A Life on 2 wheels.
Awake before dawn, shaking the dew off our tents under a veil of fading stars. Brewing up a cup of tea, packing up our panniers and setting off up the steep gradient to meet the sun’s early rise at the peak of the climb. Free wheeling through the cool of the morning out of the Sierra Nevada to the coast. Vanilla shades of morning mist flash past in the valleys beneath. Stop for a breakfast of honey on toast and strong coffee in a mountain café. Twisting switch backs lead us to the port and the first sight of a new continent. Africa beckons with tantalising excitement. Leaving one beauty for yet another unknown. (Ronda, Andalusia to Algeceras, Spain. Diary entry; Tim McGhie: August 2008).
The concept for our trip is a simple one. We will pack all that we need into eight panniers, on two bikes, and set off from our home town of Steyning to live life on the road.
We have already been asked, ‘so how long will you be away?’ and ‘where are you going?’ It’s difficult to answer these questions because we don’t have a ready answer. We plan to head to the Middle East, after which we will consult our world map. While the wanderlust is alive, we will keep moving using the freedom of the bike to travel around. We hope to leave with a budget sufficient for at least two years on the road. Afterwards will we have to seriously think about stopping to work and earn some more money. With no ultimate destination, the joy is in the journey itself.
We have been saving hard and selling off all our old junk in the UK to reach our target budget. Assuming that we will camp wild for the vast majority of nights we should be able to sustain ourselves. We will also be keeping our eyes open for any chance to earn a bit of cash along the way (potential employers don’t be shy!) or to muck-in in exchange for accommodation.
So WHY are we doing it? Neither of us have had a mid-life crisis or lost years in a job we despise (perhaps our greatest fear!). We have been lucky enough to have cycled and travelled for the best part of our late teens and early twenties. Our motivation comes from the desire to choose the lifestyle that we want; one that is intrinsically hugely exciting and fulfilling. I guess we just prefer waking up in our tents, eating random things on the road and having a giggle along the way. Life on the road will force us to live simply, adapting to our surroundings, as we cannot take with us all the luxuries of a ”normal” life style. In addition to this the long days of cycling will provide a great physical challenge. We will learn just how far we can go and how far we are willing to push ourselves, who knows where we will go!
