http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Tag: touring - Recent Topics en Wed, 13 May 2026 01:53:27 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18917#post-284974 Sat, 16 Jun 2018 13:48:12 +0000 unhurt 284974@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>In August I'm off to cycle 600km of the <a href="http://trailway.ca/">T'Railway Park</a> plus a bit more on the road (basically <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/yayk23qGczH2">this</a> and then <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/gdktXvPLMFs">this</a> - with optional detour to <a href="https://goo.gl/maps/iYsga1FJwqv">Red Bay, Labrador</a> if I make really good time). </p> <p>Taking this bike:<br /> <a href="https://flic.kr/p/27q4Dpj"><img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/979/42279140212_317b1ed4cd_n.jpg"></a></p> <p>Spare spokes, tube(s), chain links and bolts (various) plus duct tape and cable ties are all no-brainers, but having mostly toured on indestructable Schwalbe Marathon Pluses, I'm not sure if a tyre boot and lots of glue / patches is sufficient, or if this is the sort of enterprise that calls for carrying a spare tyre. No bike shops en route, just one sporting goods store (with no website) vaguely on the way, and then a place in Corner Brook (past Deer lake and after I'm done with the trail part). Feels like a "yes".</p> <p>Thoughts/opinions/other spare parts mountain bikes might demand that indestructable Surly tourers generally don't? Wondering about brake pads, even if I stick new ones on just before I go. </p> <p>I have also acquired a (really cool) little MSR bulb pump water filter and plan to excavate my embarrassing midge jacket. Trail goes through lots of places with shops, so everyday supplies not an issue, though I plan to check out what kind of camping gas is on sale at key points (having been caught out before when they only had calor type refills noooooo. Cold food is OK, but nae coffee is not). </p> <p>What am I forgetting? (Will be buying new <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/bear-spray-expires-1.4703457">bearspray</a> in St John's before I leave.) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=18998#post-287285 Fri, 20 Jul 2018 10:32:29 +0000 unhurt 287285@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I've got a couple of WarmShowers guests staying tonight - flew in from New York State a few days ago and are heading south tomorrow. Their current proposed route is over to Innerleithen and then over to the coast at Berwick upon Tweed. They had wanted to ride the coastal route, but had been told that that way lies Certain Death and that they must not do it. </p> <p>I'm not sure Innerleithen then east is any more likely to avoid close passes or other driving idiocy - indeed, if they head via Haddington to Dunbar rather than though North Berwick it might be worse. She is new to cycle touring and he is hopeful this trip won't put her off forever.</p> <p>Anyway - I said that I would, for preference, take the coast, but that I would also seek the sage advice / opinion of the members of respected local cycling discussion forum CCE. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=14750#post-187292 Wed, 29 Apr 2015 14:35:13 +0000 unhurt 187292@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm hoping to fit a hub dynamo to my new touring bike for a wee trip across Canada this summer. Plan is to charge a battery pack and use this to charge phone/7" tablet etc. to reduce the amount of time I would otherwise spend searching for plug sockets/outlets. </p> <p>I have been meaning to do a bit of research on available models for ages now, but just realised I haven't - and I leave on June 21st. Erk. Does anyone have any experience, recommendations or potential pitfalls to share? My ignorance is such I currently have no idea if disc brakes will complicate matters. And do I need to buy a specific battery pack, or will the USB-chargable powerpack I currently own for travelling do the job? </p> <p>If relevant/interested, new bike will be a Surly Disc Trucker.(I am rather excited about its impending arrival. I hope we are compatible!) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=17285#post-239629 Thu, 22 Dec 2016 12:31:50 +0000 unhurt 239629@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Has anyone been to Albania? I have a few contacts who have travelled/worked there, and loved it, but I hear the driving is pretty terrifying, so I'm pondering the wisdom of going there with a bike (&amp; tent) next year... I know the roads are also a bit of a state, but the tourer takes pretty fat tyres, so okay on that front. </p> <p>Other options on the table include Finland - preferably at a season not filled with biting insects! And rather more expensive once there.</p> <p>To make things more interesting, in both cases I might try to get there without flying...</p> <p>Advice/opinions/suggestions/should I just go and ride round Iceland (wearing a midge suit)? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16215#post-215297 Mon, 28 Mar 2016 16:53:46 +0000 ivangrozni 215297@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Hi all,</p> <p>Have about 21 days to play with in June this year and am intending on doing a little tour. Last year I was away for about 14 days and found the fully laden touring quite tough going. </p> <p>I'm therefore considering frame-bags and avoiding the additional weight of racks and panniers. Does anyone have any experience with bike-packing? Reduction in weight is my primary concern but not clear whether there is any real advantage with bike packs- can any CCEers advise?</p> <p>Assuming I decide in favour of traditional panniers and racks, I then have the added complication that I cannot use the braze-ons for the rear rack (long story involving sheared bolts, broken easy-outs and dodgy drilling). Does anyone have experience with quick release axle adaptors for panniers (like <a href="http://www.wiggle.com/tubus-adapter-set-for-qr-axle-mounting/">this</a>)? Can they take a reasonable load? