To me, you are the greatest bike-packing inspiration on UA-cam. It began with your „Brompton and wild camp“-Videos (I ride a Brompton my self) but this really shows what an adventure cyclist you are. Thanks for all the work you put into these videos.
Hi Karsten, oh thank you that's very nice of you. Glad you like these older films from this long ride that I did when I was a bit younger haha, and the newer films too, about what I am doing now too. More coming soon! I am working on several different films at the same time, and I am slow at editing. But more coming! Thank you for watching and for writing with your support!
Hi Kevin! Thank you for watching! More films coming! I have got a bit distracted away from making this series recently about riding to England from Hong Kong, but I will make the rest soon! thank you for the comment
Susanna, as ex-colleagues, we were proud of you. I am so glad to find your UA-cam video finally! Your way to describe your long journey is really meaningful. I like it very much
Kenneth!!! Aw thank you for the lovely comment! Happy, happy memories of working with you and all your team in Hong Kong. Actually, if I was still in there working with you, I think you would be telling me, 'Sue, this project is dragging, get on with it and FINISH the films'! 😁 More coming soon!
Hi Jack! Thanks for watching! yeh, for this series of films I'm basically making do with what I have haha. I had no idea about how to make films, plus technology was so different too back then - when I set off from Hong Kong, UA-cam itself had been around less than a year. I was just wondering about that now and looked it up. Hard to believe. Time goes fast. Thanks for writing! More coming soon!
The first time I heard you say something about riding from Hong Kong to London, I ignored it thinking I heard wrong--until I found these vds. OMG! IS THE BARE MINIMUM I can say! You are modestly unbelievable--I will look at your current vds with a new perspective. Thank you for sharing your spirit with us!
Sooo interesting. I live in Japan and when I retire (in 3 years - I’ve just turned 60) I plan on riding my bike around the world too. I’m still unsure as to whether to start in Canada and go west to east, or in China and go east to west. Your video is a great help. Episode 2 soon please 😁
Hi Peter! Oh, that sounds great. When I did that ride, I was nearly 40, a fair bit older than the average person doing this kind of thing, and quite a lot of people I met on the road felt sorry for me. Which they had no need to! But most people were really kind. I'll put up some more eps soon!!! Thanks for writing!
@@susannathornton Hi Susanna. Can I just ask one more thing? I've got a Surly LHT with a Rohloff that I built myself a few years ago and I've ridden it for the length of Japan. It's a lovely bike and being built by me it fits me perfectly. Its just not really suited to packing down and taking on trains, buses or planes etc. I've also got a Brompton that I've upgraded to a Sturmey Archer 10 speed (5 x 2) and I've ridden that on a few week-long trips in Japan too. It's brilliant for taking on public transport but its definitely not as comfortable to ride for long hours as my Surly. And I get many more punctures on it than on my Surly too. As I'll be 63 when I do my trip I suspect that there may be a bit of training and busing involved so my question is: Do you think it's a good idea, or even a feasible idea to take a Brompton on a round the world trip? You've ridden both types of bike extensively and I'd really appreciate your opinion. Thank you in advance.
Hi Peter! Oh sounds lovely to ride the length of Japan, and the week-long trips sound great too. I once did a tour in Japan - I had to do some work in China and has some holiday to use up, so I took my bike with me out to Asia and flew to Kansai after I had finished the work, thinking I could get the boat to Shikoku from the airport, but turned out you couldn't! Haha. Bad planning. It was ages ago, not quite pre-internet but almost. So, rapid change of plan, and I just rode north from Kobe to see how far I could get. Really enjoyed it. Anyway, about choice of bike, wow, yeh difficult! If you are going to do loose gravel tracks, potholy unmade roads, or a lot of cobbles, I would avoid the Brompton. On those kind of surfaces, the little wheels are a problem - I find I get shaken to bits, have to creep along really slowly, worry that I am damaging my kit (and me), and some roads/trails are simply unrideable and I have to get off and walk. The Brompton also a big problem if you encounter mud, as the tight clearances make the wheels gum up really quickly. Big hassle obviously. You can see in some of my videos, like the Oxford one, I did a short section of sticky mud track, and the wheels jammed within 5 minutes. My husband and I did a tour on the Bromtons along the Göta Kanal in Sweden and we had the same problem on the canal towpaths. But you will know these things already... So, yeh, I would only use the Brompton if I was fairly confident I'd mainly be on tarmac. That's the main negative side I can think of right now. On the plus side, of course the Brompton would be simply fantastic whenever you check into accommodation, or want to take it on a train or bus etc etc. A "normal" bike can obviously be such a nuisance, and a worry - I remember being ill with food poisoning once in China, where I rode a "normal" bike, and the hotel refused to let me bring my bike into my room, and I was too poorly to argue so had to lock my bike outisde, round the back of the hotel behind the kitchen bins. As I lay there being sick I was also really upset about my bike being outside all on its own, and really worried that when I finally could get on my feet again I would no longer have a bike... I was unhappy to be ill, and even more unhappy cos of my bike being outside. Anyway. By the way, about Brompton punctures, I also had a lot of punctures on the Brompton until I recently switched to Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres. I just rode from Sweden to the UK on these, through some fairly hard conditions and they felt like sturdy gumboots, and I had no punctures at all. Made a massive difference. But again, you prob already know that, and already have it all in hand... Anyway, there's a couple of thoughts. It's terrific that you'll be heading off on a world tour. Exciting! Hope you are enjoying the planning. I love planning tours. And hope you get in lots of happy cycling meanwhile, on both of your bikes!
