By the time I rode into my hometown in Sydney I had covered a distance greater than the length of the equator! You can view an image of my route below, but I really recommend visiting my interactive map on Umapper to see it in various formats and check out the specific roads cycled (blue), ferry crossings (red), glacial walks or backpacking breaks along the way (green), and previous cycle tours totaling over 5000km (yellow).
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CYCLING 4 CANCER 
First words on this blog, first comment but many will follow to accompany you along this fabulous trip !!!!
Such a great project which inspires a lot !
All the best for this amazing experience !!!
Your mad! Massively inspiring trip and I wish you the best of luck through the good and bad times along the way. How much planning has this taken and what difficulties do you expect while crossing borders?
I shall stay tuned in, good luck
Hi James,
Thanks for your comment… the planning has taken the best part of a year, especially setting up the website and researching many of the destinations! But its been great fun, and I can’t wait to get on the road! I think Iran may be a problem, but fingers crossed relations improve with them before its time to apply for my visa 🙂
Keep in touch,
Chris
G’day Chris,
I just read about your ride home to good old Oz via half or more of the world. What a fantastic and selfless thing you are doing – a true inspiration to the youth of the world. I’m going to use whatever influence I have at both Camden and Elderslie High schools to get them behind you and to raise some funds for you. Annabella Leone is in charge of the SRC at Camden so she should be able to get something happening there. I don’t have any contacts at Elderslie now but will write to the principal and urge her to get their SRC to support you. It would be great if you could speak to a school assembly at both schools when you finally get home (exhausted I expect!!).
All the best for the ride. I’ll be following your progress with interest.
Arthur Kelly
Hi Arthur,
Thank you for you comment – I’m really looking forward to sharing my journey with the youth of the Camden area! I will also contact Annabella, and hopefully together we can come up with some fun and exciting fundraising ideas. Here in England I am doing a charity funride with pupils so if we did something like that it would be an exciting way of involving the students at Elderslie/Camden High School’s. Ofcourse I would love to have the opportunity to speak in assemblies in school; I’m sure I will have many bizaar stories to tell by the time I arrive home!
Thank you for your support and help, and it will be great to keep in touch while I’m on the long road home!
Kind regards,
Chris.
Thanks Chris. I have already written to the principal at Elderslie and to Bella. I’ll also talk to her personally. I am no longer teaching at Camden – on LSL pending retirement early in 2013. Heaven!!
Do you have any suggestions of staff at Elderslie that I could contact directly? I still know quite a few there. Another suggestion is for you to email the principal directly. If you email me (adkel53@gmail.com) I can get her email address for you and send it on.
Great to hear from you.
Arthur
Thanks for that Arthur – and congradulations on reaching retirement… I managed to stay in teaching for just one year before organising this trip, haha! I appreciate all the effort you have made spreading the word about cycling4cancer, and I will email you now to continue our conversation there, thanks!
Chris
Hey Chris,
I don’t know if you remember me, I was Andrea Ching’s room mate for a while in Sydney, and I went to Sydney Uni. I read about what you’re doing and I think it’s incredible, I wish you the very best of luck. I’ll keep checking your updates!
Stay safe,
Trilby Beresford
Hi Trilby,
Yeah ofcourse I remember you, hope your doing well and it would be great to catchup again when I reach Sydney. I began today, and its so good to hit the road. Thanks for your wishes and keep in touch.
Chris
Hi Trilby,
Thanks for the kind wishes- all is going well so far! It does seem like forever since those days, great times!
Take care,
Chris
hey! good luck on your trip hope you have a good time chloe.
Thanks Chloe 🙂
First day cycling, first day of an amazing aventure !!!!!!! We wish you the best. You are crazy but you make us crazy and we hope to see you during your trip and maybe one time do this kind of trip. You will so many people it’s possible, not so complicated and such a fabulous experience !!!!!!!!!!
I’ll let you know for your break near Reims 🙂
Thanks Sego and JP- a little craziness is healthy 🙂 The first day went really well thanks- another 500pounds raised and a great ride with a few mates from Leeds to Sheffield. Im really looking forward to France and Reims; ill keep you posted on my progress. Goodluck on your Paris London ride, the kids will love it! Chris
Have a good and trouble free trip Chris. My wife and I had a brief chat with you in Buxton on the 2nd.
Very best wishes
Norma & Trevor Duffield, Heanor, Derbyshire.
Hey Chris,
well your off! good luck mate will keep up with your project throughout. I like your radio interview, were abouts are you now 4/3/12.
Hey Ken- yep on my way! Ive had a challenging few days with the cold temperatures and snow, but Im now near Builth Wells where ill have a few days to recover. My body aches! Glad you liked the radio interview- one of the most nervous moments of my life!
