably it will be tea at 3.30 pm – or perhaps a beer ! Many of your Harewood colleagues ask after you and send their regards.
See you later this year ?
Love, Dad
Happy Birthday John – 26 today. Have a great day, have a drink on us. Maybe you will be home for your 27th!!
Loads of love Mum xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x
Belated wishes John, for your birthday. Hope you had a good one! We think of you often, in that glorious sunshine, and hope you are safe and well. Not so sure about your digestive tract though! Urgh!!!
Lots of love
Mike and Jean
If you give me a number (by email as I can’t normally check this site from school) then I can try and give you a call. I could even skype you – apparently every McDonalds has wireless and skype works really well on wireless but I won’t be eating any burgers. Might take a poo in the loo though. And wee on the seat. Hope you have a cool day and will speak to you soon anyway. Oh yeah before I go can you give me an address of where you will be soon or Simon’s address and I will send something out to you that you will probably regard as completely pointless. Because it is. Nearly. Laters little bruv luv Rich. I hate spelling love luv.
Come on Tom, it is time you wrote a Guest Blog and let us know what you have been doing and what you are up to now, a short comment wont suffice!!!
Keep well, Annie & Peter
Hey John are you just trying to confuse us all by writing in the Guest Blog? Only 2 days to your Birthday, what are you planning to do for it?
I did 20 miles yesterday and can walk today – I must be getting fitter!
I will try the “Sandwich” but it sounds discusting, all love Mum xx
Hello Vern (and everybody), I am back in the old world living a life much more ordinary. I am currently working in a bicycle shop in Cambridge. Christa (my Seattleite girlfriend) and I are moving to Edinburgh in March where she will be studying and I will be working, hopefully. Hope all is well with you Vern. Thank you for the lift. Cheers
tom just wondering how you made out after i dropped you off in fort st.john b.c.i gave you a ride from prophet river after your leg gave out.hope everything is going well. good luck on the rest of your journey.vern
Enjoy your travels down the Pacific Coast. Just got back from a road trip to the sunshine and we traveled much of Highway 1 through California. Enjoy! It was fun to meet you in Camas!
I just clicked on the “random image” button about 100 times. I hadn’t done that before – fun photos galore!
I’m glad to hear you made it out of Elma alive. Kelsea said that town is a little, well, little. Sounds like you’re quite the hustler on the slate. For good inspiration on becoming a pool shark, be sure to watch “The Hustler” with Paul Newman and Minnesota Fats.
Well, just wanted to say hi – and that I’m growing a beard in memory of you. I’m at two weeks, one day. It’s looking okay. Needs more time though.
Keep us posted often, and clean up your copy in the blog posts – a.k.a. don’t write while drunk…
John,
It’s 1:30 AM and I just read your Back-to-the-States blog. I enjoy your writing a great deal. K & K got to California and Natalie and Kirk had a great road trip with them. Linda and I miss Khale & Katie very much, especially the former – just playing favorites, I confess. Tough to say goodbye to someone you’ve known from the beginning. They moved into their house Saturday night, 31 January. You may already know this so I won’t go on. We enjoyed your company over the Holidays very much and look forward to making contact with your parents in July. Safe travels to you. You are THE MAN, as they say. Peddle on – it’s just over the next hill…Lorne & Linda Wallitner Arlington, Washington
The wanderer has returned! And Christa is here too. He hasn’t changed. Thanks for looking after him John! Now you take great care of yourself and we hope you continue to meet kind and generous people on the road. Our love to you. Tom’s Mum and Dad
Hello John. My phone fell out of my pocket and it is now no longer with me so I had to get a new one. Phone number number two. So here it is: 07846132552. I also have skype on it if you can get to a computer with skype then the phone calls are free. Hope all is going well now there are two wheels instead of four. Not long before spring raises its pretty head and the days are already getting longer. Speak soon bro, Rich.
Wishing you the very best of adventures and learnings throughout the remainder of your journey, John. Take good care of yourself. Western Washington won’t be the same without you.
–Eric
Happy New Year to both John and Bish, hope you saw it in style!!! Time to get down to writing that blog now and putting your photos up – we are all waiting.
Keep well all our love Dad,(Peter) and Mum (Annie)
What you’re doing is totally brilliant. I happen to have stumbled upon John’s sister Helen on my travels with my bicycle, one of my introductory lines being “can you help me stow my bicycle” upon the Trans-Mongolian train. Needless to say she told me about your adventure and your very long hair amongst other things.
Unfortunately injury has prevented me from doing quite the mileage I intended and budget prevented the passage by ship from Asia to New Zealand so I took the plane and spent many more fun hours on adventures with Helen.
I see you’re off to South America in April. Sounds like a blast. If the knee improves I’d be tempted to come along for the ride!
Merry Christmas everybody. I have been planning a big blog/picture/video update but want to do it all at once and can’t right now so it will be a couple of days more. Have a few beers while you wait.
He will kill me if I tell, but John is here in Lapland getting ready for his big night on 24th Dec. Reindeer well fed, parcels wrapped, and bags packed.
I am going into hiding now
Little Green Elf
John, I think you may have created a new sport ‘Bison chased cycling’. I don’t think it would work in the UK with cows, but if you replaced the bison with red buses, it pretty much already occurs in London. More good action photos please, keep pedaling.
Hi Guys, I am one of the teachers you met in Fort Nelson who took the bags to FSJ. Have been following along…..looking for some new adventure stories. I am amazed at the buffalo story….wow..I wouldn’t have gone anywhere near that. Keep trek’n guys!
I found a new few messages in the ‘to be approved’ section, not sure how they got there and they are now a little out of order but anyway, they are now ‘approved’. It’s cool to hear from so many of my hosts from the hospitality highway – just an amazing stretch.
…and your story reminded me of a time recently when I sat down in a posh restaurant and they brought out a toppling pile of meats, cheeses and other tasty-looking snacks. I was told to “eat it all” to which I responded that it was a tall hors d’oeuvre.
hey Jean-Marc, do you remember that photo of the tents inside tents and you said it was a tenty paradigm shift and I have been thinking it over for a while, trying to settle on the perfect pun response and here it is – my dreams that night were indeed intents.
Hi John and Tom
Great blog, keep up the good work.
I met you in Tignes in the Chalet Chardons, in 2007, before your trip. And I’ve just discovered that I know John’s mother Anne from a while back. My parents were good friends with Dick and Topsy Woodwark and we would meet up as children, Nigel, Anne, Julia and Kate, along with my brother Jeremy and my cousins Peter and Joanna. Mainly playing table tennis. And when the next (your) generation came along and my mother took her grandchildren Anna and Rosie on holiday, she went with Topsy and Topsy’s grandchildren, including Sarah and John.
Anyway … good luck with the next stage.
hey, fellas. great blog, john, think your mom’s reading about going 55kph down a mountain pass in the rain and dark? yikes. hey, i just posted a bunch of mongolia pics on facebook (i think anyone can see them). i tagged jake in some photos but does anyone have his info so they can tell him (or me?) it’s Anslund innit? keep to the hospitality highway and don’ ttake off that muffler and maybe you will get abducted by UFOs (they tend to go for muffler types)…
Hey John, remember us, you stayed at our place last night at the Westwick Ranch. We met at my bar “Annie’s Place”. It sure was a pleasure meeting you and learning about your cause. We wish you well and will be following your journey. Take care bud, hope the weather doesn’t get too harsh too soon.
Hi John, I just want to tell you how much my sister enjoyed your company and stories. It is wonderful that you brought a ray of life to her day. Your tour and cause seems wonderful and on behalf of my sister, my children and I made a donation to your cause. Take care and keep up the wonderful work and bringing joy to the lives of others.
Best blog so far I think. I love the feeling of riding in the dark…..last time I did it I was very drunk and had no lights (which is why I slept in someone’s garden in the frost) but it is soothing and the bike seems to fly that bit faster.
Went out on Friday for a drink with a couple of people from school, locked dad’s bike (left mine in Cornwall by mistake) and my friend’s together, went for a few bevvies, then found out the lock had been cut, his bike had been nicked but dad’s had been left. Phheeewwweeee pappa.
Take it easy brother,
Bish…. What’s this your Mum and Dad speak about you, John and a certain burlesque bar?!!!! I caught them on Cherry Hinton Road a couple of weeks ago- now I bet you haven’t seen a hill as steep as that in a while have you pal?
Sounds fun mate! Missing you, but what a trip- and I thought my ride over the lake district was epic last week.
Keep on doing what you’re doing. Remember to pull your left brake lever when attempting a ‘Raleigh Activator’ type skid, the other could land you in a whole world of trouble, especially in the Yukon.
Hey John!! It was so nice to meet you! It’s always nice to meet people that aren’t from here. I read your blog and your trek down from Whitehorse sounds pretty amazing. I’ve done it in a car but I bet it’s a totally different experience when your cycling. You guys stay safe and keep warm!
John:You are amazing! Competing with wood bison! Olympics here you come!
Tom: Your Great Great Aunt May swore by her knitted knee warmers. Get knitting!
Our love to you both.
John and Bish,
Depuis mes vacances en france, bonne chance? J’ai aussi rencontré par hasard Rich au marché à Borough Market – London, il etait amusant.
John … the hair!! What happened! Thanks for trying to call, sorry I missed it. Am finishing up here in a couple of weeks and then … who knows?! Not sure where/what I’m doing next. S xxxx
Hi J and T: Crista looks great, go for it Tom. A bit of romance on the road no harm it that. The question we should be asking is Tom / John is sex like riding a bike…. do you never forget?.. Tee hee. Came on you were all thinking it. I will leave it there as this is a family show after all. Wrap up warm, Whitehorse looks cold.
John, well done for your first and sucessful ironman, have you recovered yet? I myself got a bit of a taste for cycle touring recently when I took my bike up to Edinburgh recently, with all my kit strapped to the back, mind you I went by caledonian sleeper train. Keep pedalling
I just read an article that shows I don’t necessarily need to do exercise to get fit, I just have to believe that I am doing exercise. Yesterday I ran from dawn to dusk, plus I cycled to New York and back.
Hey John-
A friends husband picked up a training trick from his UFC fighter friend. Get a big tire (tyre) from Les Schwabb and hammer it with a big hammer. I am not even joking…this is what he does in his backyard much to the dismay of his wife…
You boys are so close, let’s get together for a beer (or something gross and nutritious for you). I’ll come to you wherever you are.
Numbnuts – did you ever pick up my message off facebook?! Or are you just ignoring me in my hour of need ;o)
Hope your training is going well, good on you for beating the dog, he was at an advantage – having a copywrited stroke an’ all.
I think I might join you both as I am a proficient boat person now! Also how about everybody puts in some money and John gets his hair and beard shaved off!!
A wise move heading back down South me thinks. If you want the good doctors medical opinion i can send an e mail home if you like but i imagine he will be typically sympathetic and the respnse may not be as comforting as the $60 an hour doctor you saw. Still, at least the other ankle is holding it together.
Wise decision indeed. Good luck with the intermission. This is useful information, which I can now use as verbal ammo to the many here in London who still ask about your adventures. M
You asked and we answered. I go with the Ferry option. Both go to Seattle. John you can train and Tom can be your Chief supporter. AND God for bid Tom needs additional medical attention then Seattle better. AND you both liked Seattle very well… On writing this I read below…you GO Moma John.
Good decision!! Now get down to some serious training John, and Tom you had better sleep, read, play games and generally have a good time and keep pushing John to train harder.
We slept on the decision last night and woke to an angry man swearing at us about how he hates all tourists. We calmly explained to him that we didn’t give a shit what he thought and he left. Anyway, our decision is made. We will take the ferry back to Washington tomorrow, returning back here to complete the ride from mid-September. Progress so far this year: 800 miles.
I think that the best idea was the beer. These are some serious troubles man…but you will figure it out. When you or Tom need a place to stay around, you are welcome to stay with me in Redmond, ok?
they were back in court today Rich, bloody bikes. I don’t know what to do about it – they can’t be trusted. They always have an excuse at the ready though and will be acquitted again I shouldn’t wonder.
OK JM, now I have finished the course I CAN SEND YOU SOMETHING OUT. Where can I send it? Alaska looks amazing. I want to raft the Yukon all the way from source to mouth. I think there may be a few huge rapid sections along the way. Mum went canoeing with me the other day to check out the Wye. There was a lot of water flowing but mum was hardcore, gungho all the way. Right on. Laters,
Alright boyos, good to hear you’re back in the saddle if occasionally rupturing your prostate and tires on route to Beaver Creek. Sounds like the good life has well and truly returned! Good crack!
ha!! great race there, john. i’m in vancouver at the moment for a family reunion next week at whistler. then i don’t know what. glad you guys are back on the road giving beardos a bad name. do well you two. -nk
When Muslim preachers first started making inroads into the black community, they were helped by a prevailing sentiment of Afro- Asian solidarity and internationalism. Some of the earliest Muslim preachers to arrive in America in the 1900s were mission…
I’ts midsummers eave…again. One year since you two were here and made ouer evning a rare and special event. It will most likely not be as fun here in North Sweden without you to this year. just remember what my good friend Dennis told John last year when we were playing crocket “in Sweden we don’t use horses”. good luck to you the rest of the way. hope to see you for next years midsummers eave.
come back 4 your hat. please. there was a girl with curly hair who lived on saltspring and told john to quit charity and be selfish and stay and pick rocks forever and keep spare tires in his beard. and play with the girls curly hair.
sounds fun.
i promise.
hmph
Yazminash, by your radio silence i guess you guys must be on the tug up North. Drop me an e mail with an update or comedy photo’s when you can. Bish has your arm recovered yet? John boy, what the hell have you done to your hair!? Pony tail? Mans man indeed.
Tom: OUCH!
John: You go to sleep with Herbie. How cool! I am following your adventures you both seem pretty relaxed in the North America / Canada bored. Would’t be surprised in years to come that you settle here. Can’t wait for the next bit of the journey.
Dude, I will be having my tooths done that day but call me about 8ish my time and I should be finished and done with. Or is that done and finished with. Who gives a fark. Chainsaws are fun but saws are cooler. Both literally and in terms of their relative standing in the retro and green movements. Six wheeled buggies – are those for triplets?
Well, it looks like I’m going to get a couple of weeks’ work in before our ferry to Alaska. It is out on Salt Spring Island, on an organics farm. it does mean I’m going to miss all of Tom’s going-away parties in Seattle though. I leave tonight
Buckinghamshire, although Gavin Henson is from Warwickshire.
Texas became a state of the union in 1845 according to my research team. The state/commonwealth thing is quite pedantic but a good way to annoy people who claim to be able to name all the states in America.
Massachusetts, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Virginia (and Puerto Rico and the Northern Marianas) are commonwealths. By the way Alaska is the most eastern state.
Which 4 are not states in your 46 states of America? The CIA reckon there are 50. Two are not connected directly (Alaska and Hawaii) but that still leaves another 2. ?????????????
yes (Tom’s) mother Jean, I remember Jezza well. I was asked to go on air a couple of weeks ago and then I was canceled a couple of hours before the show. If I had known Jezza’s history I might have guessed that would happen.
Your facts John were fascinating. Triv Per will never be the same!
Here is another fact for you both, gleaned from Radio Cambridgeshire today. Jeremy Sallis (remember him?) was made to stand in the naughty corner, aged 4, for taking adult playing cards into class. A totally useless bit of infomation that you might need some day.
Hi, How are you. Here is first of may and everybody keep fun. My some friends is maybe drink too much, but anyway. Keep fun there and you look like santas.
Ricardo Kongus, it came as a surprise to me too. Pure water and ice have an intrinsic colour: pale blue. This is neither from light scattering (as with the sky) nor from impurities. Every day’s a school day.
I look forward to meeting Sporan, which is ironically an anogram of “no pars”.
I think we both know that water is NOT blue. It’s all to do with Rayleigh scattering my friend. Likewise – the sky is NOT blue. Both do appear, at times, to be blue though. Also – DO go to Petas. She is crazy cool. And she has a dog called Sporan with no goolies. I think Sporan is a better name than Rolex. Maybe one has more irony than the other but I’m not sure which yet. I’m not sure if I’ve used irony the right way either but you can’t say yay or nay as only I know what I may or may not have been thinking of.
Sadly that sauce isn’t made from Dorset Nagas, which have a rating of about 1,600,000 Scoville heat units: tobasco sauce is rated at 2,140 units. But the hottest chilli sauce in the world is “Blair’s 16 million reserve”, which is pure capsicum crystals, and is rated at 16 million units. To be fair though you have to sign a waiver to buy that one and it is specifically “not a food product” (and it will cost you 300 pounds).
Of the 7 moons I mentioned, 6 of them are in large, non-standard orbits (at present). The planets don’t count as our moons as they do not orbit around Earth.
you’ll love having a pony tail, I did. If your thinking like that about the number of moons the Earth has, shorly its 8 (do you see what I am trying to say, and I’m not including the sun of course). I think I tried the hottest chilli in the world and ate a hole teaspoon of it, remember! The facts are good.
If all goes well I will never see Swindon again. I actually can’t see anything anymore without tying my hair up. It looks pretty cool and very masculine. It’s not yet a pony tail so hold off on the ‘under every pony tail…’ line. Who liked the fun facts?
A year in and about half way round the world so not bad going for a 2 year trip. John – absolutely love the conspiracy theory lectures, maybe get a few scientology ones in on your way down. Catch up with you both soon. Good luck breaking in the saddle! Tom (desert rat)
Well done guys! You left Cambridge 365 days ago! Does it really take that long to grow that much hair? You’ll be able to make your own jumpers soon! Keep up the good work.
