Search found 214 matches

by RobinS
15 Aug 2023, 10:05am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Spa Cycles Rove for Touring
Replies: 31
Views: 2809

Re: Spa Cycles Rove for Touring

My personal views if I was buying a new bike for that purpose:

Stock tyres are too big and knobbly for touring - I would want smaller (40-45mm) Marathon Tours, needs mudguards. The picture is of a 1x, but the spec indicates 2x10 - I would want a triple with a 22 granny ring - I believe South America is very mountainous in places! Overall it looks as if could do the job, but it's a bit too "rufty-tufty" for my tastes.
by RobinS
11 Jul 2023, 9:03am
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Camping Chairs - Helinox Chair One and lookalikes
Replies: 23
Views: 5517

Re: Camping Chairs - Helinox Chair One and lookalikes

Like you we are getting older and appreciate a bit more comfort when camping. We have two of these

https://www.amazon.co.uk/MOXTOYU-Foldin ... B09ZY4ZZYG

They weigh 800g each and have been very reliable and comfortable. A no brainer at that price IMO
Look good value - if you don't mind, just how sturdy are the pockets the poles fit into on the fabric? This was the point of failure on one of ours, though only after three hundred or so nights.
by RobinS
10 Jul 2023, 3:08pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Please Report Any Security Check Problems When Boarding Ferries ex UK
Replies: 73
Views: 8407

Re: Please Report Any Security Check Problems When Boarding Ferries ex UK

Locking blades are technically illegal in the U.K
Only partly true. Opinels are classed the same as fixed blade knives - illegal to "carry" without good reason. If you are cycle camping, you need a knife to prepare food and eat it, so an Opinel or fixed blade sharp knife in you pannier with your cooking kit is completely legal. Just don't carry knives in your pockets or bar bags.
by RobinS
10 Jul 2023, 2:55pm
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Camping Chairs - Helinox Chair One and lookalikes
Replies: 23
Views: 5517

Camping Chairs - Helinox Chair One and lookalikes

As we are no longer as flexible and agile as we once were we discovered years ago that for extended touring (several months) using campsites chairs are a necessity for us. About seven years ago we bought, for about £30 each "Naturehike" chairs - Helinox lookalikes. They served us well for several multi-month tours and lots of other occasions, but now the fabric/stitching on one has given way (we are not lightweights!), so we are looking at replacements.
Naturehike ones now seem to be around £50, Helinox Chair One, a few grams lighter at £100, but there are all sorts of others available online, at all sorts of prices.

So - do we go Naturehike and hope they are still as good, fork out for Helinox, or another brand? Does anyone have recent experience of any of these and can make a recommendation?
by RobinS
22 May 2023, 10:17am
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Cycling Roscoff to Bordeaux (Gironde) - Camping
Replies: 4
Views: 3473

Re: Cycling Roscoff to Bordeaux (Gironde) - Camping

This website lists all campsites in France - https://www.campingfrance.com/uk

And yes, that route is absolutely perfect for a first tour.
by RobinS
22 May 2023, 10:14am
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Cycling Roscoff to Bordeaux (Gironde) - Camping
Replies: 4
Views: 3473

Re: Cycling Roscoff to Bordeaux (Gironde) - Camping

We rode that way on as part of a longer tour back in 2016. We also tended to do 60-80km per day. There are loads of campsites to choose from, we would ride until lunchtime, then decide which site to head for during the afternoon. Similarly, lots of food shops etc. as we bought food and cooked on the campsite - did usually stop at a boulangerie for croissants, pain au chocolate etc during the morning though.

Only proviso is when in July? After Bastille Day (14th) everyone in France goes on holiday, so campsites by the sea will be rammed.
by RobinS
8 May 2023, 2:57pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Eurovelo 6 from Nantes.
Replies: 16
Views: 1156

Re: Eurovelo 6 from Nantes.

