Search found 777 matches

by bohrsatom
25 Mar 2024, 5:21pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Best tyres for touring
Replies: 27
Views: 1034

Re: Best tyres for touring

I've used 32c Marathon Greenguards for a while now. They're basically bombproof - I can only think of one puncture ever. Unladen they're good on most unmade surfaces; with heavy panniers I find they tend to slide around a bit if the surface is too soft.

The big downside is the tyres have a very high rolling resistance. I go a good 1.5mph faster on my Continental GP 4 Seasons. I've seen some evidence to suggest that 32c tyres are even worse than the other sides, so when my tyres are due for replacement I'll probably opt for a 35c or 37c instead.
by bohrsatom
23 Mar 2024, 12:32pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Bike Stand recomendations
Replies: 8
Views: 392

Re: Bike Stand recomendations

JohnR wrote: 23 Mar 2024, 12:26pm I'm happy with one of these https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m13b0s159p3 ... -Tool-Tray.
I have this too and am also very happy with it. More expensive than Lidl/Aldi but feels more solid
by bohrsatom
20 Mar 2024, 8:48pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: How do you carry big shopping?
Replies: 68
Views: 4519

Re: How do you carry big shopping?

My Tern HSD has two 37 litre panniers which are more than enough to swallow a big shop, and I attach bulkier stuff to the rack with a couple of ROK straps.

For really large loads I have a Burley Flatbed trailer, and it's great. I've used it to carry all manner of stuff, such as this coffee table:

Image

The wheels are easily removed for storage so it doesn't take up much space in the shed
by bohrsatom
15 Mar 2024, 1:24pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Holland - Short Tour
Replies: 38
Views: 1233

Re: Holland - Short Tour

CliveyT wrote: 15 Mar 2024, 10:19am but seeing you're staying in Gouda you'll probably have had enough of cheese by then
I'm not sure I've ever had enough of cheese :lol:
by bohrsatom
15 Mar 2024, 8:08am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Holland - Short Tour
Replies: 38
Views: 1233

Re: Holland - Short Tour

CliveyT wrote: 14 Mar 2024, 9:13pm Would be going right past de Molen brewery so I would have the problem of getting 'delayed' in Bodegraven
I’m going to Gouda in May (with my Brompton), this is now on my list of places to visit!
by bohrsatom
14 Mar 2024, 6:47pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Holland - Short Tour
Replies: 38
Views: 1233

Re: Holland - Short Tour

This is a fun agenda. Definitely take time to explore Delft and the boat suggestion is a good one too. Gouda is a pretty town that's worth adding to the list.

Within the towns you can leave your bike securely in guarded cycle parks ('Fietsenstalling' in Dutch). These are generally free for daytime parking. Recent experience in Delft/Utrecht is the guard will put a barcode sticker on your bike and give you a small keyfob which proves ownership. They'll scan both barcodes on the way in and the way out.
The guards don't always speak English but if you act confused a local will probably help out.

Secondly, take a look at https://www.groenehart.nl/the-green-heart-of-holland for some route inspiration
by bohrsatom
7 Mar 2024, 1:40pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Cycling using trains (in UK and EU)
Replies: 589
Views: 61805

Re: Cycling using trains (in UK and EU)

mattheus wrote: 7 Mar 2024, 1:25pm How do advance TGV tickets work in terms of cancellation/amendments?
Generally TGV INOUI tickets are refundable/exchangeable free of charge up to 7 days prior to departure else a 19eur charge applies: https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/help/conditions.

Travelling with a bicycle brings extra difficulty as close to departure you're unlikely to find a train with bike spaces available. Your only option might be to refund and go the slow route by TER.

In 2022 I travelled from London to Bordeaux via Dover, Calais and Paris. Whilst most trains were flexible, the Paris-Bordeaux TGV required a bike reservation and I'd have been stuffed had I missed that train. In the end I booked two tickets (+ bike spaces) for different Paris-Bordeaux departures (one 6h after the other) and cancelled Plan B when I got to Montparnasse station on time. I had to pay the fee for cancelling but as an insurance policy it was well worth it.
by bohrsatom
6 Mar 2024, 8:09pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Elbe Radweg
Replies: 46
Views: 7010

Re: Elbe Radweg

Jdsk wrote: 5 Mar 2024, 5:28pm The timetable for next year is:
Rotterdam Centraal 21:22
Den Haag HS 21:42

And the ferry from Harwich arrives at Hook of Holland at 0800 (or 1715).

The sleeper can be boarded at Rotterdam or Den Haag as above.

So what's the smart way to do this? Overnight crossing, cycle to Den Haag, visit some galleries, read a book until the evening?
Day sailing (with a half-price cabin), get to HvH at 1715. Drop into to the Albert Heijn supermarket (2 mins from the port) for provisions. Ride 10kms, have a picnic dinner in the dunes then ride the final 10kms to Den Haag before catching the 2142.
by bohrsatom
6 Mar 2024, 8:00pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: When will Eurostar recommence carrying bikes?
Replies: 198
Views: 26742

Re: When will Eurostar recommence carrying bikes?

IME they won't transport the bags, only the bike, so you'll have to carry your panniers yourself.

The official luggage policy is 2 pieces of luggage plus one hand luggage, so two panniers and a bar bag would be fine
by bohrsatom
4 Mar 2024, 8:09pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Canal du Garonne - Bordeaux to Toulouse, best bits/ bits to skip / detours?
Replies: 7
Views: 467

Re: Canal du Garonne - Bordeaux to Toulouse, best bits/ bits to skip / detours?

