Hey guys, (I've moved this from a different part of the forum)

I've lurked for long enough.

Hey, so like, I want to start this big bike ride, round about March next year....Hanging out mainly in France and Portugal till then, and then yeah.
I'm no technician aye, and I'm REALLY no supreme cyclist...If i remember, the distance was about 3,500 miles or so...and I want to do this over the course of a year or so...Most of Europe is new to me, so there's a lot of sightseeing to be done, and a lot of festivals to be gone to.
But hey, the question is...Fixed gear or standard road. I've been riding around on a fixed recently and I love it, the feeling of control and fluency a-and of pissing off drivers...but over that many miles, even if it is broken up considerably, would it be wise?
I'll have me' pack and me' tent and what not, so I want something as light as possible...The fixie ticks that box, but maybe someone can suggest a good Road?
So yeah, that's the craic there then....
Oh, and I've got a feeling that my girlfriend is loosing momentum at the prospect of the big ride, so if anyone wants to jump on board?
Okay, peace!

Fixed gear pissing off truck drivers all the way to the Middle-East.

Wise?

I don't think so.

Stick to a road bike with a couple of nice low gears.

Why do some cyclists want to participate in self flagellation? If God intended people to tour on a fixie, he would not have created the derailer.

go fixed-- it will make for better stories after you are done

train safe-

Madrid to Jerusalem? Have you looked at a map? One country you'll need to cross is Syria. Who knows what will be going on there next year, but if you were trying to tour there now, they probably wouldn't let you in the country. And if they did, it wouldn't be a fixie or a road bike you'd want, but rather a tank!

A Sail boat would be better..

Yes I have looked on the map, and Syria, well it's a bother without an alternative, but if I'm aloud in the country with my bike, then that's grand. I'd be a white man in a damaged country, currently host to no overseas militarily and shady influences of the west....The only thing I'd have to fear is genuine bad luck.

If I'm not aloud in the country with my bike, then Mr.Mastercard could help me on a plane, and then all I'd have to do is lie.
Infact, I could avoid the pleasure of having a supremely toned ass by the end of the trip, by flying and lying the whole way.
There, I am cured of the choice. The only thing I'll be riding, will be my dishonesty groove..

Sir! I applaud you're attitude and enjoy you're writing style
On your route you'll be crossing the pyrenees and maybe the maritime alps. A fully loaded fixie! My word, that would take strong legs!

DO NOT TAKE A FIXIE. Do you have any idea of the type of hills you're going to encounter? I don't know too much about Europe, but I understand it's got some mountains. And once you get into the middle east, well, the entire Holy Land is nothing BUT godawful hills. You won't make it on a fixie unless you're Jesus. Go with a road bike with beefy tires (for those bad quality back roads in poorer countries) and low gears. Oh and don't go through Syria now, obviously.

Or do. People have probably biked through more dangerous places.

Thank you Imi, I'm glad my words wobble you. Yes, I had it in my mind that a fixie would be nought' but a daft plan, but I needed some opinions from people who know more. Like I mentioned in the first post, I love the lightness of the fixie....with that in mind, anyone got any suggestions on what model Road bike I should be looking at? (I make a living cooing lyrics over jingle jangle terrible mandola playing on the side of busy streets, so it can't be terribly expensive...)
A-and thank you Jude.

I would suggest looking at bikes that have a rack, or fittings for a rack, to strap your gear to, and anywhere between three gears (uphill, flat and downhill and 30 gears. fwiw I've crossed the pyrenees on a 5-speed city bike on my way from sweden to spain.

Maybe a local bike shop could help you find a decent second hand bike? Good strong wheels and puncture proof tires would be at the top of my list.

Check out the Thorn bikes to get an idea of the different kinds of touring-specific bikes available, and maybe adapt a cheaper bike to be more similar - hope that makes sense :/

Thank you Imi, you are becoming my favorite person.

I also enjoy the feeling of riding a lightweight bicycle; but if I were planning to cycle six (or eight or ten) hours per day, day after day for months at a time, while carrying luggage and going over mountains, I would value a lot of things over weight: comfort, ease of climbing, and durability come to mind.

Think about taking a boat from Turkey into northern Israel. You'd miss Syria and Jordan, but Syria isn't a great destination right now. Jordan is pretty amazing, but it's up to you if you want to head there after Jerusalem. Riding down into, and back out, the Jordan Valley, would be a pretty awesome experience.

Thanks Jude. The boat is a brilliant idea. I want to a good year or so in Israel. Got some mates who are involved in some pretty funky projects, plus I might be able to get a messenger job in Jerusalem which would suit me fine. Would love to get into Jordan though.

Riding with a back-pack is a pain in the ass. Let your bike carry the weight on a luggage rack or trailer.
I would suggest you get a decent grade of hybrid bike with MTB gearing. You wont find any touring bikes in Spain and they will be much more expensive.

If you get something that can handle rocky 4x4 paths, you can have a blast riding around Israel's 4x4 back-paths. They have awesome topographic maps for the whole country plus Palestine with marked and unmarked paths shown. I'd love to mountain bike down through the Negev. On the other hand, the roads aren't really cut out for biking. Everything is mostly main highways with only a few lesser roads connecting out-of-the-way places. It's not like riding around the Pennsylvania or Virginia countryside (what I'm used to) with tons of country roads all over the place.

Thanks Jude. Like before mentioned we're gonna head off start of March next year. I think we're just gonna make the plan as we go along. I'm just keen to see a lot of Europe, and see a lot of festivals, ride me' bike a lot, get to Palestine, chew da phat, etc. My girlfriend's enthusiasm has hit zilch however, I think after almost two years together, it still freaks her out to be with a person whose 'epic fantasies' don't remain just in my head
Anyway Jude, you seem to have a good understanding of Israel/Palestine? Spend much time there did you dear boy?

Fixie, most definitly would be your style...

I spent a year there, although only about 45 minutes of that was on a bike due to money issues.

I wish my legs were made out of titanium steel, of a particular kind, the kind which weighs as much as a Butterfly's sneeze. That would be my style Pistard.
What should I be checking out Jude?

dont know about control, but it is a well known fact that multilingual fixies have been the albatross around many a drivers neck, en francais, espanol etc. Go for it! Allez-y, vaya te!