@@susannathornton Thank you Susanna for such a full and considered reply. You have given me a lot to think about. I actually have another bike (I believe in the Veluminati law haha) that I might take instead. It's a Tern Eclipse S18 and its a bit of a six of one half a dozen of the other type of bike. It does fold, but it weighs 16 kg so its not exactly easy to carry, however, I can take it on the trains here in its bag if I have to and I have a little luggage trolley that I carry on the rear carrier, and I put all my panniers on this trolley inside a Dimpa bag when I'm catching a train. The Eclipse S18 takes 55 mm wide 24 inch tires so it can handle most roads and I can get 4 panniers as well as bikepacking bags on it. The reason I was hesitating about taking it is that I'm not sure how well the hinge will hold up. There's a UA-cam video ua-cam.com/video/W9CP3k1b-Ks/v-deo.html made by a man who took his Eclipse S18 around most of the world and, when I wrote to him, he recommended I take the Surly if I was riding rough roads as he had problems with his hinge. But he was riding on far rougher roads (South America and Alaska) than I think I will be. As you say, planning the trip is half the fun and once I decide on the final route I'll have a much better idea of which bike will be best. Anyway, once again, thank you so much. I'll let you know which one I decide on in the end. If you ever come to Japan for a bike trip and have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me. See you!
Hands up- I recently discovered your channel and had you pegged as the lady who pootles around gentle countryside on your Brompton; but no, full on crazy woman- respect! What an adventure.
Haha! that is funny. Thanks for writing with such a nice comment Derek! Actually, the HK to London trip was still pretty much pootling tbh. Obviously a longer pootle than say the ride to Leicester that I did which is on my channel too, but still kind of gentle and slow. Back in the day, I did race (never actually very fast haha, but I tried). But touring, in my book, is all about being a pootler, and savouring it all... Hope we can all get back to it soon. A few longer or shorter adventures will be very nice again. More films coming soon anyway, as I have a backlog of stuff to make, both the HK to London ride and others. Best wishes! Thanks for watching!
@@susannathornton Looking forward to them. I'm saving episode 2 for when I need a bit of escapism. I loved your journey through Holland towards Sweden and I see that there's also a return to savour.
Hi Keith! Glad you like the film! And thank you for the comment - the editing takes me a long time but I enjoy writing the commentary and making the films. Best wishes! 😊
I’m based in Hong Kong. It’s a great video record. What an awesome and huge idea you have made. You recorded our lovely homeland and kindness persons. Waiting for your next episode. Thank you for your sharing. Add oil 💪🏻😉
Hi Edward! Thank you for watching, and for writing. About Hong Kong, yes I was soooo lucky to live there during that time, and to get to know so many super and kind Hong Kong people. So many years on, many are still my friends. It was partly because I was sad to leave that I didn't want to fly away back to Britain. Stepping on a plane in Chek Lap Kok and then stepping off again in Heathrow with just a few hours in between seemed too abrupt, like a shock. I wanted to go slowly, so that I could think about it, and get used to the idea of moving on. I loved the journey. Time flies! Already 15 years ago. But it is nice to look back on it by making the films. I am working on the next one and will put it up soon. Ga yau you too 💪
Alos watched ypur Europe brompton tour videos, love it ：-）. Dare to dream and fulfil it, make life worth living , have no regrets in life as u live out your dreams and adventures. Unfortunately, many hkers, bNOs are also forced to “escape” to UK due to ccp terror in 2019 2021
Wait a moment, you are not talking about bikepacking, but about moving your home! This is absolutely different, I would go crazy justm about thinking what material things I will leave behind definitely, and what things I will take with me, unless you was shupping them in a sea container. Wow wow wow. And this before thinking about and planning the route. If I was in your place I would make a whole additional series of vids about the abovementioned....
Hi Bike and See! Thanks for the great comment. Yeh you're right, it was a massive job to organise how to leave a place forever and set off on a bike. 10,000 things to sort out, "just" to get that part of the preps for the ride done. At the start of the process I was just like everyone else I knew, with a life and a home and a job and a flat... and at the end I had to have dissolved it all away, all ends tied off, nothing left, just me, my bike and my bags. Re my possessions, yes I shipped some stuff back to the UK. The shippers asked if I wanted it fast etc, and I was like no! I want the absolute slowest option - my stuff can happily sail around on a ship as long as possible! I don't want it until I get to England and have a place to put it in! The last night in my old Hong Kong flat was weird. Everything gone, except my bike and gear. Dusty. I slept on the floor in my sleeping bag. The flat echoed. The next morning I dropped my key in my landlady's letterbox. And that was it.
