Irish cyclo-tourists Simon Evans and Fearghal O'Nuallain began an around the world bicycle expedition in November. They say RevolutionCycle is the first Irish circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle.
The cyclists figure that they'll ride through 30 countries on their 17,000-mile trip that they're undertaking to benefit Aware, an Ireland-based organization to support people with depression.
I've read that regular exercise is a good way to fight depression, so I suppose you could say that they're practicing what they preach. Since many people get the blues over the holidays, it might be a good time to check in with them.
Europe
So far, they've passed through the British Isles, France and Spain. If you follow their twitter, you'll find them arriving in South America soon on a trans-Atlantic flight.
They're blogging their bike tour, such as their detour around a tunnel in Spain that they were forbidden to enter. You can see that they embrace every part of their adventure:
“He pointed us in the direction of the wee road that went over the pass and sent us on our way. The road was narrow and very steep, at one point I swear I saw a snail overtaking us! It was pretty hard work but as we ascended to the snowline we were rewarded with breathtaking views of the Pyrenees. Even better, we found a great pub and settled by the roaring log fire for a couple of beers and a big feed. We eventually peeled ourselves from our cosy surroundings, donned our down jackets, balaclavas and thermals and headed on a 32km downhill to Pamplona, our route unbroken.”
Coping
The pair write about the weather being colder and nastier than they anticipated so early in the trip. To cope, they employ the motto HTFU, or Harden The F–K Up.
They picked it up from members on an expedition that will explore Antarctica. Fearghul explains:
“Ultimately, HTFU is a strategy for dealing with discomfort and pain, for turning a negative thought back in on itself and diffusing the disruptive and destructive feelings before they colour the world in the wrong shade.”
Neighbors
The two were neighbors growing up, and the 20-somethings have been planning their bicycle tour for three years. A visit to their website, RevolutionCycle, shows that a lot of thought has gone into their adventure.
First, they're hooked up with satellite so you can follow their position on a map. Although the first few weeks through Europe rolls along paved roads, the pair chose mountain bikes with trailers because they expect difficult off-road bicycling on the next section of their trip into South America and over the Andes.
They chose a route that fit the criteria for circumnavigation, as well as include “places of beauty and interest”, among them Iguazu Falls, Argentina; Petra, Jordan; Gobi Desert, Mongolia; and Machu Picchu, Peru.
Tour
What a great tour. It will be cool to follow them on their 18-month journey.
We wish them the best as they continue their adventure. Here's a map of RevolutionCycle's route. If you want to support Aware, you can purchase a RevolutionCycle T-shirt; all funds go to the charity.
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