Mum and Dad (Tom’s)
Your Weird Beard pic was passed round at Harewood Downs Golf Club to break the news gently to them that you were turning into a Yeti !! Apart from the unavoidable mirth all sent their best regards for your continuing successful trip – are you coming back in 2009 or 2010 ?
keep on cycling, and fundraising, your getting there. If you both put double effort in, thats quadruple effort really, or triple effort each would be sextuple/hextuple effort. But by far the best would be if you put in quadruple effort each you would really be Octuple effort, and then you’d nearly be cephalopods. From England and all those supporting your distant cause, good luck. Tom remember when you were absent from the Grad ball, all everyone wanted to do was talk about you, well imagine a years worth of that, my response is so well practiced now, I just say “check the website out”, free advertising.
Oh heavens, is that really you John under all that hair. It looks like some joke!! Congrats on the story comp. Maybe a great future as an author.
Take care Mum
Kingus Rich,
peekchores will be uploaded as soon as I find a computer I can do it from. There are really very few though, except the ones of Tom’s back waxing of course.
How’s it going and where are you at the moment? Good to speak to you on your birthday ….. you are pretty old now aren’t you? Just waiting for this course to end now. Laters,
Yaminash boyos! How are you doing? Thought i’d drop you a quick note to try and establish where on earth you are. Also to say that Mike starts his new job at the end of the month and has already moved to London. The dream team has once again been dispanded however I may well see him in Abi Dabi if all goes to plan. Flying to Dubai today so be in coms asap if they have internet in the desert. Who knows…
Hi John,
The trip looks amazing, have been casually following you from this web page. Seems like you have been having an awesome adventure and enjoying the journey. Where are you at the moment? Wish you continued safe travells and life changing moments.
Tom, do you refer to the Michelle who’s photo you had on your wall for the last 3 years, including while you were going out with Katie? The ‘Shell’ that you have been chasing since Bish first met her in that bar? With that in mind, your news of getting together with a nice girl and moving to Dubai with her 2 weeks later does make rather a nice story with a wholesome happy ending (for most). My extensive audience (mum, dad and occasionally Bish) would probably have liked it.
In reply to you, I could now afford to live like a real person for a while but prefer the unpredictability of being woken up from a deep slumber in the park or some other forbidden place by a warden and told to “move on”.
John are you still sleeping rough or have you finally found somewhere to stay? Slightly dissapointed at having not read your blog for some time that my getting together with Shell and leaving for Dubai was not an amusing annecdote for you to share with your extensive audience. Anyway, chance missed and i’ll just have to sell the story myself.
Tom – was great to meet you this past week in Seattle! I’ll be making a little donation once I pay off my adventure. Good luck to you and John on the rest of your travels, and keep growing that enormous beard!
For some reason the galley page is down at the moment, in these situations I hope for them to self-improve. Anyway, there aren’t any very recent photos to look at.
Mum – you’ll have to ask Tom about that one, the back is waxed though and at some point I will put up photos from the event.
Here’s a quick update to the blog. I am going to stay in Seattle with Tom for a while, although I’m not too sure how long yet. We have arrived at the Green Tortoise hostel and today did our first work in at least 9 months. We have to work 3 hours a day for our room and some meals, which seemed pretty reasonable. I say seemed because 3 hours cleaning toilets offers the opportunity to really think these things through. So, we would normally have to pay 24 dollars each per night and if you assume the real cost to to the hostel be 15 dollars a night (pretty generous) then we are in effect earning 5 dollars (or 2 pounds 50) an hour. Hooray for immigrant labour!
Send me an email with the new years antics. I’ll reply in turn. Just looked at Zeitgeist – very good. I will use the bit about the thermit reaction at school as I do that in class…a cool reaction. 2008 is looking good. Do you realise that if you had done a tour of Bucks instead then I could have used public transport to come and see you. It’s tricky getting to the States in a week without using a dreaded aeronautical device. Laters,
If anyone reading this knows of any work Tom and I could get anywhere on the west coast and without necessarily requiring a work visa then please send me an email (in contact us) with details and don’t tell the police. HAPPY NEW YEAR, best resolutions?
Tried to send you a Christmas card, but could not find a postal code to Palm Beach. But surely the old, white bearded chap will find you though. Have a lovely Christmas and plenty of egg nogs!
Slap and tickle takes on a whole new meaning when you two are around tee hee… of course I refer to the Slap clip. Pictures are brilliant. Will someone enter them into a competition please.
Spend as much time on the bridge as possible…that’s where you’ll see whales etc. Or on deck of course but it will be chilly this time of year. Hope you have some good storms. HAve a good one J and B (John and Biff)
Sorry folks no guts no glory on my part. But I will do next time. Tee Hee. I should of known everyone should have been cool with it. I know Tom from working at Addenbrookes (Staff Banks). However as America is the next port of call, The “Bearded Boys” could always have the beards measured by The King of Beards… I think that I have spent too much time thinking of this. This is what happens when you work at Addenbrookes.
Adam, I can`t claim equal morals to you. Almost none of the pictures on this site have peoples` consent and I got a picture of my friend, Chris Cockel (picture: in training), into a number of papers and websites while trying to publicise our trip. If it was me in your shoes then I most probably would have uploaded the photos and then posted the link, and giggled like my little brother while I did it.
I wasn’t going to attached your Pic’s without your permission. Yes I must admit the website is a interesting however wierd almost very wrong in places. But only in America…where you going next?????
thanks very much for the link to your favourite fetish site. If you look carefully you will now see that there are still no photos of our beards there.
Good Morning or Evening. There is no need to ask you how are you are as you can see by the pictures. Just been reading the comments below, Happy Birthday Tom. The pictures are still great as ever. I have a website for yous http://www.beards.org/ it is all about beards for a healthy beard life. It does it all from first day of stubble to fully grown and let me tell you should be proud of yours as you could outgrow the majority of them listed on there. There are success stories from around the world but none from the UK…I think I have two people in mind….
Hi there. Just a note to wish Tom a very happy birthday – enjoy all the celebrations!!! Now a year older but probably still no wiser – why are you cycling round the world and entering barmy challenges?
Hey John. Please do send the address – my folks would like to donate (so that you’ll make it to KY…) but would prefer to do so by check/cheque. Happy Birthday, Tom!
hey Anne, yeah I can send you an address if you`d like to donate by cheque/check. I should add for others that Anne is entered in the same ironman, without the need for such incentives as I have demanded.
Does my story of wallet theft qualify as edutainment?
Cycletherapy maybe, perhaps from an analyist-therapist – an analrapist. And there I was thinking the British justice system favoured rehabilitation over PUNishment.
Good last blog by the way (the one about Mt Fuji). Educative AND entertaining – edutainment.
Ted, I would love some British meat however you interpret that and will supply you with an address forthwith. JeanMarc, you may be relieved to know that they are much laxer about things like that in Japan so we`re safe for a while. Here is a link to a video I like watching. I mean here
Now that you’ve reached Yokohama (hopefully) could we have a cycle mileage figure and puncture total for your adoring fans at Harewood Downs Golf Club please ? Trust your guts are holdinp up to all the nice sushi and saki – non-fattening burgers and fries await you over the horizon !
What about that article for the local press – do you want us to help from this end ? Bon Voyage !!
I hope that all is good, loving the updates, sorry for not being in touch for a while, new job is going well and am tres busy. Think that you are due another food package soon so give me a shout when you have an address and I shall send you another one. Keep safe boys and be BRITISH.
Love Tedx
P.S try and eat British wherever possible!
Well, Hokkaido would be awesome but there won`t be any snow there for about a month yet according to Dan, who has been there the past few seasons. Are our legs tired? Actually yeah, kind of. We had a long climb this morning and we`re pretty soft nowadays. But, a dare is a dare so we`ll look into it.
Sayonara guys, Just a brief message, if you do get to Japan please check your email accounts, because my mum has sent you an important message. She’s in Japan touring japanese gardens from Friday. Konnichiwa
Are you in Japan yet!? I’ve been a bit slack of late checking for blogs etc after your holiday in Mongolia but loved the recovery of the lense cap on the Great wall. I should really come to expect it that disaster seems to trail you like a shadow but nevertheless i’m constantly impressed with your shinanigans and slightly blue tinted photo’s.
Just to let you know that exactly 2 years to the day after moving to Bristol, Mike is moving in. No doubt going to be an awesome if slightly hazardous experience. Enjoy the orient and good luck to Bish with the chest waxing, going to be sore!
We hope you are in Osaka when you read this!We think you are both quite mad, but brave and wish you luck with all the challenges. Just lie back and think of England Tom! It will all be over in a whisk of a wax strip! Lots of love to you both. Mum and Dad (Toms)
re: your last blog. If you’re going to raise funds by busking maybe you should consider playing the pink oboe, and tom playing the bavarian skin flute. I’m imagining a beautiful rendition of ‘just the two of us’ on said instruments.
hey dudes. hope everything is bon on your voyage to osaka. i sent some glorious pics of jacob’s 21st to john’s gmail. thanks for the great times, guys. keep pedallin’(sic) -Noah
Hi to you both. The photos are great, but I cant see too much face any more, too much hair! Your challenge is taken up and I will encourage everyone to donate to the charites,say good bye to chest hair now Tom, it wont be long before you feel the pain, and both start preparing for marathons and ironmans. Good luck in trying to secure passage across the Pacific love Mum (John’s)
by the way, some of the photos I’m putting up may appear a little blue to the non-colourblind among you. This is because I wanted to make them black and white but couldn’t work out how with all the tabs in Mandarin so I tried to do it another way and thought I had done a pretty good job until Tom, competent with colours, pointed out the flaw.
i just read your fantastic volunteer experience in Costa Rica in LonelyPlanet website and then i found your own website.
it’s a great around-world tour by bike which must have made a great number of people surprised.hehe i am one of them.
well i have read your route,it seems that your next destination is Beijing,right?
i’m a university student who live in Beijing and love travelling.i don’t know wether you will spend a few days in Beijing.so if you have time, i want to see you guys ,or if you have some problems, i’m glad to help you. =)
Dad,
it just so happens that I had aleady started with kit reviews, began an article, got Tom to take the Howies photo for that reason and sung the bicycles in Beijing song to Jacob on the way here – great minds… well you know. And so that you don’t have to navigate to the reviews page, I shall not keep you in further suspense by announcing right here that our sloar charger has performed excellently to date.
Anu, I can’t imagine what happened to the beach photos. I think they were on the card with the Tom-with-a-good-beard-photos, sorry to disappoint.
Your Mongolian photos are the best yet – what a fantastic experience – how about an article for the local papers now you’re six months out?
Also what about a kit review to let us know how this is holding up ? I’m interested to know how your solar battery charger is doing – judging by your snowy sleep-over Howies’ thermal clothing is doing well – what a good advertisement for them !! Looking forward to your news from China – apparently there is a lot of bicycles in Beijing – could be confusing !!
I remember it very well, all the way up till midday. We made it back to Ulaanbaatar yesterday and so managed to join a good crowd and watch the game in the wee hours this morning. We were asked to keep the noise down but it is next to impossible to restrain from shouting a ‘heave’ or from cheering a big tackle. At the final whistle I took a dive onto the sofa and headbutted Tom by mistake. We also drank quite a bit, I was woken up on the sofa at 6 by the guest house manager, who was trying to feed me more vodka in my sleep.
Do you recall a day 4 years ago in the Walkabout in Southampton. They say “lightning doesn’t stike twice”, but never mentioned anything about rugby. Here we go again, the World cup final, I hope you can find a transistor radio, no excuses. Keep pedaling.
Guys,
Great to see your progress- and the facial ‘thing’ seems to be coming along nicely. Did you get the parcel from Ted?- I may have helped select one or two of the items in our mad dash around Waitrose. Dozens of shoppers were fairly bemused to see 2 giggling guys ramming catfood (you did realise didn’t you…?!) and tampons (very good as dressings-no other reason) into a cardboard box.
Hope all is good, I know Kuwait isn’t on your route but i’m likely to be living there from March onwards if you fancy dropping in. I’ll promise you a ride on my hovercraft.
All the very best,
Jamie
Just to say good luck in Mongolia, sounds awesome. Missed out on a surf sesh down in Croyde over the weekend and a trip to the millennium stadium to watch wales lose to Oz with me and Mike, maybe next time? Incase you’ve not kept up England are playing appaulingly badly in the world cup and will no doubt be back home by the time you return to from Mongolia. Have a good one, enjoy your ‘holiday’! nice.
Hi Tom and John. I have got to mention that pictures that you are taking are really great, inspired. Better than you get in National Geographic! Did you see the international band convention in Russia. Da or Nikt. From Russia with Love….well it’s better than saying See’ya from Cambridge.
Hey Tom and John (and Noah)!
So, how was the trip with the trans mongolian train? New great experiences with the russian people and the russian cities, I’m sure.. We are now living with the girls in a apartment near to the center and it’s so great! The studying hasn’t started yet because we need all kinds of papers and stamps before that and it all takes so long.. russian byrocracy! Well, take care there! Hugs from St. Petersburg! -Riikka
The thing about cycling in Russia is that you will get offered a lot of vodka. This is true by the way. Just a bit of a shame that you might miss out on Russian hospitality. When you get to China, please could you start humming the dam busters’ tune. That should get old Wang do (the Chinese president) shaking in his boots. If you wanted to go a little further then why not go the whole Barnes Wallis and pack a few bouncing bombs in the old panniers? Free the proleteriat. Are there enough keywords here to alert the authorities? No? Revolution, WMD, terror. Now I’m in really big trouble. On another note, if you send me a number at any time then I can call you and also if you know where you might be in a little while then I can send you out a parcel. I noted that the staple of Britishness was missing from your last parcel…namely marmite. Hope all is well in Siberia. Dude.
Tramp is cool with me, although I’m carrying a dismantled bike instead of empty cans and cereal packets. The rugby world cup is sadly not an interest here and even if they did show it they would dub it. As to the ladies question, I am winning, John 0 : Tom -1.
Hey boys…. Been enjoyin ya little comments and stories. Just a few thoughts.
- Sleepin in doorways, pissin in streets, large beards – hobo springs to mind!
- How is the lady count? whos ahead? do chicks dig beards?
- Do they show the rugger world cup in Russia (halftime – france 9 Argentina 16 lovin it)
- Keep up the good work, hopefully see u in south america
Queeny, yes I think it deserves consideration, what’s the worst that could happen? Lee, the beard photos are more temporally spread now because there isn’t much change each week any more, especially for Tom who is a trimmer these days don’t you know? How perceptive of you by the way. Si, I agree about the bad joke, I will announce here that I heard it from Laura Tannenbaum, all blame should go directly to her. Your jokes are always shite (apologies to the elderly).
You need to update the beardage photos! i think you should come back for tomorrow so you can come to my birthday bash what’s that? get lost oh ok then i guess as you are having the time of your live ill let you off – keep up the travelling and beer drinking!
John, I think that was probably the worst line I’ve heard since you left, you are not very punny (perhaps mine was worse, who knows?).
So you want to change the subject then, good move as my next one would have been a lot poorer than my previous two. Maybe we could talk about what people think you guys should/will end up doing for a living when you finally return from your holiday? (Sponging off the state does not count as a job)
Dad you speak some sense, and mum, my what a deep voice you have. Of course my motives were to have something interesting to write about in my blog and I would have succeeded if it weren’t for those pesky kids. I like the theme here but if the content is getting tedious we could change the topic for the puns. Actually I entered a pun competition recently with 10 entries. I checked the results the next day hoping to have at least one prize winner but unfortunately no pun in ten did.
I shall be pleased when contributors’ attention is drawn to more relevant subjects than your speed – or evident lack of it – to circumnavigate the globe!!
John, I don’t know how you thought I brought you up, but you do not gain new friends by p***ing on them from your great height !! Take care !!
Around the world in ailing haze?..in which you set out in a slowly clearing fog until returning in a failing blaze as the sun is once again slowly obscured by the returning fog. Not Phileus Fogg.
What about Around the World with Ainsley’s Trays – in which a popular tv chef lends you his astonishing collection of baking trays for use on your journey. No?
Around the World: an 80s craze? 1480s that is. Before embarking on your trip you would have to convince the Portuguese monarch that the world isn’t flat and beg for her patronage. Perhaps you could show her the fine collection of rare baking trays you’d amassed on a previous voyage. That would sway it.
Hello guys, just found your website (thru BBC’s article, not directly yet in google) and was reading a bit… missing our names somewhere, though (^;
Wishing you best, Jaui & Valeria
Big up, just saw you at a terrace in Sörnäinen. Sorry, it was a bit hectic as I was just returning from a MTB ride and was all sweaty and shitty and stuff and in a hurry to catch a ferry Great ride, keep going!
I see that the standard of gags dropped rapidly from the start, with Si somehow sinking below even the beardage displays one. My favourite was the trees.
Anyone with the Finnish national TV channels at home (probably not you mum) Tom and I will be on it this evening, channel 8 I think sometime after 6.
Hi Annika, sadly Tom and I never made it to Ankka-Rock in the end, we were somewhere else.
I think it’d be best for everyone you meet if you did Around the World with enough deodorant sprays! I might go with you if you did Around the World just catching the rays though (only if combined with the spray one).
Hi John! We met at the Rock pub in kokkola,perhaps u remember..or not… It seems like u have been enjoying ur stay in Finland, but did u visit Ankka-rock at all? I hope u will like the other countries you´ll go trough also. good luck on your journey!
