Search found 113 matches

by bobzeller
15 Oct 2015, 9:58pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Cycle clothing?
Replies: 38
Views: 3439

Re: Cycle clothing?

Sorry Tangled Metal. Got the name wrong.

Bob
by bobzeller
15 Oct 2015, 9:56pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Cycle clothing?
Replies: 38
Views: 3439

Re: Cycle clothing?

Many thanks for the suggestion, Tangled Web. I'll do some homework.

Cheers

Bob
by bobzeller
11 Oct 2015, 9:58pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Cycle clothing?
Replies: 38
Views: 3439

Re: Cycle clothing?

Thanks in4time. I'm grateful for your comments. Perhaps I should look at Ventile cloth jackets as well. In the late seventies, I had a Green Spot Nomad Ventile cloth jacket and it was as good as you could get in those days. It's now being made by Hilltrek, in Scotland. Howies also make a couple. What I'm looking for is a jacket that is reasonably waterproof, quick drying, all-day comfortable and not form fitting like so many cycling specific jackets. It should have pockets for those times when it's worn off the bike. And it should be light weight and easy to pack in a pannier of 'bar bag. Any ideas?

Cheers
by bobzeller
8 Oct 2015, 7:57pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Cycle clothing?
Replies: 38
Views: 3439

Re: Cycle clothing?

Many thanks Meic.

I hadn't seen your earlier comments.

Cheers

Bob
by bobzeller
8 Oct 2015, 9:37am
Forum: On the road
Topic: Cycle clothing?
Replies: 38
Views: 3439

Re: Cycle clothing?

Has anyone experience with a Paramo Quinto jacket? I'm particularly keen to find out if it is usable during summer months. It seems to be an excellent all-round touring jacket. Not too cycling specific in cut but sufficient and both reasonably light weight and packable. But would it be too warm to wear year round?

Thanks

Bob
by bobzeller
2 Oct 2015, 9:21pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: GPS or maps
Replies: 35
Views: 7545

Re: GPS or maps

Richard,

This is a very late thank you for you offer to help. I haven't been on this page for some time and didn't realise you had replied to my comment. I'll get in touch when I am back at home in a few weeks.

Cheers

Bob
by bobzeller
29 Sep 2015, 2:31pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: CTC Poly Bike Bag and Easyjet Questions
Replies: 47
Views: 8175

Re: CTC Poly Bike Bag and Easyjet Questions

Thanks to all re my question as to the sizes of bike boxes from airlines.

Bob
by bobzeller
22 Sep 2015, 10:39pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: CTC Poly Bike Bag and Easyjet Questions
Replies: 47
Views: 8175

Re: CTC Poly Bike Bag and Easyjet Questions

A quick question; when you are forced into using an airline supplied box, is it a standard bike box such as the ones used to ship new bikes to shops?
Do the wheels have to be removed to use it?


Thanks

Bob
by bobzeller
14 Sep 2015, 9:57pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Airlines and CTC flight bags
Replies: 12
Views: 1445

Re: Airlines and CTC flight bags

Would it not be possible for the CTC to meet individually with each airlines that cyclo tourists tend to use, show them the CTC bags and, if the bags are acceptable to that airline, ask the airline to advise its employees and issue letters or other documents confirming it? ? We could then take a copy of that letter to show airline employees that the bags are indeed okay - assuming they are. Chris Judden,where are you?

Cheers

Bob
by bobzeller
10 Jul 2015, 10:18pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Garmin Tour mapping
Replies: 43
Views: 9466

Re: Garmin Tour mapping

Some time ago, I asked for assistance using my then new Garmin Edge Touring GPS unit. I am now just back from a 500km tour in France, almost all of which was planned using Ride With GPS and then loaded into my Garmin. It did a remarkable job, very much better than I had anticipated. One great benefit was that, at times, I ended up using even smaller roads than the usual quiet D roads that I normally ride. Ride With GPS and the Garmin made all of this possible because had I just been using a map, I would have looked for roads that were quiet but were relatively long so that I wasn't constantly consulting the map when I arrived at intersections. The GPS simply told me when to turn left or right and thus I rode so quite wonderful routes that I would have avoided at other times.

