[ email | Criticism/analysis of society | Travelling | Projects | Goncharenko centre: Talks/discussions » Talk/discussion: Goncharenko centre 2025-4-27: 1. Travelling by bicycle, what do you need?, 2. Sports, pets, homeless animals ]

Talk/discussion: Goncharenko centre 2025-4-27: 1. Travelling by bicycle, what do you need?, 2. Sports, pets, homeless animals

Part 1: Travelling by bicycle, long distances, what do you need, can anyone do it?

The first long trip I made was 140 km. My sister rented a holiday days for a few days, I thought "Why not go there by bicycle" and I just did it. I left very early in the morning, I think it was around 8:00 in the morning, because it was going to be hot that day. Well, 30+ degrees, which is not that bad [ but rare for NL. so I didn't have much experience with it ] but I didn't know how I would deal with that on a long trip ]. I had some short breaks to eat something, average speed was 21.5 km/h which includes stops to eat and to look at where to go because I used maps at that time and the signs in and at the edge of cities of where to go to a certain city (I could have gone faster, but I didn't know how fast I should go). So I was travelling city to city towards my goal, rather than follow a route without even thinking about city names as can happen these days with GPS based navigations. Before this trip I had made trips of up to about 100km, but those were in 2 parts. First 30-50 km to visit someone, for example I went to visit someone in Delft who had old HCC computer magazines that he wanted to get rid of (which are a fantastic resource for computer history), then talk a bit etc. and an hour or so later I went back home. I think that trip was 80-90 km. The main thing for me is that long rides can get boring so a stop in the middle is perfect, it removes that issue. For a long ride you can easily ride at say 14 km/h, and do that all day so if you leave at 8:00 from Kremenchuk, then go to say Nagirne (about 45 km) that will take a bit more than 3 hours (ca. 11:15). Then you can stay there have a picnic at the beach, go back 3 hours later (14:15) and return in Kremenchuk at ca. 17:30. I ride faster but effectively also travel slowly because I make a lot of stops to make pictures of everything that is interesting to me.

Equipment:

• Phone with navigation program (I use 'Osmand').
• For a single day you can do with a back pack that you carry or put on the rear rack, better is to buy at least one bag for on the rear rack.
• Tools to repair in particular flat tyres (patches, glue, tyre levers). Some hex-keys are also useful. Spare inner tube.
• Rope to tie something down (you never know, you might need it...).
• Perhaps: Rain jacket, light weight.
• Sun cream lotion, factor 50.
• Hat to protect against the sun (mostly for walking, not so effective cycling as the front part blows upwards then, I need to find another solution. I experimented with tying it down... Using clip-on sunglasses and pointing them upwards helps).
• Thermos bottle, for tea or for cold drink. I store the 1 litre bottle in one of the rear bags, I take a smaller one of about 0.75 litres as well on some trips, for cold drinks in one of the bottle cages on the bicycle, but I usually just use a standard plastic bicycle water bottle for day trips.
• Pocket lamp with USB-C charging, mini 18650 charger/powerbank (ML-102) + several 18650s (these are for the light or to power the phone for navigation if needed, the 18650 in the light can also be used in the powerbank if needed).
• Additional larger powerbank (for the phone, as GPS navigation drains the battery quickly). [ I use a cheapo phone mount to mount this powerbank which is similar in size ot a phone, on the bike... ]
• Band aids
• Roll of toilet paper, partly used up, so it is a bit smaller and can be stowed away anywhere. For any purpose including cleaning your hands after fixing something on the bicycle (such as a flat tyre).
• Ear plugs (needed to ride on highways)
• Knife/spoon for food
• Reusable water bottle(s) for on the bicycle.

For multi day trips also the following:

• Bicycle bags for on the rear rack.
• I take a small electric kettle because I want to make tea if I stay in a hotel where there is no electric kettle.
• A plastic cup with lid from a pack to make noodles, to make noodles or tea.
• 2 thermos bottles, 1 for tea and 1 for cold drinks.
• For multi day trips: Clothes, something like Woolite for handwashing clothes.
• Toothbrush, nail clippers.
• Quick drying sports/travel towel + shampoo.
• Rain jacket, light weight.