@@kstoeb Hi Karsten! haha thanks for the comment! yes it did feel crazy. After I told my boss that I was going to do it, I went home and listened to Free Falling. Good old Tom Petty. It was a fantastic feeling actually.
Loving this. What a fascinating journey especially being able to follow the smaller roads. It’s only 15 years ago but the older tech gives it a quaint feeling. I’m looking forward to the next instalment
Hi Linda! Thanks for watching! And for your thoughtful - and helpful - comment. I like the idea of quaint. Yeh, tech has changed sooooo much since I did that ride. Will put up the next instalment soon. Best wishes!
I am a Cantonese, born n bred in Sg. Hence the great interest in your trip starting in HK, China 🇨🇳. I love long-distance cycling as Well. Looking forward to more episodes of your epic trip back to London. I bought a Brompton in London and cycled in your lovely Lake District, England.
Hi again Jason! Thank you so much for watching my films. Your London and Lake District trips sound great! I am being very slow about making the rest of the films of the ride I did from Hong Kong. But I'll put up some more films soon. Actually I have been interested in Chinese since I was small, when I met my Dad's HK Chinese friends. I tried to learn Cantonese, and OMG found it is soooooo hard! After a lot of effort and help from patient friends and years living in HK, my Cantonese is.... rubbish!! So frustrating, cos I really would like to be able to understand and sing Cantonese songs and things like that. Ah well. Anyway, thanks again for watching! Best wishes to you in Singapore, and happy cycling!
@@susannathornton So hard to learn a different language. After learning French for 30 years, it's still rubbish. Luckily I could still get a train ticket in France with a basic command of it.
I have seen some of your Brompton tours & then delightfully found this mega journey. Wow❗ This is inspiring. I biked 🚴 in mainland China 🇨🇳 but did not tour. Still I thought about what a distance tour might be like. Since you were in HK for so long you no doubt learned to read enough Chinese characters & to speak enough to get by without too much difficulty. I learned hundreds of characters before I went to China & wasn't proficient speaking because I didn't have anyone to help me. Still I could find the restroom & say ‘Bu Guo’ , no dog 🐶 in restaurants. Brilliant job dedicating your ride to a cause. I have a plan for a US coast to coast trip & am looking for the proper cause to represent on my tour. I have to figure out a way to get my dog 🐕 to ride properly in a doggy trailer because he has to go along & he's not very cooperative. 😬 I probably will need a trainer. I'm looking forward to watching your entire journey. You are very inspirational. 👍☮️🌞🌟🚵🏼♀️🏔🏕
Hi there! Thanks for watching, and for writing in with such a long comment! Hope you can find a way to bring your dog along on some great trips. Yeh I agree finding a cause can be tricky. So many good causes to choose from... One of the corporates that donated money to the charities I chose said that they liked the charities partly because the message was so cheerful - children, sport, development, health, and despite the hardship the kids endured some fun and "normal" play. The positive message meant the concept was enjoyed by the staff of the company. I thought that was interesting. Also, I got tons of help and inspiration from friends who had great ideas about charities and good contacts.
Hi Sally! Thank you for watching! And for the lovely comment - and for being so encouraging (and patient!). So nice to meet old friends here as well as new ones x 😁
Aw thanks Muddy283. I must put up more of these! I am very slow and distracted onto making other films at the mo. Yeh, I was definitely not a youngster, even then! Actually I found it was a kind of bonus, being older. Loads of the people I met along the road - women running villages shops or men at street food stalls or women with kids standing outside their houses - were about the same age as me, and had loads of the same issues as me, eg worried about their own parents getting older now, and things like that. It was really nice to talk with them, and find that we actually had a lot of the same kind of things going on in our lives. Yeh, really nice experience. Anyway, thank you for watching and for writing - and for your patience!!! x
@@susannathornton I hadn't realised that was 2007 so you were quite a bit younger then. But what you did was still incredible. And still inspiring to us lot to get out and do things. Explore, discover and get good wholesome exercise in the process. I first did a solo vacation (that is, first since i was quite young) a few years back, in Finland and on my Brompton. I was quite anxious 'cos the previous time I did that, it was one of the least pleasant holidays of my life. I shouldn't have worried. Age seems to mature one (as you say). It turned out to be one of the best holidays of my life (if not the best) because, like you, I kept meeting interesting and very friendly people and talking to them.
@@susannathornton Btw I replied to your comment on your UA-cam personal page. But I don't know if you will get notified as for some strange reason the @Susanna Thornton bit got garbled into gobbledygook!
Oh that is interesting about your Finland trips, as a younger and older person. Actually, I remember riding through Scotland once when I was young, solo. I was supposed to be with a friend but her little son got sick, and so she couldn't join me. As I had the time already booked off work, I thought well I will just go anyway. I did enjoy it, but definitely had a few lonely moments, and all the time felt kind of self-conscious about being on my own. Now as an older person, that doesn't bother me one bit, and I love travelling solo. I somehow look at things more carefully, and - as you say - always meet interesting and friendly people. Anyway! Thanks for writing!