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=15613#post-202038 Thu, 15 Oct 2015 23:00:30 +0000 unhurt 202038@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Right, so: after consulting the wise ones of this forum re: hub dynamos etc. back in the spring I got myself all set up and then bought a USB-Werk on Amazon for the big cycle trip across Canada. </p> <p>This worked perfectly for the the first 2.5 weeks of the trip - and I was very happy to not to have to skulk about looking for power outlets when I would much rather be eating all the donuts in Canada or sitting in the sun - but at this point it began to intermittently stop charging devices attached to it. I thought perhaps a connection was loose, or there was a problem with the contacts, and took it off the bike then reattached it. It worked again for a couple of days, then stopped working again. I took it off the bike &amp; reattached it again. And did that again. And then yet again. Then, hurrah!, it began to work once more. Or so I thought. </p> <p>Unfortunately its next trick was to comprehensively fry the battery in my new phone, leaving me without communication or detailed navigation somewhere near the Alberta/Saskatchewan border. Hoping this was a one-off event I then tried charging my rear light. Which it also fried. After this I applied some common sense and stopped using it. I eventually had to buy a crappy 2nd hand phone handset at the exortionate cost of $250 from the only open phone repair shop in Moose Jaw (which had exactly one 2nd hand handset to sell so at least the choice was simple...), and also ended up buying an alternative charger* thingy to use with my hub dynamo from t'internet, shipped ahead to a hotel in Winnipeg.</p> <p>Pretty cheesed off, I stuck the USB-Werk in the bottom of a pannier, then shipped it home ahead of me. So, now I'm back, I emailed Busch &amp; Müller to ask how I should go ahead returning it - at the very least for fixing/replacing, though preferably for a refund given I now have another gadget to do the same job. But they've just told me to contact Amazon. But I can't see any way to return an item that's past the 30 day window after purchase. </p> <p>Help? Is there somewhere I'm missing on Amazon that will let me say "returning this in irritation because it stopped working while still new"? Or should I write a more strongly worded email to B&amp;M? Anyone else know if this is a known issue (the frying-of-electronics) with the USB-Werk? (Instructions said it was fine to charge stuff directly through the USB adaptor. Frying took place at average speeds in dry conditions.) </p> <p>*ended up with a tiny matchbox-sized Sinewave Revolution. I wish I'd gone with that in the first place - think I was put off by international shipping. But it has worked perfectly and the chap I emailed back &amp; forth with re: shipping times etc. was super helpful. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=13086#post-158467 Tue, 01 Jul 2014 16:52:40 +0000 Claire 158467@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Hi folks, I realise this is a bit outwith the remit of Edinburgh, but I know there are many touring cyclists here and was hoping for a bit of guidance. </p> <p>I was wondering if anyone on the forum has taken the NCN7 route from Pitlochry to Glasgow? I am keen to do a three day solo tour (my first ever!) at the end of July and felt that this looked to be a good option as trains at both ends of the route and it's about 116 miles in total, which should be a good distance for me to cover over three days. And apparently the scenery is spectacular so that's definitely a big draw. </p> <p>Has anyone done this route before? If so, do you have any advice on route options, bike type, surfaces, accommodation, etc? I was planning on taking my flat-bar tourer or my hybrid and was thinking Pitlochry to Killin, Killin to Aberfoyle and Aberfoyle to Glasgow. </p> <p>Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated! I've never done solo or multiple day touring before. Thanks! :) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=3520#post-36765 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 11:09:45 +0000 kaputnik 36765@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I've been meaning to get this together for a week, but took the opportunity of a car alarm waking me before 9 to sort it out.</p> <p>Here is the route of my 12 day, 770 mile, 26,000 climbing-feet tour from Edinburgh to Dunnet Head (the long way)</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaputniq/5992965355/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6144/5992965355_a9eaf51c9a.jpg"></a><br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaputniq/5992965355/">Le (other) Tour</a></p> <p>A gorilla-pod is a useful thing to take with you when touring I have found</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaputniq/5976039242/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6010/5976039242_6d12033e32.jpg"></a><br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaputniq/5976039242/">Gone touring</a></p> <p>And just to "prove" I was really there;</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaputniq/5976117516/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6132/5976117516_fc83156978.jpg"></a><br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaputniq/5976117516/">Fin!</a></p> <p>On other threads I have posted of the silly bits of cycle path I came across and the failure of the Marathon Plus so I won't bore you (any further) by repeating them here.</p> <p>However if you are ever in or near Durness, then definitely go out of your way to make a stop here;<br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaputniq/5976108152/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6014/5976108152_e914ec7010.jpg"></a><br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaputniq/5976108152/">Hungry cyclists stop here</a></p> <p>Not cheap (£4.95 for a large hot chocolate), but divine.</p> <p>I think this is my favourite photo;</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaputniq/5976106202/"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6135/5976106202_ef11f48445.jpg"></a><br /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaputniq/5976106202/">Room with a view 3</a></p> <p>It is at Scourie Bay. </p>