Cycling UK Forum

Hi,
We are talking millook haven?
The one I remember in the camper and on the bike last year is a sharp left-hand bend. 30% sign.

Edited-
Yep that's the place , bridle path on the corner, tarmac is constantly being repaired on the corner.
On google maps there's a tractor coming up the lane, bet he has no trouble with grip.

Hi,

Brucey wrote:do you think you have spent more time spannering it than riding it? I have bikes like that.... and I do wonder if, with those bikes, I get more satisfaction from the fiddling about than the riding, too...

cheers

It's a disease isn't it
Of which I am guilty of too

Edited, just did not need to spend 3K to confirm it

Sounds like you didn't pay enough attention to the specification before you bought it. How much is just a frame anyway?

Yes, Millook Haven - here's the map of the area:


The photo was taken looking down from just before the viewing point. The left hand hairpin has a track leading to Higher Penhalt and can be used as an escape route for respite from the rigours of the road. I can once recall being in a small group 'sheltering' there to have a rest before attempting to remount and finish the climb - no shame in that!

Hi,

philvantwo wrote:Sounds like you didn't pay enough attention to the specification before you bought it. How much is just a frame anyway?

I have owned four new bikes in my lifetime........and still have three of them, the forth I bent the frame and it later snapped (that was actually a custom built one by colin lewis cycles, it wasn't special but better than the 1983 peugeot in the window)
No childhood pictures with a new bike had to go to work first!

The first, snapped the frame after hitting a parked car and rebuilt it with a second hand mercian frame.

The second, Koga Miyata..1983...........perfect no modification needed (this is what I did my cornwall and devon coast ride on last year).
Just found out that Koga is the dutch bike maker and Miyata is a japanese frame manufacturer

Third, halfords MTB from mid nineties 1893, apart from the saddle and cranks stole from the raleigh, that was very good with no modification needed, I later put on the saddle and longer cranks.

They say never buy a touring bike off the peg.....thats true.
Fouth Raleigh Randonneur 708 1996, disaster.
Brakes were atrocious!..dangerous ...........wrong levers.
Gearing was well too high, you never got off the middle clanger.
Rear frame threaded mounting was cocked, like it was moved before the braze had cooled.
Later found that the wheels were out of line although I ride it like that and it never twitches at over 50 mph fully loaded
Either frame or forks bent, I have never crashed it.
Handle bars too narrow for what is meant to be a large 6-6' 3" frame.
Pedals too narrow and too small for a size 9 foot.
Saddle cranks handle bars pedals.

Am sure it's beautiful in the flesh but that's a very demanding lover you've got yourself there mick.
Aspects of its high maintenance remind me of my dahon speed pro.

Hi,

Chat Noir wrote:Yes, Millook Haven - here's the map of the area:

Millook map.png
The photo was taken looking down from just before the viewing point. The left hand hairpin has a track leading to Higher Penhalt and can be used as an escape route for respite from the rigours of the road. I can once recall being in a small group 'sheltering' there to have a rest before attempting to remount and finish the climb - no shame in that!

I told myself I would never do that coast (all devon and cornwall with the borders) again unless you paid me
But not because of the hills, I know 43" is too high but I did not want to modify my old bike (coming round to fitting a triple of age related, before next ride) its because to do the whole coast there are simply too many hedges which spoil the views.
If anyone were to do it I would recommend not alone but two or more riders doing 50 miles a day, and plenty of stopping in cafes etc, some time lazing around too.

All of devon and cornwall, I would have to say that the devon south coast is best for overall feel good factor, kingsbridge through to lyme regis, that's for a continuous ride with no boring stuff, the hills are the same though make no mistake.

There are parts of course which are similar and very good in the rest of the coast, especially if you are taking it easy which I did not, I spent most of my time keeping my head down glued to the arrow on the sat nav.
Most of the time I knew what was there and ignored it having done all of devon before and all of the cornwall coast in the camper many years ago.

But I may well do it again, after end to end of course............which is harder?

Sorry to digress Mick

Well, Mick’s done most of Cornwall and probably a fair bit of Devon as well as various end to ends including a double so I’m sure he will have an informed opinion.

