Cycle Tour of Europe

[@easterlake]

I'm 64 and heading over to Europe in May to ride for weeks. Thanks for the inspiration. Love Analog Heart

[@gvanaco]

Very nice trip. Lovely video to follow. 👍

[@dermotpurcell8861]

Thanks for sharing

[@LesCyclopreneurs]

Nice, thanks for your videos, we will follow you!

[@ernestojunior1744]

Wonderful trip.. thank you for sharing

[@dermotpurcell8861]

Enjoyed your trip thanks for having us along

[@RikuLeppanen]

Excellent tour! Well done!

[@java4john]

Thanks for sharing. Such an awesome and meaningful trip.

[@GamingLoadown101]

Cheers Ken love your video

[@whatthe6532]

What a beautiful journey.

[@stevengreen6627]

Well done absolutely fantastic.

[@junkim7244]

Your tour with right decision for change the plan, and joyful riding around, check and check countries...this is so great and beautiful movie...Thanks. Really I wanna going up there someday....

[@JohanBarelds]

Great movie Ken! Nice editing work to. Makes me wanna go out bike touring again.

[@peterbras5379]

thank you for sharing this beautful video.

[@LousTube]

Ken - that was an awesomely, inspiring video of you most excellent adventure. I wish I could have joined you. This would be a great trip on a velomobile too.

[@kensimpson5340]

Lou, thanks for the comment. I have not been on a velomobile, would like to try one some time.

[@Ari33sa]

Ui I think this might be one of the first times I see y home town in a video like this. Very nice. This really makes me want to do something like that too... a shorter version though....

[@Terrificflows]

Much respect! You re my inspiration, motivation! Love it!

[@joeambrosino1075]

Inspirational for sure, well done Sir!

[@liamhobbs2864]

Wow, Iceland looks unreal! Being from Wales and in the EU up until now, I've had no excuse not to visit. Defiantly on the bucket list!

[@JackButlerVideos]

Excellent video Ken! Really enjoyed it, super inspiring :D

[@toonvandenbroeck6393]

Great trip

[@bohemian46]

Superb !!

[@violentwizard4124]

Wow amazing journey Sir. Looking forward to follow your footsteps. You lit the fire inside me. Thank you so much... please do share your mail so i can hear more about this tour. Thank you.

[@easterlake]

I smiled the entire video and I wasn't even there. I'll be 62 in two years and retired. I'd love to do a trip like this! My wife loves her bike but the hills, distance, and the unknown are a bit much for her. I'll probably go solo. Thank you so much!

[@carolleenkelmann3829]

In April of 2019,there is the Provence Prestige en Vélo bike tour with Belle France… gives you some choices and suggestions.Then there is the information Darren Alff (the Bicycle Touring Pro) has, on KZbin as well as a book. I subscribe to his channel. And there are lots more underway sharing their experiences. Has your spouse thought of pedal-assistance through Pedalac or e-bike. I am seriously considering a folding, e-bike. That way I can go on public transport easier than with a full sized bike, as alternative travel possibility. Good luck.

[@easterlake]

@@carolleenkelmann3829 thanks. I never miss Darren's podcasts. My wife and I may do a bike and barge together. Since they generally follow the river they are relatively flat and around 30 miles a day. She loves her bike and is excited about the idea of that kind of trip. I'll keep looking for something a bit more adventurous. Thanks again for responding.

[@carolleenkelmann3829]

@@easterlake that's a good idea, barging around the countryside. Idea for your wife. Might borrow that idea too. Have fun.

[@BeddLstudios]

Great idea with the mirror on the helmet

[@davidskelton2283]

Hello Ken, Great video. Could you possibly post some basic info: how many days of riding did you do? Would you say that prices for food, accommodation and travel in Europe were a) expensive, b) moderate, or cheap? What time of the year was your tour? Thanks for considering my questions. Happy trails.

[@kensimpson5340]

David, the ride was about a month. I spent about $150 per day USD, I used hotels most nights, except Iceland where I camped each night. You could do for less if you camp more. Timing was August to first part of Sept.

[@bruceanderson6180]

Great video, what bike where you riding if you don't mind me asking, cheers.

[@kensimpson5340]

Salsa Fargo ti

[@tommyfoskett3133]

Ahh its a shame you missed the ride from south of france to geneva, its a beautiful ride. Hopefully you get to do it another time. Great video! 👍

[@FancyMcDancy]

Right, that's it. Iceland next for me.

[@STREETTV26]

Hi Ken ,my name kamel from Algeria north Africa Thank you for this very nice video I prepare the tour of the lighthouses of Europe, what is the name of the lighthouse in the beginning of the video?

[@kensimpson5340]

It is the Hirtshals, Denmark lighthouse. I loved it and that's way I wanted to start the video with it.

[@thomask837]

Great Vid Ken! Thank you. Can I ask, what is the brand of the mirror on your helmet?

[@kensimpson5340]

Thomas K - I don't remember the brand of that mirror, but it's not the best. The one I use now (and like better than any mirror I have used before) is "Bike Peddler Take A Look Mirror" . You can find them on line, I got mind at adventurecycling.org.

[@thomask837]

@@kensimpson5340 thank you!

[@markferwerda7968]

I'd love to do this tour on a recumbent trike.

[@StarEssences]

There are a lot of lands to explore; Your video says at the end of it, "What's Next?" Try heading Eastward through Europe such as Norway, Czech, Russia, Hungary, Poland, Armenia, etc. There is also New Zealand, Australia and other countries to roam through and see. Happy Trails.

