Long distance touring by Bike
I've started doing much longer distances on my bike, the reason for this two-fold;
- Get fitter!
- Training for the end 2 end (Land's End to John O'Groats, about 1000 miles) which I intend doing next June
The only problem is that anything over about 40 miles and I am in excruciating pain. As of now I have a Marin B17 (with skinny slick tyres)…in other words a MTB - not so great for long distance road cycling. I won't get a "normal" road bike as I know that one of those will cause me worse problems…
So this has made me think of purchasing a Recumbent Bike. Although they do look rather weird, they appear to be much more comfortable as the rider sits upright (in almost a normal chair) with legs outstretched. I've seen trikes which look fairly, but these have "undercycle" steering which I don't fancy. So, I decided to get myself a Pashley PDQ;
The cost is comparable to a good MTB. The wheels are 20 inches, compared to MTB/racing wheels at 26", as you can see the chainset is way out the front, so it's basically a case of lie back and watch the world go by 
What I will also need is a good rack and pannier set - my intended ride will take 10 days @ 100 (or more) miles per day. Being self supported on the adventure means that everything must be carried by oneself - I'll be staying in B&B's along the way, but won't bother booking any. Just turn up and ask if there's any room at the inn I guess.
Over the summer, I did a 3 day jaunt from Chepstow to just near Liverpool, and to be honest, it was not a great trip. I think that if I had a more useful (long distance) bike it would have been much more enjoyable. When I do purchase one, I'll have a (almost new) Marin B17 for sale if anyone is interested…
Comment by SarahG — October 20, 2006 @ 10:09 pm
I used to use a recumbent bike at the gym and found it so much more comfortable than a normal bike. However I'd feel afraid of falling over on an outdoor version!
Comment by Chris H — October 21, 2006 @ 1:15 pm
Would not a good quality road tourer sort out whatever the pain is? Summat like a Dawes Galaxy?
To be honest never liked recumbents, always seemed too low to me.
Comment by burt — October 21, 2006 @ 2:36 pm
Any type of saddle is a problem…so pretty much any bike with a saddle would be problematic for rides over a couple of hours long.
I must say that I quite fancy a recumbent - they're different, and different is good.
Comment by ash — October 21, 2006 @ 3:32 pm
100 miles per day - you are nuts. that isnt really doable in the UK where there's hills all over the place and not really many flats.
Go for about 62 - 80 miles per day. 100 will kill you after two/three days.
I remember being over taken by a German guy when I was out doing a 2000km ride going up hill in one of those funny recumbent bikes, he got about 25km in front of me and took me all day to catch him again. I think they're great but pricey and probably hard to store. Bet there wank in traffic too - hope you get a good respirator and good insurance!
Comment by burt — October 21, 2006 @ 4:21 pm
Ash, it's only for a 10 day stretch so should not present a problem. I might yet extend the trip, this is probably going to happen as I want to see some of the countryside.
I quite often cycle from my place to my family in Wales and back in the same day. Works out about 90 miles round trip, I think on a recumbent it'd be even more enjoyable.
Comment by ash — October 21, 2006 @ 4:46 pm
90 miles in one day
you're nuts. Is it because of the sheep you ride so far and so fast?
Comment by Pidea — October 30, 2006 @ 4:06 pm
If you want any advice on the End ot End a friend of mine did it earlier this year in aid of Ty Hafen.
The broke the route down into 60-70 mile stages and I'm sure that they would share the route with you.
Drop me an email if you're interested.
Comment by burt — October 30, 2006 @ 5:58 pm
Cheers Pids, I might take you up on that.