Tuesday, April 28, 2009

WT: Letter to John C.S.



Thanks for updating John.

Understand both our situations right now. I know you spending much time promoting the increasingly successful "Rubberside Down" cycling documentary for the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of Canada (http://www.poweredbycommunity.org) and back to work at Chrysler. That's why I touched base now. I can't leave the family out of the picture for a year...and the Arctic to Argentina Bike will realistically take 12-18 months going solid north or south to complete, either starting from either end of the Pan-American highway. I'm not soft on distance as I am on time, but your right about my family responsibilities...and this ride is DEFINITELY NOT CONCRETE until it happens, unfortunately there goes the charity option!

Finally, I can finally afford this type of adventure (to travel just to travel and have a goal of distances/time, endurance exercise & places to visit along the route). But now, I've got a family to support on a Bread/Rice/Milk/&Kimchi diet in Korea and the family-plan to start plotting out a course for. I've just pre-purchased an apartment in Korea, the first in my life...previously, I was devoted to marathon/nomadic travel by motorcycle (25,000km of Canada/USA in 60 days on 5 trips 1994-1998), jeep (Windsor to BC to San Diego, CA), truck (Windsor to BC), or bikes (Ontario, Michigan, BC, California, Korea)...and never accumulated a dime living it to the fullest. Well, times have changed and so have I, getting much older now & wiser too (36). Not too old to enjoy a trip by bike...but in honesty, without your support...the CCFC Ride in the shadows of Rubberside Down without Greg & Vin's involvement here or my brother joining the ride, I think really few heads will turn up to this. I like what Nicholi Bangsgaard has done with his WT Bike: http://www.worldtravellers.dk and that model would stand the test of time, blogging, entertaining and perhaps sustaining a long-distance ride much fuller than Arctic to Argentina. My son is only 14 months (it might actually take that much time to complete the entire ride), but he has already taken interest in wheeley devices, all sorts of modes from cars to bikes to toys...& his favorite toy is a 4-wheel "Go Rider" push toddler bike. Matthew is also fascinated by my new touring bike, gripping the back tire and rolling it back and forth. He likes grabbing the rear cogs and getting his greasy hands. I'd say he'll be up for the task (in 15 years LOL!), if what I can only do now is only a smaller scale of the world touring, what will I attempt when I am 51 years old while Matthew turns 16? It's starting to sound like a dream, well, we'll see what comes to be, if nothing less...an adventure to enjoy from the Arctic Circle and who cares how it happens, how long it lasts or where I am going, just that it happens and the memory is imprinted and the nostalgia of cycling lives on!

Warm Wishes & Blessings on your journey with CCFC & Rubberside!

WT: Letter to John C.S.



Thanks for updating John.

Understand both our situations right now. I know you spending much time promoting the increasingly successful "Rubberside Down" cycling documentary for the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of Canada (http://www.poweredbycommunity.org) and back to work at Chrysler. That's why I touched base now. I can't leave the family out of the picture for a year...and the Arctic to Argentina Bike will realistically take 12-18 months going solid north or south to complete, either starting from either end of the Pan-American highway. I'm not soft on distance as I am on time, but your right about my family responsibilities...and this ride is DEFINITELY NOT CONCRETE until it happens, unfortunately there goes the charity option!

Finally, I can finally afford this type of adventure (to travel just to travel and have a goal of distances/time, endurance exercise & places to visit along the route). But now, I've got a family to support on a Bread/Rice/Milk/&Kimchi diet in Korea and the family-plan to start plotting out a course for. I've just pre-purchased an apartment in Korea, the first in my life...previously, I was devoted to marathon/nomadic travel by motorcycle (25,000km of Canada/USA in 60 days on 5 trips 1994-1998), jeep (Windsor to BC to San Diego, CA), truck (Windsor to BC), or bikes (Ontario, Michigan, BC, California, Korea)...and never accumulated a dime living it to the fullest. Well, times have changed and so have I, getting much older now & wiser too (36). Not too old to enjoy a trip by bike...but in honesty, without your support...the CCFC Ride in the shadows of Rubberside Down without Greg & Vin's involvement here or my brother joining the ride, I think really few heads will turn up to this. I like what Nicholi Bangsgaard has done with his WT Bike: http://www.worldtravellers.dk and that model would stand the test of time, blogging, entertaining and perhaps sustaining a long-distance ride much fuller than Arctic to Argentina. My son is only 14 months (it might actually take that much time to complete the entire ride), but he has already taken interest in wheeley devices, all sorts of modes from cars to bikes to toys...& his favorite toy is a 4-wheel "Go Rider" push toddler bike. Matthew is also fascinated by my new touring bike, gripping the back tire and rolling it back and forth. He likes grabbing the rear cogs and getting his greasy hands. I'd say he'll be up for the task (in 15 years LOL!), if what I can only do now is only a smaller scale of the world touring, what will I attempt when I am 51 years old while Matthew turns 16? It's starting to sound like a dream, well, we'll see what comes to be, if nothing less...an adventure to enjoy from the Arctic Circle and who cares how it happens, how long it lasts or where I am going, just that it happens and the memory is imprinted and the nostalgia of cycling lives on!

Warm Wishes & Blessings on your journey with CCFC & Rubberside!

WT: Letter to John C.S.



Thanks for updating John.

