Glyde Around Britain

Peugeot 206, Y56 AOA Pulls out regardless...

2011-12-20T11:33:00.000-08:00

And our turn for a close encounter...

Tool Kit Hack: Lezyne Elite Wallet Reworked

2011-11-13T07:53:00.001-08:00

The Lezyne wallet, given that it is promoted as a wallet, has a very mean pocket to hold cash - it will take a few coins or a folded banknote but little more. Enough cash to grab some food and drink at the cafe stop but it'll struggle to hold enough money to cover a night away.

So time to hack:

Step 1, use a stitch picker to remove the existing sewn-on pocket.

Step 2: I grabbed a cheap and thin wallet from eBay and used Sugru to 'glue' it into place in the Lezyene wallet. I left it overnight with some packing to push out the sides of the Lezyene wallet and with a heavy weight on top to ensure the two pieces were in contact.

Step 3: A little additional Sugru around the edges to keep it neat and prevent the glue peeling.

Step 4: Finished - a couple of pockets for banknotes and slots to drop in 3 credit cards.

Tool Kit Refresh: Lezyne Elite Wallet

2011-11-05T09:08:00.000-07:00

As part of the preparations for the Evo-K I thought it was maybe time to take a look over my on-bike toolkit, refresh some of the tools and see if there are weight reduction/consolidation opportunities at the same time... Here are my 'first look' feelings on the changes:

Lezyne Elite Wallet

This is a cyclists-specific wallet, it is oversized in order to take a multi-tool, a puncture kit, tyre levers, a mobile phone as well as cash and a credit card, making it a one-grab package when heading out for a ride. For Roadies the idea is that it will drop into the pocket of a riding top.
The overall thing is bigger than a wallet, smaller than a bag, with the black leather-effect finish kind of giving the impression that unzipping it is going to produce a neatly bound bible...
Strangely the older (2010?) 'Elite' model of this wallet is big enough to take an iPhone, but, for inexplicable reasons, the current new-and-improved 'Smart' wallet is not. This model is becoming increasingly difficult to find, but was in stock at Wiggle.co.uk at time of writing.
The new model is available both empty and also populated with tools but the older model comes 'empty' - this does, however give you the opportunity to pick-and-chose the contents although information on what will fit is rather hard to find.

The tools slide into pockets on the 'inside front cover' of the wallet. For now (and shown in-situ in the photo) I've gone with:

a Crank Brothers m17 multitool (because it offers both cross and flat bladed screwdrivers which seems to be rare on Lezyne's multitools, and was on special for £12 at CRC, which is very much cheaper than the competition) - this seems about as big a one-piece tool as will fit, tho I've heard rumour that it is possible to fit a Topeak Alien with it split into two pieces.
Leyzene Matrix tyre levers - they look a bit tiny, do seem to be nice and stiff, but I'll reserve judgement until I've used them in anger. I'm not sure whether levers that are any bigger would fit in the marked pocket, tho there is space between the lever pocket and the edge of the wallet for something 'custom'
TipTop TT02 puncture repair kit - old faithful - I've been burnt trying 'self-adhesive' patches that just don't so am sticking with tried and tested 'wet' glue patches. There might be scope to repack the contents of the kit into a smaller box but I've not tried yet.

The middle 'leaf' of the wallet is a ziplock bag that comfortably takes an iPhone. There seems to be sufficient neoprene covering the tools that there is no risk of damage to the phone.

The back inside cover is the 'money/ID' part of the wallet and, to be honest, is a little disappointing and is the weakest part of this offering - curiously so as it is advertised as a wallet! There is one pocket that will take an ID or credit card, possibly two back-to-back. Fair enough - minimalist but workable. However the 'money' pocket is about the size of the change pocket in a pair of jeans. It will take a folded £5 note, or maybe four £1 coins but not much else. There seems to be no reason the whole of the back cover of the wallet couldn't be a more functional pocket taking unfolded banknotes and there could easily have been a change purse big enough to hold money for a cafe stop and a call home if needed. There is certainly no scope to carry enough cash for an overnight stay, a train ride home or even a round at the pub.
This will be the first area that needs 'fixing'.

Why the Evo-K?

2011-09-30T03:37:00.000-07:00

I know, nothing for months and then two posts in one day...

I thought I'd better elaborate on why the K...

Firstly I'm feeling the need for speed. At least for more speed than Whitey Glyde has to offer. Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed the Glyde but at times Whitey can be slow and her weight can be telling. At around 40 kilos she is rather a load to haul up hill, even with the mountain drive. The next leg of GAB taking in Devon and Cornwall is focusing my attention in that direction a little. With my options the Evo will be coming in at around 20 kilos. I'm not a weight weeny, but even I can see that dropping 44 pounds from the kerb weight of ride is going to make a big difference.

I am very happy riding a trike with 'tank' steering - with a handlebar by each hip - but I've not felt so confident on any of the trikes I've tried with a freefloating joystick in the centre - this includes various machines I've tried from the Windcheetah/Speedy, a couple of bikes who's names escape me through to the Quest that I owned for a while.

The gearing on the Glyde is fine - a Mountain Drive and 11-34 cassette give a reasonable range and reasonably sized steps tho a little more top end would be useful I have been reluctant to compromise the lowest gears on Glyde. I've ordered the Evo-K also with a Mountain Drive but this time with a monster 11-36 cassette. This is running on a 26in rather than 20in rear wheel and over 10 speeds so should yield around 30% wider gearing hopefully without the step size between the gears becoming a problem.

I've uprated the brakes from the stock 70mm Sturmey drums (which I've had on trikes before) to the new 'oversized' 90mm version. In hilly country I've experienced brake fade from drums on a long descent. The potentially higher speeds from a velo need more stopping power... The drums are customised by the Go-One guys to reduce the weight - less weight to carry is a good thing, I'm not so sure reducing the thermal mass is a benefit but I'll reserve judgement until I've ridden them. As this machine is using the 'Euro-standard' velomobile suspension struts there are after-market DIY options to change to disc brakes if necessary.

The downsides? Luggage space is restricted to a claimed 30litres. I'm hoping there is space around the inside of the velo to cache equipment, eg. ahead of the front wheel boxes. It shouldn't take too much imagination to hide tent, sleeping bag and mat there.

I'm looking forward to the first reviews from Peter Haan who has a glassfibre version of the Evo-K due for collection in the next week or so. I'm not expecting his reports to change the options I have ordered but it could be useful information whilst I'm still able to tune my new ride.

The increasingly inaccurately titled "Glyde Around Britain"

2011-09-30T01:46:00.000-07:00

After problems with the hardware delaying this year's leg of Glyde Around Britain I have opted to change my ride. Last weekend I went on a quick trip to Germany to try the new Go-One Evo-K and now have one on order. This is a lightweight carbon-kevlar-honeycombe monocoque velomobile expected to still come in at around 20 kilos even tho I've added rear suspension, a mountain drive and uprated 90mm drum brakes to the specification list. Ok, the styling isn't as dramatic as the Milan we saw on the same weekend but the ride quality, handling and performance of the Evo-K were impressive enough that I put down an order there and then. Expected delivery (ok, I'll probably go over and ride it back) is May 2012 - perhaps in time to grab a quick week dash 2nd leg of GAB around Devon & Cornwall...

Garmin Edge 800 Review - a Satnav bike computer...

2011-07-02T04:51:00.000-07:00

I've been using a Garmin Edge 500 bike computer for some time. Ok, the unit is rather overpriced compared to even the top end conventional bike computers but this is due to it being GPS based rather than relying on counting wheel revolutions and multiplying by a magic number, which varies if you change tyre size, pressure, etc. The 500 has worked pretty well for me after a few teething problems.

The Garmin Edge 800 has been out for a little over 6 months and is now available in a discounted pack including full UK Ordnance Survey mapping. This sounded like the ideal bike computer to use for the next leg of Glyde Around Britain. Previously I used a SatMap Active 10 which worked fine but tended to mean parking up and peering at the screen in the shade of the inside of the Glyde fairing in order to be able to read it in strong light. The Garmin Edge 800 is advertised as having a "sunlight readable colour screen". Having struggled with the SatMap and having seen modern 'daylight visible' screens like the Kindle I was hoping the 800 would be the answer to my problems.

First off, here is a photo of the screen indoors. Bright and clear - no problems (the camera seems to have generated some interference lines in this image which are not visible by eye - probably a polarising issue):

Secondly, here is the unit carefully positioned so the sun is shining squarely onto the screen - an impressively bright and crisp colour display - no problems here:

And thirdly, here is how the unit appears in general use... which seems to be most of the time on the two test rides/75 miles I've ridden to see how well I can live with the unit:

In varying light conditions the screen tends to be washed out almost to a flat dark gray. Major features can just about be made out but only help with navigation if you've memorised the route and know the shape of the roads or where you'll be crossing motorways, etc. All other detail from the OS mapping is invisible. The screen itself is extremely glossy so in these conditions it behaves like a dark mirror giving a better view of the user's face or the sky than it does the mapping it is supposed to be showing.
I did consider adding an anti-reflective 'screen protector' but as this rather expensive unit is so obviously unfit for purpose it doesn't seem to be my job to re-engineer it.

The actual features of the unit do seem to be pretty much what I was wanting - just as per the Edge 800 there are a number of 'screens' of data which can be configured to show between three and 'many' of the riding stats the unit collects. These stats vary from simple speed, distance and associated average and maximums, altitude, height gain/loss, through to data from any ANT+ sensors you may have fitted to your ride - cadence, speed, power, heart rate.

Route planning via the PC/Mac-hosted (free) BaseCamp software uses the OS mapping on the Edge 800. The route planner has its quirks but it better than some online sites I've used to do the same job. It also handles the transfer of the routes to the Edge 800 in one press. All very slick and easy.

I ran into problems trying to use a custom Point-Of-Interest file as, oddly, these do not seem to be supported on the Edge 800 even though the Garmin POILoader application quite happily puts them on to the device. The files are then ignored. A list of POIs can be loaded into the BaseCamp software and uploaded as a list of 'Locations' but the number of such locations appears to be limited to 500 - which meant half of the campsite list I was trying to use was just 'lost'.

So, in summary, a great device but it does not seem to have a screen suitable for outdoor use!

Bank holiday season but no Glyde Around Britain...

2011-03-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

With Easter/May Day bank holidays falling in rapid succession along with a bonus 'Royal Wedding' bank holiday I was hoping to get in there and spend another 2 weeks taking Glyde Around Britain around Devon and Cornwall (the south west/bottom left corner of the UK) but it is not to be...
Following disruption at the manufacturer I'm still running 'Whitey' rather than the production Glyde I expected to have had, firstly, in time for last years ride and, secondly, shortly afterwards.
That would all be well and good but Whitey is also waiting on a critical spare part... With a month to go before this year's 'departure date' I've resigned myself to cancelling for this year.

A new Glyde...

2010-06-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

I've been quiet for a while now. After this year's leg of Glyde Around Britain I had what I had planned on being a 2 week recovery holiday up on the Isle of Mull. This was mainly a walking holiday and Whitey Glyde got to spend time with another rider. She's been away racing in Europe. Now Whitey is back and I've been getting some evening riding in and starting to think about Glyde Around Britain 2011...
Good news in that direction - a little later than expected, the body for the Glyde I ordered for the trip has popped out of the production line and has arrived at the factory ready for assembly. And one upside of the delay - I get the first of a run of an improved, lighter weight version - over 1kg lighter than the production models - maybe even more so when compared to Whitey.
So at last in a few weeks time the bike I planned on using for my trip should be here ready to get used to her and up to fitness before next spring.
And I do owe many thanks to Greenspeed for getting Whitey here to stand in in the meanwhile.