Hello! Thank you for watching! and for writing your nice comment and question. The rest of the journey is all just raw material on a hard drive here and a big pile of tatty travel diaries. I haven't made the rest of the films yet!! I am very slow at editing them but I will put them up soon! 🐌
Hi Susanna, I hope that you are well. I had always wondered what you were up too after your Amaising journey and meeting you in Aktau on our way to Baku. I am still in regular contact with John and there is never a time we meet that we do not discuss your Epic trip, unaided, no camera Crews no support team, just you you and your trusty bicycle! Hope you are doing well, Wishing you the best of luck in everything you do, if you have time please drom me a line!!
Hello!!! Oh wow how amazing! So lovely to hear from you!! I had such a good time meeting you chaps out there in Kazakhstan - you were so kind to a random woman on a bike!! I remember laughing so much, can't remember entirely about what but I just remember laughing a lot. If I go read my diary, I probably wrote it down, haha. How lovely to hear from you after all these years! About the no support crew, yes I remember when I was planning the ride, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman had just done their Long Way Round, which I had followed keenly, half thinking well if they can do it so can I, and also thinking that they did seem to have quite a lot more gear and back up than me!! haha. Well, I got lots of help from lovely strangers that I met along on the road xx Thanks so much for writing! Big hello to John too!
Hi Ronald! Thanks for watching! Time flies... And things change a lot, especially in China. I imagine that a lot of the things I saw in the Chinese countryside then will have changed a lot by now.
Hi Stephen! Thanks for watching this. Yeh it was really interesting to see the landscape like that, close up, and "ordinary" places. Tbh I really wonder what it's like now in the places I went through. I did that ride in 2006, and in many places in China, things have changed a lot since then. I feel really lucky that I had the chance to do that ride then. I've been a bit distracted away from editing the films about that long journey, but will put up more eps soon. Thanks again for watching!
Hello May! haha thanks for watching! yes it took me a little while to get round to making these!! Working on the next one... Btw if anyone at 單車之友 does still have photos from the days we did together, ie departure, or the stretch Zhaoqing to Wuzhou (was so nice!!!) then I'd love to know! Happy memories!
I really enjoyed this and the pace of your narration and the video was somewhere between a travel blog and an audio book. I can’t wait for future episodes. I so much prefer real adventures rather than overpaid celebs and their fake travels.
Hi Trevor! thank you for the comment. Oh that is a nice and really helpful thing to say, that the videos are somewhere between a travel blog and an audio book. I hadn't thought of it like that. It's helpful! More soon! Glad you enjoyed it, and thank you so much for writing
@@susannathornton You have inspired me to buy a Brompton this week and I am taking it with me to Azerbaijan on the 8th January. I have also bought one for my fiancé as it's going to be her wedding present and she is delighted. So our honeymoon will be cycling in mid winter in the Caucasus mountains.
@@Ontheroadtourism Oh how amazing!! What great wedding presents, fantastic. Sounds like your fiancee is awesome, I like the sound of someone who is delighted with a Brompton as a wedding present haha. What an amazing honeymoon you guys have planned, omg. Hope you have a fantastic time! Best wishes to you both! x
Hi welshpaddler! Thank you for watching! The other episodes are not made yet - they are still raw footage and stills and audio on a hard drive here, and my tatty notebooks from the road and maps and things. I have not had time to make the films yet. I am very slow but I am doing it 🐌
Don't take this lightly......You are truly an amazing woman.
To me, you are the greatest bike-packing inspiration on UA-cam. It began with your „Brompton and wild camp“-Videos (I ride a Brompton my self) but this really shows what an adventure cyclist you are. Thanks for all the work you put into these videos.
Hi Karsten, oh thank you that's very nice of you. Glad you like these older films from this long ride that I did when I was a bit younger haha, and the newer films too, about what I am doing now too. More coming soon! I am working on several different films at the same time, and I am slow at editing. But more coming! Thank you for watching and for writing with your support!
Amazing and inspiring.
Hi Kevin! Thank you for watching! More films coming! I have got a bit distracted away from making this series recently about riding to England from Hong Kong, but I will make the rest soon! thank you for the comment
Susanna, as ex-colleagues, we were proud of you. I am so glad to find your UA-cam video finally! Your way to describe your long journey is really meaningful. I like it very much
Kenneth!!! Aw thank you for the lovely comment! Happy, happy memories of working with you and all your team in Hong Kong. Actually, if I was still in there working with you, I think you would be telling me, 'Sue, this project is dragging, get on with it and FINISH the films'! 😁 More coming soon!
What a great idea, has inspired me to take more small video clips on a trip to combine with photos and audio as you have done. What a fantastic trip
Hi Jack! Thanks for watching! yeh, for this series of films I'm basically making do with what I have haha. I had no idea about how to make films, plus technology was so different too back then - when I set off from Hong Kong, UA-cam itself had been around less than a year. I was just wondering about that now and looked it up. Hard to believe. Time goes fast. Thanks for writing! More coming soon!
