On Sunday 8th August I am starting my epic ride around Europe (not so epic for some, but for me not having done than a few hundred miles straight on a bike before it will be!)
The Ferry leaves at 08:30hrs BST from Dover and will arrive in Calais approximately at 11:00hrs GMT. then i roll onward into mainland Europe!

I feel quite unprepared for this trip, as I have not done one before and I am going alone. I don’t mind the solitude, just the fact that if I brake down I have no buddy to help me out, but I’m sure I’ll be ok, it’s all in the preparation.

I have changed the oil and filter, brake pads and checked over everything to make sure she is running ok. I have had to upgrade the chain-guard to a Touratech one as it snapped off when I left the lock in the back wheel the other night and rode off, wrapping the lock around the wheel and getting itself all snarled up.

Maybe it’s the apprehension of wondering if I’ll make it back at all, so far i plan on riding 2651 miles/4266 km in 2 weeks! That’s alot of miles to put on a bike in a short space of time!
You can see from the pic above my projected route, it is outlined in blue. My bike does around 130 to a tank, so that’s around 20.3 fuel stops at around £13 a tank, that’s around £265 of fuel i’ll be using(although i hope it is cheaper on the continent!)

I have planned stops along the way, to see my daughter in Poland, the Tily’s in Czech, my cousins in Regensburg, the rest is still a bit hazy, but if I’m not at a friends I’ll be camping out under the stars somewhere cooking food up on the gas stove!!
I’m going to take it nice and easy, just roll within my own flow and go where the wind takes me!
Well, i will be posting bits and bobs along the way, so if you’d like to keep up with the journey, you know where to come!
Wish me luck……….I’m gonna need it!
j