Search found 144 matches

by MuirSR
24 May 2017, 4:22pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Boat assisted holidays
Replies: 19
Views: 8659

Re: Boat assisted holidays

I was on a bike and boat tour of Northern Holland over the Easter break and a couple from Wales brought their own cycles, including an ICE recumbent tricycle.

I've been on a fair number of these tours over the years and my assessment is that the company that operates the tour is different from the company which owns the boat; basically, they seem to have long-standing arrangements and charter the boat on an annual basis. Also, the company that operates the tour is not the only tour company which offers the tour on its web site. In the case of the Northern Holland tour, the operator was "Boat - Bike Tours" (of which I'd never heard before I received my information pack a few weeks prior to departure), whose tour guides are on the boat, serving all the passengers, regardless of who they booked through. I had actually booked through "Freedom Treks" (which also calls itself "Ski Safari"), and I have seen the identical tour on several other tour operators' sites.

Your observation that these tours are mainly for "people on bikes" rather than "cyclists" is an accurate one. Most operators do separate their tours into categories of difficulty depending on daily distances and the amount of climbing necessary; where you're essentially following a river, there's not likely to be much climbing (in fact, that's one of the jokes that one tour guide makes about ensuring you're on the right track; "if you find you've been cycling up hill for the last half hour, you can be sure you're going the wrong way!"), so the "easy category" tours do have a larger proportion of those who might be described as "people on bikes". I find these tours appeal to groups of Americans, Canadians and Australians, who attend in quite large numbers (frequently substantially outnumbering the handful of Britons on board).

In my experience, if you set off on the ride in the morning, you won't be able to join the boat until it reaches its designated mooring point -- you can't re-board part-way along the day's course. The only exception I know of to that was when someone (the tour guide himself!) had an accident: the boat was in the vicinity and a telephone call to the captain arranged an unscheduled stop to take the tour guide and his bike on board. (Just a few cuts; he was back on the road the next day.)

Similarly, I'm not aware that people can book directly with the ship owner (although you can, of course, charter boats yourself, which is what Pam Pilbeam does for the CTC barge and bike tours in the Netherlands). It doesn't seem to matter which tour operator you do book through, the European ones all offer the tours at the same euro price as one another, regardless of whether it's "their" tour or some other operator's; the British ones, of course, have done a currency conversion and have probably loaded that in their favour.

A few of the larger boats offer "staterooms", but they won't be in the league of Viking tours, which is acknowledged to be at the top end of the market. "Cabins" are very much the thing, or "hut" as they quaintly put it on the Dutch boats. They can be quite small, especially the bathrooms.
by MuirSR
24 May 2017, 2:30pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Map and guidebook recommendations for the Netherlands
Replies: 2
Views: 4186

Re: Map and guidebook recommendations for the Netherlands

There's also the Falk Fietsatlas Nederland, at a 1:75000 scale, available from Amazon at GBP13.05 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fietsatlas-Ned ... +nederland).

Although it says "loose leaf", it's actually spiral-bound, so the ANWB option suggested by hamster may be more convenient.

ANWB also does a spiral-bound volume, at 1:100000 scale: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ANWB-fietsatla ... 56YVYNCEBQ.

(Although ANWB fietskaarts are highly recommended on this forum, my own view is that the Falk ones are even better.)
by MuirSR
12 Sep 2016, 3:14pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Tours library?
Replies: 5
Views: 585

Re: Tours library?

Do you mean http://www.ctc-maps.org.uk/ ?

Note the warning: "much of the content of this website has been moved to other sites [no indication where, though], and this site will be retired completely in the coming months".

I suspect, in this context, "retired completely" means "removed completely".
by MuirSR
11 Mar 2016, 2:55pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Bike Hire in Passau recommendations?
Replies: 5
Views: 1388

Re: Bike Hire in Passau recommendations?

I had a short fixed-centre tour round Passau last September, following a boat and bike tour down the Danube from Passau to Vienna. Both these tours were arranged through Austrian company Rad und Reisen. For the Passau tour they used a bike shop called Fahrrad Klinik for bike hire.