Hey dudes, like the sound of around the world in 80 days. Thought you might be interested in reading the books of a chap i’ve begun working with called Robert Twigger, he’s absolute nails. Just started a new project called ‘the explorer school’ (www.theexplorerschool.com), check out the first chapter of his book Voyager on the Rivers section of the website. Try and get hold of it if you can ‘borrow’ it from a library on your travels. Sure it’ll be up your proverbial ally. Hope all’s going well, sick of Finland yet?
Yeah, or I could get a sled and find lost dogs to pull it and call it Around the World with 80 Strays. Any more for any more? How about a motorbike trip, Around the World on ATKs?
I would never have beleived it. Thanks for the info…but I won’t go and see the film, now the secret has been told….unless there are any other suprises?
did I hear a little mention of the carribean? Go to barbados – and I can come see you and we can go surfing! Its so nice there you literally surf in amongst the sea turtles.
ooooh lovely – I hope you guys are having fun and LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU REACH LA!!!!!!!!!!!! xxx
When I once grew hair, but not of the facial variety, continual suggestions to cut it, only made me stronger in my desire to grow it longer and longer. In these hard times you will need great mental strength, and “original source” mint and tea tree shower gell, for that fresh and tasty feel.
Hi, glad to hear everything is going well. Stay away from strange men with funny smelling cigarettes and a beard!! May just have to come and meet you in the Caribbean. Hope I recognise you under all that hair Stay well love mum
a close shave indeed Jean-Marc. Your mother wouldn’t have been the first to encourage a crop and a shave but we are hardened to the task now and after seeing a monster beard today ever more determined to let ours grow and fulfil the stereotype.
Note how my mother has resolutely failed to identify the objective of not cutting your hair for the duration of the trip. I think you may have had a close shave if you’d encountered her in Harstad.
Yes John.. if I knew you were coming I’da bake a cake!!.. and laundered your socks, and trim your hair and showed you the shower and… …
Well done you boys! Hope JMarc joins you at some point. Safe journey all the way!
Youse sure are funny bastards. I personally cant find anything to write about on a my blog after a days ride that is homourous, its usually just whingy. Its a shame I couldnt join you guys, it gets lonely on the road all alone…(whinge, whinge)
Folks,
Really mega super uber impressed by your journey and enjoy reading your updates from the comfort (and utter boredom) of my desk. Keep it up and stay in touch.
All the best,
Jamie
Mate am sorry that I have been away for a few days and my comp died briefly so have been without email and have only just recieved your address! The other problem is that I am having a few issues sorting out the DHL bit of it despite it being a british company there were issues that i wasnt an account holder etc… to cut a long and boring story down, I think that you should not wait in your current location for the parcel and instead send me another address in due course and I shall be better prepared for that. When you have the address can you email my work address tom@agri.org.uk which I check daily and seems to work better than facebook. Really sorry if this has messed you around but I promise to be better prepared next time and will open the account by then. Hope all is well, take it easy
Tom Hanks was crap at riding a bicycle as far as I remember…that’s how he got into running as he fell off the blinkin’ thing and pegged it like a twat away from the cool dudes who were taking the proverbial and throwing sticks and stones. Look-a-likey maybe but the similarity ends there…although John did always run away from me when I threw sticks and stones at him but those damn leg braces never fell off.
Whilst you’ve been away the smoking ban has come about.
Is it a good or bad thing? Matter of opinion I suppose, but the wierdest thing of all is the affect its having on some non-smoking citizens.
The thing is, a growing minority of rebelious and liberal minded people are taking up smoking as an anti-government/establishment stand.
The 0% (rounded to 1 s.f.) that you won by is so insignificant that no one would care anyway! I did pick up the plaque for you, you can have it when you get back unless you want me to post it out to you?
hey boys!!! looks like you are having an awesome trip!bish is definately winning hands down on the hairy front though!!just been to sicily for a week volcano watching – was absolutely incredible!reccommend ‘popping there’ on your way back!!xx
Hey Johnny Boy,
Thought I’d let you knwo there are no trophies for the stats this year, all that effort and no reward eh? I’ll be picking up your trophy for the team finishing 2nd, might give it to you when you get back, depends what mood I’m in.
Bish,
I hope you’re playing the game we talked about (what colour’s that?).
Thank you for the message. The food parcel is not perishable food as yet so it can keep for a while, when you provide me with an address I shall get some perishable things to go in it!
The kiss is merely a sign of my affection to you White pudding – well its mainly oatmeal so tastes a bit like a good stuffing with some leeks in it, cut into slices and gently fried in a pan…. ohh lovely!
And as I write this Tony Blair has stepped down and to give him credit it was a good last PM question time, loads of complements and did a good job – know we have floppy collar brown to contend with, hopefully Cameron will rip him to shreds!!
Afraid i am not as charitable as Ted but will include a pair of garden shears and delousing lotion if required (i suspect given the current hair growth they may well be). Keep up the reports. Chef xxx
Ted,
thank you kindly for your offer and I shall send you an address, please enclose presentation notes. Does whit pudding leave a funny taste? Why do you sign off to us with a kiss? I look forward to your replies my most nationalistic friend.
The weather her is shit and living up to the usual British standard. Glad to hear that all is well and you are making steady progress. Are you near a post office anytime soon as I have a food parcel prepared for you with some local grub and some whit pudding which i sampled the other day and was tres yummy!!! so yeah let me know if you are and I shall send the supplies to you courtesy of DHL – a classic English courier who although not owned by the UK now owe their founding to a young BRITISH man. Anyway have to dash and give a presentation about Robotic Milking Parlours!!!! will enclose a copy in the parcel should it interest you.
hi Linn, we would have loved to stay in Jokkmokk for midsummer and longer but had to leave as Tom was seriously looking at house prices. We spent midsummer in Boden and thanks to everyone at the party because it was a wicked evening, same time next year.
Thanks for the research Mike but I can’t see it ever catching on, we’ll play safe with the pedals.
hi again guys, hope u enjoy ur last nigth here in boden, and that u update ur gallery from midsummer, (want to see) i wish u the best of luck whit the rest of ur trip. //john.
In light of a recent discovery I thought you’d be interested. I found out its called an internal combustion engine. The way it works is basically it takes fuel and goes. Making travel easy and effortless. In 1885 the first motorbike was made by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, and used an internal combustion engine. I think this motorbike thing, might be worth investigating as a solution to your cycling woes. Magic, keeping you in the know!!
I reckon I could have done your trip in two days, carrying twice the weight and with no sleep…whilst rubbing mace in my own eyes. Piece of pish. Tell that Biff fella hello from me.
Nice to finaly meet John!
Had a nice time att Opera (local tavern in Jokkmokk) drinking beer and talking about just about everything.
I’ll send you the images as soon as I have time from Haralds massive schedule and can install Lightroom or LightZone on a computer to process the raw NEF files.
Hey!
I am the girl on Storknabben (Jokkmokk). You told me to write a comment, so I did. It’s great what you are doing. But I tink it’s also a little bit insane to cycle for two years! I would never do it.. I wish you good luck on your journey! And keep up with the good work.
//Elin Johansson, Jokkmokk.
So someone beat me to it heh? I only ever had an Amstrad so was unaware of my competition. 4 wheels is an option of course and Tom is actually looking at getting some stabilisers at the moment. My leg is fine now, once I stopped cycling, it stopped complaining.
As anyone who owned an Atari games machine will know, that game ‘Paper round’ already exists. An unrivalled classic up there with Packman and Space Invaders.
How’s your leg? Sounds like you just enjoy hurting yourself for fun. When will you learn that 4 wheels are better than 2?
Tom,
thanks for the link to car games, although I don’t know where it’s gone, presumably Bish deleted it for some reason. Anyway, I’ve invented my own game recently, it is for the PC, although it may be possible to convert it for a console aswell. It is called ‘Adventure Cycle Touring’, the player will be asked to pick a route and then the game will begin. To cycle, you will have to press Z, then X, then Z, then X etc. You may take a rest at any point and resume by pressing Z, then X and so on. There will be no need for steering controls as the road will be straight and I do not intend to use over-complicated graphics, a lamp post, tree and house passing by on a loop will suffice. I have not patented my game yet though, so please don’t steal my idea.
Hey fella’s, I too am looking at doing an epic-ish trek,(Normandie to Nordkapp) and you are giving me many many laughs with your blogs, and a whole heap of inspiration!
I hope it all goes strong for you until you reach your endpoint!
Yo dudes, am i reading this correctly that John has just left on an epic race against the clock whilst Bish puts his feet in the foot spa and waits for him to come back? Bish mate, you are my hero.
Â
*Your daily routine on your blog sounds sinterlating so i took the liberty of looking up some children’s car games which will no doubt entertain you: http://www.activitiesforkids.com/travel/travel_games.htm
Enjoy. Odd or Even sounds like a particular classic.
Â
*Tom said this somewhere else, it’s been added here so that what I say later makes sense.
Now boys just thought i would let you know how our little adv went we cycled 510 miles and climbed snowdon scarfell ben nevis in 4 days great fun but unlike use we had to get back for work all the boys want to come and join you both. I still dont know about that train though lol Mad Tony
Tony (and Carol) if you still look at our site then please let us know how the 3 peaks went, I’ve heard 2 days is a good time, how long did it take you?
hi Fred, there are some freighters which take passengers, but they are mostly expensive. We hope to get passage (or stowaway) aboard one at a better price, working if they’ll let us. The sloar charger has generally been great although just in the last couple of days it’s seemed to stop working. But this could be the fault of the solar panel, the charger unit or Bish.
It’s great to hear from the people we’ve met along the way and I’ll try to reply to you all individually when I can. If you’re ever in England you are welcome to stay with mum and dad.
Glad to see you’re making progress! I met you in Vemdalen while you were updating this page. Fortunately, you seem to have some sunny days ahead of you before venturing up north into Finland and the endless woods. Oh, and I still wouldn’t touch that peculiar cheese, it was a strange thing indeed. =)
Hello Tom, Hello John Hows it going chaps. I have finally got round to reading your blogs and have found them very amusing. I have sent this link around my office to remind those who (even though they were drunk) said that they would sponsor you. Good work on going to the wrong port and i see that you are not missing our several nights out aweek-the swedes seem to have that aspect sorted for you. Take care chaps
Hi John and Tom, Little do you know Tom that your Mother and I were training together back in the days of yore and have kept up one way and another over the years and were swapping our offshoots’ websites the other day and I’ve finally got to looking at yours. It is so interesting,and I shall be following you all the way. My girls Jo and Ali are each 2 years older than you and Ben. Ali is conventional and in the City but Jo is busy trying to get people to conserve their wardrobes by offereing a doctoring service for anyone and her address is thedressdoctor.co.uk if you need a little diversion. We lived at the Old Rectory at Landbeach and knew a few of your relatives and you once came over which you’d have been too young to remember. Enough embarrassment. All the best to you and JohnTeresa
Hello dears, how’s it all going? No web blog update for a while i see so we’re guessing you must be in the mountains somewhere?? Hope all’s going well, we’re off to Italy for a week and will check back for some comedy updates when we return.
Looks like a great trip and thanks for the info on the solar charger. I’ll look it up. What kind of cargo ship still takes passengers? I took columbus many years ago.
Fred
So glad things are going well now.The house is ever so quiet!We read your entertaining blogs and admire your spelling skills.Much improved!All is well here as we hope it is with you, apart from rain which has not stopped since last Wednesday!Love to you both, and keep pedalling. The faster you pedal the sooner we see you!M and J
hey boys how are you now? do you remember of us? we are the italian boys met in the youth hostels in bergen. the TRip? it s all ok? bye bye send me notice
I can’t believe you’ve finally gone – looks like am going to have to start sponsoring you! Hope you are having an awesome time. John, we miss you at our feeding sessions pre (during) Saturday night drinking! xx
Mono, actually it is my lifelong ambition to write a gossip column for seventeen. Please keep quiet about your realisation of our intent for disaster but yes it is true that every mistake we have made and will make in the future is deliberate so we do not expect to be mocked for them.
I remember you well John, and Dave too. I trust you made it to your hostel OK.
Dad, “I need to pay in some cheques” sounds like a ruse so get my banking details but I will send them nonetheless because I laugh in the face of danger.
Mark and Ellen- thanks kindly for putting us up and up with us at such short notice.
Anna – apologies for false accusations, lovely lamb burgers by the way.
Carol and Tony – thanks very much for your fantastic hospitality, don’t mind the blog, it’s all nonsense anyway and I know Tony’s a pussycat underneath.
As I’m writing this I hope you’re sitting in North Shields waiting for your ferry, also i hope the charvers weren’t there on your way back! Good luck again guys, it was great having u stay even if it was due to a bit of a disaster!
Trust you caught your ferry second time round – your earlier sprint finish must have broken some land speed records !! Hope it’s easier getting into Norway than it was leaving England !! Bon Voyage. John’s Dad.(John, still awaiting details of your bank accounts – have some cheques to pay in)
BIsh, of course you got the ferry stuff wrong, i keep having strange dreams about your cycling trip!! why do you do these adventures, to worry me? cambridge is literally rubbish sans bish, hope you’re being safe and haven’t used up the 3 pairs of pants yet?love the blog action, keep it up johnx x x x x x x x x
Do you remember meeting 2 old farts destined for Harwich on NCN route, we met in deepest Lincolnshire. I remember how subdued my friend & I was in our so miniture adventure. Good luck for your trip, we have a good photo of you. Muff
Hungry texted me: “Happy bday mate, what a day, United win the league2! Dream”.
I sat down to an awesome roast dinner with my coolest present a warm black russian hat stuffed on my head, I love hats! Had my first Irish coffee, then had to do the trinity, was good, all washed down with a couple of beers at my local. Having quite reluctantly cycled 35 miles in the morning, by the end of the day, I felt great.
Then I read your blogs.
An hour later when I had finished,
(john ever though of writing trashy gossip columns, for trashy magazines)
I was pissed.
I was amazed by the sheer incompetance, stupidity and ridicule that your tour is creating, especially the stir I hear in the media, cycling and civilised worlds.
Then I suddenly realised this was your plan all along, what better way to advertise yourself and promote your adventure than by causing a stir!!!! No publicity is bad publicity; RIGHT.
On this theme I wish you all the best bad luck in NORWAY. Mono
sounds like its going really well! i would love to come and meet you for a stage like we said but my fears of having to spend a week or so by myself are looking more likely. cant wait to hear about some riding!!!
good luck on tuesday lads
Hi boys,
Sorry to hear you missed the ferry. Bet you had a good nite in Newcastle. This voyage of yours may take a little longer than expected!!!!!
Take Care, Scary Tony & Carol
Hello dears, Sounds like Bish is causing the usual drama. Bought a new bivi bag yet? Give me a ring before you get on the ferry for an update if you get a chance.
Naja, unfortunately, we won’t be going through Denmark, or at least don’t plan to. We will be going north through Norway, Sweden and back down south through Finland instead.
Richie, when to hand, we wear SPDs. When we are 70 miles from our SPD shoes, we wear trainers to cycle. Fortunately, there won’t be too many occasions when we don’t have the SPD shoes with us and so the trainers will only seldom be used to cycle in. Of course, day 1 was an exception and due to unforeseen circumstances arrising from rushed decisions, I had to wear trainers.
Hi guys.. Just saw an article in the local news paper about you..:o) Just want to wish you good luck, how far are you now?? And are you going through Denmark?? )
Oh well.. take care, and have fun..
Naja
hi guys,
1. the bike itself weighs 13.5 kg and our stuff weighs about 20 – 25 kg (depending on food and water).
2. Pertulia commented on our site after listening to my interview on BBC 3 counties, I cannot guarantee that it is not a psuedo name but suspect it is unlikely.
3. Do you really want to know? 3 pairs each, plus our cycling shorts. Got to keep the weight down somehow.
It’s been a pleasure.
After browsing your webpage we have come up with a couple of questions….
1. how much does your bike weigh?
2. who is pertula (is this a pseudo name?!)?
3. and finally, how many pairs of pants will you be taking on your quest to save the world by reducing your carbon emissions?
I have a (privately published) book by a reverend gentleman who cycled north from South Africa to Cairo during the second world war. His bicycle was stolen from outside the bank while he withdrewn money just as he was to start. In his case, it had not occurred to him that he needed to lock up the bicycle.
That’s terrible, John.
Ever since I had my bike stolen while it was locked to the police station railings in Cheltenham (I was inside reporting the theft of my father’s bike at his workplace) I’ve taken extra precautions – but nothing will deter a professional or determined thief.
We sometimes get gangs from Ireland and Liverpool coming here to Chester. They steal up to a 100 bikes a day and van them abroad. There’s an epidemic of it these few days with two police bikes and even those custom new post office bikes stolen while the postman was a few yards away!
Keep on living the dream dude’s. It looks like you are a little more prepared than our last bicycle trip, which is always re-assuring! I can’t believe you are boating across the Atlantic, use a ruddy pedalo you pair of hairy turds! Good luck boys, may the force be with you!
Tragic news about the bikes if slightly amusing. Who knew you would be turning into celebrities without actually going anywhere other than to the pub? I’m sure this is all just a ruse to cunningly boost your book sales and up your popularity on facebook but who knows. Enjoy breaking in your saddles and i shall hopefully be seeing you for a farewell Peroni/heavily watered down cocktail on the weekend.
Thank you for your concerns to Ted at post 31. If I ever need a tractor I will be sure to contact you Ted, would be great to see you before we leave and thanks for the kiss.
As for Stephens (#30), I remind readers that he is in TV himself and indeed has been spotted in the past handling microphones on the Wright Stuff. So we are not yet in your league for celebrity status but hope to use what little we have to get by.
