togglechaintour bikes

[hubgearfreak]

how did you know it's absolutely p****ng down here this morning?

your location tells us all we need to know

see you all soon. GB and i should be there b4 4.

[GrahamNR17]

Mike's coming here on his way, but getting Will out of bed could cause his departure to be delayed If he's here by 2 or 3, then I reckon we'll get to Deepdale about 5 or 6. I have to re-gear the Moulton before we leave my place as Mike has it set up for an athlete not a lazy middle-aged person wots got a heavy trailer full of spare parts... and tea brewing equipment... and deckchairs... and stuff

[Roadstersrevenge]

We're running late, not even left the house yet & we'd thought to be arriving about now. Them's the breaks!

See you all a little later on!

[Roadstersrevenge]

Last to leave & first to arrive back?!

Massive thanks to you all for such a hugely enjoyable weekend, particular thanks must of course go to Graham for all your hard work & organisation. A worthy recipient of the pepper-pot of greatness!

Pictures will be forth-coming for all you lurkers

[MikewsMITH2]

Thanks to Graham for organising a fantastic weekend and arranging great weather too. I had set up the gearing for (allegedly) flat Norfolk only to find that the road between the campsite and the starting point was in fact a "King of the Mountains" stage in the Tour of Britain next week and involved two huge (from a TCT perspective anyway) hills. However the Moulton and Will's single speed, which was geared for a 1 mile trip to the station, coped admirably.

I have now (finally) mastered the art of slow cycling it involves leisurely half hour rides punctuated by 90 minute rest breaks. Of course his means that when you factor in teashops, pub stops and lunch breaks, plus of course, stops to pick giant mushrooms, we managed to get about 3 hours cycling into a 9 hour day. (this is not a joke but absolutely true). Day 2 was even more leisurely and we had a 90 minute delay before starting while we answered multiple questions from passers by and we all had a go on each other bikes, plus letting the public ride our bikes too. By then it was teashop time so we set out to cycle about 20 minutes to a stateley home with a tea shop On the way though we had to stop at another teashop to view a Catholic shrine and stayed there for a couple of hours before carrying on to the stately home teashop for another 2 hour tea break. By then of course it was lunchtime so we had to ride another half hour to the fish and chip shop, before calling at a real ale shop, stopping to brew teaa nd a short nap at the roadside on the way to the pub before heading back to the camp site.

.
By then Hubber's mocking of the Moulton had become insufficient for him, so he contrived to find off road routes with pot holes of at least 16 inches diameter, which happens to be the diameter of a Moulton wheel, in order to practically demonstrate the superiority of big wheelers. However apart from a couple of places where the mud was deeper than my wheels, I managed to overcome these obstacles in comfort on my full suspension machine.

The evenings were spent drinking by the tent, followed by a night ride to the pub

So in all a wonderful short break and how fantastic to meet for the first time with all the people, who were already old friends.

So with the bikes built and the tour ridden, you might think that this is the end of the thread. But it isn't. I left Graham's house with two new Raleigh based projects, for next year's tour.

As I said in a previous post I would like to organise a similar jaunt in Dorset and the New Forest for next year. I was thinking maybe of a Spring break to dispell the Winter blues and give us all some bikes to build over the winter?

[GrahamNR17]

By then Hubber's mocking of the Moulton had become insufficient for him, so he contrived to find off road routes with pot holes of at least 16 inches diameter, which happens to be the diameter of a Moulton wheel, in order to practically demonstrate the superiority of big wheelers.

You have to admit he did a pretty good job of it

Thanks to everyone, it was all of you that made the TCT such a good weekend. I'd really no idea so many of you had so many anoraks in your respective closets. It reminded me of one extra piece of equipment I need to bring next year; a noose

I've started my day tinkering with the 'new' Moulton which I didn't get to ride at the weekend due to a missing nut (although there were lots of you there!) so just got back from a TCT style ride round the lanes. It only took half an hour and didn't end at a pub or cafe, so that was a bit odd. Next years bikes for me will be the Moulton and the Clubman, and just in case Tim arrives with his map, the Raleigh mountain bike

[steve browne]

Thanks for making it happen Graham. It was your farting dog on Youtube that got me hooked. The weekend was brilliant and I am looking forwards to the pictures appearing. I am now recuperating in a flatter part of Norfolk.

