Friday 3 August 2012

Taxation


There is an unwritten rule of cycle touring, always add tax.

Let me explain, cycling tax is the extra bit you add to your predicted distance before setting out, for example if you think a journey will be a distance of 50 miles, you should add tax and prepare for a journey of 55 miles.

There are two reasons you add tax.
  1. Cycling tax prepares you mentally for a longer journey than the one you are facing.  With this mental preparation, a finish 5 miles before you were prepared for is an uplifting experience.  Every mile over your expected distance is a depressing too!
  2. You get lost.

The reason I mention this?  I got taxed on my prologue ride!

The plan was to cycle to Lizard to meet Gents, my companion for the ride to Reading.  Some somewhat half arsed map reading ensued and I followed the road marked, thinking it would join up.

So imagine my shock when I hit this sign!

ARGH!


It was already 7pm and I had just added about 8-9 miles to my 25mile journey!
A bit if investigation ensued and I discovered there was a coastal foot path, so to avoid the addition 8-9 miles I was forced to break two of my personal rules:

• NEVER push a bike up a hill (it’s OK to stop and rest, but NEVER push the bike!)
• Do not get your bike near sand.

So an eventful prologue, I hope the rest of the tour doesn’t see any more wrong turns on my part!


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1 comment:

  1. Dylan Thomas3 August 2012 at 16:36

    Rich you are so so right on all four points!
    But there is some more to add to that. They are Plan your route for the day, then plan your route for the day again, Now go back and check to make shore it is the best one and there is no problems! (I did all most the same thing but mine was riding over a very big hill to get to a town just to find out that I had to ride over a bigger hill to get to where I was heading! 68miles and 2 big hills! when I could of just done 34miles of mild bumpy roads to get to the same campsite)

    Planing to get to your camping spot way before it is dark! unless to need to camp after dark for safety?

    Look after the bike as much as you can it and what is on it maybe your only life line!!!

    Dylan

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