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Cycling North After Winter


Bucketeer

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Also, if it fits ( size L) you can have my red proviz jacket. Used for a bit, then some faults in the fabric appeared, so they sent me a new one. It’s certainly waterproof, but probably not downpour proof. It does have taped seems and is brilliant in the dark.post-8687-0-85216300-1540128636_thumb.jpeg

post-8687-0-44296300-1540128701_thumb.jpeg

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I also have quite a few used cycling clothes if required or wanted. I won’t push it as I know used shorts, even washed, aren’t for everyone!

Mostly Aldi or lidl ( before I had money to buy brands). Eg, long sleeved tops ( with back pockets- which admittedly are useless if you wear a rucksack), some padded waist tights and bib tights, some Edinburgh bike coop padded boxers ( ie undershorts).

 

Also from the spares box- a set of flat pedals, used set of schwalbe marathon tyres 700x32c, reflective sash( shoulder to waist thing, never worn), and a couple of packs of new v pull brake blocks.

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Oh f*ck yeah, totes forgot, sorry.

 

Can anyone collect a cycle from Chester and deliver to Uncle Buckateer, pls? I might have a lock for it, Alex, and it's got a rack on the back. Here's a completely shit picture of it from the Montgomery Canal triathlon this year. It's the hopelessly hidden in the background black one, to the left of my M8 mending his puncture...

 

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It was actually ridden by Prince Charles too

 

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Whereabouts is mr Bucketeer now? I had a feeling he’s localish to me. I am coming up to wrexham on the 1st Nov to go up to the Lake District with my parents. I can easily pop the roof rack on the merc to bring it down to surrey if it helps.

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Don't know if this will help/if it's a bit churlish given all the offers of free stuff but - I have some bike bits that I have a long term plan for, but at the moment they're sitting in the shed doing nothing. If you want to take them and use them for as long as you need, that would be fine.

 

It comprises a Genesis Croix De Fer front fork, Shimano XT disc brake and lever, disc front wheel, and a Blackburn lowrider front rack. I reckon it would all fit nicely on that Btwin bike as long as the head tube isn't too long (the fork's steerer tube is 255mm from bottom crown race to top).

 

This would mean you can have panniers on the front too which IMO is essential - riding with any weight in a rucksack is a miserable experience...

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Whereabouts is mr Bucketeer now? I had a feeling he’s localish to me. I am coming up to wrexham on the 1st Nov to go up to the Lake District with my parents. I can easily pop the roof rack on the merc to bring it down to surrey if it helps.

Guildford/Camberley way

 

I am going to Brum soon if that helps in anyway and I’ll drop them directly to him. Camberley aint a million miles from Reading...

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Those pics are the first time I've seen the bike. It looks perfect, thanks Billy! From one overweight old bastard to another. I think I signed up for the Cavcraft World of Wheels Diamond Care Package too, right? Courtesy dogshit through the letterbox when your bike's off the road and a no quibbles, no kneecaps returns policy upgrade.

The rear rack coming with the bike is great, that's one more thing off the list. Thanks for the offers of saddle bags, it's looking promising for them now. I'll be in touch.

With regards to the rucksack issue, I'd really rather take it. If the worst were to happen and the bike was nicked/destroyed/whatever, at least I could continue on foot with the rucksack. It will be useful for things like visiting Lidl too. Valuables/essentials in the rucksack on my back in the shop, rather than in bags on the bike outside. I was thinking it might be possible to strap the rucksack down on top of the luggage rack, as I agree it wouldn't be nice to ride with it on my back all the time (although probably bearable if need be with it filled with 'light' stuff).

 

Rob, that sleeping bag is similar to the one I took with me last time and I don't want to be as cold as I was in the first winter in Austria. But as I have a mule/bike, why can't I take yours AND my old one and sleep inside two. That'll be warm enough surely?

 

In general, like my previous travels, I don't want to be too well equipped, planned or prepared before I set off. I prefer to take too few things than too many. And just a rough idea of which way I'm going.

Thanks for the offer of all those parts djoptix, but frankly I think they all sound a bit too good for me and I'd be worried about breaking anything. I'm better off sticking with the simple old stuff that I can understand better.

I reckon that goes for the dynamo hub USB charger idea too. It's a great concept but I'll probably just end up taking a cheap hand crank usb charger thing. It'll keep me warm cranking away in the tent at night anyway.

I do realise how cold it's going to get before I get anywhere warmer, and it'll probably take me most of the winter to get there anyway, but it'll be fine. I reckon the two sleeping bag idea is a winner for a start. If it gets really bad at any point then I can always switch to riding at night and sleeping at day for a bit. A balaclava or a snood/hat with ears combo is a necessity, as are some gloves. Probably cheap fleece gloves with some big Marigolds to go over the top for when it rains.

I know from my previous walking travels that rain, or rather being wet, is worse than cold. Having to put on cold wet clothes in a morning is not nice. It looks like Richard Morris Leisurewear Inc might have me sorted for most weather gear (as long as he's a long 5'10" and I'm a short 6'5"). Thanks mate!

I could get a plastic poncho with hood type thing to go over the top in proper rain, like one of those Alton Towers affairs. That'd look grand with the Marigolds.

 

Nick, thanks for the offer, I'll be in touch. It's always nice to have waypoints along the way to aim for and to break the journey up a bit.

 

Thanks for the goodies Richard, and thanks everyone for their input. It's all helpful.

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Avoid dynamos unless they are they hub type. Those tyre driven things are awful, massive drag, noise, and destroyed tyres. Led lamps use so much less battery, probably not neccessary.

Youngest pedalled almost down to the equator before a crash last summer broke the bicycle and then malaria stopped him. About 10,000 miles and still on the original tyres. His main problem was getting enough calories to keep going. Absolutely loved north Africa and the desert. Sweaty tropical bits much less so.

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Can I hesitantly suggest getting a big USB powerbank, or potentially half a dozen smaller capacity ones to keep you going? Forget charge-as-you-go, but finding somewhere that you can mooch electrity from via a USB cable (which will be universal, no adapters needed) then you can recharge them overnight. I reckon I can get 2 full phone charges off one of my ebay £2.99 powerbanks, or probably several full charges of a bike LED light set. Can you get LED lights that actually illuminate things in a useful way but which run of AA or AAA batteries? Might be better/easier then save the USB powerbanks for phone charging?

 

Very much looking forward to posts about your exploits. This has the making of a great story!

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Absolutely loved north Africa and the desert.

That's the aim. Anywhere close is okay, anywhere past is a bonus.

Bear in mind though, in my previous travels I planned to go to India taking up to six months before returning to the real world. I never made it close to India but it was six brilliant years before I was back in the real world.

 

Stanky, I think I'll end up taking a couple of old powerbanks, mainly because I already have a couple of old powerbanks. There are lots of other lovely efficient solutions but cheap wins every time unfortunately. I reckon some sort of dual purpose hand cranky thing for if needs must, and just charge up and coffee up in MacDonalds or wherever has coffee and sockets as much as possible.

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If possible take money or access to money, euros seem to be better in North Africa now than dollar/pound. If you don't have a euro account and want one then pop over to Dublin Airport on a cheap daytrip with some UK paperwork and open one (or two) at the banks in the airport, you'll get a Euro account in English with online / phone access.

 

Mobile phones are ubiquitous so charging solutions are also, all the stuff from local markets here (ie €1 USB to microUSB charging cable, Chinese battery packs) are also the same stuff from local markets in Iberia and North Africa/West Africa.

 

205 Diesel ex-taxis are now available cheaply in sunbleached colours with special pre-used treadless sand tyres.

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