Search found 24 matches

by vsmith1
11 Jan 2024, 4:14pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Newcastle to Ijmuiden DFDS Ferry
Replies: 27
Views: 1631

Re: Newcastle to Ijmuiden DFDS Ferry

Will wrote: 10 Jan 2024, 8:55am
vsmith1 wrote: 10 Jan 2024, 8:14am Thanks for that. I made my booking for my trip this year. I've planned out the Kustroute from Ijmuiden to Bad Nieuwshans.
I take it you mean Bad Nieuweschans on the dutch/german border?

Does your route take you over the Afsluitdijk? The cycle path across the dyke has been mostly closed for the last few years due to construction work, and it is necessary to take a bus across:

https://theafsluitdijk.com/projects/cyc ... dijk/when/

Will
Yes - apologies on my Dutch spelling.
Yes - I know about the bus.

But thanks for making sure with me. I am planning to use Vrienden op de Fiets.

Vince
by vsmith1
10 Jan 2024, 8:14am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Newcastle to Ijmuiden DFDS Ferry
Replies: 27
Views: 1631

Re: Newcastle to Ijmuiden DFDS Ferry

pal wrote: 6 Jan 2024, 12:05pm Not answering the question you asked, but just in case you hadn't spotted it: DFDS are offering a 20% early booking discount on their Amsterdam route at the moment (it doesn't always show up if you start from their main page, but it's there if you go to the Newcastle-Amsterdam home page: https://www.dfds.com/en-gb/passenger-fe ... -amsterdam

To add another data point to the 'how long to get out of the port' question: my diary tells me that the last time I arrived in IJmuiden (in August 2022), I was cycling out of the port by 10.30; that was with a relatively long wait to get off the boat, but no significant wait at passport control (my experience, like some others' on this thread, was that the cyclists were waved to the front of the queue once we escaped from the ferry...)
Thanks for that. I made my booking for my trip this year. I've planned out the Kustroute from Ijmuiden to Bad Nieuwshans.
by vsmith1
6 Feb 2020, 10:46am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Mont St Michel ?
Replies: 28
Views: 1853

Re: Mont St Michel ?

I was on the Tour de Manche back in Sep 2019, I was heading from Ducey to St Malo and so had a brief stop at MSM. I found that there was restrictions on the access to the causeway as others have stated. There are bicycle racks and several bikes locked onto them when I arrived.

I really did not want to hang around, catch a shuttle bus, clump about in my cycling shoes, though I did grab a coffee in one of the places at the start of the causeway. So my stop was fairly brief. I agree that the views as I approached the area were stunning. It was like some sort of alien mountain spacecraft (see Krull).

I will return. Maybe in full tourist mode.
by vsmith1
15 Jan 2020, 6:38am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: pedal bearing designs and morons writing about them
Replies: 50
Views: 3578

Re: pedal bearing designs and morons writing about them

tatanab wrote:
pliptrot wrote:Anyone care to recommend pedals which are (1) SPD style.
Okay, these are not SPD compatible but are SPD "style". If you are prepared to use pedals that have not been made for almost 20 years, the first generation of Time ATAC (but NOT ATAC Alium) have proper bearings, no sleeve. The more modern design, XS, XC etc have sleeves. I use the old design exclusively and have done for many years. This eBay ad shows the first of them where the crank end bearing is secured by a C clip; they changed after a year of two to have a threaded cap at that end instead. I have both of those generations, and have enough used and new to "see me out". They can still be found on eBAy new or lightly used, although prices have risen in the last 5 years as they have been discovered. . https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Time-ATAC-MT ... SwwFleGi8j
atac.jpg
I found the problem with sleeved ATACs, although I only tried one pair about 12 years ago, is that the sleeve wears and then the pedal body can rock a little. In my case it clicked which I could not stand.

I’ve had a pair since the mid 1990s. I’ve replaced the bearings twice and the clips once. Still going. I like the ATAC as they are better at engaging in cruddy conditions and more float. In fact I have ATAC on my various MTBs and tourer.
by vsmith1
10 Jan 2020, 11:07am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Avanti West Coast - good news
Replies: 16
Views: 2832

Re: Avanti West Coast - good news

Brilliant thanks for your help. I dug around and found some help, and was told that the bicycle reservation only appears on a selected train if there are slots available! Sensible, but I thrutched about trying to find a train with reservations available.

I'd love to be able to search for a train on a route that does have slots available. But this is indeed progress.

Nice that Avanti also support Nectar card - points make prizes!
by vsmith1
10 Jan 2020, 10:52am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Avanti West Coast - good news
Replies: 16
Views: 2832

Re: Avanti West Coast - good news

Where are the bike reservation details on the website?

I tried booking from Carlisle to Oxenholme and cannot see any bicycle details, I cannot see anything on the Help system, there's not even a search on the help so I cannot find where it might be hidden.

