1 -2 May 2012
The start of my summer cycling adventure wasn't how I imagined it would be.
Firstly, it was raining; I had only pictured sunny cycling with daily ice-cream stops.
Secondly, my first destination was Holyhead in Wales. That hadn't been the plan. My intended route had been to start by getting the Dublin - Liverpool ferry. Starting in Liverpool rather than Holyhead would have meant that I could reach Angela and Anthony's wedding in North Yorkshire on time just by cycling. However I discovered that foot passengers are no longer accepted on that ferry route. Is this because of previous unruly behaviour by scangers and scousers?
Whatever the reason, it meant that I would have to rely on some forms of transport other than just my bike in order to reach the wedding on time. Once I had accepted that, the pressure was off. Cycling whenever possible and being happy to use public transport when necessary became my modus operandi. I think that was a good plan, at least for the start when I had a few targets to meet, considering the fact that I had never done a big cycle trip like this before. Sure I only bought the bicycle a few days before I heading off, and I needed the helpful guys at Victoria Cross Cycles (where I got my first bike at the age of 7) to teach me the basics of bike maintenance (i.e. how to change a tyre).
After a disheartening cold and rainy day in North Wales to begin with, day two brought good weather, a nice cycle path
and some scenic stops, like the quaint town of Colwyn Bay (which I liked even if it is aimed at tourists twice my age).
So I was on my way. I had a lot to get used to, like remembering before stopping that my shoes are clicked in to my pedals and being comfortable with leaving all my stuff in easy-to-open panniers on my bike when I needed to leave it unattended. While Poland seemed a long way off, I was happy to have started this last big trip of my career break.
- Drumcondra to Bangor: 52km (ferry from Dublin Port to Holyhead)
- Bangor to Prestatyn: 78km (train from Prestatyn to Chester)
Firstly, it was raining; I had only pictured sunny cycling with daily ice-cream stops.
Secondly, my first destination was Holyhead in Wales. That hadn't been the plan. My intended route had been to start by getting the Dublin - Liverpool ferry. Starting in Liverpool rather than Holyhead would have meant that I could reach Angela and Anthony's wedding in North Yorkshire on time just by cycling. However I discovered that foot passengers are no longer accepted on that ferry route. Is this because of previous unruly behaviour by scangers and scousers?
Whatever the reason, it meant that I would have to rely on some forms of transport other than just my bike in order to reach the wedding on time. Once I had accepted that, the pressure was off. Cycling whenever possible and being happy to use public transport when necessary became my modus operandi. I think that was a good plan, at least for the start when I had a few targets to meet, considering the fact that I had never done a big cycle trip like this before. Sure I only bought the bicycle a few days before I heading off, and I needed the helpful guys at Victoria Cross Cycles (where I got my first bike at the age of 7) to teach me the basics of bike maintenance (i.e. how to change a tyre).
After a disheartening cold and rainy day in North Wales to begin with, day two brought good weather, a nice cycle path
So I was on my way. I had a lot to get used to, like remembering before stopping that my shoes are clicked in to my pedals and being comfortable with leaving all my stuff in easy-to-open panniers on my bike when I needed to leave it unattended. While Poland seemed a long way off, I was happy to have started this last big trip of my career break.
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