Vix wrote:Would it be easier to cycle back to Inverness and get the train back south from there or post my bike? It seems like quite a pain getting home for everybody.
Have you considered flying from Inverness to Gatwick? Not very environmentally friendly I know but it is much cheaper than the train. It would probably cost you about £25-£30pp plus a tenner or so for the bike. Then a train (or bike ride?) for the 50 miles back to Fareham (I think that's where you are, yes?) We flew back to Bristol from Inverness, it worked quite well.
Btw I'm a 48 year old female, I used my Ladies Dawes Horizon for the ride. I did get off and push a lot but I don't think I can blame that on the bike. The worst bit was the hill out of Drumnadrochit to Beauly on the A833 which was, to put it mildly, a sod.
phil parker wrote:Clip-on - SPD pedals and shoes of the MTB/touring variety.
They will take a bit of practice and getting used to, but they are much better and more efficient. With the SPD pedal you can get shoes with recessed cleats that allow you to walk reasonably comfortable in the shoes as well.
Of course there are lots of choices - I would look at something like the Shimano SPD A520 pedal as a benchmark for touring and any preferences as a variation of them. For shoes, again there are plenty of choices, but you can get SPD shoes looking like regular training shoes, which are good for both on and off the bike when you are completing a tour.
+1 on the Shimano SPD pedals. I had a pair of Specialized MTB SPD shoes that were comfortable to walk in the evenings and were the only pair of shoes I took.
Vix wrote:Would it be easier to cycle back to Inverness and get the train back south from there or post my bike? It seems like quite a pain getting home for everybody.
Have you considered flying from Inverness to Gatwick? Not very environmentally friendly I know but it is much cheaper than the train. It would probably cost you about £25-£30pp plus a tenner or so for the bike. Then a train (or bike ride?) for the 50 miles back to Fareham (I think that's where you are, yes?) We flew back to Bristol from Inverness, it worked quite well.
Btw I'm a 48 year old female, I used my Ladies Dawes Horizon for the ride. I did get off and push a lot but I don't think I can blame that on the bike. The worst bit was the hill out of Drumnadrochit to Beauly on the A833 which was, to put it mildly, a sod.
phil parker wrote:Clip-on - SPD pedals and shoes of the MTB/touring variety.
They will take a bit of practice and getting used to, but they are much better and more efficient. With the SPD pedal you can get shoes with recessed cleats that allow you to walk reasonably comfortable in the shoes as well.
Of course there are lots of choices - I would look at something like the Shimano SPD A520 pedal as a benchmark for touring and any preferences as a variation of them. For shoes, again there are plenty of choices, but you can get SPD shoes looking like regular training shoes, which are good for both on and off the bike when you are completing a tour.
Thanks for help, I've had a look at the SPD pedals and touring shoes and they defo look the way forward.
They may or may not be a solution for you, but I now use (and swear by) Shimano SPD sandals as my main cycling footwear from spring to autumn. It's nice having a breeze over your feet as you ride and even in pretty cool weather they don't feel too cold. In rain, sandals (and feet) dry much quicker than shoes and socks. In really cold, wet weather, I supplement the sandals with a pair of Sealskinz ankle socks.
They were the only footwear I took on our LEJOG trip this year and they were perfect on and off the bike.
spark303 wrote:They may or may not be a solution for you, but I now use (and swear by) Shimano SPD sandals as my main cycling footwear from spring to autumn. It's nice having a breeze over your feet as you ride and even in pretty cool weather they don't feel too cold. In rain, sandals (and feet) dry much quicker than shoes and socks. In really cold, wet weather, I supplement the sandals with a pair of Sealskinz ankle socks.
They were the only footwear I took on our LEJOG trip this year and they were perfect on and off the bike.
+1 for that. One wet and cold winter I got fed up with the wet SPD shoes making my feet so, so cold. Tried the SPS sandals / seal skinz / overshoes thing: nice warm feet!
Without my stoker, every trip would only be half a journey
bikes4two wrote:+1 for that. One wet and cold winter I got fed up with the wet SPD shoes making my feet so, so cold. Tried the SPS sandals / seal skinz / overshoes thing: nice warm feet!
Didn't really understand why sandals and overshoes are better than normal shoes? Surely this results in cold feet in winter? I wear normal Specialized SPD shoes with Gore overshoes and my feet are dry.
bikes4two wrote:+1 for that. One wet and cold winter I got fed up with the wet SPD shoes making my feet so, so cold. Tried the SPS sandals / seal skinz / overshoes thing: nice warm feet!
Didn't really understand why sandals and overshoes are better than normal shoes? Surely this results in cold feet in winter? I wear normal Specialized SPD shoes with Gore overshoes and my feet are dry.
I'm not saying my quoted solution is better. If you can keep your feet dry in the first place, then fine. What I found was that if my shoes got wet in the winter (suprise puddle, sudden downpour etc), then they wouldn't dry and the wetness made the feet cold. With sandals plus seal skinz you don't get this problem so much as the feet dry quickly. All that's irrelevant if you always wear overshoes in the winter in the first place, but I don't.
Without my stoker, every trip would only be half a journey
bikes4two wrote:+1 for that. One wet and cold winter I got fed up with the wet SPD shoes making my feet so, so cold. Tried the SPS sandals / seal skinz / overshoes thing: nice warm feet!
Didn't really understand why sandals and overshoes are better than normal shoes? Surely this results in cold feet in winter? I wear normal Specialized SPD shoes with Gore overshoes and my feet are dry.
I'm not saying my quoted solution is better. If you can keep your feet dry in the first place, then fine. What I found was that if my shoes got wet in the winter (suprise puddle, sudden downpour etc), then they wouldn't dry and the wetness made the feet cold. With sandals plus seal skinz you don't get this problem so much as the feet dry quickly. All that's irrelevant if you always wear overshoes in the winter in the first place, but I don't.
I'm going to get sandles for my LEJOG, I think it will be nice to have a bit of fresh on a long ride in the summer.
Whilst not wishing to get involved in a debate about the merits or wisdom of using sandles for cycling - do be aware that because of all the openings in the design there is more potential for areas to rub and get sore, it happened to a friend of mine over a short journey. Therefore, it would be worth ensuring they are fully proven and tested on your feet and bike set-up!
I never wear anything BUT sandals on my bike. I dont believe in all this specialised footwear/pedals pap for touring. Fine for the TDF on a 12oz bike but out on a tour, sandals are the new rock 'n' roll!
Took my new Ridgeback Voyage for a good run in,round the Isle of Wight over the past couple of days, Brilliant bike, I paid the extra few £'s to have it made to measure for me and it was well worth it, changed the pedals for clips, got myself a good pair of SPD shoes and I was off, sadly have to work tomorrow, wish i could just carry on cycling Roll on LEJOG
By the way folks, tackled some serious hills over the last two days on the Isle of Wight, some of them 33 34 degrees incline (yes i did have to walk a couple of them ) how does the IOW compare to Devon and Cornwall???
Roll on LEJOG 
) how does the IOW compare to Devon and Cornwall???