Understand both our situations right now. I know you spending much time promoting the increasingly successful "Rubberside Down" cycling documentary for the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of Canada (http://www.poweredbycommunity.org) and back to work at Chrysler. That's why I touched base now. I can't leave the family out of the picture for a year...and the Arctic to Argentina Bike will realistically take 12-18 months going solid north or south to complete, either starting from either end of the Pan-American highway. I'm not soft on distance as I am on time, but your right about my family responsibilities...and this ride is DEFINITELY NOT CONCRETE until it happens, unfortunately there goes the charity option!

Finally, I can finally afford this type of adventure (to travel just to travel and have a goal of distances/time, endurance exercise & places to visit along the route). But now, I've got a family to support on a Bread/Rice/Milk/&Kimchi diet in Korea and the family-plan to start plotting out a course for. I've just pre-purchased an apartment in Korea, the first in my life...previously, I was devoted to marathon/nomadic travel by motorcycle (25,000km of Canada/USA in 60 days on 5 trips 1994-1998), jeep (Windsor to BC to San Diego, CA), truck (Windsor to BC), or bikes (Ontario, Michigan, BC, California, Korea)...and never accumulated a dime living it to the fullest. Well, times have changed and so have I, getting much older now & wiser too (36). Not too old to enjoy a trip by bike...but in honesty, without your support...the CCFC Ride in the shadows of Rubberside Down without Greg & Vin's involvement here or my brother joining the ride, I think really few heads will turn up to this. I like what Nicholi Bangsgaard has done with his WT Bike: http://www.worldtravellers.dk and that model would stand the test of time, blogging, entertaining and perhaps sustaining a long-distance ride much fuller than Arctic to Argentina. My son is only 14 months (it might actually take that much time to complete the entire ride), but he has already taken interest in wheeley devices, all sorts of modes from cars to bikes to toys...& his favorite toy is a 4-wheel "Go Rider" push toddler bike. Matthew is also fascinated by my new touring bike, gripping the back tire and rolling it back and forth. He likes grabbing the rear cogs and getting his greasy hands. I'd say he'll be up for the task (in 15 years LOL!), if what I can only do now is only a smaller scale of the world touring, what will I attempt when I am 51 years old while Matthew turns 16? It's starting to sound like a dream, well, we'll see what comes to be, if nothing less...an adventure to enjoy from the Arctic Circle and who cares how it happens, how long it lasts or where I am going, just that it happens and the memory is imprinted and the nostalgia of cycling lives on!

Warm Wishes & Blessings on your journey with CCFC & Rubberside!

WT: Letter to John C.S.



Thanks for updating John.

Understand both our situations right now. I know you spending much time promoting the increasingly successful "Rubberside Down" cycling documentary for the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of Canada (http://www.poweredbycommunity.org) and back to work at Chrysler. That's why I touched base now. I can't leave the family out of the picture for a year...and the Arctic to Argentina Bike will realistically take 12-18 months going solid north or south to complete, either starting from either end of the Pan-American highway. I'm not soft on distance as I am on time, but your right about my family responsibilities...and this ride is DEFINITELY NOT CONCRETE until it happens, unfortunately there goes the charity option!

Finally, I can finally afford this type of adventure (to travel just to travel and have a goal of distances/time, endurance exercise & places to visit along the route). But now, I've got a family to support on a Bread/Rice/Milk/&Kimchi diet in Korea and the family-plan to start plotting out a course for. I've just pre-purchased an apartment in Korea, the first in my life...previously, I was devoted to marathon/nomadic travel by motorcycle (25,000km of Canada/USA in 60 days on 5 trips 1994-1998), jeep (Windsor to BC to San Diego, CA), truck (Windsor to BC), or bikes (Ontario, Michigan, BC, California, Korea)...and never accumulated a dime living it to the fullest. Well, times have changed and so have I, getting much older now & wiser too (36). Not too old to enjoy a trip by bike...but in honesty, without your support...the CCFC Ride in the shadows of Rubberside Down without Greg & Vin's involvement here or my brother joining the ride, I think really few heads will turn up to this. I like what Nicholi Bangsgaard has done with his WT Bike: http://www.worldtravellers.dk and that model would stand the test of time, blogging, entertaining and perhaps sustaining a long-distance ride much fuller than Arctic to Argentina. My son is only 14 months (it might actually take that much time to complete the entire ride), but he has already taken interest in wheeley devices, all sorts of modes from cars to bikes to toys...& his favorite toy is a 4-wheel "Go Rider" push toddler bike. Matthew is also fascinated by my new touring bike, gripping the back tire and rolling it back and forth. He likes grabbing the rear cogs and getting his greasy hands. I'd say he'll be up for the task (in 15 years LOL!), if what I can only do now is only a smaller scale of the world touring, what will I attempt when I am 51 years old while Matthew turns 16? It's starting to sound like a dream, well, we'll see what comes to be, if nothing less...an adventure to enjoy from the Arctic Circle and who cares how it happens, how long it lasts or where I am going, just that it happens and the memory is imprinted and the nostalgia of cycling lives on!

Warm Wishes & Blessings on your journey with CCFC & Rubberside!

