Most commercial riders tend to remain within a several mile radius of their home. But there are a select few who choose to go much further beyond their neighborhood grocery store.
Sarah Outen, a citizen of London, England plans to ride and paddle her way across Asia, the Pacific ocean, North America, and then back to her hometown across the Atlantic in a two-year tour. Her journey is scheduled for April 1st, 2011, but she’s already begun to prepare with strict training regiments and getting her gear together.
In 2009 I rowed across the Indian Ocean. Alone: just me and my little boat, Dippers, from Australia to Mauritius. On the way I broke 2 oars, ate 500 bars of chocolate and still lost 20kg bodyweight. It took me 124 days and we scooped three Guinness World Records along the way: first woman & youngest person to solo the Indian; youngest woman to solo any ocean. It was raw and elemental–just as adventure should be. … I leave from Tower Bridge, London on a bid to loop the planet entirely under my own power–rowing, cycling and kayaking.
During the land portion of her two-year journey around the Northern Hemisphere, Sarah is relying on Ortlieb panniers and her Santos Travelmaster 2.8 Alu (AKA Hercules) to get her supplies over the busy Asian and North American terrain. Hercules is equipped with a Rohluff hub, and composite belt drive. Along with the fancy schmancy gear, Sarah has also purchased a dynamo headlight, a leather Brooks saddle, and Tubus racks for any extra loads.
Preparing for any expedition takes heaps of planning, a lot of team work, time and money. For London to London the training is just one aspect, albeit super important; and it is also one with many facets. It is not all about getting big and strong. I need to be technically sound, mentally focussed and have supreme endurance across my three disciplines–rowing, cycling and kayaking. … Beyond that, I think success is all down to being lucky, but I am giving myself a good as start as I can and would like to share it with you
You can follow Sarah’s preparations for her epic London2London trip from her blog
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