Low Roller
Well-Known Member
- Location
- East Yorkshire
I love this forum. It really is fun and friendly. So here is another provocative little posting. I’ve done thousands of miles of touring, mostly on Galaxies. The longest was 1800 miles and mostly on my own which I prefer; it’s just you, the bike and your tent - total freedom.
You get a cycling partner and it becomes desperate - their body functions are at a different time to yours, they dilly dally first thing in the morning, they get stressed at you wanting a drink, they want to scrimp and save and avoid the expense of having a coffee somewhere, they avoid cost sharing if they can get away with it, they want to pedal faster than you ‘cos they’ve something to prove….blah, blah, blah
I met a Dutchman on the way to Santiago de Compostella. Great guy and still sends me postcards and Christmas cards. Much stronger cyclist than me. He said he didn’t want to cycle with me but would meet up from time-to-time on the route. It worked and it was an absolutely brilliant system.
I’ve used it ever since but I want to tell you a story about this July. First night’s camping at Lyon, France. Got parked up with a brand new Dawes Ultra Galaxy and a brand new North Face Fat Frog tent ( don’t like titchy turkey basting bag tents). A superior being from north of the European continent arrives like a steam engine. Examines my tent and says “ my tent is more efficient zan yours “ ( Yawn) Then looks at my miniature Coleman stove and says the same thing about his kit. ( Yawn, yawn). Then looks at my brand new bike ( 30 miles on the clock) and says “ I have examined zee gears on your bike und mine are more modern” (Yawn,yawn,yawn).
Next morning got packed up first and ready to go. He is fiddling about and says “ I am going same way as you . “Vee vill travel togezzer, I go to rest room first.”
He’s in the rest room. Big cloud of dust. Anxiously looking over my shoulder for the next ten miles. Fortunately, no sign of the steam engine for the rest of the trip………..
You get a cycling partner and it becomes desperate - their body functions are at a different time to yours, they dilly dally first thing in the morning, they get stressed at you wanting a drink, they want to scrimp and save and avoid the expense of having a coffee somewhere, they avoid cost sharing if they can get away with it, they want to pedal faster than you ‘cos they’ve something to prove….blah, blah, blah
I met a Dutchman on the way to Santiago de Compostella. Great guy and still sends me postcards and Christmas cards. Much stronger cyclist than me. He said he didn’t want to cycle with me but would meet up from time-to-time on the route. It worked and it was an absolutely brilliant system.
I’ve used it ever since but I want to tell you a story about this July. First night’s camping at Lyon, France. Got parked up with a brand new Dawes Ultra Galaxy and a brand new North Face Fat Frog tent ( don’t like titchy turkey basting bag tents). A superior being from north of the European continent arrives like a steam engine. Examines my tent and says “ my tent is more efficient zan yours “ ( Yawn) Then looks at my miniature Coleman stove and says the same thing about his kit. ( Yawn, yawn). Then looks at my brand new bike ( 30 miles on the clock) and says “ I have examined zee gears on your bike und mine are more modern” (Yawn,yawn,yawn).
Next morning got packed up first and ready to go. He is fiddling about and says “ I am going same way as you . “Vee vill travel togezzer, I go to rest room first.”
He’s in the rest room. Big cloud of dust. Anxiously looking over my shoulder for the next ten miles. Fortunately, no sign of the steam engine for the rest of the trip………..