We rode down from St Malo to Nantes, then eastwards as far as Bratislava, camping all the way. Lovely route, mainly plenty of food shops and campsites. Off road cycle routes or quiet roads. Ask away if you have any specific questions.
by RobinS
1 May 2023, 11:23am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: 'Wild' Camping Netherlands & Germany
Replies: 28
Views: 2874

Re: 'Wild' Camping Netherlands & Germany

One thing to bear in mind in Germany, is that many Germans like not just to obey the rules, but to enforce them on others - discrete wild camping where it's not allowed it is distinctly possible you could be moved on by a law enforcing dog walker!
by RobinS
24 Apr 2023, 8:36am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Camping municiple in France
Replies: 27
Views: 3136

Re: Camping municiple in France

Bretonbikes - From the website looks like your site is going really well. We stayed there Saturday 23rd April 2016, on our first ever three month tour, when I believe you had only recently taken it over. I remember you opened up specially for us and made us most welcome. On that trip another site two days further on at Guenrouet also opened specially for us. One of the reasons we love cycling in France, just how welcoming and helpful people are to cyclists!
by RobinS
29 Mar 2023, 12:19pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Cycle Touring or Travelling by Bike? Travel Insurance.
Replies: 13
Views: 982

Re: Cycle Touring or Travelling by Bike? Travel Insurance.

st599_uk wrote: 29 Mar 2023, 11:00am I once saw a travel policy that included Sail Cruising (up to 400m offshore) - I did point out that was where the rocks usually were.
We used to have a get a policy that covered sailing up to 10 miles offshore - it was one category up from cycling then. For hut to hut walking in the Alps and Dolomites, it was higher still, and once glacier travel, rock climbing and alpine mountaineering was included we were only one step below full on Himalayan expedition insurance.

As a couple who have done these sports, and with pre-existing medical conditions, as well as long trips, insurance has been a real issue for us over the years. The best policies for outdoor activities seem poor for medical conditions and vice-versa. I have got used to spending hours on the phone to get the cover we need, fairly minimal - we don't need cancellation, possessions or anything like that, just medical, accident, repatriation.
by RobinS
29 Mar 2023, 10:47am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Cycle Touring or Travelling by Bike? Travel Insurance.
Replies: 13
Views: 982

Re: Cycle Touring or Travelling by Bike? Travel Insurance.

The issue with travel insurance for cycling I think is that "cycle travelling" for an insurance company is very difficult to distinguish from cycling as a sport. For example, when does riding an off-road unsurfaced trail become mountain biking? Mountain biking ranges from pretty safe to extremely risky. How do they distinguish bimbling up Mont Ventoux on your tourer from racing up and down it against a bunch a roadie mates (and the descent can be pretty risky!) Having done lots of what are nowadays considered extreme sports I am just thankful that cycletouring is still considered one of the less risky sports - on a 90 day policy it impacts the premium far less than our pre-existing medical conditions. Also - we had exactly the same issues with sail cruising - it's a form of transport, but also a sport, in the same way that backpacking is - so there is no specific discrimination against cycling, it is just seen as a sport.
by RobinS
13 Mar 2023, 9:31am
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Cycle touring campsites in the Netherlands
Replies: 4
Views: 3494

Re: Cycle touring campsites in the Netherlands

When we have cycled through the Netherlands it has been at the end of 3 month tours, on the way home, so the timing has meant it has been during the school summer holidays - busy time! We never book campsites, and round about lunchtime look to see where the most convenient site for the night is and we have very rarely not been able to camp at our first choice site. Once it was a bit scabby looking, so we cycled to the next one, once the pitches were all full, so the owners got us to pitch on their front lawn, and even brought out cold beers, and patio chairs for us!
by RobinS
28 Feb 2023, 10:21am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Camping municiple in France
Replies: 27
Views: 3136

Re: Camping municiple in France

As above - the book has the same info as the website, but in a more easily browsed format. I used to make a note of possible/likely campsites along the route from the book, then could check them via the website while on the road.

The 2023 book seems to be available on Amazon at present - search for "Guide officiel camping caravaning 2023"
by RobinS
27 Feb 2023, 9:49am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Camping municiple in France
Replies: 27
Views: 3136

Re: Camping municiple in France

Oh, and if you search first on one star sites, then two star you will pick up most of the Municipals, without the distraction of the posh holiday sites.
by RobinS
27 Feb 2023, 9:46am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Camping municiple in France
Replies: 27
Views: 3136

Re: Camping municiple in France

This website lists all the campsites in France, and from the listings you can see which ones are Municipal.

https://www.campingfrance.com/uk

I would say though that a lot of the old, cheap, municipals have either closed down, or passed into private ownership/management. They are not such a good resource as they used to be.