Originally Posted by Gotte

I was always into bikes as a kid, building them, breaking them up, building them again. I loved bikes. I also loved Lord of the rings. I loved the whole notion of being out on the road, on a quest, self sufficient. It was such a romantic thing. A bit like a dream of joining the circus. I did't actually tour in any great way, when younger, just a few weeks here and there, cycling and camping, but when I got older, and had more money, and started getting that feeling that I was getting fat and lazy, and hadn't done enough, I got back into it.
Admittedly, I don't tour like a lot of the people on here. I get a week here, ten days there (kids), but it keeps me sane, and the planning is just as fun.