The first time I heard you say something about riding from Hong Kong to London, I ignored it thinking I heard wrong--until I found these vds. OMG! IS THE BARE MINIMUM I can say! You are modestly unbelievable--I will look at your current vds with a new perspective. Thank you for sharing your spirit with us!
Hi Tobe! Haha thanks for the lovely comment! 😁
Sooo interesting. I live in Japan and when I retire (in 3 years - I’ve just turned 60) I plan on riding my bike around the world too. I’m still unsure as to whether to start in Canada and go west to east, or in China and go east to west. Your video is a great help. Episode 2 soon please 😁
Hi Peter! Oh, that sounds great. When I did that ride, I was nearly 40, a fair bit older than the average person doing this kind of thing, and quite a lot of people I met on the road felt sorry for me. Which they had no need to! But most people were really kind. I'll put up some more eps soon!!! Thanks for writing!
@@susannathornton Hi Susanna. Can I just ask one more thing? I've got a Surly LHT with a Rohloff that I built myself a few years ago and I've ridden it for the length of Japan. It's a lovely bike and being built by me it fits me perfectly. Its just not really suited to packing down and taking on trains, buses or planes etc. I've also got a Brompton that I've upgraded to a Sturmey Archer 10 speed (5 x 2) and I've ridden that on a few week-long trips in Japan too. It's brilliant for taking on public transport but its definitely not as comfortable to ride for long hours as my Surly. And I get many more punctures on it than on my Surly too. As I'll be 63 when I do my trip I suspect that there may be a bit of training and busing involved so my question is: Do you think it's a good idea, or even a feasible idea to take a Brompton on a round the world trip? You've ridden both types of bike extensively and I'd really appreciate your opinion. Thank you in advance.
Hi Peter! Oh sounds lovely to ride the length of Japan, and the week-long trips sound great too. I once did a tour in Japan - I had to do some work in China and has some holiday to use up, so I took my bike with me out to Asia and flew to Kansai after I had finished the work, thinking I could get the boat to Shikoku from the airport, but turned out you couldn't! Haha. Bad planning. It was ages ago, not quite pre-internet but almost. So, rapid change of plan, and I just rode north from Kobe to see how far I could get. Really enjoyed it. Anyway, about choice of bike, wow, yeh difficult! If you are going to do loose gravel tracks, potholy unmade roads, or a lot of cobbles, I would avoid the Brompton. On those kind of surfaces, the little wheels are a problem - I find I get shaken to bits, have to creep along really slowly, worry that I am damaging my kit (and me), and some roads/trails are simply unrideable and I have to get off and walk. The Brompton also a big problem if you encounter mud, as the tight clearances make the wheels gum up really quickly. Big hassle obviously. You can see in some of my videos, like the Oxford one, I did a short section of sticky mud track, and the wheels jammed within 5 minutes. My husband and I did a tour on the Bromtons along the Göta Kanal in Sweden and we had the same problem on the canal towpaths. But you will know these things already... So, yeh, I would only use the Brompton if I was fairly confident I'd mainly be on tarmac. That's the main negative side I can think of right now. On the plus side, of course the Brompton would be simply fantastic whenever you check into accommodation, or want to take it on a train or bus etc etc. A "normal" bike can obviously be such a nuisance, and a worry - I remember being ill with food poisoning once in China, where I rode a "normal" bike, and the hotel refused to let me bring my bike into my room, and I was too poorly to argue so had to lock my bike outisde, round the back of the hotel behind the kitchen bins. As I lay there being sick I was also really upset about my bike being outside all on its own, and really worried that when I finally could get on my feet again I would no longer have a bike... I was unhappy to be ill, and even more unhappy cos of my bike being outside. Anyway. By the way, about Brompton punctures, I also had a lot of punctures on the Brompton until I recently switched to Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres. I just rode from Sweden to the UK on these, through some fairly hard conditions and they felt like sturdy gumboots, and I had no punctures at all. Made a massive difference. But again, you prob already know that, and already have it all in hand... Anyway, there's a couple of thoughts. It's terrific that you'll be heading off on a world tour. Exciting! Hope you are enjoying the planning. I love planning tours. And hope you get in lots of happy cycling meanwhile, on both of your bikes!
@@susannathornton Thank you Susanna for such a full and considered reply. You have given me a lot to think about. I actually have another bike (I believe in the Veluminati law haha) that I might take instead. It's a Tern Eclipse S18 and its a bit of a six of one half a dozen of the other type of bike. It does fold, but it weighs 16 kg so its not exactly easy to carry, however, I can take it on the trains here in its bag if I have to and I have a little luggage trolley that I carry on the rear carrier, and I put all my panniers on this trolley inside a Dimpa bag when I'm catching a train. The Eclipse S18 takes 55 mm wide 24 inch tires so it can handle most roads and I can get 4 panniers as well as bikepacking bags on it. The reason I was hesitating about taking it is that I'm not sure how well the hinge will hold up. There's a UA-cam video ua-cam.com/video/W9CP3k1b-Ks/v-deo.html made by a man who took his Eclipse S18 around most of the world and, when I wrote to him, he recommended I take the Surly if I was riding rough roads as he had problems with his hinge. But he was riding on far rougher roads (South America and Alaska) than I think I will be. As you say, planning the trip is half the fun and once I decide on the final route I'll have a much better idea of which bike will be best. Anyway, once again, thank you so much. I'll let you know which one I decide on in the end. If you ever come to Japan for a bike trip and have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me. See you!