Monday, April 27, 2009

WT & Letter [herein] to Dave Babs in Michigan


Letter to Dave Babs [Michigan]: Thanks for checking up on updates from Korea. As you can see Matthew is very patriotic with his USA cozy jacket and Mi Sung can babysit with her eyes closed these days. We happy, healthy and getting wiser about how we spend our time. No more camping in Michigan, though we have fond memories of our CampAmerica experience in 2005, I don't think we will winterize another rig from Texas, paint it white, add red pin stripes, and camp out while studying from May to December! Remembering the full-trunk of Canadian bricks I smuggled in the trunk of our Neon...to enjoy those chilly night fires after school at the farm/campground...while Mi Sung watched DVD's of the Brady Bunch inside while I sat outside on a foot of snow watching a crackling fire roar into the starrey night sky. Running water ceased to exist from mid-October, so I remember making runs to Walmart to refill our 5 gallon tanks for drinking, cooking, toilet flushing (with RV antifreeze) or wrapping the septic pipe with an electric blanket in a garbage bag to keep the flow @ -20. Good times, studying in shifts, sleeping in 2 hour powernaps between studying anatomy & physiology, chemistry, biology, clinical nutrition, pharmacology, etc...it's all a distant memory, but a good one to learn from...Like Bear Grylles on Discovery Channel, survival in the wild ^^! Warm Wishes Dave & family ~ Brian & his little kimchis.

WT & Letter [herein] to Dave Babs in Michigan


Letter to Dave Babs [Michigan]: Thanks for checking up on updates from Korea. As you can see Matthew is very patriotic with his USA cozy jacket and Mi Sung can babysit with her eyes closed these days. We happy, healthy and getting wiser about how we spend our time. No more camping in Michigan, though we have fond memories of our CampAmerica experience in 2005, I don't think we will winterize another rig from Texas, paint it white, add red pin stripes, and camp out while studying from May to December! Remembering the full-trunk of Canadian bricks I smuggled in the trunk of our Neon...to enjoy those chilly night fires after school at the farm/campground...while Mi Sung watched DVD's of the Brady Bunch inside while I sat outside on a foot of snow watching a crackling fire roar into the starrey night sky. Running water ceased to exist from mid-October, so I remember making runs to Walmart to refill our 5 gallon tanks for drinking, cooking, toilet flushing (with RV antifreeze) or wrapping the septic pipe with an electric blanket in a garbage bag to keep the flow @ -20. Good times, studying in shifts, sleeping in 2 hour powernaps between studying anatomy & physiology, chemistry, biology, clinical nutrition, pharmacology, etc...it's all a distant memory, but a good one to learn from...Like Bear Grylles on Discovery Channel, survival in the wild ^^! Warm Wishes Dave & family ~ Brian & his little kimchis.

WT & Letter [herein] to Dave Babs in Michigan


Letter to Dave Babs [Michigan]: Thanks for checking up on updates from Korea. As you can see Matthew is very patriotic with his USA cozy jacket and Mi Sung can babysit with her eyes closed these days. We happy, healthy and getting wiser about how we spend our time. No more camping in Michigan, though we have fond memories of our CampAmerica experience in 2005, I don't think we will winterize another rig from Texas, paint it white, add red pin stripes, and camp out while studying from May to December! Remembering the full-trunk of Canadian bricks I smuggled in the trunk of our Neon...to enjoy those chilly night fires after school at the farm/campground...while Mi Sung watched DVD's of the Brady Bunch inside while I sat outside on a foot of snow watching a crackling fire roar into the starrey night sky. Running water ceased to exist from mid-October, so I remember making runs to Walmart to refill our 5 gallon tanks for drinking, cooking, toilet flushing (with RV antifreeze) or wrapping the septic pipe with an electric blanket in a garbage bag to keep the flow @ -20. Good times, studying in shifts, sleeping in 2 hour powernaps between studying anatomy & physiology, chemistry, biology, clinical nutrition, pharmacology, etc...it's all a distant memory, but a good one to learn from...Like Bear Grylles on Discovery Channel, survival in the wild ^^! Warm Wishes Dave & family ~ Brian & his little kimchis.

WT & Letter [herein] to Dave Babs in Michigan


Letter to Dave Babs [Michigan]: Thanks for checking up on updates from Korea. As you can see Matthew is very patriotic with his USA cozy jacket and Mi Sung can babysit with her eyes closed these days. We happy, healthy and getting wiser about how we spend our time. No more camping in Michigan, though we have fond memories of our CampAmerica experience in 2005, I don't think we will winterize another rig from Texas, paint it white, add red pin stripes, and camp out while studying from May to December! Remembering the full-trunk of Canadian bricks I smuggled in the trunk of our Neon...to enjoy those chilly night fires after school at the farm/campground...while Mi Sung watched DVD's of the Brady Bunch inside while I sat outside on a foot of snow watching a crackling fire roar into the starrey night sky. Running water ceased to exist from mid-October, so I remember making runs to Walmart to refill our 5 gallon tanks for drinking, cooking, toilet flushing (with RV antifreeze) or wrapping the septic pipe with an electric blanket in a garbage bag to keep the flow @ -20. Good times, studying in shifts, sleeping in 2 hour powernaps between studying anatomy & physiology, chemistry, biology, clinical nutrition, pharmacology, etc...it's all a distant memory, but a good one to learn from...Like Bear Grylles on Discovery Channel, survival in the wild ^^! Warm Wishes Dave & family ~ Brian & his little kimchis.