Hey Chris. Just read the blurb in the Advertiser in Camden and looked you up. My wife and I run a guesthouse in central Mongolia, and are just temporarily back in our hometown of Camden, in Oz. If you decide to hang a left in Lithuania and take a more northerly route north of the Baltics, we’d be happy to put you up for a night or two at Fairfield in Mongolia – http://www.fairfield.mn. We make a pretty decent hamburger, and have great coffee 🙂
Hey Murray,
haha – that will be one hell of a left hand detour, and ill definately keep it in mind! I’m always keeping an eye out for a good coffee and burger (food of the gods), so you just might tempt me! I appreciate the kind offer. If I dont quite get to Mongolia it would be nice to meet back in Oz.
All the best,
Chris
On the map, it looks as if your route passes my home. You should take the ferry from Hirtshals to Kristiansand. I live about 35 kilometers from Kristiansand in a place called Birkeland. You are welcome and we have room for accommodation if appropriate. When do you expect to arrive in Norway?
Good luck on your trip
Regards Harald Karlsen
Hi Harald,
Thanks for your kind offer. I will probably arrive in Norway sometime in July. At the moment I am considering getting the ferry to Goteborg then following the EuroVelo route to Bergen via Oslo. This would work out well too as I can just cut inland from the coast to visit you. Feel free to join me for a ride too! As for dates I wont really know when I will be in the area for another ten weeks or so. Hopefully we can arrange to meet…
Take care,
Chris.
Well done Chris….keep those wheels oiled!! (and your knees)… been contacting my friends in Sydney about your expedition. When and where are you expected to arrive in Oz to a civic reception?
cheers
Marion.
Cheers Marion – both the knees and chain seem to be doing their job now thanks! I have just arrived in Denmark, and Im struggling to even think about my return to Oz! I think I will be flying into Darwin then crossing to Adelaide and upto Sydney from there… If I was to guess I think I should reach Sydney in late 2014! Hope that helps; Im sure I will have a few events (and celaboratory beers) on my return 🙂
Keep in touch,
Chris.
When you reach Norway, will you be passing near to SANDNES?…or how close to…
Hi Marion – unfortunately it looks like I wont get a chance to visit Sandnes as I will ride up to Oslo from either Gothenborg or Kristiansand – I’m still undecided. From Oslo I will most likely be heading NW to Trondheim to follow the coast from there. I’ve got to be mindful of the seasons, and try to return to Eastern Europe before summer passes!
Hi Chris,
I hope this note finds you healthy and happy on your journey! My name is Cyrus and I live in Denver, Colorado USA. I am in the early stages of planning my own cycling trip and I just came across your site this afternoon. I wonder if you could possibly give me some insight into the resources you used to research your route across Europe and the Middle East? I hope to start a similar trip for charity in early 2014 and will eagerly be following your journey so as to take tips from someone who is ‘living it’ now. If you have any resources that you could share, or people that you think I should contact, I would greatly appreciate it.
As the Germans say, ‘Viel Erfolg’ on your journey. There are people all over the world wishing they were in your shoes right now. ENJOY IT!!
Best,
Cyrus
Hi Cyrus,
Thanks for your message and wishes – and yes I’m still very much enjoying each and every day of the journey, and beginning to settle into a routined rhythm with a healthy amount of weekend breaks! I did quite a lot of research from other cycle tourers before I planned my route; but much of it follows a logical sequence of places after studying and reading widely about the history of the region. If you are interested in the Silk Road Cities, and are aware of visa restrictions, then most tourers tend to follow the same (or variations of) my proposed route. One thing I would really recommend is purchasing Trailblazers ‘Adventure Cycle-touring Handbook’ (have a look on amazon, [2nd edition]), which includes many route choices and stories from the road. It also has a useful collection of website links and contacts at the back of the book! But an important aspect of this type of adventure is not to plan too much – and anyway the political climate changes… I’ve more or less decided to not even look into it until The Balkans as I can’t start the visa process until Istanbul! In the meantime take a look at http://worldcyclingtour.wordpress.com/route/visa-information/
Hope that helps,
Take care mate and happy planning!
Chris.
Hi Chrism
Happy to see your trip is going on and you enjoy every minute even if every minute mustn’t be easy.
Thanks for your tips hoping we could use them to do a trip as nice as yours !!!!!
All the best for the next riding months 🙂
Thanks and no worries- Hope the teaching in London has been going well; I bet use are looking forward to the summer break now!
Chris
Chris I am following your progress- looks amazing!
Thanks Caragh- Norway is really special! Im in Aurland at the moment and the mountain views by the water are just spectacular. Hope your doing well xx
Hi Chris
What an inspirational trip you are on. I am a director of http://www.yapstuff.org – we connect with youth around the world aiming to decrease the impact of breast cancer by encouraging young guys and girls to take control of their own body health.
