Search found 45 matches

by dondelion
24 Nov 2022, 3:40pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Has anyone road cycled Madeira?
Replies: 17
Views: 2919

Re: Has anyone road cycled Madeira?

I've not ridden there but stayed there for a couple of months during Covid when our 2 year bike tour was rudely interrupted. It was safer and cheaper to stay there in a small non tourist town in a damp cheap Airbnb than staying in the UK. I'll echo that a lot of the roads are ridiculously steep, some of their driveways seemed to be 50% gradients or worse! There just aren't that many interesting roads, we stayed in Sao Vicente on the north side and I the only roads I'd want to ride would really be the coastal road to Porto Moniz and the roads around the plateau of Paul de Serra. Virtually all of the coasts are built up. there are limited roads in the interior and lots of the roads are full of tourist traffic and buses. Even with a mountain bike there are only a few rideable tracks. There are lots of quiet insanely steep residential roads of course so if you just want the exercise, do reps of them! It's definitely spectacular and has some unique ecosystems but we left our bikes at home and didn't feel the urge to rent any once we were there. Go hiking there instead, it's awesome!
by dondelion
20 Sep 2021, 1:59pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Techspertise required.
Replies: 13
Views: 1320

Re: Techspertise required.

But if you did want thumbies, Microshift do them for 9-12 speed. I love mine. Mmm friction front shift.
by dondelion
30 Apr 2021, 6:50am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Dropout spacers for Surly Troll
Replies: 8
Views: 415

Re: Dropout spacers for Surly Troll

Sorry, to clarify...
Do you want to be able to just bung the wheel in until it stops and know its in straight, like with vertical dropouts?
Yes.
by dondelion
29 Apr 2021, 9:42pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Dropout spacers for Surly Troll
Replies: 8
Views: 415

Re: Dropout spacers for Surly Troll

I've never used chain tugs before, I like freewheeling. I'm using a through axle so I'd need a Surly Snuggnut and that would be £30 for just one. Physically, they are better value per gram of metal than the Monkey Nuts but still, £60 for a pair.

Can I just bung in any old tugs that fit a 12mm axle? Do they all fit all dropouts? The ones that are designed for older frames seem to screw in place. Any recommendations?

Colin, I do like the simplicity of your suggestion and might get a metal working mate to have a bash at it as he'd make something much nicer than I could.
by dondelion
28 Apr 2021, 7:32pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Dropout spacers for Surly Troll
Replies: 8
Views: 415

Dropout spacers for Surly Troll

I'd like to move my rear wheel back in my Surly Troll dropouts to enable me to use fatter / taller tyres for bouncy joy. I built some 27.5 wheels because the choice of tyres in 26 is much reduced lately (and because I think they look more proportionate to my frame and that's what really matters). The Troll has rear facing horizontal dropouts and I'd like to shift the wheel back about 30mm and keep it parallel in the dropouts. I can of course just move the wheel but I've snapped axles before by not getting the wheel perfectly parallel. The dropout isn't tapped so I don't think I can use a tug.

Surly sell Monkey Nuts for precisely this reason but they will only move the wheel 14mm and £60 for two pairs seems very excessive. Does anyone have a cheapo solution?

The dropouts are about 5mm deep and 10mm high. I've tried chainring bolts but they are 6mm deep and about 9mm high so they don't stay in the dropout. Any other type of bolt that I could try? Something with a wide shallow head that has a short wide thread to fit some kind of nut to lock it in place? It's not going to be under any tension.

Any ideas much appreciated.
by dondelion
8 Apr 2021, 8:59pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Touring in Turkey
Replies: 12
Views: 1053

Re: Touring in Turkey

I rode for 6 weeks through south and east Turkey in 2015. Also took a few buses as Turkey is biiiig. I don't know where to start as it has everything I want in a tour - culture, mountains, history, beaches, hospitality, dirt roads, wide spaces. Also lots of poverty, sexism and religion. No dog issues that I remember. The north west is probably the most developed part of the country so I'm not sure how much my experience will help as the east was very rough in places.

My route was roughly Alanya, Adana, Diyarbakir, Batman (!), Van, Kars then to Georgia via Hopa. Highlights were cosmopolitan Adana (city of 2 million where Turkish Turks, Arab Turks and Kurdish Turks have lived together for centuries), Gobekli Tepe (oldest temple in the world), the old markets and alleys in the town of Urfa (mentioned in the Bible), camping on the banks of the Tigris at Hasankeyf, riding the back road 2000m up Mount Nemrut to see the giant stone heads of the Commagenes, Mardin on the Syrian border, the crazy feeling of Dogubeyazit on the Iranian border, the Armenian church on an island on Lake Van, riding through Kurdish parts of wild eastern Turkey, old Armenia, riding with Mount Ararat in the distance. The Syrian war was already underway so I didn't stray too close to the border for too long. The far south east along the Iraq border was also out of bounds although someone did try to tempt me to come and ride around Kurdish Iraq.

I had a Crazy guy blog but I think it's been deleted. I stayed with numerous generous Warm Showers, Couch Surfing and random hosts and wild camped regularly without any issues, other than avoiding shepherds after a long day riding. Hotels of every type for every budget and I stayed in some shockers. Roads of all sorts from pristine empty highways to twisty vertical dirt roads. Loads of mountains and hills. Heat and dust. Great cheap fresh food. Liver kebabs for breakfast. Muezzins. Weird language, to an English speaker.

