Note: Route is subject to change. Distances are approximate. There will also be actions along the route not mentioned, as yet, on the webpage.

The site of Ecotopia has changed. 

It will now be in county Clare, near Scarif, instead of the Dingle peninsula. As a result, the biketour route has now chaged. We will now follow the coast south from Dublin and go to ecotopia via Wicklow, Wexford, Waterford, Cork, and Limerick. Biketour will arrive at Ecotopia on August 13th.

En route update!

It is now the 21st of July, and we've had far less time than expected on computers. SO, here's a short summary.

Dover:  Well, many people didn't show up (if anyone spots some lost Macedonian cyclists please let us know). But we made good fun anyway. We visited the Dover Refugee Removal Detention Centre (which is illegally imprisoning innocent people), shouted some chants, and made a token blockade before a cleaning truck got a bit arsey and ran into the bike trailer. More information on refugee/asylum seekers in the UK can be found at: www.barbedwirebritain.org.uk.

London: On Monday we attended a wedding at Westminster abbey. The blushing bride wore a Kofi Annan mask, and the groom was a corporate fat fat. It was to promote the coming day of action on August 31st, against corporate corruption (not to mention NGO complacency) of the Earth Summit in Johannesburg. More info: southafrica.indymedia.org/.

In the afternoon we did a "Climate Criminals Critical Mass," visiting the companies involved in building the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey pipeline system. If built the oil it will transport (which we [society/planet/climate] don't need!) will pump 200 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere every year for 30 years. The pipeline is also planned to go though Kurdistan [Turkey] - displacing Kurds and supporting the oppressive and violent regime forced on them by the Turkish government. 

The companies and their addresses are:

1. The International Finance Corporation (IFC): 4 Millbank Street, London, SW1. Tel: +44(020) 7222 7711. The IFC is closely connected with the World Bank. They will help to finance the pipeline, along with the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), by providing loans for construction.

2. The National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin's Place, WC2, London. They allow BP to sponsor the National Portrait Award and other events, allowing an oil company known for its dodgy human rights record, and deliberately slow reaction to climate change to falsely promote it's image as a "responsible corporation". 

3. Enterprise I.G., 6 Mercer Street, WC2, London. They are brand consultants, contracted by BP, to create a positive public image and mask the consequences of what BP is actually doing to the planet.

4. Cromwell & Sullivan, (they've moved to a new address). They provide legal advice on the financing of the pipeline.

5. BRITISH PETROLEUM, 1-6 Finsbury Circus, EC2, London. BP is the leading player in the process to build the pipeline. Like all companies, BP exists to generate maximum profits over everything else. Currently, a green image is required to increase profits. But, image isn't reality. As environmental crises loom larger, BP continues to act as nothing is happening.

Oxford: Had a nice chat and visit with the nice people at Corporate Watch, Rising Tide, and Undercurrents. Then a tranquillo critical mass through the town centre. And then in the evening...Bike Sex! A two-minute Super 8 film extravaganza.

Cycling in the UK:
The UK almost matches the stubbornness of the US in it’s refusal to accept the, logical and easy to use, metric system. So, distances are in Miles, not Kilometres (1 mile = 1.61 Km). Also, cars and bikes go on the LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD, not the right side of the road.

England: culture, etc.
Population: 48 million
Size: 50 085 square miles
A densely populated country, with an impressive selection of cider (fermented apple juice).  The countryside is beautiful and lovely to cycle through, and the people are charming, even if they can’t speak English properly. There is also a substantial amount of exiting alternative culture and political activism, which biketour will visit.

Government, etc.: 
There’s a parliament that is notoriously inept. The whole of the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland) is currently plagued by idiotic and poorly planned privatisation of the rail system, National Health Service (well it’s almost privatised), and other things. There is also a queen who doesn’t do much except spend money and wear funny hats. And despite a national obsession with curry, there is a mentality that Britain is a continent unto itself (people talk about “going to Europe”, have they ever seen a map?). Anyway, this attitude leads to tough, some would call racist and inhumane, immigration and visa policies that are a constant political issue.  The UK almost matches the stubbornness of the US in it’s refusal to accept the, logical and easy to use, metric system. So, distances are in Miles, not Kilometres (1 mile = .61 Km). Also, cars and bikes go on the LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD, not the right side of the road.

English route:

10.07.2002: Dover
11.07: Bethersden
12.07: Shoreham (Sevenoaks)
13.07: London (arrive evening)
14.07: London-action day
15.07: London-rest day
16.07: Windsor Area
17.07: Oxford (arrive evening)
18.07: Oxford-rest/action day
19.07: Marlborough
20.07: Bath
21.07: Bristol
22.07: Bream (Forest of Dean)
23.07: Hereford

Wales/Cymru:  culture, etc.
Population: 2.9 million
Size: 8 017 square miles
This magical country is also blessed with the marvelous drink of the apple gods. Less populated than England, Wales has a gorgeous nature-filled landscape, kind people, just a few abandoned mines, and a charmingly quirky language of it’s own, called Cymraeg. Part of the United Kingdom, Wales established it’s own assembly in 1999, and there is a renewed focus on its language and culture.
Unless you want to end up in the hospital, remember that Wales is not England-it’s Wales!

Welsh Route

24.07: Rhosgoch
25.07: Llangurig
26.07: Aberystwyth
27.07: Aberystwyth-rest day
28.07: Machynlleth
29.07: Machynlleth-rest day
30.07: Barmouth
31.07: Glasinfryn (Bangor)
01.08: Holyhead

Ireland
Population: 3.8 Million
Size: 32 524 square miles
A place where you can order a glass of something you presume must be beer but if it was served with a napkin could appear on the menu as a light snack.
Ireland has only built a 'developed' 'western' economy in the past 10 years. With far sparcer population than Britain, huge tracts of undeveloped rural landscape, interspersed with new E-roads, and all civilised life focused on the capital city... Ireland really could be in Eastern Europe, except that it's expensive - Damn.
A huge amount of EU money has been invested in Ireland. The most popular projects for EU sponsorship being roads: Dozens of new bypasses and road widening projects litter this small republic [not good]... So we hope that you'll join us in the crazy mixed up world of Ireland when biketour does it's bit to promote sustainable living and sustainable transport in this truly unique country.

Irish Route

1.08.02: Dublin(arrive late evening)
02.08: Dublin-rest/action
03.08: Wicklow Mountains
04.08: Slieve Bloom Mountains
05.08: Birr
06.08: Glenstall Abbey, Newport
07.08: Limerick-City
08.08: Dromcolliher
09.08: Cork-City-action
10.08: Cork-City, action day
11.08: Ballingeary
12.08: Kenmare
13.08: Killarney
14.08: Ecotopia(Castle-Gregory, Dingle)!