Boys
Am very sorry to hear about the loss of bikes,but glad to hear all getting sorted out. T H Agri Services is at your disposal for your trip although not sure which of my services you may require but let me know!! Will try and get to one of the gatherings to see you before you head off.
Hello dears, I could not help but notice the plethora of women that seem to flock to your website like moths to a flame. Ladies, they may well be fine strapping young men but after 2 years in the saddle friction will take its toll. Perhaps the nurses will take their chances or maybe their new found celebritiy will provide them with the funds for some much needed padding. Either way we will look forward to hearing what it’s like to be faomus!
I sympathise with you for being stuck in Bucks, and in Prestwood at that. Would you be willing to be girlfriends that sent some of your wealth out to us to help us in keeping fed? Thanks for the advice about the mossies, we will be sure to be careful.
hay boys…do you fancy having us as your rich girlfriends back in the uk? (have you seen how much we earn as nurses????) If not how about pool team doubles at least? you never know when you need nurses input during your travels……mossy bites can be mean – remember to suck out the posion first before rubbing…..honestly you guys have guts and we would LOVE to join you for a leg or two maybe when you eventually join in the states………keep in touch, we are stuck in Bucks ……HELP US X X X X
Looking forward to the photos! If yu want, check out my site. I haven’t got the funds to have my own proper site, so it’s just a blog. I just finished building my Trek 520 for the trip, so have a look!
I think what you are both doing is fantastic! I have 2 teenage sons & have tried to install a sense of what impact our actions have on this world. As an environmentally friendly project, this goes a long way to show what passion young people have for the natural world today. I hope my two sons grow up to be just like you. Best of Luck & God Speed.
Hi Tiara, I would love to come through South Asia, it’s not on our route but it is still a possibility. We are hoping to get a cargo ship from Japan across to the USA but haven’t booked a place and so will turn up at the docks and try to get passage. Basically we don’t know what our chances of getting a ship are so if we find a ship heading South instead of East then we may well take it and perhaps be looking for a couch to sleep on in South Asia.
Hey Kyle, I will do, I’ve got to build them first though. One is in now at my local bike shop and the second is expected tomorrow or Saturday so I will go in with Bish early next week and put them together. Then we will put all our kit in the panniers, take some photos and replace that photo on the homepage. In short Kyle, you will get your photos next week!
Thank’s for the reply mate. Yeah the plans are up in the air really, it’s just a matter of sorting out visas and I’ll go anywhere! By the way, if I do join up, I’ll be a be roughing it with the money, because the aussie dollar doesn’t convert very good to…well, anything. haha
Your trip sounds fantastic – look forward to seeing your posts on here. FOund your site through a posting of yours on Thorntree just now, as i’m hoping to get to Norway at the end of March too. I wondered if you know about http://www.couchsurfing.com – that could be stating the obvious, but if not it might come in useful.
Off to have a nosey at your kit list now – i’m always interested to see which tents other cycle tourers are using!
Thanks very much Julia, the look of the site is down to our friend Lee, who designed it for us, thanks also for your kind donation. We’ll try and get some more pictures up there soon
hey Kyle,
we’re hoping to keep to our leaving date so that we don’t end up reaching Alaska in mid-winter. But keep us posted on where you are and if it’s at all feasible then we’ll try and join you. Or, if you are tempted to change your plans to join us then you are of course welcome.
Hey guys, shame about the timing, but I’m leaving Australia to ride Europe>China in June. Hopefully I’ll see someone doing something similar, as I’ll be a fair bit behing you chaps.
You’re lucky to both enjoy cycling as a form of travel, because none of my mates will have a bar of it!
PS: (Good work with the sponsors, I’ve had no luck on my end, ha ha)
Again, a very wise question mono, and one I hope to be able to satisfy you with an answer to. According to Dr. James L. A. Roth, about 66% of people produce* no methane at all - there is scientific debate over whether this is due to a genetic inflence or environmental factors. So we would have to submit ourselves for scientific testing to see if we are methane producers, but to respond to the question directly, if we did turn out to be in the 33% of those producing methane then we would indeed have to consider it in terms of our emmissions.
*edited
thanks for answering my question, that is a very small footprint indeed and I commend you. I do wonder though if you might consider methane gas aswell, as it too is a major greenhouse gas. Should you not also incorporate the extraordinary unusual amounts that you and no doubt your cycling partner may emmit whilst travelling through Russian resulting from the mass consumtion (probably tonnes worth) of cabbage.
OK Michael (mono), a response at last - I’ve tried to work out our carbon footprint. I’ve had to guess how much cooking fuel we will use (500kg CO2), how much is used in the manufacture of our kit (200kg), our computer usage (50kg), our ferry travel (400kg), our share of the trans-pacific cargo passage (500kg – complete guess based on our mass on board the ship compared to the ? tonnes of cargo), our train travel (400kg) and things I’ve not thought of (500kg). All this gives us a carbon footprint of 2,550 kg CO2 over 18 months, equalling about 800kg CO2 each per year compared to the UK average of 10,000 kg CO2.
Hi Bish and John,
I want to congratulate you on your plans to use environmental means to travel around the world. So many young people go on a world trip by hopping on and off planes. The route and modes of travel are really exciting and your journey will, I’m sure, be life changing. Thanks you for choosing to raise funds for Friends of the Earth. National and local FOE groups are doing much to alert people to the reality of climate change.
Have a great trip and let me know when you return. We’d love to hear your account.
hey Justin, sounds like an amazing trip you’re taking, what do you intend to do once you reach India? We’d love to meet you guys along the way so keep us updated.
Hi,
Me and my wife are driving from UK to India startin end of March 07. We intend to cross North sea into Norway and reach arctic circle before moving to to the centre of earth..
Good to hear about your eco friendly trip..best of luck with everything..will probabbly post a message once i’m ready to go..to check if we can actually meet somewhere in the wilderness..
Justin
Hello big sister, yes we will update the website as regularly as possible, probably every week. You can contact us by email once we’ve left and you are very welcome to join us wherever you like. Also, thank you for your charity donation.
You crazy kids – am tempted to join for a leg of the bike ride – how would I contact you once you have left, will you be updating your website regularly?
Good question Mike, thank you for being the first to post here. I expect it may be because I set this as your homepage. The answer to your question is that I don’t know yet but I do intend on working it out so that I can offset it
here’s to a great trip and especially to plans for the next one!
Welcome home John! Great to know you are safe at home.
Annie and Denise stayed on Saturday night on their way from Lowestoft to Lands End. Looking good and going well.
Looking forward to seeing you soon to give you a well deserved hug.
Love
Mike and Jean
Best of luck finding your way home buddy, as you know, there’s no place like it. I think Mike might be on to something with the Fort Lauderdale but sadly flying might just be the way to go in time for some summer surfing. See you soon buddy!
How about a shorter flight to Venezuela and getting a boat home from there? Of course I am happy for you to come home asap
Take care, love Mum
John, I suggest you cycle to Fort Lauderdale 40km North East of Miami, and see if you can get on a boat leaving in the next two weeks, there must be some boats late in the season going to the Med to avoide the Caribbean hurricane season, get to Fort Lauderdale, and you can get some tips from this website.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Hitchhiking_boats
They say that it might take a week to get on a boat, if any going. Its possible, but a challenge. Good luck, see you on the beach in Cornwall soon. M
Friend of Noah’s here, meddling. You could try booking on the Queen Mary 2 for May 31 on this Canadian site — http://cruises.redtag.ca
Interior, Oceanview, and Balcony cabins all going for the same last minute price, 1099CAD (or, at the moment, 688 Euros, or 939 USD). Departure is from New York, so you’d need a train back. The cruise line might assign you a roommate, but – if they’re still trying to sell three levels of service, cheap, at this late date — odds are good that they would not.
http://myfirstdictionary.blogspot.com/
It should be $1014 each….still loads I know. Do you think you get your visa extended for two weeks?
Thing is though Rich it doesn’t leave until June 19th and my visa expires on June 1st. And it is still $1400 (per person), which is quite a lot. I don’t really want to fly but time is running out and I may have to.
You might need someone to share to get the £600 price……Advertise on couchsurfing or facebook.
Try this…although it is from NY it is a lot cheaper and should be a lot nicer than a container ship
http://book.cunard.com/find/pb/searchResults.do?subTrade=ETA&duration=2&ship=QM&date=0609
No ideas at the moment. Don’t fly though. The whole trip is about not flying and there is always a way. Even if you highlight the fact there needs to be cheaper alternatives than a $2500 cruise. Try visiting cruise ship offices and seeing if you can get a cheaper crossing by working or giving lectures – it might be worth it and if they can’t then they may know someone who can.When do you have to be out of the states? It will seem really weird as well after travelling so long to just arriving at an airport after a few hours. Have you tried the “This is for charity thing?” You never know. Good luck anyway. if you need a bit of cash then let me know.
No room for an Englishman on the yacht. No cruise ships until July. Cheapest container ship so far $2500. Any ideas? Otherwise I may have to fly, ending the trip in glorious anti-climax. Until then I am living it up in Miami!
Any news on a lift back to Europe yet?
Just missed you last night. I was swimming. I will be around tonight if you want to try again though. Maybe speak to you later.Bye bye.
ALright John,
If you get a minute give us a call. If you have a number then I can call you. We bothhave to bve there at the same time though or we won’t be able to talk to each other.
Your photo’s proved you are fit and well. We were pleased to see. Do take great care. Will you give Mexico a miss now? Not the safest place to be. We send our love.
Mike and Jean
Hahaha. I am not used to you moving that fast. Trains are fast! Sorry…I just saw that comment. I hope you had fun with your 10 hours in D.C.!
I meant “Your” America shirt…
But, you are America, and so can I.
John, are you sure you’re in love? I think you might be in rainbows…
You’re America shirt looks good. I’m glad Katie let me help her pick it out. It’s still missing blood stains, and it really needs more prominent pit stain discoloration.
dude, i’m glad you’re skipping mexico. for now. godspeed – or, uh, take it easy. -Noah
p.s. i’m in ashland, oregon these days. just missed you here and in vegas. oh well…
hey Kellie. I would love to meet your friend, I will only be there 6 hours (1.30 to 7.30pm) on the 27th so if he thinks he can squeeze in 10 or 12 beers in that time then put us in touch.
Ok mister-
I have a good friend in DC who would be delighted to show you around and have a few beers with you. He’s awesome, so let me know if you want a contact there.
So diddly dee doe,
Where have you got to and in what direction? I got to Hackney this morning by travelling due East. It would have been weird if it hadn’t been there. Got a new bike. I will send you a photo. My last one got nicked. It was in the basement car parked which was locked. My bike was locked. They nicked it. Aaahhhhh. New one is coolio though. And a little bit too expensive. A bit “all the gear….”. Hope all is well. Let me know if you’re travelling East or West. Laters dude,
Rich.
I’m glad to hear that you survived Death Valley…that was the only part that I was worried about! Are you going through Texas? I have family that would enjoy your story and feed you there.
John, we were left breathless by your wonderful blog. Glad to know you are still in one piece after all that.Look forward to some pics just to prove that!
Thinking of you often. Take care of yourself.
love
Mike and Jean
Hi John,
You’re friends at 1122 27th St. have all been wondering how the road’s been treating you… Glad to hear you’re alive and well. Too bad about the heat stroke – but then again, what’s Vegas without a little fear and loathing?
Good luck with the new wheel…
Also, I’m thinking about starting a donation fund to buy you one of these…
I know you’d rather be sleeping beside your bike every night…
well hello Dad! On arriving in Vegas I promptly had my wallet stolen, the $120 removed and the wallet returned. It sounds like a tall story and I’m sure there are thousands of other guys telling their wives the exact same thing but it really is true. I would love to meet my thief, just for 5 minutes. I also had the front light stolen off my bike by some other thieving prick but that’s not what you asked about. Two dollars of the ‘fun money’ went towards 1 cent fruities, which I consider a sensible investment. There was a brief and successful flutter on roulette, a loss at a poker table, a gain at a poker table and another, final, crushing loss at a poker table. So the money ($150) lasted about 6 days, on the road it could have kept me alive for 20 days but where is the ‘fun’ in that?
Hi John,
A great piece on your trip to and in Vegas – although you didn’t say how long your parental ‘fun-money’ lasted at the tables. I sweated through the desert with you and shivered with your sun-stroke – but you made it !
We have enjoyed hosting some of your Seattle friends – Christa, Carly and Laura for a couple of days whilst they did England (expected) and unexpectedly
Scotland (thank you Tom for planning their unplanned 12oo mile round trip to Edinburgh rather than Cambridge to see you !)
Here my London Marathon programme says I’m reaching a peak ‘plateau’ of fitness – ready for the Big Day on 26th April – which of course I believe – must be a few others running as I’m number 47097 ! My gharish orange running outfit can be viewed at http://www.justgiving.com/petermitchellmarathon09.
i’m hilarious
(At the risk of annoying the editor another comment from Mike and Jean! )John, your photos are wonderful and we were pleased to see you looking so well( something maybe due to the lack of hair!) Enjoy the journey and keep safe. We think of you often.
Lots of love to you, Mike and Jean
ps The house has gone all quiet again , as it did two years ago at this time. Tom and Christa have gone up to Edinburgh. If we’re lucky Tom might just write about it here!
Hey John, your Just Giving page has expired and no longer accepts donations!! Can you get it fixed?
Take care, love Mum xx
Hey John! Happy Birthday. Just checked out your blog and your recent photos are incredible… Hope you’re doing well!
Hi John so have resorted to writing on here as you’re ignoring my e-mailed birthday messages
) Hope you’re having a great time, just wanted to say – like Rich I now have a skype phone, so if you wanted to call me you need to find chattymitchie on skype 
) Would be great to catch up. Everything good here – just off out for a 12 mile run …. arhhhh the pain ….
Anyway – get in touch when you have a moment, hope you’re 26th year is running smoothly so far.
Your older but shorter sister
S xxx
Happy birthday for yesterday honey. I must admit I hadn’t realised until I came on to check on what your up to- read your wonderful blog on the sandwhich and needed to tell you how wonderful it was! Then read your birthday messages. Hope you had a great one.
I’m in Phnom Penh, capitol of Cambodia- having an absolutely awesome time. General direction north from here- and then I see.
Take care honey and enjoy xxx
Hi John,
Have a great birthday – when I’ve finished golf today I will propose a toast in your honour – probably it will be tea at 3.30 pm – or perhaps a beer ! Many of your Harewood colleagues ask after you and send their regards.
See you later this year ?
Love, Dad
Happy Birthday John – 26 today. Have a great day, have a drink on us. Maybe you will be home for your 27th!!
Loads of love Mum xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x
I do know your birthday is tomorrow by the way. Or 364.25 days ago….which is quite belated.
that must be a belated last year’s birthday
Belated wishes John, for your birthday. Hope you had a good one! We think of you often, in that glorious sunshine, and hope you are safe and well. Not so sure about your digestive tract though! Urgh!!!
Lots of love
Mike and Jean
happybirthdaytoyouhappybirthdaytoyouoooohappybirthdaytooyou
HAPPYBIRTHDAY
If you give me a number (by email as I can’t normally check this site from school) then I can try and give you a call. I could even skype you – apparently every McDonalds has wireless and skype works really well on wireless but I won’t be eating any burgers. Might take a poo in the loo though. And wee on the seat. Hope you have a cool day and will speak to you soon anyway. Oh yeah before I go can you give me an address of where you will be soon or Simon’s address and I will send something out to you that you will probably regard as completely pointless. Because it is. Nearly. Laters little bruv luv Rich. I hate spelling love luv.
Come on Tom, it is time you wrote a Guest Blog and let us know what you have been doing and what you are up to now, a short comment wont suffice!!!
Keep well, Annie & Peter
Hey John are you just trying to confuse us all by writing in the Guest Blog? Only 2 days to your Birthday, what are you planning to do for it?
I did 20 miles yesterday and can walk today – I must be getting fitter!
I will try the “Sandwich” but it sounds discusting, all love Mum xx
Hello Vern (and everybody), I am back in the old world living a life much more ordinary. I am currently working in a bicycle shop in Cambridge. Christa (my Seattleite girlfriend) and I are moving to Edinburgh in March where she will be studying and I will be working, hopefully. Hope all is well with you Vern. Thank you for the lift. Cheers
I hope that everything is beautiful where you are!
Kellie
tom just wondering how you made out after i dropped you off in fort st.john b.c.i gave you a ride from prophet river after your leg gave out.hope everything is going well. good luck on the rest of your journey.vern
Enjoy your travels down the Pacific Coast. Just got back from a road trip to the sunshine and we traveled much of Highway 1 through California. Enjoy! It was fun to meet you in Camas!
Hi John,
I just clicked on the “random image” button about 100 times. I hadn’t done that before – fun photos galore!
I’m glad to hear you made it out of Elma alive. Kelsea said that town is a little, well, little. Sounds like you’re quite the hustler on the slate. For good inspiration on becoming a pool shark, be sure to watch “The Hustler” with Paul Newman and Minnesota Fats.
Well, just wanted to say hi – and that I’m growing a beard in memory of you. I’m at two weeks, one day. It’s looking okay. Needs more time though.
Keep us posted often, and clean up your copy in the blog posts – a.k.a. don’t write while drunk…
Love you man, I wish you the best of adventures.
