Cycling talk 17th March

[Andrew G]

[quote]The following message is from Christopher J A Smith

I wondered if members of Surrey Cycle Racing League might be interested in
coming to the Chequer Mead Community Arts Centre in De La Warr Road, East
Grinstead to hear about an astonishing ride.

At 7.30 pm on Thursday 17 March I will be demonstrating through a talk and a
selection of breathtaking slides just what it is possible to achieve with a
pair of healthy lungs and legs and a well-made bicycle. A few years ago
(well before anyone had ever heard of Mark Beaumont), I rode 16,500 miles
from Worcestershire to Beijing. For thirteen months my lungs and legs
powered me into headwinds, across deserts and up to mountain passes (and a
wonderfully indomitable, reliable and adaptable source of power they proved
to be).

How does it feel to trade domestic comfort and security for life as a nomad
and to pare one’s life down to the bare necessities? What is it like to push
at the frontiers of one’s physical and mental endurance? What is the effect
upon the human spirit of struggling against hurricanes in the Gobi Desert by
day and shivering alone in culverts at night? How does the agnostic
westerner react to the religious fatalism of Islam and Hinduism in
encounters with locals?

As well as attempting to answer these questions, I speak about the
importance of having a dream, about connecting with one’s passions, about
recognising and seizing opportunities – and about how I wore out three sets
of tyres, three chains, two pairs of boots, and fell off the bike six times..

I will be signing copies of my acclaimed book, ‘Why Don’t You Fly?’ after
the talk.

Tickets can be purchased at £10.50 each (concessions £8.50) from the Chequer
Mead Community Arts Centre Box Office (01342 302000 http://www.chequermead.org.uk
<http://www.chequermead.org.uk/> ).

Please do come along!

Best regards and happy pedalling!

Chris

Christopher J A Smith
Website: <http://www.cycleuktochina.com/> http://www.cycleuktochina.com
Blog: <http://karlmarxandcarefuldriving.blogspot.com/>
http://karlmarxandcarefuldriving.blogspot.com

Thank you for the very enjoyable, witty and informative lecture you treated
us to last week.

Barbro Millward (Sutton Coldfield National Trust)

I need hardly say we were all completely in awe of your epic adventure and
comments ranged from 'truly inspirational', 'very courageous',
'unbelievable' and 'brave' to 'foolhardy' and 'crazy'! I am currently
reading your book and I am halfway through India so still have much
excitement and many surprises to come. I wish you the best of luck for the
future and at least you will always have the satisfaction of saying that you
achieved your dream while the rest of us just thought about it! Thank you
once again.

Brian Cash, Droitwich 97 Probus Club

A quick note to say thank you for your presentation to MCCC at Ashwood
Marina on Tuesday evening. I hope you enjoyed talking to us as much as we
all enjoyed hearing about your epic bike ride. As Bob Morgan said in his
introduction, you are no mere mortal and your story about your trip was
truly inspirational.

Beryl Heath (Chairman - Midlands Coastal Cruising Club)

I really enjoyed the additional touches of very detailed maps and an
inspirational maxim accompanying each stunning photograph of your journey to
Beijing .

Liz Allen-Back (The King's School, Worcester)

We met when you gave us Droitwich Probus '97) your ‘ UK to Beijing ’ talk.
I am just coming to the end of your marvellous book, which is so much more
than a travel book. I have enjoyed it so much – you have so much to say
about the countries that you cycled through and the people that you met. My
very best regards, and thank you again for giving ME an ‘Incredible
Journey’.

Terry Peasley (Hon Sec Droitwich Probus ’97)

What a great feat of endurance your ride was. You have been an inspiration
to myself and many others. Not that you will remember but I was the chap at
Crewe library who asked how it was you were able to photogragh yourself on
the front cover of the book. You have been an example to us all of what can
be achieved. Brilliant.

Mark Pountain

Chris Smith seems to be a man of considerable talent. I lived every mile of
his journey to Beijing , which included a four-month side trip around India
.. By the end I felt that I’d done the trip with him and enjoyed every inch.
Buy this book! It’s a great read.

Cycle Magazine

Smith's smart, honest prose is crafted superbly and peppered with wonderful
moments of drama, dialogue and real humanity

Asia and Away Magazine