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
When we left the Dolphin I asked the Landlady if she could recommend anywhere local for food.
Supported with nods from the Chef and others, she suggested the George. Then I wondered if I should have asked the question ….
From outside, the George didn’t exactly ooze ‘appeal’ so whilst the others were locking up I went to check out the food situation inside.
I need not have asked for there in front of me was a board of so many choices for every taste.
But were they serving? This is rural life where food service is not as us metropolitans know it. Continue reading
Amazing. We had GPS but couldn’t work out exactly where to head to. I can tell you it isn’t easy to work out where the road is and where you are heading when all before you is flat.
Cycling in the wilderness with 23c tyres is a strange experience on what I would call ‘grass’ but crunched under the tyres like freshly laid snow.
For those who are not au fait with what 23c means – its relates to the cross-section width/circumference of your tyre (someone help me here!) which translates to one of the skinniest tyres you can buy and what you would typically find on racers.
What would have been better on this terrain is mountain bike tyres. Continue reading
Whilst waiting for Jim & Elisabeth, i couldn’t help but notice the sounds of sharp ‘cracks’ in the distance as if some sort of mass paintball battle re-enactment was going on or was it something else? I was curious to find out.
Finally united with Jim & Elisabeth our ride along the front was short-lived with no evident path ahead.
As we started heading away from the sea, Jim’s GPS showed the path continued along the front even though the road we looked down seemed a dead-end. Deciding it was worth a shot we heading down and as we got to the dead-end of bolted gates it dawned on us we were right next to a live firing range. Good grief! Suddenly it all felt too close for comfort. Continue reading
I woke with excitement and quickly fixed a hodgepodge breakfast of oats and Calamari bought fresh from the beach the day before which I thought would set me up perfectly for the day.
I was taking one of the first trains from Hove to get me to Folkestone for half ten where I would meet Mr Wallace.
Setting out from home the weather looked good even though there was still a nip in the air. Continue reading
I don’t believe it; a new saddle I ordered a few months ago via Wiggle has just been delivered!
The famous Brooks B17 Special Edition Saddle
My surprise at this seemingly unremarkable fact was in fact I was originally expecting it some months back when I first ordered it.
Not that it was Wiggle’s fault – they had been awaiting stock of the Brooks B17 Special (copper rail) saddle for months themselves and had been diligently warning me every three weeks that unless I renewed my order it would be cancelled so I kept renewing with an advised date of September. Continue reading
With the next leg rapidly looming, its time to sort out ‘Frank’.
First problem on my list is the increasingly annoying ‘clicking’ sound I’m hearing when pedalling which is fast becoming a form of water torture – an ironic synonym considering I’m always on about flow…..
I’ve tried tightening
to no effect deducing it to be a problem with the actual crank.
Not having all the tools, patience and time to try sorting a crank I pop into Baker St. Bikes on York Place, Brighton to find out how quickly they can fit me in.
I already visited the place a couple of times, liking their attitude and service even though they are Surly biased (which is fine in my rule book and surely in my favour?)
I’m genuinely surprised and appreciative that they can fit me in there and then so head off to kill some hours.
I return at the end of the day. Lewis, of Baker St Bikes tells me he’s taken apart and greased the crank which is fine and thinks it actually could be my pedal (which he has oiled).
I head out the shop, head up Trafalgar Street………………… same old click. DAMN!
Arriving in Dover, we followed roads noting nothing of exception. Indeed it seemed that Dover is about getting people in and out as quickly as possible for soon we were tangled with the dual-carriageways abused by cars and articulated lorries. Nothing really appealed particularly the steep slopes to climb out of Dover. Continue reading
Back on the bikes post lunch we carried on past many more establishments we could have eaten or drunk at.
Hotel we had lunch at was the first place we came across as we arrived in Deal after passing through Sandwich (cue joke of looking for a Sandwich Deal for lunch) . Even though it was a great place to stop it was clear that Deal is a surprisingly lovely and cool place. Think boutique rural. Amazing how what I can only call as the tone of a town can make such a difference to your choices. 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