Part 2: Pets, homeless animals, sport

In the first meeting I mentioned what I like in Ukraine and there are things I don't like. 2 in particular:

1. That there is real poverty and lack of care about these issues by many people.
   Possibly related to this is that too many people see outsiders from wealthier countries, as "they have enough money", so various people try to take advantage of that probably justified by this view that "they have enough money". I experienced it often enough that it got annoying (though my general view is positive as these are still exceptions). This is similar to what happens in scamming (see also my talk about the interview of anti-scammer Kitboga).
2. Homeless animals, cats and dogs.

On part 2. Homeless animals. I like cats more than dogs, but I feel more sorry for dogs because cats are more loners, they can be happy being more or less alone. So, how do you feel about this? What is the cause, what do you do? I saw some people giving food in one of the parks to cats and dogs. There were some places for shelter there for cats in particular too.

What do you do about such things?

Show: 2 funny pictures on my phone. [ with cats ]

[ Forgot this: Tell funny story: Playing a computer game, cats wanted to see what was going on, they climbed onto the desk via the keyboard cable then started watching what was going on on the computer screen... ]

Post event notes:

In progress (2025-4-28, updated 2025-5-22). Everything written down here is what we talked about, except in blue, those are additional comments.

1. Bicycle trips: I mentioned it can be hard to keep track of everything that you take with you, and take back. I lost in particular shampoo bottles several times by forgetting them in a shower of a hostel or hotel... One attendee asked about a list: Yes, I use a list of what to take with me on trips and the same list can be used to make sure you didn't forget something when you leave a hotel or hostel. You can print out a list or keep it on your phone.

One 'reason' of some people to make bicycle trips is that someone doesn't have the time. That is almost always (in any situation) a translation of "I don't want to", really. If it would be something they like to do then they would make time... Of course there is no need to do it but it is good for your health. Some people mentioned in sports going to a gym. I mentioned that I find such things very boring, machines with weights, but also running. I prefer to do something real like athletics (shot put, discus throwing) and cycling, for fun and to keep in shape.

[ On equipment, I can add a few more things: clip-on sunglasses and night vision glasses (yellow). The downside of clip-on sunglasses is weight, but I didn't want to buy another set of prescription glasses yet. ]

Suggestion for bicycle course, more for mountain bikes, in/near Kriukiv, from one of the attendees: location HERE. (Деївська гора, region of Kamyani Potoki)

He also mentioned that bicycle trips of more than 50 km are boring and I agree, for me that is a problem although in Ukraine when it is a route that I haven't ridden before then I stop a lot and make pictures of everthing that is interesting to me. I mentioned about this that one thing that I tried was the suggestion of coffee, to feel that you have more energy, but that and energy drinks just do not have any effect on me. I tried it on one trip [ I think it was the 182 km trip from Zolotonosha to Kremenchuk. I ordered borscht + coffee in a restaurant and after the disgusting taste of coffee, I felt no change when cycling. To me hot tea + some chocolate that I had a while after that was far better, that gave me the feeling of feeling better and from that a feeling of "let's go!". But really, neither of them gave me a feeling of actual energy. ] Someone said "Try coffee + coca cola, but you will have to make up for it later in sleep". I tried energy drink + coca cola one ride when I went to visit a few places to make pictures of mosaics on buildings that I noticed riding with a friend from Kremenchuk to Kiev in February [ then from Kiev I went to Sumy by train]. It was 66 km, then I went back and tried energy drink + cola that I bought in a shop [ I had it in the apartment but forgot to take it ]. I felt "maybe it feels a bit better" but I wasn't sure. I felt that in fact the best was just hot tea... [ Not for actually giving you a feeling of not being tired but simply from drinking something that I like. The real motivator is your own mindset. For me it can come from tea, or from that I set a goal and then I don't feel tired... For example From Zolotonosha the time limit was the curfew at 24:00, that made me do more effort to get to Gradizk where I asked whether there was a hotel nearby, and when it was clear there was no hotel, then onwards to Kremenchuk where I arrived a few minutes before 24:00! :) ]

2. A comment was made about homeless animals that there is a responsibility for both people and the government. I agree. I mentioned that I saw people give cats and dogs food in one of the parks, there were even some little houses for cats there. In the apartment building where I lived on Nebesnoi Sotni until I could move into my house, there is a cat there who gets food and water from residents, well, 1 resident at least besides me.

Copyright W.H.Scholten, 2025. To contact me you can email or send a message via telegram (via phone +31648816383), viber, or via vk.com (https://vk.com/w.h.scholten, which I don't really use but I will get notified of messages from there). I don't use: facebook, linkedin, twitter.