John,
It’s 1:30 AM and I just read your Back-to-the-States blog. I enjoy your writing a great deal. K & K got to California and Natalie and Kirk had a great road trip with them. Linda and I miss Khale & Katie very much, especially the former – just playing favorites, I confess. Tough to say goodbye to someone you’ve known from the beginning. They moved into their house Saturday night, 31 January. You may already know this so I won’t go on. We enjoyed your company over the Holidays very much and look forward to making contact with your parents in July. Safe travels to you. You are THE MAN, as they say. Peddle on – it’s just over the next hill…Lorne & Linda Wallitner Arlington, Washington
The wanderer has returned! And Christa is here too. He hasn’t changed. Thanks for looking after him John! Now you take great care of yourself and we hope you continue to meet kind and generous people on the road. Our love to you. Tom’s Mum and Dad
And then there was one!!
Happy cycling – I managed 14 miles this weekend – beat that if you can!
Love Mum
Hello John. My phone fell out of my pocket and it is now no longer with me so I had to get a new one. Phone number number two. So here it is: 07846132552. I also have skype on it if you can get to a computer with skype then the phone calls are free. Hope all is going well now there are two wheels instead of four. Not long before spring raises its pretty head and the days are already getting longer. Speak soon bro, Rich.
Wishing you the very best of adventures and learnings throughout the remainder of your journey, John. Take good care of yourself. Western Washington won’t be the same without you.
–Eric
I was probably five meters from you at new years…or somewhere near as I was in Seattle too….as I live here.!
Kellie :0)
Happy New Year to both John and Bish, hope you saw it in style!!! Time to get down to writing that blog now and putting your photos up – we are all waiting.
Keep well all our love Dad,(Peter) and Mum (Annie)
Hi!
What you’re doing is totally brilliant. I happen to have stumbled upon John’s sister Helen on my travels with my bicycle, one of my introductory lines being “can you help me stow my bicycle” upon the Trans-Mongolian train. Needless to say she told me about your adventure and your very long hair amongst other things.
Unfortunately injury has prevented me from doing quite the mileage I intended and budget prevented the passage by ship from Asia to New Zealand so I took the plane and spent many more fun hours on adventures with Helen.
I see you’re off to South America in April. Sounds like a blast. If the knee improves I’d be tempted to come along for the ride!
Merry Christmas everybody. I have been planning a big blog/picture/video update but want to do it all at once and can’t right now so it will be a couple of days more. Have a few beers while you wait.
Alright Johnny boy,
I don’t have a nmumber for you for christmas day but either email me one or you can get me on 01840 211 284 (Leah’s folk’s house)>
He will kill me if I tell, but John is here in Lapland getting ready for his big night on 24th Dec. Reindeer well fed, parcels wrapped, and bags packed.
I am going into hiding now
Little Green Elf
Here Here Kellie, I can pass on a message that John is at present buying a red suit with a hat with white fur on, but his whereabouts is a secret!!
It’s getting awfully close to Christmas…are you going to tell us all where you are? Santa will need to find you!
John, I think you may have created a new sport ‘Bison chased cycling’. I don’t think it would work in the UK with cows, but if you replaced the bison with red buses, it pretty much already occurs in London. More good action photos please, keep pedaling.
howdy dudey,
I have sent a christmas present to Seattle. Hope it gets to you. Laters,
Rich.
I keep looking for, but not finding, a new blog. Hurry up and let us all know where you are and what you are doing!!!
Hi Guys, I am one of the teachers you met in Fort Nelson who took the bags to FSJ. Have been following along…..looking for some new adventure stories. I am amazed at the buffalo story….wow..I wouldn’t have gone anywhere near that. Keep trek’n guys!
I found a new few messages in the ‘to be approved’ section, not sure how they got there and they are now a little out of order but anyway, they are now ‘approved’. It’s cool to hear from so many of my hosts from the hospitality highway – just an amazing stretch.
…and your story reminded me of a time recently when I sat down in a posh restaurant and they brought out a toppling pile of meats, cheeses and other tasty-looking snacks. I was told to “eat it all” to which I responded that it was a tall hors d’oeuvre.
Hey John, I am the server from Clinton, B.C that took you home;)…hope you are doin’ well and having a great adventure!!!!??!!!
hey Jean-Marc, do you remember that photo of the tents inside tents and you said it was a tenty paradigm shift and I have been thinking it over for a while, trying to settle on the perfect pun response and here it is – my dreams that night were indeed intents.
It’s funny because I don’t actually have a job.
Hey John my boss just asked me to get him a ring-shaped pacific reef. I told him it was atoll order.
Hi John and Tom
Great blog, keep up the good work.
I met you in Tignes in the Chalet Chardons, in 2007, before your trip. And I’ve just discovered that I know John’s mother Anne from a while back. My parents were good friends with Dick and Topsy Woodwark and we would meet up as children, Nigel, Anne, Julia and Kate, along with my brother Jeremy and my cousins Peter and Joanna. Mainly playing table tennis. And when the next (your) generation came along and my mother took her grandchildren Anna and Rosie on holiday, she went with Topsy and Topsy’s grandchildren, including Sarah and John.
Anyway … good luck with the next stage.
hey, fellas. great blog, john, think your mom’s reading about going 55kph down a mountain pass in the rain and dark? yikes. hey, i just posted a bunch of mongolia pics on facebook (i think anyone can see them). i tagged jake in some photos but does anyone have his info so they can tell him (or me?) it’s Anslund innit? keep to the hospitality highway and don’ ttake off that muffler and maybe you will get abducted by UFOs (they tend to go for muffler types)…
Hey John, remember us, you stayed at our place last night at the Westwick Ranch. We met at my bar “Annie’s Place”. It sure was a pleasure meeting you and learning about your cause. We wish you well and will be following your journey. Take care bud, hope the weather doesn’t get too harsh too soon.
Hi John, I just want to tell you how much my sister enjoyed your company and stories. It is wonderful that you brought a ray of life to her day. Your tour and cause seems wonderful and on behalf of my sister, my children and I made a donation to your cause. Take care and keep up the wonderful work and bringing joy to the lives of others.
Best blog so far I think. I love the feeling of riding in the dark…..last time I did it I was very drunk and had no lights (which is why I slept in someone’s garden in the frost) but it is soothing and the bike seems to fly that bit faster.
Went out on Friday for a drink with a couple of people from school, locked dad’s bike (left mine in Cornwall by mistake) and my friend’s together, went for a few bevvies, then found out the lock had been cut, his bike had been nicked but dad’s had been left. Phheeewwweeee pappa.
Take it easy brother,
Rich.
Bish…. What’s this your Mum and Dad speak about you, John and a certain burlesque bar?!!!! I caught them on Cherry Hinton Road a couple of weeks ago- now I bet you haven’t seen a hill as steep as that in a while have you pal?
Sounds fun mate! Missing you, but what a trip- and I thought my ride over the lake district was epic last week.
Keep on doing what you’re doing. Remember to pull your left brake lever when attempting a ‘Raleigh Activator’ type skid, the other could land you in a whole world of trouble, especially in the Yukon.
Hey guys!,
I met you two times in the best pub in Whitehorse, Flippers. I’m the cycler who wants to go too Tibet.
The website is very good! But I’m totally amazed by the trip that you guys are making, very cool!!!
It was nice to meet you guys and I hope we will meet up some where else (probably cycling).
Have a nice trip and enjoy every moment!
Martijn
Hey John!! It was so nice to meet you! It’s always nice to meet people that aren’t from here. I read your blog and your trek down from Whitehorse sounds pretty amazing. I’ve done it in a car but I bet it’s a totally different experience when your cycling. You guys stay safe and keep warm!
John:You are amazing! Competing with wood bison! Olympics here you come!
Tom: Your Great Great Aunt May swore by her knitted knee warmers. Get knitting!
Our love to you both.
A sad day for the bearded community
John and Bish,
Depuis mes vacances en france, bonne chance? J’ai aussi rencontré par hasard Rich au marché à Borough Market – London, il etait amusant.
John … the hair!! What happened! Thanks for trying to call, sorry I missed it. Am finishing up here in a couple of weeks and then … who knows?! Not sure where/what I’m doing next. S xxxx
Glad to see you back on the road again. You both look great, so keep it that way!
Like the new look
hello Mum, you send me your blog and I will post it. I changed it because Christa was going to write a blog but gave up on it.
How do you get to be guest blogger? Notice no-one has managed it yet!
Mum
Jean-Marc posted this link before but it seems fitting to do it again here. For this man the two things are very similar.
Hi J and T: Crista looks great, go for it Tom. A bit of romance on the road no harm it that. The question we should be asking is Tom / John is sex like riding a bike…. do you never forget?.. Tee hee. Came on you were all thinking it. I will leave it there as this is a family show after all. Wrap up warm, Whitehorse looks cold.
You are Iron Mountain Man!!!
(not be confused with the eminent data storage company)
Great race. Great story. Great photo. which reminds me… i should be getting out of bed soon. -nk
John you are truly a man of steel.
Yes another Well done John.
John, well done for your first and sucessful ironman, have you recovered yet? I myself got a bit of a taste for cycle touring recently when I took my bike up to Edinburgh recently, with all my kit strapped to the back, mind you I went by caledonian sleeper train. Keep pedalling
How are the legs? Well done dude, very cool. Give us a ring at some point.
You are amazing. You truly can do anything, can’t you?! Good work John!
CONGRATULATIONS. A real star, you did brilliantly, from 2 very proud parents.
John, you are a star!!! We have been following on the website, 14:16:56, amazing! Well done!
We are thinking of you John and wish you well and every success today.This message comes with our love.
Good luck tomorrow, John!!!!
john,
have you got a contact number for mum and dad yet? Not only to talk to you but I need dad to sign a contract for me. Laters,
Rich.
I just read an article that shows I don’t necessarily need to do exercise to get fit, I just have to believe that I am doing exercise. Yesterday I ran from dawn to dusk, plus I cycled to New York and back.
Hey John-
A friends husband picked up a training trick from his UFC fighter friend. Get a big tire (tyre) from Les Schwabb and hammer it with a big hammer. I am not even joking…this is what he does in his backyard much to the dismay of his wife…
You boys are so close, let’s get together for a beer (or something gross and nutritious for you). I’ll come to you wherever you are.
Numbnuts – did you ever pick up my message off facebook?! Or are you just ignoring me in my hour of need ;o)
Hope your training is going well, good on you for beating the dog, he was at an advantage – having a copywrited stroke an’ all.
Only a mum dare make such a suggestion!Good idea Annie. How about it John?
but mother, according to my research, if I should have my hair cut then I should lose all my strength and then how could I row the atlantic?
I think I might join you both as I am a proficient boat person now! Also how about everybody puts in some money and John gets his hair and beard shaved off!!
With me by the way.
Just a thought John,
How about rowing the Atlantic? Either on the way back from your trip or at a future date. I think it would be quite cool.
Dude,
I was the BEST man the other day.
Dude.
A wise move heading back down South me thinks. If you want the good doctors medical opinion i can send an e mail home if you like but i imagine he will be typically sympathetic and the respnse may not be as comforting as the $60 an hour doctor you saw. Still, at least the other ankle is holding it together.
Wise decision indeed. Good luck with the intermission. This is useful information, which I can now use as verbal ammo to the many here in London who still ask about your adventures. M
You asked and we answered. I go with the Ferry option. Both go to Seattle. John you can train and Tom can be your Chief supporter. AND God for bid Tom needs additional medical attention then Seattle better. AND you both liked Seattle very well… On writing this I read below…you GO Moma John.
Good decision!! Now get down to some serious training John, and Tom you had better sleep, read, play games and generally have a good time and keep pushing John to train harder.
We slept on the decision last night and woke to an angry man swearing at us about how he hates all tourists. We calmly explained to him that we didn’t give a shit what he thought and he left. Anyway, our decision is made. We will take the ferry back to Washington tomorrow, returning back here to complete the ride from mid-September. Progress so far this year: 800 miles.
I think that the best idea was the beer. These are some serious troubles man…but you will figure it out. When you or Tom need a place to stay around, you are welcome to stay with me in Redmond, ok?
We are the couple (from near Cambridge, ON Canada) who you met in the grocery store in Haines Junction.
I don’t see anything in the blog since then.
How’s it going? Did you make up the lost section (Burwash to Haines Junc. or whatever it was)?
We did some great hikes, including the 6000′ King’s Throne at Kathleen Lake.
Now back in the rat race. I thought the hikes would help with fitness, but had a lousy 30K time trial result on Tuesday.
T & E
I have something to send you. Where shall I send it?
they were back in court today Rich, bloody bikes. I don’t know what to do about it – they can’t be trusted. They always have an excuse at the ready though and will be acquitted again I shouldn’t wonder.
I saw both of your bikes in court yesterday for attempted murder. They both said they were framed.
OK JM, now I have finished the course I CAN SEND YOU SOMETHING OUT. Where can I send it? Alaska looks amazing. I want to raft the Yukon all the way from source to mouth. I think there may be a few huge rapid sections along the way. Mum went canoeing with me the other day to check out the Wye. There was a lot of water flowing but mum was hardcore, gungho all the way. Right on. Laters,
Rich.
Alright boyos, good to hear you’re back in the saddle if occasionally rupturing your prostate and tires on route to Beaver Creek. Sounds like the good life has well and truly returned! Good crack!
ha!! great race there, john. i’m in vancouver at the moment for a family reunion next week at whistler. then i don’t know what. glad you guys are back on the road giving beardos a bad name. do well you two. -nk
the article about my swim was published on page 21 of The Driftwood. Here it is
that is pretty weird spam and so I’m going to keep it
Fireplace Chimneyt…
When Muslim preachers first started making inroads into the black community, they were helped by a prevailing sentiment of Afro- Asian solidarity and internationalism. Some of the earliest Muslim preachers to arrive in America in the 1900s were mission…
here’s a shock for you Jean-Marc: my wheel spoke
Be careful out there guys:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/01/usa.cycling
Congratulations to both of you. You have eventually made it as far North as Anchorage!! Now just keep cycling South, good luck.
Guys,
Kellie
Cool website, I miss you both already! Hope you have fun in Alaska and I will see you in a couple of months.
Hey guys after over a year on the road have you noticed yet that your bikes can’t stand on their own? It’s because they’re two tyred.
John,
I had a vision. It was of a headband. They are SO much cooler than pony-tails.
Hi there lads.
I’ts midsummers eave…again. One year since you two were here and made ouer evning a rare and special event. It will most likely not be as fun here in North Sweden without you to this year. just remember what my good friend Dennis told John last year when we were playing crocket “in Sweden we don’t use horses”. good luck to you the rest of the way. hope to see you for next years midsummers eave.
Safe travels you two!! Can’t wait for us to bump into each other here in the south.
come back 4 your hat. please. there was a girl with curly hair who lived on saltspring and told john to quit charity and be selfish and stay and pick rocks forever and keep spare tires in his beard. and play with the girls curly hair.
sounds fun.
i promise.
hmph
I’m employed! will be living in Cornwall. Will be buying a house. Will be surfing A LOT. See you down there.
Yazminash, by your radio silence i guess you guys must be on the tug up North. Drop me an e mail with an update or comedy photo’s when you can. Bish has your arm recovered yet? John boy, what the hell have you done to your hair!? Pony tail? Mans man indeed.
seems like you have some admirers John
I can’t say that we didn’t enjoy each other
me too
Had a great time with you the other night
Alright JR……….how are things on that side of the pond? Any news on tugging? Has Bish’s arm fallen off yet? Let me know dude. Laters,
RP.
Tom: OUCH!
John: You go to sleep with Herbie. How cool! I am following your adventures you both seem pretty relaxed in the North America / Canada bored. Would’t be surprised in years to come that you settle here. Can’t wait for the next bit of the journey.
Two things I have noticed abot your hole in one photo.
1. There appears to be more than one other golf ball on the green (are these yours too?)
2. There appear to be golf trolley marks on the grass (are Canadians really that fat and lazy. And weak. And American?)
alright JRM
don’t know if you got my email but if not please could you try and call me before Thursday. Cheers dude,
RPM
At the old folks place – more like 8:30ish
Dude, I will be having my tooths done that day but call me about 8ish my time and I should be finished and done with. Or is that done and finished with. Who gives a fark. Chainsaws are fun but saws are cooler. Both literally and in terms of their relative standing in the retro and green movements. Six wheeled buggies – are those for triplets?
Well, it looks like I’m going to get a couple of weeks’ work in before our ferry to Alaska. It is out on Salt Spring Island, on an organics farm. it does mean I’m going to miss all of Tom’s going-away parties in Seattle though. I leave tonight
Buckinghamshire, although Gavin Henson is from Warwickshire.
Texas became a state of the union in 1845 according to my research team. The state/commonwealth thing is quite pedantic but a good way to annoy people who claim to be able to name all the states in America.
Which county of England is Wales in?
I thought the Lone Star State(Texas) was the only state not part of the Union.
Massachusetts, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Virginia (and Puerto Rico and the Northern Marianas) are commonwealths. By the way Alaska is the most eastern state.
Which 4 are not states in your 46 states of America? The CIA reckon there are 50. Two are not connected directly (Alaska and Hawaii) but that still leaves another 2. ?????????????
yes brother Rich, you are still the funniest
yes (Tom’s) mother Jean, I remember Jezza well. I was asked to go on air a couple of weeks ago and then I was canceled a couple of hours before the show. If I had known Jezza’s history I might have guessed that would happen.
Am I still the funniest?
Your facts John were fascinating. Triv Per will never be the same!
Here is another fact for you both, gleaned from Radio Cambridgeshire today. Jeremy Sallis (remember him?) was made to stand in the naughty corner, aged 4, for taking adult playing cards into class. A totally useless bit of infomation that you might need some day.
Hi, How are you. Here is first of may and everybody keep fun. My some friends is maybe drink too much, but anyway. Keep fun there and you look like santas.
