Virtual Cycle Touring Festival

[mjr]

I don't believe you need much horsepower for Zoom. It works on our cheapie laptop at home, and my basic smartphone.
I suspect there is some sort of conflict on mjr's machine? (don't ask me any techie questions!)

Not as far as I know but it's hard to be sure with what I think is "black box" software which we are not allowed to see inside. It's more likely some problem coping with our scintillating rural broadband. The website zoom used to work better, then they removed some features and eventually it broke it on all but a couple of bleeding edge browsers, which I suspect was partly to push people towards the app.

No way I'm letting a closed app near my smartphone. That's got sensitive work stuff on it.

Glad to read they're available non-zoom after. I'll probably watch some like Jack Thurston but fewer than I would interactively.

 

[matticus]

I thought Feb 12th rang a bell:

https://twitter.com/WinterBike2Work

 

[Cathryn]

I just watched the King Alfred’s Way session with my boys! It does look fun...harder than I’d expected but fun though! Thinking about doing it over 5 days (40 miles/day) with our Dude in the summer! I’ve ordered the guidebook!

 

[IaninSheffield]

Lovely session by Jack Thurston extolling the delights of exploring our own fair lands.
His closing remarks about avoiding flying to go cycle touring, given that there's so much to explore close to home (or a short ferry ride away), especially in these troubled times, chimed with some of the principles that the Festival is keen to promote. I'm conflicted here. I've never flown much, other than very rarely for work. On retiring I hoped to be able to travel more widely (and completed my first trip just before the pandemic unfolded), but was also conscious of the environmental impact I'd begin to contribute towards. Cue monumental guilt trip!

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

I just watched the King Alfred’s Way session with my boys! It does look fun...harder than I’d expected but fun though! Thinking about doing it over 5 days (40 miles/day) with our Dude in the summer! I’ve ordered the guidebook!

@Cathryn You may like this video as it shows sections of the route:

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

Lovely session by Jack Thurston extolling the delights of exploring our own fair lands.
His closing remarks about avoiding flying to go cycle touring, given that there's so much to explore close to home (or a short ferry ride away), especially in these troubled times, chimed with some of the principles that the Festival is keen to promote. I'm conflicted here. I've never flown much, other than very rarely for work. On retiring I hoped to be able to travel more widely (and completed my first trip just before the pandemic unfolded), but was also conscious of the environmental impact I'd begin to contribute towards. Cue monumental guilt trip!

On one of Andrew Sykes' podcasts he had the person who runs FlightFree talking about why you should avoid air travel.

 

[Cathryn]

@Cathryn You may like this video as it shows sections of the route:

Thanks

 

[Cathryn]

Lovely session by Jack Thurston extolling the delights of exploring our own fair lands.
His closing remarks about avoiding flying to go cycle touring, given that there's so much to explore close to home (or a short ferry ride away), especially in these troubled times, chimed with some of the principles that the Festival is keen to promote. I'm conflicted here. I've never flown much, other than very rarely for work. On retiring I hoped to be able to travel more widely (and completed my first trip just before the pandemic unfolded), but was also conscious of the environmental impact I'd begin to contribute towards. Cue monumental guilt trip!

Go! Your flights won’t make that much difference. It’s your turn!

 

[HelenD123]

Lovely session by Jack Thurston extolling the delights of exploring our own fair lands.
His closing remarks about avoiding flying to go cycle touring, given that there's so much to explore close to home (or a short ferry ride away), especially in these troubled times, chimed with some of the principles that the Festival is keen to promote. I'm conflicted here. I've never flown much, other than very rarely for work. On retiring I hoped to be able to travel more widely (and completed my first trip just before the pandemic unfolded), but was also conscious of the environmental impact I'd begin to contribute towards. Cue monumental guilt trip!

As you have the luxury of time how about looking at long distance train travel? Check out seat61.

 

[IaninSheffield]

As you have the luxury of time how about looking at long distance train travel? Check out seat61.

Seat61 is a great source and I have considered trains, but to travel any distance can be a logistic battle ... and I love trains. Thought about cycling home from Estonia, but getting there ... crickey! Even with Seat61's help!

(I'm making excuses aren't I?)

 

[mjr]

Seat61 is a great source and I have considered trains, but to travel any distance can be a logistic battle ... and I love trains. Thought about cycling home from Estonia, but getting there ... crickey! Even with Seat61's help!

(I'm making excuses aren't I?)

Maybe but Seat61 isn't great for getting a bike to Estonia on what's current published. I think the easiest way if things remain broadly similar post-covid would be to get to Amsterdam (via the Harwich-Hook ferry, or Eurostar), then the Amsterdam-Berlin InterCity changing at Osnabruck for a Hamburg InterCity, both of which take booked bikes as-is for €10, then a regional train to Lubeck (bikes free but first come first served), ferry to Helsinki and ferry to Tallinn, both of which take bikes.

So it's not too difficult, but what it isn't is cheap, especially if you are buying single cabins on overnight boats. The lack of trains north of Riga and the insistence of DSB and SJ on bagged dismantled bikes really cuts easy options.

 

[IaninSheffield]

...but what it isn't is cheap, especially if you are buying single cabins on overnight boats.

Yep, eye-wateringly so, last time I looked.
Haven't ruled it out, but the back-burner's been getting increasingly full recently.

 

[Cathryn]

Maybe but Seat61 isn't great for getting a bike to Estonia on what's current published. I think the easiest way if things remain broadly similar post-covid would be to get to Amsterdam (via the Harwich-Hook ferry, or Eurostar), then the Amsterdam-Berlin InterCity changing at Osnabruck for a Hamburg InterCity, both of which take booked bikes as-is for €10, then a regional train to Lubeck (bikes free but first come first served), ferry to Helsinki and ferry to Tallinn, both of which take bikes.

So it's not too difficult, but what it isn't is cheap, especially if you are buying single cabins on overnight boats. The lack of trains north of Riga and the insistence of DSB and SJ on bagged dismantled bikes really cuts easy options.

How do you know all this???

 

[mjr]

How do you know all this???

Farrr too long hanging round on interrail groups. Ironically,while I've taken my bike on trains in three countries, I have only hired while interrailing, not taken mine.

Interesting little update on Estonia all by train: the gap between the northern end of the line north from Riga to the southernmost station of the Estonian network is about 90 miles and Estonian railway now has Stadler Flirts (as now find on Norwich and Ipswich routes) which are great for bikes.

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

The programme is up for this year's Cycle Touring Festival - virtual again this year, and looking full of good content!