[AMC]

What can I say? What a brilliant weekend, it was so great to meet everyone, & I don't think we could have had a better time. Thanks to Graham for all his hard work, & we're totally up for a spring break dahn sarf Mike - we're pretty smug here in the knowledge that it's too hilly in mid Wales for us to have to organise anything! But we're up for coming along to anything where someone else does all the hard work.
I think I've got all the safety pins out of my hair now, & will work on improving the costume for the next one, (thanks to Chris667 & his late mum for the accessories!) I may even scrape a bit of the gunk off my chainwheel. Then again I may not bother. (Mr & Mrs AMC, king & queen of neglected vehicles. Except the tourers & the folder - we're not that bad...)
Pics uploaded later when Mr AMC (whose birthday it is today - he's at work on site & it's tipping it down, unlike our wonderfully sunny weekend) returns with the camera. Until the next one...

[GrahamNR17]

It was your farting dog on Youtube that got me hooked.

Sounds like the start of a slippery slope

I am now recuperating in a flatter part of Norfolk.

Me too

[GrahamNR17]

What can I say? What a brilliant weekend,

Agreed, and then some! All i did was choose a few side-roads based on a popular route and then write down the name of a campsite. T'was all of you that made it what it was. I have to say, I don't think I've spent any time cycling with a better bunch of people, and I'm really hugely grateful to all those who attended for making the TCT what it was You're all blimmin' marvellous

If there were a prize though, it would go to:

"Young Mike" for the quality, style, and sheer quantity of "unconventional dismounts" Your prize is knowing how much you amused us all

"Scariest face" goes to Tim2 for that unforgettable expression as we briefly saw him hurtle past us at the bottom of the hill with no brakes - at all Your prize will be a set of knock-off Indian brake blocks, if I can find some that aren't already broken

Top honours to Steve for the biggest collection of "shiniest wossnames" that's ever been gathered outside of his shed Your prize is a clump of well-used Duraglit wadding

Best "Nora Batty" award to Anne-Marie for the thickest pair of wrinkly stockings in Norfolk Your prize is to be pursued by a slightly unpleasant old man who hasn't shaved for a week (form a queue, chaps!)

"Proving that big wheels are better than little ones" has to go to Tim for his Sunday afternoon off-road course Your prize is to ride Mike's Moulton through Sherwood Forest on a wet Thursday in November

etc etc etc.......

[dr nosh]

Guys and Gals.

To all of you, Thanks for such a wonderful day on Saturday. How lucky were we with the weather.

I really sorry that I could not ride on Sunday, Mrs Nosh had other plans. An even better day for sunshine.

To all meet up with similar expectations for the weekend was fabulous. Each bike was unique in its own way - originals and specials.

Who said old steel roadsters are boring? My Sunbeam really motored along, and Greybeard and I clocked 32mph on the downhill section just before we stopped for pictures and then shamed into tasting Nelsons blood

As promised attached is the report from todays Norfolk newspaper, the Eastern Daily Press. The photographer did us proud with the picture and write up. (Can you read it?)



Really looking forward to TCT 2011, and may meet some of you before, perhaps the Tweed Run 2011.

Many thanks to Graham for the superb organization over the weekend.

[Roadstersrevenge]

http://www.edp24.co.uk/content/edp24/ne ... :44:55:057

[GrahamNR17]

I was thinking maybe of a Spring break to dispell the Winter blues and give us all some bikes to build over the winter?

Sounds good to me I'd better give you the back-end details and passwords for the TCT web site then

Graham, wots 'andin' over the keys

[steve browne]

we're pretty smug here in the knowledge that it's too hilly in mid Wales for us to have to organise anything!

Am I also living in a safe zone with regard to organisational responsibilities? (Devon)

[GrahamNR17]

we're pretty smug here in the knowledge that it's too hilly in mid Wales for us to have to organise anything!

Am I also living in a safe zone with regard to organisational responsibilities? (Devon)

Unless we all start buying 14-speed Rohloff hubs, I'd say you're pretty safe