Ricardo Kongus, it came as a surprise to me too. Pure water and ice have an intrinsic colour: pale blue. This is neither from light scattering (as with the sky) nor from impurities. Every day’s a school day.
I look forward to meeting Sporan, which is ironically an anogram of “no pars”.
I think we both know that water is NOT blue. It’s all to do with Rayleigh scattering my friend. Likewise – the sky is NOT blue. Both do appear, at times, to be blue though. Also – DO go to Petas. She is crazy cool. And she has a dog called Sporan with no goolies. I think Sporan is a better name than Rolex. Maybe one has more irony than the other but I’m not sure which yet. I’m not sure if I’ve used irony the right way either but you can’t say yay or nay as only I know what I may or may not have been thinking of.
Sadly that sauce isn’t made from Dorset Nagas, which have a rating of about 1,600,000 Scoville heat units: tobasco sauce is rated at 2,140 units. But the hottest chilli sauce in the world is “Blair’s 16 million reserve”, which is pure capsicum crystals, and is rated at 16 million units. To be fair though you have to sign a waiver to buy that one and it is specifically “not a food product” (and it will cost you 300 pounds).
Of the 7 moons I mentioned, 6 of them are in large, non-standard orbits (at present). The planets don’t count as our moons as they do not orbit around Earth.
you’ll love having a pony tail, I did. If your thinking like that about the number of moons the Earth has, shorly its 8 (do you see what I am trying to say, and I’m not including the sun of course). I think I tried the hottest chilli in the world and ate a hole teaspoon of it, remember! The facts are good.
If all goes well I will never see Swindon again. I actually can’t see anything anymore without tying my hair up. It looks pretty cool and very masculine. It’s not yet a pony tail so hold off on the ‘under every pony tail…’ line. Who liked the fun facts?
Have you thought about visiting Swindon on the way back?………………………..Don’t
A year in and about half way round the world so not bad going for a 2 year trip. John – absolutely love the conspiracy theory lectures, maybe get a few scientology ones in on your way down. Catch up with you both soon. Good luck breaking in the saddle! Tom (desert rat)
Well done guys! You left Cambridge 365 days ago! Does it really take that long to grow that much hair? You’ll be able to make your own jumpers soon! Keep up the good work.
Mum and Dad (Tom’s)
Your Weird Beard pic was passed round at Harewood Downs Golf Club to break the news gently to them that you were turning into a Yeti !! Apart from the unavoidable mirth all sent their best regards for your continuing successful trip – are you coming back in 2009 or 2010 ?
Keep pedalling the Faith !!
Dad
keep on cycling, and fundraising, your getting there. If you both put double effort in, thats quadruple effort really, or triple effort each would be sextuple/hextuple effort. But by far the best would be if you put in quadruple effort each you would really be Octuple effort, and then you’d nearly be cephalopods. From England and all those supporting your distant cause, good luck. Tom remember when you were absent from the Grad ball, all everyone wanted to do was talk about you, well imagine a years worth of that, my response is so well practiced now, I just say “check the website out”, free advertising.
Oh heavens, is that really you John under all that hair. It looks like some joke!! Congrats on the story comp. Maybe a great future as an author.
Take care Mum
also – I have a little package to send you….do you have an address I can send it to?
one word – swim cap
well done on the writing competition John….maybe put it up on the website for others to look at. I read the story and it’s prety cool. Laters,
Rich uh um yeah kingus kongus that is.
You seem to be into training have you seen sweat365.com ?
Kingus Rich,
peekchores will be uploaded as soon as I find a computer I can do it from. There are really very few though, except the ones of Tom’s back waxing of course.
peectures………peek….chores
ees zees page brewken?
ou est les photos
I’m impatiently waiting like everyone else for news, the only things i’ve heard was a rumour that you’ve started training for your iron man event.
So when is the next blog coming…being hit by a car on your bike is old news now, John.
Alright John,
How’s it going and where are you at the moment? Good to speak to you on your birthday ….. you are pretty old now aren’t you? Just waiting for this course to end now. Laters,
Rich.
Yaminash boyos! How are you doing? Thought i’d drop you a quick note to try and establish where on earth you are. Also to say that Mike starts his new job at the end of the month and has already moved to London. The dream team has once again been dispanded however I may well see him in Abi Dabi if all goes to plan. Flying to Dubai today so be in coms asap if they have internet in the desert. Who knows…
Happy Birthday John!!!
Hi John,
The trip looks amazing, have been casually following you from this web page. Seems like you have been having an awesome adventure and enjoying the journey. Where are you at the moment? Wish you continued safe travells and life changing moments.
Tim
And love and happy birthday from as two!
HAPPY 25TH BIRTHDAY JOHN!!!!! Have a great time.
Happy birthday bro. Hopefully will speak to you later this evening. ENjoy the day,
Rich.
John
Happy Birthday
I hope that you have a fab day, if possible i would recommend a slice of victoria sponge and a cup of earl grey tea.
Hope that all is going well with you, enjoy reading your blogs on my lunch breaks, keep safe.
Love Tedx
Tom, do you refer to the Michelle who’s photo you had on your wall for the last 3 years, including while you were going out with Katie? The ‘Shell’ that you have been chasing since Bish first met her in that bar? With that in mind, your news of getting together with a nice girl and moving to Dubai with her 2 weeks later does make rather a nice story with a wholesome happy ending (for most). My extensive audience (mum, dad and occasionally Bish) would probably have liked it.
In reply to you, I could now afford to live like a real person for a while but prefer the unpredictability of being woken up from a deep slumber in the park or some other forbidden place by a warden and told to “move on”.
John are you still sleeping rough or have you finally found somewhere to stay? Slightly dissapointed at having not read your blog for some time that my getting together with Shell and leaving for Dubai was not an amusing annecdote for you to share with your extensive audience. Anyway, chance missed and i’ll just have to sell the story myself.
Tom – was great to meet you this past week in Seattle! I’ll be making a little donation once I pay off my adventure. Good luck to you and John on the rest of your travels, and keep growing that enormous beard!
For some reason the galley page is down at the moment, in these situations I hope for them to self-improve. Anyway, there aren’t any very recent photos to look at.
Mum – you’ll have to ask Tom about that one, the back is waxed though and at some point I will put up photos from the event.
Hi lads, when is the great “chest waxing” going to take place? Lots of photos of Tom’s face please while it is being done!!
Here’s a quick update to the blog. I am going to stay in Seattle with Tom for a while, although I’m not too sure how long yet. We have arrived at the Green Tortoise hostel and today did our first work in at least 9 months. We have to work 3 hours a day for our room and some meals, which seemed pretty reasonable. I say seemed because 3 hours cleaning toilets offers the opportunity to really think these things through. So, we would normally have to pay 24 dollars each per night and if you assume the real cost to to the hostel be 15 dollars a night (pretty generous) then we are in effect earning 5 dollars (or 2 pounds 50) an hour. Hooray for immigrant labour!
Hi guys keep fun there. I hope everyting going fine. You are very welcome back to Finland. Many peoples here wait back.
Dude,
Send me an email with the new years antics. I’ll reply in turn. Just looked at Zeitgeist – very good. I will use the bit about the thermit reaction at school as I do that in class…a cool reaction. 2008 is looking good. Do you realise that if you had done a tour of Bucks instead then I could have used public transport to come and see you. It’s tricky getting to the States in a week without using a dreaded aeronautical device. Laters,
Rich.
Zeitgeist is excellent.
hey Sarah, we both had a lot of fun too. But sshhh about the details, I hadn’t told anyone about those bits.
Thanks for a great new year – two threatened arrests, two bust ups and a visit to the hospital – what a winner!!
Good luck with the rest of your trip, will hopefully see you for the iron man/marathon
)
Happy new year
If anyone reading this knows of any work Tom and I could get anywhere on the west coast and without necessarily requiring a work visa then please send me an email (in contact us) with details and don’t tell the police. HAPPY NEW YEAR, best resolutions?
Tried to send you a Christmas card, but could not find a postal code to Palm Beach. But surely the old, white bearded chap will find you though. Have a lovely Christmas and plenty of egg nogs!
phew, it’s lucky no-one took us up on the Christmas card offer, we were only bluffing.
Adam, you have my full permission to submit any of my photos as your own to the Beano or other worthy publications.
Slap and tickle takes on a whole new meaning when you two are around tee hee… of course I refer to the Slap clip. Pictures are brilliant. Will someone enter them into a competition please.
Spend as much time on the bridge as possible…that’s where you’ll see whales etc. Or on deck of course but it will be chilly this time of year. Hope you have some good storms. HAve a good one J and B (John and Biff)
Did you actually make it to the boat on time?!!! Have a great trip, enjoy being pampered, I hope that they let you off when you get to America.
Sorry folks no guts no glory on my part. But I will do next time. Tee Hee. I should of known everyone should have been cool with it. I know Tom from working at Addenbrookes (Staff Banks). However as America is the next port of call, The “Bearded Boys” could always have the beards measured by The King of Beards… I think that I have spent too much time thinking of this. This is what happens when you work at Addenbrookes.
Too bad facebook owns all your photos now anyway!
Adam, I can`t claim equal morals to you. Almost none of the pictures on this site have peoples` consent and I got a picture of my friend, Chris Cockel (picture: in training), into a number of papers and websites while trying to publicise our trip. If it was me in your shoes then I most probably would have uploaded the photos and then posted the link, and giggled like my little brother while I did it.
I wasn’t going to attached your Pic’s without your permission. Yes I must admit the website is a interesting however wierd almost very wrong in places. But only in America…where you going next?????
thanks very much for the link to your favourite fetish site. If you look carefully you will now see that there are still no photos of our beards there.
Good Morning or Evening. There is no need to ask you how are you are as you can see by the pictures. Just been reading the comments below, Happy Birthday Tom. The pictures are still great as ever. I have a website for yous http://www.beards.org/ it is all about beards for a healthy beard life. It does it all from first day of stubble to fully grown and let me tell you should be proud of yours as you could outgrow the majority of them listed on there. There are success stories from around the world but none from the UK…I think I have two people in mind….
Hi there. Just a note to wish Tom a very happy birthday – enjoy all the celebrations!!! Now a year older but probably still no wiser – why are you cycling round the world and entering barmy challenges?
Hey John. Please do send the address – my folks would like to donate (so that you’ll make it to KY…) but would prefer to do so by check/cheque. Happy Birthday, Tom!
hey Anne, yeah I can send you an address if you`d like to donate by cheque/check. I should add for others that Anne is entered in the same ironman, without the need for such incentives as I have demanded.
Does my story of wallet theft qualify as edutainment?
Is it possible to submit donations by check, or just online?
I love your blogs! they’re so funny. keep pedaling – a fun christmas awaits! hugs xxx
Cycletherapy maybe, perhaps from an analyist-therapist – an analrapist. And there I was thinking the British justice system favoured rehabilitation over PUNishment.
Good last blog by the way (the one about Mt Fuji). Educative AND entertaining – edutainment.
Cat Empire water bottle? Rock on!
I`d like to go back if I may and ask jean-marc if he happens to know if that Scottish fellow was offered any cycle-therapy?
Ted, I would love some British meat however you interpret that and will supply you with an address forthwith. JeanMarc, you may be relieved to know that they are much laxer about things like that in Japan so we`re safe for a while. Here is a link to a video I like watching. I mean here
Now that you’ve reached Yokohama (hopefully) could we have a cycle mileage figure and puncture total for your adoring fans at Harewood Downs Golf Club please ? Trust your guts are holdinp up to all the nice sushi and saki – non-fattening burgers and fries await you over the horizon !
What about that article for the local press – do you want us to help from this end ? Bon Voyage !!
Hey guys don’t know whether you’ve seen this already, but thought you might be interested. Consider it friendly advice:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7095134.stm
Mmmmmm, bikes.
I think Ted meant “try to eat British people”
Boys
I hope that all is good, loving the updates, sorry for not being in touch for a while, new job is going well and am tres busy. Think that you are due another food package soon so give me a shout when you have an address and I shall send you another one. Keep safe boys and be BRITISH.
Love Tedx
P.S try and eat British wherever possible!
I tried mother, I really tried
Did you rescue the damsel from the top of the castle?
Well, Hokkaido would be awesome but there won`t be any snow there for about a month yet according to Dan, who has been there the past few seasons. Are our legs tired? Actually yeah, kind of. We had a long climb this morning and we`re pretty soft nowadays. But, a dare is a dare so we`ll look into it.
hokkaido…can you get there…or are you’re legs too tired? Great snow, some wilderness etc. Maybe a log ride up. It’s a dare.
Bish….write a blog you lazy bastardo
Sayonara guys, Just a brief message, if you do get to Japan please check your email accounts, because my mum has sent you an important message. She’s in Japan touring japanese gardens from Friday. Konnichiwa
Hey guys,
Are you in Japan yet!? I’ve been a bit slack of late checking for blogs etc after your holiday in Mongolia but loved the recovery of the lense cap on the Great wall. I should really come to expect it that disaster seems to trail you like a shadow but nevertheless i’m constantly impressed with your shinanigans and slightly blue tinted photo’s.
Just to let you know that exactly 2 years to the day after moving to Bristol, Mike is moving in. No doubt going to be an awesome if slightly hazardous experience. Enjoy the orient and good luck to Bish with the chest waxing, going to be sore!
I’ll give some more money if Bish goes for the full-body wax…none of this half-hearted stuff for the Blighty Boys.
We hope you are in Osaka when you read this!We think you are both quite mad, but brave and wish you luck with all the challenges. Just lie back and think of England Tom! It will all be over in a whisk of a wax strip! Lots of love to you both. Mum and Dad (Toms)
John,
re: your last blog. If you’re going to raise funds by busking maybe you should consider playing the pink oboe, and tom playing the bavarian skin flute. I’m imagining a beautiful rendition of ‘just the two of us’ on said instruments.
hey dudes. hope everything is bon on your voyage to osaka. i sent some glorious pics of jacob’s 21st to john’s gmail. thanks for the great times, guys. keep pedallin’(sic) -Noah
Hi to you both. The photos are great, but I cant see too much face any more, too much hair! Your challenge is taken up and I will encourage everyone to donate to the charites,say good bye to chest hair now Tom, it wont be long before you feel the pain, and both start preparing for marathons and ironmans. Good luck in trying to secure passage across the Pacific love Mum (John’s)
Sold! Thanks for the heads up Alex
Don’t rule out the Pikes Peak Marathon — August 17, 2008, in Colorado.
by the way, some of the photos I’m putting up may appear a little blue to the non-colourblind among you. This is because I wanted to make them black and white but couldn’t work out how with all the tabs in Mandarin so I tried to do it another way and thought I had done a pretty good job until Tom, competent with colours, pointed out the flaw.
hi!
i just read your fantastic volunteer experience in Costa Rica in LonelyPlanet website and then i found your own website.
it’s a great around-world tour by bike which must have made a great number of people surprised.hehe i am one of them.
well i have read your route,it seems that your next destination is Beijing,right?
i’m a university student who live in Beijing and love travelling.i don’t know wether you will spend a few days in Beijing.so if you have time, i want to see you guys ,or if you have some problems, i’m glad to help you. =)
you can contact me on MSN or E-mail.
Good luck!
Dad,
it just so happens that I had aleady started with kit reviews, began an article, got Tom to take the Howies photo for that reason and sung the bicycles in Beijing song to Jacob on the way here – great minds… well you know. And so that you don’t have to navigate to the reviews page, I shall not keep you in further suspense by announcing right here that our sloar charger has performed excellently to date.
Anu, I can’t imagine what happened to the beach photos. I think they were on the card with the Tom-with-a-good-beard-photos, sorry to disappoint.
What, no photos of the Mongolian beaches?!?? I’m disappointed… (But looks great, though. Good luck in China!)
Your Mongolian photos are the best yet – what a fantastic experience – how about an article for the local papers now you’re six months out?
Also what about a kit review to let us know how this is holding up ? I’m interested to know how your solar battery charger is doing – judging by your snowy sleep-over Howies’ thermal clothing is doing well – what a good advertisement for them !! Looking forward to your news from China – apparently there is a lot of bicycles in Beijing – could be confusing !!
I remember it very well, all the way up till midday. We made it back to Ulaanbaatar yesterday and so managed to join a good crowd and watch the game in the wee hours this morning. We were asked to keep the noise down but it is next to impossible to restrain from shouting a ‘heave’ or from cheering a big tackle. At the final whistle I took a dive onto the sofa and headbutted Tom by mistake. We also drank quite a bit, I was woken up on the sofa at 6 by the guest house manager, who was trying to feed me more vodka in my sleep.
Do you recall a day 4 years ago in the Walkabout in Southampton. They say “lightning doesn’t stike twice”, but never mentioned anything about rugby. Here we go again, the World cup final, I hope you can find a transistor radio, no excuses. Keep pedaling.
Guys,
Great to see your progress- and the facial ‘thing’ seems to be coming along nicely. Did you get the parcel from Ted?- I may have helped select one or two of the items in our mad dash around Waitrose. Dozens of shoppers were fairly bemused to see 2 giggling guys ramming catfood (you did realise didn’t you…?!) and tampons (very good as dressings-no other reason) into a cardboard box.
Hope all is good, I know Kuwait isn’t on your route but i’m likely to be living there from March onwards if you fancy dropping in. I’ll promise you a ride on my hovercraft.
All the very best,
Jamie
Hey dudes,
Just to say good luck in Mongolia, sounds awesome. Missed out on a surf sesh down in Croyde over the weekend and a trip to the millennium stadium to watch wales lose to Oz with me and Mike, maybe next time? Incase you’ve not kept up England are playing appaulingly badly in the world cup and will no doubt be back home by the time you return to from Mongolia. Have a good one, enjoy your ‘holiday’! nice.