There were some complications as well. I sometimes struggled to get on track at the start of a route. One time I exited a train station from the other (back) side where I had got off the train and not the main doors of the front of the station. This had the poor Garmin going crazy trying to figure out where I was and I ended up in an almost impossible one-way road system. Using the GPS didn't mean going without a map, nor using it. But it did open up many new routes to me which would have been to convoluted with it. I would recommend it to everyone.

Regards to all

Bob
by bobzeller
17 Jun 2015, 11:39am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Locks for touring
Replies: 5
Views: 543

Re: Locks for touring

Thanks to all for the advice about my need to change from a cafe lock for touring to something more substantial because there will be more city centre cycling. I have decided to go with one of the locks I have already. It's an Abus cable lock. I don't know what model itis but I bought it for London use so I imagine I would have chosen a Gold rating at the time. That might be more than I need for this tour, but It is about 900gms which seems to be the weight of many, including the Kryptonite Mini that was recommended. It just seems that if the weight is about the same, a cable lock will give me more city centre locking options than a D lock. As well, I now have another excuse (my knees are the current one) for my slow speed.

Bob
by bobzeller
16 Jun 2015, 10:31pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Locks for touring
Replies: 5
Views: 543

Locks for touring

I am off to France for more touring. But this time, I'll have to leave my bike unattended for longish periods of time when visiting Normandy museums and the like. I have two heavy duty locks, a Kryptonite and an Abus. Both were used with with my commuter bike while I was living in London. But as good as they are, they are very heavy. Has anyone any ideas about a lock that is relatively light that isn't for use in high crime areas?

Many thanks

Bob Zeller
by bobzeller
3 Apr 2015, 10:24pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: GPS or maps
Replies: 35
Views: 7545

Re: GPS or maps

Thanks Wirral_cyclist

I can't use cycle.travel with my windows computer apparently. That was my first choice. But since then, I have been using Ride With GPS and it works a treat, although I haven't used it for any lengthy rides. That's why I was asking if there was much of a difference in the routing criteria of the various websites.

But, for non IT knowledgeable people like me, there is one thing that made Ride With GPS stand out with me - the quickness, and simplicity, of its answers to my questions asking for help. That goes a long way for me. There is another real bonus if you are a Garmin user. If you buy the premium service, which isn't very expensive at all although I forget what I paid, you only have to click a box saying you are using Garmin and the route jumps straight into your GPS. With at least some of the others, including cycle.travel, you have to open files on your computer and then drag your download into the correct file.

Thanks again

Bob
by bobzeller
3 Apr 2015, 4:43pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: GPS or maps
Replies: 35
Views: 7545

Re: GPS or maps

There are a number of mapping sites, Garmin Base Camp, Ride With GPS and so on. Presumably they all have use different criteria when they are used to generate a route. Little of this criteria can be dialed into the site before it generates the required route. I am wondering if anyone has an idea of what each site uses, ie minimising traffic, climbing, road surface, paved or track. Secondly, and this might be off topic, but does anyone have suggestions regarding portable power devices to recharge my Garmin Edge Touring?

Many thanks
by bobzeller
17 Feb 2015, 10:08pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Garmin Tour mapping
Replies: 43
Views: 9466

Re: Garmin Tour mapping

Thanks for all of the above information, but I have still another Garmin Edge Touring question. I have been searching the many mapping sites ie Ride With GPs, cycle.travel and so on. If I use Ride With GPS , I can apparently download maps from the site directly into my Garmin. The downside of that is the fact that routes generated on that website can include stretches on dirt roads and trails, both of which I would prefer to avoid. cycle.travel, on the other hand, allows for some customisation but requires another step while moving a route from the website to the Garmin.The advice I need, therefore, is what mapping websites are being used, and why those choices are being made. I am grateful for all the help.

Bob