Search found 397 matches

by Mattie
17 Oct 2018, 10:01pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Guernsey coast
Replies: 7
Views: 1050

Re: Guernsey coast

Well done Paul - described it well and glad you enjoyed it. You even describe Condor Ferries well - I never bother with the fast ferry as it is very often delayed - I go on the Portsmouth ferry instead which really takes some stopping !

Cycling is popular in Guernsey on a Sunday morning especially - when they even run time trials along sections of the coast road - sometimes it can be a bit of a head wind !

Incidentally - the record for cycling up the steep hill called the Val des Terres that leads out of St Peter Port - is 1 min 50 sec !! set by a local rider Nick Despres. Incredible !

And always good to see some pictures.
by Mattie
17 Oct 2018, 9:08pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Cycling to Greece.
Replies: 15
Views: 2176

Re: Cycling to Greece.

I did not fancy cycling through Albania either. So took the ferry all the way out to Bari, and then back to Patras - just to avoid Albania. This was a bit of an expense, but also saved some costs

Greek roads were a bit rough as well - had the biggest fat tyre I could on the rear just to soak up the bumps !

My route was based on the availability of campsites. Apart from the long slog across rural France, the route took in tourist spots as that is where campsites tend to be.

I am sure I read somewhere that Italy has a lot of road tunnels which can be a bit tricky or dangerous for a cyclist - which was another reason for not choosing the Italian route south. But that probably depends on the particular route !

Broken chain in Split, Croatia - 9 Speed Shimano chains not that common it seems - so if you go that route maybe an idea to carry a spare !

Replacing_chain.jpg
by Mattie
14 Oct 2018, 1:59pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Cycling to Greece.
Replies: 15
Views: 2176

Re: Cycling to Greece.

I did St Malo France to Athens.

Across France, through centre of Paris. Then Champagne region of France, over the Vosges mountains across the Rhine into Germany.

Freiburg and the Black Forest. Titisee, on the lake, Schafhausen in Switzerland, along Lake Konstanz, then south to Chur and the start of the climb over the Julier Pass, the Maloja Pass and down into Italy. The original plan was Austria but expense and rain forced me to head south to the warmth !

Lake Como, Lake Gardia, Verona, Venice, Trieste to Croatia. Rijeka, Zadar, Split, Dubrovnic. Very very hot at the time.

Ferry from Dubrovnic to Bari Italy, then Bari to Patras in Greece. For some reason it had to be this way via Bari.

Patras, Greece to Athens. Bike was boxed up by a big cycle shop - they charged me EUR 20 to box it up (bargain !) and the rest of the luggage was bagged in cheap bags bought from street vendors. Flew home business class because of the greater weight allowance was much the same the penalty for the extra weight. This was summer 2011.

Edit - found a picture !

Top_of_the_Julierpass.jpg
by Mattie
12 Jul 2018, 10:23pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Jersey Channel Islands, around the Coast Road
Replies: 18
Views: 1756

Re: Jersey Channel Islands, around the Coast Road

@ Paul Smith
I would add Jerbourg (St. Martin's Point) on the S/E tip of Guernsey. You a great view of the other islands - you can see Jersey, France, Sark, Herm, St Peter Port, the Pea Stacks, the posh houses in Fort George, and often cruise ships anchored in the Little Russel during the summer.

Broadly speaking:

    Jersey is south facing - the high parts of the island is the north coast - with St Helier in the south being the low part - it is south facing.
    Guernsey is the opposite - north facing - the high part of the island is the south coast and the low part everything north of that !
by Mattie
4 May 2016, 8:24pm
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Trangia stoves
Replies: 199
Views: 23757

Re: Trangia stoves

pjclinch wrote:
bretonbikes wrote:The single most important part of a good cup of tea is the milk. If unpasturised straight from the cow it is a different drink...


Or better still, the absence of milk...

I stopped taking milk in tea particularly because stored milk and summer camping are not a happy mix, so if you can't get fresh from the cow I'd suggest leaving it out altogether. Most Brits consider this rather bitter, but that's just standard UK tea making for you. Brew a bit less and you get all the nice teay flavour without the bitter tannins that have you reaching for the milk (yes, it's yet another thing to learn from the Dutch...).

Pete.


Is the Russians that put a pinch of salt in their tea ?

