Search found 281 matches

by chocjohn9
10 Sep 2023, 4:34pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: First solo trip Calais to Nice - Any Tips?
Replies: 62
Views: 8597

Re: First solo trip Calais to Nice - Any Tips?

I use and suggest others to use cycle.travel. An account is free (you can donate and I do because it's just great)
It even suggests more friendly cycle paths etc.
I plot one route per day. I download each onto my Garmin 520.
On the cycle.travel map, supermarkets and and cafes are indicated.
I then use an Excel - one column for the kms, one for the town I'm passing through.
xx kms Town A
xx kms Town B
etc
I colour an Excel square in grey if there are food options in the town.
I print out the daily Excel strips, cutting them, roughly 5cm x 10cm and attach them onto the stem.
I reset my cycling computer each day. Then can just ride along ........ in front of me...... there's a map, how far I have travelled and knowing that in x kms there's a town and whether or not there are facilities there.

This has always worked well for me. Not too much upfront work but for me, soooooo much time is lost and it's a faff, opening the phone to look at Google maps.
by chocjohn9
17 Jun 2023, 8:38pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Bromptons on Avenue Verte Western route
Replies: 3
Views: 532

Re: Bromptons on Avenue Verte Western route

Hello MaccPaddler
I've just completed AV. The official site states that the road surfaces are generally good, with little rough spots..... uumm.
In my recent experince the last 20% in the UK were far from what any normal person would call roads. Grass fields would be more accurate. On the French side, the first 75% was very good, with paths though villages, ex-rail tracks very well tarmaced over (as RAVeL is in Belgium). But surprisingly, 75-90% in, so about 30K in total, was gravel track. Loose but tight packed gravel. If it had rained, I would have been very unhappy. Instead, it was dry and therefore dusty.
With Marathon tryes, all doable on a Brommie.
by chocjohn9
5 Apr 2023, 5:36pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Avenue Vert and Paris hotels
Replies: 17
Views: 1643

Re: Avenue Vert and Paris hotels

Dursleycyclist wrote: 6 Jan 2023, 5:52pm
chocjohn9 wrote: 6 Jan 2023, 4:47pm I plan on cycling AV end of May. I will update this thread with my hotel discoveries.
I went to London over Xmas and wondered into the Eurodispatch office. They told me that their services will resume mid-Jan, with boxes and small freight, bikes to follow "soon" afterwards.
I have waited and waited to do this. DFDS have been excellent with re-re-re-re-booking my crossing. Eurostar less good. I lost my ticket in the end. I'm determined now and will cycle the train sections if necessary instead. (I live near Brussels, so I could do local train to Ostend, cycle to Calais then train Dover to London) On the way back, SNCF do not accept bikes. It's 320k home....

Be really helpful to have your updates - I have most of the route and accommodation sorted (except Paris - next task!) - and waiting for Eurostar update on bikes - hopefully that news will be out later this month! That would make getting back so much easier!
As promised - an update on bike friendly hostel in Paris - I've booked Enjoy Hostel. Very near the end of the AV official route.
Next door there's a supermarket and a restaurant :D

I will further update after I have stayed there.
by chocjohn9
22 Feb 2023, 9:28am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Brussels?
Replies: 6
Views: 583

Re: Brussels?

Hello.
From Brussels airport to ?
I can advise you, living here.... France, yes, but anywhere as an intermediate stop? Stay in Brussels for example?
by chocjohn9
18 Jan 2023, 8:18pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Geometry understanding. The basics.
Replies: 23
Views: 1361

Geometry understanding. The basics.

I'd like to get to grips with a little bit of geometry.

(1) If I compare the Yukon to the Surly, I see
the same reach
basically the same head & seat angle
the same seat tube
....but there is a 23mm difference between top tubes. What? How can this be?
Screenshot 2023-01-18 at 20.56.37.png
(2) Then if I compare the Surly with the Kona, I see
the same top tube
more relaxed head tube angle on the Kona
....but the reach is the same?

Please enlighten me!
Thanks in advance.
by chocjohn9
6 Jan 2023, 4:47pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Avenue Vert and Paris hotels
Replies: 17
Views: 1643

Re: Avenue Vert and Paris hotels

I plan on cycling AV end of May. I will update this thread with my hotel discoveries.
I went to London over Xmas and wondered into the Eurodispatch office. They told me that their services will resume mid-Jan, with boxes and small freight, bikes to follow "soon" afterwards.
I have waited and waited to do this. DFDS have been excellent with re-re-re-re-booking my crossing. Eurostar less good. I lost my ticket in the end. I'm determined now and will cycle the train sections if necessary instead. (I live near Brussels, so I could do local train to Ostend, cycle to Calais then train Dover to London) On the way back, SNCF do not accept bikes. It's 320k home....
by chocjohn9
25 Nov 2021, 7:43pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops
Replies: 21
Views: 1862

Re: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

Thank you Slowster. Great image. Not much of a difference, but clearly it makes all the difference.

