作者：歐立•鮑威爾博士（Dr Olly Powell）／筆於澳洲阿德雷得

巴黎終點

10月10日，也就是離開天安門廣場正好四個月後，吳懿婷（Ting）、黃嘉友和我，踏上了巴黎市中心，可以清楚眺望艾菲爾鐵塔的平台Trocadero。隔天，全部由台灣人組成的「綠道小隊」抵達巴黎。10月16日，最後一位台灣參加者游夙君也安全地踏上巴黎。

Ting和我，騎著我們自己設計並親手打造的斜躺自行車，花了123天，踩踏一萬兩千六百公里。這趟旅程的中間部分──從中國西部到波蘭，在體力的消耗上，遠比我們想像的艱難。其中曾有連續六千公里路，我們只休息了3.5天。甚至最後的西歐部分，我們也一刻不得閒。在德東德列斯敦短暫休息後，我們直接騎往巴黎，在丘陵甚多的西歐，我們仍舊每天平均踩踏一百公里。抵達巴黎的時候，我們非常的疲累。號召這場活動想法的萌生，發生在2004年春季寒冷的一天，當時我們正在雲南騎單車旅行。自此，我們的生活就像一場無止盡，與時間賽跑的競賽。

成功的無車生活

我們最主要的目標，是為了推廣無車生活（car-free living），這無疑是21世紀人類生活方式的最佳抉擇。從1907年北京到巴黎汽車競賽至今，已經超過一百年了，但是汽車過去許諾我們的，從來沒有實現。人類正視更安全、更健康、更有效率的運輸方式的時刻到了。這個我們想要傳達的理念，因為不誠實的商業與媒體利益，在台灣被扭曲、消音了。但是，在其他國家，我們的運氣還不錯，所以這個目標可以說部分成功了。

除此之外，我們還有兩個目的：玩得痛快，並為慈善團體募款。我們成功了嗎？嗯，截至目前為止，和我們自己花在這場探險的費用相比，我們並沒有募到多少錢，所以，並不算太成功。接下來，就剩下第三個目的：痛快地玩。就這點而言，我絕對會說：是的，成功了，這是我此生的偉大探險。打從離開北京開始，就沒有什麼時候覺得無聊，一路上總是有新的挑戰、驚奇發生。橫越中國北部的路線，離主要的觀光區很遠，我們被當地熱情的民眾當作帝王般招待。在哈薩克，我們遭遇23天乾燥炎熱的逆風，極差的路況，及一陳不變的景色，支持我們堅持下去，持續騎乘的原因，就是一路上極其友善的人們。在烏克蘭和波蘭，我們滿心期待地，從一家麵包店或冰淇淋店，趕到下一家。而西歐的景觀則是令人嘆為觀止的。

危險的汽車

我會建議你們騎乘這條路線嗎？並不盡然。這趟旅程的前蘇聯部分，是相當危險的，尤其是俄羅斯。在所有的參加者中，至少有七人發生嚴重的意外，包括車禍和暴力搶劫，這全都發生在三個國家中：吉爾吉斯、哈薩克、俄羅斯。這段路實在應該搭火車。至於其他地方，我覺得相對安全。諷刺的是，一路上最大的阻礙通常是源源不斷的車流。過去一百年人類世界變化真大！

熱情的居民

在中國，我們深受成千上萬名單車同好鼓舞，他們用自己肌肉的力量，踏著自行車，完成生活中各式各樣的活。這些單車通常是簡單的沒有變速的單車。自我們離開中國國界開始，單車就消失了，接下來的五千公里，我們很少看到單車。直到烏克蘭，突然村落又開始有朝氣起來，單車靜靜地滑過滿是綠樹的道路。從此，情況變得越來越好。到了法國，人們就像中國人一樣，對我們和我們奇特的單車感到好奇。不論是開車或騎單車的法國人都會對著我們招手、微笑，而我們也會招手、微笑回去。
巴黎對於來自紐西蘭小城的我，實在是太大、太吵，太緊張了。不過，近年來，巴黎就和歐洲其他許多國家一樣，已經發現、承認，城市的未來必須是對騎單車和走路方便友善的。我已經看到近來變化的證據，包括新的、為數甚多的單車道，以及巴黎最新的電子單車租借系統（Velib）。雖然巴黎的交通實在非常擁擠，但是至少他們已經朝向正確的方向邁進了。我希望，有一天，這種趨勢也會感染到世界的另一端，這樣我就可以快樂地在台北或奧克蘭安靜祥和的街道上騎單車了。