I have tried it and it removes the tannin taste, and salt brings out other flavours. It is okay, but do not need much, and better than nothing. But if lots of sugar is to hand then rather pile in lots of that !.
by Mattie
9 Jan 2016, 5:50pm
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Good quality tent
Replies: 60
Views: 5489

Re: Good quality tent

PH wrote:
What will make the Enan a cooler tent?
If I was looking for something where ventilation was more important than bad weather capability, I'd be looking at US designed tents, it does seem to be a major difference.


The Hilleberg Enan has a completely mesh inner door. And it has ventilation openings at both ends of the outer tent - that can be opened and closed. This is probably the reason why it is designated a three season tent - better suited to normal seasonal camping than trips into the winter snow. If it gets hot, you could leave the outer open completely, and still be snug, away from bugs, behind your mesh inner door.

The TN Laser Comp has an inner door with a partial mesh panel, probably only to help with condensation. And, the ends of the outer tent do not have any ventilation openings. So when it gets hot, there is not much you can do about it other than leave both inner and outer door open - or take the inner down completely and sleep on that, which is what I had to do in Italy one year !

You are right, the US designs seem to be mostly all mesh inners, which is great for hot weather. But if it gets cold I will need a bigger warmer sleeping bag. So, personally the Enan seems a good compromise. Anyway, that is the plan, and it would not be the first time that I have sold a tent on this forum, after one year of it not working out like I thought it would !!
by Mattie
9 Jan 2016, 4:33pm
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Good quality tent
Replies: 60
Views: 5489

Re: Good quality tent

I like the design of the TN Laser Comp, but found the only weakness is the hot weather capability - if using it in Southern European summers it can get very hot.

So I think I will be getting the similar looking Hilleberg Enan, for that reason. It will not be used in the UK much, so more concerned about hot weather holidays in South of France, with the odd bit of bad weather.

A pity because the Enan is going to be a lot more expensive than the Laser Comp, but for a very similar looking tent !!
by Mattie
28 Dec 2015, 2:16pm
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: PHD Minim sleeping bags
Replies: 13
Views: 3171

Re: PHD Minim sleeping bags

I have got one - had it for about 4 years.

I find it is not so good at the lower temperatures in the spring and autumn, when it can still be quite cold. I have had some very cold nights with it in early May - in France, and late August on Exmoor - really cold.

So I take two sleeping bags. A summer Mountain Hardware, and the PHD Minim sleeping bag. So use two bags if required. I will be away again in May this coming year so I will get a PHD down sleeping bag liner.

It is an expensive way of doing it, but the pack sizes are tiny. All it has to do is save me a couple of nights stay in a hotel and it has paid for itself.

http://www.phdesigns.co.uk/filler-down-sleeping-bag

Certainly use the hood and the elasticated pull cord for the hood, that helps quite a lot when it gets cold. And use marino wool garments to sleep in.
by Mattie
27 Oct 2014, 7:57pm
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: German & Dutch Camping
Replies: 16
Views: 3225

Re: German & Dutch Camping

Marco Polo maps have campsites marked on them. Very useful for joining the campsites together. Often campsites are clustered around tourist or scenic locations and you may find there is nothing really in between. Marco Polo maps, showing campsites allows this sort of overview and strategic planning.

I have mentioned on this forum before how much I appreciate using a GPS E-Trex with Garmin Europe loaded. Before leaving I load lots and lots of campsites as waypoints and then you can find them exactly. As an example I had loaded this one into my GPS and you would not have been able to see it, as it was behind a Hotel. But the GPS showed exactly where it was, and looking I could see a sign that lead round the back of the Hotel to the little campsite. GPS saved the day !

This is exactly where that campsite was in Germany: N48 01.176, E07 36.483 hidden behind the Hotel Landgasthof.

Have fun.
by Mattie
25 Oct 2014, 12:11pm
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Camping stoves - use for semi round the world trip
Replies: 13
Views: 1841

Re: Camping stoves - use for semi round the world trip

I seem to remember reading that alcohol as a fuel is bulkier, per heat unit. So you will probably get through your bottle of alcohol quicker that you would a bottle of petrol or kerosene.

. Mostly I use a Trangia - which is my favourite - but it does seem to get through the juice quite quickly.
. I also have an Optimus Nova+ using kerosene, and a little bottle of lighter fluid as a primer, to get it started when using kerosene
. I use to own an MSR whisperlite, not quite as user friendly as the Optimus.

If I had to take one on a world trip it would be the Optimus. It is really well made, easy to handle without getting your hands all dirty, it packs down very small if you only use a basic cook set, and you can swap the jets over for different fuels.

One fault with the Optimus - it needs anchoring down with a peg, as it is so light that it can be unstable until you get a heavy pan on it. So in the photo you might just see a little yellow peg that is being used to keep it stedy !

