Cycling UK Forum

Check out OpenCycleMap (http://www.opencyclemap.org/) - it shows Route 93 that goes north from Belfast, and passes close to the Giants Causeway.

Will

Have a look at:

http://www.eurovelo.org/routes/

Will

I use the B&M "Ride and Charge" setup on my bike, and use it to charge AA batteries in an Ixon light when on a camping tour.

I found a handlebar switch on e-bay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150485793054), and use it to switch between my dynamo lights, charging batteries, or off.

Will

I found the timetable:

http://www.ret.nl/over-ret/organisatie/ ... 16AF3.ashx

Looks like they haven't got things sorted out at Pistoolhaven yet (due in the autumn).

Will

I noticed this change to LF1 myself recently. It looks like they've put in a new fast ferry service:

http://www.ret.nl/over-ret/organisatie/ ... m=100.ashx

The area around Maasvlakte is very industrial. I think the original LF1 route via Rozenburg/Maassluis is probably still a better route for the touring cyclist following LF1.

I'll be over there next month and will probably check it out. I quite fancy riding up the strip of land between the Calandkanal and the Nieuwe Waterweg, and then getting the ferry from Landtong over to Hoek van Holland.

The connection from Pistoolhaven to Hoek van Holland might be a usefull shortcut for anyone arriving at Europoort.

Will

urban_gibbon wrote:

al_yrpal wrote:Buy the battery and protect your expensive sat nav

Al

Thanks for the response. I assume I would charge up the cache battery during the day, then connect it to the sat-nav at night to charge that up when no on the move?

I believe you connect the battery to the Garmin and the e-Werk at the same time. The e-Werk charges the battery while the battery provides the constant current that the Garmin requires to charge.

Will

The section that runs westwards along the side the A69 just south of Haltwhistle allows you to go under the A69, which is a very busy road (or at least it was when I went that way a couple of weeks ago).

Will

randonneur wrote:''It is possible to drive all the way from Egypt to Kenya on paved roads,''

Maybe as far as the Kenyan Border, but the road south of the Ethiopian Border at Moyale is unpaved.

I worked in Marsabit district about twenty years ago, and have driven down the A2 from Marsabit to Nairobi. In those days, the road was unpaved as far south as Isiolo. I believe that it has not been improved since then, and is really unsuitable for cycling. I believe the road north of Marsabit to Moyale is just as bad.

The northern part of Kenya is desolate and sparsely populated. They have long had a problem with bandits and motorised traffic normally travels in convoys for security.

If the roads and bandits don't get you, then the camel flies surely will.

Will

rualexander wrote:Anyone used a Zzing?

I have. I was charging it from a SON dynamo hub, while connecting it to a Road Angel 7000. It lasted about 6 days before the internal batteries went totally flat and stopped taking a charge completely. I was unable to keep the device charged up due to having to constantly wait for a slow rider in our group.

Now I charge AA batteries in a B&M Ixon light, and that works well for me. I use a Lil' Sync to transfer the power from charged AAs to my GPS, whilst charging another set in the Ixon. I like having the ability to swap batteries around (something that is more difficult with the internal batteries in the zzing).

Will

Another useful site is the National Rail wesite: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/

Here you can view a map of the stations, and identify the location of lifts and ramps.

Will

You can normally book a bike space when you have selected your train and are at the bit to book your seat. It would appear that you cannot book a seat from Leeds to carlisle, or from carlisle to Whitehaven, and hence you cannot book a bike space. You can book a seat from Sunderland to Leeds, and the option to book a bike is available on that train. You will probably have to phone up to book the bike spaces to get to Whitehaven.

The location of the bike spaces varies by train type. I normally just stand around the middle of where the train comes in, and look out for the symbol on the door as the train comes in. If there is a member of staff on the platform, you can ask them.


If the train is busy, then it is a good idea to get on as quick as you can as the space for bikes often has fold down seats that can be used when the space is not being used for bikes. People have a habit of sitting on these seats when there are plenty of other seats available, and are reluctant to move. They also often put large pieces of luggage in the space - The guards are usually pretty good at getting people to move, especially if you have booked a space for your bike.

You may want to take a strap or bungee cord to stop your bike moving.

Will

You can use any train operators web-site to book trains run by another operator. The East Coast Trains web-site (http://www.eastcoast.co.uk/) is the only one that I am aware of that has the facility to book space for bikes.

It is also a good idea to check the engineering work planned on the day that you are travelling, as it may involve the use of replacement buses for part of the journey (and you will not be allowed to take the bikes on the bus). Network Rail have a web-site that allows you to view planned engineering work (http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/761.aspx). The only way that you will be able to get Whitehaven is via Carlisle (as there is engineering work on between Arnside and Burrow-in-Furness).

You bike will go in the carriage with the bike symbol on the door. Spaces are limited, and you should definitely book a place as you will probably not be allowed on with your bike if the spaces are already taken.

Will

I think I understand how this works.

If you have MM 2004 or MM v5 (pre DMS) maps, then they are in the .qct format, so you can just copy the files over to the Maps folder for MM Tracker.

When MM implemented DMS (Digital Map Shop), they changed the format to .qc3 to prevent people from pirating the maps (which was a big problem for them).

If you have pre DMS OS maps, you can just copy the files over as you have done. If you have any maps that you bought through DMS, then they will be in the .qc3 format. Many MM v5 users will have a mixture of pre DMS and DMS maps.

To create your own maps, you need them in a image format supported by MM (such as .png or .tif). You can use maps you download from the web, maps from other mapping applications, or scan paper maps.

The first step is to reduce your map to 8 bit colour (I use a free program called IrfanView).

The next step is to open it in MM (add the folder that contains the map image to the map list). You then have to calibrate it - this is where it gets a bit tricky because not all licenses of MM have the calibrate option. Gridlines on the maps are the best points to use to calibrate the map.

If you have multiple maps (such as different sections of a paper map you have scanned), you can join them together to make one big map.

You can then export your map in the .qct format and use them on your device.

Will

I've got MMTracker installed on my HTC legend as a backup for my Adventurer 2800.

MMTracker can only open the maps if they are in qct format. I often create and calibrate my own maps, so that is not a problem for me. If you export an OS map from Memory Map it creates it in the qc3 format.

How did you manage to get your maps into the qct format?

Will

For e-Werk users, there is a useful list of what charging/powering options work with various devices at:

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/Downloa ... ERK-do.pdf

Will