@Lighttourer - would you mind explaining where you put all the paste? I'm in the dark. Completely. On the bolt that holds the two parts together? Between the stem and bar? Thank you.
by chocjohn9
24 Nov 2021, 9:42am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops
Replies: 21
Views: 1862

Re: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

Thanks everyone for your inputs so far.
2 updates from me:

Response from Van Nicholas : With the handlebars we supply an adhesive sandpaper which is meant to be applied under the shifters. The handlebars are 22.8mm thick instead of the standard 23.8mm handlebars and this sandpaper is meant to fill that space. If you have applied mounting paste to the handlebar, tightened it to 10nm and mounted the shifters correctly and the noise remains, I recommend you to take your bike to a VanNicholas dealer or another bike specialist.
I will put the Van Nicholas bar bar on and try with the mounting paste. This see as the easiest, best and cheapest option - after all I have all the bits (although I need to work out what mounting paste is - anyone?)

From Gilles - 128mm of drop sounds like it should fit… but despite the more important drop, I know it can be difficult to fit the shifter on some bars. I know Nitto randonneur, Rene Herse Maes work. Ritchey bars with "classic bend" seem to work too. I’ve also tried a Deda Speciale we have here and I managed to slide the shifter up to the to section.
Nitto and Rene will be my "plan B" :D

I bought Ritchey Comp Curve Road 31.8 Handlebar - 2020 - BB Black. This looks like it has a "classic bend"..... The shifter does not fit around the bend :( I did follow the instructions on the Gilles website and did split the shifter in two.... so i do not think it's me :lol:
by chocjohn9
14 Nov 2021, 10:45am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops
Replies: 21
Views: 1862

Re: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

Update - I have asked Gilles if they have a list of handlebars that their shifter fits, or at least the specification of what would work.
I have also e-mailed Van Nicholas about the the cracking noise to see if there is a remedy here too. After all, I have this part already :D
Anyone else out there who has this bar and has experienced the same thing? Thorn often use it in their builds (and this is for a Mercury, BTW)

Thank you Sid - I will look at the specs.
Bob - I looked up the instructions and took it apart as far as I could. It splits in two and only just does not make it around the bend.
Thanks to everyone else for their suggestions. If my "easier" options fail, I might need to look more broadly.
I will revert back soon.
by chocjohn9
10 Nov 2021, 8:39pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops
Replies: 21
Views: 1862

Re: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

Thanks Colin
I did check this article out and whilst the shifter is mentioned, the appropriate handlebar is not. That said, there is an image of one on a Ritchey bar (?) and all Ritchey bars appear to be 128mm, including mine, but it will not go round the bend - believe you me, I have tried!
by chocjohn9
10 Nov 2021, 8:09pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops
Replies: 21
Views: 1862

Gilles Berthoud Rohloff Shifter - drops

I appear to be picky with my choice of handlebars... I am running a Rohloff on my touring bike and have a Gilles Berthoud shifter. I would like this to sit near the stem, on the handlebar.
I have tried but do not like the Thorn 25.4mm bar (odd shape) or the Van Nicholas split (it creeks.....).
What other choices do I have?
I have lying around a Ritchey Comp with a 128mm drop and the shifter will not go around the bend. gggrrrhhh.
Any suggestions would be most helpful. What are you running? I would really like to have a list of other options.
Thanks
by chocjohn9
10 Apr 2021, 10:05am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Advice on buying Trek 520
Replies: 5
Views: 745

Re: Advice on buying Trek 520

Consider the Kona Sutra which has slightly wider tyre clearances, better spec and is a little cheaper (new)
by chocjohn9
10 Apr 2021, 10:03am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Touring in Turkey
Replies: 12
Views: 1053

Re: Touring in Turkey

It seems like cycling in Turkey is THE place to cycle -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu_abG1PxQI

Whilst I have not cycled in the country, it was one of my favourite back packing trips - lovely and warm people, a lot of very interesting stuff to see, wonderful landscape and great value. I visited Istanbul, Cannakkale, Ismir, Pamukkale, Konya, Cappadocia and Ankara. Highly recommended. This took me two weeks.

One note to caution - I read recently that Turkish Airlines say they will take your bike.... but then decline at the airport. Certainly worth checking this.
by chocjohn9
3 May 2020, 8:58pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Chain Choice for Rohloff & other questions
Replies: 14
Views: 2209

Re: Chain Choice for Rohloff & other questions

For my Rohloff, I do use my not so local bike shop, because they are specialists. About half the bikes they sell are Rohloff equiped. They recommend 8 speed KMC chains because they run a lot quieter. Im not sure if this is true because the bike has only ever had this :D