Cycling UK Forum

Cowsham wrote: ↑27 Jul 2021, 1:53pm First rain in a month and it's heavy. So I got out into the kids TP tent in the garden to listen to the rain.

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Just heard a thunder clap ! Not so sure of myself now.

lol, my son has an old Coleman 3 man cleverly used to make a cover over the garden sofa which he sleeps on most nights at the moment.

willem jongman wrote: ↑30 Jul 2021, 5:52pm Indeed. Irrespective of what the UK government allows, the Netherlands demand not only full vaccination for travellers from the UK but also a pcr test plus quarantine. So realistically, forget it. I did not check but I expect the same applies to Germany.

Rightly or wrongly most countries in Southern Europe ie the main traditional holiday destinations are just double jabbed plus a pcr test at the moment.

I’ve been keeping an eye on Switzerland and France from for Rhône trip in September. Everything crossed.

Edit: here is the link to the travel check thingie from the Swiss embassy which suggests I might not need a test if fully vaccinated (I’ll keep an eye in that I thought I did need a test). https://travelcheck.admin.ch/home

Edit here is something similar for France (again I haven’t verified). https://uk.ambafrance.org/COVID-19-rule ... and-the-UK

Sounds like getting back into the UK is going to be more complex test wise than flying to Geneva and then cycling into France. If I have to quarantine so be it- I suspect the rules will have changed by then and it will be worth it anyway for a couple of weeks of french food!

simonineaston wrote: ↑28 Jul 2021, 2:24pm Perhaps too cross-reference this topic, South Hams being notorious for switchback hills, which may be short in length compared with some but make up for that deficiency in steepness and frequency. But you may know that already. Plus one for the warning re numbers and timing - nearly everyone I know who has a family seems to be heading for the south-west this summer...

Yes, I live in the South Hams and it’s not great touring country. Major (laughingly used term- some of them still have single carriage sections) roads are heavily in use by holiday traffic and minor roads extremely steep and still annoyingly full of range rovers. So much though I love it here it’s better for walking. totnes and roughly north of the a38 is better. Dartmoor is pretty good- although there is too much traffic and some short steep climbs overall it’s a better balance. Exmoor is fabulous- longer hills rather than short ones on the whole. Just to the east of exmoor the Somerset levels give long flat sections which can also be very nice.

I’d also vote for sticking to the coast to coast I think although I’ve only done sections of it.

The criteria appear to have been narrow and don’t really seem to include long COVID risks, school interruption etc. I’m hoping they keep this under review and move into vaccinating. I recognise that I’m no scientist. There has been quite a lot of challenge though about the decision from the medical community as it is so different to decisions in other countries.

I do have two teens, one with a complex form of autism and learning difficulties. The 17 year old is more social and we’re getting lots of isolation pings for her which isn’t much fun. I’d rather she got jabbed than got it in the middle of her a levels next year. The good news for us is that she is an older member of her year within 3 months of 18 so we’re waiting for her to get offered an appointment. The younger one hopefully will get offered a jab soon as he isn’t in great health due to his other issues and is really our concern.

Back on topic- I quite want to visit another country for a while later this summer, it will be nice to be away from a certain level of insanity in this government and it’s also good to see that other countries aren’t perfect while enjoying seriously yummy food.

That sounds pretty sensible. Unfortunately we are here (see quote) vis a vis 12-17 year olds. Not sure why there’s a sociologist on what I thought was a medical committee but the COVID cases are now very substantially in the teens and young twenties so difficult to see it coming properly under control without vaccinating 12-17 year olds.

“Prof Robert Dingwall, a sociologist on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, has meanwhile said that “it is not immoral to think that [children] may be better protected by natural immunity generated through infection than by asking them to take the possible risk of a vaccine”.

I have done occasional hosting via warm showers. It has been rewarding for me and my family. We are a bit space limited though so it’s not ideal for us - there is a risk I suspect that in some very popular locations you may find it a bit too frequent (but you can always turn your availability off).

pjclinch wrote: ↑20 Jul 2021, 8:07am

PH wrote: ↑18 Jul 2021, 9:22pm

nick12 wrote: ↑18 Jul 2021, 8:42pm I think the Hubba Hubba would have been worse due to the fly not reaching the ground.

