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Someone challenged me to do it....It was a girl.....so that probably means I have to do it.. 🙄
She is a hardened tourer with proper touring/road bikes.
All I have for roads is this(Minus the pint, plus some bullhorn bars)
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Will I die?
Blummin girls... 😉
I rode to Porthmadog from Shrewsbury, over the Berwyns, to Bala and then via Festiniog,on my Pompino, 48x18, it hurt but was fun, would like to do it again.
Probably better to do it the other way round (West to East) as the prevailing winds will be behind you (maybe).
Problem is, if you stick to the main roads it'll be unpleasant traffic-wise, but stray off the main roads and it gets hilly very quickly.
If i see you coming past Shrewsbury on "that" you will 😆
there are some big long climbs but they are not mad. but be careful about your route, the main road is busy, all week, all year.
Make you're way to wolves-ish bridgenorth, stretton newtown, then A44 or head south for rhayader and over to aber on the mountain road (but you might want gears. But nicer road.
"Probably better to do it the other way round (West to East)"
sea level to Nant as a warm up! maybe not.
If i see you coming past Shrewsbury on "that" you will
How rude... It is the height of hip you know.. 8)
Ya all ain't from around ere!
(sorry they haven't got a smilie for banjo playing)
It might look hip outside costa in brindley place, but in these parts people will point at you 😆
Even though it's rude to point?
It's just a bike though, luckily I don't care 😀
easy. TDF used to be on fixed gear bikes [url= http://davesbikeblog.squarespace.com/blog/2009/10/5/the-evolution-of-frame-design-part-i-the-wheelbarrow-effect.html ]apparantly[/url]
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Problem is, if you stick to the main roads it'll be unpleasant traffic-wise, but stray off the main roads and it gets hilly very quickly.
^ most useful piece of advice you'll get.
Personally I'd stick to the main roads.
teasing aside, if you are used to fixed (which you are) it shouldn't be too tricky, as we've comment above its the route vs traffic that will be the main issue. if you planning on doing it in the summer i'd go early morning at a weekend and on the main roads. as before the climbs are long but do-able.
steeper climbs from Rhayader on the maountain road, but a fantastic route - gets pretty wild up there.
steeper climbs from Rhayader on the maountain road, but a fantastic route - gets pretty wild up there.
Mention of those mountain roads twixt Rhayader and Aber is making me homesick!
I used to ride those roads in the early 80s - on a BMX, with my family - I was 8 at the time...
Double post.
50/50 - After the recent Rugby result I imagine the Welsh are in quite a good mood.Will I die?
Kayak is this trip involving any canal towpath stuff or totally road based?
If canal, more pics please your last trip to London was good.
Yes, you will die. Wearing your sister's jeans in Wales might even hasten that.
Not tried it myself but there is a sustrans route (route 81) between Abey and Sandwell. Which might be a reasonable route to ride?
When do you think you are going to do it?
It's only about 110miles long from my house (in Wolves).
I might give it a go one day.
white101 - Member
Kayak is this trip involving any canal towpath stuff or totally road based?
If canal, more pics please your last trip to London was good.
No canal on this one no. This is the same girl that [s]made me[/s] inspired me to do the canal trip.
Yeah it's all road, and I hate roads as a general rule...well , cars anyway.
When do you think you are going to do it?
Easter weekend I think. Perhaps the worst time. Not sure yet if the plan involves a midway stop . Might be okay if it does .
Alternatively, I could do it on my prince Albert with Schwalbe marathon tyres on. Got gears on that...only nine mind.
Take the mtb, stick roadie tyres on it.
I've done that trip a few times ( quite a few ) on my old Colnago and its a bit bumpy. You'll get frustrated at the monotony of it so at least with gears, you can match your ego with your legs. 😆
Ridden all over the Berwyns, proper lovely.
Easter you say?
Take a rain jacket.
Eeek!
Make sure you stuff a Mars bar in yer pocket.
Will be hard on the downhills, especially after a few lumps have toasted the legs. Into the wind on fixed is soul destroying and you'll beg for more hand positions (drops really needed). 48:18 is geared for 16-17 mph on the flat. Below that and you are grinding. Above 25 mph downhill will start to throw you off the saddle. How will you carry luggage?
How much fixed riding have you done already? I'd fit slicks and bar ends to a geared bike unless your answer is "a lot".
I used to commute fixed about 7 miles now and again, but mainly round town and stuff I suppose. So some experience, but not bigger distances and lots of climbing. I was thinking maybe stick a bigger sprocket on the other side of my flip-flop wheel and spin it around if it gets hilly.
Currently, on the fixed side it's 42/16 which seems about right for town riding and the odd spin further.
Maybe I'll just stick the Marathons and some bar-ends on the 26" Dialled. It does after all pretty much sum up how I'll have the bike set up when I take it to Peru later this year, so good training.
Luggage-wise, I was thinking one of those seatpost mounted racks for my bivitent and sleeping bag...
Why have a fixie at all, I just don't get the benefits over a single speed with a freehub. What do you do when going down hills? lift your legs up and go Weeeeeeeeee?
jekkyl,
why not try it and see for your self,you may 'get it',you may not.... 😉
There isn't any benefit. It's just fun...
Having said that, some folks do say that it teaches you to spin a fast crank smoother and therefore more efficiently. Some folks also say it gives you a sort of helping hand momentum-wise up hills. Not sure about that one.
There is just something nice about making your bike as simple as is possible and it really makes you think about how you ride everything. Even hopping up curbs becomes challenging.
How do I go down big hills? I slow down to just below what my legs can handle 😀
I have a front brake on mine.
Will she sleep with you if you do it ?
Sorry to lower the tone, but this is probably the most important point here.
Never mind the bike. It's not about the bike.
AND we need pichers (of the gurl,not anything else) 😉
SS with a freewheel would at least give you a break on the downs.
even so, i wouldnt envy the route choice, if you want to enjoy the ride keep off the main drag but you will want gears, if you insist on SS/FG i would stick to the main road but its busy, narrow, fast, long, it will be a challenge rather than an adventure.
slicks on the mtb and take the scenic route for me.