Please behave in my absence.
Hi Tom and John. I have got to mention that pictures that you are taking are really great, inspired. Better than you get in National Geographic! Did you see the international band convention in Russia. Da or Nikt. From Russia with Love….well it’s better than saying See’ya from Cambridge.
Hey Noah (and Tom and John)!
I bet there’s no mention of this in the guidebooks. Forewarned, etc.
Hey Tom and John (and Noah)!
We are now living with the girls in a apartment near to the center and it’s so great! The studying hasn’t started yet because we need all kinds of papers and stamps before that and it all takes so long.. russian byrocracy! 
Well, take care there! Hugs from St. Petersburg! -Riikka
So, how was the trip with the trans mongolian train? New great experiences with the russian people and the russian cities, I’m sure..
The thing about cycling in Russia is that you will get offered a lot of vodka. This is true by the way. Just a bit of a shame that you might miss out on Russian hospitality. When you get to China, please could you start humming the dam busters’ tune. That should get old Wang do (the Chinese president) shaking in his boots. If you wanted to go a little further then why not go the whole Barnes Wallis and pack a few bouncing bombs in the old panniers? Free the proleteriat. Are there enough keywords here to alert the authorities? No? Revolution, WMD, terror. Now I’m in really big trouble. On another note, if you send me a number at any time then I can call you and also if you know where you might be in a little while then I can send you out a parcel. I noted that the staple of Britishness was missing from your last parcel…namely marmite. Hope all is well in Siberia. Dude.
Tramp is cool with me, although I’m carrying a dismantled bike instead of empty cans and cereal packets. The rugby world cup is sadly not an interest here and even if they did show it they would dub it. As to the ladies question, I am winning, John 0 : Tom -1.
Hey boys…. Been enjoyin ya little comments and stories. Just a few thoughts.
- Sleepin in doorways, pissin in streets, large beards – hobo springs to mind!
- How is the lady count? whos ahead? do chicks dig beards?
- Do they show the rugger world cup in Russia (halftime – france 9 Argentina 16 lovin it)
- Keep up the good work, hopefully see u in south america
Queeny, yes I think it deserves consideration, what’s the worst that could happen? Lee, the beard photos are more temporally spread now because there isn’t much change each week any more, especially for Tom who is a trimmer these days don’t you know? How perceptive of you by the way. Si, I agree about the bad joke, I will announce here that I heard it from Laura Tannenbaum, all blame should go directly to her. Your jokes are always shite (apologies to the elderly).
You need to update the beardage photos! i think you should come back for tomorrow so you can come to my birthday bash
what’s that? get lost oh ok then i guess as you are having the time of your live ill let you off – keep up the travelling and beer drinking!
I reckon you should do some cycling in Russia…which would mean you might overstay your Russian visa but what can they do? Hhhhmm, what can they do?
John, I think that was probably the worst line I’ve heard since you left, you are not very punny (perhaps mine was worse, who knows?).
So you want to change the subject then, good move as my next one would have been a lot poorer than my previous two. Maybe we could talk about what people think you guys should/will end up doing for a living when you finally return from your holiday? (Sponging off the state does not count as a job)
Dad you speak some sense, and mum, my what a deep voice you have. Of course my motives were to have something interesting to write about in my blog and I would have succeeded if it weren’t for those pesky kids. I like the theme here but if the content is getting tedious we could change the topic for the puns. Actually I entered a pun competition recently with 10 entries. I checked the results the next day hoping to have at least one prize winner but unfortunately no pun in ten did.
In some clubs you can make a lot of friends by p***ing on them. I don’t go to those clubs.
I shall be pleased when contributors’ attention is drawn to more relevant subjects than your speed – or evident lack of it – to circumnavigate the globe!!
John, I don’t know how you thought I brought you up, but you do not gain new friends by p***ing on them from your great height !! Take care !!
Dad
bish! how will you cope at the kremlin without me to piggy back you across?? also, write more blogs!!
I hound the world for 80 days. In this I would do my best to really annoy. Oh, but it’s not a travelling one. Forget it.
Around the world in ailing haze?..in which you set out in a slowly clearing fog until returning in a failing blaze as the sun is once again slowly obscured by the returning fog. Not Phileus Fogg.
What about Around the World with Ainsley’s Trays – in which a popular tv chef lends you his astonishing collection of baking trays for use on your journey. No?
Around the World: an 80s craze? 1480s that is. Before embarking on your trip you would have to convince the Portuguese monarch that the world isn’t flat and beg for her patronage. Perhaps you could show her the fine collection of rare baking trays you’d amassed on a previous voyage. That would sway it.
Hello guys, just found your website (thru BBC’s article, not directly yet in google) and was reading a bit… missing our names somewhere, though (^;
Wishing you best, Jaui & Valeria
So where are you now,still waiting for clearance for the Mother Land hey? How are the beards? How ya both well. Regards Adam
Big up, just saw you at a terrace in Sörnäinen. Sorry, it was a bit hectic as I was just returning from a MTB ride and was all sweaty and shitty and stuff and in a hurry to catch a ferry
Great ride, keep going!
I see that the standard of gags dropped rapidly from the start, with Si somehow sinking below even the beardage displays one. My favourite was the trees.
Anyone with the Finnish national TV channels at home (probably not you mum) Tom and I will be on it this evening, channel 8 I think sometime after 6.
Hi Annika, sadly Tom and I never made it to Ankka-Rock in the end, we were somewhere else.
I think it’d be best for everyone you meet if you did Around the World with enough deodorant sprays! I might go with you if you did Around the World just catching the rays though (only if combined with the spray one).
Hi John! We met at the Rock pub in kokkola,perhaps u remember..or not… It seems like u have been enjoying ur stay in Finland, but did u visit Ankka-rock at all? I hope u will like the other countries you´ll go trough also. good luck on your journey!
…or, around the world with extraordinary beardage displays!
And after this weekend, how about Around the world by 80 islands?! or 80 trees….
the tom and john tour: around the world with 80 delays!
Hey dudes, like the sound of around the world in 80 days. Thought you might be interested in reading the books of a chap i’ve begun working with called Robert Twigger, he’s absolute nails. Just started a new project called ‘the explorer school’ (www.theexplorerschool.com), check out the first chapter of his book Voyager on the Rivers section of the website. Try and get hold of it if you can ‘borrow’ it from a library on your travels. Sure it’ll be up your proverbial ally. Hope all’s going well, sick of Finland yet?
Around the World in a duvet?
Ooh, I’ve got another one, a trip where you drink huge quantities of PG tips: Around the World in a Tea Daze.
Yeah, or I could get a sled and find lost dogs to pull it and call it Around the World with 80 Strays. Any more for any more? How about a motorbike trip, Around the World on ATKs?
What about this for a new cycle tour idea:
Brokeback mountain…biking: Around the world with 80 gays
Sounds great Mike, perhaps I could then publish my stories in a book under the alias Jules Verne.
hey how about this title for your next trip, “not for mere mortals; a cycle ride to other worlds”.
You could cycle through Antarctica, or under the sea, and even to the centre of the earth, and incorporate it all into one behemoth.
check out my cool “cycling around the wolds” tour photos at this link
No, that’s it.
I would never have beleived it. Thanks for the info…but I won’t go and see the film, now the secret has been told….unless there are any other suprises?
They most definitley are robots and sometimes they are in disguise but sometimes they’re not, you just can’t predict them.
did I hear a little mention of the carribean? Go to barbados – and I can come see you and we can go surfing! Its so nice there you literally surf in amongst the sea turtles.
ooooh lovely – I hope you guys are having fun and LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU REACH LA!!!!!!!!!!!! xxx
Are transformers actually robots in disguise?
Day 3 in Turku – still no museums. Apparently we’re just not as cultured as we claimed. I can recommend seeing Transformers though.
Finnish line really boys that was bad. Tom listen to Mother!
Funny you should say that, John. It is the same photo, only vertical. I uploaded the wrong photo, and hoped no-one would notice…
When I once grew hair, but not of the facial variety, continual suggestions to cut it, only made me stronger in my desire to grow it longer and longer. In these hard times you will need great mental strength, and “original source” mint and tea tree shower gell, for that fresh and tasty feel.
Mum, I am the strange man with a beard.
Hi, glad to hear everything is going well. Stay away from strange men with funny smelling cigarettes and a beard!! May just have to come and meet you in the Caribbean. Hope I recognise you under all that hair Stay well love mum
a close shave indeed Jean-Marc. Your mother wouldn’t have been the first to encourage a crop and a shave but we are hardened to the task now and after seeing a monster beard today ever more determined to let ours grow and fulfil the stereotype.
Note how my mother has resolutely failed to identify the objective of not cutting your hair for the duration of the trip. I think you may have had a close shave if you’d encountered her in Harstad.
Yes John.. if I knew you were coming I’da bake a cake!!.. and laundered your socks, and trim your hair and showed you the shower and… …
Well done you boys! Hope JMarc joins you at some point. Safe journey all the way!
Hey John I didn’t know you went to Harstad? You shoulda told me, I would’ve got my folks to cook you a reindeer stew. That’s some detour.
Youse sure are funny bastards. I personally cant find anything to write about on a my blog after a days ride that is homourous, its usually just whingy. Its a shame I couldnt join you guys, it gets lonely on the road all alone…(whinge, whinge)
Folks,
Really mega super uber impressed by your journey and enjoy reading your updates from the comfort (and utter boredom) of my desk. Keep it up and stay in touch.
All the best,
Jamie
John
Mate am sorry that I have been away for a few days and my comp died briefly so have been without email and have only just recieved your address! The other problem is that I am having a few issues sorting out the DHL bit of it despite it being a british company there were issues that i wasnt an account holder etc… to cut a long and boring story down, I think that you should not wait in your current location for the parcel and instead send me another address in due course and I shall be better prepared for that. When you have the address can you email my work address tom@agri.org.uk which I check daily and seems to work better than facebook. Really sorry if this has messed you around but I promise to be better prepared next time and will open the account by then. Hope all is well, take it easy
Tedx
It’s not always Tom Hanks you know, sometimes I’m called Jesus too.
By the way who will be the lucky 100th commenter? Will there be a special prize?
Tom Hanks was crap at riding a bicycle as far as I remember…that’s how he got into running as he fell off the blinkin’ thing and pegged it like a twat away from the cool dudes who were taking the proverbial and throwing sticks and stones. Look-a-likey maybe but the similarity ends there…although John did always run away from me when I threw sticks and stones at him but those damn leg braces never fell off.
Whilst you’ve been away the smoking ban has come about.
Is it a good or bad thing? Matter of opinion I suppose, but the wierdest thing of all is the affect its having on some non-smoking citizens.
The thing is, a growing minority of rebelious and liberal minded people are taking up smoking as an anti-government/establishment stand.
I am not to sure of the numbers as of yet, but if I count myself as one then there are a fair few. It sure would be ironic if the smoking ban actually caused more smoking health problems than before due to the huge increase in numbers of smokers. Viva la révolution.
The 0% (rounded to 1 s.f.) that you won by is so insignificant that no one would care anyway! I did pick up the plaque for you, you can have it when you get back unless you want me to post it out to you?
response to Cathy: of course Bish is winning if you account for all body hair but the contest is much closer if you just look at the beard.
response to Si: without my trophy, how is anyone going to know that I beat you?
hey boys!!! looks like you are having an awesome trip!bish is definately winning hands down on the hairy front though!!just been to sicily for a week volcano watching – was absolutely incredible!reccommend ‘popping there’ on your way back!!xx
I have just seen the beards! Go Forest go. Fine examples of beard growth. Well Done.
Hey Johnny Boy,
Thought I’d let you knwo there are no trophies for the stats this year, all that effort and no reward eh? I’ll be picking up your trophy for the team finishing 2nd, might give it to you when you get back, depends what mood I’m in.
Bish,
I hope you’re playing the game we talked about (what colour’s that?).
Speak to you both soon.
Si
John
Thank you for the message. The food parcel is not perishable food as yet so it can keep for a while, when you provide me with an address I shall get some perishable things to go in it!
Hope all is still good for you both, take care
Ted
HÃ¥kan & Agneta from boden.
Boys
The kiss is merely a sign of my affection to you
White pudding – well its mainly oatmeal so tastes a bit like a good stuffing with some leeks in it, cut into slices and gently fried in a pan…. ohh lovely!
And as I write this Tony Blair has stepped down and to give him credit it was a good last PM question time, loads of complements and did a good job – know we have floppy collar brown to contend with, hopefully Cameron will rip him to shreds!!
Take it easy boys
Tedx.
Hello dears,
Afraid i am not as charitable as Ted but will include a pair of garden shears and delousing lotion if required (i suspect given the current hair growth they may well be). Keep up the reports. Chef xxx
Ted,
thank you kindly for your offer and I shall send you an address, please enclose presentation notes. Does whit pudding leave a funny taste? Why do you sign off to us with a kiss? I look forward to your replies my most nationalistic friend.
Boys
Did you know that the Penny Farthing was invented by an English engineer called James Starley.
Tedx
Boys
Good morning from a damp soggy England
The weather her is shit and living up to the usual British standard. Glad to hear that all is well and you are making steady progress. Are you near a post office anytime soon as I have a food parcel prepared for you with some local grub and some whit pudding which i sampled the other day and was tres yummy!!! so yeah let me know if you are and I shall send the supplies to you courtesy of DHL – a classic English courier who although not owned by the UK now owe their founding to a young BRITISH man. Anyway have to dash and give a presentation about Robotic Milking Parlours!!!! will enclose a copy in the parcel should it interest you.
Take it easy boys
Tedx
hi Linn, we would have loved to stay in Jokkmokk for midsummer and longer but had to leave as Tom was seriously looking at house prices. We spent midsummer in Boden and thanks to everyone at the party because it was a wicked evening, same time next year.
Thanks for the research Mike but I can’t see it ever catching on, we’ll play safe with the pedals.
hi again guys, hope u enjoy ur last nigth here in boden, and that u update ur gallery from midsummer, (want to see) i wish u the best of luck whit the rest of ur trip. //john.
Too bad you left right before Midsummer, we’re having sill (really gross) and nubbe =) You’ve probably already seen it: http://www.nsd.se/artikel.aspx?artid=63323&arkiv=False&city=13
Ha det så bra // Linn
Hello!
I hope your journey through europe ends well!
It was nice to have a little conversation with you two at our bikeshop, “Bodens Cykel & Mek”, today! =)
I hope you have / had a great time here in sweden, specially Boden! =)
In light of a recent discovery I thought you’d be interested. I found out its called an internal combustion engine. The way it works is basically it takes fuel and goes. Making travel easy and effortless. In 1885 the first motorbike was made by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, and used an internal combustion engine. I think this motorbike thing, might be worth investigating as a solution to your cycling woes. Magic, keeping you in the know!!
Alright John,
I reckon I could have done your trip in two days, carrying twice the weight and with no sleep…whilst rubbing mace in my own eyes. Piece of pish. Tell that Biff fella hello from me.
Hi!
Now I have both met you and visited your page on the webb. It was very intresting to talk to Tom at the `Midnightsun Café` on Storknabben in Jokkmokk. I wish you a nice journey and visitors att my homepage can now find a link to your place.
Ha´ de´ gott!
//Marika
Hi!
Nice to finaly meet John!
Had a nice time att Opera (local tavern in Jokkmokk) drinking beer and talking about just about everything.
I’ll send you the images as soon as I have time from Haralds massive schedule and can install Lightroom or LightZone on a computer to process the raw NEF files.
Don’t be a stranger now, ye hear!
Chris
Hey!
I am the girl on Storknabben (Jokkmokk). You told me to write a comment, so I did. It’s great what you are doing. But I tink it’s also a little bit insane to cycle for two years! I would never do it.. I wish you good luck on your journey! And keep up with the good work.
//Elin Johansson, Jokkmokk.
So someone beat me to it heh? I only ever had an Amstrad so was unaware of my competition. 4 wheels is an option of course and Tom is actually looking at getting some stabilisers at the moment. My leg is fine now, once I stopped cycling, it stopped complaining.
As anyone who owned an Atari games machine will know, that game ‘Paper round’ already exists. An unrivalled classic up there with Packman and Space Invaders.
How’s your leg? Sounds like you just enjoy hurting yourself for fun. When will you learn that 4 wheels are better than 2?
Tom,
thanks for the link to car games, although I don’t know where it’s gone, presumably Bish deleted it for some reason. Anyway, I’ve invented my own game recently, it is for the PC, although it may be possible to convert it for a console aswell. It is called ‘Adventure Cycle Touring’, the player will be asked to pick a route and then the game will begin. To cycle, you will have to press Z, then X, then Z, then X etc. You may take a rest at any point and resume by pressing Z, then X and so on. There will be no need for steering controls as the road will be straight and I do not intend to use over-complicated graphics, a lamp post, tree and house passing by on a loop will suffice. I have not patented my game yet though, so please don’t steal my idea.
Are you trying to keep your footprint down by not shaving
check those beards!
Hey fella’s, I too am looking at doing an epic-ish trek,(Normandie to Nordkapp) and you are giving me many many laughs with your blogs, and a whole heap of inspiration!
I hope it all goes strong for you until you reach your endpoint!
Best of Luck
Yo dudes, am i reading this correctly that John has just left on an epic race against the clock whilst Bish puts his feet in the foot spa and waits for him to come back? Bish mate, you are my hero.