Kit Review Part 2: Terra Nova Laser Comp

2010-04-19T08:47:00.000-07:00

I did lots of research before investing in a Laser Comp. I did consider the lighter version but talking to a rep and explaining my trip this was the one I ended up with. After some of the comments I'd seen on different blogs I was a little concerned that the tent might be difficult to pitch but it has been a beautiful piece of kit and has given me no problems... Well, not quite, I've got some stitching coming away on the stuff sack that the tent came in, but that is hardly a show stopper!
Some people have questioned the size, but I'm 6ft (1m83) and I am comfortable lying end to end in the inner. When there is condensation I do find I am touching the walls and getting damp on my bag but after implementing some of the standard modifications this has been less of a problem...
For a minimalist tent I found the porch space excellent - enough space to lay out my overnight gear, 'civilian' clothing, food and kitchen.
I made the following modifications the first two of which I'd seen recommended at blogpackinglight:
1) Threshold tie - a line to reduce the tension on the zip (just visible on the photo). Makes pitching easier and as it means the door zip isn't heavily loaded, looks like a good investment in lengthening the life of this tent.
2) Ventilation improvements - using Alpkit mini-carabiners to hitch the end elastics up to the top of the end poles. This lifts the ends of the outer allowing gentle airflow to clear condensation before it becomes a problem. The carabiners mean that this can be reversed if the weather is adverse.
3) Alpkit 'Nail' pegs with bright yellow loops tied on the top. On the one occassion I used one of the tiny stock Laser Comp 2 gram titanium pegs it worked just fine but I lost it when breaking camp... With the bigger 9 gram pegs I was better able to count out and count them back in again...
4) Ground sheet - I took a Team-Io ground sheet to provide some additional protection to the test groundsheet on wet/dirty/sandy pitches.
Overall I found this tent to be quick to erect and to pack and sufficiently sturdy on exposed pitches when all I felt I needed to do was to add a single extra guy line. I am considering the larger Laser as a step up from my favourite VauDe Hogan.

Kit Review Part 1: Glyde Review extra

2010-04-19T04:59:00.000-07:00

After a couple of days rest I couldn't resist taking the Glyde out for a gentle spin to stretch tired muscles. Before doing so I gave her a little bit of attention - I adjusted the 'boom' (in the case of the Glyde a sliding bracket on a fixed tube) as far forward as I was happy with and pushed the seat forward a couple of clicks on its rails. This both gives a little more scope for leg length adjustment and shifts the centre of gravity a little more onto the front end.
Whether it was a result of these changes, running without the luggage load or just having had time to rest up, Whitey was flying! Even at speed I wasn't noticing the brake steer problem previously mentioned.
I took her around my regular 10 miles loop. The speed on the descents was expected, but the nimbleness on the climbes was not. I've been riding this loop on my GTX and there are several climbs which alternate a few times between steeper and easier sections. On the GTX these are steady, constant climbs. On the Glyde I found I was accelerating on the easier sections and almost cruising up the steeper bits. Not that it was effortless, but noticably easier than on the unfaired trike. Given the GTX is one of the lightest trikes I've owned this came as a surprise.
I didn't have discomfort from my ankle on this trip but my knees did feel tired. I guess a daily repeat of this circuit for the next few days is the way forward...

Glyde Photos Part 3: Turning the corner

2010-04-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

Starting the descent into Dover:

Hastings Pier:

Brighton Prom:

Not a great pier shot, but Brighton Pier in the distance:

The Glyde in Ryde (Isle of Wight):

Glyde Photos Part 2: Kent

2010-04-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

Crossing the Thames on the Tilbury to Gravesend ferry:

Calling in for spare parts:

Between Whitstable and Herne Bay overlooking the Thames:

Herne Bay:

Deal:

Glyde Photos Part 1: The East

2010-04-18T12:59:00.000-07:00

As I've been asked for more Glyde photo, here are a run of images of the Glyde at different points in the trip. I've divided this post into 3 sections to keep the size down...

The camping setup, including a tarp to keep the luggage inside the Glyde dry:

Lunch stop in Clackton:

I couldn't resist the chance to visit Frinton and collect proof that I'd been there:

Heading into Lowestoft:

The most easterly point in Britain, and, on this occassion also the wetest...:

Kit Review Part 1: Glyde Review

2010-04-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

Glyde Review
April 2010

This review is based on having spent the last two weeks touring on a new Greenspeed Glyde. I previously owned a Quest so this review considers the differences between the Glyde and Quest when used for cycle camping in the UK.

The Glyde is noticeably smaller than the Quest - it is shorter, lower and seems to be narrower, although on paper I don't think there is a significant difference in width at the widest point. This means that there is potentially less luggage space inside the Glyde, but as my Quest had a 26in rear wheel and the Glyde has a 20in one perhaps it is just differently shaped space. Either way I got my full camping kit packed inside her. I had planned on having some luggage stowed ahead of each wheel well as there is a useful void between the spaceframe tubes and the bodywork but after a couple of attempts, in practice I found things inevitably shook loose and ended up catching against my feet. For my next trip I will arrange some kind of lightweight wall to create a 'box' either side of the pedal area so this area can be used without this problem occurring.
With care to keep the height down, luggage did stack comfortably either side of the seat and acted as arm rests. With a camelbak hooked just behind the seat the remainder of my stuff was slung around and above the rear wheel box. The areas either side of the seat are not as big and do not run all the way into the tail as they did in the Quest but this didn't really prove to be an issue with the gear I had. Being a smaller machine it should punch through the air better - I didn't have a speedo fitted this trip so I didn't determine if this was true.

The most important improvements the Glyde has over the Quest for this trip were better brakes and gearing. The Glyde I used has twin BB7 mechanical disc brakes - an unfamiliar model to me, I'm used to hydraulic discs. I had no issue with the mechanical side of things but the pads did need 'advancing' to allow for pad wear several times during my trip - once I'd worked out how to do it, it was a routine 5 second job to adjust each one every couple of days. This is something that hydraulic brakes do automatically and something I'd never even needed to consider on the Quest. The stopping power from the discs felt significantly better than the Quest's twin drums. On flats and gentle downhills there is maybe little in it, but I really did prefer the feel of two discs controlled via two separate levers with the nice light modulation that disc brakes have when coming down steeper descents such at as the 14% descent down into Dover city centre past the castle. Because of regularly needing to make these adjustments I'm considering upgrading the specification of my own Glyde to have hydraulic discs but it is a tight call whether it is worth the extra cost… Mechanical discs are field-repairable, hydraulic ones are less likely to need attention but more difficult to work on if they do. Drums, as per the Quest, are pretty much bulletproof and maintenance-free. I'd say the choice depends entirely on the terrain where you ride but for me and the areas I ride, discs are an essential choice.

Gearing - the Glyde I've ridden had a Schlumpf Mountain Drive (2 speed bottom bracket hub gear), a SRAM Dual Drive (3 speed hub) and a 9sp cassette. The benefit of the two hub gears is that they can be shifted when stationary (or, more usefully, stalled on a hill). On the leg of the trip I've just completed I expected the mountain drive (MD) to be a luxury that would only be needed occasionally but I think I ended up using at least once every day. With a relatively heavily laden touring bike it can take a degree of effort to pull away from an uphill junction or to make a brisk start from a stop in traffic. With the MD this is just a matter of drop the gear and spin until a higher gear can be picked up. When I asked for an MD on my Quest I found I wasn't the first to ask and the guys at the factory were clearly not impressed with the additional load such low gears would put on the hardware. Greenspeed have designed the Glyde to take the same gearing options as their other trikes so the MD, Dual Drive and even the Rohloff hub would not be unreasonable options… With the aero benefits of the streamlining I did find that I used the entire range of available gearing. On the good days with a nice quality road and a tail wind like the Dymchurch-Rye section I was heading towards the top end of the available gearing and really eating the miles. The Quest I had had a standard 27sp drivetrain with only the option of juggling the chainring/cassette combination biasing the range towards the 'hilly' or 'sporty' ends. The options fitted to the Glyde gave a gearing range half as wide again as my Quest had. And I used it on this trip!

Handling - whilst I've seen plenty of Quests on the race track, the Glyde is clearly designed from twisty criterium racing heritage. Whilst I've seen Ymte handle a Quest on the race track in a truly impressive way, I never felt entirely comfortable with the joystick steering and the tendency of the Quest to lift a wheel and feeling as if it were beginning to roll when travelling fast through tight corners. I immediately felt at home with the Glyde side-stick steering. This is a little different from the usual Greenspeed arrangement where the handlebars are mounted on a pivot below the seat - in the Glyde the two handles pivot forwards/backwards along a channel in the back of each wheel well. This may sound complicated but is completely intuitive and the same arrangement as used on their SLR race trike (as can be seen here http://www.wrhpv.com/greenspeed/slr/pic/underslrside.jpg). A little alarming on first noticing, the Glyde also leans into a turn - the whole trike just leans as a bike would do. When stationary this seems to make the steering feel very heavy - presumably because the steering is lifting one side of the body, but once moving at even a gentle walking pace, this effort is unnoticeable. Throughout the entire length of my 760 mile tour I never once had the sensation that the Glyde was unweighting, let alone lifting a wheel.
However there was one fly in the ointment - I was surprised to find that at higher speeds the Glyde did suffer from brake steer. This feature was not observable below around 30mph and became a little more exciting at around 40mph. This is a feature that has been pretty much removed from current generation recumbent trikes so it did come as a surprise. Once I knew it was there it was no problem - simply applying both brakes together gives normal behaviour and slight modulation of the balance between the two levers allows very delicate adjustment of line.
I am feeling much happier with the handling of the Glyde than I was with the Quest. I never relaxed into riding that machine, particularly at high speeds I always felt tense and had to give it my full attention to hold an accurate line. This might purely be that I've not spent enough time with joystick-steering trikes and may be something that other riders do not experience. As I was touring I've mostly been keeping my speeds low, or at a good steady cruising pace, but when the opportunity to gain some free hill climbing has presented itself I have allowed her her head and on sprints between 40 and 50mph the handling has been perfect.

Comfort - no issues at all with the seat or steering. I've had coccyx bruising from longer back-to-back day riding on the Quest, maybe just because I don't carry much fat as padding. I ended my Glyde tour early due to suffering tendonitis in my right ankle after two weeks/762 miles of riding. I think this is due to having done more miles in two weeks than I've done in the previous 18 months. I had planned to have 3 months to get used to the Glyde before the trip but due to manufacturing problems I ended up with a borrowed machine arriving on the Friday before my Wednesday trip departure… I am planning on picking the tour up again next year with my own Glyde and more miles on the machine before the departure date.

The End... for now

2010-04-16T08:24:00.001-07:00

So I'm back home. Tired and sore, but I got out there and did it. Glyde Around Britain is now looking like a several-year project but that is no major problem. I have a target for my cycling for that period. Something to aim for keeping the winter training in.