In short, I was equippped with a Rohloff-geared bike with hub generator lighting and wrap-round-the-rack Rad und Reisen-branded pannier bags, which I found I didn't get on with (couldn't move them back far enough to avoid heel strike). The owner of the shop told me for his own hires direct to the public (rather than indirect though a holiday company), he issues a pair of Ortlieb panniers.

When I returned the bike a few days later, the owner was very keen to talk about possible future hires for a Danube tour and (although I wasn't paying too much attention) I think he mentioned the bike could be dropped off in Vienna.

The bad news is Fahrrad Klinik closes at 13:00 on Saturdays and is closed all day on Sundays, so that limits the opportunities for collection and return.
by MuirSR
4 Jun 2015, 2:55pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Garmin Edge Touring routes overseas
Replies: 4
Views: 512

Re: Garmin Edge Touring routes overseas

I'm glad it's resolved.

I've also been doing a bit of experimenting. I've created a /Garmin/GPX directory on the data card (the /Garmin directory was already present, containing extra map files, so I merely created a GPX sub-directory in here) and I've placed a few sample "route" files in it from a route I quickly knocked up in bikehike, saved in several different formats.

The good news is the device recognises the files in the new directory, so it's not necessary to place the files in the GPX directory in the device's internal storage.

Whether the device will store saved tracks in this new directory remains to be seen (I could see no configuration option to say where it should save tracks); however, if it doesn't, it provides a neat way of segregating planned "routes" I prepare on my PC from the "tracks" I record on the device.

The next good news was that I'd created files of the route as both a gpx route and as a gpxx route. (I also created a gpx track and a tcx file.) When loading the gpx route, the device complained it contained more than 50 waypoints. However, the gpxx route was loaded with no complaint whatsoever, so I'll be using this type of route file in future. The gpx track file was recognised, but I know already, the Garmin will not give "turn indications" when navigating with this type of file. (I know other makes of GPS device which do.) The tcx file wasn't recognised at all.
by MuirSR
3 Jun 2015, 2:02pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Garmin Edge Touring routes overseas
Replies: 4
Views: 512

Re: Garmin Edge Touring routes overseas

Richard H wrote:hooking the GPS to my computer shows the routes are on the data card but I can't see them by accessing Where to? / Saved / Courses.

I've never put routes on the data card; maps, yes, but not routes.

On my Garmin (an Oregon), I have to put tracks and routes into the GPX directory in the device's own storage; it's the same directory the device uses to save its tacks. (Perhaps creating a "/Garmin/GPX" directory on the data card would serve the same purpose, but I've never tried it -- anyone know if this works?)

All the tracks/routes in this directory are visible when using "Where to?", regardless of my current location, so the fact that you can't see yours indicates to me that you haven't placed them where they need to be.
by MuirSR
16 Mar 2015, 2:17pm
Forum: Non-standard, Human Powered Vehicles
Topic: Braking options for trikes, especially parking brake?
Replies: 7
Views: 7492

Re: Braking options for trikes, especially parking brake?

eddiewalkling wrote:So I was thinking of converting that to a double pull lever to operate both front drums. I guess it could be a little fiddly to set up but assume that a double V brake lever will operate SA drums? Has anyone tried this?
I'm not sure that V-brake levers are the correct type: I think they have the wrong mechanical advantage for drum brakes. I believe you need cantilever brake levers, or ones which can be switched between the two.

With rear braking on a tadpole trike, you have to beware of skidding.
by MuirSR
10 Mar 2015, 2:21pm
Forum: Non-standard, Human Powered Vehicles
Topic: GT Streetmachine rebuild as a 26/26
Replies: 7
Views: 13352

Re: GT Streetmachine rebuild as a 26/26

There's a Speedmachine rather than a StreetMachine which has been given this treatment on the Pictures of your recumbent thread.
by MuirSR
24 Nov 2014, 2:33pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Reivers coast to coast on skinny tires?
Replies: 13
Views: 3615

Re: Reivers coast to coast on skinny tires?

