The wind has changed direction again. Headwinds all day yesterday and some of this morning. Bah!

Ruined abbey

Who’s Abbey?

Andy. Sent you a pm

Im bolloxed today . Ended up east of cork . Followed eurovelo 1 much of the day and took the ferry over passage west. Passed thru Cobh.

I need a rest day but dont fancy it here. Campsite is next to a dual carriageway but o do t have the legs to ride further today

Slow progress last couple of days

That campsite you stayed at last night looks absolutely idyllic tj.

I’m guessing the heat is taking its toll?

Edit: Missed the headwinds bit!

Could be. I might be both a bit dry and underfed today as well

I might be both a bit dry and underfed today as well

I read that as un-derfed. I couldn’t work out what derfed means and why you would need to be it.

Sent you a reply TJ

🤣

Reminds me of a mate of mine, on hearing The Stone Roses “I Wanna Be Adored” for the first time, asked “WTF is a ‘dord’ anyway?”

Im certainly derfed

While i have been going around i have been chatting to other tourers. Everyone is interested in the trailer so conversation goes to kit. All the Europeans are amazed i am as light as i am on kit. The record so far is a french couple with 52 yes 52 kilos between them! A scond persons kit would add around 4 or 5 to mine keeping it under 20

Who complained about the heat? Its pishing doon this morning.

Character building stuff?😁

Am I the only person who thought there was a link between the words Slow progress last couple of days.   …And the photo of the ambulance?

🙃

How many miles you upto tj?

Character building stuff?😁

I am reliably informed that I have plenty of character already. I don’t need more

How many miles you upto tj?

Dunno. Given up counting. Close to a thousand

I know it’s not about the mileage but that’s impressive. Good luck for today tj.
👍

The record so far is a french couple with 52 yes 52 kilos between them! A scond persons kit would add around 4 or 5 to mine keeping it under 20

It’s absolutely standard round here, the “first days ride” distance and the route to the lakes from Göteborg ferry terminal leaves cyclo tourists at the campsite a handful of km from me (and i’m pretty much at the top of the hill. So if it rains, they shelter in the bus stop.)

So i see loads of massively overloaded Dutch and German tourists riding past from about mid June to mid September.
Very very few will have less than two massive panniers, top bag and bar bag. (Flag as well.)
Worst i’ve seen recently was an older couple, on e-bikes, front/rear panniers, bar bag and top bag and a laden B.O.B Yak trailer… She had almost the same, but no trailer.

I would not have liked to see what would have happened when the batteries went flat. I doubt they could have even reached the cut out on a flat road.

Not sure if it’s the overloading or the unrealistic distances that is the worst thing. Planning to ride/train from some town in Germany to Kiel, ferry to GBG then a tour “round the lakes” in two (or three) weeks. Some of them must be doing 10 hours a day in the saddle to even do one of the lakes. Then they have to pitch and break camp every day too.

@mert We had a couple of Germans out last week on our bikes. I had to fit flags to both bikes. It must be a hidden part of the German Laws on Travel that flags must be flown when abroad.

A few years ago i met a dutch chap who had been to knordcap and back. Among his kit was a track pump!

Im flying a saltire

I just met andy4d for breakfast. Lovely chap. Gave me a t shirt that says cork a badge and some beer.

The kindness of strangers ( or my imaginary internet friends? ) again.

👍😃

Nowt at all on the legs today. Didn’t get far at all. Im in Youghal ( pronounced Yawl to confuse tourists like me)

All the hotels except the really expensive one have been given to Ukrainians. Good for them. Shit for me. Most of the b&bs full.

I have found a decent b&b and im staying 2 nights. I am desperate for a rest day. Hopefully a day off the bike will sort me out. I just hope its not the chronic fatigue coming back.

Oddness of the day? Machine gun nests in hedgerows. Im hoping left over from the civil war not for sniping at tired cyclists 🙄🤣🚴‍♂️

Im in Youghal ( pronounced Yawl to confuse tourists like me)

We have a load of streets near me named after places in Ireland. I don’t think anyone pronounces that one correctly here though!

Good luck with the rest day. Eat as much as you can.

Recovery drink is great you should try some….

TJ – you’ll be pleased to hear that whilst you are away the tandem community has been making an impression on Scotland: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-62121867

(all I can think is – surely there is not enough udder cream on the planet for that?)

Poly

Thats nasty.

Recovery drink is great you should try some

Im now thinking i might be low on electolytes. I normally don’t have much salt but im craving it and put loads on my chips tonight as well as scoffing a load of dry roast nuts.

A few hot sweaty days

I have never in my life put my body under so much stress for so many weeks

Yeah you probs need some given the volume of riding you’ve done.

Salt isn’t enough though you need sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium. You really want some tablets or something, they are more likely to be available in a sports shop in a city. I’ve got a big bag of the powder I can send you some if you have an address. Over here you can also get Amazon deliveries to local collection points like convenience shops and post offices etc. and they will sell it.

Or you could eat a shitload of salty banana milkshakes and er.. Epsom salts..

Actually salted nuts are a good one too.

Ta..there is a cycling and sports shop in town failing that andews powder is magnesium sulphate

Lovely couple in the b&b offered to wash my kit. I don’t think the realise how nasty it is🤣🙄

The kindness of strangers ( or my imaginary internet friends? ) again

Rather than the km you should be counting stw’ers that you meet up with.  I’m liking the idea of everyone giving you a shirt so you end up having to drag 50kg of them around 🙂

🙄🤣

I can just see me ending up with statues. Glass ornaments and aĺl sorts of shite tied on the bike

I have never in my life put my body under so much stress for so many weeks

Never mind, not far to go. 😂

🙄

🙄

Let us know how you get on with posting the unmarked bag of white powder molgrips – will need a customs declaration form too, thanks to brexit, sure will be fine.

Good to meet up with you today TJ. Hope it dried up for you. If you are ever this way again we can grab a pint next time. Enjoy your rest.

Ireland has set the bar with sun and scenery so we will see what Wales delivers for you in the days ahead.

PS careful on the zebra crossings when you get back over the water 😉

I have never in my life put my body under so much stress for so many weeks

Not as fit as you think you were then, yes I know I’ve said this to you before, you starting to believe me now😈
Let’s start a book to see how far you get on your journey to Bilbao, I’ll start with 200km from Amsterdam.

If you get near Wicklow/ S Wexford I can help you out if needs be (and further afield if you really need a hand).

Oddness of the day? Machine gun nests in hedgerows. Im hoping left over from the civil war not for sniping at tired cyclists 🙄🤣🚴‍♂️

I think they’re set up to repel the English, so you’ll be reyt.