Day 15 Swanage to Weymouth

2010-04-16T08:04:00.000-07:00

30 miles.
The start of the day from Swanage to Corfe Castle was rather lumpy, just a little too hilly on tired legs to get much 'free' climbing from the prevous descent. After Corfe things eased up and I was able to wind the Glyde up a bit, getting the speed up enough on the downs to top the following hills without too much effort. Caught and passed a pair of touring cyclists and then a touring group on MTBs so even though my ankle is not feeling good I guess I'm not doing too badly.
Spotted a roadside catering trailer after turning off the Dorchester road towards Weymouth - these things seem to be getting pretty rare. Tea and a bacon butty was a welcome 2nd breakfast.
The remainder of the run down into town was nice and fast, and only rough along a few sections. The middle of town was full of stationary traffic. I normally just join the queue with a velomobile but there was a helpful bus lane so I just shot on by. By noon I'd reached the Swannery carpark where I'd arranged a rendezvous with Carol...
So time to break the news... with the increasingly painful tendon problem I'm calling a premature end to Glyde around Britain for this year. I've had knee problems take a couple of months to recover in the past so I really don't want to agitate this tendon problem any more than I need to. As things only get steeper from here on in I'm thinking the strain on the injury won't be getting any less. So that is the end of mileage for this year...
I think my biggest problme has been from starting the ride from such a low point of fitness and without having put a good number of miles in the Glyde to have my muscles trained ready to climb comfortably with it. The muscle strength has been arriving slowly, despite it feeling like the cold weather has been hindering it.
I guess the plan now is to review the kit and make plans for running another leg of the trip next year. I want to finish the trip but will have difficulty getting a long period of holidays. So I'm currently planning on hitting Glyde Around Britain for another two weeks in Spring 2011 picking up where I've left off.

Day 12 the missing blog

2010-04-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

Worthing to Waterlooville.
42 miles.
Worthing to Bognor Regis was easy enough. Denis had me on the road nice and early as he had to leave for work. I had a resupply parcel to collect and they opened at 7am so that was no problem. I grabbed a coffee and chocolate twist before leaving Worthing. Arriving in Bognor I was expecting to find a cafe but Bognor appeared to be in a state of undress and hadn't even bothered putting any pants on yet. I took what i expected to be a quiet backroad out of town, awoiding the a road but everyone and their dog and all of their dogs' puppies seemed to have made the same choice. I've no idea why there should be a mad exodus from Bognor along this route at 10am but there you are. Perhaps they were all heading out to buy the missing pants...
When I eventually turned off onto a somewhat quieter road I stopped for a navigation check. I'm using an OS map based GPS that automatically plots my position on an image of a real map but the screen isn't great in bright sun and this was the start of our mini heatwave so I was hunched down into the cockpit to read the map. When I looked up I had an RAC van with orange flashing lights and two mechanics wandering over to check I was OK. I thanked them and sent them on their way, started to set off and discovered i had a flat rear tyre... Bah bah bah...
A quick repair and I was soom in Fishbourne. As I only had a short day as I'd arranged to stop with Paul I had time to visit the remains of the Roman palace. The main mosaic that the site is famous for was stunning but I felt the rest were a bit underwhelming. Maybe I've just been spoilt from visiting Roman sites in southern France.
The ride through Havant wasn't that great and Waterlooville was clearly a dorm town for car drivers of Portsmouth. I was at Paul's house for 2pm having spotted no other distractions en route. I knew Paul wouldn't be back until 4:30 so i just dozed as i waited. When he arrived we had a cup of tea and talked bikes for a bit. I offered to order takeout but at 7pm Paul drove us out to get food. We waondered around Asda but by this time i was running rather low on energy. When we got back at 8pm i just couldnt stay on my feet without passing out so went straight to bed without food before falling over...

Day 14 Brighstone IOW to Swanage

2010-04-14T11:57:00.000-07:00

A better day today. After I fixed a rear wheel flat. Last night's thorn flat that I'd fixed had apparently gone through the opposite side of the tube too. Perhaps a disadvantage of suspension... I assumed the feel was just rough roads until it started to slow me down...
Once I'd recovered my GPS I headed along the military road to Freshwater. A local had warned me that it was a long way and hilly but the Glyde enjoyed the better roads and even the tougher climbs with beautiful views of the chalk cliffs were not too bad. They did have no stopping signs so no photo opportunities...
Up to Yarmouth to use the second half of the ferry ticket I bought yesterday. There was time to grab a quick bacon sandwich before the boat arrived. It was a 45 minute trip before getting back on the road.
Barton on sea appeared to be holding the world championships for idle folk wandering down the middle of the road and standing with the driver's door wide open whilst standing with your back to the queueing traffic whilst talking on a mobile phone. Perhaps they all have big insurance policies...
Bournemouth wins the prize for the worst place on my trip. Unhelpful signing to destinations that disappear at the next junction, designed as a car race track, awful road surfaces and magic width reducing cycle routes that then disappear.
Canford cliffs had a rather more sophisticated cafe bar where I had an excellent hot cross bun bread and butter pudding and a coffee. It wasn't cheap but the raspbewrry sauce was so wonderfully tart...
Down to Sandbanks for the chain ferry across the mouth of Poole harbour and the run along quiet roads just serving the ferry to a campsite in Swanage. The price of the site for the night even included use of the pool, not that I'm carring swimwear.
I've been having deteriorating Achilles tendon problems for a few days now. Bah.
Today was only 40 miles but did include two ferries so I guess that isn't really too bad as the wait for the boat was about as long as he actual journey in each case.

Day 13 Waterlooville to Brighstone

2010-04-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

After yesterday's dinner failure I was running rather on empty this morning. But with Paul acting as pilot he led me along the first part of the run into Portsmouth. Leaving Paul I grabbed breakfast in a cafe on the sea front before heading for the ferry. The guy lining people up in queues seemed somewhat confused as to why I was using the car rathger than the foot passenger ferry when I had a bike but seemed happy enough when I explained I thought she'd be easier to load here. The crossing was smooth and we were passed by the hovercraft ferry... Perhaps I should have investigated that option.
The ride to Ryde was rather undulating and cold; underfed muscles were struggling. I didnt spot an obvious cafe stop but I did take the gratuitois Ryde and Glyde photo. Not using the phone though, so you will have to wait. Following the coast road along to Bembridge my journey was interrupted by a road closed sign. Now the Isle of Wight isn't huge but checking the map showed that the detour was significant. The closed road headed downwards so, dreading having to backtrack, I carried on. It turned out that the closure waa due to pothole repair and with no sign of any work being done, I dodged these works for half a mile or so and was rewarded by finding a cafe where there was a vigorous argument going on about the roadworks keeping away trade.
After lunch I picked up the island cycleroute that Paul had recommended. The route uses quiet lanes which a sign informed me had a 15mph speed limit. They were also mostly single track with passing spaces. This would havev been fine if half the world and his dog weren't driving up and down them. They were also lumpy with climbs and drops but with poor sightlines so no advantage could be taken of the descents. And the centres were often filled with debris - sometimes rocks, other times mud or worse. All in all not a very nice place for a velomobile - it took hours and a couple of flats to finally pop back out onto decent roads where I could open up the speed a little even if it was in a long gentle climb. The haul along the south coast of the island was a relief after the singletrack and so I made good time to the campsite. Then I found one that would let me stop.

Day 11 Normans Bay to Worthing

2010-04-11T10:36:00.000-07:00

A short 42 miles in order to pick up a supplies parcel. This morning's ride down to Eastbourne was gentle enough but several folk had warned me of the climb beyond... From the beach to 512ft onto Beachy Head sounded like it could be tough but actually had alpine style gentle gradients and it was just a matter of spinning up. Beachy Head with the Seven Sisters is spectacular chalk downland and when peeks allow, classical white chalk cliffs.
A second hard climb through Friston was an unexpectedly steep surprise.
On the run into Newhaven i called in at McDonalds for a breakfast coffee and the worlds smallest ever bacon butty. Not my usual haunt but it was 10am on a Sunday morning...
The run down to Brighton ran through several small towns but most of the route had a bus lane and little sign of busses this early. Brighton was already bustling so I dropped onto the cyclepath along the prom. Bright sun and the beach... Another 10 degrees warmer and no wind it would have been ideal. Another food stop at a beach cafe and the gentle ride into Worthing. I normally ride the velo as a car but on joining a huge queue I joined the motorbikes hopping past the half mile holdup for some roadworks. I'm stopping with a friend tonight indoors for a change. Unfortunately the postie has done a runner with my parcel so I've got my ticket and I get to go stare at them in the morning...
43 miles. Tomorrow will bring us the delights of Bognor, Fishbourne and Waterlooville where I have a rendezvous to give a Glyde test ride.

Day 10 Folkestone to Normans Bay

2010-04-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

Today was 57 miles and a day of extremes. The climb out of Folkestone was not too evil once I found it. The finding consisted of going over a viaduct only to circle arround back underneath the same bridge... Weird ideas... The campsite owner had warned me the climb was as bad as the one out of Dover if not worse. Now the Glyde climbs nicely even with the camping load but only when rolling at a good speed. Due to the niceties of city design this climb was from a standing start... But it wasn't actually that bad. And then the reward! The first half of the day, a day heading west since turning Hellfire Corner at Dover, was on good roads with a tailwind. I just geared up and up, faster and faster until top! In the towns I backed off ready for someone pulling out but then back into cruise... So places were just a blur until Lydd which curiously claimed to be home to London-Ashford airport. Curious in that it is near neither....
Had a bacon butty stop at Camber when the little back road around Dunge Marsh was surprisingly busy. A council worker told me they get 20,000 visitors a day on a sunny weekend.
The climb through Fairlight was evil. With several lying summits and the descent into Hastings was mostly wasted.
Smaller roads to the campsite and ... It wasnt there! A call home and further searching and it waa another quarter mile south of the position in my GPS. Oh well found it and got to have supper on the sunny but rather cold beach...

Day 9 To Sandwich and on to Folkestone

2010-04-09T10:04:00.000-07:00

The country lanes of Kent were marvellous. Sandwich looked like it would have been worth spending time on but I shot on through to pick up the golf course toll road to Deal. There seemed to be a large number of Astons and Bentleys parked up along the way but oddly the drivers' heads turned to watch the Glyde go past..
In Deal after a photo op with another pier i found a cafe for late breakfast.

At Kingsdown i was tempted by a national cyclenetwork route to Dover but having been caught that way before I followed the roads.
The descent into Dover past the castle was rather special. As was the evil climb back out on the B road to Folkestone. I stopped at the cliff top cafe for refreshments before a lively descent int Folkestone and the Little Switzerland campsite. And it really is. On the cliffs and everything on a different level. The fir trees just finish the look.
Today was just 30 miles or so with 3000ft of climb I'll check when I get my GPS back from reception where it is charging.
Tomorrow on to Hastings....

Day 8 Hoo to nr Sandwich

2010-04-08T13:36:00.000-07:00

An odd day. I was up early having spent most of yesterday afternoon hiding from rhe rain and dozing in the tent. Heading into Rochester I was tempted by a cyclepath. It ran alongside the dual carriageway i needed. So i got to the first sideroad and some twonk had parked over the dropped curb... After blaming two suspicious council workers who claimed it wasn't theirs they helped lift the Glyde over the precipice. So following this path suddenly there is a fence between me and rhe road. Then it turns into a dirt track but reassuringly has a NCN sign. Then I popped out on the road approaching the dual carriageways where the story started...
So i took the main road and followed signs for the A2 as main route through the Medway towns. And a surprisingly nice ride it was... Most traffic must be using the parallel M2...
It was nice to pull of the fast road onto lanes heading to Whitstable. Finding an open cafe on a section of beach and seawall i stopped for lunch. Whitstable and Herne Bay both seemed nice places but only enough time for a photo op.

