Why? a brief history

Those who find this page may wonder, why is he doing this? And perhaps more importantly how did he come to this pathway.

I have always been interested in bikes. From an early age i used to ride to school, down the dusty streets of a desert outpost town, around the corner and then safely into the waiting arms of teachers. It wasn't too scary, at least i don't remember it being. My own problems back in those days was my jumper (not sure why i had it considering desert temperatures) wrapping in my BMX chain.

Yes i must admit my first bike was a BMX. I've long shied away from such creations, abandoning them to the realm of tricks and flips. A long time passed, everyday i would ride to school, but bikes in my mind where limited to a simple method of getting from point a to point b without having to worry about being dropped at school.

Several years went by and i ended up in Canberra, one of Australia's leading hotspots for mountain biking. This interested me enough that i bought a medium quality bike, Giant Yukon, and would ride the 1 hour needed to reach the best tracks on a weekly basis. It was enjoyable, but i never took it seriously. Once my bike was stolen a year later i did not get on a bike for another year.

But that time would be different. I was living in Copenhagen Denmark and a friend came up to me and said "I am thinking about going to the island of Bornholm and riding around it, are you interested". Now at this stage i had nothing to do, but i did fell a niggling to stay at home and relax. However, in a single moment that has most definately changed the course of my life, i threw out the voices of comfort and security and agreed. Two days later i was on the island, with crappy rent-a-bikes, a backpack and no panniers. Indeed, i had no idea what panniers were at the time. Over the next two days i had a blast.

Over the six months that followed, i cycled around Denmark (twice), i randomly went down to Germany and within perhaps the 5th hour knowing an American girl, set off again on rent-abikes and no panniers, a quick 3 day trip from Konstanz, across SUI, AUT and GER to Fussen. To put the trip into a few words, i had an amazing time and made a lifelong friend (who i hope to tour with extensively in the future). I then cycled Normandy.

Several months later, i met an Australian girl who before she came on exchange went to another major city in Denmark and rode around for a week. This astounded me. This person had come to a strange country and before settling in went riding around parts of the country for herself. I had been planning on riding to NOrway and thus it was settled. I fixed up a broken bike, hired panniers and set off up across Denmark and up into Norway.

Eventually, upon reaching Norway, the high costs and cold temperatures shortened our trip, yet on this first medium-length tour, i had learnt so much and it continued my passion for touring.

So where am I now?

Ever since that fateful Bornholm tour i have been reading numerous journals and books on bike touring and have it firmly stuck in my head that as soon as i have enough money i am going to tour the world. That is where i am at now and that is primarily what this journal is focused on - my musings of an Icarian nature.

The journal will be structured so that each post deals with a topic relevant to my journey that is currently on my mind. Feedback and information is greatly appreciated. Night.