Nicholi's WT & Words to Murray



[Murray, South Africa] Once I realized it was Buddha's Birthday and all those parades happened yesterday, I was a bit sad to miss it all! I'm trying to wrangle another job, and add 4 hours to Charmaine's schedule at the youth center to fit the hours at a new adult hagwon...losing Korean Won in my salary, adding it to Charmaine's would free me to take double jobs (Mon-Sat) which would be a small hell for about 10 months, but adding to a nice bike ride next summer for sure. Have to meet with the President tomorrow to see if the idea can flow. Good to hear, I love walking around Seoul too, same reason, for a visit...it's 1.5hours subway into Metro Seoul for me, so with the return trip...I would have to start right away (3-4pm Saturday) to make it worthwhile, I went home and slept till you called...and more afterward. Hi Seoul would be cool, but so would cycling Korea, I'm thinking South Coast, but I may have this new job (or not, find out tomorrow!)...so play it by ear, I'm also having a great time reading Nicholi's blog http://www.worldtravellers.dk/ A model for the epic tour/expedition, like all the mileage stats, photos, stories...wonderful job, plus the PayPal link...for donations, great idea to keep rolling after 3+ years and 45.547 km!!! He's got sponsorship back in Denmark & has been featured on TV2 Europe prior to his departure...33 years old now!! What a deal!! Talk soon!! Peace Murr!

Nicholi's WT & Words to Murray



[Murray, South Africa] Once I realized it was Buddha's Birthday and all those parades happened yesterday, I was a bit sad to miss it all! I'm trying to wrangle another job, and add 4 hours to Charmaine's schedule at the youth center to fit the hours at a new adult hagwon...losing Korean Won in my salary, adding it to Charmaine's would free me to take double jobs (Mon-Sat) which would be a small hell for about 10 months, but adding to a nice bike ride next summer for sure. Have to meet with the President tomorrow to see if the idea can flow. Good to hear, I love walking around Seoul too, same reason, for a visit...it's 1.5hours subway into Metro Seoul for me, so with the return trip...I would have to start right away (3-4pm Saturday) to make it worthwhile, I went home and slept till you called...and more afterward. Hi Seoul would be cool, but so would cycling Korea, I'm thinking South Coast, but I may have this new job (or not, find out tomorrow!)...so play it by ear, I'm also having a great time reading Nicholi's blog http://www.worldtravellers.dk/ A model for the epic tour/expedition, like all the mileage stats, photos, stories...wonderful job, plus the PayPal link...for donations, great idea to keep rolling after 3+ years and 45.547 km!!! He's got sponsorship back in Denmark & has been featured on TV2 Europe prior to his departure...33 years old now!! What a deal!! Talk soon!! Peace Murr!

Nicholi's WT & Words to Murray



[Murray, South Africa] Once I realized it was Buddha's Birthday and all those parades happened yesterday, I was a bit sad to miss it all! I'm trying to wrangle another job, and add 4 hours to Charmaine's schedule at the youth center to fit the hours at a new adult hagwon...losing Korean Won in my salary, adding it to Charmaine's would free me to take double jobs (Mon-Sat) which would be a small hell for about 10 months, but adding to a nice bike ride next summer for sure. Have to meet with the President tomorrow to see if the idea can flow. Good to hear, I love walking around Seoul too, same reason, for a visit...it's 1.5hours subway into Metro Seoul for me, so with the return trip...I would have to start right away (3-4pm Saturday) to make it worthwhile, I went home and slept till you called...and more afterward. Hi Seoul would be cool, but so would cycling Korea, I'm thinking South Coast, but I may have this new job (or not, find out tomorrow!)...so play it by ear, I'm also having a great time reading Nicholi's blog http://www.worldtravellers.dk/ A model for the epic tour/expedition, like all the mileage stats, photos, stories...wonderful job, plus the PayPal link...for donations, great idea to keep rolling after 3+ years and 45.547 km!!! He's got sponsorship back in Denmark & has been featured on TV2 Europe prior to his departure...33 years old now!! What a deal!! Talk soon!! Peace Murr!

Nicholi's WT & Words to Murray



[Murray, South Africa] Once I realized it was Buddha's Birthday and all those parades happened yesterday, I was a bit sad to miss it all! I'm trying to wrangle another job, and add 4 hours to Charmaine's schedule at the youth center to fit the hours at a new adult hagwon...losing Korean Won in my salary, adding it to Charmaine's would free me to take double jobs (Mon-Sat) which would be a small hell for about 10 months, but adding to a nice bike ride next summer for sure. Have to meet with the President tomorrow to see if the idea can flow. Good to hear, I love walking around Seoul too, same reason, for a visit...it's 1.5hours subway into Metro Seoul for me, so with the return trip...I would have to start right away (3-4pm Saturday) to make it worthwhile, I went home and slept till you called...and more afterward. Hi Seoul would be cool, but so would cycling Korea, I'm thinking South Coast, but I may have this new job (or not, find out tomorrow!)...so play it by ear, I'm also having a great time reading Nicholi's blog http://www.worldtravellers.dk/ A model for the epic tour/expedition, like all the mileage stats, photos, stories...wonderful job, plus the PayPal link...for donations, great idea to keep rolling after 3+ years and 45.547 km!!! He's got sponsorship back in Denmark & has been featured on TV2 Europe prior to his departure...33 years old now!! What a deal!! Talk soon!! Peace Murr!