The roads were all terrible though. Several long sections of very rough concrete block with joins every couple of metres and many sections with severe potholes where it was hard to tell if the intended level was the highest or lowest one.. Pushing on to Reculver where my OS map said there was a tent campsite but all I found were rows of static caravans. Bah.
On the was out I had a tyre fail. Double bah.
Fortunately I had a spare tyre snd was able to continue to my originally planned campsite. Which leaves me with a dilemma. I've detoured 10 miles or so inland to the backup camping' and am fairly close to Sandwich. But I've missed Margate and Broadstairs. Im thinking of just heading onwards as it seems pedantic to double back for completeness...ho hum... Next planned stop Folkestone via Dover.
Today was 52 miles.

A couple of shots of the Glyde's luggage spaces :-

.

Day 7 rest day

2010-04-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

I was thinking during the evening last night that I really ought to have a maintenance session for Whitey the Glyde. Then when i didn't get up until 8:30 this morning i thought that a hint. This morning was fixing and adjusting. Lunchtime was shopping in Hoo and fish & chips.

Reception has been great everywhere. Yesterday a very Afro Carribean looking gentleman wrapped in gold chains in a big low white car yelled "Yo Bro" as he spotted me which seems like acceptance for the pair of us.
One useful feature of the East Anglian villages that i fogot to mention is the installation of fixed bike computers. Each village has an illuminated sign that give you your current speed! No need to even take your eyes off of the road... These are that new that i passed the team installing them.
The plan tomorrow is to head out to the North Kent seaside resorts and find a pitch for the night....

Day 6 Bradwell to Gravesend and then some

2010-04-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

Today started with the rather odd experience of heading north... In order to visit a 1400 year old stonebuilt chapel... St Peter on the Wall. I can't imagine there can be many buildings built in the 7th century in the UK that are still standing and still in use... There should be photos to come but I don't think they'll do it justice.

By contrast when heading back south i found an equally exciting bacon butty shop in Southminster. The rest of the day was precision navigation to avoid the bigger roads and built up areas of South Essex. I didn't know Billericay was in Essex - I'd have guessed it was in Ireland.
Eventually arrived in Tilbury for 4pm and managed to load the Glyde on board but I was then followed by three motorbikes so the ferry is clearly not as "foot" as it could be.
Coming out of Gravesend I realised something had shaken loose in all the fun of the day. I spotted an MOT station on the A226 and pulled in. The guys were great and quickly had me on my way...
The ride out to the campsite featured some nice lanes with views of the shipping on the Thames but an evil uphill dual carriageway with a helpful end of cycle lane sign at the start of it. The site owners are great and I managed to scrounge a cup of tea as I put my tent up. Another long day at 72 miles including the detour to see the chapel and the ferry trip.

Day 5 Manningtree to Bradwell

2010-04-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

85 miles. Today's ride was great. The roads were a little bigger so I was able to get the Glyde up to speed and take advantage of the aero for some easy cruising. The was still some grovelling on climbs where I ran out of steam though. The ride along the Stour to Harwich was stunning. I actually found a tea shop today. They only did tea and cupcakes and it was the best appointed teashop I've used...photo should appear here...

I stopped at Frinton and took a photo by the station sign just to prove I'd been there.
Clacton was busy but I managed a tea and food stop. I think I ate better today which might have helped. Essex is really nice cycling country... The miles out to Bradwell were all good. The campsite owners tell me I must visit their 6th century church before i go...

Photo update

2010-04-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

Day Two, Cromer Pier

Day Five, View Across the Stour Estuary to the Stour Valley YHA bunkhouse

Day 4 Eastbridge to Stour bridge

2010-04-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

I never did find the campsite owner at Eastbridge to pay for my stay... Today started on debris strewn roads and not long after getting off them I had a rear flat. I fixed it without removing the rear wheel - just popped the tyre off and patched the hole. A quartz chip from the wash down. The rest of the morning was a series of small places of no interest. Until i joined the A14 dual carriageway . The map showed what I guess is the old road just the other side of it and I ezpected at least a bike crossing. But no the only option was to join it and ride several miles away from my destination before getting to a junction to get on the old road. At least that bit had a tailwind...
Eventually heading in the right direction I got to Ipswich -the first cycle friendly bridge over the Orwell. The final b road of the day had a strange thing... Suddenly in the middle of nowhere is the Royal Hospital. No explanation.
OK so I finally roll up at the Youth Hostel to be greeted by a sign reading "bookings by appointment only". Feeling pretty tired and having not seen a campsite for the last 10 miles I was a bit stuck for options. I phoned Caroline the warden who told me there had been a cancellation and she opened the hostel for me. So tonight I have a choice of any bed and three showers...
Tomorrow hopefully is Frinton...

Day 3 Walcott to erm... South of southwold

2010-04-03T13:36:00.000-07:00

65 miles
North East Norfolk was nice and quiet but the roads were poor. The beach was on it for a while. Lots of "say no to sea eagles" but I didn't see a single one to talk to. Poppy land cafe near Horsey was great. I kept to the A12 past Yarmouth as it was full as indicated by the queues of stationary traffic but there was a cycle lane to cruise past it all. Used a bit of cycle path and a mile later had my first flat... Hmmm...
Lowestoft was in monsoon. Hail. Rain. More rain. At 2:30 arrived at my first potential campsite but decided 47 miles wasn't really far enough. Southwold was also full. and I was pretty tired on the drag out to the campsite in the middle of nowhere. But at least it has a pub next to it.

Flat hills

2010-04-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

Day 2 Hunstanton to Walcott
60 miles North Norfolk. How hardcan that be? The gps says just under 3000ft of climb. Every descent into a village with a 20mph limit because of the right angle tuns. Tent now pitched behind the lighthouse inn. It is raining so pub food is calling...

Day 1:Mablethorpe to Hunstanton

2010-04-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

A gentle ride down to Skegness where I'd arranged Carol to meet up just in case of needing a full toolkit as this was my first real ride with her . Decided the screen wasn't helping because it had got greasy marks on it obstructing the view. Decided safest option was to do without and sort it after the trip. Got held up in stop start traffic in Boston for an hour after battling strong winds all the way from Skeg. The A47 was 20 miles of fast heavy traffic with no realistic alternative route. But with the wind on my back I did get to cruise it at 3 gears off top. At Hunstanton I tried the YHA but it was full. Being cold and tired I checked into the B&Bb next door. I know I'm supposed to be camping. Tomorrow will be under canvas... 73 miles. I'd wanted more. Maybe tomorrow...

Adding last minute Bling...

2010-03-30T13:11:00.000-07:00

I must be ahead of schedule if I've got time for decoration...

This one for T.Sue Poet who said I needed a Union Jack... it is fairly close!

And thanks to Mick for allowing us to add a link to our sponsors... (ok, so that is me but hey... it looks more pro!):

And finally, for those asking, I've just finished the 1st repack. I've got the gear piled up in the corner of the lounge and tomorrow it goes into the van before trying the game of 'how much of this can I stuff inside the fairing and still get in to ride'. I thought it safer not to attempt to lift the Glyde in and out of the van with it fully loaded!

Happier

2010-03-30T02:56:00.000-07:00

I just had a happier thought... It is a coastal ride. I shouldnt need to use the winkies. It is just follow the left hand cerb!

Testing...

2010-03-29T14:36:00.000-07:00

This is a test of phone blogging...

A bit down...

2010-03-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

The Glyde is assembled, the gear is stacked ready for sorting tomorrow night. I'm feeling worried that I've just not had chance to put any miles on the Glyde before leaving - after reading plenty of travel books where people have set off on straight-out-of-the-box equipment and I've laughed at their problems. I've put the electrics together but they've not had any road time so they might not be up to road vibration. I'm sure the bike hardware will be but as the Glyde is enclosed I don't have a fallback plan if I loose the winkies...
I thought I'd planned to avoid that problem. But no....
Oh well, I've got the holiday booked. All I can do is set off and see how things go. I was hoping to get down to Tilbury for the ferry on Saturday as it is closed Sunday and Monday for the bank holiday. I'm now wondering if I'll be able to get there for Tuesday when it opens again or maybe aim for the Dartford QE2 bridge which I'm told has a road 'bike ferry'...

Panic, panic, panic

2010-03-29T12:37:00.001-07:00

Ok, the Glyde arrived here on Friday and I've spent all weekend putting it together and getting my custom electrics fitted.... this evening I got out for a quick 2 mile test ride and when I got back I had a few bits and pieces to tidy up.
So now for the pictures...

Where to start:

She was beautifully packed. The box is now outside our front door because, well, it won't fit anywhere inside!!!

And several hours of hard work (Ok, Friday afternoon, Saturday and most of Sunday...):

Assembly is happening...

2010-03-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

... but it is a bit cold at wet at times!

She's here

2010-03-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

And alternating sunshine and showers...
But she is on her wheels now. Needs some air.
Next got electrics (indicators are priority before I can go out) mirrors and clears to sort.
Photos soon!

So Near...

2010-03-26T00:02:00.001-07:00

UPS are saying the Glyde is at my local airport waiting on customs - just a tantalising two miles from where I need it... Maybe today!!!

Rumours...

2010-03-22T09:52:00.001-07:00

Rumour is that the trike has shipped...
With departure date being 10 days away I'm just a little worried it won't be here in time. I'm hoping UPS do their stuff and it'll be here soon. With luck it'll be here by Friday so I've got the weekend to take it out for a spin and get at least a little bit used to it.

Rumours of Spring...

2010-03-07T07:02:00.000-08:00

Saying it was warm out riding today would be an over statement, but at least it is starting to look a little warmer...
And the railway bridge was clear of water again, so no need for icy paddling!

Three weeks to go and the Glyde is still not here... not that I'm getting anxious or anything. I am promised there will be developments this week!!!

I really should find a different circuit to ride...

2010-02-27T04:36:00.000-08:00

After wading through the floodwater again... Even though there is no ice floating on it, the muddy water felt as cold as ever!
And spot the incompetent photographer taking a picture of his camera case - my excuse is I'm used to an SLR camera where the picture you get is what you see through the viewfinder... Note to self for the tour - put the camera case down before trying to take photos - we don't need a collection of 'Robs camera case in xxx' photos. Bah!
Rumour is that something may be happening on the Glyde front next week - I hope so because we'll be into 30-days-and-counting on Monday.
I'm also hoping that Spring starts to show it's face - the current weather will make for rather miserable camping.

Learning last weeks lesson...

2010-01-24T05:02:00.001-08:00

This week I came prepared - following advice from Fenlander I've picked up a pair of 'Crocs' (just plain ordinary Cayman, not the fur lines type) to use as camp shoes. As they're some kind of impervious plastic they also served well for wading through the icy floodwater carrying the bike where I wasn't daft enough to try riding again this week - doubly so as the level looked deeper than last time...
Would have been a nicer ride if I hadn't had a visit from the fairy of holes-in-tyres-that-let-the-air-out-but-who-should-not-be-named courtesy of Farmer Giles who left an unavoidable trail of hedge flailings across the road when he went from one farm track to the other...