Checking my notes we also took the Cicerone guidebook recommended detour to Bruch. Although not a particularly interesting place, we did enjoy the most amazing menu du jour at the Café de la Paix. For 14eur we had a tureen of soup with melon and ham, a huge portion of moules frites and a frozen tiramisu for dessert. It was one of those places that was empty at 11:58 but full of local workers by 12:15. If you're nearby at lunchtime (and its open) then pop in!
by bohrsatom
4 Mar 2024, 6:13pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Canal du Garonne - Bordeaux to Toulouse, best bits/ bits to skip / detours?
Replies: 7
Views: 467

Re: Canal du Garonne - Bordeaux to Toulouse, best bits/ bits to skip / detours?

The Cicerone guidebook is very comprehensive and will tell you pretty much all you need to know. As far as detours go, Auvillar is particularly nice and worth the short hop from the canal. There's a great view over the Garonne from just behind the mairie.

Agen, Moissac and Montauban would be good options for taking a break from cycling and doing some exploring.

In 2022 I rode between Bordeaux and Moissac, and a few years before that I rode the entire length. I recall the entry to Toulouse being a little dull so you could catch a train from Montauban (or another intermediate station) to Toulouse Matabiau.
by bohrsatom
19 Feb 2024, 10:53pm
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Best camping set up for electronics
Replies: 55
Views: 2033

Re: Best camping set up for electronics

A new power bank will make a big difference.

My camping setup is two fast-recharge 10000mAh power banks and a 65w USB-C charger. The powerful charger will recharge a power bank from empty in around 4h. Think my power banks are Anker 523, they're a couple of years old now so there are probably ones available now that recharge even faster.

I find a single power bank is enough to sustain my iPhone and Garmin for 2 or 3 days. I cycle through them: when one's getting low (under 50%), I'll ask reception to charge it whilst I put up my tent, shower etc, and by the time I'm done faffing it'll be mostly recharged. If the power bank is almost empty then I'll ask if I can leave it overnight. Even when camping I tend to stay in a hotel every 4 or 5 nights so if I was prepared to risk it I could probably get away without any recharging outside of a hotel room.

Since my last trip I upgraded my iPad mini, which I can also use as a power bank to recharge my phone. As a result I might leave the second power bank at home.

Also, with a powerful USB-C charger you can recharge most phones to 50% within about 30 minutes, so even a quick visit to a bar/cafe might be enough to avoid having to use the power bank for an evening.
by bohrsatom
17 Feb 2024, 3:05pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Best Ortlieb Rear Panniers for touring?
Replies: 92
Views: 7592

Re: Best Ortlieb Rear Panniers for touring?

I've had a set of back roller classics since 2013 and in that time they've travelled a LOT of miles, both bike touring and commuting. Yet they look pretty much the same as they did when I took them out the box.

The only issue I've had is that the stitching of the inner pockets eventually failed. My local dry cleaner had a go at restitching but it didn't last long. Ortlieb sell replacement parts for almost every component of the bags but not the inner pockets, so I just got used to using the bags without the pockets.
Last November I found a promotion where Lyon Equipment (the Ortlieb distributer in the UK) were offering free repairs. I contacted them and a few days later had a new set of inner pockets, all FOC. It turns out Ortlieb do manufacture spares but don't sell them to the public. Bags are now good as new.

I paid £80 for mine so it's interesting to note that a new set costs £150.
Psamathe wrote: 15 Feb 2024, 6:00pm For me camping I find that "roller" style panniers have a massive benefit in that they can become very big buckets when you stop off at a supermarket shortly before arriving at a campsite for the consumables you'll be eating that evening/next morning (bread and bulky stuff).
I do the same - without that space I'd never fit the evening's apero into the bags
by bohrsatom
7 Feb 2024, 8:59pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Herne Bay
Replies: 13
Views: 748

Re: Herne Bay

Norman H wrote: 7 Feb 2024, 8:19pm The Viking Way (regional route15) would make a nice circular ride around the North Foreland. Follow it east along the coast from Reculver and at Cliff’s End head inland to Minster and Saint Nicholas-at-Wade. Cross the A299 and then continue alongside it to return to Reculver .
This would be a good ride. The more populated parts of route 15 can be a bit manic during summer, but in March it'll be perfect.
by bohrsatom
7 Feb 2024, 8:49pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: When Using Navigation Devices Do You Loose The Overall Perspective of Your Tour?
Replies: 47
Views: 2428

Re: When Using Navigation Devices Do You Loose The Overall Perspective of Your Tour?

I don't think it's fair to say that using a GPS turns a bike tour an exercise in pedalling.

Digital mapping and GPS devices have changed route planning for the better. It's easier than ever to create high quality cycle touring routes with data that's not available on many paper maps: cycling popularity data, traffic counts, even the type and quality of the road surface. With satellite images/street view you can get a view of the scenery from the comfort of your armchair and filter out parts of the ride that might not be to your taste. I've found some amazing rides by looking for 'white roads' on cycle.travel/google maps then cross checking them with street view. I doubt I'd have come across them had I only had paper maps to hand.

An often made argument for analogue mapping is you have more flexibility than a pre-planned GPS route, but really the flexibility (or lack of it) is down to the rider rather than their source of mapping. The GPS isn't going to complain if you divert down an interesting looking road: it'll just recalculate another route to your destination. Digital maps also give a large scale view of huge areas: if you wake up one morning bored of southern Germany, jump on a train to Austria and you have all the maps you need to get riding again. Try doing that with paper.

Small scale paper maps are great for spreading out on the lounge floor to give me the country/region wide view, but once I've figured out a rough plan then digital is the way forward for me.