Cycling UK Forum

Yes, it's on Android.

It doesn't have all the functionality of the website.

I think it's mainly intended for turn by turn navigation on the go.

If you prepare routes before you leave you can call them up on the road I think but you will need a wifi/data connection at least initially.

No experience of Garmin either I'm afraid.

I use a wrist monitor linked to my Wahoo Roam.

It doesn't make any sort of judgement but as I have heart issues including AF I always feel it is wise to err on the side of caution so I use the "traditional" calculation to decide what I should be looking for on a ride.

I can also tell going uphill if it is getting difficult and once it gets to about 140 I bail out. I do see from the 3 calculations above if I use the 3rd one it gives 164 which I would certainly not like to get to.

the right time to cash out a chunk of money

Don't forget to consider the possible capital gains tax liability!

I’ve emailed several campsites but had no reply,

I'm doing a short trip from Ouistreham to Cherbourg but not until July. (Not Brittany I know but camping in Northern France)

I would look at the website for the sites you are considering as most of them give their opening times. Whether they reply is a different matter although I tend to use Google translate to enquire. I have earmarked Arromanche and St Mere Eglise as possibles and they both open in April I think. As I recall they were/are municipal sites.

Personally I’d prefer to stay as is on the power levels.

+ 1

At least whilst we still have the mish mash of shared use paths. They would be an unpleasant experience for rider and pedestrian with more powerful bikes and the publicity would all be bad leading I fear to unnecessary restrictions.

Thanks, but I dont want to navigate through london on my own, on a loaded folding bike, while having a train to catch.

I can understand that and it is your choice of course but it very much depends on the time of day I think.

I've cycled from Waterloo to Kings Cross in the early morning in similar circumstances and I found it quite easy. Personally I find manhandling a loaded bike into a lift a bit of a faff but each to his own.

I have a thin wire lock that attaches the panniers to the bike

I have those but I don't use them anymore and certainly not whilst moving.

A word of warning. When I hit the bollard in Spain in 2011 instead of the front pannier shearing off leaving me to carry on but a pannier short, because it was locked to the rack it forced the handlebars to swivelled round and propelled the bike and me into the air!!!

So my advice is only lock them when the bike is stationary.

A testimony to Ortlieb though all four panniers are still in use today with some new clips ect.

How old is too old for touring

If you ride regularly you will know what daily mileage you are comfortable with.

In 2014 I did a Spanish tour with my much younger son and was able to do a 50 mile day without too much trouble although he did have to wait quite a long time at the top of the hills

However I'm 75 this year and I have just short solo tours in France and Northern Spain planned this year. I reckon I can still do 25 miles in a day so I plan my tours around that.

Personally I would still take a device which could be used to charge from AA batteries. As I said they are not environmentally friendly but could be useful on the odd occasion. They seem to be harder to find these days and those I have googled don't seem to like Apple technology which won't be much use for many.

I guess if I lived in east anglia the Harwich ferry would be more appealing

Or like me, Winchester and the Portsmouth ferries!! Plymouth with a bike, no fun at all.

Nothing to add about the route I'm afraid as I have only got as far as the Rioja region going south, but I agree about the hills having done a few east/west tours there. I do recall it is a slog up from the coast to Potes and in places you have the dispiriting optical illusion of the road grinding up but appearing to be going downhill!! Coming back from Potes to Santander I misread the map badly and ended up doing 3 x 600 meter climbs. I wasn't happy!!

It may be me but I never found camping there particularly easy. Santander is OK and there is not a bad one just along the coast at Comillas but generally I found the Spanish sites, such as they were, being large family orientated.

Nigel Huddleston, financial secretary to the Treasury, said: “We will change the law at the next available Finance Bill in order to avoid tax outcomes that could inadvertently harm farmers, van drivers and the UK’s economy.”

Not particularly clear but I would suspect sooner than the election.

Quite right Jonathan. I got it the wrong way round!!!

Sorry but it appears the decision has been reversed by the government. They are back to being cars again sadly.

I'm 75 this year so not long to go. What's performance!!

I just enjoy riding my bike as long as it isn't raining. Get to a hill. Too steep, just get off and push. Only do 25 miles so what.

My only gripe with a number of cycling mags is that they do focus on performance but I expect that is what the majority of the readership wants.

I do like a belt and braces approach, sometimes multiple belts... Some options I've used - A torch that also doubles as a additional powerbank, a USB charger that takes AA batteries (Hugely inefficient, but you can get the AAs anywhere)

+1

I tend to go on short trips only these days so 2 powerbanks plus backups are all I need. (I think!!)

I'm assuming solar power technology has improved as in the early days I tried a number of types and never got any power out of any of them.