Korean Spring Training Camp 500kms, 4 days, 4 hours

Asian Highway 7 South of Samcheok, South Korea.
Seung Hyup & I team up on a 300km ride to Pohang!
Night Ride begins on the east coast of Korea...
From Gangneung City, I take a night ride across the desolate Korean highway 7 to Donghae to discover a quiet rarely experienced in Asia! The skies are clear and as black as coal, no stars are visible, but the mountain peaks jut out making a jagged skyline. Without the dual-headlights, I think I will run into a guard rail or sputter on my brakes. This is a steep portion of the trip, decending into valleys and climbing back until I am on top again entering another mountain tunnel. Why would I ride at night on steep mountain highways? *Well, I work Saturday's from 9am-3pm, then must catch an Express Bus to the coast in 4 hours. From 8:45~9pm until 11:00pm, I have twice enjoyed a quiet highway. The first trip was in soggy rain, covering 200+km with Justin (English student, Cycling friend) and we jumped further south to Gyeongju to avoid the rain and since both of us had to be back to work Tuesday, I had all-Monday to complete the ride into Ulsan and finally Busan North Terminal before winding back north by bus for work-Tuesday. These photos are from my second trip this season. From sleepy Gangneung south to Pohang in 2 days, 2 hours...300kms mountain/sea cycling, 30kms hitch-hiking (after the third flat!) and 45kms finally into Pohang to catch a bus to work! The second weekend trip was ridden with Seoung Hyup from Incheon, he was out riding Korea before his 2.2 year military service in the Armed Forces Korea (AFK). Happy trails to you ~~~^^~~~!!!

Korean Spring Training Camp 500kms, 4 days, 4 hours

Asian Highway 7 South of Samcheok, South Korea.
Seung Hyup & I team up on a 300km ride to Pohang!
Night Ride begins on the east coast of Korea...
From Gangneung City, I take a night ride across the desolate Korean highway 7 to Donghae to discover a quiet rarely experienced in Asia! The skies are clear and as black as coal, no stars are visible, but the mountain peaks jut out making a jagged skyline. Without the dual-headlights, I think I will run into a guard rail or sputter on my brakes. This is a steep portion of the trip, decending into valleys and climbing back until I am on top again entering another mountain tunnel. Why would I ride at night on steep mountain highways? *Well, I work Saturday's from 9am-3pm, then must catch an Express Bus to the coast in 4 hours. From 8:45~9pm until 11:00pm, I have twice enjoyed a quiet highway. The first trip was in soggy rain, covering 200+km with Justin (English student, Cycling friend) and we jumped further south to Gyeongju to avoid the rain and since both of us had to be back to work Tuesday, I had all-Monday to complete the ride into Ulsan and finally Busan North Terminal before winding back north by bus for work-Tuesday. These photos are from my second trip this season. From sleepy Gangneung south to Pohang in 2 days, 2 hours...300kms mountain/sea cycling, 30kms hitch-hiking (after the third flat!) and 45kms finally into Pohang to catch a bus to work! The second weekend trip was ridden with Seoung Hyup from Incheon, he was out riding Korea before his 2.2 year military service in the Armed Forces Korea (AFK). Happy trails to you ~~~^^~~~!!!

Korean Spring Training Camp 500kms, 4 days, 4 hours

Asian Highway 7 South of Samcheok, South Korea.
Seung Hyup & I team up on a 300km ride to Pohang!
Night Ride begins on the east coast of Korea...
From Gangneung City, I take a night ride across the desolate Korean highway 7 to Donghae to discover a quiet rarely experienced in Asia! The skies are clear and as black as coal, no stars are visible, but the mountain peaks jut out making a jagged skyline. Without the dual-headlights, I think I will run into a guard rail or sputter on my brakes. This is a steep portion of the trip, decending into valleys and climbing back until I am on top again entering another mountain tunnel. Why would I ride at night on steep mountain highways? *Well, I work Saturday's from 9am-3pm, then must catch an Express Bus to the coast in 4 hours. From 8:45~9pm until 11:00pm, I have twice enjoyed a quiet highway. The first trip was in soggy rain, covering 200+km with Justin (English student, Cycling friend) and we jumped further south to Gyeongju to avoid the rain and since both of us had to be back to work Tuesday, I had all-Monday to complete the ride into Ulsan and finally Busan North Terminal before winding back north by bus for work-Tuesday. These photos are from my second trip this season. From sleepy Gangneung south to Pohang in 2 days, 2 hours...300kms mountain/sea cycling, 30kms hitch-hiking (after the third flat!) and 45kms finally into Pohang to catch a bus to work! The second weekend trip was ridden with Seoung Hyup from Incheon, he was out riding Korea before his 2.2 year military service in the Armed Forces Korea (AFK). Happy trails to you ~~~^^~~~!!!

Korean Spring Training Camp 500kms, 4 days, 4 hours

Asian Highway 7 South of Samcheok, South Korea.
Seung Hyup & I team up on a 300km ride to Pohang!
Night Ride begins on the east coast of Korea...
From Gangneung City, I take a night ride across the desolate Korean highway 7 to Donghae to discover a quiet rarely experienced in Asia! The skies are clear and as black as coal, no stars are visible, but the mountain peaks jut out making a jagged skyline. Without the dual-headlights, I think I will run into a guard rail or sputter on my brakes. This is a steep portion of the trip, decending into valleys and climbing back until I am on top again entering another mountain tunnel. Why would I ride at night on steep mountain highways? *Well, I work Saturday's from 9am-3pm, then must catch an Express Bus to the coast in 4 hours. From 8:45~9pm until 11:00pm, I have twice enjoyed a quiet highway. The first trip was in soggy rain, covering 200+km with Justin (English student, Cycling friend) and we jumped further south to Gyeongju to avoid the rain and since both of us had to be back to work Tuesday, I had all-Monday to complete the ride into Ulsan and finally Busan North Terminal before winding back north by bus for work-Tuesday. These photos are from my second trip this season. From sleepy Gangneung south to Pohang in 2 days, 2 hours...300kms mountain/sea cycling, 30kms hitch-hiking (after the third flat!) and 45kms finally into Pohang to catch a bus to work! The second weekend trip was ridden with Seoung Hyup from Incheon, he was out riding Korea before his 2.2 year military service in the Armed Forces Korea (AFK). Happy trails to you ~~~^^~~~!!!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Powered By Community :: Cycling to support the CCFC Canada

Check out this ride, what I am thinking is...how do I continue their work/ride for the CCFC...and this is a feature documentary, so I have pre-ordered their new DVD! It's Amazing what cycling/cyclists can do!







