Is this good?

[snorri]

4. Avoid Slammaban, it's just outside Falkirk, and is the most depressing place I have ever been.

I think you mean Slamannan.

 

[Kathy]

Well this has been a great intro to touring and I have enjoyed reading everyone's advice. Incidentally I contacted the seller and found that the drive train and wheels have done about 3000 miles, which seems quite high to me, but I will swing by to look at it anyway - with someone who has more idea than I do!
I have been to look at other bikes and can see that most are aesthetically more pleasing and yes even more desirable but I dont have any money!! When I consider other kit that I will need in addition to the bike I am going to be struggling.
Personally I feel that 19 years old sounds Ok - I certainly wish I was only 19!
And Bonj the photo shows that it does have a rack so I won't worry that it might not have the means of mounting one. (Oh yeah, and the panniers are included) If I tell you I am a sailor you will understand that the whole prevailing wind arguement told me plenty about the value of the advice being given.
Now to the training - if I've got it right I dont need to do much and must eat loads of pies and drink plenty of single malt - the whole trip is sounding better and better! And I will definately avoid crashing in Inverness and will pop in to see User76 for a cuppa and some cake!

 

[vernon]

Well this has been a great intro to touring and I have enjoyed reading everyone's advice. Incidentally I contacted the seller and found that the drive train and wheels have done about 3000 miles, which seems quite high to me, but I will swing by to look at it anyway - with someone who has more idea than I do!
I have been to look at other bikes and can see that most are aesthetically more pleasing and yes even more desirable but I dont have any money!! When I consider other kit that I will need in addition to the bike I am going to be struggling.
Personally I feel that 19 years old sounds Ok - I certainly wish I was only 19!
And Bonj the photo shows that it does have a rack so I won't worry that it might not have the means of mounting one. (Oh yeah, and the panniers are included) If I tell you I am a sailor you will understand that the whole prevailing wind arguement told me plenty about the value of the advice being given.
Now to the training - if I've got it right I dont need to do much and must eat loads of pies and drink plenty of single malt - the whole trip is sounding better and better! And I will definately avoid crashing in Inverness and will pop in to see User76 for a cuppa and some cake!

3000 miles isn't particularly high. I cycled that distance last year. Everything is still good on the transmission front on my bike. At 21+ stone, my transmission will get a lot more hammer than that on the mixte. As long as the chain is regularly cleaned and lubricated everything shouldbe fine.

If you do buy the bike, you will be able to replace bits of the transmission piecemeal i.e. individula chain rings from the front and a cassette from the rear along with a chain. The middle chain ring tends to be the one that gets the most use and doesn't cost much to replace. A chain costs around £10 and a decent cassette £10-£15.

Don't underestimate the amount of eating that you need to do! I forgot to factor in the additional calorie expenditure needed to cart my camping gear and suffered from severe energy depletion aka 'the bonk' or 'hunger knock' once or twice. It takes some eating to eat your way back out of a bonk! I didn't drink that much o0n my LEJOG and JOGLE rides but got through a litre of wine per day on last year's Channel to the Med ride a surprisingly shorter and cheaper expedition than a UK End to End.

 

[bonj2]

Unfortunately Bonj can not avoid insulting folk whose opinions differ from his own

Well, I didn't know I'd actually insulted anyone, but seeing as I've been accused of it anyway, I might aswell use it up on you: vernon, you're a pompous twat.

I don't know why Bonj sees aluminium as being supperior to steel for frames

it's lighter. Don't try and deny it, 'cos it is.

buy hey, each to their own taste. The mixte frame works so the bike will do the job ofr the original poster.

It works... yay!, well the penny farthing WORKS...

From my recent recollections about the range as inspected in the Sheffield branch, I do not recall seeing rack mounting points on the road bike.

Do you recall actually bothering to look at all? No. So you don't know that they don't have them then do you.

This reminds me that the bikes are road bikes and not tourers so I'll restate that in addition to the £169 the user is likely to want to: replace the saddle at further expense

Replace the SADDLE?! and what makes you think that if they buy the old shitter off ebay that they're NOT going to want to replace the saddle?

, replace the cassette or chain rings to obtain a touring range of gears especially if camping at further expense,

Please explain what ratio you will want when touring that the decathlon bike doesn't have. It's got a triple, if you want lower than that you'll need an MTB cassette.

purchase mudguards at further expense

And you'll NEED mudguards because?...