All the best
Sue ( Hamish and Sarah’s aunty)
Hi Sue,
Thanks for getting in contact and for your friendly wishes. If you would like me to get involved with your project, perhaps visit schools or youth centres along the way, please send me an email! My mum died of breast cancer and I feel it’s absolutely crucial young people are educated about their health (particularly with early detection of cancer).
I look forward to hearing from you,
Kind regards,
Chris
cgruar@yahoo.com.au
hey. hope your are enjoying ur bike ride 🙂 from kate
Hi, Chris.
Glad to know your journey, cycling for cancer. Maybe it looks impossible or crazy for other people, but i believe that you can finish your journey with successfully. I was amazed with your photo in Norway, although it still beginning. When do you expect to arrive in Indonesia? You’ll through three islands in there, that are Sumatera, Java, and Bali. And let me know if you already arrive in my town, Surakarta. I believe that you’ll be amazed when you cyling in my country, coz the landscape also beautiful too. I will following your progress.
Keep spirit!
Husna
Hi Husna,
I should arrive in Indonesia sometime in the start of 2014. I have actually cycled through Bali, Lombok and the Gili Islands before,and I absolutely loved travelling through Java. The volcanoes were just incredible, although I think I will struggle pushing the bike up! Hopefully my route brings me to your town 🙂
Take care,
Chris
This is amazing!!
Good job, take care!
Inspiring ride! Is there a way to see how many days some of your legs took? I’m from Siauliai, Lithuania but live in Leeds, it’s very interesting to see such a route between these two locations 🙂
Hi Robertas,
Unfortunately I haven’t really kept a record of the daily milage, but my route can be easily seen on my route page. I camped near The Hill of Crosses which was brilliant, and really enjoyed the ride south to Kaunas. The contrast in the landscape between Leeds and the area of Siauliai is huge! If you get a chance ride the circular route of the Yorkshire Moors- it’s a gem 🙂
Chris
Greetings from Warsaw Rising Museum. You just stop at Our Museum 🙂
A fascinating visit – thanks for storing my bike and it was great to meet you! Chris
Great:) Chris if You stay in Warsaw to Monday that will be great meet our press office:) they make a better picture than me:)
ps avoid a buss driver they very agressive 😛
Thought I would drop you a short note Chris to say we are watching your progress with great interest. We click on weekly to see your progress. You seem to keep a good mileage most days so keep it up mate. Good luck to you..
Trevor & Norma..we met in Buxton early April..
Hello Chris,
Just a few words to tell you we thought a lot about you this summer, in deed, exacltly one year ago we met you somewhere in Normandy and you were talking about this project you are brillantly achieving and you allow us to follow !!!! Congratulations
And thanks for the inspiratioin you give to everybody
Sego and JP
Hi Chris, thought I would check out your progress, we met in Dubrovnik Old Town harbour. You were washing your clothes in the harbour and I thought what is that crazy boy doing !!! I was waiting for my hubby to finish walking & climbing the walls around Dubrovnik – who would do that in the midday sun – only mad dogs & Scots. We are now back home in chilly Lochness since Sunday night (7th Oct) and feeling the cold. We had a good chat (you may not remember as so many bods wanted to speak with you) I wish you all the best, doing a great job but still some way to go. I will follow your course closely and read your adventures with interest.
All the best wishes, Chris & Jamie
p.s. my hubby would like to have met you for a history chat to get your take on the Yugoslavia wars, as I mentioned we are both still not clear on who was fighting who – boring for some !!!
Hi Christine,
Dubrovnik was just beautiful, and it was great to meet you by the harbour (as my socks dried!). Sorry to hear the weather didnt follow you to Scotland. All the sun knocked me out the day we met; I struggled past the airport then collapsed in my tent before 7pm. Tell Chris Im on the Kosovo border at the moment, and plan to explore Prizren and the capital in a couple days. Since ’95 the ethnic tension has continued between the Serbs and Albanians, which is sad to read but I plan to take my time and check it out for myself.
The riding through Montenegro and Albania has been spectacular, but to views have been hard to earn with endless mountains to climb. The people in Albania have been wonderful, and I plan to re-enter the country from Macedonia to explore the south of the country.
Thanks for your encouragement, and who knows I could be riding past Lochness in a few years!
Take care,
Chris
Hello chris, do you remember us, we are the swiss guys you met one sunny day in Zadar? We listened together the sound of the waves coming from an organ in Zadar. Terrific! So just to tell you to keep it up, ride well and …bonne chance!