Powered By Community :: Cycling to support the CCFC Canada

Check out this ride, what I am thinking is...how do I continue their work/ride for the CCFC...and this is a feature documentary, so I have pre-ordered their new DVD! It's Amazing what cycling/cyclists can do!







Powered By Community :: Cycling to support the CCFC Canada

Check out this ride, what I am thinking is...how do I continue their work/ride for the CCFC...and this is a feature documentary, so I have pre-ordered their new DVD! It's Amazing what cycling/cyclists can do!







Powered By Community :: Cycling to support the CCFC Canada

Check out this ride, what I am thinking is...how do I continue their work/ride for the CCFC...and this is a feature documentary, so I have pre-ordered their new DVD! It's Amazing what cycling/cyclists can do!







Cycling Updates from S. Korea! (Part in Windsor, Part in Korea)




JB,

Your doing great work there in Windsor, and I'm glad to hear Crash Karma is rising up, hope to catch some tunes...I remember you playing with Tea P at the Pub (U of W)...and even Heart Plaza in Detroit if you remember that show...and even the Sandwich Concert Band where you originally inspired me to pick up some sticks for about 10 years. I was basement jamming for about that long, then finally switched to hand percussion on motorcycle trips to Vancouver (Beach drum jams @ Kits Beach) until finally I gave that drum away in California... Finally, I returned to Windsor and recruited [on contract] for UoW and needed a job, hence, coming to S.Korea, 4 days later I met my wife here, dated for 6 months, moved to Shenzhen, China for another year of teaching, back to Korea, back to Michigan (where I dissolved my finances into a Pre-Med program) A+ student with time expiring into a bottomless academic road which I couldn't possibly follow any longer. So, we had to throw in the towel there, and move back to teaching in Korea, in the fall of 2006. So, here I am working hard to pull myself through, holding a nice little family together with all my classes, 30 straight months of Korean ESL teaching without an international break or more than 5 days off in a row, $XXX,XXX saved so far, finally, I'm approaching the other side of life, the better half, where I can start focusing on helping others through charity donations or personal activity in campaigns like the Arctic Bike. ^^! This is the idea: Trying to put together an Arctic Bike for CCFC (Crohns & Colitis Foundation of Canada) next summer???, looks tough at this point with having sunk an investment into this apartment we finally have now, I really want to take that long bike ride once in my lifetime from the Arctic Circle (Inuvit,NT) to the end of the trail (St.John's, NF) or Urshuaia, Argentina. John C. Scott helped promote the Rubber Side Down/From the Rockies to the Rock where two riders from Amherstburg rode from Mile 0 Victoria to St. John's...and they filmed and made a feature documentary about the IBD diseases and their cause, raising over $60K before the movie had been released. My family has experience with this condition for many years, and I really wanted to do something about it. I think you've joined my group?? One - Bike, One Man, One Charity - Global Bike from the Arctic. That's what I am thinking about at this point, but I will need to move forward with promoting, gaining sponsorship, and building a base to launch this mission. I'm still teaching and will be for a long time to support my family here in Korea, but time off for a charity this big, would be well worth it. The logistics of this expedition are tremendous considering where I am right now financially, however, not unstoppable...I know how to camp by the roadsides and use duct tape or survive outdoors in cars or camps year round (4 seasons camping), I've also motorcycled 5 times across the USA and parts of Western Canada between 1994-1998, and 2000. Over 25,000kms in 60 days total, budget was very tight, rode a maximum of 36 hours straight on one tour b/w Vancouver-Chicago-Windsor. So, endurance riding is strong in me. Cycling isn't a problem, I could definitely go the distance for any charity.

If you have any ideas that would help me, or contacts or even music that could be featured in a documentary such as this one...any of your input/creativity would be a huge success. Nonetheless, thanks for t2b'ing and being a great person for our Windsor community. I'm still there in spirits, hope my small donation makes a difference.

Blessings,

BP in S.K.

Cycling Updates from S. Korea! (Part in Windsor, Part in Korea)




