100miles per day fully loaded?

[robbiep]

BTW, let me know how the 100/100 goes, will you have any room in your panniers for anything except food??

 

[MacLean]

Have yet to do a proper full kit run but will be doing so for the 200 mile weekend so will let you know how it goes. Will bring a good bit of food but tend to stop at shops for food and drink top ups.

and LOL at explaining bonk to your wife haha

 

[amaferanga]

Sorry, wrong thread

 

[willem]

Of course it is doable at your age and after some serious training. I think there are a couple of tricks, however. The first is to give yourself one day of rest (and possibly more) on the way. You say you really have 14 days, so use some of those four extra days, not to ride less a day, but to have one or more resting days - or as a day to fix a technical problem. And that brings me to my second suggestion. For four people to ride such a distance, chances are one bike at least will have a technical issue. So make sure your bikes are really in top condition. For your comfort and to save your bikes from destruction, fit the widest possible tyres your frames will take. Take at least two spare tubes each, and at least one spare tyre for the group. And a set of spare brake pads each. A fiberfix emergency spoke for the group is the very least you can take.
And yes, practice the camping part of the story, and try to shed some more weight from your gear. Every kilo gained is a kilo gained.
Enjoy. Look at Paris Brest Paris for inspiration. That is usually done by old guys in their fifties!
Willem

 

[MacLean]

Of course it is doable at your age and after some serious training. I think there are a couple of tricks, however. The first is to give yourself one day of rest (and possibly more) on the way. You say you really have 14 days, so use some of those four extra days, not to ride less a day, but to have one or more resting days - or as a day to fix a technical problem. And that brings me to my second suggestion. For four people to ride such a distance, chances are one bike at least will have a technical issue. So make sure your bikes are really in top condition. For your comfort and to save your bikes from destruction, fit the widest possible tyres your frames will take. Take at least two spare tubes each, and at least one spare tyre for the group. And a set of spare brake pads each. A fiberfix emergency spoke for the group is the very least you can take.
And yes, practice the camping part of the story, and try to shed some more weight from your gear. Every kilo gained is a kilo gained.
Enjoy. Look at Paris Brest Paris for inspiration. That is usually done by old guys in their fifties!
Willem

Thanks for your advice mate, we have a stop planned at Glasgow where one of my mates flat is, providing we are on schedule we are thinking of taking a rest day here.

Whats this fiberfix emergancy spoke about? Where can I get one? Is it just a temp spoke to get you to the nearst LBS sorta thing?

So far during training loaded with bricks I have managed to loosen some spokes in my rear wheel which I have been tightening myself and retruing the wheel myself . However is it normal to expect a complete break of spokes when loaded? Hence this fiberfix spoke?

Im just using standard tires that come with my tricross bike (which are wider than racing tires but a bit less so than mtb tires) tbh cant afford to change wheels and tires now and was hopeing these would do the job?

 

[Dave Davenport]

Re. the loosening spokes; If there's a decent wheel builder near you it might be worth getting them trued and tensioned up by a professional before you go, shouldn't cost much.

 

[MacLean]

Re. the loosening spokes; If there's a decent wheel builder near you it might be worth getting them trued and tensioned up by a professional before you go, shouldn't cost much.

Yeh planning on getting this done just before we go on the full trip...


I know there are a few local bike shops near me, but if they are 'decent wheel builders' I have no idea lol.

Will just have to take it to whoever sounds like he knows his stuff.

 

[Amanda P]

I'll second that: I've had a couple of tours spoiled by dodgy wheels.

Once one spoke has broken, others tend to go in quick succession, even if the broken one is replaced. And then you never know when the next spoke is going to break, and it spoils your day.

Someone will be along in a minute to recommend a shop with a good wheelbuilder in your area.

 

[MacLean]

I'll second that: I've had a couple of tours spoiled by dodgy wheels.

Once one spoke has broken, others tend to go in quick succession, even if the broken one is replaced. And then you never know when the next spoke is going to break, and it spoils your day.

Someone will be along in a minute to recommend a shop with a good wheelbuilder in your area.