Seen here in France cooking some fish bits from the market - smell that garlic !

Image
by Mattie
12 Aug 2014, 7:41pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Rance Tidal Barrage
Replies: 7
Views: 1376

Re: Rance Tidal Barrage

Yes you can. I have cycled across it myself. There is a footpath with high sides. When I cycled across there were quite a few people fishing from there and they had to slowly move out of the way to let me pass. Once across there is steep(ish) climb and traffic can be quite busy, especially from mid morning on a weekend !

Edit:
I would not really recommend this route as it was busy with quite fast moving relentless traffic when I went through there. I even videod it making a comment about where does all this traffic come from !
by Mattie
3 Aug 2014, 10:44pm
Forum: Cycle Camping sub-forum
Topic: Double sleeping bags - what do you use?
Replies: 17
Views: 2304

Re: Double sleeping bags - what do you use?

DaleFTW wrote:My head just exploded reading this thread.


On this forum, mention the following subjects - tyres, Brooks saddles, tent choice, sleeping bag choice, Trangia :mrgreen: and see how you get on - you may need more than one head !

PS. Down convert. I am sure my Mountain Hardware bag was a lot puffier and warmer when new than it is now. It seems to have gone all thin and not as warm, over the years. So bought a down bag to replace it.
by Mattie
4 Jun 2014, 8:45pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Paris to Orleans any good routes
Replies: 4
Views: 4638

Re: Paris to Orleans any good routes

Left Paris through the Bois de Vincennes and wiggled about trying to find a route out. Went through a place called Melun and joined the main D road directly sign posted to Orleans. Used the road rather than any cycle route. Did the route from Melun to Orleans in a day.

Found a campsite just outside but with a little tram connection into town. Great enjoyed the whole thing, bit of a challenge finding a route out of Paris but all part of the fun. Could not find cheap accommodation in Melun but it may well exist.

Went on to Tours before heading for home and by the ferry from St Malo.

Picture take August 2009

Image
by Mattie
22 May 2014, 9:35pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Good multi-tool model
Replies: 10
Views: 3660

Re: Good multi-tool model

Leatherman Wave, or the cheaper Leatherman Wingman.

We were looking at all this for a present for someone from work, who is going on a bit of a travel round South America - we got her the Wingman and bought the Wave for myself :oops:
by Mattie
11 Apr 2014, 8:45pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Road 90 between Beit She`an + Ein Gedi, Israel
Replies: 3
Views: 1973

Re: Road 90 between Beit She`an + Ein Gedi, Israel

I have done some of this.

The Eilat to Jarusalem stretch was okay up to Ein Gedi. I stayed there and paid to have the bike put in a van from Ein Gedi up the hill to Jerusalem - I saw 45'C that day.

The road from Ein Gedi was narrow and a fence on the right side with not much area to escape. The traffic was not moving slowly either, so I was glad to be in the van.

The Road from Eilat to Ein Gedi was fine not the most interesting but easy enough even in the hot weather - I think it is actually downhill as the Dead Sea is actually below sea level Eilat !

The best parts of my tour were from Jerusalem to Tel-Aviv through some of the mountain tracks. Also the best was Ha Basor to Mitzpe Ramon and on to Eilat. Fantastic route the Crater at Mitzpe I did not even know it was there until I saw it !

Some pictures

The back road past the tank training ground,

Image

Between Eilat and Ein Gedi
Image

Approaching junction from Mitzpe to the Eilat Road, overlooking Jordan Valley

Image

Overlooking the crater at Mitzpe Ramon - I had to get out of its way !
Image

The back woods out of Jerusalem heading to Tel-Aviv

Image

I loved it, had a great trip.
EDIT:
Regarding your comment of cycling the bit past the Dead Sea. For me it became a bit of a trap. The day before there had been a thunderstorm nearby and a little rain, which was glorious, the smell of the desert with a little rain. But it was cooler and there was some cloud, so I cycled on to Ein Gedi. The next day it was back to baking hot, but worse because the Dead Sea seemed like a big sun trap. So I had come into it in the cool, and the sun came out again into a furnace that did not relent. So paid for a van ride from Ein Gedi. The road was narrow, twisty, with traffic and in places the crash barrier very close. I have no regrets about travelling that section in a van. I saw the temperature reach 45' C !

I cycled from Ben Gurion - Ashkelon - Sderot - Ein HaBasor - Mitzpe Ramon - Eilat - Ein Gedi Jerusalem - Tel-Aviv