How many spins of the pedal?

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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 →

Day Two (ii): Gravesend to Ramsgate

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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 →

Day Two: Faversham to Gravesend

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Deja-vu struck as we travelled by train from Lewisham towards Faversham.

Stranger still was remaining on the train at Gravesend where we had last alighted and started our tour. Carrying on through Sittingbourne to Faversham, time and memories of our first day travel were compressed as we sped through various scenes.

What was different was the weather. Continue reading →

Day One (iv): When are we going to get there? Sittingbourne to Faversham

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Back through the Travellers Camp we chose another cycle path that led us through new soulless urban sprawls being built as part of the Thames Gateway project. I wonder if one day the place will have a buzz. Will this place seem different on a sunny day?

Eventually we did find the NCN path and rode through bleak countryside marred only by the cold wind blasting against us. Continue reading →

Day One (iii): Nowhere to Nowhere?

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Being nowhere is a good place to start from as your likely to always get somewhere.

Navigator Wallace soon had us on GPS lock and after agreeing the general direction we were going to take we quickly stumbled across a cycle path that yes! Would bring us back to NCN1.

My relief was immediate as I really didn’t fancy backtracking to where we were certain of our route and then pedal again against the cutting wind to only get back to roughly where we were. Continue reading →

Day One (ii): Sittingbourne to Nowhere

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Famished and physically quivering like a badly misfiring engine, Wetherspoons to me seemed like the Fat Duck gastronomical paradise of Bray except this was Sittingbourne.

To be honest, anything would have done but Wetherspoons do cater for so many different ‘difficult’ food groups with a great range of beers and being value for money. I mean where else can you get two fish & chips and two pints for a tenner? Continue reading →

Day One: Gravesend to Sittingbourne

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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 →

Trouble Spotted

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A timely trip to Reading and London would allow me to leave my bike with Bikehut Brighton so they could rebuild my rear wheel whilst I was away and would allow me to ride ‘fixed’ for the first leg of this epic coastal journey.

Dropping off my bike, confirming my instructions and parts I was supplying, Dave, another Bikehut Technician began quizzing me as to the type of wheelbuild I’d like. “Laced 3 or 4 cross?” I bumbled I was not versed in lace terminology and explained what the wheel needed to do. Continue reading →

Jeckyll and Hyde

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A hastily received short call during a meeting in the afternoon confirmed the bike was ready to collect however there had been some unplanned but necessary changes.

I hadn’t time to ask what had happened. Roger affirmed they had to be done and all would be explained when I turned up.Some hours later, I arrived at Mosquito’s, and began scanning the premises before eventually spying ‘Frank’ waiting for me by the workshop entrance.

Blimey. Frank? Continue reading →

Service Please!

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If my bike was to be serviced and ready within a day – I’d need to get Frank checked in the day before in order to avoid an early morning rise and exorbitantly priced train tickets that probably wouldn’t allow Frank to travel with me in any case.

Over the weekend I had also decided since Mosquito’s would be doing the bulk of the work then it made total sense they did the rear-wheel rebuild at the same time however forgot to mention this to Roger when talking to him about handlebar setup.

I gave Mosquito’s a call before I set off to check if they had a new Surly flip-flop hub in stock. The answer was no. Damn. What was Plan B? Continue reading →