Uk to Austria

[Angelfishsolo]

Hardtail with a fork lock out and trekking tyres sounds like your best bet. Developing a relationship with an LBS is a great idea. They may well be able to help you out with a few bits and pieces at cost or cut price.

 

[Alan Whicker]

Hello Modo, I'm a Keighley lad exiled in That London

Sounds like a dream trip. I used to live in Munich and visited Austria a lot. By the time you get there you'll be as fit as a fiddle.

Just in case you feel the need... this is a new club near you (meets in Sutton I think).

http://www.southcraven.co.uk/

My brother (local roadie and MTBer) is a fan of Keith Lambert's LBS in Bingley.

Airedale is proper Mountain bike territory - I bet there are any number of hardly-used MTBs sitting in garages just waiting to be picked up for peanuts. If you're on a very tight budget, something like a steel, mid 90s rigid Specialized Rockhopper would make a decent, bombproof tourer with a a bit of fettling. Keep an eye on your local small ads (does the Keighley News/ Craven Herald still do them?) and ask around - you'll be amazed at what turns up!

(I've done a bit of touring on a steel MTB - Carlisle to Keighley on a Claud Butler Xanthos, and London to Brighton a couple of times. Didn't even bother to change to knobbly tyres - though I definitely would now!)

 

[snorri]

I have looked at a great many bikes and most are too expensive for my budget. I will be following many river cycle tracks through Germany so a 100% road bike is out of the question I think.

The '100% road bikes' are unsuitable due to lack of luggage carrying ability. Riverside cycle tracks in Germany tend to have better surfaces than many UK roads, so no need for mountain bike capability, suspension etc. If you cannot afford a tourer, there are many hybrids that can be fitted with panniers that would be suitable for this trip.
Be wary of cycle shops, few have staff with experience of longer distance cycle touring and will be please to sell you anything they have in stock.

 

[Modo]

I visited The Cycleshop Skipton today to ask for some advice. They are going to help me get a bike which will be everthing I need for the trip. Also they have offered to sort maintenance and any repairs needed while I am training.

 

[shirokazan]

They are going to help me get a bike which will be everthing I need for the trip.

So, which bike are they getting for you?

 

[Modo]

lol I can`t remember the name how much of a noob am I

 

[bigjim]

I cycled from Munich to Austria, Czech Republic and back, this year using much of the Danube cycleway on a modern roadbike with no problems at all.

 

[Andy in Sig]

That is something else I need advice on I have looked at a great many bikes and most are too expensive for my budget. I will be following many river cycle tracks through Germany so a 100% road bike is out of the question I think.


any suggestions?

Cheers

Good luck with your project. I live in Germany and have cycled a few of the routes so if there is any help you need with route planning, I would be only too glad to oblige, as no doubt will many others on here.

 

[MickL]

I was in the same boat as you. My weight got to 22st and I used to fit, I started cycling again about 2.5 yrs ago, the first 3 months I lived of Ibuprofen, my legs ached pretty bad and the 2 mile trip to my local station used to take me 20 or so minutes, now Im about 16-17st and commute to my local station gets done in 8 mins, 10 min with traffic, but I've got another job so now I cycle 10miles each way to work down the canals, takes about 45 min at nice steady pace but now looking at getting touring bike from www.edinburghbicycle.com their revolution bikes come highly recommended because come winter parts of the canal routes become pretty bad so I want an all rounder of a bike, plus I fancy doing a tour at some point as well

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I visited The Cycleshop Skipton today to ask for some advice. They are going to help me get a bike which will be everthing I need for the trip. Also they have offered to sort maintenance and any repairs needed while I am training.

Fantastic news

 

[bigjim]

their revolution bikes come highly recommended

Mick if you look closer you will see that the bike on my picture is a EBC Revolution Continental Sport.

 

[MickL]

Mick if you look closer you will see that the bike on my picture is a EBC Revolution Continental Sport.

Oh yeah love to do the tour you did on that photo, didn't know such a route/tour existed cheers chap

 

[Modo]

Good luck with your project. I live in Germany and have cycled a few of the routes so if there is any help you need with route planning, I would be only too glad to oblige, as no doubt will many others on here.

Thanks Andy I will be taking you up on the offer of planning especially through Germany. I am looking at a route using part of the Ems and then Weser cycle routes. I am aiming to cross the German/ Austrian border just north of Passau, but nothing is set in stone

 

[oldfatfool]

Sounds like a great plan. I am in a similar boat, after driving around the Alps and Dolomites for the last few summers swearing at cyclists I got to thinking they had the right idea, a much better way to take in the sights and smells. so with an aim of losing 20 +kg and entering a London -Paris charity ride next summer then maybe LEJoG or heading to the Alps the year after, I have purchased a Ridgeback Panorama which seems to fit the bill perfectly as a touring bike capable of reasonable speed on good roads and with 700x 32c tyres still being capable on not so perfect surfaces. Based about 20 miles from you the other side of Bradford, drop me a message should be up for a slog into the Dales or Peak district when your fitness regime allows (and mine of course )

 

[Andy in Sig]

Thanks Andy I will be taking you up on the offer of planning especially through Germany. I am looking at a route using part of the Ems and then Weser cycle routes. I am aiming to cross the German/ Austrian border just north of Passau, but nothing is set in stone

Then I can offer you some food for thought right away. Ems to the Weser is a good start. The Weser route ends at Hannoversche Münden. From there you can go along the Fulda route to around the area of Ebersburg, over the hill into the Sinn valley, down the Sinn route to the Main, along the Main to Würzburg where you pick up the Romantische Strasse route which you follow as far as Donauwörth then along the Danube to Passau and so on into Austria.

An alternative which is logistically simpler but offers just as much to see is straight along the Rhine to Waldshut, up the Wutach valley and across to the source of the Danube at Donaueschingen and then straight along the Danube to Passau.