Cycling UK Forum

the super light says the seams are not factory sealed. is this just a case of laying it out and rubbing some sort of goo on the seams, to make it waterproof?

cheers

OK, thanks. I'll take a look at them.

Do you guys have any experience with the widgets required to pitch inner only? Ie, how robust, rough size, etc?


cheers,
Doug

Hi,

I am looking for a free-standing tent (needed for sand or indoors), which can also be pitched inner only. Enough space for 1 plus a couple of panniers, though they'll probably be pillows.

The tent will be used with pegs in the winter up here (Scotland), so needs a waterproof outer and strong enough for high winds.

I have used a North Face Tadpole 23 before, which was ideal. But I was on a motorbike and weight/pack-size wasn't such an issue as on a bicycle. And it fell off the bike, so I don't have it anymore. It's really the pack-size that is the problem with this tent, as it's fairly light. But I think removing the poles and sticking them somewhere on the frame, would solve the pack-size issue? Are there any tried and tested methods for doing this?

Currently I have a North Face Mountain Marathon, which is excellent for wet and cold nights. Except that it needs pegs (a problem in the Sahara).

The previous tents I've seen recommended for cycling all seem to require pegs.

cheers,
Doug

yep, those in the second pic are Bar Muffs.

you can fashion your own hand guards/wind-deflectors from the plastic milk bottles (the ones with handles) and a pair of scissors.

I use the plastic gloves from petrol stations, when motor biking. Don't really feel the need when cycling (don't go that fast). But the plastic gloves under my (waterproof/windproof ha ha..) motorbike gloves make a really positive difference.

essentially they are 100% windproof, which is what I find the main problem on the motorbike (having my hands outside in 90 mph windchill). Just ridden London-Edinburgh today, and hands were freezing (winter gloves, heated grips, bar muffs). Picked up some of these plastic gloves, and, while not as warm as toast, had the rest of the ride pain free and able to operate the brakes/clutch.

worth trying. and they are free...

Michelin 792 'haute résistance' : all of France 1 cm : 10 km. This was my end of day 'tomorrows plan' map, giving a good perspective of just where the blazes I was.

I also used an IGN map 1 cm : 2.5 km (the purple one, €5.20) of the region I was cycling in. This was a great day map, as it has lots of tourist info (such as sites, smallest roads, etc). I reckon you'd need up to 5 of these for your route!

The Bike Express is excellent, I used it this year down to Orléans. That was about my personal limit for sitting on a bus. I did both ways, and the route back was more subdued and less interesting than the bus journey there. Everyone was sleeping!

I think once I started to understand that pattern recognition thing, life on two wheels got a little easier. It's not 100% full-proof, as there are just some nutters out there intent on proving their point.

when cycling and motorcycling, I move road position sometimes when approaching a car that's about to pull out, or generally pull across my path. as long as nothing is coming up from behind I'll move into the middle of the lane (or as far as is necessary), to break up the scene using movement.

it definitely works. you get drivers that, despite eye-balling you, jump in their seats when you suddenly enter their consciousness.

I've been riding motorbikes for ages, as well as cycling. These days (EU law) motorbikes have to have dipped lights on all the time, there's now no off-switch on motorbike lights. Sort of ok, though I would like the choice.

The problem is, some bright spark in an EU office thinks this is such a good idea that they want the same to apply to cars. So all cars will have their day lights on all the time (no possibility to switch them off).

The effect of this will be (if it comes to be law) that motorcyclists will disappear into the background again. This is a danger of getting politicians/EU involvement, they tend to want to control and they always seem to take things too far.

So, as has been said, reflective vests become law, helmets become law, brightness of lights become law. Then they start going after pedestrians, and reflective vests become law, etc.

My personal view (which comes from motorbiking) is that I do not want to dress in high-vis stuff. I am interested in the pattern-recognition thing (where a car driving is looking for car shapes coming up the road, so bikes/cycles don't match that shape/pattern and are not seen by the brain), so high vis clothing makes not a lot of difference to someone not programmed to look for it.

I am responsible for myself, so deal with other traffic on my own terms. Whether that be assertive riding, defensive, pleasant, not-so-pleasant. I don't wear a high vis because I don't want to give myself the impression that it makes me more visible. The people who would see it, are probably the ones I don't really need to worry about. The people here saying high vis works are already cyclists. Ironically, even they are reporting near misses when vis'd-up.

I did some police (motorbike) training. Following a cop bike back into town, a car slices into our lane from a slip road on the left. Copper went nuts over the intercomm, "I'm dressed like a f'ing canary with lights on, and the b'stards still don't see you."

Would have been nice if the copper had actually nicked the guy for not paying attention. But these days we are making so many allowances for bad driving that we now just accept it. allowances I see are, high vis jackets, lower speed limits, safer cars, parking sensors, air bags (soon to be in motorbikes!), larger cars, presumed right to drive.