Seeking riders for RT from Bulgaria to Portugal Summer 2012

Once we get the dates sorted out it would be 2-3 days prior. It looks about 18 hours if I recall. I was just planning on autobahn to Sofia. If you want ride down with me that is no problem. It's looking like September.

Sounds like fun. I have a ton of free time now. I have a place over near Katterbach and just plan on riding till the wheels fall off this year. By the way good video you put together on your tirp up to the N. Circle.

I'm off to Tunisia next week for a run thru the sand dunes I'll post up a RR when I get some content.

Hey everyone,

Nancy told me you were coming this way later on in the year.
As I told her, I might not be here at that time.
Anyway there's a couple of groups /sites you should check out online and maybe say something.
They're a very friendly bunch and I'm sure they'll help you in anyway they can.

http://www.nomadstrail.net/
http://www.trailaventura.com/forum/

Just use the translation option on your browser (google chrome should do it fine) as they're both in portuguese.
You can also try their FB page at - https://www.facebook.com/groups/161307286940/

happy planning

Hi, Lady and Gentlemen!

As asked by Nancy, here's some info I placed on other topics similar to this. (I'll search for more of my posts on this subject)

I'll try to get some more info in here, meanwhile, go ahead and put your doubts and thoughts on this.

Cheers,

Hello from icy cold Bulgaria ! I'm Luke from Sofia - the starting point of the trip :) . The weather now looks like It will never be warm enough to ride a bike. The coldest winter in 30 years !

Anyway , the plane looks great! I won't have enough time to do the whole thing. I will probably join you as far as Italy at the most . Entering Morrocco for a day is not a good idea . Their customs procedure is living hell ! A day can easily be lost just to enter the country. It is not worth staying there for a day or two only.

See you in ... 7 months !

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Wow thanks for the amazing pictures!!! If we are dragging tail pipes by the end of week 2, I think this should do the trick and get us across long, hot Spain!

As for LukeKTM joining at least to Italy Hooray! Good advice on skipping Morocco, what might seem like a shortcut actually isn't and you are right, I vaguely remember the customs being incredibly long and oh can't forget the curious peep holes all over the concrete walls of our bathroom shower.

Update:

I've got some initial nibbles for a homestay in Southern Serbia on our way out from Bulgaria.
I've also got one in Corsica.

April 25th 8am PST skype conf call.
The usual suspects TJ, HP, LukeKTM and myself.
Anyone interested in this ride should PM me with their skype

Will discuss date ranges good for all participants
Agree on date to buy plane tickets by and final full commitment.
Who is riding what and where.
Finalize route and countries.

It's gonna go fast now.

Ill be knee deep in the EVIA rally in Greece at that time, but please keep me up todate.

Hey all, haven't been online much, midterms kicking my butt... sorry guys! Anyhow, I have gotten good at skype, I can do it on my phone and laptop and will have it on most nights if anyone wants to ask about the trip / plan... i am so excited the date is coming up!! It would be great if some other riders would join us, come on people.. tell your boss to shove it and take a few weeks to ride the continent with us! =) I have had some gruling rides here lately, got stuck in a massive hail storm crossing the contenental divide in MD and the temp bottomed out at 27 degrees up around the PA/NY border. The hottest March on record?! pfffffff.... On top of that, I've had to lean into the wind and grip the bars super hard due to high winds. Good prep for the trip i guess!

adam

Question, i've had my eye on the shift trooper camo jacket, anyone see any issue with riding through any of the areas we're going to be in with camo on? Second option was going to be something bright yellow for highway visibility, but my drybag is already yellow and i dont really want to be a rolling eyeball magnet.


skype: adam.smith.pgh

Nothing wrong with being seen on the road. I would wear neon green with polka dots before I wore camo on a Moto.

I guess haha.. It's just that the jacket fit me better than anything I've tried on... ever. I can always throw a high viz vest over it. Most riders around here wear all black and no helmet... go figure. The eyeball magnet thing was about a theory i heard here in a bike shop, where drunk or tired drivers can actually drive into excessively flashing bicycle lights and neon jackets just by focusing too long, but i doubt it.

Just went over all the maps on the route again, i'm beyond pumped! Clearly that was a lot of work/fun, thank you for mapping all that out! I've got to calculate my extra time before and after due to the fact that my bike and flights are London based. Just got the new MOT sorted on the Pegaso and found my cannon software for taking quicktime VR 360 degree shots!

Are you planning on riding from London to the start point? I am about the half way point if that is the case....

That was what I was thinking you'd mentioned earlier. What way would you like to go down to Sofia? Prague? The Alps? Slovakia? Translvania? Two nice twisties i found, Huty Slovakia, and Seidlwinkl, Österreich. What date were you thinking of departing Ansbach? I need to leave London a few days before that.

Dates: sent an email but its looking like I can do Aug 10-Sept 12 guys, hope that works with you two.

Bright gear: I wear glow in the dark horns on my helmet and I will say that people always seem to see me rather well and not always the other people I ride with. I agree on the flashing lights and distracting bright stuff....I fixated on a cyclist who looked like a freakin UFO and gladly realized I was target fixating on him so didn't hit him. As for gear in general...I've learned comfort is key on a long month ride. I have Fox Titan off road gear for the summer months because its mesh, protective and light. It's black and my pants and jacket are army green. Never had a problem in all of Eastern Europe or Turkey with 'camo' looking colors.

If you boys can do the ride through the Transylvania mountains, it's glorious. Dracula's first castle (poenari) is there and I didn't bother stopping because the route itself was so amazing. You want switch backs that twist in on themselves...go there.
http://www.draculahistoryandmyth.com/my-visit-to-castle-poenari-draculas-castle-part-1/
What was spectacular was the prayer 'kiosks' every few miles through the whole pass. It was daunting riding this alone.
I stopped at a hotel right before the mountain range and ate very well and slept like a baby. Once you start going through this pass there is no where to camp, stop for food or gas, just keep moving till you get to the other side.
http://specialagentnancy.blogspot.com/2009/09/my-romanian-mom-and-white-knuckle-ride.html

I was planning on a two day drive to Sofia, it is about 16 hours on the autobahn. I may have a few extra days for an alternate route, it just depends on what final days for the main trip are going to be. Maybe we can sort this out when we talk on the 28th.

Also, I don't mind hosting the conference call on the 28th but I may not have the fastest Internet as I will be in a hotel in Belgium that night. So just be prepared. Also, everyone that wants to join in needs to make sure they have downloaded the latest Skype version or they may not be able to join the conference call.

Dan

April 25th not 28th....can you still do it?

Yes that is fine. I was typing that last night at 1am.....I will be in a hotel 25-28. The upcoming weekend would be better. But I can join the conf. on the 25th. I am afraid though that my Internet will not be fast enough to host the conf but I could be wrong. We'll see.

Haha 750km/day of toll booths... I better get a thick sheepskin under my rear and one of those palm throttle things.

Dracula's castle sounds awesome. I was looking up where the movie The American was filmed (Castel del Monte) and I stumbled onto this castle called Roccascalegna.. the king made you pray to birdcage and slept with every bride to be, that is until one of them stabbed the him in the heart.
http://www.lifeinabruzzo.com/roccascalegna-abruzzo-castle-sky/





And I've been wanting to have lunch on this bench at Maloja Pass...
http://twistedsifter.com/2011/03/picture-of-the-day-great-place-to-put-a-bench/

Yep right off the ferry from Croatia we are going to Castel Del Monte for lunch. :)

I am very much wanting to participate.

My holdup at the moment is no bike in Europe, time off should not a problem.

I gotta buy a bike in Bulgaria...