Hands up- I recently discovered your channel and had you pegged as the lady who pootles around gentle countryside on your Brompton; but no, full on crazy woman- respect! What an adventure.
Haha! that is funny. Thanks for writing with such a nice comment Derek! Actually, the HK to London trip was still pretty much pootling tbh. Obviously a longer pootle than say the ride to Leicester that I did which is on my channel too, but still kind of gentle and slow. Back in the day, I did race (never actually very fast haha, but I tried). But touring, in my book, is all about being a pootler, and savouring it all... Hope we can all get back to it soon. A few longer or shorter adventures will be very nice again. More films coming soon anyway, as I have a backlog of stuff to make, both the HK to London ride and others. Best wishes! Thanks for watching!
@@susannathornton Looking forward to them. I'm saving episode 2 for when I need a bit of escapism. I loved your journey through Holland towards Sweden and I see that there's also a return to savour.
amazing how are not getting more views I love the commentary on your videos as well glad I found your channel.
Hi Keith! Glad you like the film! And thank you for the comment - the editing takes me a long time but I enjoy writing the commentary and making the films. Best wishes! 😊
I’m based in Hong Kong. It’s a great video record. What an awesome and huge idea you have made. You recorded our lovely homeland and kindness persons. Waiting for your next episode. Thank you for your sharing. Add oil 💪🏻😉
Hi Edward! Thank you for watching, and for writing. About Hong Kong, yes I was soooo lucky to live there during that time, and to get to know so many super and kind Hong Kong people. So many years on, many are still my friends. It was partly because I was sad to leave that I didn't want to fly away back to Britain. Stepping on a plane in Chek Lap Kok and then stepping off again in Heathrow with just a few hours in between seemed too abrupt, like a shock. I wanted to go slowly, so that I could think about it, and get used to the idea of moving on. I loved the journey. Time flies! Already 15 years ago. But it is nice to look back on it by making the films. I am working on the next one and will put it up soon. Ga yau you too 💪
I m a HKer, love 2 see u on this utube channel:-) I love cycling, it’s a fun sport!
Hi Eric! Glad you enjoy the channel! Thanks for writing!
Alos watched ypur Europe brompton tour videos, love it ：-）. Dare to dream and fulfil it, make life worth living , have no regrets in life as u live out your dreams and adventures. Unfortunately, many hkers, bNOs are also forced to “escape” to UK due to ccp terror in 2019 2021
I'm really enjoying your videos! Thank you for sharing your bikey adventures with us☺️
Hi S W! Thanks for writing! So glad that you enjoy the films! 😁
Wait a moment, you are not talking about bikepacking, but about moving your home! This is absolutely different, I would go crazy justm about thinking what material things I will leave behind definitely, and what things I will take with me, unless you was shupping them in a sea container. Wow wow wow. And this before thinking about and planning the route.
If I was in your place I would make a whole additional series of vids about the abovementioned....
Hi Bike and See! Thanks for the great comment. Yeh you're right, it was a massive job to organise how to leave a place forever and set off on a bike. 10,000 things to sort out, "just" to get that part of the preps for the ride done. At the start of the process I was just like everyone else I knew, with a life and a home and a job and a flat... and at the end I had to have dissolved it all away, all ends tied off, nothing left, just me, my bike and my bags. Re my possessions, yes I shipped some stuff back to the UK. The shippers asked if I wanted it fast etc, and I was like no! I want the absolute slowest option - my stuff can happily sail around on a ship as long as possible! I don't want it until I get to England and have a place to put it in! The last night in my old Hong Kong flat was weird. Everything gone, except my bike and gear. Dusty. I slept on the floor in my sleeping bag. The flat echoed. The next morning I dropped my key in my landlady's letterbox. And that was it.
@@susannathornton This is really beyond imagination for me. So brave, a bold move. Wow!
@@kstoeb Hi Karsten! haha thanks for the comment! yes it did feel crazy. After I told my boss that I was going to do it, I went home and listened to Free Falling. Good old Tom Petty. It was a fantastic feeling actually.
Susan. You are amazing... Inspired me.... Thanks for amazing video. You are great
Hello! Thanks so much for watching! Glad you enjoyed the film! 😎
Lovely work, I really enjoyed episode one, you are very inspiring!
Hi John! Thanks for watching! And thank you so much for the lovely comment 😁 I'll post further episodes soon... Best wishes meanwhile! Susanna
This looks incredible. I'm daydreaming about my next trip through Europe already.
Hello! Yeh it was an amazing thing to have the chance to do. More films coming soon! Thanks for the lovely comment!
Goodness, how did I miss this. Great stuff. Looking forward to episode 2. Just now watching Hackney to Holland journey.