Camping Kit List

2010-01-22T05:35:00.000-08:00

I've been asked by a few friends about my kit list so here is my planned basic camping kit list for my Glyde trip. I have a selection of other items that I'm considering adding to increase comfort or as backup items in case of breakages so I'll update this list as I finalise my decisions. Weights are of the actual packed items I have here as per the photo, not claimed weights and generally include bags, etc. The size 9 shoe is in there for scale only...
For now basic minimum list is:

Tent(Left, green sack):
Terra Nova Laser Comp (bagged) 960g

Tarp (backup/fast pitch option to tent, right blue stuffsack - squishy):
Backpackinglight Microtarp 145g
Alpkit Hunka bivvy bag + carrysack 417g
Poly-io Groundsheet 70g
5 x Alpkit 'Nails' + tags 43g
Cord 30g
Mountain King Trail Blaze 128g
(walking pole)

Sleeping (orange centre top, red middle and green top right):
Thermarest Prolite 4 full length 626g (2 years old - much lighter options available now)
Alpkit PipeDream 400+waterproof sack 854g
Silk liner 111g

Cooking (dark orange top right):
MiTiMug (700ml) pan/mug/lid 110g
Tibetan 375ml mug (bagged) 68g
Folding Ti spoon 19g
MiniBullDesigns HN-Bongo-Deluxe meths burner (incl fuel bottle) 126g
Lighter 21g
Firesteel 10g
Pot cosy 25g
Windshield 10g

My spreadsheet says that lot comes in at just under 3.8kg. Obviously on a shorter trip it isn't necessary to take both the tarp and tent but at the moment I'm feeling on my long trip I want different options that I can choose on the day (or night).

I have a host of clothing, water carrying, fire lighting and other accessories that I'm sure I'll be throwing into the list for the Glyde trip but I believe the above is a working set of gear. I've not yet used everything in this combination - items are lighter replacements for my original 'high street shop' weight kit or, in the case of the cookset, a kit that I've been testing over the last year or so and finetuning.

Getting the miles in

2010-01-17T06:29:00.000-08:00

After a series of 10 miles rides in the snow since New Year I got out for a longer ride today - I managed a 36 mile loop around the southern Derbyshire Dales. And very pleasant it was too.
Apart from one problem.
Approaching a railway bridge on a quiet back road there were flood signs. It didn't look that deep and was just a puddle - no flow to it risking getting washed away. So I geared down and pedalled on in. It came up to the wheel hubs. It came up to the chainring. It came over the top of the wheels at which I point I realised I was floating above the seat but was still clipped into the pedals. I kept pedalling, pushed the front wheels around to give extra grip and slowly emerged from the other side... Lovely. Chest deep cold water, with the final traces of ice and snow on the ground around. Fortunately this was the start of a hilly section so I was at least generating enough body heat to drive off the worst of the wet. Bah!
The car driver who rolled up as I emerged didn't even risk trying to get through...
But hey, a 36 mile loop is a good effort in my return to fitness.

Time is getting short...

2010-01-16T04:51:00.001-08:00

The good news is that I've been out riding several times since the new year without any problems. Only 10 miles at time so far, but after Friday afternoon's ride I had my GTX in to give it a bit of a service and fit new parts and it is ready to go. Saturday is looking rather damp and dismal and I'm feeling tired. Sunday is forecast to be sunny so I plan on taking the GTX out for a longer run tomorrow. I plan to head up towards the Derbyshire Dales, somewhere I've not cycled for over a year...
In the post today came a tarp. It is a very minimalist shelter weighing little more than a couple of mars bars and it mainly provides head cover making the use of a bivvy bag more pleasant. This is 'Plan B' for if there are any problems with the tent. In reasonable weather it could become 'Plan A' as it will be far quicker and easier to pitch than the tent...
Once I've got a few more miles in my legs (and hopefully it starts to look a little more like spring) I guess I need to get my camping gear together and start trying some overnight stays to put this gear through its paces. For now, with the threat of snow I'll hang fire on that idea!

The Distance is known

2010-01-03T11:22:00.000-08:00

My task over the holidays has been to plot my route for the trip....
This has been done using Bikely.com, a website that can generate the necessary navigation files to use in my GPS. It might seem like the simple option of keeping the sea on your left would do the job but there are an awfully large number of dead ends and I really don't need the extra mileage.
So, the route is plotted and the sections added together - the distance on the map is 4094 miles. This is a little bit of a relief because I was worried I'd come up with more than the inital advice I had that it was 4300 miles.
Of course a route plotted on a paper map does not mean that is the mileage that will be recorded in real life - even without taking wrong turnings! For that we will have to wait and see....

Electronics

2009-12-06T07:25:00.000-08:00

Deliveries came together and this weekend has been spent putting together prototype electronics/electrics for the new bike. The solar panels haven't arrived yet but that's no excuse for not getting ready for them. So here are the results of a weekend's work:
First of all, the power wiring loom - this will allow the 4 separate solar panel circuits (see below) and the battery packs to be hooked together via the module on the left. In the centre is a block waiting for some voltage level indicator parts to be added. The output lead (hooked up to a Toplight Line Plus here for test purposes) will go on to the distribution board/dashboard to power lighting and accessories.

Here we have a pair of the solar panel controllers - just a blocking diode and charge indicator LED with resistor. The diode prevents reverse current damaging a panel when one of them is shaded and the others are generating power. There will be one of these for each of the 4 panels (there are 4 panels because that is what there is convieniant space for around the tail of the Glyde and that will generate around 400mA - allowing power to run my GPS and enough spare to top off the batteries for later use)

First of the accessories is this USB charger. The part on the left is a voltage regulator circuit which limits the power supply to a steady 5v so that any USB device can be plugged into the hub for recharging. It is wrapped in epoxy to prevent vibration damage. I've tested this with my phone and Satmap GPS and both charge happily using this setup.

The next thing I need is for the solar panels to arrive so I can get the whole lot set up as it will be on the Glyde and confirm charging works as expected.

Not much happening/Everything happening!

2009-11-23T12:01:00.000-08:00

The last couple of weeks have been quiet but things are starting to get exciting on the bike front - the first production Glyde is soon to be ready! Not mine, but hey, once things start moving.... Photos on the Greenspeed blog are at least looking like the thing is soon to be real! And Facebook even has photos of it with wheels on(but I can't link to them - bah!)... Soon, soon!
I've been helping out a little chasing some of the solar panel info for it and I have the parts ready to build a USB charger to power my phone and GPS from the bikes electrics.
Still, things are starting to feel like it might be rather last minute for my April 1st departure date...

Back into weekend walking...

2009-10-25T03:14:00.000-07:00

With the cycle racing season done and the new trike 'almost real' I'm back to weekend walking.
Last week was a damp 4 mile loop alongside one of the local reservoirs, this week a 5.6 mile circuit out to the Ticknall Limepits (abandoned for 100 years and now pretty woodland) and back.
The featherweight Mountain King 'Trail Blaze' poles are working well - this is my first time walking with two poles and they make a big improvement on slippy uphill stretches.
In the above photo I'm also wearing an Epic jacket and jeans. These are both cotton but the threads are individually silicone coated making them waterproof. Because of the cotton both are very nice to wear, and don't seem to be as susceptible to catching and tearing on thorns as nylon fabrics. The fabric is not AS waterproof as some of the adverts make out, the jacket (Rohan Pampas) requires some internal heat to stop moisture slowly seeping through so I'd rate it around 75% as waterproof as a good Goretex jacket but much more so than a windshell like Pertex. It is currently my outdoor jacket of choice because it just feels right - it feels less 'hiker' and more 'wax cotton' without the maintenace problems of re-waxing). The trousers are Alpkit's Jeanious Jeans and they have become a constant companion! Again the Epic fabric means that a splash or shower just runs off them. Constant damp works through eventually but the fabric does not 'wet' and body heat quickly forces that dampness out. They would not replace a proper pair of waterproof overtrousers on the hill but for a 5 mile Sunday potter they do the job. They are a tad too warm for harder walking at the mo (I usually wear shorts or knee-length breaches enjoying the breeze around my lower legs) but I'm sure as we go into Autumn and Winter they'll be in their element. Oh, and the rest of the time they fit and feel just like ordinary jeans - I've even adopted them as stock wear for dress-down Friday wear at work where nobody seems to have noticed they are anything other than normal jeans...

What I've been up to for the last month...

2009-10-08T12:13:00.000-07:00

Posts have been a bit thin on the ground for the last month. Now it is confession time - I've been busy getting back on the bike again! I've been working on adding the bodywork (fairing) to my Greenspeed SLR race trike. And then racing at the last few events in the BHPC race calendar. I haven't done that great, but along with some evening training on a stationary exercise setup I was fit enough to finish the course at Hog Hill on Sunday - a circuit with a rather vicious climb each lap. This might not seem like that much of an achievement but I didn't even manage to complete a flat velodrome event a month earlier! And the result was good enough to give me 40th position in the UK rankings for the year!

Just in case you are wondering - the trike under the bodywork is effectively a bare chassis and I've built the white bodywork as streamlining. On a flat race this allows much higher speeds. On the hilly Hog Hill course it only helped on half of the course!

Photos with thanks to Fraser - see his full coverage of the event here.

Bargain time?

2009-10-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

To celebrate their 5th birthday Alpkit have a special on their self-inflating mattresses. I've tried most Alpkit stuff but not these yet - if you fancy giving them a go £15 for their lightest version including p&P seems like a bargain to me!

Route Change - Boycott Wales!

2009-09-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

With the Welsh Assembly proposing pushing ahead with a Badger Cull in Pembrokeshire the only response I can think of it to boycott everything Welsh. The cull is based on the assumption that Badgers transmit TB to cattle and ignores the fact that cattle are routinely kept in overcrowded conditions, indoors for 6 months of the year which is much more conducive to spreading disease than being in fields that badgers may also have been in. This is before being turned out for the summer into fields that have previously been sprayed with the waste products of the previously mentioned indoors cows.
So for now my Glyde Around Britain route will be replanned following the English side of the Border up through the Welsh Marches and keeping my Tourist Pounds in the land of the free (and live) Badger.

Custom Mountain King Trail Blaze poles

2009-09-20T11:35:00.001-07:00

My new pair of Trail Blaze poles arrived from Mountain King, up in Newcastle, this weekend. They're a custom pair in plain alu rather than the usual black or purple. I use a white 'blind' cane when walking around town (as much to avoid being trampled by people who expect me to see them as to feel my way!) so would have liked a pair of Trail Blaze poles in white, but plain brushed alu was the closest the makers could offer - and as I was offered this as a no-cost custom variation I'm grateful to the team there!
So, next walk I have a pair of 117g each poles to test. This will be an interesting change from using a single half-kilo or so cheapo hiking pole that I've been using for years.
Next weekend is another mad 'fairing building' weekend (adding a lid and tail to the nose/body I build and raced a couple of weeks ago - see photo below) followed by the last race of the UK 2009 season the weekend afterwards so these sticks will have to wait until after that to be tested...

Achievements...

2009-09-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

This week I have...
1) Won my first cycle race
2) Entered an exhibition for the first time
3) Sold my first photograph
Ok, so I am not going to be retiring on the proceeds but my hill walking is showing its first signs of return on investment!
And the cycle race was in the 'slow' class and next time I get to race in the 'fast' class but hey, it is a sign of my returning fitness...
And I did spend more on things I bought at the art exhibition that I earnt, but again hey....

I'm still here

2009-08-24T12:41:00.000-07:00

Just in case anyone was wonderering if I'd disappeared.... things have just been a bit busy! Amongst other things I'm preparing for my first photography exhibition - I'm not giving up the day job yet though...

Latest News:

I went along to a local BHPC race this weekend but didn't take part - it was rather pleasent to just chill by the trackside, sit in the sun and watch the racing for a change! I did use the opportunity to fire up some of the stove collection to make coffee. The EK750OB had two runs - I recovered it from a little bit of dieback on the first run, on the second run it behaved perfectly! The more I use the wood burner the more I like it!

Third serving of coffee was courtesy of the MBDCult 'Stumpy' which also worked very nicely.

New stuff - I'm waiting on a pair of custom Mountain King Trail Blaze poles and a Factor 1 base layer from Subzero to arrive...

