Graham I'm stuck here in the States for now. I'm anxious to get out into the world again. I'm hoping towards the end of the year but I'm not sure if that's realistic. Crazy times.

I look forward to vicariously living through you on your journey. Always a great read.

Hi Ron,
It’s great to see you pop up here on CycleBlaze.
Thanks for the encouragement. As always I’m a tad anxious before a tour as ambitious as this. I’m sure it’ll work out OK but because it’s a fundraising ride, there’s been a few extra factors to consider and organise.
Are you back in Arizona? Or in Thailand?

Good luck Graham. Have a fantastic journey!!

I have cycled there with West London YHA group.
My wife Mary was a member of that group.

Mike

Mike that's for sure. This virus isn't going to be suppressed by wishful thinking or complacency. As you are seeing first-hand in Victoria, it bounces back fast and furiously if it is given the slightest opportunity when quarantine is relaxed. The Oxford vaccine is looking promising, and there many others in the pipeline from many different organisations. Immunologist friends are telling me a roll-out of a T-cell type vaccine is highly likely within 12 months. Antibody type vaccines could be released earlier, but their efficacy against RNA viruses like Covid-19 is dubious.

One advantage of cycle-touring in regional, rural and remote areas is that it can be a very socially distanced activity so I think I'll be able to do a couple of short, training tours locally, but I certainly won't be crossing any state borders (other than the ACT-NSW border) in the near future.

Yesterday the WA government announced an extension of their current level of restrictions, and the Qld government announced that Victorian, NSW and ACT residents won't be allowed into Qld until community transmission in Vic and NSW is zero.

I hope you, family and friends are safe and well, and not too badly affected by the lock-down.

Graham,

All we can hope for is an early arrival of a vaccine.
Until then social distancing and masks are going to continue.

Mike

I have a tour in western Canada scheduled for August and just praying for things to still workout. Good luck to you my friend.

I have a tour in western Canada scheduled for August and just praying for things to still workout. Good luck to you my friend.

Catherine one of the many things cycle touring has taught me is to be flexible. Cycle touring plans change. We have to adapt to each new area we cycle into. Similarly we have to adapt quickly to this pandemic. If we don’t many more people will die. So best we adjust plans, bunker down and wait. The next big ride can wait,

I feel you. As the young people may or may not be saying.
We have been planning a trip for 3 months in the Balkans - Milan to Athens in a non-linear fashion - to start in late July. Mmm. Pretty much resigned to pushing it out to northern hemisphere spring 2021. It has been the 'get your PhD finished' carrot for several years. At least I have work. This makes me lucky!!

Thanks for the tip and a reminder Jacquie. My List is not quite accurate yet. I need to update it, as I do now have fire steel in my kit, and it is a Swedish one.
However my new fire steel is a bit different. It fits into the handle of my kitchen knife, there’s a section on the blade back of the knife which works as the striker.

I’ll add a few photos, including one of the cooking knife with its built in fire steel, to The List before I start the ride.

I haven't burnt my fingers since I started using one of these to light my Trangia stove: https://lightmyfire.com/products/cookn-fire-collection/swedish-firesteel-2.0/swedish-firesteel-2.0-scout. Nor have I struggled with wet matches.

Hi Mike
My plan is not to need it or any of the tools. I hope they are all redundant, but there are a few hexless nuts and bolts on the bike. For example on the derailleur hanger and cages.

Also there will be other riders with bikes of various types in the ride, not only mine. Previous tours with small groups usually revealed a way to make a shifter necessary. Rack bolts are a common culprit.

Graham
Whavt use do you anticipate for your small shifter?
Most bike fastenings are now hex key driven.

Mike

I believe it was a Royal Enfield motorcycle which Ian and Cora rode in India. I don’t know if it was a vintage machine or a modern replica. Whatever it was, they had some remarkable adventures on it.