Fixed it! Mended my bike, repaired my gear change and bought essential equipment

The day of departure is coming closer and I presume that I have acquired all the essential equipment. I've bought a decent bicycle pump, repair-kit and a good lock.

Yesterday, a friend and I have fixed my back-wheel, as 2 different spots on the tube were punctured. Afterwards we've also repaired my gear change, which didn't go into third gear. The only thing that needs to be done now, is for me to buy a ticket and get to Belgium.

Here are some photos of the operating table.

I've made this picture to remember how the chainwheel looks before deconstructing the bike.

The chair was used to hold the bike while we dislocated the backwheel.

Let us hope that this thing is just a precaution, as I have no clou how to use this without having all of my tools with me.
In theory, I would only need a pump (which I have), water to locate the hole, 2 spoons and this kit. However, we have dislocated the wheel with a (15) spanner and had a bucket of water to locate the hole. I do not have a spanner, nor will a carry a bucket from Eupen to Regensburg.

Hmmm... Problems for later I guess?

Repair-kit, bicycle pump and it has a lock. Everything that is needed.

Goal: From Eupen to Regensburg

Time to seperate the boys from the men. If 80 km is possible in one day (I could have gone further to be honest), then it is also possible to spread 645 km over a week or so. The thing I noticed today, is that even though it was exhaustive, I do not have sore muscles today. I feel quite fit. There is just one thing that bothers me today, and that is that I've forgotten to put sunlotion on yesterday. Oh well...

The plan is to:

1. take my bike on the train to my mother in Belgium.
2. I'll stay there and spend some time with my mom.
3. Subsequently I will take the train to Eupen.
4. After arrival, I will depart on my bike in Eupen with Regensburg as the ultimate goal.
5. As I am a spontaneous kind of guy, I will not plan beforehand where I will rest and sleep.
6. I will document the whole trip with pictures, videos and a log.
7. My experiences will be shared with the world on this blog, as it might be useful to people who are also interested in biking through Europe.
8. IF there are problems on my way to Regensburg, I COULD take the train to Regensburg. However, I can only come up with a few unlikely reasons why I would do that. A sprained ankle, an accident or another unexpected occurance one can't foretell.

Sometime next week, I will travel to Belgium between Sunday the 29th of June 2014 and Tuesday the 1st of July 2014 [edit] Monday the 30th of June. I am already very exciting about this and I will equip myself necessary utensils. I'll buy my ticket today, after I've done some research with regards to the cheapest and best ticket (bicycle on train, best price, etc.). Edit: I will have to negotiate a good time to travel with my girlfriend. We are invited to a birthday party and it would be cool, if I could stay long enough to party before departing to Belgium. It will still be Sunday or Monday.

Note: as you can see from the crossed text, I am quite flexible. Never make plans you cannot change!

I've also made a picture of my bicycle, as it might be interesting for you to see my gear. I do not really care about a good bike. The important thing is that the bike is sturdy and comfortable.

As you can see, I have a flat tire. I will fix it today.

This bike actually looks quite good on this picture. It is quite bad though in comparison to the real cyclists' bikes.

The difference between me and 'real' cyclists is that I am not wearing a helmet, nor do I have special clothing, gear (reflectors EVERYWHERE, odometer, heart rate monitor, etc.) or other things that are totally redundant. Yesterday, I wore a jeans with a normal t-shirt and it did not bother me at all. I would have preferred trainers, yet I did not have them in Eschenbach. I find it ridiculous to think that this special gear is needed to ride a bike. The Germans, from what I can tell, are really taking cycling too serious. "Oh, you can't ride a bike without a helmet. That is waaaay too dangerous." or "Wearing special clothing makes me go faster and makes me look like a pro-biker." or "Aren't you having X brand? Are you tired of living? What if the wheel suddenly dislocates while you are going 20 km/h?". Do not forget that reflexes have to be trained. I think that too much (or any) protection also gives a false sense of security. While being overly protective on a bike, it is possible for these people to drive 230 km/h on the 'Autobahn' while talking on the cellphone.

My point being: the thing that is needed to be safe on a bike is COMMON SENSE. Just be cautious in the way you cycle and you'll be fine. Ofcourse there are fools on the road and even though you are cautious, other people who aren't can be a danger to you. But isn't this danger the same for all traffic participants?

Common sense also means that, if you are going downhill from a mountain and forest with sharp rocks, trees and other objects, a helmet and additional protection do make sense. I have no problem with protection but there is a discussion going on in Germany about bikers being obligated to wear a helmet.

Nuff said. I'll fix my bike tube now and buy a ticket for next week. You'll be kept up to date.

Cheers mates.