Tips, how to, advice

Practical Bike Maintenance – Quick Tips and Cheat Sheet

I originally wrote this as an article for the site, but here is an updated version as part of the ‘tips, how-to, advice‘ section of the site.

Your bike is an important tool. Make sure you look after it.

Wheels

Truing the wheels

  • Make sure your wheels are true and there are no loose spokes.
  • If they are out of true, use a spoke-key to tighten the spokes doing quarter-turns at a time.
  • Tighten the spokes on either side of the spoke nearest to the middle of the dent on the near side and loosen the spokes on the opposite side to pull the rim towards you. Do the opposite to push it away. Remember that on the rear wheel some ‘dish’ is built in to accommodate the rear cassette.

Read more…

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The Spiritual Teachings of ‘Sadhguru’

When I travelled to India I was able to get an insight into the lifestyles and culture there. I was struck by the role that spirituality plays in everyday life and it inevitably rubbed off on me as I stayed in numerous temples and ashrams. I have have read many western theories and philosophies as I have studied in the past two years and I have also found my way to a few predominant Indian yogis. One such yogi is called ‘Sadhguru’ who founded the ‘Isha Foundation‘; a non-religious, not-for-profit, public service organization, which addresses all aspects of human wellbeing. The organisation has special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations. There are many videos online and information on the website.

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Self Shot Travel Filming Manifesto

1. Formulate complete sentences when speaking into the camera
2. Keep the audience in mind with what you say to the camera
3. The camera is not a confidant. Use your diary for that.
4. If you are going to do a travelling shot. Make it worthwhile.
5. Don’t shoot unless you are interested in what you are shooting.
6. Don’t try and be a presenter.
7. Don’t try to shoot Nat Geo documentaries.
8. Don’t describe, observe and shoot (unless it’s a video diary).
9. If you are shooting your own face, make sure your face is in the shot.
10. Keep soundbites down to under 10 seconds. Keep dialogue down to 10 shots of 10 seconds per piece. Keep complicated reflections for the written journal.
11. Look into the camera when you are talking into it.
12. Don’t say a place “is beautiful”, “amazing”, “I am in awe of it”. Instead shoot it.
13. Relax.
14. Learn from your mistakes.
15. Get close to the action.
16. Use a tripod when possible.
17. Let people speak if they want.
18. Whatever is the central subject matter- if it is a an object- get plenty of good shots of it. Less is more.
19. If you are shooting something with a name for research, get the name written down.

Self Shot Travel Filming Manifesto: by Andrew Welch is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

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Some important things to remember when preparing an expedition

  1. Choose your expedition partners wisely.
  2. Less is more. Only take what you really need.
  3. Have a clear goal and focus- don’t let this be blurred by adding extra things.
  4. Gear is overrated. Choose the best gear, but do your research. Choose wisely and minimal items of proven quality and standards will serve you well. Some items are tried and tested – e.g. a good sleeping bag to keep you warm.
  5. Don’t under or over estimate your budget. Read more…
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50 Ways to Travel on the Cheap

  • Use social networking / crowd source funding to drum up support and funding.
  • Blag on the telephone for free stuff – find the right person who deals with that sort of thing.
  • Handle your media and communications – be known for something and use it as a foundation for generating support.
  • Become a photographer – use it to photograph (well) the places you go. Take photos of equipment in use/fancy places. Sell photos to magazines and use as barter in exchange for equipment.
  • Get yourself featured in high visibility media: news, magazines, documentary, films: use the media of the moment to promote yourself.
  • Steal hand wash from public toilets – carry around in a drinks bottle and refill (don’t drink).
  • Sleep on the deck of boats / on buses / trains etc and don’t pay for accomodation. Sleep in a tent.
  • Buy food before you go or before you come into a touristic / expensive area.
  • Drink tap water instead of buying drinks.
  • Ask people for help – if you don’t ask you don’t get.
  • Be desperate and in need.
  • Travel by cheap transport: human powered bicycle.
  • Don’t buy presents. Read more…
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Interview by King’s College Student – Subversive Cartographers

This is an epic interview I did recently with Charles Denby, Geography student from Kings College, London.

What do you think maps do?

I think they can make people see places differently. The maps I’m interested in are not necessarily maps that are tools to get from A to B but tools for getting lost or maps that provide routes around your local area. It doesn’t really matter about the scale actually. It’s about getting off the main roads, taking the side roads and going places people wouldn’t normally go.

That’s kinda where the Wandermap stuff comes in in terms of the work that I have done. I would say my travels by bike created a desire to make the traveling experience better by changing where we went. Rather than sticking on a big road you take a smaller road even though it would be slower. Even in Mongolia, for example where there are no roads and it was possible to go anywhere theoretically, it wouldn’t make much sense to go there and speed quickly across the map. It wouldn’t make a lot of sense to do that. Read more…

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City Survival Techniques

  1. Get a bike and keep it well maintained (get a helmet and a good lock – D-Locks are best. Get helmet, gloves, puncture repair kit, pump, tyre lever and allen keys – keep in portable repair kit)
  2. Get a good small rucksack / bag which is comfortable. Keep a waterproof coat, hat, gloves, A to Z, wallet, bike tools, bike lock in it.
  3. Get a large rucksack for shopping trips
  4. Shop in local grocers and butchers instead of supermarkets (cheaper & fresher)
  5. Get an A to Z map & a compass for orientating the map
  6. Accept invitations
  7. Look up at the sky once in a while (good for remembering you are on planet earth & picking out tall landmarks)
  8. Get a key chain that clips to your jeans / trouser belt loop which holds your keys (incl. bike lock keys)
  9. Don’t carry loads of money in your wallet (so you don’t spend it)
  10. Be friendly
  11. Be observant
  12. Don’t run the red lights
  13. Be on time
  14. Ask for directions from people rather than using your iphone
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How Do You Cope with Boredom on a Cycle Tour?

  1. Listen to music
  2. Memorise song lyrics
  3. Sing
  4. Be more observant
  5. Stop more often
  6. Go back
  7. Take the next right
  8. Take smaller roads
  9. Talk to the next person you see
  10. Wave at vehicles
  11. Go off road

Please add your suggestions in the comments!

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How to Get Sponsorship for Your Trip

Back in 2006 when I had the idea to go on a cycle tour, it was my idea, and no one else’s. I thought, that I alone would take my bike, escape from the everyday drone of my life in England and find excitement and bliss.

Great. The reason I had the idea was due to a whole range of factors, not least, many pub conversations about such things with friends, a long term love of cycling and the support from different people that had given me the space to be able to create the conditions to leave. I was already supported enough to be able to have the thinking space to be able to decide I was dissatisfied with things and to leave (no one exists alone).

Once I asked my best mate Tom, he had his own take on my ideas and the ideas were intertwined and multiplied.

Sponsorship for a cycle tour seemed like, on the one hand, a way to get free stuff and on the other, a natural progression to involve more people into the ‘Ride Earth’ project to enable it to gain momentum and publicity, so that it seemed more likely that it would happen than not. Read more…

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What Does Adventure Feel Like?

  • It feels like something new is happening.
  • It feels like something has to be done (maybe preparation, decisions).
  • It feels like there is movement.
  • It feels like there are requirements.
  • It feels like something strange is happening
  • Emotions occur but without a familiar language or signification structure – this may stop it from having complete meaning or making complete sense.
  • It requires thinking on my feet so I feel more alert.
  • It makes me more conscious so I feel more aware.
  • Motivates me act to outside of normal routines of behaviour so I feel more open minded.
  • It evokes fear so I feel apprehension.
  • It evokes the imagination so I feel more inspired.
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