Thanks for all of the great comments, folks! I like how many knowledgeable people this forum has on it!
After a lot of thinking, I am contemplating buying a Long Haul Trucker and having a local shop put S&S couplers on it, so that 1) I don't have to pay VAT for a bike bought in the UK (so it'd be cheaper), and 2) I can take it on a plane without having to pay extra fees (I thought my "free bag" for my flight would pay for it, but they (United) require a smaller box than a full-sized bike would fit in), and 3) I can bring it back with me just as easily.
I may buy racks for it in the UK, and just leave the racks there, so I don't have to fit a bike-with-racks in a case; but this option seems the best to me.
- Tim
Search found 186 matches
- 9 Mar 2016, 8:49pm
- Forum: Lands End to John O'Groats
- Topic: American wants to do LEJOG - equipment and accommodation?
- Replies: 30
- Views: 4439
- 9 Mar 2016, 8:47pm
- Forum: Lands End to John O'Groats
- Topic: American wants to do LEJOG - equipment and accommodation?
- Replies: 30
- Views: 4439
Re: American wants to do LEJOG - equipment and accommodation
MGate wrote:I've got a Thorn Audax in about 21 - 22 inch (never measured it) that you can borrow for the summer - Its a triple with downtube shifters and is my 'winter' bike. Good mile muncher - If it fits you are welcome.
Well that's exceedingly kind of you! If I end up not buying one, I may contact you about that. It's unlikely, but I really thank you for your kind offer!
- Tim
- 8 Mar 2016, 4:17am
- Forum: Lands End to John O'Groats
- Topic: Where have all the end to enders gone?
- Replies: 72
- Views: 7066
Re: Where have all the end to enders gone?
nnc283 wrote:We do still get the hard core riders like the guy who rode all the way from Gibraltar to John o' Groats in three weeks - on a mountain bike... and we've had a few unsupported cyclists on a five day schedule. We didn't get the bloke who was walking backwards but some lunatic did turn up a few years ago riding a tandem solo with a skeleton strapped in the stokers seat.
Huh, I wonder if that's the guy who does The Death Ride most years here in California. He does that (Tandem with a skeleton). He also has a music system on it that plays Grateful Dead music all day.
Found a video of the guy - this him?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_taH_2Qugg4
... oh wait... looks like this is a "thing" for more than one person... huh...
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandevent ... 2-11-13-33
- 8 Mar 2016, 2:14am
- Forum: Lands End to John O'Groats
- Topic: American wants to do LEJOG - equipment and accommodation?
- Replies: 30
- Views: 4439
American wants to do LEJOG - equipment and accommodation?
Hi all...
I'm in San Francisco, and want to do the LEJOG. Originally I had wanted to do coast-to-coast in the US (as this is the 20th anniversary of the time I did it as part of a fundraiser), but don't have the 3 months to spare; I figured I could spare 1 month and do this one. I'm planning maybe a 3 week trip for the ride itself, to do it nice and relaxed.
One problem I have is that of equipment; I have all I need here, but don't feel that great about taking my $5000 Bruce Gordon touring bike as baggage on United (I have heard people tell of the TSA not closing shipping boxes properly and bikes falling out, or baggage handlers dropping them 15 feet to the tarmac, etc), even though with the flight I can have it as baggage for free. Also, I never really enjoyed the hassle of taking the bike partly apart and back together again twice (not a huge hassle, I admit, but annoying).
So I'm trying to decide between bringing my trusty Bruce Gordon (in a well-made bike box), hiring a bike in the UK, or buying a bike (new or used) in the UK. My step-sister lives in the Southeast, so if I bought a bike there, I could leave it with her for future trips, which is nice.
Right now, for new bikes in the UK, I was thinking of either a Thorn Club Tour Mk4 (around £1800 (probably not including VAT)), a Surly Disc Trucker (somewhat less than that), or perhaps something quite cheap (Dawes or Ridgeback). The Thorns look nice, and are built in the UK (tho' I think this model's frame is likely made in China).
Or I could do a lot of searching to find a used bike. Or find a company that would hire me a relatively decent touring bike (I hear that most have Dawes-level bikes for such hiring).
I *do* plan to do more European tours in the future (my dad lives in France, and I bought a hybrid and left it at his house for lightweight credit-card touring, and have used it a few times there, but I would like to have a fully-loaded tourer available to me), so buying and keeping one there might be a good option.
So - what would YOU do in my situation? Any suggestions? I basically don't want a clunker of a bike, but don't need something super-high-end either.
The other issue I'm thinking about is accommodation - I'm thinking of mostly camping along the way to save money, with a few B&B/hotel stays as well. If I wanted to camp every night along the way, is there a decent amount of availability along the route? Places with showers and such? I'm planning on starting the trip sometime in the last week or two of May.
If you've read this far, thanks! Let me know if you have any suggestions for my questions!
- Tim
I'm in San Francisco, and want to do the LEJOG. Originally I had wanted to do coast-to-coast in the US (as this is the 20th anniversary of the time I did it as part of a fundraiser), but don't have the 3 months to spare; I figured I could spare 1 month and do this one. I'm planning maybe a 3 week trip for the ride itself, to do it nice and relaxed.