I plan to return someday as it was so overwhelmingly interesting. Istanbul is fabulous but is supposed to be a nightmare to ride into. Go for longer than a week!

Good luck with your plan and happy to answer any questions. I don't know if any of this is helpful but it's been nice reminiscing!

Edit - found my CGOAB http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1 ... 20300&v=Ge
by dondelion
2 Apr 2021, 10:03pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: TRP hy/rd vs Spyre for touring
Replies: 12
Views: 2040

Re: TRP hy/rd vs Spyre for touring

My partner and I used Spyres and Spykes in Mexico but after only 2 months the tiny 3mm hex bolts in all of the caliper adjusters rounded off and were unusable. The sand had got into them I suppose so I would say it depends on the type of touring you want to do. We replaced them with £5 Shimano M375 calipers and they, along with their burly 5mm hex bolts have lasted 2 further years. All the brakes had sufficient stopping power.
by dondelion
23 Mar 2021, 9:33pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Crossing the South Downs
Replies: 11
Views: 1511

Re: Crossing the South Downs

I seem to remember the climb up the bridleway at Treyford is in pretty good condition but I've not ridden it in a couple of years. Once you're up there's a few other good bridleways down to Hooksway and it's a nice ride over to West Dean via a couple of lanes. Depends on your tyre size and appetite for some bumpy stuff really.
by dondelion
15 Mar 2021, 9:03pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Sp dynamo hub re-bearing
Replies: 18
Views: 1491

Re: Sp dynamo hub re-bearing

Yup, they just mean detach the hub from the wheel and send the hub back to them. I forgot that you don't actually have to do this if you pay more. From their email -

'Exchange Unit SP hub options offered via Ison:

(Note: All exchange units are pre-used hubs that have been factory serviced and re-conditioned, and are supplied in poly bags.)
1) Exchange unit option:
Total of £25.00 including freight and VAT to end user for the exchange service.
(Customer must send us back their old hub first ‐ at their cost)

2) Option: complete service including wheel re‐building.
Customer to package their wheel into 1 box (keep the tyre fitted to reduce damage):
a) Send back to Ison ‐ Ison will strip and re‐build with PG spokes and return:

Total exchange hub and re‐build ‐ including PG spokes and return freight: £45.00 inc. VAT'
by dondelion
15 Mar 2021, 8:52pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Isle of Mull - Loch Buie
Replies: 8
Views: 979

Re: Isle of Mull - Loch Buie

We were there touring last autumn and spent a lovely night camping on the beach at the beginning of that track. Comments from walkers put us off riding the track and we had 2.5 inch tyres. There's a cafe on the beach too. The track along the beach to Moy castle was a nice ride. We just did it as an overnight in and out from the A849 but felt it was totally worth it.
by dondelion
5 Mar 2021, 6:55pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Sp dynamo hub re-bearing
Replies: 18
Views: 1491

Re: Sp dynamo hub re-bearing

I emailed ISON about this last month and they confirmed that the hub can be exchanged for £25. You need disassemble it yourself and post it and they will send you a replacement in 5-7 days.
by dondelion
3 Oct 2020, 10:37pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: I don't want to have to be flat-out overnight...
Replies: 11
Views: 1494

Re: I don't want to have to be flat-out overnight...

Seam grip for tents works really well too.
by dondelion
23 Sep 2020, 9:51pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Good quality cycling cap?
Replies: 27
Views: 2108

Re: Good quality cycling cap?

http://www.johnsonstitchworks.com/

UK made, well finished, lots of colour, next to no logo, reasonably priced, made me a smaller size due to my pin head
by dondelion
20 Aug 2020, 12:56pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: YHA "post Covid"
Replies: 51
Views: 3597

Re: YHA "post Covid"

We're currently in YHA Alnwick. £60 per night for a double room with en suite! After 45 nights camping it seems worth it though. Nearly all the facilities are unavailable except laundry. No food available in house as they couldn't square it with the one way system they've implemented in the building. Bikes are stored in the currently disused classroom. We're going to cook in the courtyard/carpark later as the kitchen is closed.
by dondelion
20 Aug 2020, 12:51pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: How Are UK Campsites Since Re-opening on 4th July?
Replies: 25
Views: 2192

Re: How Are UK Campsites Since Re-opening on 4th July?

We left Sussex 6 weeks ago and have just reached Northumberland travelling via Dartmoor and Mid Wales. Probably spent 25 nights at numerous campsites mostly costing around £20 for 2 of us and 1 tent. Honeypot campsites have been heaving, especially in coastal Devon, but away from popular spots they're still quiet, as you'd expect. Never really had any problems finding a campsite but it sometimes requires ringing around. The main issue is finding sites that accept tents rather than just caravans. Approaches to booking have varied from online booking with no staff interaction at all to cash in a farmer's hand. Every site has restrictions on movement around the site but some are more regimented than others. Most have every other shower and toilet blocked off with hazard tape but there haven't been bathroom queues. It all feels almost normal...