Tour de France? Try the rest of Europe.
The Tour de France may get everyone’s attention during the summer, but one traveller is looking to conquer all of Europe by bike.
Life in the UK is dull and oppressive for most young people. We’re seeing older generations vote to take our country back to the 1950s. Escapism is a form of survival. For some it’s through Pokémon Go, for others escaping is a physical goal.
Since graduating from Newcastle University, Greg Morland has travelled extensively. He’s seen most of Asia and Europe – and he’s travelling through Europe again, but this time with an epic bicycle trip. Morland spoke to Stand Up on why he decided to travel in this way, how even small environmental steps can help and his low point of the trip.
What made you want to decide to travel Europe by bike?
Greg: People always ask this, and I usually don’t have a good answer! It was an idea that slowly came together and escalated into something ever bigger. I vaguely remember a couple of years ago developing an interest in travelling around the perimeter of Iberia, and then I thought, since I’ve always enjoyed cycling, why not do it that way? Then I wondered if other parts of Europe might be even better for cycling trips. A bit of research alerted me to the existence of Eurovelo routes, signposted cycle routes crisscrossing Europe, and the most developed one bisects the continent west to east following major rivers like the Danube. I thought taking this route would allow me to see lots of new places I would likely never get to if I went by bus or train as usual. And to some extent I liked the idea of a physical and mental challenge as well.
What has the reaction been by people you’ve met on your travels when they’ve heard what you’re doing?
Greg: Well, a lot of the people I’ve met have been fellow cyclists I’ve stayed with along the way, using the cycle touring hospitality service Warm Showers, so frankly my journey isn’t overly impressive to many of them! Some of them have been on journeys that make mine pale in comparison- round the world trips, journeys across the Americas, cycling to the northernmost point to of Europe, and so on. Of course, to people outside of this cycling community it’s more impressive.
Travelling by bike is an incredibly independent but also environmentally friendly way to travel – were any of these elements a factor for you?
Greg: Yeah, it is. I try to live in an environmentally sustainable way where I’m able to. For example, I don’t drive and I’ve stopped eating meat. But I’m under no illusions that my travelling lifestyle fits with that aim. Even on this trip, I’ll be flying home, and I’m occasionally taking trains and buses to skip certain sections. Bikes don’t grow on trees, either! Sacrificing travel for the sake of the environment is not a sacrifice I’ve been willing to make yet, and I may never manage it, but at least by cycling I’m lessening the environmental impact I’m having.
You’ve seen a huge amount of the world, how does this trip compare to all of your others?
Greg: It’s certainly been more challenging. There has been so much to organise, so many problems to deal with, more difficulties finding my way around, and I’ve found it more difficult to find the time to relax than I’d hoped. Physically it has been tough at times, but the biggest challenge is on the mental side, which I’m not used to. I’ve only cycled in the most developed countries so far, so the less developed countries still ahead of me could be trickier still! But, I’m naturally getting a much greater sense of achievement from cycling around rather than taking public transport, and it’s been refreshing to travel in a very different way to normal. It’s satisfying to think back through all the places I’ve seen and how far I’ve travelled.
What have been your lowest and highest points so far?
The first day was a bit of a nightmare. It was a long, hilly route down from London to the south coast, I got two punctures and had to get a lift to a bike shop, I got hopelessly lost, and the hours just seemed to drag by. At one point I ended up pushing my bike through a field, wondering what the hell I had gotten myself into. Looking back, though, I get a lot of satisfaction remembering how I came through such troubles. Nostalgia filters out the bad memories rather well! I also lost one of my panniers for 24 hours in Germany, which was pretty damn stressful. I don’t have a specific high point to mention, but I had a good time cycling through Switzerland. It’s a beautiful country and the people there helped me so much.
You can follow Greg’s adventures here.