Â
*Your daily routine on your blog sounds sinterlating so i took the liberty of looking up some children’s car games which will no doubt entertain you: http://www.activitiesforkids.com/travel/travel_games.htm
Enjoy. Odd or Even sounds like a particular classic.
Â
*Tom said this somewhere else, it’s been added here so that what I say later makes sense.
Now boys just thought i would let you know how our little adv went we cycled 510 miles and climbed snowdon scarfell ben nevis in 4 days great fun but unlike use we had to get back for work all the boys want to come and join you both. I still dont know about that train though lol Mad Tony
Tony (and Carol) if you still look at our site then please let us know how the 3 peaks went, I’ve heard 2 days is a good time, how long did it take you?
hi Fred, there are some freighters which take passengers, but they are mostly expensive. We hope to get passage (or stowaway) aboard one at a better price, working if they’ll let us. The sloar charger has generally been great although just in the last couple of days it’s seemed to stop working. But this could be the fault of the solar panel, the charger unit or Bish.
It’s great to hear from the people we’ve met along the way and I’ll try to reply to you all individually when I can. If you’re ever in England you are welcome to stay with mum and dad.
Glad to see you’re making progress! I met you in Vemdalen while you were updating this page. Fortunately, you seem to have some sunny days ahead of you before venturing up north into Finland and the endless woods. Oh, and I still wouldn’t touch that peculiar cheese, it was a strange thing indeed. =)
Hello Tom, Hello John Hows it going chaps. I have finally got round to reading your blogs and have found them very amusing. I have sent this link around my office to remind those who (even though they were drunk) said that they would sponsor you. Good work on going to the wrong port and i see that you are not missing our several nights out aweek-the swedes seem to have that aspect sorted for you. Take care chaps
Hi John and Tom, Little do you know Tom that your Mother and I were training together back in the days of yore and have kept up one way and another over the years and were swapping our offshoots’ websites the other day and I’ve finally got to looking at yours. It is so interesting,and I shall be following you all the way. My girls Jo and Ali are each 2 years older than you and Ben. Ali is conventional and in the City but Jo is busy trying to get people to conserve their wardrobes by offereing a doctoring service for anyone and her address is thedressdoctor.co.uk if you need a little diversion. We lived at the Old Rectory at Landbeach and knew a few of your relatives and you once came over which you’d have been too young to remember. Enough embarrassment. All the best to you and JohnTeresa
Hello,
I was quite impulsive after our meet and converted the experience into writing. You may like to check this blog entry.
Also, I read your blogs quite regularly now, so take some time to update it. Will keep tracking you.
Let me know if you pass through India also on the way, May be I can help you with some better hospitality.
come on tom, write some blog! i’m bored here in cambridge!
Bonjourno
Hello dears, how’s it all going? No web blog update for a while i see so we’re guessing you must be in the mountains somewhere?? Hope all’s going well, we’re off to Italy for a week and will check back for some comedy updates when we return.
Looks like a great trip and thanks for the info on the solar charger. I’ll look it up. What kind of cargo ship still takes passengers? I took columbus many years ago.
Fred
Hello! Just want to say it was very nice to meet you both. Hope you will come back to “the city of death”.(Bergen)
Have a nice trip, and be carefull.
All the best to you!
Nina
So glad things are going well now.The house is ever so quiet!We read your entertaining blogs and admire your spelling skills.Much improved!All is well here as we hope it is with you, apart from rain which has not stopped since last Wednesday!Love to you both, and keep pedalling. The faster you pedal the sooner we see you!M and J
hey boys how are you now? do you remember of us? we are the italian boys met in the youth hostels in bergen. the TRip? it s all ok? bye bye send me notice
I can’t believe you’ve finally gone – looks like am going to have to start sponsoring you! Hope you are having an awesome time. John, we miss you at our feeding sessions pre (during) Saturday night drinking! xx
A good start – well done guys. You should be back in no time.
Here are a few responses to the below comments.
Mono, actually it is my lifelong ambition to write a gossip column for seventeen. Please keep quiet about your realisation of our intent for disaster but yes it is true that every mistake we have made and will make in the future is deliberate so we do not expect to be mocked for them.
I remember you well John, and Dave too. I trust you made it to your hostel OK.
Dad, “I need to pay in some cheques” sounds like a ruse so get my banking details but I will send them nonetheless because I laugh in the face of danger.
Mark and Ellen- thanks kindly for putting us up and up with us at such short notice.
Anna – apologies for false accusations, lovely lamb burgers by the way.
Carol and Tony – thanks very much for your fantastic hospitality, don’t mind the blog, it’s all nonsense anyway and I know Tony’s a pussycat underneath.
As I’m writing this I hope you’re sitting in North Shields waiting for your ferry, also i hope the charvers weren’t there on your way back! Good luck again guys, it was great having u stay even if it was due to a bit of a disaster!
Trust you caught your ferry second time round – your earlier sprint finish must have broken some land speed records !! Hope it’s easier getting into Norway than it was leaving England !! Bon Voyage. John’s Dad.(John, still awaiting details of your bank accounts – have some cheques to pay in)
I’ve just read your blog and totally concure with Mike. Good luck with your second attempt, what else could go wrong….?
BIsh, of course you got the ferry stuff wrong, i keep having strange dreams about your cycling trip!! why do you do these adventures, to worry me? cambridge is literally rubbish sans bish, hope you’re being safe and haven’t used up the 3 pairs of pants yet?love the blog action, keep it up johnx x x x x x x x x
Do you remember meeting 2 old farts destined for Harwich on NCN route, we met in deepest Lincolnshire. I remember how subdued my friend & I was in our so miniture adventure. Good luck for your trip, we have a good photo of you. Muff
Hungry texted me: “Happy bday mate, what a day, United win the league2! Dream”.
I sat down to an awesome roast dinner with my coolest present a warm black russian hat stuffed on my head, I love hats! Had my first Irish coffee, then had to do the trinity, was good, all washed down with a couple of beers at my local. Having quite reluctantly cycled 35 miles in the morning, by the end of the day, I felt great.
Then I read your blogs.
An hour later when I had finished,
(john ever though of writing trashy gossip columns, for trashy magazines)
I was pissed.
I was amazed by the sheer incompetance, stupidity and ridicule that your tour is creating, especially the stir I hear in the media, cycling and civilised worlds.
Then I suddenly realised this was your plan all along, what better way to advertise yourself and promote your adventure than by causing a stir!!!! No publicity is bad publicity; RIGHT.
On this theme I wish you all the best bad luck in NORWAY. Mono
sounds like its going really well! i would love to come and meet you for a stage like we said but my fears of having to spend a week or so by myself are looking more likely. cant wait to hear about some riding!!!
good luck on tuesday lads
Hi boys,
Sorry to hear you missed the ferry. Bet you had a good nite in Newcastle. This voyage of yours may take a little longer than expected!!!!!
Take Care, Scary Tony & Carol
Hello dears, Sounds like Bish is causing the usual drama. Bought a new bivi bag yet? Give me a ring before you get on the ferry for an update if you get a chance.
Good to see you lads are on the road at last! Have fun, I’ll be in Europe on my own bike tour soon!
Well done lads you have managed 5 days with the same bikes!!! Good luck for the rest of the trip. Hope to meet up with you somewhere along the way.
Naja, unfortunately, we won’t be going through Denmark, or at least don’t plan to. We will be going north through Norway, Sweden and back down south through Finland instead.
Richie, when to hand, we wear SPDs. When we are 70 miles from our SPD shoes, we wear trainers to cycle. Fortunately, there won’t be too many occasions when we don’t have the SPD shoes with us and so the trainers will only seldom be used to cycle in. Of course, day 1 was an exception and due to unforeseen circumstances arrising from rushed decisions, I had to wear trainers.
Do you wear SPDs on your bike or trainers?
Hi guys.. Just saw an article in the local news paper about you..:o) Just want to wish you good luck, how far are you now?? And are you going through Denmark??
)
Oh well.. take care, and have fun..
Naja
Good Luck Guys!!!
Have a good one, Sorry I couldn’t make your tea party. Will Try and come out and meet you at some point on your journey.
hi guys,
1. the bike itself weighs 13.5 kg and our stuff weighs about 20 – 25 kg (depending on food and water).
2. Pertulia commented on our site after listening to my interview on BBC 3 counties, I cannot guarantee that it is not a psuedo name but suspect it is unlikely.
3. Do you really want to know? 3 pairs each, plus our cycling shorts. Got to keep the weight down somehow.
It’s been a pleasure.
Guys,
After browsing your webpage we have come up with a couple of questions….
1. how much does your bike weigh?
2. who is pertula (is this a pseudo name?!)?
3. and finally, how many pairs of pants will you be taking on your quest to save the world by reducing your carbon emissions?
much love and hugs. xxxx
I have a (privately published) book by a reverend gentleman who cycled north from South Africa to Cairo during the second world war. His bicycle was stolen from outside the bank while he withdrewn money just as he was to start. In his case, it had not occurred to him that he needed to lock up the bicycle.
That’s terrible, John.
Ever since I had my bike stolen while it was locked to the police station railings in Cheltenham (I was inside reporting the theft of my father’s bike at his workplace) I’ve taken extra precautions – but nothing will deter a professional or determined thief.
We sometimes get gangs from Ireland and Liverpool coming here to Chester. They steal up to a 100 bikes a day and van them abroad. There’s an epidemic of it these few days with two police bikes and even those custom new post office bikes stolen while the postman was a few yards away!
Howdo chaps
Keep on living the dream dude’s. It looks like you are a little more prepared than our last bicycle trip, which is always re-assuring! I can’t believe you are boating across the Atlantic, use a ruddy pedalo you pair of hairy turds! Good luck boys, may the force be with you!
Well Bonjourno,
Tragic news about the bikes if slightly amusing. Who knew you would be turning into celebrities without actually going anywhere other than to the pub? I’m sure this is all just a ruse to cunningly boost your book sales and up your popularity on facebook but who knows. Enjoy breaking in your saddles and i shall hopefully be seeing you for a farewell Peroni/heavily watered down cocktail on the weekend.
Hi Tom,
Good luck from the Nokalakevi expedition!
Doesn’t look like you’ll be anywhere near Georgia in August or we’d put you up for the night.
Thought I’d include a photolink so your fan club will know of your archaeological past (thinking of your nurses in Berkshire).
Best,
Ian
Thank you for your concerns to Ted at post 31. If I ever need a tractor I will be sure to contact you Ted, would be great to see you before we leave and thanks for the kiss.
As for Stephens (#30), I remind readers that he is in TV himself and indeed has been spotted in the past handling microphones on the Wright Stuff. So we are not yet in your league for celebrity status but hope to use what little we have to get by.
Boys
Am very sorry to hear about the loss of bikes,but glad to hear all getting sorted out. T H Agri Services is at your disposal for your trip although not sure which of my services you may require but let me know!! Will try and get to one of the gatherings to see you before you head off.
Cheers
Tedx
Hello dears, I could not help but notice the plethora of women that seem to flock to your website like moths to a flame. Ladies, they may well be fine strapping young men but after 2 years in the saddle friction will take its toll. Perhaps the nurses will take their chances or maybe their new found celebritiy will provide them with the funds for some much needed padding. Either way we will look forward to hearing what it’s like to be faomus!
Wow, that’s incredibly bad luck with the bikes….good to see you’re soldiering on though!
I sympathise with you for being stuck in Bucks, and in Prestwood at that. Would you be willing to be girlfriends that sent some of your wealth out to us to help us in keeping fed? Thanks for the advice about the mossies, we will be sure to be careful.
hay boys…do you fancy having us as your rich girlfriends back in the uk? (have you seen how much we earn as nurses????) If not how about pool team doubles at least? you never know when you need nurses input during your travels……mossy bites can be mean – remember to suck out the posion first before rubbing…..honestly you guys have guts and we would LOVE to join you for a leg or two maybe when you eventually join in the states………keep in touch, we are stuck in Bucks ……HELP US X X X X
Looking forward to the photos! If yu want, check out my site. I haven’t got the funds to have my own proper site, so it’s just a blog. I just finished building my Trek 520 for the trip, so have a look!
http://www.bikevoyage.blogspot.com
I think what you are both doing is fantastic! I have 2 teenage sons & have tried to install a sense of what impact our actions have on this world. As an environmentally friendly project, this goes a long way to show what passion young people have for the natural world today. I hope my two sons grow up to be just like you. Best of Luck & God Speed.
Hi Tiara, I would love to come through South Asia, it’s not on our route but it is still a possibility. We are hoping to get a cargo ship from Japan across to the USA but haven’t booked a place and so will turn up at the docks and try to get passage. Basically we don’t know what our chances of getting a ship are so if we find a ship heading South instead of East then we may well take it and perhaps be looking for a couch to sleep on in South Asia.
Hi..Saw your link on CS
THis should be a great trip!You guys don’t wanna come to South Asia?
*CS – http://www.couchsurfing.com
Hey Kyle, I will do, I’ve got to build them first though. One is in now at my local bike shop and the second is expected tomorrow or Saturday so I will go in with Bish early next week and put them together. Then we will put all our kit in the panniers, take some photos and replace that photo on the homepage. In short Kyle, you will get your photos next week!
Hey, I’m an enthusiast, post a picture of your kitted out bikes!
actually, on revision, no
yes
Does your bicycle have three or four wheels?
Thank’s for the reply mate. Yeah the plans are up in the air really, it’s just a matter of sorting out visas and I’ll go anywhere! By the way, if I do join up, I’ll be a be roughing it with the money, because the aussie dollar doesn’t convert very good to…well, anything. haha
Hey guys
Your trip sounds fantastic – look forward to seeing your posts on here. FOund your site through a posting of yours on Thorntree just now, as i’m hoping to get to Norway at the end of March too. I wondered if you know about http://www.couchsurfing.com – that could be stating the obvious, but if not it might come in useful.
Off to have a nosey at your kit list now – i’m always interested to see which tents other cycle tourers are using!
Ruth
Thanks very much Julia, the look of the site is down to our friend Lee, who designed it for us, thanks also for your kind donation. We’ll try and get some more pictures up there soon
hey Kyle,
we’re hoping to keep to our leaving date so that we don’t end up reaching Alaska in mid-winter. But keep us posted on where you are and if it’s at all feasible then we’ll try and join you. Or, if you are tempted to change your plans to join us then you are of course welcome.
I like the site a lot – good work.
Great to meet you in Tignes. How about posting some pics of you skiing and also in training for your trip.
In fact, if you guys were leaving a little later I’d almost be interested in joining for the long haul…I can dream, can’t I?
Hey guys, shame about the timing, but I’m leaving Australia to ride Europe>China in June. Hopefully I’ll see someone doing something similar, as I’ll be a fair bit behing you chaps.
You’re lucky to both enjoy cycling as a form of travel, because none of my mates will have a bar of it!
PS: (Good work with the sponsors, I’ve had no luck on my end, ha ha)
Again, a very wise question mono, and one I hope to be able to satisfy you with an answer to. According to Dr. James L. A. Roth, about 66% of people produce* no methane at all - there is scientific debate over whether this is due to a genetic inflence or environmental factors. So we would have to submit ourselves for scientific testing to see if we are methane producers, but to respond to the question directly, if we did turn out to be in the 33% of those producing methane then we would indeed have to consider it in terms of our emmissions.
*edited
thanks for answering my question, that is a very small footprint indeed and I commend you. I do wonder though if you might consider methane gas aswell, as it too is a major greenhouse gas. Should you not also incorporate the extraordinary unusual amounts that you and no doubt your cycling partner may emmit whilst travelling through Russian resulting from the mass consumtion (probably tonnes worth) of cabbage.
OK Michael (mono), a response at last - I’ve tried to work out our carbon footprint. I’ve had to guess how much cooking fuel we will use (500kg CO2), how much is used in the manufacture of our kit (200kg), our computer usage (50kg), our ferry travel (400kg), our share of the trans-pacific cargo passage (500kg – complete guess based on our mass on board the ship compared to the ? tonnes of cargo), our train travel (400kg) and things I’ve not thought of (500kg). All this gives us a carbon footprint of 2,550 kg CO2 over 18 months, equalling about 800kg CO2 each per year compared to the UK average of 10,000 kg CO2.
Hi Bish and John,
I want to congratulate you on your plans to use environmental means to travel around the world. So many young people go on a world trip by hopping on and off planes. The route and modes of travel are really exciting and your journey will, I’m sure, be life changing. Thanks you for choosing to raise funds for Friends of the Earth. National and local FOE groups are doing much to alert people to the reality of climate change.
Have a great trip and let me know when you return. We’d love to hear your account.
Rachel – Co-ordinator Aylesbury Vale FOE
hey Justin, sounds like an amazing trip you’re taking, what do you intend to do once you reach India? We’d love to meet you guys along the way so keep us updated.
Hi,
Me and my wife are driving from UK to India startin end of March 07. We intend to cross North sea into Norway and reach arctic circle before moving to to the centre of earth..
Good to hear about your eco friendly trip..best of luck with everything..will probabbly post a message once i’m ready to go..to check if we can actually meet somewhere in the wilderness..
Justin
Hello big sister, yes we will update the website as regularly as possible, probably every week. You can contact us by email once we’ve left and you are very welcome to join us wherever you like. Also, thank you for your charity donation.
You crazy kids – am tempted to join for a leg of the bike ride – how would I contact you once you have left, will you be updating your website regularly?
Good question Mike, thank you for being the first to post here. I expect it may be because I set this as your homepage. The answer to your question is that I don’t know yet but I do intend on working it out so that I can offset it
hi, just wondering how big your carbonfoot print will be for the duration of your trip?