Not the first time this has been pointed out, but worth repeating - This is a major difference between tents designed for the US market and the European one, the former prioritises ventilation over wet weather protection (More mesh, higher fly... ) and the latter the other way round.

This is indeed the case... but further note that lightweight tents are more generally designed with the user on foot in mind (bigger market), and in Europe that tends to mean designed for pretty exposed spots on mountains, and all through the year. So when we're talking about "wet weather protection" it's more in terms of horizontal sleet while camped miles from anywhere with hypothermia the price of getting it wrong. That's less applicable to most cycle camping.

Pete.

Agreed- in fact the US style tents are pretty perfect for most of my camping which is essentially warm weather in Europe these days. I’m not quite cycling for softies yet but it’s probably round the corner.

I prefer my big agnes copper spur bike packing 1 man to my Hubba Hubba nx 2 man. It might be worth looking at the copper spur if you’re considering a Hubba Hubba as they have a lot in common. Both involve some compromises in order to achieve the lightweight and small size.

If nothing else I now have a tent that easily fits inside my pannier instead of in the back rack due to pole length. Other than that although the designs are similar I slightly prefer some of the copper spur features and it’s quicker to erect.

Edit- I got a great price on mine delivered from Germany a couple of years ago- COVID and Brexit may make that price more difficult now.

Can’t help feeling that with our high COVID rates many countries will red list us before we get to worry about going there.

Dammit. Weighs up two weeks of cycling and the chance of seeing a friend plus isolating v not going. Will see how things go- isolation for ten days not a major issue for me though unless it has repercussions for my family.

squeaker wrote: ↑6 Jul 2021, 10:37am IMO, and that of many local campaigners, it needs a better surface than the 'limestone dust' that WSCC regards as adequate -

Is that like the crushed limestone widely used on USA railtrails? I found that ok when dry but very sucky when wet and this is England so it’s pretty much always going to be wet.

ossie wrote: ↑9 Jul 2021, 9:44pm

simonhill wrote: ↑9 Jul 2021, 7:31pm I saw on my Google news feed that Brittany Ferries are advertising and welcoming people.

Lots of talk in the news of aggro at airports - nothing about the ports. Not much Immigration infrastructure at most ports in the EU days. Not sure how they will cope with all the new rules.

Looking positive. Brittany ferries are using the NHS app, no issues with the non approved batches. They've Introduced a subsidised test package for £145 I believe or £45 PCR will get you into France / Spain one way. You can get a pre return test in France for a capped 27 Euro. They're using staggered boarding, my guess is that teams will work down any queues to check documentation well beforehand rather than do it all at the booth.

Cycle prices look normal, Poole - Cherbourg not sailing until Mid Sept but Portsmouth / Caen operating as normal likewise ferries to Spain and plenty of availability as expected. Test costs might put off families I guess. Condor from Poole operating a reduced service but full service from 19/7, they've hiked prices however for foot passengers.

Strictly I guess it’s not Brittany ferries that decide on your entry to France but I presume that the french government are taking a pragmatic approach as they will be in good contact with Brittany ferries.

It’s nice to think that our communications links with our closest neighbours are coming back up. I know the government are trying to ignore how close Europe is but for me like many others France is closer than London and hopping over to Brittany is a bit of a spiritual coming home.

Colin63 wrote: ↑9 Jul 2021, 4:25pm CAV!

Awesome. My heart rate was so high but no tears this time - I must be saving them for Paris. (I was in a team call, on mute obviously).

I’m with him at the end- “mamma mia”.

Indeed - I reckon I have about a 30% chance of travelling but it gives me a target to get fit for.

Glad this made me check my flights to get in touch with my friends in St Tropez as the Marseilles flight was cancelled yesterday and I missed the email. Have now moved it to Nice (downside that I have long been aware of it that there are no trains south east of Marseilles due to difficult terrain).