Last week my Ortlieb back roller rolled a little too much into my spokes. Not only did it bring me to a sudden stop (whizzing around a London roundabout, in front of a bus – nice!) but it ripped the whole side of the bag.
With a new trip planned soon there’s nothing else for it – new panniers and rack: Continue reading
Most of the time a bicycle is the easiest of machines – you jump on, you pedal, you get off. So simple, so easy. Sometimes it is not.
The day started with me realising that I had forgotten my train ticket to Ramsgate so I left Sorrell’s house and pootled back home. When I got there I thought I would also pump up the tyres and tighten the back wheel. Half an hour later I am on the way for our next stage. Then DISASTER! The back wheel tightened up. The pannier rack came off and knocked some of the spokes loose – luckily no more than, oh, 10 metres outside the house! When I took it back to base and started to fix the wheel – BANG – the front wheel inner tube exploded! Continue reading
Some of you know this, but maybe some don’t. The bikes we are using have no gears.The pedal is directly connected to the wheel by the chain – if you stop pedalling, you stop! No free-wheel. Actually, if you stop pedalling at anything remotely looking like speed, then it will end badly – with your face in the ground! Essentially the pedal acts as a brake.There is quite a trend for fixed gear (or single speed – which is the same but you can free-wheel); a kind of grungy, courier-type look that many people are adopting. It does make for leaner, cleaner looking bikes with much less kit, but I think there is also a joy to be found in “fixies” which you don’t get elsewhere. Continue reading
Some times a little stretch of road makes my cycling heart sing. A gentle incline, a perfect pot-hole free surface, a light breeze and an amazing view; nirvana in my book.
The Romans (allegedly) first set up camp just outside Herne Bay. It is a place where history re-writes itself – a roman encampment and a medieval church sit happily ruined side by side. Reculver and St Mary’s Church. Overlooking the bay, it’s a stunning spot, but more stunning than that was the start of the “Viking Coastal Trail” – with a newly-laid path and views over the marshes of Isle of Thanet and the calm waters of the South Channel. What a way to burn off lunch. Continue reading
God bless Decathlon! The day before le grande depart I made a dash over to Canada Water for some last minute bits and bobs – running tights, gloves, a hat, inner tubes, tyres levers… that sort of thing. Had to use the inner tubes a bit quicker than I wanted – a puncture in the car park! But a good excuse to try out the new CO2 canisters – and they worked a treat! Is it just me, by the way, that always thinks they aren’t changing a tyre properly?
Mr Bear arrived at mine at about 8pm. Some lovely Thai tea, and (probably too much) wine – and then set to pouring over the maps. As we have discussed, where we start is always been vague. Continue reading
It looks like our first leg will be done over four days – clocking up to 50 miles or so a day. Which is much more do-able (considering age, fitness, the simple fact that neither of us have ever done anything remotely like this!). But is does increase the sheer number of nights away we will have. Continue reading
So the weekend found my girlfriend and me enjoying some early spring sun in that lovely romantic capital, Paris. The cheese, the wine, all left me feeling a little fat and unfit on my morning cycle into work.
It looks like our first leg will be done with gears which I am quite glad now. Also, my earlier ideas of 100 miles a day (where the hell did I think that was a good idea?!) will need to be modified to a much more realistic 50. Which means our first leg – to be started in three weeks – will be a four day jaunt across the south coast. Where we will stay is also another concern – but for a separate post. Continue reading
Last night over some light ales I told my good friends Robin Doyle and Ben Cull about our idea. As we chatted, it was clear that this may well be an ongoing journey that other people might want to join us on – either for all of it or for just bits. Continue reading
Blikey reckons that the coastal route from Gravesend to Brighton is about 190 miles, which seems a good distance to start. It’s a great tool, if you have never used it – using maps and waypoints you can create very accurate routes, with it giving you the distance and elevation. The first leg looks like this, which is impressive until you look at how little of the British Isles this covers! All I want to know is how many miles will we comfortably cover in a day (100?) and where the hell will we stay in Dungeness? I have been there once – pretty dam grim and that was even with Derek Jarman’s garden…
