Cycling UK Forum

I had a similar thing happen to me although the driver was going a bit quicker. I fell to the ground. It didn't hurt at first. Rear wheel damaged though. The driver refused to get out but the passenger did, waving a £10 note at me. I didn't take it but took a photo of the car plate and called the police. When they arrived he still refused to get out of the car. 10 minutes later I went off to hospital to discover I'd broken 2 ribs. Only later did I find out that he was drunk, had no insurance and off he went to court. They gave him 7 points, which banned him from driving. A good result. Thank you Oxfordshire Police.

Thanks for all the replies. I'll eat normally then with the odd bit of sugar. I think I tend to over do the sugar and I often feel dreadful towards the end of a long ride.
One further question, though - now that I know WHAT to eat, HOW MUCH volume should I be eating? Twice, three times what I'd normally eat? Quite often, I stop at controls and I can not face eating. I know I have to "force it in" but it's hard work....!

BTW, Dean, I finally made it to the UK and picked up the frame you sent me last week. Very well packed. Wonderful, thanks.

Just to give you a different option to Spa, I've been more than happy with these:

http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/atb- ... aid:640733

· rims: Mavic A 719, 36 hole
· front hub: Shimano XT DH-T780 hub dynamo, 36 hole
· rear hub: Shimano XT FH-T780, 36 hole
· spokes: DT Swiss Champion, silver
· nipples: DT Swiss Double Square, brass

£158 for the pair.

Just wondered if anyone who has recently taken part in P-B-P would make some notes on their nutrition, food and drinks intake. Any advice would be much appreciated, both good and bad things to be doing during such a long time in the saddle plus the day before's preparation.
I ask because I'm thinking about doing L-E-L and when I audax ride, I have along tradition of messing this aspect up!
Many thanks.

Buy your Hewitt a pair of new wheels and tyres. You will notice a difference and save yourself money. It's also easier to get permission from the wife for such things rather than yet ANOTHER bike.

The Comp 2015 is discounted here -

http://www.bikesheduk.com/bikes/touring ... -comp-2015

Bizarrely, after I wrote my last post above, I wondered downstairs and there on the table was a map of Ypres with the war stuff all marked out. Would you like me to write some notes for you? ...and give you the name of the map (!!??) I'm away for a few days now, but can do it on my return. Let me know.

Not really on the radar in the UK * but on the Continent, they are popular (no real competition though), very well spec'ed for the price with a decent paint job, too.
A touch on the heavy side, if you were to force a negative out of me. Most of their frames are "25CrMo4" which I think is 4130 - same as a Surly LHT.

* I think there is somewhere in Cambridge that sells them. www.chrisbikes.co.uk

Personally I think there is a lot to see around Ypres and virtually nothing at all at Waterloo. I would hate to think that I will cycle all that way east to see a poor museum and a bit a dirt with a lion perched on top.

Ah happy days. I bought the male version for Xmas, when I was 16. Wow. 1990.
The following year, it was exactly the same spec and colour, but the Dawes stickers were white, not grey. I sold it about 10 years ago but saw it on the road and cycled up to the chap and told him to look after it! When I said I owned it, I thought I meant a Galaxy, NOT THAT GALAXY!
John

Just to the south of the city centre there is a Decathlon. They have always been very good to me when it comes to box giving.
Watch out, though, there is also a Decathlon there which specialises in fishing (nature) and golf only.....
Box in French is "boite" (b-w-at)

Sorry to hear of your woes.....I'm not surprised that it was a BMW......they are more aggressive, for sure. A kind of "look at me, I've made it...ha ha and look at you on a bike" mentality.

If you want a VIRB, check this out -
was £250 now £90
http://www.sportpursuit.com/catalog/pro ... /id/604759

These flash sales don't last long.....

No, it is not good value, when there is a quite good looking Dawes Sardar on fleabay currently going for £99.50.
Yes, it will go up, but I doubt by too much and I'd feel much happier with this than the Ridgeback. The frame and components are better and this is generally a well thought of bike, no? It's the better steel version, too. The OP should consider this, if it is the right size.

As for the £150 bike budget, though, I don't really understand why there is such a tight financial constrain. Why go to all the expense of getting there and starting out on a long and probably quite hard trip, only for a sub-standard/old/poorly working bike to fail on you, within the first 100 miles? Better to spend a bit more and make it around, enjoying yourself rather than either being forced to give up, having to constantly worry that it will break any moment or having to go to huge time/financial cost of fixing the damn thing, once there?

Welcome to the Forum.
Just a few notes, off the top of my head.
1. Getting out of the ferry terminal is confusing at Dunkirk. Follow ANY sign you see to any village. Keep your eyes pealed..... it is easy to get trapped in there, you will see what I mean when you arrive.
2. If you want to go up to Bruges, then I would follow the coast up to Ostend and then bend in. It's glorious along the tram line which is obviously flat and the longest in the World.
3. Where there is a cycle path in Begium, by law, you have to use it and cars will be unkind if you don't.
4. Bruges to Antwerpen is a nice run, well paved, flat but around A, I find the roads "hairy".
5. Note that Belgium marks roads, tracks, unpaved gravel, farming rights of way ALL as roads on Garmin.....I get caught out all the time with this!
6. The road surfaces are good generally, better than the UK, which isn't saying much is it, but they are far from perfect. There are cobbled streets about..... The canal stuff though is great. 9/10.
7. I see quite a few WHPVs in Belgium so you will feel at home! There's one or two that turn up for audaxes here.
8. If you want to go for speed, to get to your destination, go through the middle of Belgium, Ypres, Waregem, Affligem (avoid Ninove and the road into Brussels, horrid!) Kortenberg, Genk, in which case you will pass very close to my house, and you are welcome to a cuppa....
Have fun,

Don't forget the elephant in the room - rent and rates for your LBS....which is a killer for a smaller business.*
They will also have have a higher amount VAT to pay of the items (cash, obviously not the %) and will undoubtedly pay the full corporation tax rate, which is probably unlike the huge mail order competitors who act within the law but "juggle money about" to reduce this burden, none of which the LBS can do....

*How many landlords went bust during the post 2008 fallout....err....very, very few - I can't think of one.....