Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Rides and Touring => Topic started by: Pedal Castro on 31 August, 2023, 06:05:06 pm
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Mrs PC flew to Sweden and back to see our new grandson, I decided to cycle there and fly back.
Day 1: train strike so instead of my usual train to Harwich I decided to ride there.
Day 2: across Netherlands, some periods of rain but all dry by pitching tent time.
Days 3&4: across Germany, dry and little wind. I hate German cycle paths!
Day 5: up through Denmark, again dry and no wind, lovely cycle paths in the main.
Day 6: across to Sweden, it started so we'll but the last 2 hours of cats&dogs with added stair rods meant I ditched camping and found a hotel!
Al least my bike, which was looking particularly grubby got a power wash. Last day of the ride tomorrow, a short 109km so I'll choose my start time carefully.
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That all sounds very laudable!
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(https://nrtoone.com/allowhotlinking/IMG_20230827_t1.jpg)
Day 2 First garage/coffee stop in Holland
(https://nrtoone.com/allowhotlinking/IMG_20230827_t3.jpg)
Giant Meccano!
(https://nrtoone.com/allowhotlinking/IMG_20230827_t2.jpg)
Camp setup
(https://nrtoone.com/allowhotlinking/IMG_20230829_t4.jpg)
Day 4: Solving the Schleswig Holstein problem (check wind direction before having a piss)
(https://nrtoone.com/allowhotlinking/IMG_20230830_t5.jpg)
Day 5: The only bike on an early morning ferry to Denmark
(https://nrtoone.com/allowhotlinking/IMG_20230831_t6.jpg)
I misjudged a kerb mount from road to path and pinch punctured yesterday, on replacing tube I found two of my spares were not holding air so before leaving today I mended these. I realised that as the location of the holes in the tubes had already been well marked. I must have prepared to mend these then for some reason put them back in the pannier pocket without attached a patch...
(https://nrtoone.com/allowhotlinking/IMG_20230831_t7.jpg)
This town is the other side of the only significant hill of the whole trip.
(https://nrtoone.com/allowhotlinking/IMG_20230831_t8.jpg)
I was stopped by the Swedish police, a lovely parade on their way to a 4 day police dog competition in the town market place.
(https://nrtoone.com/allowhotlinking/IMG_20230901_t9.jpg)
Hmmm, cycle path closed for repairs but which way?
I went right, then decided that wasn't going anywhere immediately useful so retraced and went left. Then decided that my original option had better future options so went back again, zoomed out the etrex map and just kept my magenta line vaguely in view so I could eventually rejoin.
(https://nrtoone.com/allowhotlinking/IMG_20230904_t10.jpg)
And here we are, it's a steep climb up the path to my daughter's house so luggage has to come of the bike before the attempt, particularly after a LOT of rain.
(https://nrtoone.com/allowhotlinking/IMG_20230902_t11.jpg)
Took grandson to his first ever pub visit, mission accomplished!
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Well Done!
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Excellent! What was your mileage?
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Excellent! What was your mileage?
795 miles 1280km
-> 183km/day average
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Congratulations. Nice ride.
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(https://nrtoone.com/allowhotlinking/IMG_20230904_t13.jpg)
I rode to the airport and put the bike in the bag, one pannier left on to protect the rear mech and also for the things not allowed as carry on.
(https://nrtoone.com/allowhotlinking/IMG_20230904_t14.jpg)
Then from Heathrow on tube/train where/when bikes were not allowed...Unpacked for ease of manoeuvring but pedals left off so I could pop it back into it's bag as luggage rather than a bike if need to.
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Looks a great trip, interested in doing a similar trip. Interested to know more about the bike bag, who did you fly with?
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who did you fly with?
BA
The bike bag is a CTC bag I got from Wiggle, not sure if they still do them though.
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Succinct write-up with photos that do the talking. :)
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Amazing stuff. I am in awe of such tenacious bikepacking. CHAPEAU!
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who did you fly with?
BA
The bike bag is a CTC bag I got from Wiggle, not sure if they still do them though.
No, I believe CTC stopped doing them because airlines stopped accepting them! Hence the question...