Lux Mundi

Hi ... My name is Jan, I am fundraising for Lux Mundi a charity in southern Spain where I helped out on occasions while living in Spain from 2014 to 2018. It is a multi faith charity helping foreigners and those living on the street to integrate and get back on their feet.

In September I intend to cycle from Germany, where I live, to Spain and visit Lux Mundi. It is a trip of more than 2000kms and will take around three to four weeks to complete. I am no spring chicken but I am a life long walker, climber and cyclist and feel confident that this challenge is within my grasp.

The trip will not start before September simply because the Giant bike I have ordered and paid for will not arrive before end of August. I also need time to plan the trip and make preparations. However I will make status updates regularly and post them here.

I have created a blog:

https://giantrad.blogspot.com

Update 290721

Good news! The bike has arrived, almost a month before it was due, which is great as it means that I can depart in August, rather than my planned September date. Meanwhile I discovered ‘Eurovelo’ an interesting app that shows cycle routes through Europe with much of my route to Spain covered. That means for the most part I should be able to avoid main roads and traffic, making the ride much more interesting, enjoyable and safer.

The only downside to my chosen route is that it goes from east to west and that could mean head winds for much of the way if it’s windy. Should I opt to make the return journey (unlikely) I would at least have some help from a tail wind and that can make a huge difference. I have still to acquire a few last minute items and do some test runs on the bike locally before departing. Otherwise all being well I could be leaving mid August.

I am experimenting with intermittent fasting and a keto diet to see if I can improve my fitness. Also doing simple weight training with plenty of outdoor exercise. Once underway I will be able to discard all this and delve into French baguettes, cheese and Pinot Noir.

My first impressions of the bike are very positive and it’s huge improvement on my last mountain bike from the 90s. After a short 3km test run I was soon panting on the uphill stretches but at least the gearing meant that I remained on the bike. I expected the saddle to be the biggest problem but it felt very comfortable. My thigh muscles suffered most, muscles I rarely use even when walking, so a bit more training on the bike will be important before I leave. I averaged 15km/h on the test run and reached a max speed of 30km/h.

Of course that is all without the 35kg extra weight burden that I will have to carry with me but I am feeling very optimistic.

Update: 110821


Up at dawn a couple of days ago to get my second Covid jab. I was sick during the night but don’t know if that was due to the jab or my homemade chili con carne (without meat) to which I had added a habanero chili. Anyway my planned test run fully loaded had to wait while I recovered.

Today with perfect cycling weather and feeling recovered I ventured back to Grünhütte a 10km round trip that I have already done numerous times. This time, almost fully loaded (90%), I was able to test how the solar panels performed strapped to the rear panniers. In bright sunshine they are as good as a mains socket and even in cloudy conditions continue to charge. I was surprised that the total weight of bike and luggage is not much over 30kg and it was no problem progressing even up hill albeit in the highest gear. It will be difficult finding somewhere to stash the final items but at least I will be well within my target of 35kg for luggage. The bike itself weighs around 13kg.

I am still waiting for a couple more items to arrive and then I will be good to go. Unfortunately my Covid pass is not valid until the 24th August and that could make entering France difficult before then. So I may have to delay my start or modify my route.

Update: 240821

I left today for Spain on my adventure. For further information on my progress please see my blog: giantrad.blogspot.com as I hope to post daily updates there and will no longer duplicate them here as editing while underway can get difficult and complicated.