希望

我的瘋狂旅程結束了。但為了這次旅行而產生的飛行，卻對我們的環境一點也不好。
今天是我的30歲生日。當我回看我的二十年華，我可以不慨嘆我把時間全都浪費在大學實驗室或講堂裡。落腳定居，享受頭頂有屋簷，家有新鮮菜園的時候到了。我希望這次活動最後終究至少有鼓舞到一些人，走出戶外，再給他們塵封已久的老舊腳踏車一次機會。

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Beijing to Paris Cafree
-The end of another stupendous adventure

Dr Olly Powell
Adelaide, Australia

On the 10th of October, exactly four months after leaving Tienmen square, Wu Yi-Ting, Aaron Huang and I walked up a small ramp onto the Trocadero, in the centre of Paris. The next day the all-Taiwanese "Greenway team" reached Paris, and the last Taiwanese participant, Yu Su-Chun, arrived safe and well on 16 October.

Ting and I had cycled 12,600km on, in 123 days on bikes we designed and built ourselves. The middle section of the trip, from China to Poland had been physically much tougher than expected. We had only taken three and a half rest days in six thousand kilometers. Even the European section of had come down to the wire. After our brief rest in Dresden we rode straight to Paris, still averaging over 100km per day in rolling hills.

On reaching Paris we were utterly exhausted. We had first conceived of this project one freezing day in the spring of 2004, whilst cycle touring in Yunnan. Since then our lives had been one non-stop race against time.

The grand aim was to promote carfree living, as a positive lifestyle choice for the twenty first century. It would be one hundred years after the 1907 Peking Paris motor challenge, yet the automobile had failed to deliver on most of its promises. It was time for the world appreciated that there are safer, healthier and more efficient ways to get about.

Our message twisted and muted in Taiwan by dishonest commercial and media interests. However we had better luck in many other countries, so this goal was a partial success.

Our other two aims were to have a great time, and to raise money for charity. Did we succeed? Well so far we didn't raise very much money, compared to the amount we actually spent ourselves on the expedition, so that was not so successful.

That leaves the third goal, to have fun. On this one I can say absolutely yes, it was the adventure of a lifetime. From the day we left Beijing there was seldom a dull moment, always some new challenge, or surprise. Our route across Northern China was well away from any tourist attractions, and we were treated like royalty. In Kazakhstan, where we found ourselves facing 23 days of hot dry head-winds, terrible roads and monotonous scenery, but kept going because of the friendliness of the people we met. Ukraine and Poland we raced from one bakery or ice cream shop to the next in eager anticipation, and the scenery in western Europe was spectacular.

Would I recommend the trip to others? Well not exactly. The former soviet section of this trip was far too dangerous, especially Russia. Between the whole team there were at least seven serious incidents involving road crashes or violent robberies, in just three countries: Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Russia. This part of the trip should have been done by train. The rest I felt relatively safe. Ironically the biggest obstacle was usually other road traffic, how much has changed in one hundred years!

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In China we had been inspired by the thousands of fellow cyclists, performing all manner of tasks under the power of their own muscles, usually on simple single-speeds. Then as we crossed the border the bikes disappeared, and we saw very for the next five thousand kilometers. Suddenly, on reaching Ukraine, villages were alive again with the sight of bikes gliding quietly along tree-lined village streets. From then on things only got better. In France there was almost as much interest in us and our funny bikes as there had been back in China. French motorists and cyclists alike would wave and smile, and we waved and smiled back.

Coming from a small city in New Zealand I found Paris to be large, noisy and stressful. However in recent years Paris, like most European cities have recognised that becoming more friendly to walking and cycling is the way forward. I could see evidence of the recent changes, including extensive new cycle lanes and their new state-of-the-art electronic bicycle hire system. There was still far too much traffic, but at least they had started to head in the right direction. Some day I hope this trend might reach our side of the world, and I could cycle happily about Taipei, or Auckland along peaceful quiet streets.

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