I threw my bags on my bike and road off into the world for a few days. Good for my soul. Weather was picture-perfect though a tad blustery, windy. All good.
Destination unknown. I just headed north-east and started making the route up as I went along. I stayed on small highways, hardly anyone on them, through some of Korea’s most mountainous terrain. First day pretty flat at first, 300kms along the two big rivers in this part of the peninsula - Yeongsan and Seomjin rivers.
Ending up finally, in the dark , in beautiful Suncheon. But then, into torturous hills. Yesterday only did 65km but almost 1,900m of climbing in 5 hours! Hauling all the gear on the bike, made this into a grind. Each climb, I just kept saying to myself “I can’t go on, I’ll go on.” An absurdist, deeply meaningful (to me) line from Beckett’s Godot that often rises in me, in these situations.
In my part of the Korean peninsula, the south, it is just an endless series of mountain ranges that finally disappear into the sea. I was going east to west and bunny hopping them all.
You know what they say - “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” And that’s just it, so much to think about on a bike and so many motivational “thought tricks” that one uses to keep going when things get tough.
So to finish up this report - here are a few more of these “witicisms” that come to mind and keep one going forward.
If you sit on a bike long enough, you’ll begin to suffer. If you continue sitting on the bike, you’ll experience joy. And that is how it is - not just physical ups and downs but also internal ones. When you are hurting, if you keep at it - eventually things will change and you’ll experience joy, relief (call it what you want). That’s the lovely spirit of self-mortification.
A destination dreamed is very much deferred. You know the old adage - “A watched pot never boils”? Well, it is the same on a bike. If you think constantly of the destination, time stretches immensely and it will seem like it is taking you forever to get there.
Slow and steady wins the race. A bike trip isn’t about bursts of speed but rather the slow, steadiness and unceasing march forward of the will. It teaches you resolve.
A bike traveler moves by way of its stomach. You’ll need to stoke coal into your furnace - eat, eat, eat. Not a lot but constantly. If you can load up with liquid and food, do so. Don’t say - “I’ll get some the next stop.” Usually that won’t ever arrive in time and you’ll be bonking for sure.
Defeated I shall win. A line from a Czeslaw Milosz poem that I turn to often. Ultimately, on a long day on the bike, you’ll have moments when you feel defeated. But in the defeat is always a seed of victory.
Be ye prepared. Self-reliance is an important characteristic of the bike tripper. You got to know how to fix any “mechanicals” that arise. If the weather turns, you need the right gear to survive. Each bike trip is a preparation for the next one.
Make way when the sun is shining. If you’ve got some wind at your back, if you’re “feelin’ it”, if the riding is good - go for it! For sure enough, you’ll hit some bad stuff; rain, sleet, snow, aches, needs of repair, climbs … you name it.
When hungry eat. When poop tired stop. When thirsty drink. When happy sing. When rocket roaring go. Find your zen, that place where you can sit, pedal, be and engage with, be emeshed in the momentary world around you.
Every bike trip is a story you tell yourself. And after awhile your life will be a book full of these stories. Storytelling is what living is all about. The story of who we are is endlessly created, erased, recreated through our inner life and the telling ourselves, who we are. And too, we need to tell these stories to others - it’s part of being human, this storytelling. And it is why I write these reports, capture photos. I’m creating myself and you are participating too, you are my co-creator. Dominic Rivard on The Cycle Touring Life recently called for “private adventures”. Not posting about your trips, not telling anyone about one’s story. Good points made about our indulgent, selfie society - but there is a counter-balance. Storytelling is part of the journey, it’s a deep cultural trait that is important for us all as social creatures.
Ride the bike you have. I’m a big advocate for low-cost bike travel. You don’t take a Versace handbag when going to pick blueberries. Forget all the what if, couldas, shouldas, etc … Just ride (and love) the bike you have. Make sure it is sound mechanically, kick the tires, tighten and oil things. Be one with the bike. You are the bike. The bike is you. One thing. Together. Be off …
Came upon this video and love it! It encapsulates this ethos perfectly. He did a great job recreating an 80s style video too!