When you talk of broken spokes, are you meaning totally snapped spokes? Or do you mean loosened? Because like you say the bike will be fine, ill go for a ride it seems to take somewhere between 75-150 miles but then the wheel will start rubbing the brakes. Give the spokes a feel and 1 will be completely loose and another 2 or 3 will be a bit loose. I tighten them up with my key best I can, which so far brings the wheel back true... However another 100 or so miles it will happen again...


But yeh gonna get a pro to look it over before we start the full thing, for now I'll keep re-tightening the loose ones.

 

[Amanda P]

When you talk of broken spokes, are you meaning totally snapped spokes? Or do you mean loosened? Because like you say the bike will be fine, ill go for a ride it seems to take somewhere between 75-150 miles but then the wheel will start rubbing the brakes. Give the spokes a feel and 1 will be completely loose and another 2 or 3 will be a bit loose. I tighten them up with my key best I can, which so far brings the wheel back true... However another 100 or so miles it will happen again...


But yeh gonna get a pro to look it over before we start the full thing, for now I'll keep re-tightening the loose ones.

That sounds like a wheel that's never been properly tensioned.

Some wheels are built by machines (really!) But these are not the wheels to use for a long, heavily laden tour. The problem is that if two or three spokes are looser than they ought to be, then when you hit a bump or pothole, the load isn't shared by a number of spokes: it may all fall on one, which will stretch or snap. Once that's happened, the rest of the wheel is weakened.

I've not had too much trouble keeping wheels true - but I foolishly used a 32 spoke wheel for heavy touring on Ireland's apalling roads. It couldn't cope and exactly that happened.

When I first got back into touring, I used a cheap machine built wheel. It lasted from Land's End to Staffordshire before breaking two spokes in quick succession. It just about lasted to JoG - by which time the hub was packing up!

Loaded touring can be tough on rear wheels. Make sure it's been seen to (or replaced) by someone who knows about touring wheels. Carry spare spokes anyway - get your wheelbuilder to sell you half a dozen - and know how to replace them (especially on the drive side, 'cause it's usually those that break).

 

[Welsh Pirate]

I agree about watching the weight that you'll carry - I did LeJog with my Dad last summer. I've done quite a few tours before, so i minimised what i was carrying to almost an obsessive degree (cutting part of the toothbrush handle off).
My Dad didn't think twice about taking a shed-load of extra stuff (despite me highlighting the imortance of weight).

Anyway, my panniers came in at about 7kg (we stayed in B&Bs & YHAs), my Dad's came in at about 10kg.

By Bath most of the extra rubbish he was carrying was in the bin!

Every gram saved helps!

Good luck!

 

[MacLean]

Thanks for all the advice given here!

We're getting the train down on Sat and are starting it this Sunday, hopeing for at least reasonable weather. Will update this thread in 2 weeks or so with how we do!

Cheers all!

 

[MacLean]

Job Done!

Thats me just back. Completed the trip fully loaded and camping in 9 days cycling however we took one day rest so 10 days if you count that.


We camped 7 of the 9 nights and most of which where in random fields which we probabbly wern't ment to be in.


Navigating was challenging but very do-able and we made it without really getting lost, just some moments of confusion.

We got (I think) 5 broken spokes and a broken rack on one bike, about 5 or 6 punctures on the next, one puncture on the next and thankfully my bike didnt have 1 single problem.

Very tough espicailly devon like everyone here said, but overall a great challenge and a huge mixture of highs and lows.

Thanks so much for all you're help and advice eveyone it all made the difference!

 

[RyanW]

Awesome!

Well done, what a huge achievement especially as you haven't done anything like it before. Good news on the bike, i guess it always pays to get that something just a bit better.

Have you any plans to do something again? or are you just basking in the glory at the moment.

I don't know if you are like me but as soon as i have done one thing, on the train home i always think of another!

Well done again!

 

[robbiep]

Congratulations MacLean!! I've been following your threads with interest as we leave Sept 2nd on a 9 dayer JOGLE. I've picked up heaps of info from the posts that you've made for which I'm very grateful.

A massive effort I'm sure, well done.