Weight weenie dream tourer

The cat and bike feature in this video --

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr-uozQEAGQ

Am I allowed to go touring without a cat?

The cat had her second ride today. She was so relaxed and content. Amazing really. I think she's going to love our travels.

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Any updates @nick_h. ?

Thanks for reminding me. I've made some prototype cat accommodation but haven't taken it on the road because I'm stuck in a sort of nocturnal hell, where I don't get out of bed til 3pm. I don't think I've explained this, but the reason for trying to go full-time cyclotouring is to cure myself of ME/CFS and depression. But for a long time I've only been achieving about 1% of the daily progress I'd hoped for. Here we are in April, when I hoped I'd be nearly ready for the off. Thanks for giving me a nudge, it helps me get out of the trough.

Sorry to hear that. Can doing sports be the solution for this? I know that full time touring is very demanding...

I'd be keen for pictures of the prototype cat rig - also be keen to see more of the bike as I'm a huge Parlee fan...
Regarding the depression obviously getting out on the bike is going to help to improve your mood, it does mine! I'm sorry to say I know little about ME/CF but really hope that you get to try out the plan and it is as workable as you are hoping, looking forward to hearing more!

Yes pics of the prototype please:)

Physical exercise has been a life saving relief from depression for me,
Riding my bike predominantly, I struggle daily with PTSD brought about by the loss of my 13yo son to suicide, the shock of the event left me trying to bite out my wrists in a psychiatric unit and there isn't a day goes by since that I don't miss him and tear myself to pieces over his loss,
I too struggle with my body clock, sometimes I'm almost completely nocturnal, the solace and quiet of the night is often all I can bear, I ride a lot at night too, good lights and earbuds and just the night creatures for company, I always feel better in myself for getting out though,
It's the initial step of actually getting my kit on and leaving the house thats the hardest step, but it is doable, you can do it, theres something spritually rewarding about riding alone at night too, feels kind of special, priviledged,
I work on my bikes at night as well, planning and working quietly so I dont piss the neighbours off, noisy jobs are planned out for dawn/dusk, have a look at my thread in this section,
I feel for you, genuinely, and only seek to encourage you to ride and take on projects,
I can't offer any help with the ME but I know the black dog of depression intimately,
You've got this, walk it through, start small and build, and try not to be too hard on yourself if you take a break, roll over it and get back out there,
Feel free to message me if you ever want a chat,

Joe.

Thanks for your kind, thoughtful post Joe.

I can't really conceive how terrible your pain is. It's the most horrifying thing i've read. Even worse than Ukraine torture news, because I'm hearing it directly from you. My mother killed herself, but I was 4 and didn't know what was happening. So did my father's father, but that was before I was born. If there's a depression gene, I may well have inherited it from one or bofh of them. I started suffering from it when I was 22. It came in bouts and wasn't linked to life events. After many years on ineffective antidepressants and countless psychiatrists I ended up being referred to the Professor who ran psychiatry in Lambeth, and he put me on different drugs, which worked. As you probably know, there are scores of different antidepressants, but many of them can only be prescribed by psychiatrists, and you can't try one without coming off whichever one you're on, and waiting 6 weeks or so to see if the new one works. It can be an unbearable cycle to go through, and it stops you working. And sometimes stops you talking and getting dressed and feeding yourself. So I'm blessed to finally have drugs that work.

But I'd rather not be on them, because of side effects. And I discovered on a 1 year tour that if I started with very short distances and built up gradually, I could eventually get pretty fit. I settled at about 80 miles per day, with one rest day per week. I was free of ME/CFS symptoms. I felt so good that I stopped taking antidepressants, and was blissfully content without them.

I still had the ME. It never goes away. There's no cure, the best you can hope for is to manage it. The rule is not to use more than 80% of your stamina, otherwise you pay for it with excessive tiredness on the following days. Another rule is that if you push yourself to exhaustion or you experience something very physically or mentally stressful or traumatic, you can trigger a massive relapse. All the symptoms return, and you're back to square one, and it takes 6 or 12 months of careful management to get back to where you were before.