Hi! Thanks for watching my films! and thanks for writing in too. I'll be uploading more films soon, working on it🐢
Loving this. What a fascinating journey especially being able to follow the smaller roads. It’s only 15 years ago but the older tech gives it a quaint feeling. I’m looking forward to the next instalment
Hi Linda! Thanks for watching! And for your thoughtful - and helpful - comment. I like the idea of quaint. Yeh, tech has changed sooooo much since I did that ride. Will put up the next instalment soon. Best wishes!
Susanna. Wow, I am inspired and very impressed with your journey. Please find the time to tell us more about your big adventure.
Will do!! I got distracted but will be back on it. Thank you for the nice comment 😊
I would love to see more episodes of your journey.
Hi Edward! Thank you for watching, and for your comment! I am working on the next episodes, and I'll be posting more shortly. Best wishes!
What an adventure! Can't wait to watch the next episodes.
Hi Mohamad! Thank you for writing! I really appreciate it. I am very slow at editing! But I'll keep uploading things. Best wishes! Susanna
I am a Cantonese, born n bred in Sg. Hence the great interest in your trip starting in HK, China 🇨🇳. I love long-distance cycling as Well. Looking forward to more episodes of your epic trip back to London. I bought a Brompton in London and cycled in your lovely Lake District, England.
Hi again Jason! Thank you so much for watching my films. Your London and Lake District trips sound great! I am being very slow about making the rest of the films of the ride I did from Hong Kong. But I'll put up some more films soon. Actually I have been interested in Chinese since I was small, when I met my Dad's HK Chinese friends. I tried to learn Cantonese, and OMG found it is soooooo hard! After a lot of effort and help from patient friends and years living in HK, my Cantonese is.... rubbish!! So frustrating, cos I really would like to be able to understand and sing Cantonese songs and things like that. Ah well. Anyway, thanks again for watching! Best wishes to you in Singapore, and happy cycling!
@@susannathornton So hard to learn a different language. After learning French for 30 years, it's still rubbish. Luckily I could still get a train ticket in France with a basic command of it.
I have seen some of your Brompton tours & then delightfully found this mega journey. Wow❗ This is inspiring. I biked 🚴 in mainland China 🇨🇳 but did not tour. Still I thought about what a distance tour might be like. Since you were in HK for so long you no doubt learned to read enough Chinese characters & to speak enough to get by without too much difficulty. I learned hundreds of characters before I went to China & wasn't proficient speaking because I didn't have anyone to help me. Still I could find the restroom & say ‘Bu Guo’ , no dog 🐶 in restaurants.
Brilliant job dedicating your ride to a cause. I have a plan for a US coast to coast trip & am looking for the proper cause to represent on my tour. I have to figure out a way to get my dog 🐕 to ride properly in a doggy trailer because he has to go along & he's not very cooperative. 😬 I probably will need a trainer. I'm looking forward to watching your entire journey. You are very inspirational. 👍☮️🌞🌟🚵🏼♀️🏔🏕
Hi there! Thanks for watching, and for writing in with such a long comment! Hope you can find a way to bring your dog along on some great trips. Yeh I agree finding a cause can be tricky. So many good causes to choose from... One of the corporates that donated money to the charities I chose said that they liked the charities partly because the message was so cheerful - children, sport, development, health, and despite the hardship the kids endured some fun and "normal" play. The positive message meant the concept was enjoyed by the staff of the company. I thought that was interesting. Also, I got tons of help and inspiration from friends who had great ideas about charities and good contacts.
Brilliant idea and karma too! Great indeed!
Looking forward to Ep 2,3,4,5..... No rush. You've got a lovely voice/tone for your truly exceptional journey. I'm hooked x
Hi Sally! Thank you for watching! And for the lovely comment - and for being so encouraging (and patient!). So nice to meet old friends here as well as new ones x 😁
What an Adventure, looking forward to the rest.
All the best.
Chapeau look forward to the next one
This is incredible! HK to UK. Pedalling on 2 wheels. No youngster either (like me). Inspiring. I am looking forward to Episode 2.
Aw thanks Muddy283. I must put up more of these! I am very slow and distracted onto making other films at the mo. Yeh, I was definitely not a youngster, even then! Actually I found it was a kind of bonus, being older. Loads of the people I met along the road - women running villages shops or men at street food stalls or women with kids standing outside their houses - were about the same age as me, and had loads of the same issues as me, eg worried about their own parents getting older now, and things like that. It was really nice to talk with them, and find that we actually had a lot of the same kind of things going on in our lives. Yeh, really nice experience. Anyway, thank you for watching and for writing - and for your patience!!! x
@@susannathornton I hadn't realised that was 2007 so you were quite a bit younger then. But what you did was still incredible. And still inspiring to us lot to get out and do things. Explore, discover and get good wholesome exercise in the process.
I first did a solo vacation (that is, first since i was quite young) a few years back, in Finland and on my Brompton. I was quite anxious 'cos the previous time I did that, it was one of the least pleasant holidays of my life. I shouldn't have worried. Age seems to mature one (as you say). It turned out to be one of the best holidays of my life (if not the best) because, like you, I kept meeting interesting and very friendly people and talking to them.