Is that a Radical Design Cyclone trailer in your picture?

I thought the "Brompton model" (the Chubby) is available with a black bag only. Is it not a Chubby?
by MuirSR
17 Sep 2014, 2:07pm
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Ortlieb rack pack - which size for back rollers
Replies: 36
Views: 6479

Re: Ortlieb rack pack - which size for back rollers

Both the S (24l) and M (31l) rack packs will attach. I've used both. Neither fits better than the other, so the choice depends on what you want to fit in the pack.
by MuirSR
25 Aug 2014, 8:58pm
Forum: Non-standard, Human Powered Vehicles
Topic: recumbent riders where are we...
Replies: 176
Views: 156911

Re: recumbent riders where are we...

Very nice, Cunobelin! I hope you're enjoying it.

Is that the Radical bag on the back of the seat?

(Also, have you noticed the holes for mounting water bottle holders on the seat supports? — contrary to the review in Cycle not so long ago, which said the Kettwiesel has no provision for fitting bottle holders.)
by MuirSR
10 Aug 2014, 6:59pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Garmin Etrex 30 - advice please
Replies: 5
Views: 1208

Re: Garmin Etrex 30 - advice please

Agreed; I came to the same conclusion as you: that the Garmin Edge so-called "Cycling" GPSs aren't, in fact, ideal for the sort of cycling I do, which is not all-concerned with "fitness" and "performance". The one possible exception is the "Tour" model.

I think you'll find the Etrex 30 does everything you want of it. And, you can mount it to your bike as well, which would be another requirement.

The one thing I don't understand is why you want a unit with regular AA batteries. Will you, in fact, be using rechargeable batteries? I don't believe the Etrex series have built-in battery chargers, so how would you recharge them? Or would you buy alkaline batteries? Expensive, surely, at the rate you'd be going through them?

Some of the other Garmin "handheld" GPSs (Oregon, Montana) can take AA cells, but come with AA-type rechargeable battery packs which the device will recharge from a USB supply. So, out on tour, should you run out of power, you can insert alkaline AA batteries to keep you going and recharge your battery pack later, when you find a power source.
by MuirSR
27 Jul 2014, 11:18pm
Forum: Non-standard, Human Powered Vehicles
Topic: Delta or Tadpole
Replies: 23
Views: 9779

Re: Delta or Tadpole

Turns out the Carry Freedom bracket can be fitted to a Kettwiesel with the Universal Adapter, as shown in the picture below.

The picture also shows the "hook thingy" (albeit cut off at the top of the picture) used to secure the bag Ortlieb makes for Hase.
by MuirSR
21 Jul 2014, 12:56am
Forum: Non-standard, Human Powered Vehicles
Topic: Trial ride East Kent
Replies: 10
Views: 4261

Re: Trial ride East Kent

Quaker Mike wrote:Because I've also recently had a hip replacement, I need a highish seat (tried a trice, got in but couldn't get out!) so the choice seems to be an Anthrotech or a Kettweisel, both of which do a 18" seat height.

The HP Velotechnik Scorpion fx with the ErgoMesh HS seat option also has a seat height of 18 inches (46 cm). (It does need to be the fx model, though; the others in the Scorpion range are all lower. The good news is the fx is the Scorpion for touring, with the low rider rack option.) Also the "standing-up aid" ("for easy mount and dismount") on HP Velotechnik trikes is much nicer than the ICE equivalent, being fitted directly to the kingpins rather than having great big brackets round the cruciform. A friend has them on his HP Velotechnik Gekko fx, so I know it's a solid design.
by MuirSR
9 Jul 2014, 11:34am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Normandy Queries
Replies: 8
Views: 5329

Re: Normandy Queries

Regarding (2), if you mean Les Pommiers, I'm expecting to stay there this coming Saturday night.

If no one else has posted anything, I'll provide feedback when I return.