Stephen tells us that he started touring before he even really knew what it was. In 2001, he simply decided to go for a bike ride, packed some gear and headed of from Wuerzburg, Germany to the Austrian Border.
“Since then, I’ve been back to Germany, and parts of the former Eastern Block, a few times, have travelled back and forth through New Zealand a few times, and have made one trip around the southwest corner of Western Australia.
This year (2010), I’m starting from Vienna, Austria. From there go west to Liechtenstein, probably continue west through Switzerland, then turn north into southwestern Germany to visit friends, before zig-zagging across to Munich to fly home.”
We particularly like Stephen’s relaxed attitude towards touring.
“Time may not allow peddling the whole way, but there’s no harm in taking in the scenery from a train for a while.”
He adds: “The key is to take it as it comes. I used to say to a group of older people returning to cycling after many years, ‘Cycle as though it doesn’t matter what is round the next corner’.”