, buy a rack at further expense, buy touring luggage

oh right - so that pannier bag is the 'touring luggage' now is it? Have we actually established whether it comes with it?

Going along with *your* suggestion that two spanners is a good idea, breaking the head off one dog bone spanner through using ignorance and brute force is hardly a disaster as ther will be a spare to hand

one for each side?

There's a plethora of local bike shops to supplement the Wilkinson's network so purcdhasing a replacement is hardly problematic

'tis if you're in the middle of nowhere.

Neither end of LEJOG are public towns. There's no need to fret about admission fees LEJOGers are given access to the signing in point at the Hotel beyond the turnstile at LE. Beware of arriving after the end of the 'trading period' the finger posts are taken down at night which will deny riders the opportunity of a souvenir phote. The official photo taken by the official photographer is quite expensive.

don't bother, 'official photographers' are just a money spinner, a cash cow for the tourist magnates. Take a camera phone.

It's worthwhile collecting a LEJOG/JOGLE log sheet at the hotel at JOG and obtain six or soo proofs of passage as you complete the ride. This will give you the option of joining the LEJOG club and getting a commemorative certificate. I might get around to submitting mine sometime.

What's the point in that - why do you need to prove it to somebody? If you know you've done it, that should be all that matters. The sort of people who only do it for a certificate are probably the sort to cheat by driving.

 

[Chuffy]

Well this has been a great intro to touring and I have enjoyed reading everyone's advice. Incidentally I contacted the seller and found that the drive train and wheels have done about 3000 miles, which seems quite high to me, but I will swing by to look at it anyway - with someone who has more idea than I do!

3k isn't that much really, depending on maintenance. The wheels should certainly be fine unless the seller rides through sand and gravel for fun.

I have been to look at other bikes and can see that most are aesthetically more pleasing and yes even more desirable but I dont have any money!! When I consider other kit that I will need in addition to the bike I am going to be struggling.

If it's in acceptable condition then it's a nice first bike. I bought my first bike (a proper grown up bike as opposed to the kids bikes I had years ago) for about £200. If I knew then what I know know then I could probably have found a better bike. However I love my bike and it's done many thousands of miles. I wouldn't swap it for anything. These things do matter.

Personally I feel that 19 years old sounds Ok - I certainly wish I was only 19!
And Bonj the photo shows that it does have a rack so I won't worry that it might not have the means of mounting one. (Oh yeah, and the panniers are included) If I tell you I am a sailor you will understand that the whole prevailing wind arguement told me plenty about the value of the advice being given.

Please stick around, I think you might enjoy yourself on here!

Now to the training - if I've got it right I dont need to do much and must eat loads of pies and drink plenty of single malt - the whole trip is sounding better and better! And I will definately avoid crashing in Inverness and will pop in to see User76 for a cuppa and some cake!

Wise woman.

Right then...<cracks knuckles, prepares to tackle Mount Bonj just one more time...>

 

[Chuffy]

it's lighter. Don't try and deny it, 'cos it is.

Bonj, lightness isn't necessarily the measure of all things (the weight of your brain excepted). Alu is lighter, it is also more brittle. Steel is heavier but has more 'spring'. Both are very fine materials for frames but with distinct advantages and disadvantages over each other. For a touring frame, saving a few hundred grammes of frame weight isn't worth the bother given the advantages of steel (longevity, ease of repair, ride comfort etc) for that type of frame.

And you'll NEED mudguards because?...

Do a 900 mile ride in the wet without them. Take a picture of your chaffed, scabby and bleeding perineum. Then make a fatuous comment like the above.
Besides, it's already got them fitted.

oh right - so that pannier bag is the 'touring luggage' now is it? Have we actually established whether it comes with it?

Er, yes, the OP did. Nearly an hour before you posted. You did read her post, didn't you?

one for each side?

Now who's being pompous and patronising?

'tis if you're in the middle of nowhere.

That could apply to any tool or any component. I take it you never venture more than 500 yards from the nearest lbs Bonj, just in case...

What's the point in that - why do you need to prove it to somebody? If you know you've done it, that should be all that matters. The sort of people who only do it for a certificate are probably the sort to cheat by driving.

