QPR fan bikes around the world

A QPR fan is on an around the world bike ride and hopes to finish in April 2012 in time to attend a Chelsea game he has tickets for.

Matthew Blake, 25, began his journey three and a half years ago after finishing studying at Kingston University where he had cycled to training sessions for a local football team.

The avid cyclist said: “I started football for a team in Alperton Lane, Middlesex It turned out to be quicker and cheaper to ride than take the train so I started riding up each week.

“I started riding everywhere around London including to Rangers games and from there began to read about other people who had done big bike trips. The idea that I wanted to do this was quickly formed in my head, I finished uni, worked a year in two jobs to save up money and left.”

Not wanting to become locked into a job Matthew began his bike journey around the world.

 He said: “Once you're on the career path it's not so easy to get off  and so I figured I wanted to enjoy myself and see the world first. The main reason I am doing this trip is because it makes me happy.”

Now Matthew is on the final leg and is currently in Khartoum, Sudan having just left South Sudan. He expects to be home in five months after he’s travelled to Cairo, Israel, Cyprus and Turkey before experiencing a European winter. 

He said: “I should be home early or mid-April next year. I've got a corporate ticket for the Chelsea game on April 28 so need to make it back for that!”

Matthew has been a QPR fan since he was born, and had his first season ticket from 1995-96, when QPR went down a league.

He said: “Us being actually good at the moment also makes it harder for me to be away, I preferred it when we were rubbish.

“I've also met QPR fans in Bulgaria, a man who follows the club as he taught QPR player Alan Macdonald's daughter to ski, Cambodia, San Francisco and Argentina!”

Matthew isn’t just cycling for fun, the money raised through sponsorship will go to SOS Children’s Charity, a place he visited on his ride through Zambia.

He said: “I'm raising money to help build a new SOS Children’s Village in Chipata, Zambia. I know people who've worked with them at home and they're just such a brilliant organisation and have turned around the lives of so many kids all over the world that it's a great thing to be a part of.

“It's not just building an orphanage, it's an entire village where kids will be with a family, each child will have a Mum who'll look after them until they turn 18. They have a house, brothers and sisters and also access to medical care and a school.

“Taking kids with nothing and giving them a family, a home and an education is something that's easy to want to support!

Despite having only completed just three months training before taking off Matthew feels he’s never felt fitter, even when playing football.

He said: “I'm also a fairly energetic person so being on the bike is a great way to keep active - you gain a ridiculous level of fitness, and also with your body craving energy all the time you can eat as much food as you like without ever gaining wait - and I love  food!

Since beginning his journey the intrepid traveller feels that there really is no better way to see the world than on a bike.

He said: “I've travelled before on trains and you basically go from city centre to city centre, whilst if you're in a car you still have the windows and the car door blocking you from the outside world and its people. In comparison on the bike you see the entire country you're visiting and meet so many people you'd never have spoken to otherwise - it really is the best way to travel.”

Riding alone for so long you would think Matthew would get lonely, but he reckons the isolation makes him more social.

He said: ““Being on your own it forces you to go out and speak to people and get into social situations you never normally would otherwise.

“I've ridden with a few people for different lengths of time over the last three and a half years and it's only been the last few months that loneliness has started to creep in.

“When you're five months from home it's easy to remind yourself that you can just get your head down and that after three and a half years then five months really isn't a long time.”

As for boredom Matthew has plenty of ways to keep himself occupied.

He said: “I still enjoy the cycling even now so I never get bored with that but for when not on the bike then I have books, sometimes an mp3 player. I've broken 4 on this trip and am currently without one!”

Matthew says the most special places he has been to are Kyrgyzstan, Korea, Columbia and Lesotho, especially up mountains as he loves being at altitude, but the best part of his trip has been the food.

He said: “One the best thing about this trip has been trying all the different foods around the world.

“We have all the restaurants at home but it's never the same as actually being there for it. Lechona in Columbia, Manty in Kazakhstan, Thai curry, Mexican tacos. I could go on about food all day!”

The past few weeks have been tough with problems with Visas, being arrested and rain washing away the roads forcing Matthew to take a boat along the River Nile.

“My water filter broke I was having to drink water straight from the Nile with predictable consequences.

“I was also arrested and detained for 16 hours at the border as they were suspicious as to why a westerner would be on a cargo boat in South Sudan, but I was released without charge so while a waste of time, was no big deal.

Despite his adventures and mishaps Matthew would recommend cycling to anyone who wants a new experience.

“You don't have to go around the world but even just a short trip on a bicycle will show you a way of travel which is so different to anything else you'll have experienced before.

“As for visiting all these far off countries I think it's important to see how other people live and realise there's a way of life that's different to your own at home.”

“You get to see the world, meet amazing people, see things you could never imagine, lead a ridiculously healthy life and don’t have to have a proper job!”

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