JB,

Your doing great work there in Windsor, and I'm glad to hear Crash Karma is rising up, hope to catch some tunes...I remember you playing with Tea P at the Pub (U of W)...and even Heart Plaza in Detroit if you remember that show...and even the Sandwich Concert Band where you originally inspired me to pick up some sticks for about 10 years. I was basement jamming for about that long, then finally switched to hand percussion on motorcycle trips to Vancouver (Beach drum jams @ Kits Beach) until finally I gave that drum away in California... Finally, I returned to Windsor and recruited [on contract] for UoW and needed a job, hence, coming to S.Korea, 4 days later I met my wife here, dated for 6 months, moved to Shenzhen, China for another year of teaching, back to Korea, back to Michigan (where I dissolved my finances into a Pre-Med program) A+ student with time expiring into a bottomless academic road which I couldn't possibly follow any longer. So, we had to throw in the towel there, and move back to teaching in Korea, in the fall of 2006. So, here I am working hard to pull myself through, holding a nice little family together with all my classes, 30 straight months of Korean ESL teaching without an international break or more than 5 days off in a row, $XXX,XXX saved so far, finally, I'm approaching the other side of life, the better half, where I can start focusing on helping others through charity donations or personal activity in campaigns like the Arctic Bike. ^^! This is the idea: Trying to put together an Arctic Bike for CCFC (Crohns & Colitis Foundation of Canada) next summer???, looks tough at this point with having sunk an investment into this apartment we finally have now, I really want to take that long bike ride once in my lifetime from the Arctic Circle (Inuvit,NT) to the end of the trail (St.John's, NF) or Urshuaia, Argentina. John C. Scott helped promote the Rubber Side Down/From the Rockies to the Rock where two riders from Amherstburg rode from Mile 0 Victoria to St. John's...and they filmed and made a feature documentary about the IBD diseases and their cause, raising over $60K before the movie had been released. My family has experience with this condition for many years, and I really wanted to do something about it. I think you've joined my group?? One - Bike, One Man, One Charity - Global Bike from the Arctic. That's what I am thinking about at this point, but I will need to move forward with promoting, gaining sponsorship, and building a base to launch this mission. I'm still teaching and will be for a long time to support my family here in Korea, but time off for a charity this big, would be well worth it. The logistics of this expedition are tremendous considering where I am right now financially, however, not unstoppable...I know how to camp by the roadsides and use duct tape or survive outdoors in cars or camps year round (4 seasons camping), I've also motorcycled 5 times across the USA and parts of Western Canada between 1994-1998, and 2000. Over 25,000kms in 60 days total, budget was very tight, rode a maximum of 36 hours straight on one tour b/w Vancouver-Chicago-Windsor. So, endurance riding is strong in me. Cycling isn't a problem, I could definitely go the distance for any charity.

If you have any ideas that would help me, or contacts or even music that could be featured in a documentary such as this one...any of your input/creativity would be a huge success. Nonetheless, thanks for t2b'ing and being a great person for our Windsor community. I'm still there in spirits, hope my small donation makes a difference.

Blessings,

BP in S.K.

Cycling Updates from S. Korea! (Part in Windsor, Part in Korea)




JB,

Your doing great work there in Windsor, and I'm glad to hear Crash Karma is rising up, hope to catch some tunes...I remember you playing with Tea P at the Pub (U of W)...and even Heart Plaza in Detroit if you remember that show...and even the Sandwich Concert Band where you originally inspired me to pick up some sticks for about 10 years. I was basement jamming for about that long, then finally switched to hand percussion on motorcycle trips to Vancouver (Beach drum jams @ Kits Beach) until finally I gave that drum away in California... Finally, I returned to Windsor and recruited [on contract] for UoW and needed a job, hence, coming to S.Korea, 4 days later I met my wife here, dated for 6 months, moved to Shenzhen, China for another year of teaching, back to Korea, back to Michigan (where I dissolved my finances into a Pre-Med program) A+ student with time expiring into a bottomless academic road which I couldn't possibly follow any longer. So, we had to throw in the towel there, and move back to teaching in Korea, in the fall of 2006. So, here I am working hard to pull myself through, holding a nice little family together with all my classes, 30 straight months of Korean ESL teaching without an international break or more than 5 days off in a row, $XXX,XXX saved so far, finally, I'm approaching the other side of life, the better half, where I can start focusing on helping others through charity donations or personal activity in campaigns like the Arctic Bike. ^^! This is the idea: Trying to put together an Arctic Bike for CCFC (Crohns & Colitis Foundation of Canada) next summer???, looks tough at this point with having sunk an investment into this apartment we finally have now, I really want to take that long bike ride once in my lifetime from the Arctic Circle (Inuvit,NT) to the end of the trail (St.John's, NF) or Urshuaia, Argentina. John C. Scott helped promote the Rubber Side Down/From the Rockies to the Rock where two riders from Amherstburg rode from Mile 0 Victoria to St. John's...and they filmed and made a feature documentary about the IBD diseases and their cause, raising over $60K before the movie had been released. My family has experience with this condition for many years, and I really wanted to do something about it. I think you've joined my group?? One - Bike, One Man, One Charity - Global Bike from the Arctic. That's what I am thinking about at this point, but I will need to move forward with promoting, gaining sponsorship, and building a base to launch this mission. I'm still teaching and will be for a long time to support my family here in Korea, but time off for a charity this big, would be well worth it. The logistics of this expedition are tremendous considering where I am right now financially, however, not unstoppable...I know how to camp by the roadsides and use duct tape or survive outdoors in cars or camps year round (4 seasons camping), I've also motorcycled 5 times across the USA and parts of Western Canada between 1994-1998, and 2000. Over 25,000kms in 60 days total, budget was very tight, rode a maximum of 36 hours straight on one tour b/w Vancouver-Chicago-Windsor. So, endurance riding is strong in me. Cycling isn't a problem, I could definitely go the distance for any charity.

If you have any ideas that would help me, or contacts or even music that could be featured in a documentary such as this one...any of your input/creativity would be a huge success. Nonetheless, thanks for t2b'ing and being a great person for our Windsor community. I'm still there in spirits, hope my small donation makes a difference.

Blessings,

BP in S.K.