So cycle touring is my answer to everything, but only if it's carefully planned. My first big therapeutic tour, the 12 month one I mentioned above, was 18 years ago, and it went well, with no excessive tiredness. I even did 160 miles one day without after-effects. It was in the US, and whenever I wanted to rest up I could just go to a motel. I had enough money not to worry about budgeting.

In 2009 I had a complete relapse triggered by losing absolutely everything in the recession. I became homeless, and winter was approaching, so I said to myself, it's shit or bust. Go to Florida where you can sleep outdoors all through the winter, and try to repair yourself with cycling again. So I sold most of my possessions, my sister used her air miles to get me a ticket, and off I went to Orlando. But when I got there I needed a month to recuperate from the effort of the packing and the journey. I needed an assistant to pack for me, and a taxi to the airport, but I went by train, and hoiking the bike and panniers up and down stairs and so on...it nearly killed me. The month in the motel ate up a lot of my cash. I finally got going, but had a lot of misadventures (being burnt, being run over, getting food poisoning) and the cash got so low that it was just a constant stressor. Everything had become just a survival challenge. I found myself trying to get over mountains in 100 degree heat. It took a long time ro recover from that. I ended up getting a crappy job. Not therapeutic either. When the trip ended I was no better than when it started.

So my next trip needs to have abundant safety measures. Hence the camper van - I can rest when I want, without paying for a hotel. The cat is also great therapy.

In the meantime, I think I may have knocked the nocturnal problem on the head, with Nytol and CBD oil, which was my pharmacist's suggestion. Maybe in a few days I can start with a little bit of cycling, with the cat. (It's all the rage. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-60996908).

What about you? Your bicycle therapy sounds very positive. Are you on effective antidepressants?

@seven and @nick_h.

I just want you to know that I have read your stories, that I feel empathy for you both, and that I am intrigued and impressed with how you have been using cycling as therapy.

Thank you! Bicycles are incredible.

Any updates on the bike?
@nick_h.

No. My ME got out of control. And I got very depressed. Haven't touched the bike for ages.

Really sorry to hear that. I can’t offer anything by the way of meaningful support, but hope you’re ok. If you just need someone to chat to or whatever shoot me a message, but otherwise will be thinking of you and the cat and hope you’re both back on the bike soon.

Sorry to hear this! I wish you all the best

All the best dude, look after yourself.

Big hugs from me @nick_h. . This too shall pass and the bike tour will still be waiting for you.

Thanks everyone. I need to be in ketosis to have worthwhile energy levels, but it's hard to stay in it. I've bounced out of it twice this year. It requires so little carb intake that I have to give up bread, pasta, rice, nearly all fruit and most veg. Even the sugar in oat milk is a trap. Whenever I fall out of ketosis it seems much harder to get back into it. During the weeks and weeks when I'm trying, I seem to be cursed with sleeping 14 hrs a day, all in the daytime. Every day is a disaster.

Just found this thread and felt really touched by the sharing on it - some very moving and powerful stories here and the redemption through cycling - and cats. Wanted to stop by and say 'this too shall pass' @nick_h. Sounds like you've climbed these mountains before but hope it helps to know another cyclist is rooting for you, and sending healing vibes. Here's to your future adventures with your brilliant cat.

I really need some progress on this thread. My health got worse, didn't touch the bike, then my cat was run over in January. Health went downhill again. Now I have a new cat https://www.lfgss.com/comments/16986723/ and she's about ready for a trial on the bike. It needs a ton of little jobs and the flat is such a mess (think landfill) that the tools and bits are a nightmare to find. I'm trying to get some enthusiasm going by admiring and cleaning my Lightweight Fernwegs which I don't think I've ever fitted. I need to relearn how to glue tubs and see if 30mm tyres will fit my frame. I'd love to try them out. Never ridden road tyres bigger than 25mm.

Good luck and hope you start feeling motivated/inspired again

Sorry to hear about your cat. Hope you can get back to turning some spanners soon.

Glad to hear you're getting back on your feet Nick