Oh, and having enjoyed getting back to cycling, at least on the race track, I'm working on rebuilding my faired race trike with the plan of getting it race-fit over the August bank holiday weekend ready for a race in West London the following weekend.

Mini Bull Designs 'Stumpy'

2009-08-17T13:19:00.001-07:00

Just a quick note - today's 'goodie' in the post was a carbon-wicked MBDCult 'Stumpy' high-output compact alcohol burner. The carbon wick replaces the previous glass fibre wick design which tended to spoil and melt when the fuel ran out. On a first test run the carbon wick seems to be an improvement.
This stove is the big brother of the uno#1 I reviewed back on the 11th July and runs from the same fuel system - it is basically a larger bore version of the same burner. Results of the first test firing are rather curious - it took 12ml of meths to bring 375ml of water to a rolling boil in 9-and-a-half minutes - a good minute and a half faster than the Uno#1 but, curiously, using the same amount of fuel!
I really like the remote fuel system on this stove - it is great to be able to watch the fuel level drop as the stove is used and it being perfectly clear how much fuel, so how much run time is left in the stove.
When I'd finished boiling the water I disconnected the fuel bottle and recovered fuel in the pipe. The burner kept the water at a rolling boil for another 5 minutes!

Woodstove success!

2009-08-03T12:20:00.001-07:00

The more I use this little stove, the more I like it!
Tonight my first 'proper' end-to-end run using the EK750OB - using some home-made tinder, started using some of the tinder on the end of a stick from a spark from a firesteel and knifeback, sticks collected on Sunday's walk... 375ml of water, around 8 minutes... Yay!
Afterwards I deliberately let the stove die down to embers to practice bringing it back to life. I struggle on this. Tomorrow evening I have plans to meet up with Dave Watson of Woodland Survival Crafts in a local wood for some quick one-on-one fire training and to see if that is all I need or it is worth booking onto one of his 3-day firestarter courses!

'Blue Peter' Time - Part 3: The cone..

2009-07-31T12:57:00.000-07:00

As per the comment in 'Blue Peter' Time - Part 1 - here is a quick and dirty shot at a cone windshield made using two of the foil baking trays joined with a concetina fold sealed with alu tape...

Weight is 19g. I might add a little re-enforcing alu tape around the edges and folds yet so maybe push another gram onto that weight. It feels a bit flimsy for carrying in a backpack but hey, I'll give it a go this weekend (looks like weather will be delaying this weekend's hike until Sunday).

'Blue Peter' Time - Part 2: The cosy cooking system...

2009-07-31T06:17:00.000-07:00

Parts:
A pot cosy kit (from Backpackinglight.co.uk).
A 470ml lock&lock box (from Lakeland).
Aluminium heating system tape (from B&Q).
Some industrial velcro I already had around.

Step 1 - form a pouch around the box in the same way as wrapping a present.
Step 2 - seal any joints with Alu tape to keep it tidy, prevent it unfolding and to make it look nice.
Step 3 - Add velcro so it can be held shut.

I'm thinking 470ml should be about '1 serving' of whatever.
97g for the plastic box, 28g for the cosy. Yes, I know that is 4 Colin Ibbotson 'trowels' but I'm looking for kit that will last for a 6 week trip and won't make a mess - the Lock&Lock boxes aren't the lightest I've seen but they have the best seal so I can be sure if I leave my dinner in my pack to rehydrate, it will still be in the box when I'm ready!

Thanks to Tinny at Mini Bull Designs for his podcast showing using a plastic freezer container as a rehydrating container & eating bowl.
Thanks to Podcast Bob et al for promoting the pot cosy idea!
Next step - field testing!

'Blue Peter' Time - Part 1: The 33p Foil Windbreak...

2009-07-31T06:03:00.000-07:00

Step 1 - take a large foil cooking tray (3 for £1 at Wilkinsons):
Step 2 - trim off top & bottom edges. Flatten remains to a sheet.

Step 3 - Curl sheet around pot and use as below (MyTiMug sitting on EK backup meths burner):
The windshield wraps around the mug for storage...
Weight is 14g. Lighter foil is available but I wanted something resiliant enough to last my 6 week trip.

After all the weight last week, and finding when I got back I'd been carrying 3 stoves I've thinned things down and this combination will be "the kitchen" for this weeks hike - so test results coming soon!

A stove breakthrough!

2009-07-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight I've had a breakthrough with the Einzel-Kocker stove. After much coaching by MacE I've got a repeatable 8 minute boil time for 375ml of water just using a handful of sticks picked up last walk!
The trick appears to be to use WAY less fuel than you think!

Of Shorts that I forgot...

2009-07-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

I neglected to mention that today was the first outing for the Regatta Sport Premier rowing shorts. These are a bit of an experiment that I am testing this season as I’ve not yet found recumbent specific shorts that I’m really happy with. But I forgot... I wore them today, I raced, I didn't notice the shorts. But then I guess that is probably the best comment for a piece of kit - they did their job so well I didn't even remember that I was testing a new piece of kit. So I guess that is a 'thumbs up' for the Regatta Sport rowing shorts (note, I believe this is a different company to the outdoor clothing Regatta stuff to be found in Millets etc).

Competition Time!

2009-07-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

This week's prize might be a little more attractive to the Satmap users out there...

I've upgraded to the 'full GB' Landranger mapping and have, surplus to requirements, a UK All National Parks SD card for use with a Satmap Active 10. The card arrived as part of a bundle when I bought the Active 10 so is just a card in a case and it does not come in the retail packaging which would be £50 or so in the shops. It does give full 1:50k mapping for all 20 UK National Park areas (no, I didn't know there were so many either - nor had I considered that I lived in one!). See the link above if you want more details.

Same rules as last time - if you are interested in owning this card for use in your own Active 10 enter the draw by adding a comment to this post. Closing date is a week today - midnight Sunday 2nd August. Winning entry (assuming more than one!) will be selected randomly.

Assorted weekend updates:

2009-07-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I increased my hiking pack weight to 9.4kg by adding my tripod because there was a particular photo I wanted to capture on the route we were planning on walking. When we got there the view was blocked with plant growth so I need not have bothered carrying the extra weight. But it was a useful experiment in that I now know I'm a wimp and 9.4kg is more than I'm currently comfortable carrying in the Golite Jam rucksack. Curiously I'm ok moving but the weight starts to tell when I'm standing waiting for my wife to climb over styles. I was getting somewhat grumpy and tired by the 8 mile point... I'm still a little off the 14kg design limit but hey, more training required for heavier loads - but that is why I'm practicing before hitting a few 'real' backpacking trips. I'm still struggling to imagine carrying anyone carrying more than 20kg!

Sunday was a day out racing with the BHPC. This was only my second time cycling this year and it told! I took my GTX (which I guess is a custom-made, higher spec and lighter predecessor of this trike) which is lean and low but set up more as a touring rather than a racing bike. It was a good fun day out, a little damp around the edges and I was stuggling to keep my pace up for the 35minute race.

I've been practicing with the Einzel-Kocher EK750OB and I think I'm getting more proficient using it, but I'm not yet at the stage of trusting my abilities to get boiling water for coffee out of it... On Sunday at the races I used the MSR Pocket Rocket because it is quick and simple. I am undecided yet as to whether this is the way to go for the trip or if I'd rather avoid carrying a gas canister inside a faired cycle... I guess any gas leak *should* dissipate before it became a problem but..... I am sure that my problems with the EK are down to my basic inability to make fire. I have the same problems trying to light the log burner in our holiday cottage.
I fear this is one of those lost skills - 50 years ago everyone (who didn't have someone to do it for them) could light their household fire. Now it is an automated gas boiler... I'm contemplating booking on one of those bushcraft courses. Oh, and I've ordered more kit - a decent wood working knife to aid splitting wood, making kindling,etc. I know more kit is more weight and I might be better off just making do with a gas or meths stove but it does feel more natural to be using a wood burner! And firelighting is prehistoric tech - just how hard can it be???

Einzel-Kocher EK750OB here!

2009-07-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

With very prompt shipping my EK750OB wood burner arrived today. So did the rain, so no evening testing tonight :(
Weights on the website are prefectly honest against my scales...
1) Minimum useable weight - stovebody + lightweight pot stand - 84g
2) Stove, lightweight pot stand, EK meths burner, ash tray, nylon stuffsack - 109g
3) 'ready to go' wood & meths burner - neat and tidy with top and bottom caps fitted, in nylon stuff sack - 130g

Finish is nice and tidy, no sharp edges (that I've found yet!)
Hopefully it'll be dry enough to wonder out into the garden tomorrow night and have a 'first burn'!

Progress on the bike...

2009-07-19T05:50:00.000-07:00

I'm all excited about news on the development of the bike I have on order for my trip... The machine will be going into production very shortly. I've put my deposit down expecting to be in the 2nd batch of machines built and hopefully to be delivered before the end of the year. Latest news and photos are on the Greenspeed Glyde news page here.

Light compartment on the nose of the Glyde

My First Competition Time!

2009-07-18T10:27:00.000-07:00

Ok, so when I bought my Satmap Active 10 there were some extras thrown in that I've decided I don't need so the first is coming up for grabs here...

I have one Satmap Deluxe Carry Case, brand new, still on the display card. This case has two pockets, one to take the Active 10, a 2nd to take batteries, cards, etc. Or it might do just to take a mobile phone and some change for a cuppa. It doesn't come with a strap but has a belt loop... so hey, I'll thrown in a Satmap lanyard too! RRP for just the case is £20.

Just a short run for this one - competition closing date is end of Sunday 26th July. To enter just reply with a comment to this blog entry and the winner will be picked by random.

(edited - closing date changed to run for a week - decided I was being a bit mean just giving a few days)

10 mile kit shakedown

2009-07-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

Having parted company with my old racing bike (ok, it isn't a 'normal' one) I had a little cash to invest in more new kit this week... :)
First off, thanks to the suggestion from Mac E and Podcast Bob I've invested in a Golite Jam2 pack. The pack will be no use for the Glyde trip but I'm planning on hiking/backpacking to gain fitness and put the rest of the kit through its paces.

First modification is going to be trimming down some of the straps!

Secondly I'm watching the letterbox for the Satmap full GB memory card to arrive... Having tried the options I have a few bits & pieces of Satmap kit surplus to requirements so for any of you who are interested I'll hold a mini-competition or two shortly and if there are no takers the stuff goes to eBay... Keep an eye on the feed!
Oh, and having received my EK mini-meths burner this week, liking the quality of the beast and then being tempted by the GramFairy(tm) I've ordered the matching Einzel-Kocher 750OB wood burner stove with the plan on using it in the sub-100g configuration as a replacement to the 426g Honey Stove for those times when a third of a kilo counts...

Anyway, today, sporting the new Jam we did a 10 mile walk out to the South Coast of the River Trent... Normally this would be a walk along a riverbank but, well, it seems we've had some rain...

There is supposed to be a 'high' path to the left and a 'low' path to the right but today the Trent has other ideas...

The bridge is normally high enough to play Pooh Sticks...

Pack weight, plus camera and GPS came to a comfortable 6.1kg (13.4lb). I'm struggling to imagine carrying the sort of weights that some seem to think 'normal' - only yesterday I was reading a forum posting from an American who was pleased to have economised and got his walking pack down to around 37 pounds! Maybe I'm just a wimp - I'm deliberately overloading myself on a daywalk with the plan of this being around my weekend camping weight! And I'm hoping not to be carrying much more for the full Glyde Around Britain...

I'd be lighter without the gadgets but I do like the SLR camera... And yes, I know, it is heavier than my tent... and sleeping mat...

