Old crap bike, longer distances - what could go wrong?

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OP
OP
wafter

wafter

I like steel bikes and I cannot lie..
Location
Oxford
I would be happy to ride the bike as is, if you have covered several hundred trouble free miles then it sounds like a pretty reliable old hack.
Going to live back home might not be as bad as you remember, hope everything goes well for you @wafter
Thanks :smile: Tbh I'm hoping for similar with the bike; but just really looking for anything I might have missed that could come back to bite me in the arse should anything go wrong. Looks like my single guard against this so far is carrying a humble 15mm spanner :laugh:

Thanks for your support - it's much appreciated as the mental rot's really starting to set in, now that I have less than a week left here. Tbh I'm under no illusions about moving back; the best I can hope for is to buckle down and try to earn with a view to egress ASAP.

Anytime - they are not going anywhere.^_^
Thanks - really appreciate that :becool:
 

All uphill

Still rolling along
Location
Somerset
I would be happy to ride the bike as is, if you have covered several hundred trouble free miles then it sounds like a pretty reliable old hack.
Going to live back home might not be as bad as you remember, hope everything goes well for you @wafter
Agreed.

I left my rural parents' home at 18 and following divorce had to leave Amsterdam and go back home to a place where life ended at 9pm, at 34 years old.

I actually had a good time; the peace and quiet were healing, and I made some lovely new friends. 6 months there and I was ready to take on the world again.

Best wishes!
 
I had considered going elsewhere and tbh if I had the balls I'd emigrate to Utrecht in the Netherlands as I fully believe this country's sunk and am utterly sick of our overlords taking the piss out of the people they're tasked with serving to our faces; seemingly with impunity :rolleyes:
In terms off cycling the Netherlands is better but affordable housing won't change much, alltough house shares are not very common, so it's more studio's apartments and the likes but they don't come cheap either. A place close to Utrecht with good train connections would be a better option(Woerden. Gouda have frequent trians for example)
But the overlords thingy i hear dutch family and friends say the same thing..
 
OP
OP
wafter

wafter

I like steel bikes and I cannot lie..
Location
Oxford
Agreed.

I left my rural parents' home at 18 and following divorce had to leave Amsterdam and go back home to a place where life ended at 9pm, at 34 years old.

I actually had a good time; the peace and quiet were healing, and I made some lovely new friends. 6 months there and I was ready to take on the world again.

Best wishes!
Man, that sounds tough. I can see the parallels, however in my case I don't really feel like I've ever had any proper independence and spent far too long at the family home early in adulthood; so going back there is only going to compound this feeling.

I'm glad to hear it was a positive experience for you; as it happens I do still have a couple of mates in the village (one of which I'm hoping I can lift-share with back to Oxford when the clubs open again and the local goth night returns; assuming / hoping of course that it does!). I also spoke to an old school friend tonight for the first time in a long time; who's apparently been having a hard time of it so I sent him some of my own misery to compliment his own; turns out he's doing a lot better and has also come to appreciate the benefits of cycling to his mental health so I'm hoping we can do a few rides too.

It's certainly not 100% unbearably horrific; probably only about 90% :whistle:


In terms off cycling the Netherlands is better but affordable housing won't change much, alltough house shares are not very common, so it's more studio's apartments and the likes but they don't come cheap either. A place close to Utrecht with good train connections would be a better option(Woerden. Gouda have frequent trians for example)
But the overlords thingy i hear dutch family and friends say the same thing..
lol - IMO saying that the Netherlands is "better" than the UK for cycling is like saying Mother Theresa is "better" than Hitler :laugh:

Thanks for your comments on the housing; the small amount of research I've done seems to suggest the same. Prices seem broadly similar to Oxford (maybe a bit cheaper, or at least they were when we last visited some years ago) however (keying into your house-share point) there seems to be a lot more tiny (15-30ish m^2..?) apartments avalialble; which I think is very important as it allows the young proper independence and more accessible housing; even if it is tiny. Plus I guess it opens up the market to first time buyers rather than expecting them to rent forever because the entry point to the market is ridiculously out of reach.

I've not looked at stuff outside Utrecht, but tbh the cycling and wider transport infrastructure seems so good that I imagine that would be a much better prospect than living a similar distance out from Oxford. Of all the satellite villages only a handful have stations..

I don't doubt that there's a wealth disparity in the Netherlands, however I'd expect it to be less severe than over here and (from an outsider's perspective at least) the country seems a lot more supportive, inclusive, fair and egalitarian socially as well; which I think is illustrated nicely with their cycling infrastructure... conversely over here you almost get a pat on the back if you run over a cyclist in your luxury 4x4 while driving 5 minutes round the corner to buy the Daily Mail :rolleyes:
 

Chris S

Legendary Member
Location
Birmingham
Not sure I'd get more hill-friendly gears (and in any case that'd probably blow the budget) although on the up-side I think the limited gearing and hills round here have gained me a bit more strength. I can crawl up the 10% one outside with what I have; just not so sure about some of the longer drags back home. I guess I'll find out!
If it's quicker to get off your bike and push it uphill then just do it, cyclo-cross racers do it all the time. So do I, bottom gear on my bike is about 43 inches.
 

Chris S

Legendary Member
Location
Birmingham
I had considered going elsewhere and tbh if I had the balls I'd emigrate to Utrecht in the Netherlands as I fully believe this country's sunk and am utterly sick of our overlords taking the piss out of the people they're tasked with serving to our faces; seemingly with impunity :rolleyes:

I don't doubt that there's a wealth disparity in the Netherlands, however I'd expect it to be less severe than over here and (from an outsider's perspective at least) the country seems a lot more supportive, inclusive, fair and egalitarian socially as well;
Unfortunately the Netherlands is losing the battle against organized crime and is rapidly becoming a narco-republic.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-50821542
 
Location
España
Unfortunately the Netherlands is losing the battle against organized crime and is rapidly becoming a narco-republic.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-50821542
I've read some rubbish on the Internet, but that is right up there!
And I say that as a former 20+ year resident.
And to be pedantic, NL is not a republic.
Assuming @wafter carries a UK passport, Brexit will be a bigger issue.
 

simongt

Guru
Location
Norwich
I've drafted many a bus
But not as easy or as much fun since Routemasters with the open platform were done away with. Just had to keep a crafty eye out for the conductor - ! :laugh:
 

roubaixtuesday

self serving virtue signaller
I'd usually cover these sorts of routes on my CdF, but I'm not going to leave that locked up outside the supermarket..

Not sure what your supermarket is like, but of the ones I frequent, bike racks are very visible in a busy area, I've no qualms leaving a nice bike there.
 

PeteXXX

Cake or ice cream? The choice is endless ...
Location
Hamtun
You could fit QR skewers, in case of p*ncture, or, in the past, I've fixed a flat or two with patches and popping the tyre off the rim while it's still on the bike.
 
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