@@susannathornton Btw I replied to your comment on your UA-cam personal page. But I don't know if you will get notified as for some strange reason the @Susanna Thornton bit got garbled into gobbledygook!
Oh thanks for the heads-up! Yeh I don't look at the personal page so often, and you're right, it didn't ping me. I'll have a look!
Oh that is interesting about your Finland trips, as a younger and older person. Actually, I remember riding through Scotland once when I was young, solo. I was supposed to be with a friend but her little son got sick, and so she couldn't join me. As I had the time already booked off work, I thought well I will just go anyway. I did enjoy it, but definitely had a few lonely moments, and all the time felt kind of self-conscious about being on my own. Now as an older person, that doesn't bother me one bit, and I love travelling solo. I somehow look at things more carefully, and - as you say - always meet interesting and friendly people. Anyway! Thanks for writing!
Thanks for sharing this experience! Truly inspiring!
Hi Tritoobe! thanks for watching! and for writing. I must finish and upload some more. I am very slow 🐌
@@susannathornton can't wait to watch the next episodes! Thanks again and ride safe!
I just found your channel. This is amazing!! Where is the rest of your journey??!!
Hello! Thank you for watching! and for writing your nice comment and question. The rest of the journey is all just raw material on a hard drive here and a big pile of tatty travel diaries. I haven't made the rest of the films yet!! I am very slow at editing them but I will put them up soon! 🐌
Looking forward to more episodes. I have a daughter and would have loved her to do something like this but she's far too timid.
Hi Susanna,
I hope that you are well. I had always wondered what you were up too after your Amaising journey and meeting you in Aktau on our way to Baku. I am still in regular contact with John and there is never a time we meet that we do not discuss your Epic trip, unaided, no camera Crews no support team, just you you and your trusty bicycle! Hope you are doing well, Wishing you the best of luck in everything you do, if you have time please drom me a line!!
Hello!!! Oh wow how amazing! So lovely to hear from you!! I had such a good time meeting you chaps out there in Kazakhstan - you were so kind to a random woman on a bike!! I remember laughing so much, can't remember entirely about what but I just remember laughing a lot. If I go read my diary, I probably wrote it down, haha. How lovely to hear from you after all these years! About the no support crew, yes I remember when I was planning the ride, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman had just done their Long Way Round, which I had followed keenly, half thinking well if they can do it so can I, and also thinking that they did seem to have quite a lot more gear and back up than me!! haha. Well, I got lots of help from lovely strangers that I met along on the road xx Thanks so much for writing! Big hello to John too!
I was 23 by then. working in a HongKong company in Guangzhou.
Hi Ronald! Thanks for watching! Time flies... And things change a lot, especially in China. I imagine that a lot of the things I saw in the Chinese countryside then will have changed a lot by now.
Interesting to see what rural China looks like.
Hi Stephen! Thanks for watching this. Yeh it was really interesting to see the landscape like that, close up, and "ordinary" places. Tbh I really wonder what it's like now in the places I went through. I did that ride in 2006, and in many places in China, things have changed a lot since then. I feel really lucky that I had the chance to do that ride then. I've been a bit distracted away from editing the films about that long journey, but will put up more eps soon. Thanks again for watching!
finally, we can see you when you were doing that trip 15 years later. Thank you !!!
Hello May! haha thanks for watching! yes it took me a little while to get round to making these!! Working on the next one... Btw if anyone at 單車之友 does still have photos from the days we did together, ie departure, or the stretch Zhaoqing to Wuzhou (was so nice!!!) then I'd love to know! Happy memories!
Are you gioing to produce episode 4?
Hi Dave! yes! coming soon!
I really enjoyed this and the pace of your narration and the video was somewhere between a travel blog and an audio book. I can’t wait for future episodes.
I so much prefer real adventures rather than overpaid celebs and their fake travels.
Hi Trevor! thank you for the comment. Oh that is a nice and really helpful thing to say, that the videos are somewhere between a travel blog and an audio book. I hadn't thought of it like that. It's helpful! More soon! Glad you enjoyed it, and thank you so much for writing
@@susannathornton You have inspired me to buy a Brompton this week and I am taking it with me to Azerbaijan on the 8th January. I have also bought one for my fiancé as it's going to be her wedding present and she is delighted.
So our honeymoon will be cycling in mid winter in the Caucasus mountains.
@@Ontheroadtourism Oh how amazing!! What great wedding presents, fantastic. Sounds like your fiancee is awesome, I like the sound of someone who is delighted with a Brompton as a wedding present haha. What an amazing honeymoon you guys have planned, omg. Hope you have a fantastic time! Best wishes to you both! x
Wow, china in 2006 would have been an adventure
🌹🌹❤❤✌✌👌👌👍👍❤❤🌹🌹
Where do i find the other episodes?
Hi welshpaddler! Thank you for watching! The other episodes are not made yet - they are still raw footage and stills and audio on a hard drive here, and my tatty notebooks from the road and maps and things. I have not had time to make the films yet. I am very slow but I am doing it 🐌
@@susannathornton Don not wait too long....