I think Vernon's point was that he has done Lejog and you haven't. Despite this you were offering advice on how to go about it. Some might call this foolish...
Just out of interest, what is the longest ride you've ever done? No silly games, I genuinely would like to know.

 

[Chuffy]

Kathy - Apologies if this is just stating the bleedin' obvious (after all I don't have a clue how much you know or what other advice you've had) but have you looked at the CTC website? They have a info pack on LEJOG which might be of use. The pack is free for CTC members, so if you know anyone who is, now's the time to offer them a pint and a cheeky wink.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Hi Kathy

Great ambition!

Regarding the bike, I recall Revell from the 1980's and seem to remember they were very nicely made and finished. As for Mixte style frames they again were hugely popular in the 1980's, the Claude Butler 531 Mixte frame was as common as muck amongst the female touring fraternity. The photo's show that the bike looks to have a very good finish and shine too around the rear-end, the bit that touring tends to beat-up a bit. My take is that it has been owned by somebody who bought it from new, has given it a lot of TLC over the years and is looking for a good home for it.
If it's the right size it looks perfect for a LEJOG. Good 531 frames are lovely to ride and last ages...mines nearly 50 years old!

I'd echo andygates advice though (oh and Chuffy's Maggot's and Vernons...ignore bonj on this one), if you can, go a give it a spin to make sure there are no nasty rumblings and really importantly fits you well, you're gonna be spending a long time on her!

If all is well it looks like a bike for a very long relationship!

 

[vernon]

Yeah thats the place, jeeeezzzus keerisssst what a place. I even had to toil up a chuffing great hill to get there!!

Oh, and apologies about the earlier post, it's Penzance you should avoid crashing in, I was only a dozen miles from the end

I thouight you were close to the finish than Inverness... I recall your original postings. What an unfortunate end.

Mind you I nearly ended my JOGLE at Penzance in 2006 as I got into a tired tizz with myself and couldn't see the point of cycling to Land's End only to have to come back to catch the train the next morning. After all I'd nothing to prove having done LEJOG the previous year...

Thankfully common sense prevailed.

 

[vernon]

Kathy - Apologies if this is just stating the bleedin' obvious (after all I don't have a clue how much you know or what other advice you've had) but have you looked at the CTC website? They have a info pack on LEJOG which might be of use. The pack is free for CTC members, so if you know anyone who is, now's the time to offer them a pint and a cheeky wink.

The info pack is not that great. I'll settle for a wink to part me from mine. I never got around to taking it seriously.

I used a large scale motoring Atlas with campsites printed on the maps to plan my approximate route. I then tore out the the relevant pages and threw away the remainder of the Atlas. The maps only let me down a couple of times when the camp sites turned out to be caravan only. I then resorted to wild camping and used the saved camp site fee for a decent meal the following day.

On the subject of food. If one is camping and wants a good breakfast cheaply, all day breakfasts in supermarkest are good value for money as are transport cafes. Big portions, loadsa calories, easy on the wallet.

 

[bonj2]

Bonj, lightness isn't necessarily the measure of all things

no, but there's no point lugging extra weight around when you don't have to.
If you tot up all the energy you could have saved lugging extra weight around on a 1,000 mile ride, you might squeeze an extra whole mile out with it.

the advantages of steel (longevity, ease of repair, ride comfort etc) for that type of frame.

ease of repair? what, so if the frame breaks, you weld it back together? And thank christ it's a steel frame in the first place, god knows - me with my aluminium frame it would have snapped clean in two long ago for sure, wouldn't it...

Do a 900 mile ride in the wet without them. Take a picture of your chaffed, scabby and bleeding perineum. Then make a fatuous comment like the above.
Besides, it's already got them fitted.

Well take them off. They add nothing to comfort. All mudguards do is stop you getting a few spots of mud on your back if you ride through a lot of muddy puddles.

That could apply to any tool or any component. I take it you never venture more than 500 yards from the nearest lbs Bonj, just in case...

Such as? The only thing that's likely to happen to my bike that would cause me not to be able to ride it is a puncture, and I've got everything I need to deal with that with me whenever I ride it.

I think Vernon's point was that he has done Lejog and you haven't.

Has he?
He's claiming he has, that doesn't mean he actually has, and that he didn't once drive or get on a train for a bit does it.