[@kensimpson5340]

Tracey, they all sound like great ideas !!!!!

[@StarEssences]

Don't forget there is also Australia, and South America is really beautiful too. Check out Darren Alff's videos and a bike traveler by the first name of lohan G...(?) he has been traveling South America for a while now.@@kensimpson5340

[@soloist777]

I'm bikepacking NZ finishing in Christchurch to pay my respects once I recover from my (current)broken leg. It's the next stage of what I've coined my 'Tour de Love'.

[@JSJ1978]

wow a few shots of the Faroe Islands, my country : )

[@clareroche1837]

Enjoyed the video - thanks for that. One question - how did you charge your garmin ? Solar power or relied on charging at camp sites /hotels etc

[@kensimpson5340]

I have a Dynamo hub that runs my lights and has a USB charger. I used it to keep GPS and phone charged. Also charged at hotels/camp sites.

[@obida_uae]

make more videos please

[@roadworxli]

Hey. Great video. Did you plot this route? Thanks! Will

[@kensimpson5340]

Yes, on Bikemap.net and it worked great

[@Giobello1]

Very inspirational and enthusiastic journey. I am encouraged to do the same trip. I have two questions though, would you make that trip at an early stage, beginning of May perhaps ? So you can ride with the warm Weather as you go up and enjoy France? Did you record your trip on Strava ?

[@kensimpson5340]

Yes if I was going to do Spain and southern France again I would go in the spring. No I did not have Strava on during my ride. Most of the time I don't have Strava on when I'm touring.

Did you use a GPS (then, did it drive you on the quicker but busier roads rather than the countryside roads ?) or did you choose the countryside roads (and then, how did you stay on your destination trajectory, without loosing yourself on the small roads and villages ?) ?

[@kensimpson5340]

I used Bikemap.net and downloaded the route onto my Garmin 1000 GPS. It worked great and kept me on back roads and trails. Also, the bike routes in Europe are marked very well. A lot of time I didn't even need my GPS, I just followed the bike route markers.

[@amaro5]

Switzerland? Check 😜😁

[@kensimpson5340]

Yea..... missed one

[@MrJx4000]

Good video work Ken. You jumped in that water at 5:12 like a spring chicken. Spain looks like a very nice place to bike tour. Maybe it'll return to that someday after this COVID-19 thing is over with. BTW: you discard that bike box after you unpack your bike; what do you use to return home with?

[@kensimpson5340]

I had a bike shop in Iceland box it up for me.

[@martindavey8742]

Inspirational! :)

[@bobbymcintyre1423]

What is the mirror on his helmet called anyone know the make of it

[@DDRider-DD]

Wow that was nice. What month were you in Iceland?

[@kensimpson5340]

Thanks, I was in Iceland the end of August.

[@IgorKalember]

awesome, subbed!

[@thomasmuller9243]

Also try Norway, Sweden and Finnland, if you liked Iceland.

[@soloist777]

Nice video but isn't it a shame you can't go anywhere anymore without seeing the ubiquitous golden arches?

[@faith_alone]

Why? McDonald's is handy

[@switoneugeniusz]

O , Polacy też tam byli.

[@emiel1976ep]

That reaction to a bike road, even as it was just a small durt road. Here we complain as it is in that condition or as there is no place for cycling. 😂😂

[@alexmorgan3435]

16:13 Now that's the sort of size of flag to have on the back of your bike.

[@kensimpson5340]

I could not believe what I was seeing at first. I'm thinking "there is no way this guy has a giant flag on his bike.... what am I seeing...... nope, it's a giant flag"

[@peakntroll8514]

Happy ken☺️

[@emiliosgregoriou8943]

How expensive was this trip? Could an amateur with not a lot of money (but lots of spirit) be able to do such a thing? Also I imagine the bike and gear themselves cost a pretty penny to buy and fly over as well, but since I live in Europe already, that wouldn't be an issue for me

[@kensimpson5340]

I spent about $150 per day not including gear, airline, or shipping the bike. I stayed in hotels most nights (other than Iceland where I camped every night). If you camped more it would cost a lot less. Also, Iceland was very expensive, so camping there will help a lot.

[@FloTheBoo]

I cycled from Germany to Portugal and spend between 20€ and 30€ a day. Camping will keep your costs very low and if you don't eat in restaurants all the time it becomes a pretty cheap way to travel.

[@Arnoudbr]

@@FloTheBoo So you spend about 10€ with food a day?

[@carolleenkelmann3829]

@@kensimpson5340 I live in Germany and am planning to trip around Europe with an E-Bike. It is too late for France this year. From earlier experience I know just how hot southern France can get so best to plan very early spring or late Autumn. Thankyou for sharing your experiences and the magnificent pictures. What sort of telephone/ internet access did you have underway? And any safety issues? The secret life of Walter Mitty and Danny Kaye ; also known to many that are not Americans.

[@kensimpson5340]

@@Arnoudbr No, my food was about 25 to 35 euros per day I think.

[@alexloweh1]

You missed out the best country in the world for cycling.....Scotland! Great video👍

[@kensimpson5340]

I'm looking at the Deloitte Land's End to John O'Groats Ride. Scotland would be sweet!!!!!!

[@mysurlytrucker7510]

Definitely and i hope it will be free by the time you come to our country.

[@gravel1brevet2campinghocke27]

👍👍👍💘💘💘🍦

[@mohamedtail4341]

surly

[@Joiedevivredesilives]

You had inside info on Brexit and missed out Uk well done