Greetings from "Over There." I'm a single retired New Yorker named Bruce. I've been cycling since 1956 and I'm a former club rider with years of century and part-century rides in moderately rolling terrain and solo self-contained/self-supported touring. I just had a total hip replacement, so I’m presently spending my winter nights “grounded” and fantasizing about long-distance self-contained, self-supported international tours that are limited only by climate, terrain severity and safety.
I’m now in the early part of the research phase in preparation for doing the UK End to End tour in 2014. That research led me to Cycle Chat. My present (though evolving) plan with the UK EtE tour is to fly to Shannon, cycle up to the Malin Head-Ballycastle area, get over to John O’Groats and then do the UK EtE--with the CTC run built into the middle of it. I should get to Lands End by early fall, and my plan from that point on is uncertain. The overall goal is to make this tour “the ultimate dream UK cycling tour of a lifetime” and I anticipate three or four months on the road with substantial sightseeing and dart shooting along the way.
I’m pretty well set with equipment, clothing, etc---but my knowledge of the lay of the land(s) I’ll be touring through is dangerously close to nil. I’m well into internet research, but I’d appreciate any and all leads on websites, info sources and anything that might help me out with The Big Infoquest. Many thanks in advance for your leads/tips/pointers.
In fact, some guidance with one question I can think of right now would be great. I remember that a couple decades ago, the UK reception accorded to retractable point darts would best have been described as straight-up hostility. Is that still the case, or has the UK moved out of the “fixed point darts only welcome here” mindset and into a “retractable point darts OK here” atmosphere?
I’m now in the early part of the research phase in preparation for doing the UK End to End tour in 2014. That research led me to Cycle Chat. My present (though evolving) plan with the UK EtE tour is to fly to Shannon, cycle up to the Malin Head-Ballycastle area, get over to John O’Groats and then do the UK EtE--with the CTC run built into the middle of it. I should get to Lands End by early fall, and my plan from that point on is uncertain. The overall goal is to make this tour “the ultimate dream UK cycling tour of a lifetime” and I anticipate three or four months on the road with substantial sightseeing and dart shooting along the way.
I’m pretty well set with equipment, clothing, etc---but my knowledge of the lay of the land(s) I’ll be touring through is dangerously close to nil. I’m well into internet research, but I’d appreciate any and all leads on websites, info sources and anything that might help me out with The Big Infoquest. Many thanks in advance for your leads/tips/pointers.
In fact, some guidance with one question I can think of right now would be great. I remember that a couple decades ago, the UK reception accorded to retractable point darts would best have been described as straight-up hostility. Is that still the case, or has the UK moved out of the “fixed point darts only welcome here” mindset and into a “retractable point darts OK here” atmosphere?
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