Despite this you were offering advice on how to go about it. Some might call this foolish...

Why would I have to have done it to offer advice on it? Touring isn't some magical mystical art you know, it's just riding a bike, A LOT. Advice on bikes in general and riding is still applicable.

Just out of interest, what is the longest ride you've ever done? No silly games, I genuinely would like to know.

Well, you're banging on about how weight isn't the be all and end all, but now, suddenly length is, is it?

 

[Chuffy]

ease of repair? what, so if the frame breaks, you weld it back together? And thank christ it's a steel frame in the first place, god knows - me with my aluminium frame it would have snapped clean in two long ago for sure, wouldn't it...

Yes, exactly that. Read any history of the Tour de France and you'll come across tales of riders stopping at a village forge to repair broken forks. Steel touring frames last almost forever. Aluminium frames have a much shorter lifespan.

Well take them off. They add nothing to comfort. All mudguards do is stop you getting a few spots of mud on your back if you ride through a lot of muddy puddles.

Rubbish. Pure, unadulterated rubbish. Like I said, do a long ride like I have with no mudguards like I have in the wet like I have and revel in the joy of a chaffed, scabby and bleeding arse like I have. That was only over the course of one 100 mile ride, doing the End2End in the wet without mudguards is just masochistic lunacy.
Be very, very grateful that I didn't actually take pictures....

Has he?
He's claiming he has, that doesn't mean he actually has, and that he didn't once drive or get on a train for a bit does it.

Lots of people on here have done it. Do you doubt them all?

Why would I have to have done it to offer advice on it? Touring isn't some magical mystical art you know, it's just riding a bike, A LOT. Advice on bikes in general and riding is still applicable.

Hmmm, I suspect that there's a bit more to it than that.

Well, you're banging on about how weight isn't the be all and end all, but now, suddenly length is, is it?

No, it was a straight question, no strings or punchline attached. What's the longest single ride you've ever done?

 

[User482]

no, but there's no point lugging extra weight around when you don't have to.
If you tot up all the energy you could have saved lugging extra weight around on a 1,000 mile ride, you might squeeze an extra whole mile out with it.

A touring bike loaded up is going to weigh over 40lbs. Do you really think that 1/2 lb saved on the frame is going to make any noticeable difference. Do you not think that other factors such as comfort and ease of repair might be just a tad more important?

ease of repair? what, so if the frame breaks, you weld it back together? And thank christ it's a steel frame in the first place, god knows - me with my aluminium frame it would have snapped clean in two long ago for sure, wouldn't it...

I bent my mech hanger on my steel frame when in the middle of nowhere. I bent it back with an adjustable spanner. Try that on an alu frame and see what happends

Well take them off. They add nothing to comfort. All mudguards do is stop you getting a few spots of mud on your back if you ride through a lot of muddy puddles.

As chuffy says, you can't have ever toured in the wet.

You know, this is a thread asking for advice on LEJOG. Why not leave it to those who have actually done some long distance touring?

 

[User482]

Kathy

One useful tip. Getting back from JOG can be difficult, as the nearest train stations are Thurso or Wick, only one per day takes bikes - and that leaves early in the morning. My solution was to use Puffin tours (www.puffinexpress.co.uk) who can take 2 bikes on the back of their minibus. They picked me up from JOG and deposited me at Inverness train station for around £20. I then took the sleeper train to London Euston for £75.

 

[vernon]

A touring bike loaded up is going to weigh over 40lbs. Do you really think that 1/2 lb saved on the frame is going to make any noticeable difference. Do you not think that other factors such as comfort and ease of repair might be just a tad more important?



I bent my mech hanger on my steel frame when in the middle of nowhere. I bent it back with an adjustable spanner. Try that on an alu frame and see what happends


As chuffy says, you can't have ever toured in the wet.

You know, this is a thread asking for advice on LEJOG. Why not leave it to those who have actually done some long distance touring?

I think it might be best if Bonj left it to folk who rode bikes to offer advice as there's very little evidence that Bonj has experience of riding one :8:

I had the misfortune of having my rear dropout fracture on my steel framed Dawes Galaxy. I was so glad of it being steel as it was brazed up by Bill Nickson, the last British Winner of the Milk race and I was able to continue and finish my LEJOG.