AlanW
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Rebellion Way
- Thread starter stelencro
- Start date
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AlanW
Legendary Member
- Location
- Not to sure?
AlanW
Legendary Member
- Location
- Not to sure?
AlanW
Legendary Member
- Location
- Not to sure?
Day four - a short hop from Thetford back to the Premier Inn at Kings Lynn. It may have been short, but my God it was brutal in the heat!
View: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/385781280
View: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/385781280
AlanW
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My first multi day bike packing expedition, and overall it was all good. But the gravel riding was to much and only served to eat into the time to much, of course not helped by it being 34 degrees and most of the time, zero shade.
There were nine of us total in our group and a fair degree of faffing about and sight seeing, wild swimming etc which again only served to make time evaporate very quickly.
Consequently every day I went ahead on my own and left the others to it. Often getting to the campsite 3 or 4 hours before them. Which was perfectly fine by me, it just meant that I could get all pitched up, showered, kit washed and dried and have a snooze all before they arrived. No rushing around, no queuing for the shower. Just relaxing in the sun, pure and simple
Its worth mentioning, that I didn't have any involvement with the route planning, but given the things that people wanted to do and see, plus the many gravel sections, the days were far to long, particularly the first day. 75 miles is a long day on a fully loaded bike, but then throw in the gravel tracks and everything else, then add the excessive heat for good measure, tough ask really.
There were nine of us total in our group and a fair degree of faffing about and sight seeing, wild swimming etc which again only served to make time evaporate very quickly.
Consequently every day I went ahead on my own and left the others to it. Often getting to the campsite 3 or 4 hours before them. Which was perfectly fine by me, it just meant that I could get all pitched up, showered, kit washed and dried and have a snooze all before they arrived. No rushing around, no queuing for the shower. Just relaxing in the sun, pure and simple
Its worth mentioning, that I didn't have any involvement with the route planning, but given the things that people wanted to do and see, plus the many gravel sections, the days were far to long, particularly the first day. 75 miles is a long day on a fully loaded bike, but then throw in the gravel tracks and everything else, then add the excessive heat for good measure, tough ask really.
AlanW
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To anyone thinking about doing it, all I would say, plan wisely, there are lots of places to visit and views to admire, just allow plenty of time!
Wacton Common is worth a mention, its a common waste land that you have to ride across. If you have any mechanical sympathy for the fully loaded bike, please don't try and ride over it!!
There is no real defined track just long grass with lots and lots of horse hoof holes made when the ground was very muddy lurking in the long grass.
Wacton Common is worth a mention, its a common waste land that you have to ride across. If you have any mechanical sympathy for the fully loaded bike, please don't try and ride over it!!
There is no real defined track just long grass with lots and lots of horse hoof holes made when the ground was very muddy lurking in the long grass.
teeonethousand
Über Member
Sounds brilliant....I get you on the heat though ☹️
More hills than I thought...for some reason I was assuming pretty flat all the way round..
More hills than I thought...for some reason I was assuming pretty flat all the way round..
AlanW
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Yes, my assumption was it was pretty flat to, clearly not!
That said, nothing to taxing at all really, even fully loaded
AlanW
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I opted for another bike in the end as opposed to my touring bike.
l could put 35mm gravel tyres on my titanium road frame, but at the cost of having to remove the mudguards.
So glad l did, and even with the 35mm tyres it was still blooming hard work! I found riding in the sand impossible to be honest, same as the loose gravel.
The trouble was some sections were compacted with a light dusting of sand but then you'd suddenly get a short bit of deep sand! And while speed is your friend in tackling bits like that, when you are knackered, hit and generall pi55ed off, you tend to start making silly mistakes.
On more than one occasion l got off and pushed my bike, which was actually much harder than riding it in the sandy sections. With two loaded panniers at the rear and my tent hanging from the bars, as you would expect, totally altered the way the bike behaved at low speed.
But while pushing it gave me time to reset and take control of my anger and emotions. So glad which each section was over only to turn a corner a miles down the road to be confronted with another one!!
My poor hands and wrists took a right hammering to. Needless to say, it will be a while before l head out onto any gravel tracks again!
AlanW
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oxoman
Über Member
Looks sore, thanks for the info. Enjoy yhe beer you deserve it. I'm hoping to do it soon and leaving my car at a campsite. Camp the night before and the night after doing it. Not sure how many days im doing it over yet though. Did the KAW in 3 days unladen and that was hard enough, hopefully fitter now though.
AlanW
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mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Norfolk's only really flat west of the Great Ouse or southwest of the Wissey, which isn't where the Rebellion Way goes. Most of the rest is rolling, but there are some sharp small hills in there.