Hi Henri and Caro,
Ofcourse I remember use; the sound from the swell was incredible, and on my return I’ll start a petition to the Mayor of Sydney to make a natural wave orchestra down on Darling harbour! Thanks for your encouragement… the riding in Albania has been immense in the mountains, and this has been my toughest week on the bike so far (kicking the football around with local kids yesterday didnt help the mountain climb today!)
Take care,
Chris
Hi Chris. Enjoying reading about your adventures as to head south through Europe. Always look forward to a new post on your blog. Enjoying my “retirement” and doing some work for the Curriculum and Innovations Centre, which, unfortunately has been decimated by the “O’feral” government. Shame on them! Also helping Sarah and Oliver plan their wedding in Hobart on Feb 2nd next year.
Keep on pedalling and enjoying the history, geography and humanity of Europe. when will you reach Asia?
Hi Arthur,
Thanks for your comment – yeahit’s been a fascinating and spectacular ride through southern Europe. I’m trying to avoid winter in Central Asia, so I have about six months before I begin crossing the ‘Stans into Asia. The extra time has given me plenty of flexibility to explore Greece, Turkey and Iran at a slower pace. Yeah I can only imagine the changes that are taking place since the curriculum changes; I bet its keeping everyone busy in the proffession! Sarah must be getting really excited now, and I’ve only ever heard good things about Hobart. I should have a blog up of my Balkans trip soon..
Chris
G’day Chris,
Just read your whole blog, congrats mate! What you’re achieving is amazing. Where will you be April / May 2013? I’m riding a motorbike (cheating) from London to the Caspian Sea before heading north. If you’re in the area and need anything delivered give me a yell. All the best man
Tom
Hi Tom,
Thanks for your offer, and great to hear you took the time to read all my posts! It soundsz like you have a cracking trip planned ahead – by that time I will probably be in the ‘Stans, a month or two from the Chinese border. But a lot depends on my Iran visa application, but if I’m forced to spend more time around the Caspian Sea I’ll letchya know.
Best of luck on your adventure, and let me know how you go
Chris
PS, If you haven’t already, have a go at contacting ‘the long way round’ fellas – I recon those celebrities would be packed with information about cross continental motorbike expeditions…
There was a moment today, when a great man’s cycle ride crosses my path .. best of luck on your journey Chris. Greetings from Rhodes, Greece.
John
Cheers John, and have a Merry Christmas! I’ve been wandering around in circles in Rhodes city now for a couple days so I think I’ve passed everyone in town, haha!
Chris
Merry Christmas Chris! If you don’t have any plans for today, it would be a pleasure for us to see you again !
Cheer man)
John
Heyy sir im the one of pupil at castleford high , we are all suporting you and hope you enjoy your trip
Hi Thomas,
Thanks for your support – it’s great to know that my trip still has some interested followers back at Cas! I hope school is going well, and look forward to dropping in next time I’m in the UK.
All the best,
Chris.
Hi Chris,
Cant believe its well over a year now when we had a brief chat in Buxton. Watching your progress with great interest. Look after yourself young man and Gods speed..
Trevor & Norma form Derbyshire
Hi Chris!
We met one year ago in the Poland, when you go to Krakow and we to the north.
I remember about you,
Best regards for you.
Have a speed and be strong.
Michał
Hi Michal,
Yes I remember it was great to meet you there last year, so many miles ago! Thanks for your support, as well as your company in Krakow. It was an interesting city to explore for a few days, and the road west to Prague was superb. After China I’m trying to avoid ‘speed’, and I’m sure after soon relaxing on the Vietnamese beaches I should feel ‘strong’ again 😉
All the best,
Chris
Hey Chris!!
Wonderful to meet you here in Melbourne, and we very much appreciate AICR’s support of Monash University’s research into cancer. Trust you are having a great day talking to the kids at Valkstone Primary School and McKinnon High. You are truly welcome at any time.
Very best wishes for the final stage of your inspiring odyssey, and safe travels into Sydney. That close now…
Cheers, Clint
Thanks Clint,
It was a wonderful experience to come along to Monash this week, and it was a pleasure to meet you all. The school visits were loads of fun, and the kids seemed to learn a lot from my crazy stories from the road! Best of luck in your research grant!
All the best Clint,
Chris
Hi Chris,
So pleased you are nearly at journey`s end. My wife and I met you in Buxton over 2 year back now April 2nd `12 and we have followed your progress with great interest. Good luck to you in the future.
Trevor & Norma Duffield, Heanor, Derbyshire.
Hey Trevor and Norma,
Its great to hear from you after so long – feels like a long time ago that I was sheltering from the cold on the street eating a pastry in Buxton! Still not over the finish line yet – 200km and three days of riding, so should get back to my hometown next Thursday. Thanks for all your support over the past two years, and I hope we run (or ride!) into each other again in the future!
Take care,
Chris
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