Hindsight is beautiful thing, and even more so when you’ve just cycled 2,000km with 15,000m of elevation in 18 days.
My trip from London to Tunisia was the ride of my life (I don’t care if it’s corny, it’s true), but as with all great adventures there are a few things that catch you unaware, and these are mine. If you’re planning a trip of your own, don’t let any of these seven things catch you out.
1. Bugs will hit you
Or you will hit bugs. I am not sure who is in whose space. Either way, bugs will come flying at you and hit you in the face, arms, stomach, everywhere. I’m not talking about small little flies, but whopping great beasts flying into you at a rate of knots.
It can be rather surprising and, in some cases, hurt, especially when you get smacked right on the nose as I did – I definitely looked like Rudolph for a bit.
2. There will always be a sign
I don’t just mean a signpost telling you where to go, but also signs from nature and the environment helping you along the way and providing a pick me up just when you need it. That might be a shaded bench telling you to take a few minutes off the bike or a water fountain reminding you to drink.
For me it was a mixture of things. I saw a dragonfly every single day, white butterflies often came and said hello when I was feeling a bit lacklustre, and red flowers would pop up on the road side when I needed a booster. Plus, when I wasn’t sure if I was allowed on the track (England and its strict rules hey) another cyclist or a walker would come into view.
These little things, however small, really, really help, so keep an eye out for them.
3. Taking a break is better than pushing through
Don’t be afraid to get off the bike to rest, stretch and recalibrate.
In my first few days I didn’t stop for long and I certainly didn’t have a long lunch. OK, I wouldn’t advise having a long lunch but taking a few moments to relax, eat, drink and take in your surroundings is so much more worthwhile in the long term than pushing on. For an 18-day trip it’s all about longevity and keeping your body and mind going, and rest stops are an integral part to that.
4. Wearing damp bib shorts is a terrible idea
It might sound obvious to some, but damp bib shorts equate to saddle sores. To keep things fairly clean, rinse a pair of bibs every morning and strap them to the back of your bike so they can dry during the day. Thus you will have one pair of sort-of-clean but definitely dry bibs on rotation and a happy butt.
5. Dry mouth is going to happen
Dry mouth is caused by dehydration, and is made worse by particularly hot conditions because you are sweatier. Even though I drank a lot, and kept myself hydrated for much of the route, as much liquid as I drank, I still suffered on a fair few of the days. At first I didn’t actually understand why I had a sandpaper sensation in my mouth, but then again I’ve never experienced dry mouth, and I’ve also never cycled for 18 days without a rest in 30 degree heat.
6. Bring a spare set of brake pads
With nearly 15,000m of climbing, it was inevitable that my brake pads would need replacing, although it wasn’t something I had considered when packing my bags. Coming down the glorious Gotthard pass and descending gnarly gravel and ridiculously steep roads in Italy meant by day 14 my brakes were pretty much gone.
The search for a bike shop in rural Italy is not always straight forward either. It took four bike shops and 100km for me to find one that had the brake pads I needed.
7. It’s not all beautiful landscapes and quaint towns
Among the beauty of it all, there will also be some less pretty scenes as cycle paths seem to meander through the places no one else necessarily wants to go. That was particularly the case in France, where I passed through many industrial zones.
I’m talking about quarries, tons of lorries, piles and piles of sand and stone, dust billowing everywhere, power plants and a lot of dilapidated buildings and rust buckets.
There is also the odd jaunt on a busy road complete with Italian lorry drivers where it is best to always have a flashing rear light and be careful.
Want to know more about Emma’s trip to Tunisia? Check out what she packed, her ride and what kept her motivated