Anchor Church - not quite the riverside residence we are looking for...

Disaster of the day - ok, not really disaster, more kinda cockup - was failing to light the Honey Stove. I blame it on complacency after it simply 'just working' last time I used it. I should have collected more light kindling rather than expecting the light twigs to go up. Everything in the woods having been soaked for the last week didn't help much either - I should have picked up more of the dry cowparsley stems when I had the chance. But that is the point of these shakedown walks. And the upside was that the MSR Pocket Rocket got it's first fieldtest rather than just being ballast - wow - I'm seriously impressed. It is complete overkill for a cup of coffee, but hey, boiling water in just three minutes. Plus full on roaring sound effects. Hmmm... and I didn't even turn it up to 11 yet!

I remember when this was all fields - last Monday!

The crops are doing well on it - pity this is supposed to be the footpath...

Stats for the walk - a smidge under 10 miles distance and a smidge over 1000ft accumulated ascent!

Weekend shopping...

2009-07-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

After walking yesterday, today has been a rest day leading to internet shopping and some incoming additions to the gear list:

1) An EINZEL-KOCHER alcohol burner, shown here in Fenlander's Step-by-Step blog. This was chosen as a one-piece (ie. nothing to break/fall off) backup to the MBD Uno#1 where I'm worried I'm going to lose a small part, split a tube or something critical... As it weighs next to nothing and costs just a tenner it seems worth the investment.

2) I've been sufficiently impressed with the ease of use and customer support from the folks at Satmap (upgraded to the latest software this weekend thanks to them posting out a memory card with the new software on it free of charge) that I'll be ordering the Full UK Landranger (1:50k) maps for the Satmap Active 10. A full set of Landrangers for the weight of between two and three paper maps - a bargain! If I get the order in tomorrow the SD card should arrive in time for a longer walk north of home next weekend.

I forgot to mention in Sneak Preview that I'd picked up a Terra Nova Laser Competition at the Backpackers Club AGM meet. I was already fairly convinced to go for the Laser rather than the Akto by the lighter weight. When I tried the Laser for size to make sure I fitted and I was offered a brand new one at price too good to refuse the decision was made. It had its first pitching on a recent holiday to the Isle of Mull but I must confess I slept indoors. Further testing of the tent will have to wait until later in the year and until I've got more miles in my legs for walking...

Finally, I've been using Alpkit Gourdon rucksacks so far. I have these in 20l and 30l models. They are basically rolltop drybags fitted with a rucksack harness system. I'm planning on using these inside the Glyde as 'panniers' and, in the meantime, they're working out fine for day hiking.
For anything other than minimal overnight backpacking I'm thinking I'll be needing to move up to 45l or so. I'm looking for something to carry lightweight gear from multi-night trips up to doing something like the Coast-to-Coast. Ok, you can laugh now, the cyclist has the backpacking bug! At the moment the light weight of the Osprey Exos has attracted my attention but I'm nowhere near sold yet as it isn't cheap. Suggestions in the comments section below please...

Initial Review - Inov8 Roclite 318 GTX

2009-07-11T08:30:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I mentioned getting a pair of Inov-8 Roclite 318 GTX. Today was their first outing in anger...

Inov8 Roclite 318 GTX
Price: £76 (with £5 voucher) including p&p
Supplier: Wiggle
Included:
Pair of shoes

What it does:
Lightweight, waterproof hiking/fellrunning shoe. The manufacturer uses a lot more words to say this here.

Look and feel:
The manufacturer claims that the 318 in the name refers to 318g per shoe for the size 8 version. Other reviews of Inov8 shoes that I've seen have reported the weight of actual product to match description. As I take size 43/size 9 I expected mine to be a touch heavier, but I was more than a little surprised to find them over 10% heavier at 358 and 368g. Other than that they appear to be exactly as described. Construction is neat and accurate and they're certainly much lighter than the Berghaus boots they're replacing which were 800g per boot.

Initial Testing:
OK, todays walk was just under 6 miles. I was wearing a pair of the rather nice new Alpkit AKdrenaline coolmax socks. And success! There was light drizzle as we set off through wet grass and my feet stayed dry. That is Requirement No. 1 for campsite wear.
Further on down in the wooded ex-industrial wasteland that is Ticknall Limepits, the ground varies between wet, rocky and slippery roots. Again success! Grip noticeably better than the boots, especially on the now muddy logs that had been placed in the muddy puddles presumably to act as little bridges.

Ticknall Limepits

And the tunnel to hide the workers from the view of the gentry at the adjacent country house...

As the walk went on I did notice that my ankles were working a little more than usual, especially on the rougher surfaces. But I guess that is a consequence of most of my hiking having been in boots and I'll get used to this freedom of movement in time. The tickling of grass on my ankles was a novel experience - which reminds me I need to add something for tick extraction to the first aid kit. I'm hoping the ankle exercise will also be a good thing for my cycling - stronger ankles should, hopefully, lead to less risk of damaging them when riding hard.

Conclusions:
Yes, it looks like the Roclites do what they promise. I'm looking forward to putting more miles on them - we're hoping to find a gap in the bookings of one of the local youth hostels just north of us in the Peak District and get 2 to 3 days fixed-centre walking in - hopefully walking including the Dove Valley as I like that stretch and there is a handy cafe at Milldale - though now as I'm coffee self-sufficient maybe I no longer need the luxury of buying in ready made supplies! {grin}

Satmap LiPol battery

2009-07-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note on this one... on Friday I reported that the new Satmap battery had arrived. Today we were out for 3 hours using it - on leaving the house the battery indication said 4/4. On arriving back it still said 4/4. Now I know these things lie but with the Road Angel/MemoryMap thing the batteries were dead in 5 hours. I'm hoping this is a sign that the promised 30hr runtime is realistic.

Mini Bull Designs Uno#1

2009-07-11T06:44:00.000-07:00

MBD Uno#1 and MBDCult remote fuel supply
Price:£21.85 at time of order (US$35.00) including shipping
Supplier: Mini Bull Designs
Included:
Burner & pin/stake to mount it on
3x longer pins forming the pot stand
1x 1oz(30ml) bottle with automatic feed system and fuel hose

What it does:
A miniature meths stove - a burner, pot stand and remote fuel bottle with a 30 minute runtime. The stove can be stopped at any time and any unused meths in the system recovered to the reservoir for later use.

Look and feel:
First impression on unpacking the Uno is that the shippers forgot to include it in the package! The build quality appears to be excellent - although there is very little 'stuff' to peer at... The burner unit is maybe the half the size and bulk of a sparkplug. There are a set of what look like nails - three long ones (130mm) and one shorter one (70mm). Weights are 7g for the Burner and 2g for its shorter ground pin/stake. The set of 3 pot stand pins come in at 9g, totalling 17g on the scales.
The Remote fuel supply (a 1floz, 30ml HDPE bottle) has a normal cap and when that is removed, it can screw into the remote feed base. The hose connects to the feed base. Collectively these remote feed parts come to 25g.
My scales made that 41g all up.
Also rather generously included in the pack was a 2nd hose and a 6in[1] length of spare wick.
(the lighter in the photo below isn't part of the stove, is included just for scale)

Initial Testing:

The stove was assembled as per instructions. 4 pieces of 'wall' from a Honey Stove were used as a windshield and heat reflector. Starting with a Tibetan 375ml mug full of water, the Uno#1 was ignited and an Alpkit MyTiMug placed on the supplied pot stand, the water added and lid placed on the mug. No fuss, no excitement, just heat. The reservoir bottle bubbled occasionally as the spare fuel level dropped. Time to first steam (at which temperature I could make coffee) was 9 minutes. Time to full boil (for tea) was 11 minutes. After recovering the fuel in the system back into the reservoir the bottle was about 12ml down from the starting point. Re-igniting the burner without the hose attached gave another minute of burn time with just the meths in the wick.

Conclusion:
Having progressed from a 'head' sized Trangia Tracker (which is greatly missed as one of the most weather resistant stoves I've owned) through an MSR Whisperlite (known in this household as 'the mad cooker') to a collection consisting of an MSR Pocket Rocket gas and a handful of meths stoves I'm still amazed at how small this little jobbie is. It really is that tiny that the parts could be in a jacket pocket and you'd have to check to make sure you'd remembered to bring it with you! Yet it still has enough grunt to make a cup of tea in around 10 minutes. My biggest worry is dropping it never to be seen again. To that end I'm thinking this is also a 'keeper' for the expedition kit and I'll be adding a 2nd meths burner of some kind as a backup or to alternate with as I see which cope with different outdoor conditions the best. A pressurised stove, such as The Penny Stove , will certainly boil water faster but it goes with the fuel put in at the beginning. It is possible, but fiddly to put it out and recover what is left but nowhere as easy as with the Uno. I think I'm convinced by the meths argument. The stoves work and I can easily see how much fuel is left. An empty meths bottle can be recycled anywhere taking plastic bottles, I'm unsure how easy it is to recycle a gas cylinder, but it is certainly a big lump to be carried around until it can be safely recycled.

I'm thinking that the MSR Pocket Rocket is going to be retired to weekend backpacking - oh well, at least it wasn't that expensive!

[1] Units - yes I know I mix-and-match. I blame the crazy English system where I was taught metric at school yet everyone in the real world used imperial. My wife still insists on giving me length measurements in inches and feet despite me insisting that I don't understand. And when will we switch to using kilometres for distance? The OS maps have been marked in 1km squares for as long as I have been using them yet speed and distance are still sticking with the old system. Then they wonder why we're confused. Bah, humbug. Bother, I think I ranted. Too late now...

More Power!!!

2009-07-10T08:36:00.000-07:00

The Satmap Active 10 lithium polymer battery arrived today and is now safely installed inside the unit. I confused the nice folk at Satmap by declining their 'Power Pack' which included a whole set of adaptors, chargers and international plugs in addition to the battery that I actually wanted - I saved both the clutter of all this stuff and £20. Without the adaptors I'm stuck with the unit recharging from its micro USB connector but as I'm looking to standardise my kit around this connector and it is the new international mobile phone recharging standard I think this should be fine.

The battery was a little fiddly to fit in that it needs the AA battery caddy removing from inside the Active 10 (a little 'persuasion' required), a rather small connector disconnecting (easy) and the new battery connecting (somewhat more difficult with big fingers - probably most easily done by a junior member of the household). The original back panel of the unit goes back in place and all is done!

The benefits - no more opening the unit to change batteries and a claimed 30hrs runtime. I don't really intend to test that limit but I guess that means it should be good for 3x 10 hour days on the hills away from power but I do have a handheld solar charger (£10 from eBay) that I'd take with me to top up the charge in such circumstances.

Oh, and another benefit - this battery brings the weight of the unit (including lanyard) down to 259g (from 300g with NiMH AAs). That compares rather favourably with a single stock Landranger map coming in at 100g!

I'm sure there will be those of you who don't approve of sat-nav gadgetry but as a road-going cyclist I've found it quite a revelation going from riding memorised routes (with the map in a pannier 'just in case' only to be checked at tricky junctions) to being able to prod a box and bring up the map centred on my current location. At least at times when the batteries are full and the satellites are working...

It isn't like this unit is doing the navigation for me, none of this 'turn left, turn right' rubbish - it is a real map and real route planning is still required, it is just automation of putting the 'X' "you are here" on the map and no fighting with the wind and mapcase to get the appropriate piece of paper uppermost without the case cord acting as a noose. Riding at speed with a mapcase flapping behind and the cord getting tighter and tighter is maybe an experience only shared with windy day high mountain walkers!

