Cycling UK Forum

Thanks guys, we are close to leaving, only 2 weeks to go! We have decided to get as far as Vienna and then decide from there whether to continue along the river or head to the Dalmatian coast based on how we are feeling and what the weather is doing etc. I am still leaning towards the coast but will see what materialises.
Thanks for the input...

thanks Mattie, what time of year was that? we will there early April probably and will be looking mainly to wild camp if possible, are the beaches reasonably accessible? i gather that the roads are busy in the summer but at that time of year should be relatively ok. Can you recommend any worthwhile stops and what maps did you use?
many thanks, Bob.

Thanks for the info guys, we will be going through Central Asia and up up up the Pamir Highway and into western China before getting a train to Beijing for the ferry and a trip round Japan. From there we are a bit clueless but time will tell.
I guess what im after is wheteher to continue going along the danube or down the croatian coast into montenegro, albania etc, i know it boils down to personal preference in the end but would be interested to know if anyone has ridden both and can offer a comparitive view.
Danube appeals for sense of ease of navigation, and well ease in general i suppose but there is a certain something in me that just loves the sea and is also intrigued by countries such as Montenegro and Albania.
Great dilemma to be in eh?! its a hard life...

Hi all, we will be setting off for a little bike ride early March making our way slow and steady to Australia via Central Asia.
We are after advice on the european leg of the tour, we will be going over from Newhaven to Dieppe and then making our way to the Danube.
From then on we are unsure of whether to follow it through Hungary, Romania and then onto Bulgaria, Turkey... or whether to head south from Austria (Linz) into Slovenia and along the Dalmatian coast, Albania and into Greece. For me the latter seems more appealing but i've read a few reports of the road along the Croatian coast being heavy with traffic, narrow, hilly and generally a bit hairy.
For this route is there a good way to get from Austria to Slovenia bearing in mind it will be late March by then so quite a bit of snow around i think.
As always any info much appreciated...

Hi all, we will be heading off early March from UK to Australia doing as much as we can by bike. We will head over from Newhaven to Dieppe then as direct a route as possible to southern Germany to Donaueschingen to pick up the Danube trail. Any tips, free/wild spots or must sees/avoids appreciated, many thanks,
Bob

Thanks all for the replies, we are leaning towards 2 inch duremes, read some very good reviews and found some at 30 pounds a pop. Can't seem to find any mondial stockists, sjs had them but none at the moment and they are around 47 pounds delivered, pretty pricey but i suppose excellent quality.
Thanks for the tip on the plus tour.
Any more thoughts/suggestions appreciated,
Bob

Cycling from UK to China via Pamir Hwy. We will be riding Surly LHT 26", and using the tyres that come with the bikes initially (Continental city contact 1.5) and looking to change them closer to the Pamirs as we encounter rougher terrain. CAn anyone offer suggestions as to which Schwalbe for the job, seems to be between dureme, extreme or tour plus and what size should we go for, the max for the surly is 2.1".

Any info greatly appreciated, bob.

Hi all, i recently picked up a dawes super galaxy on ebay cheapish but according to the local bike shop she needs a new chainset etc as they are worn and have never been replaced.
They were to order me in a deore several weeks ago but they are seeming increasingly complacent or just not bothered so im taking it into my own hands and want to do the ordering and fitting myself although i know diddly about bikes at the moment.
So i'm after some advice, in simpleton terminology to suit my non tech mind, as to what i should get. I've been looking online and found Deore triple chainset FC-M590 9 spd for 60 quid and a deore HG50 9 spd cassette for £19 and Shimano XTR dura ace 9spd chain for £25, so that's £104 delivered.
Now... are these viable options, are they compatable with one another and will they do the job or am i barking up the wrong tree?!
I am willing to spend a bit more if it means getting a better quality product that will last longer and be more robust as i anticipate some pretty decent hills and remote places.
Any advice very much appreciated, many thanks....

Thanks guys, much appreciated.

Apologies as im sure this probably gets asked quite a bit, we are looking for a tourer for my mrs and have asked in two seperate bike shops but unfortunately its been a bit vague not a proper fitting as such. A couple of online tools indicate different results too so it's all a bit confusing.
Measurements
Height: 164.00 cm
Sternum Notch: 134.00 cm
Inseam Length: 76.00 cm
Arm Length: 61.00 cm
Shoulder Width: 42.00 cm
Flexiblity: 10
Weight: 47.00 kilo
Foot Size: 5.00 UK

Any help greatly appreciated, many thanks