When I met up with Mick I was doing a south west coast route, starting from and finishing in Bristol. Funnily enough, this followed an idea by Mick on the forum so I was pleased when he agreed to meet me for part of the trip. I’ve made the odd post about the route but really should use this time we all have to finish off the write up and post a link. I’ve also done end to ends and can tell you that in terms of hills the south west coastline is definitely harder. The little bit of map I posted alone had four double arrowed hills, seriously tasty terrain. The steepest hill, ie Millook, wasn`t the hardest (this was Peak Hill, out of Sidmouth, where greasy roads saw plenty of alarming wheelspin). I daren`t even mention Talland to Polperro, and this is supposed to be on a cycle route ...

Hi,
Peak hill
I did a shake down on the bike prior to setting off.
Down peak hill ( having done this up and down a few years prior) stopped three times as it narrows at one point there are laybys etc, so you would be a fool to go straight down without stopping to cool your rims.
Then I set off and abandoned, felt terrible after just 50 miles (previously I do 250 in a day with no problems) not the hills just the meds
So now I have done peak hill both ways twice and still not started.
Wait a week and decide its now or never, so I am now an expert at peak hill.
But what they dont tell you is the hill after peak hill.....up.........Salcombe hill going east shorter and just as steep.
What probably takes the biscuit is Trentishoe to Martinhoe through hunters inn




All Devon coast roads.

Oh.................cycle routes

Happy days on the Cornwall coasts!
Like Chat says, I've done most (if not all) of Cornwall, and some of the hills are vicious in the extreme. That's descending and ascending.

philvantwo wrote:Sounds like you didn't pay enough attention to the specification before you bought it. How much is just a frame anyway?

I knew what I was getting into with buying an off-the-peg bike.

Back in the olden days, I bought a couple of bikes, latterly a Raleigh Clubman in early 1983 when living in the west of Scotland.
Excellent bike, but as I'd really got into cycle-commuting and we'd moved house, the gearing needed changing.
Then, we moved down south to Plymouth, so the gearing needed changing again ........ then the chainset.
Then, we moved to Cornwall ........... the rest is history, as it was easier to buy a frame and build it up just as I wanted it.

That frame was Mercian ......... but that "bike" was changed over the years too. I think I now have it correct, but it's taken from 1986 to get it that way.

Moulton was a shot in the dark.
Hindsight is easy, so it's easy to pick holes in what I've done.
Buying a complete bike is easy too, but knowing what you actually want is very difficult indeed and can only be born from experience ......... of that specific bike.

Moulton is a very very very different proposition to a normal bike, and I knew it, and that's why I did it.

Dunno where you'd buy a TSR frame.
My Moulton came from Fudges, but their range seems much depleted from the days when I bought mine.
https://fudgescyclestore.com/category/moulton_bicycles

Which bike do you use most (trips, distance)?
Is the Moulton suitable for long rides?

More trips with Moulton. No contest. It's fun and a challenge.
Longer rides, it will always be Mercian. Light, fast, efficient.

Chat Noir was reminiscing about his ride around the SW Peninsula and as I met up with him in North Cornwall.
Our Daughter1 was living in Camelford at the time and I took Moulton in the car to her place, parked up, and rode to meet Chat just out of Boscastle.
We rode together up the coast to Hartland Point and Clovelly, where I turned back for Camelford.
I did 75miles that day on Moulton.
Far enough, including the climbs, I reckon.

Just an addition to the distance question.

I'm on here a few times about the Eddington Number (Cycling)
The E number is the times you have ridden a distance.
Ride 10 miles ten times in your life, and you are E10
Ride 50 miles 50 times in your life, and you are E50

Get the idea?

I'm E80 with all of my bikes over the eons, but only E30 with Moulton specifically. This Moulton figure won't increase much, if at all.

Furthest ride on it was that day with Chat Noir at 75miles in May 2017
Second longest was riding to Exeter on my riding all the A30 bridges quest at 68miles
Third comes in at 62miles riding Cornish roads ........ so longer rides are done on it, it's just harder work.

PS:
Correction.
My E number Moulton is actually E34

Plan tomorrow is a ride of 32miles, so that won't do enough so perhaps I should take a detour for three or four miles?

Hi,
E0...beat that...unicycle
Maybe I should give it a try round the garden, update a christmas
Managed a few laps on the 20" wheeled shopper, I might try it on the road some time, needs brakes fitting first, aluminium frame wot

I've done over 200 miles several times on the raleigh, probably about five, but I need to get back to be doing 200 first
Fat chance at the moment with house bound.