Maybe once I'm used to this device I need to have a proper 'retro' day and try remembering how to do things 'properly' off-road with map and compass!

Sneak Preview

2009-07-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

I'm working steadily through my kit list for the trip - some has arrived, some is currently being tested and the wallet won't allow some to be ordered yet...

Recently arrived kit - yet to test:
Having recently parted with my old Buffalo pile/pertex 2-part bag (which could fill a 40litre sack/pannier on its own) I've invested in a down-to-freezing point Alpkit Pipedream 400 down bag with a claimed weight of 750g. It looks the part and packs down to about 1/8th the size of just one of the Buffalo bags. And thanks to the wonders of eBay I almost broke even on the kit refresh!

A number of items have been here for a while and are getting regular use - reviews later when they've all got more mileage on them:

It might seem odd investing in some lightweight hiking shoes but there are reasons for going for a pair of Inov8 Roclite 318 GTX. Firstly I'm thinking about riding in stiff-soled cycling shoes - the type you see racing bike riders wearing waddling into cafes - they make for more comfortable riding but just aren't any good for walking in. A pair of sandals is OK for a quick hop off the bike but no good for any distance. Secondly, I've noticed membrane shoes seem to be frowned upon but I really hate getting wet feet around the campsite. First thing in the morning, socks dried overnight - out of the tent door, shoes immediately soaked through - cold wet feet before even starting the day. Bah. And thirdly I'm planning on getting in plenty of leg work in the run up to the trip and these take a kilo off the load compared to my current leather boots. I'm not gram counting, but 1000 of the little hooters will make a difference to anyone!

The current cookware collection is an Alpkit MyTiPot and MyTiMug - as a set coming in much lighter than the Vango stainless steel cookware they replace. So far the MyTiMug has been getting regular use as a kettle on the stove trials and the pot might even become surplus to requirements! Thanks to Fenlander mentioning it I've picked up a 56g Tibetian mug (from Trek-Lite on eBay) that neatly slides inside the Alpkit one replacing an old 176g stainless steel mug but even better, returning the extra space it took up!
(Edit: Oops - it was MacE who recommended the Tibetan - sorry!)

Thanks to several bloggers mentioning it, not least of whom was Podcast Bob, I picked up a Cosy Kit which has worked a treat (or even too well!) keeping coffee warm whilst it brews. From the same supplier is the Flatworld picnic kit - a set of flat pack mugs, bowls and plates. Ok, I'm sceptical, but insufficiently sceptical to resist being parted from my cash and to be testing this bizarre concept.

On a different front, and another great find from the backpacking crowd is the Travel Tap. This is a normal drinks bottle with a filter - a filter good enough to safely put river water through it! I've never seen anything like this in the cycling world - no more riding on after running out of water when there are reasonably OK looking streams by the roadside - just top up and carry on! And no more worries about 'non drinking water' taps...

In the food department I've invested in a Food Dehydrator. In goes fresh fruit, out comes dried stuff like from the supermarket, but no longer at £1-a-time tiny servings - bargain fruit & veg has been disappearing into this thing since it first arrived with us a couple of weeks ago. My lunchbox has been revolutionised - wish I'd bought one years ago.

There are a few items on order at the moment - a LiPol battery for Satmap so it will charge from a powered USB connector - a solar charger for which I'll be building and fitting into the bike for on-the-go charging - more info later.

I'm waiting for a MiniBullDesigns Uno#1 and auto-filler bottle to arrive. It looks like this should be a slow-but-light-reliable-and-frugal meths burner hopefully to be used as the backup cooker for my trip using the Honey Stove as a windshield/pan support when there isn't fuel for, or it isn't practical to use the Honey Stove.

Well, I think that is all the kit that is sat here waiting to be tested, that is currently in use and that I'm expecting to drop through the letterbox shortly. Any comments appreciated - but remember that the cash only goes so far adding more items to the kit list!

Rob

Honey Stove '09

2009-07-06T12:07:00.001-07:00

Honey Stove '09
Price: £34.99 + shipping
Supplier: Backpackinglight.co.uk
Included:
Stove - packed flat and consisting of 9-pieces of laser-cut stainless steel
Nylon carrying case

What it does:
This one is a bit of an oddity - rather than the convenience of hydrocarbon fuel, this one runs on wood. Better still, it runs on twigs that you can pick up for free by the trailside. One handful of twigs - 10 minutes - one brew-up! Think miniature brazier.

Look and feel:
The sheet steel parts look like a puzzle but after the first trial assembly all becomes clear and the stove then quickly and easily assembles into a strong, rigid structure looking more like a treasure box than a camping stove. A little care is needed as some of the edges are sharp - or maybe I'm just not careful enough! My packed unit weighs in at 426g including the bag which might sound a little porky compared to a sub-100g gas stove, but there is no fuel or fuel container to add to that weight. The unit can also double up as a windshield for use with a meths or gas burner.

Fuel Usage:
A handful of air dried twigs and sticks picked up in the minute before grabbing a lunch spot was enough to boil a pint of water with burn time to spare. The beauty of this system is that with 'free' fuel burn times are only limited by the availability and enthusiasm to collect it. This makes in-the-field 30 minute cook times for a stew a practicality - when using hydrocarbon fuel the temptation is to cook as quickly as possible to eke out the fuel supply. And there is the attraction of real flames!!!

Initial Testing:
Well, it just works! There isn't really any more to say - twigs in, heat out. Using tinder card (available from the same supplier) makes fire starting easy and ok it does need careful feeding to keep the fire going, but there is something strangely therapeutic about feeding a camp fire. And it certainly isn't as challenging or 'exciting' to use as the MSR Whisperlite I've just parted company with. By the time the coffee had brewed and been drunk the fire had gone out, the steel was just touch-hot and the contents had turned to grey ash. Disassembly, allowing the parts to air cool, the ashes checked to be cold, out and discreetly disposed of, and away! Not even that dirty!

Again 5-out-of-5.

Another 'keeper' for my touring kit - as a partner for a meths or gas stove - I'm trialling a few alternatives and haven't decided which to go for yet - more review coming!

Initial Review - Satmap Active 10

2009-07-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

Satmap Active 10
Price: £269.95
Supplier: World of Tents
(no I've never heard of them either - the best price I could find searching via Google - prompt delivery, good first impression)
Included:
Active 10 unit
All National Parks (1:50k) SD data card
Lanyard
Standard carry case (main pocket for device, mesh pocket for accessories)
Deluxe carry case (main pocket for device, 2nd pocket for batteries, etc)
3 x Lithium AA batteries
8 x Duracell AA batteries

What it does:
GPS based 'Moving map' display for the walker/cyclist/paddler in a handheld unit similar in size and format to a PDA or mobile phone. It displays a map on the screen, resolution and detail selectable by the user and within the limits of the memory card the unit is fitted with - additional purchases necessary for best resolution mapping.

Look and feel:
In the hand the unit feels like a slightly oversized/overweight PDA. My initial impression is that the unit is slightly bigger than is comfortable to grip, giving the impression of being a small child. I'm sure this is just an initial thing though, probably as we're all used to handling ever smaller mobile phones, as my fingers do fall right on the side-mounted control buttons. Ready to go, my Active 10 weighs in at exactly 300g, including 90g of Vapex 2900mA/Hr batteries and with the lanyard fitted. I will re-weigh the unit when the LiPol rechargeable battery is fitted.

Power Usage:
The Active 10 takes 3 x AA batteries or an optional internal rechargeable LiPol pack.
This is going to be an interesting one to investigate - the unit was supplied with a number of single-use batteries but I immediately put these to one side 'for later' and began using some rechargeable NiMH AAs - essential to avoid regular use of the device becoming really expensive really quickly! I have already ordered the Lithium Polymer battery that can be fitted inside the Active 10 and the unit can then be recharged via it's micro-USB connector - a common standard for electronic devices and the new standard for mobile phone chargers. This can only be a good thing as it means that for anyone out and about the one charger will be suitable for recharging phone, gps, and whatever other portable electronic devices they carry - less weight, less bulk and no risk of bringing 'the wrong one'!
I suspect the supplied single-use Lithium batteries will be dropped into an emergency bag for use when I'm caught short without any juice - this type of battery usually have a 10 year shelf life so will be ideal for such standby use.

Computer hook up:
Satmap do not yet have Mac software available for the Active 10 although this has been promised to be ready sometime real soon for over a year. This is inconvenient, but is not as critical an issue as it was for the Memory Map-equipped Road Angel which had to have the maps downloaded to it from a host computer. The data card can still be backed up to a Mac, although Satmap do warn that the data cannot simply be copied to another card as there is some 'magic' in there to prevent unauthorised map sharing or duplication. Time will tell whether this is a problem when/if a card gets lost or damaged. At the very least carefully assembled collections of POI (points of interest) can be backed up.

Initial Testing:
After a little time fiddling with the options the unit does just what it is supposed to. The quick start guide warned that initial satellite lock might take up to 30 minutes but within a couple of minutes lock was achieved and the displayed map was centred exactly where I expected it to be! On a short 5 mile walk everything behaved just fine - no problems with satellite lock. Map positions shown just as they should be. At one point we passed a style and path we'd not previously used - a quick check on the map to see where it went and we were on a new path! Magic!
So, initial impression - this unit is much better to use than the Road Angel and unless problems are encountered during testing I anticipate this being the navigation kit I'll be taking on my tour.

I will add more detailed reviews and some photos as I put this unit through it's paces.

Initial Impression: 5 out of 5.

Mapping...

2009-07-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

Ok first problem is finding my way... Keep the sea to my left is one approach. But I really ought to use maps - at least for the times when the sea is out of sight from the road! So 4300 miles is going to either mean a lot of maps, or a few low scale maps, or a clever trick...
I am really a fan of the GB OS Landranger 1:50k maps for general cycling use - the right balance of enough detail but not turning the pages too often, but each one only covers a 40km or so square. That will mean all my luggage space will be full of maps! But there is an alternative - Electronic mapping!

First try - Road Angel Adventure 7000 and Memory Map. This combination didn't really work out for me. In the first instance the unit needs to be configured using a computer. But the Memory Map software doesn't run on Macs and I tried to run it via Parallels and Windows which turned out to be more of a fight than I could live with. Secondly the unit was physically less like a traditional handheld outdoors GPS unit and more like a standard TomTom device. Whilst it claimed to be ruggedised and waterproof I never had any confidence in using it outdoors in adverse weather conditions.

Second attempt - Satmap Active 10 - this unit arrived with me this week. It is more the job - it looks like a chunky PDA or mobile phone. It feels solid and armoured. It looks like it should be waterproof. It gives the impression of being built for the outdoors and being up to the job. Whilst Mac software isn't available to this unit yet, it is promised. But, unlike the Road Angel, it is primarily intended to be used as a standalone device without a computer connection.

Both of these units have the capacity to take an SD memory card (a plug in jobbie the size of a postage stamp) with the entire set of UK Landranger Maps on the one card in one go and to display the appropriate map with an 'X' for 'you are here' as you go - Easy navigation! Of course the maps I bought for the Road Angel don't just plug into the Satmap so I'll need to buy them again. The Active 10 did come with a set of Landranger maps for the UK National Parks which, curiously, includes the area just south of Derby where I live as it is part of 'The National Forest'... so testing is going ahead and I'll post a full review shortly...

The only problem then is keeping the unit powered for the duration of the trip. I'll describe how I'm going to cover that problem in a later post.

As a backup I will, of course, be carrying paper maps, but in the form of a 1:250k road atlas...