Cycling Updates from S. Korea! (Part in Windsor, Part in Korea)




JB,

Your doing great work there in Windsor, and I'm glad to hear Crash Karma is rising up, hope to catch some tunes...I remember you playing with Tea P at the Pub (U of W)...and even Heart Plaza in Detroit if you remember that show...and even the Sandwich Concert Band where you originally inspired me to pick up some sticks for about 10 years. I was basement jamming for about that long, then finally switched to hand percussion on motorcycle trips to Vancouver (Beach drum jams @ Kits Beach) until finally I gave that drum away in California... Finally, I returned to Windsor and recruited [on contract] for UoW and needed a job, hence, coming to S.Korea, 4 days later I met my wife here, dated for 6 months, moved to Shenzhen, China for another year of teaching, back to Korea, back to Michigan (where I dissolved my finances into a Pre-Med program) A+ student with time expiring into a bottomless academic road which I couldn't possibly follow any longer. So, we had to throw in the towel there, and move back to teaching in Korea, in the fall of 2006. So, here I am working hard to pull myself through, holding a nice little family together with all my classes, 30 straight months of Korean ESL teaching without an international break or more than 5 days off in a row, $XXX,XXX saved so far, finally, I'm approaching the other side of life, the better half, where I can start focusing on helping others through charity donations or personal activity in campaigns like the Arctic Bike. ^^! This is the idea: Trying to put together an Arctic Bike for CCFC (Crohns & Colitis Foundation of Canada) next summer???, looks tough at this point with having sunk an investment into this apartment we finally have now, I really want to take that long bike ride once in my lifetime from the Arctic Circle (Inuvit,NT) to the end of the trail (St.John's, NF) or Urshuaia, Argentina. John C. Scott helped promote the Rubber Side Down/From the Rockies to the Rock where two riders from Amherstburg rode from Mile 0 Victoria to St. John's...and they filmed and made a feature documentary about the IBD diseases and their cause, raising over $60K before the movie had been released. My family has experience with this condition for many years, and I really wanted to do something about it. I think you've joined my group?? One - Bike, One Man, One Charity - Global Bike from the Arctic. That's what I am thinking about at this point, but I will need to move forward with promoting, gaining sponsorship, and building a base to launch this mission. I'm still teaching and will be for a long time to support my family here in Korea, but time off for a charity this big, would be well worth it. The logistics of this expedition are tremendous considering where I am right now financially, however, not unstoppable...I know how to camp by the roadsides and use duct tape or survive outdoors in cars or camps year round (4 seasons camping), I've also motorcycled 5 times across the USA and parts of Western Canada between 1994-1998, and 2000. Over 25,000kms in 60 days total, budget was very tight, rode a maximum of 36 hours straight on one tour b/w Vancouver-Chicago-Windsor. So, endurance riding is strong in me. Cycling isn't a problem, I could definitely go the distance for any charity.

If you have any ideas that would help me, or contacts or even music that could be featured in a documentary such as this one...any of your input/creativity would be a huge success. Nonetheless, thanks for t2b'ing and being a great person for our Windsor community. I'm still there in spirits, hope my small donation makes a difference.

Blessings,

BP in S.K.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Cycling Updates from S. Korea!



Andrew,

I met another cool rider from South Africa via Facebook. I have a Cycling Korea group and have received several offers to tour Korea now and another later this summer! My new friend Murray from S. Africa is a public High School teacher in the Taebaek Mountains (Kangwondo) but likes to spend the weekends cycling the East Coast. We rode a short route together last weekend (Donghae to Samcheok), he bused home from Samcheok, I bused with my student/friend Justin to Gyeongju, then cycled from there to Bul-Guk-Sa (Temple on a mountain, we actually just went to the parking lot only, and then had some hot drinks and then rode South to Ulsan (Justin left there) and when we spoke on the phone I was enroute to Busan solo. I made it Busan and finished the last 66kms to the North Express Bus Terminal. That bus roared all the way back to Osan, Suwon and Ansan. Only three stops so it was incredible time. The training was hard in the rain and the cold seemed relentless. Nevertheless, we had an excellent Spring training session in some serious mountain terrain and survived the soggy rain and pitch night from Donghae to Samcheok in mild showers. The worst part of the ride was probably the most memorable, but better headlights are in order to avoid sudden death, next time out I will be better prepared for night riding and not risking it all for speed, distance, and lack of traffic/pollution on the highway.

Warm Wishes from the highway!

Cycling Updates from S. Korea!



Andrew,

I met another cool rider from South Africa via Facebook. I have a Cycling Korea group and have received several offers to tour Korea now and another later this summer! My new friend Murray from S. Africa is a public High School teacher in the Taebaek Mountains (Kangwondo) but likes to spend the weekends cycling the East Coast. We rode a short route together last weekend (Donghae to Samcheok), he bused home from Samcheok, I bused with my student/friend Justin to Gyeongju, then cycled from there to Bul-Guk-Sa (Temple on a mountain, we actually just went to the parking lot only, and then had some hot drinks and then rode South to Ulsan (Justin left there) and when we spoke on the phone I was enroute to Busan solo. I made it Busan and finished the last 66kms to the North Express Bus Terminal. That bus roared all the way back to Osan, Suwon and Ansan. Only three stops so it was incredible time. The training was hard in the rain and the cold seemed relentless. Nevertheless, we had an excellent Spring training session in some serious mountain terrain and survived the soggy rain and pitch night from Donghae to Samcheok in mild showers. The worst part of the ride was probably the most memorable, but better headlights are in order to avoid sudden death, next time out I will be better prepared for night riding and not risking it all for speed, distance, and lack of traffic/pollution on the highway.

Warm Wishes from the highway!