I tried the app on iOS to a similar result.
by vsmith1
5 Nov 2019, 9:41am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Small Toolkit for Touring
Replies: 36
Views: 3371

Re: Small Toolkit for Touring

I'd echo much of what has been said, especially the nitrile gloves. Very light, very small and saves getting hands and then gloves all mucked up. I would also say that preparation is also a good thing to do, on one of my first tours near the end I lost the nut and bolt holding the rear rack on one side. A zip tie had to be used, and a penknife to trim off the zip tie. But when I got home, I went round replacing some of the nuts with lock nuts and checked the tightness of most of the others. It's a bit of preparation that will pay dividends. Just add it to the check and lube chain, cables, etc.

I do take a spare set of disc brake pads (my tourer has Avid BBs) just in case. Never yet have I had to replace them mid-tour. I also carry a very small adjustable spanner which would help hold a variety of sizes of nuts etc. with the usual Allen keys and Torx in a mini kit. The spanner is a multi-purpose tool.
by vsmith1
1 Oct 2019, 3:43pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Accomodation.Normandy
Replies: 11
Views: 2940

Re: Accomodation.Normandy

I recently (Sep-2019) completed the Tour De Manche which had a section in Normandy which I covered Cherbourg to Carentan and thence near St Martin de Besaces before heading west to stop at Ducey. I searched for places to stay when planning that had secure bike storage. The French scheme of Accueil Vélo has a set of minimum standards - which includes secure bike storage. I found a small hotel in Cherbourg and another in Carentan with either this mark or a statement in booking.com entry that said they did have secure bike storage. In the first hotel the bike was stored securely in a locked garage. In the second it was brought inside the large reception area.

Later in my tour there is also a Rando Accueil site
https://www.rando-accueil.com

This also is aimed at walkers, cyclists and active tourists. I used two places at St Malo and St Brieuc in Brittany. Again secure bike storage.
by vsmith1
6 Apr 2019, 8:26pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: chain not sitting properly on chainring (brompton)
Replies: 7
Views: 907

Re: chain not sitting properly on chainring (brompton)

I'd add that it might be worthwhile checking the bottom bracket is OK.
by vsmith1
31 Jul 2018, 9:39am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Booking Bikes on Virgin West Coast Trains
Replies: 10
Views: 2361

Re: Booking Bikes on Virgin West Coast Trains

I did get sorted with VT. Finally.
by vsmith1
5 Jul 2018, 10:46am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Booking Bikes on Virgin West Coast Trains
Replies: 10
Views: 2361

Re: Booking Bikes on Virgin West Coast Trains

Unfortunately, to get to London, with no changes from the NW England, I have to use VT. So hopping on another train eg TPE or Northern ( :evil: ) is not really a useful option for me. If I was heading north then yes most definitely!

I will have a loaded tourer and do not want to be getting around Crewe or Manchester or Birmingham. And as I go south there are likely to be more people trying to get the limited spaces.
by vsmith1
2 Jul 2018, 3:37pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Booking Bikes on Virgin West Coast Trains
Replies: 10
Views: 2361

Re: Booking Bikes on Virgin West Coast Trains

I have been trying, and failing, to get a booking for me and my bike. I was also told 12 weeks in advance was the earliest I could get them check and make bicycle reservations. Having waited for the 12 weeks, now it appears that it is a Network Rail delay on a set of revised timetable/schedules and I need to try in 6 weeks. Nevermind I have booked and paid for a ferry, Eurostar (with bicycle) and some accommodation, travel insurance etc. I bet that any attempt to claim that back from NR or VT on the event of having to change the rest of my plans.

Of course, silly me, why don't they just put that fact up on all of the rail websites, then we wouldn't spend time on hold on the phone trying to reserve something at a time when we cannot. :!:
by vsmith1
29 Mar 2016, 9:38am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Bay Cycle Way - places to stay?
Replies: 7
Views: 1173

Re: Bay Cycle Way - places to stay?

There are lots of B&Bs in Grange-Over-Sands and Silverdale, Morecambe also have accommodation. I would guess that Cartmel might be more limited and I'm not sure about Ulverston.
by vsmith1
3 Feb 2015, 4:19pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Please convince me to buy the Garmin Edge touring GPS
Replies: 24
Views: 2888

Re: Please convince me to buy the Garmin Edge touring GPS

I have a Edge Touring Plus. I have used it to do NCN Route 7 South - Carlisle to Glasgow last year. I preplanned all the routes separately and then transferred them across to the Edge. I wanted to ride and not have to keep stopping to look at maps etc. It worked well - gave me turn by turn.

I used it for some unprepared riding in France. Worked OK. Gave me some pointers and I could zoom in and out the map to see where I needed to turn.

I have only used the "give me a loop" once more as a trial. Its not a valuable addition IMHO.
by vsmith1
8 Nov 2013, 12:13pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Painful shoes with cleats
Replies: 8
Views: 2243

Re: Painful shoes with cleats

Thanks for the ideas. I will try out the plastic bottle cut outs and stack a few together with some silicone sealant. I'll try to remember to report back.