Cycling UK Forum

Dave855 wrote:Hufty- Would it fully charge two AA's from flat in a days cycling do you reckon? Would the Nokia supplied dynamo be sufficient or is the one you're using superior? And can it all be converted as you've done relatively simply???

I only really used it to keep batteries topped up so I couldn't say how long it would take from flat. The Nokia website reckons that an 860mAh phone battery can be charged with 20 minutes of cycling, so for a couple of 2700mAh AAs that would be around 1hr 20 of >10kph cycling. That sounds slightly optimistic to me but it's way less than a day.

No reason to think the supplied dynamo can't cope but it would have been wrongly-handed for my bike. A dymotec has an efficiency of 40% according to the bummde website, which I assume is better than cheaper dynamos.

You don't have to use a USB connector of course but I decided that was what I was going to standardise everything to. I think the basic conversion is simple - cut the 2mm Nokia connector off the end of the charger and bare the wires, discard the male half of a USB extension lead, keep the female half and bare the wires. Connect them together observing polarity, away you go. All the rest of it was me going to town on robust connections etc. The bike bit worked fine straight away, the problems all came from the cheap USB wall charger, which I eventually resolved as per my thread.

Search the forum for "USB charger", "iphone charger", "tout terrain plug", "eWerk", and also have a look at http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?p=384832. I have the set up as per that thread, which works fine. Nokia charger (which includes dynamo) + USB cable to butcher + battery charger = under £50. But I have to say you might find it's actually a lot less hassle to carry spares and have a charging spree when you come across a plug somewhere. You can cycle all day trickle charging with a dynamo, or you can have an extended lunch stop by a mains connection and fast charge four batteries. It depends on your route and so on of course.

Just a note on the subject of non-incidental and incidental activities: I found one insurer who allowed cycle touring as a level 2 sporting activity (ie you have to pay a bit more dosh) as long as it was on an incidental basis. When I questioned how anyone can cycle tour on an incidental basis they went back to their underwriters, who clarified that as long as the cycle touring wasn't part of a competition or race I was covered. I thought this was good customer service by the way, my point is that the phone-monkeys in the call centres don't have any particular legal or insurance background so it can be a good idea to email in with questions.

Other insurance nasties I have come across are a general exclusion if you're not wearing the appropriate safety gear for the activity (imagine how vociferously they would argue that one if they've just got a bill for medevac'ing you in the US); a specific requirement for helmet wearing (let's not go there); and a general exclusion for any activity above 2000m, which would seem to rule out even going to some major cities worldwide. Read the small print before you buy!

Can't give any specific recommendations - still shopping around myself.

Just for the record, pga, what was your set-up?

As you can see from the picture, these are similar to Powergrips, but are made in the UK out of recycled seatbelts. I've always held back from trying Powergrips due to that extra bracket you have to put on the pedal and what looks like a fiddly method of adjustment. The Restraps attatch directly to the pedal with nuts washers and bolts through eyeleted holes. The strap is actually three interlocking layers of seatbelt with velcro on each surface, so adjustment is just a case of opening and closing velcro.

They're not Taiwan-cheap so I'm pleased to report that they are well made. The stitching is good, the eyelets are in exactly the right place, they've got a logo. Because of the layering, there is plenty of stiffness to leave an arch for you to get your foot in, and you can pull up on them without worrying about the velcro coming undone. There's enough adjustment to get a workboot in. Where the straps fix to the pedal, the washers spread the force and increase the contact area sufficiently and I'm pretty confident the holes won't rip through or anything like that, although I won't be able to confirm this for another few years. They also do through-pedal straps if you were worried about this.

My main reason for getting them is that normal toe clips and straps don't work so well with Keens. You can get in okay but the straps get between the gaps in the sandal and it can be difficult to get your foot out. Obviously this isn't going to happen with a strap the width of a seatbelt. Getting your feet out is never going to be a problem. Getting your second foot in takes a couple of goes to get used to. The pedal won't hang at the same angle as a toe-clipped pedal, so the flick up is a bit different that's all (I now flick from the corner of the pedal). You're never going to feel as dialled-in as with SPDs, but for me these are a lot more comfortable and safer than normal toestraps, oh and you can stand on them if ever you need the ground clearance.

Thurso is not your only option: you could get a train to Lairg then cycle from there. It still involves cycling the last 60miles to Durness but it might be a better alternative.

If you're going down the R&K route, have a look at http://www.klickfix.de >For Handlebar>Handlebar Bags>For Handlebar Adapters for their full range but there aren't any photos of the insides of the ladies bags.

Sorry didn't see your question. Yes I have drop handlebars and the mitts don't make it difficult to brake.

It was me who suggested this to gloomyandy in a different thread, but I think it was Copernicus who first came up with the idea of having the sleep mat below the groundsheet to avoid condensation. The science was on his side even if the populace wasn't. People have put forward all sorts of reasons over the years for why you can't do it (eg dirt on mat, theft of mat, inevitability of puncture of mat when unprotected by groundsheet, utter impossibility of reinflation of mat whilst in tent) but I have had many years of sub-groundsheet Thermarest and now Numo use, without these (or any other) problems. If you want to reduce in-tent condensation, try thinking outside the bathtub. If you don't need to or don't want to, have your mat in the tent. If it's a thermarest, whatever you do make sure you observe the "Sleep This Side" sticker.

Worth considering Virgin Atlantic. Their current sports equipment baggage rules are here. Basically sports equipment is free and is in addition to your other luggage allowance not part of it.

gloomyandy wrote:Depends on the type of mat you have. If you have something like an Exped SynMat (sort of like a high tech air mattress), then that is not going to go under the groundsheet...

Unless you have a kevlar groundsheet, I would suggest that anything that is sharp enough to penetrate the groundsheet will probably go through to the mat. I've used thermarests for years under the groundsheet without punctures (or condensation) and currently have an Alpkit Numo which is like a low tech SynMat.

+1 for Buffalo products (I use their mitts now instead of waterproof gloves)
Also would suggest Icebreaker merino socks - surprisingly pleasant to put on when wet.

gloomyandy wrote:Hi,
What do you do if the tent is wet? Do you end up with your sleeping mat getting wet?

Surely you put your sleeping mat under the groundsheet to avoid condensation forming in the tent? In which case it doesn't matter if the mat is wet or not.

I posted this on a different thread only the other day: if you're thinking of getting Powergrips also have a look at http://www.restrap.co.uk/products. I've got a pair on order but they haven't arrived as of yet so can't tell you much more about them. (Declaration of Interests: No connection whatsoever to the company, but I do live in West Yorkshire.)

How about these trimmed and stuffed down your favourite underpants:
Men's or Women's models available