LEJOG on a Raleigh Chopper

[Mick F]

Mick, how do you feel at speed on it?

Absolutely fine!

The geometry is wobbly at slow speeds - sub 5mph - and to look round in traffic always produces a wobble so I've fitted a mirror!

At speed, the ride is as solid as a rock. No speed wobble, no shimmy, just solid and predictable. This was surprising to me, as I would have thought it would have handled badly. But no. Perfect and reliable. With practice, I'm getteng better at slow speeds, but it's still not stable at walking speed. Maybe this has to do with the small front wheel?

Click for a bigger view. You'll see from my recorded rides, that my max speed was 42.5mph, and I'm often well above 30mph. (These figures are down hills!)

[2Tubs]

Mick, how do you feel at speed on it?

Absolutely fine!

The geometry is wobbly at slow speeds - sub 5mph - and to look round in traffic always produces a wobble so I've fitted a mirror!

At speed, the ride is as solid as a rock. No speed wobble, no shimmy, just solid and predictable. This was surprising to me, as I would have thought it would have handled badly. But no. Perfect and reliable. With practice, I'm getteng better at slow speeds, but it's still not stable at walking speed. Maybe this has to do with the small front wheel?

Chopper Rides.jpg

Click for a bigger view. You'll see from my recorded rides, that my max speed was 42.5mph, and I'm often well above 30mph. (These figures are down hills!)

You should have no worries going down those Breas then. Going up might be a bit unstable though!

>;o)

Gazza

[Mick F]

I worry about Berridale.
If there's one bit that I may walk and push, it will be Berridale.

Shap Fell?
Easy.
Long, but easy.

[Mick F]

There's a movie of me riding the beast in the outskirts of Tavistock on my blog.

[hubgearfreak]

There's a movie of me riding

brilliant. surprisingly, your wife sounds normal.

[Mick F]

There's nothing normal about Mrs Mick F, I can assure you!
(She married me, didn't she?)

[hubgearfreak]

(She married me, didn't she?)

yes, that's why i imagined her to be odd. like mrs hgf. and hence the surpprise that she sounds normal

[GrahamNR17]

(She married me, didn't she?)

yes, that's why i imagined her to be odd. like mrs hgf. and hence the surpprise that she sounds normal

She didn't even sound embarrassed, any normal wife would've

[Mick F]

I was out for a training ride most of yesterday - 60mile to Camelford and back.

As I left St Stephens (Launceston) on the Egloskerry road heading west, I spied a cyclist in red in the distance coming towards me. As we passed, I called out a cheery "Good Morning!" and waved.
The Red Cyclist replied: "Mick F?"

We stopped, I did a U turn and we had a chat for a good ten minutes.

Who was it?
spoke'nword ! (Rob)
memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=13650
He is on his LEJOG and looking well and fit. Great to meet everybody enroute, and great to know we have such a friendly community.

Good on 'yer Rob. Have a good ride!

[ukdodger]

(She married me, didn't she?)

yes, that's why i imagined her to be odd. like mrs hgf. and hence the surpprise that she sounds normal

[spoke'nword]

Fit and well?
I got home yesterday after 338 miles in 5 days but I do have a blister in a place I can only see with the aid of a mirror!

The Vista Hcx / bikehike combination exceeded my expectations and was absolutely indispensable, enabling me to keep up a good pace without the need to constantly refer to a map. Leaving the normal routes and heading to the Midlands via a day from Cheddar to Cirencester resulted in probably my hardest day.

Thanks for the guided tour of the machinery, though I still think the concrete block looks like a Thermalite aerated one. At first I didn't realise it was a Raleigh Chopper as I was blinded by the reflection of the sun from the chain.
I'm glad that the training is going so well. By the look of things you seem to have cracked the carbo-loading already.

Best of luck on your upcoming trip and I'll be following your blog with great interest.
Thanks to everyone who has given their advice so generously.

Rob

[rjb]

Just discovered your blog Mick. Fantastic I liked the pic outside the prison entrance with you parked in the wardens private parking place . In my day there were big notices about photography not being allowed and this was enforced by wardens always being prominent by the entrance.

[Mick F]

Yes, I was in and out pretty damn quick! No-one seemed to notice me, and no-one's been to arrest me ---- yet.

Hi Rob, glad you made it home ok. Great meeting up with you, and very unexpected to meet an E2Eer so early inthe season. I didn't think at the time, but I'm glad you found the Egloskerry road to Launceston ok. It's a good and quiet ride through lovely countryside.

[dkmwt]

I worry about Berridale.
If there's one bit that I may walk and push, it will be Berridale.

Hi Mick
If you can ride your Chopper up Gunny Hill to the Rifle Volunteer in St Ann's Chapel then you should be Ok doing Berridale. According to Google Earth Gunny Hill is bigger than both sides of Berridale.

[Mick F]

Hi Donald,
It's not quite the way I remember Berridale.

North-going is steep, and has a hairpin bend to assist, but south-going the hill starts off steep and tails off for miles.

Maybe south-going is similar to Gunnislake hill. I must check it out and compare Garmin traces.