One problem I have is that of equipment; I have all I need here, but don't feel that great about taking my $5000 Bruce Gordon touring bike as baggage on United (I have heard people tell of the TSA not closing shipping boxes properly and bikes falling out, or baggage handlers dropping them 15 feet to the tarmac, etc), even though with the flight I can have it as baggage for free. Also, I never really enjoyed the hassle of taking the bike partly apart and back together again twice (not a huge hassle, I admit, but annoying).
So I'm trying to decide between bringing my trusty Bruce Gordon (in a well-made bike box), hiring a bike in the UK, or buying a bike (new or used) in the UK. My step-sister lives in the Southeast, so if I bought a bike there, I could leave it with her for future trips, which is nice.
Right now, for new bikes in the UK, I was thinking of either a Thorn Club Tour Mk4 (around £1800 (probably not including VAT)), a Surly Disc Trucker (somewhat less than that), or perhaps something quite cheap (Dawes or Ridgeback). The Thorns look nice, and are built in the UK (tho' I think this model's frame is likely made in China).
Or I could do a lot of searching to find a used bike. Or find a company that would hire me a relatively decent touring bike (I hear that most have Dawes-level bikes for such hiring).
I *do* plan to do more European tours in the future (my dad lives in France, and I bought a hybrid and left it at his house for lightweight credit-card touring, and have used it a few times there, but I would like to have a fully-loaded tourer available to me), so buying and keeping one there might be a good option.
So - what would YOU do in my situation? Any suggestions? I basically don't want a clunker of a bike, but don't need something super-high-end either.
The other issue I'm thinking about is accommodation - I'm thinking of mostly camping along the way to save money, with a few B&B/hotel stays as well. If I wanted to camp every night along the way, is there a decent amount of availability along the route? Places with showers and such? I'm planning on starting the trip sometime in the last week or two of May.
If you've read this far, thanks! Let me know if you have any suggestions for my questions!
- Tim
- 10 May 2014, 9:52pm
- Forum: Does anyone know … ?
- Topic: Best places to hire a touring bike around London?
- Replies: 5
- Views: 2771
Re: Best places to hire a touring bike around London?
Thanks for your suggestions, folks! Just after I posted that, I mapped out a general route and planned a day-for-day schedule... and it looks like I am being overambitious with the time I've got available. 
To do the kind of trip I really want to do, I'd need a solid 2 weeks or more, and I just don't have that amount of time (US vacations being what they are, I get 3 weeks a year, not the 5 most folks in the UK seem to start with). I'll probably only have 9 riding days available.
I'm trying to find a way to get around this, like perhaps start the trip further along my desired route, perhaps starting in Dorset somewhere (and hiring the bike there). Then the problem becomes getting the bike back to Dorset, which is out of the way from where I intend the trip to end.
I think I may indeed look into buying a used bike. At least I could leave it with my step-sister (who lives in Eastbourne) at the end of my trip and they could make some use of it in any case.
*sigh* I'm looking forward to when I can have more time for this kind of travel.
- Tim
To do the kind of trip I really want to do, I'd need a solid 2 weeks or more, and I just don't have that amount of time (US vacations being what they are, I get 3 weeks a year, not the 5 most folks in the UK seem to start with). I'll probably only have 9 riding days available.
I'm trying to find a way to get around this, like perhaps start the trip further along my desired route, perhaps starting in Dorset somewhere (and hiring the bike there). Then the problem becomes getting the bike back to Dorset, which is out of the way from where I intend the trip to end.
I think I may indeed look into buying a used bike. At least I could leave it with my step-sister (who lives in Eastbourne) at the end of my trip and they could make some use of it in any case.
*sigh* I'm looking forward to when I can have more time for this kind of travel.
- Tim
- 10 May 2014, 3:33am
- Forum: Does anyone know … ?
- Topic: Best places to hire a touring bike around London?
- Replies: 5
- Views: 2771
Best places to hire a touring bike around London?
Hi folks...
I live in San Francisco, CA (USA), and am planning a bike tour from around Eastbourne to Cornwall and 'round back to Bath, for this July.
I have quite a few nice bikes, but don't want to box one up to ship around for this trip; so I've been looking around on the web for places I could hire one. I'll be in London and Eastbourne, so anywhere between those two (or possibly in Brighton) would be an ok place to pick up a bike.
Some people have suggested I look for a cheap used bike, but anything of any quality is still at least triple what I'd pay for a rental.
So, if anyone has any suggestions as to a good place to find a decent touring bike to hire in that area, I'd much appreciate it!
Also, if you have any suggestions for "places I must see/avoid" on my route, that'd be wonderful too.
- Tim
I live in San Francisco, CA (USA), and am planning a bike tour from around Eastbourne to Cornwall and 'round back to Bath, for this July.
I have quite a few nice bikes, but don't want to box one up to ship around for this trip; so I've been looking around on the web for places I could hire one. I'll be in London and Eastbourne, so anywhere between those two (or possibly in Brighton) would be an ok place to pick up a bike.
Some people have suggested I look for a cheap used bike, but anything of any quality is still at least triple what I'd pay for a rental.
So, if anyone has any suggestions as to a good place to find a decent touring bike to hire in that area, I'd much appreciate it!
Also, if you have any suggestions for "places I must see/avoid" on my route, that'd be wonderful too.
- Tim