Charity ride

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Tony Martin

New Member
Location
Faversham Kent
Me and a few mates are mooting the idea of doing a charity ride from Canterbury to Jerusalem next year. This will require us to take five weeks off work, so obviously there's are considerable financial considerations. Being an optimist I'm assuming it's going to happen and part of the financial planning is to build a bike for the job now. We are going to ride road bikes, not tourers and will be followed by a support van. Planned daily mileage, seventy. The route is through eastern France to Switzerland across to Italy, down through Greece and across Crete and Cyprus. Unfortunately we think it will be better to avoid some of the obvious less stable countries around the Mediterranean rim.
So the first part of the new bike has been purchased, an Argon 18 ally/carbon frame to which I intend to fit the new SRAM Apex transmission. Hype is it's better that a triple and lighter. This should help on the hilly bits. Ally frame was chosen as bikes could be chucked in the back of a van and a carbon bike might take a fatal knock, as opposed to a dink. Next up is a set of strong hand made wheels. All this is based on a friends advise who has completed several long hauls.
Would like to here any constructive advise from anybody who has undertaken such an enterprise and here about any pitfalls they could help us avoid.
 

Mad Doug Biker

Just a damaged guy.
Location
Craggy Island
Good luck!

Is it something with religious connections you are doing it for??
 

Yellow7

Über Member
Location
Milton Keynes
Hi.
It's sounds like an interesting route. Being for charity, & as you state there are considerable financial considerations, wouldn't it be cheaper to leave the support van at home & go fully loaded? The fuel will add up considerably. Maybe build some tourers up from reasonable condition second hand bike with running gear over hauled.

Speaking from experience of damaged wheels on a fully loaded touring bike, on a road bike without the rear load custom wheels may be an over spend.

I’m not sure what level of fitness you are but if moderate then on ‘weight-weenie’ road bike, without gear, you’ll easily knock out 70 miles a day.

The money saved could then go toward the charity itself.

If you do decide to have wheels made up the i recommend the DRC MT19 (available in 700 or 26”), the eye-lits on these are held by the inner & outer rim walls so more secure & hence stronger (I never use Mavic again unless racing). Finding a good wheel builder can be difficult, I found a local guy (www.twenty3c.co.uk Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes) who’s now made two hub gear wheels & no problems with over 3000 miles of tours.

Mark.
 
OP
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Tony Martin

New Member
Location
Faversham Kent
Yellow7 said:
Hi.
It's sounds like an interesting route. Being for charity, & as you state there are considerable financial considerations, wouldn't it be cheaper to leave the support van at home & go fully loaded? The fuel will add up considerably. Maybe build some tourers up from reasonable condition second hand bike with running gear over hauled.

Speaking from experience of damaged wheels on a fully loaded touring bike, on a road bike without the rear load custom wheels may be an over spend.

I’m not sure what level of fitness you are but if moderate then on ‘weight-weenie’ road bike, without gear, you’ll easily knock out 70 miles a day.

The money saved could then go toward the charity itself.

If you do decide to have wheels made up the i recommend the DRC MT19 (available in 700 or 26”), the eye-lits on these are held by the inner & outer rim walls so more secure & hence stronger (I never use Mavic again unless racing). Finding a good wheel builder can be difficult, I found a local guy (www.twenty3c.co.uk Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes) who’s now made two hub gear wheels & no problems with over 3000 miles of tours.

Mark.
Thanks for your comments I will investigate. Just out of interest the van driver is a volunteer who will carry spares clothing etc, so we can travel light during the day and put on some reasonable cloths in the evening. May sound a bit soft for some hardcore tourers but that's how the folks want it.
 

Yellow7

Über Member
Location
Milton Keynes
Hi Tony, Fair play. All depends on what each & every person is looking for. Not sure if you've cyled mainland europe but roads in france are just tip top which makes a good start to the tour.

Mark ;).
 
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Tony Martin

New Member
Location
Faversham Kent
Yellow7 said:
Hi Tony, Fair play. All depends on what each & every person is looking for. Not sure if you've cyled mainland europe but roads in france are just tip top which makes a good start to the tour.

Mark :smile:.

Cheers Mark,
Nearly finished the new bike, just saving up for the shifters which as I'm sure you know are seem disproportionally expensive to the rest of the kit.
I will post a picture on my page when it's finished. Thanks for your interest.

Regards
Tony M
 
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Tony Martin

New Member
Location
Faversham Kent
Yellow7 said:
Hi Tony, Fair play. All depends on what each & every person is looking for. Not sure if you've cyled mainland europe but roads in france are just tip top which makes a good start to the tour.

Mark ;).

Forgot to mention, I gave up on the idea of using a SRAM Apex groupset even though it's actually up for a reasonable price, £398 at Chain reaction.
Looking at it though it's not that good a quality set so I went for an Ultegra triple after all.
 
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