Well we’re off again, this time a short hop to Paris via Stanton for a concert & BBQ at Mick & Sue’s then onwards to Hoo St Werburg to visit with Nobby Joc & Paddy the spaniel prior to joining a new group of friends I haven’t met yet (mostly Australian) for a short trip to Paris for the end of L’Tour. Altho by this point there wasn’t an Englishman left in the peleton so I was wondering why!
A quick update
So…to bring you all up to date, the last time I blogged was……oh my goodness. …24th Feb. Lordy lordy, how time flies when you don’t keep up with your admin!
Well, long story short; flew from Trivandrum to Sri Lanka for 10 days sight seeing, then fly to Bangkok, decide to hire a couple of bicycles & cycle for 5 weeks south (ish) to Vietnam then back again.
Fly back to India for a day or two then back to Blighty in time to freeze our a***s off. Sort out Caravan
Pimped Anns bike
And bought myself a new one
So…all caught up? No…..ok then, for a quick catch up in the mean time go to: twonowgopedalling and read the bosses blog & I guarantee I shall bring us all up to date, in detail, once I’ve got back to blighty & reread my notes….honest!
New Treaders; actually 1 new & 1 looking like new.
My trusty old Stirling Dawes “Stealth” treader ( so named cos it looked unremarkable but went like stink) gave up the ghost by snapping its frame. To be fair I bought it 8 years ago for £50 well used, so bearing in mind I was pushing 23st initially & probably weighed it down with at least that last summer on our 1st adventure its done remarkably well.
The question was what to replace it with & quick ‘cos we were off in less than 3 weeks time. First I went around all the 2nd hand shops looking for a suitable frame I could swap all the bits onto, but no joy. Then it was the interweb, now being an avid reader of all blogs & articles cycling, I have come across mention of the Surly Long Haul Trucker. A shop in Cambridge dealt in them and sold frame setts as well as complete bikes. A day trip to Cambridge later and somehow I came away with a complete bike. Still I got to see where the 3rd stage of L’Tour would start
And had an amazing bit of scoff into the bargain
This was all in, plus 2 cans of coke, freshly cooked for less than £12.
My initial enthusiasm for my shiny new toy soon paled cos of a few (in my opinion) design flaws.
1) the gear change shifters are located in the bar ends of the drops. So for those who have no idea what I just wrote, picture a set of curly racing handlebars with sharp pointy levers sticking out of the ends of the curly bits pointing back towards the bike…..at just the right height to stab yourself in both legs with when doing a Contador (dancing on the peddles whilst standing). The other issue with placing the levers at the very end of the bars is: when you go to change gear, especially from middle to large chain ring, the pressure applied at the end of the bar ‘pushes’ the steering so that you end up veering into the traffic, in England, or the kerb virtually everywhere else in the world.
2) no mud guards (sometimes called fenders) fitted as standard. The ones I wanted are all encompassing….with flaps, however I had to make do with shorties.
3) the logo on the rear A frame
Fatties Fit fine
Mmmm, too many people I know will be extracting the Eniru me thinks, plus
Long Haul what? Just a little adjustment for maximum embarrassment.
Anns pimping was done by Dunx Cycles in Lowestoft high street, well I say done by, they stripped it down, sent it off, sent it back again when they got the colour wrong, rebuilt serviced and replaced parts as reqd
Ting!
A fine job, the powder coating was a very reasonable £98. So if you’re looking for a custom paint job try them out at Www.dunxcycles.com or email dunxcycles@gmail.com
The vinyl (graphics) were done- at very short notice- by Lee Ffrench at Cobb-lees on Snape Drive, Oulton, Lowestoft, so again if you want graphics try him at sales@cobb-lees.com
So…new bikes ready it was panic packing time in readiness for our 1st leg: Lowestoft to Stanton. The reason for the panic packing was Bob Monkhouse & family were also going to aforementioned concert and BBQ and had offered to take our gear and get some meat for the Barbie. Result!
In addition to that piece of laziness we also took the early train to Beccles knocking 10 miles off so we could pop in to see Sara (Ann & I had a bet on whether she would be in so early. ..0830, shop opens at 0930! I won).
Sat 19th-Tues 22nd July.
A thoroughly enjoyable luggage free ride covering the 1st 2 stages off last years great adventure saw us meander into Mick & Sue’s nice n early ready to be entertained. ….and so we were by the RAF Honington band & Military Wives choir who were raising money for the Honington rehabilitation unit and BLESMA.
The evening BBQ that followed with all the Blesma chaps & chapesses was brill! Special mention must go to Lilly -Terri’s mum- who even tho we worked together for 4 years didn’t recognise me! Hello Lilly, hope you are well? Terri was in good form too pulling everyone’s leg!
A selection of Micks leggs, all size 9
And Lo….this was the beginning of Anns sleepless nights. Surrounded by a chorus of tented snorers (when they eventually stopped yacking and went to bed)
Every tent a snoring!
Interposed with ferocious rain, startling thunder and bright lightening!
An early start so as to catch the train from Thurston to Hoo where we were met at the station by Nobby Clark (he of hammer delivery service fame, Paris 2013) who escorted us back to chez Nobby Joc & Paddy. The comedy began early with Mr Clark locking us all in his back garden behind his 10ft gate with only a front door key…oh how we laughed!!
Bikes safely ensconced we RV’d with the colonials and Dave the Map at Bob & Leslies. Introductions all around followed by everyone using 1 finger to guage the weight of Pete’s bike -how light? Even Ann using her broken wrist hand nearly launched it thru the ceiling!!
Leslie & Bob then served up tucker from heaven. …Lamb and Pork with veg etc. I was so busy carb loading (stuffing my face) I didn’t even get a picture!
Back to chez Nobbs for a cup of T and an early night, unfortunately for Ann I had also partaken of a beer or two, and this combined with the comedy inflatable bed meant another sleepless night for her and only 7 hrs for me….quelle ‘orrer!
oneoftwonowgopedalling 