On the 6th of April 2005, cousins Jamie Mackenzie and Ben Wylson set off on their bikes on a journey which will take them to over 50 countries and to every one of the worlds great continents, all without the use of an aeroplane.
Monday, March 28, 2005: bikes, watches and fishing
Bikes
Our Thorn Raven Tour bikes are here. They are gleaming, sleek and totally black, with a beautiful Brooks B17 honey-coloured leather saddle. They are equipped with a hub dynamo, and amongst other things a Rohloff gear hub, an inconspicuous hunk of technology, the cycle tourist's robust alternative to the 'derailleur' system. My God, do they go! I'm sure our bikes will take all that the world can throw at them. When we propel our Thorns through the Kentish countryside, they give us a sturdy sense of relaxed, powerful confidence. If they had an engine it would sound like a droning aeroplane. The bikes are workhorses designed to carry us indefatigably on our way.
Watches
We have expedition watches now. To be precise, they are the Casio ProTrek PRG80, and what an incredible time-piece -supplied by SportTek.com. The screen is the size of a £5 coin and its functions include everything from being a compass and a barometer to an altimeter. They are solar-powered and -whether this last bit is a myth or not I do not know- they have bullet-proof crystals. Perhaps we will be able to deflect any unfriendly fire! We are disappointed that this particular model does not come with oil slick, laser or grappling hook.
Fishing
A South African friend of ours, Chris, came to visit Brook Farm today. We were showing him some of our bike ride gear and when we produced our fishing rods, his eyes lit up. It turned out that Chris is a keen fisherman. Without another word he showed us exactly how to rig them up and before we knew what was happening, we found ourselves down by the lake casting our lines as though we'd done it all our lives. Unsurprisingly, we caught nothing, although we have a sneaking suspicion that there might not be any fish in the pond.
Saturday, March 19, 2005: It's a vast operation
Almost every day packages arrive in boxes and in jiffy bags. Today the postman, on his daily Free Wheels East delivery, said with a broad smile, "I think it's brilliant what you guys are doing, really brilliant." He must've read about us in the local paper.
There is something special about enthusiasm from a stranger. This man had no obligation to encourage us, but encourage us he did.
From the postman's hands the packages are transported into the cottage, and placed on the kitchen table, and there they sit, until both of us are present to witness the ceremonial unwrapping. It is once the equipment is freed from the confines of its packaging and the contents are in hand to touch, that a shot of excitement courses through the body.
Leatherman's donated
We are now the proud owners of two of the finest multi-tools in the world: Leatherman very generously donated a Charge Ti and a Wave, both top of the range Leatherman tools. I'm sure they will prove to be one of our most useful pieces of equipment. Check them out at www.leatherman.com
Fishing rods
The Shimano travel fishing rods and gear, kindly donated by TackleShop.co.uk, have arrived. We are so impressed with their quality; they are sleek, lightweight, compact and incredibly well made. They are a superb example of design and engineering. Many thanks to www.tackleshop.co.uk
London shopping outing and painting pick-up
The FWE pair visited London to buy bits and bobs for the bikes and the odd item of clothing, and to transport Jo Self's donated painting, 'Petunia', back to headquarters.
The purchasing of bike extras was trouble free. Barney of Brixton Cycles (www.brixtoncycles.co.uk) gave us a 20% discount on all that we bought, which included everything from bells to cycling helmets.
In the evening we headed over to our patron Jo Self's house from where we went out for a meal. We discussed -amongst other things- the evening's operation i.e transporting 'Petunia' the valuable painting Jo donated, across Brixton, onto a train and back to base! We did achieve our goal, but not without a little perspiration.
Jo will be leaving the country very soon, at about the same time as us, to continue her painting of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama's garden. Thank you, Jo, for all the work you've done and help you've offered to Free Wheels East and have a wonderful time in India.
Jo's 1954 Austin is still for sale. Remember, all the proceeds will go to our charity, ITDG. Please place bids by emailing info@freewheelseast.co.uk.(reserve £1000) To place a bid on Jo's painting 'Petunia' please follow the above instructions (reserve £8000).
Sunday, March 13, 2005: fishing rods donated
Tackleshop.co.uk have kindly donated two Shimano Exage Mini Telescopic Spinning rods. We've always liked the idea of catching our supper! Having said that, neither of us has ever tried his hand at fishing before... The rods have a transport length of just 31cm and are one of the shortest rods in the world.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005: bikes ordered
The bikes (Thorn Raven Tours) that will carry us on our intrepid journey are being custom built in Bridgewater at St. John's Street Cycles, to be delivered next week. The excitement mounts at the FWE headquarters.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005: local paper article 2
Ben and Jamie have made a sensational appearance in the Edenbridge Chronicle, with a half-page scoop. Article to be posted soon...
: Ortlieb panniers awarded by Lyon Equipment
The prestigious Lyon Equipment Award was granted to Free Wheels East with the kind donation of Ortlieb Roller Plus panniers -unquestionably the best panniers in the world. We would like to thank Lyon Equipment for so kindly choosing us to receive an award.
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