Cycling UK Forum

Thank you both, very helpful.

Hi all, we currently ride a Cannondale mt 800 tandem, in touring guise, for day rides and overnighters. Mrs Hoppy however has trouble with getting her leg over the top tube. We were wondering whether a Circe Helios may be the answer to this problem with its low stand over at the rear. We also like the fact that it can be carried in the back of our small estate car.

Does anyone on here have one, if so, how do they ride and would it be okay for day rides of say 40 miles and for lightweight touring? Cheers.

To be honest I have only recently bought these and haven’t tried them properly, but they seem ok, especially if you put them in at an angle.

Instead of a mallet, I use a rubber (cupped) tip from a walking pole, placed upside down, to push pegs in. It has a metal insert inside which prevents the pegs from tearing through the rubber, and the flared rubber end provides a comfortable support for your hand when pushing the pegs in. Works really well for y or straight pegs, but looped pegs won’t fit in the ‘cup’. The tip weighs next to nothing and fits in the peg bag.

I used to have a kinesis t2, nice light alu frame and plenty of room for guards. I ran it with 25s and guards but I think it could possibly squeeze 28s in. I sold it a few years ago and have always regretted it since! Really nice to ride.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/road.cc/co ... t-t2%3Famp

...think it’s been superseded now by the t3. I think you can pick up whole bikes or just frames quite cheaply 2nd hand

No, I don’t think macpac have the ‘prestige’ of Hilleberg, so go cheaper second hand..a similar one to mine has just gone on eBay for £132...yet I’ve read a review from someone who owns both a macpac and a Hilleberg, saying the macpac’s more robust than the Hilleberg.

Right, here goes....

Macpac minaret (see above) ...£55
Snugpak travelpak 2 sleeping bag .....£31
Alpkit aero 120 sleeping mat ....£35
Mini Trangia cookset/stove ....£22.50
Spork ....£2
Plastic mug ....£1

Total..£146.50

Weights, respectively:

2400g
1100g
450g
330g
20g
50g

Total.....4.350kg

Quite pleased with that and even got change for a pint and a packet of crisps

This is all my kit, but I recently splashed out on a decathlon forclaz 900 down bag, which was a budget-busting £119 !!

The Alpkit mat is brilliant. Very warm and comfy and long enough for me at 5’7”. The snugpak bag is great for summer, but a bit thin for cooler weather. The mini trangia needs no introduction but works best with a wind shield, although there is plenty of safe room to cook in the tent porch, out of the wind (the inner tent folds back to increase the porch space).

Just bought a macpac minaret on Facebook market place for £55.00, posted. It’s approx a 2005 model but hasn’t had a hard life and macpac are up there with the best of them for longevity and durability. It’s in fabulous condition and all I’ve done is gently clean it with warm water and re- proof it with Graingers.

There seems to have been a lot of good used tents and gear for sale recently as people have lock-down clear outs. Get a good strong tent for low cost and you’re well on you way to meeting the challenge!

Weight about 2.4kg...not the lightest but totally bombproof. I’m looking forward to some wet, windy nights to snuggle down!

Here are some photos...

If you are looking for an alternative, Genesis/Ridgeback are generally better vfm than Surly and cover similar, well thought out steel framesets. You can get some real bargains on eBay/ gumtree as well for crois de fers, tour de fers etc. Many see Genesis as the UK Surly!!

BTW would a set of new 26 rigida sputniks make a difference to the ride?

I’ve not tried them but by all accounts they’re very good. You could run what you’ve got until they start wearing out and meanwhile look out in the classifieds...good, little-used wheels frequently come up, or have a look at a good shop such as spa cycles who do very good wheel builds.

Tange tubing is really good quality and the early to mid 90s saracens are quality bikes. I had a hardtrax, which was fairly basic and a protrax, more high end. Both bikes gave me loads of fun and were ideal for touring, off road and other duties as well.

I currently have a rigid ‘95 Marin Eldridge Grade which is of a similar ilk (tange cromo tubing) and it’s a lovely, nippy bike which can handle general touring duties easily. Incidentally I had a 26” Surly LHT which I found to be very heavy, sluggish and overkill for anything other than full on heavy touring..I much prefer the ride of my old rigid Marin.

So, my advice would be hold on to your Saracen, treat it to some nice rack(s), guards and wheels (dynohub front wheel?)...some tyres like Schwalbe land cruisers are good all round on/off road tyres. If you eventually decide you want a Surly, then buy a frame/forks and swap all the nice bits over!

That looks lovely...love the tyres.

Fitting guards to a vagabond takes a bit of fiddling to get the gaps right and also to get clearance at the rear of the seat tube by the front mech.

I used a side swing front mech so the only incursion at the rear of the seat tube is the band. This gives loads of space not only for guards but also for big tyres if you’re not running guards -2.1s comfortably, probably 2.25s although not tried them.

With 700 x 35-40 tyres, I use standard sks 50mm and fit them with a variety of p clips spacers and bracket extenders. I’ve also fitted some RAW mud flaps, colour coded to the bike’s original colour scheme - bit poncey I know, but I like it!

I’ve used 55 sks guards with 2.15 big apples (not on the vagabond) and they were ok, but 65’s are better.

For bigger, knobbly tyres I use the sks velo 65 ‘s which are really rigid for off road use.

moderators - I meant to put this in the main section but accidentally put it in this sub-section!

I've been watching this series on you tube. its Barry Godin's practical take on cycle touring with an emphasis on off-road/bike-packing. I find Barry very engaging and entertaining and have enjoyed watching this lock-down special.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGgXOX20fRk