1st tour/tourer

[vernon]

I live here, you eventually get over it, I just sat on a rock to have a drink and check my route.

Heading out tomorrow for another (while its sunny) as its raining for the few days after and wherever possible I don't really feel the need to train in the rain

ebay is bad for the soul theres a lovely dawes on there

You need to get out in the rain. It won't stay away just because you are on tour. It's not that bad once you bite the bullet and get out there.

 

[vernon]

I found that once I'd got to about 20 miles I could then increase the distances in quite substantial leaps. I went from 60ish miles to 108 miles in one go without a problem, albeit on a flat route.

When I first Audaxed, my distances for four consecutive Saturday rides were 100km, 150km, 100km 210km and the furthest that I'd cycled before hand was around 70km

 

[david1701]

thats a bullet I'd sooner not bite but I do know I need to at some point. Kit wise I don't really have anything other than shorts/tights and jerseys. I have a rain jacket but it fills up with sweat if I ride in it which is just gross :s

 

[david1701]

bumping this back up I've been riding a lot and doing a much longer group ride next week.


This has come up on Ebay very locally do you think its a good shout (providing it has rack and mudguard mounting points)?

Will check condition before bidding too (is there anything else worth watching out for?)

 

[vernon]

The bike isn't immediately suitable for touring as it has road gearing. You'll need to buy a triple chain set, matching bottom bracket and derailleur for the front and your choices for the rear are limited as it's a six speed block - you'll need a new rear wheel to accommodate an eight or nine speed cassette plus a long arm rear derailleur.

You'd be best off holding out for a bike that doesn't need such a major reworking.

 

[david1701]

parfec

thanks Vernon

 

[theloafer]

hey david
check this out on ebay mate just up your street

DAWES DISCOVERY • TOURING / TOURER • CRO-MO FRAME
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DAWES-DISCOVE...0527186814?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item45f8d0f37e

looks a good buy ............ larry

and try here... http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewforum.php?f=31

 

[david1701]

cheers Larry, ogling

 

[Phil Fly]

Yes agree on the training except I know the area around Senen. You'll need to practice powering up yr local hills to get the muscles working. Don't just spin up them.
On the question of bikes, ten years ago my wife bought a new cheepy from Half-loads as a run around, the sort of thing we wouldn't want to be seen dead on. We've been touring in France and the UK with it on a couple of occasions and it carries the shopping etc every day. Its been amazing, I've never had to do any adjustments except new brakes and a bb and add some mudguards and its on its 3rd set of long life tyres and second saddle! I'm just writing this because doing up some old crate may cost you more! She's got other expensive bikes too but likes this one!

 

[willem]

I am fascinated by all this. This is a good plan, and will help you get fitter and happier. My biggest question mark is your current bike. I ask because not buying a new bike, and not doing much to it is by far the cheapest solution. So far I have not yet seen any facts that argue against this route. At the moment you really do not know much about cycling or about bikes. So you cannot judge what you will need or what you will like. So unless what you have does not really qualify as rideable, use the existing bike. Get yourself a decent bike maintenance manual like the Park Tools book, and spend a weekend or so on an overhaul, replacing cables, brake pads, greasing all the various bearings etc. Check if it needs a new cassette (the chainwheels at the rear), but do not yet spend that money. Just ascertain there is no fatal problem anywhere with the bike. Then ride the bike for a few months. After that, and if it still survives, come back and ask about camping gear. Buy quality and really light camping gear, tour for your summer holiday, and after that, come back and ask for advicew about a bike. Unless your bike is beyond repair, of course. But you have not yet convinced me.
Willem

 

[david1701]

I've been asking around (the sustrans rep lives on my roads and leads rides and is bloody helpful) basically chain cassette bb are all shagged, new tyres and a new rack (broken) will all add up to most of the way to a decent tourer on the ctc classifieds which is what I'll do when I've ridden this bike into the ground/get a big unexpected invoice in/get really drunk in charge of internet

 

[willem]

That is clear. The next step is that you will need to start thinking about the kind of trips you will want to do. Because I think you will need to choose between two routes to an affordable tourer. The first is to buy a decent second hand steel mtb with a rigid fork. These were once quite common and are now completely out of fashion. With the addition of mudguards, new faster tyres like 50 mm Schwalbe Big Apples and a good rear rack like a Tubus Cargo these make for very good tourers that will take you almost anywhere, and in particular give you very good capabilities on gravel roads and the like, which is increasingly important and attractive in many parts of the UK and Europe. Ask your Sustrans friend, and he will confirm that many of their routes are much easier to do if your bike has some off road capability.
The alternative is a traditional British style 700 c drop bar tourer like the Dawes Galaxy. There are plenty of those around on the market, and they are fine for faster rides on better roads, but they will handle some bad roads as well as long as you fit the widest possible tyres. Avoid the older models as getting parts for those will be harder than for more recent incarnations.
My personal preference is for a mix of those two styles: a drop bar tourer with 26 inch mtb wheels. Unfortunately for you those are relatively rare on the second hand market and fitting a drop bar on a flat bar bike requires new bar end shifters and brake levers, adding to the cost.
The choice will be yours, and between these two styles of bike and thus between these two styles of rides.
Enjoy the ride,
Willem

 

[david1701]

I'm gonna suck up to Neil and see if I can borrow some different bike styles to try them out first D: