Scottish Cycling Trip

[guest18]

Hmmm, team Marin, 26" wheels... so are you saying it's a very nice MTB roadified? 
Incidentally, did you see the BBC4 prog last night about the bloke flying round the world getting parts for his "dream" bike? £4K+ ! 

[guest7]

Hmmm, team Marin, 26" wheels... so are you saying it's a very nice MTB roadified? 

Yes, although to be fair all I started with was a frame and forks bought for £70. The whole build was done with the intention of it being like the adventure tourers made by Thorn (but at half the cost).

To be honest I can't see the point in running a tourer on 700c wheels these days when the whole world rides 26". With narrow slicks fitted there's no difference in rolling resistance, etc.

I've done my time on classic 700c tourers with skinny(ish) tyres, but broken spokes and dented rims spoil your fun so I started using 26" MTBs with slicks and haven't looked back. If I weighed 10 stone and didn't carry much luggage it wouldn't matter, but I weigh lots and insist on carrying home comforts like an espresso pot alongside all my other kit.

Mind you, with a support car taking the kit I could ride something really light and trick. That would be cool.

GC

[guest18]

Fair point, though I have to say, subjectively, my Giant OCR on 700c 23 tyres seems to roll a lot easier than my hybrid on 26 x 1.5 road tyres?

Maybe I just have the wrong tyres lol (specialized nimbus)

The frame builder Dave Yates I see offers a frame specially built to take mtb wheels etc http://www.daveyatescycles.co.uk/custom_bike_frames-Touring_Frames-27.php

[guest18]

A Vincent Firefly! 

Now... that gives me an idea for the 50th Dragon Rally... hmmmmm

[guest7]

The frame builder Dave Yates I see offers a frame specially built to take mtb wheels etc http://www.daveyatescycles.co.uk/custom_bike_frames-Touring_Frames-27.php

As he says: "A 26" wheel version of the Wanderer. Many riders prefer the extra comfort of the larger section tyres that this sort of wheel allows. They are also stronger, being a smaller diameter with consequently shorter spokes and are therefore seen to be better suited to carrying heavy loads. Another big advantage is that tyres for this size wheel are generally available worldwide."

I'd still opt for 700c for a fast roadie, if only because they look 'right' on a roadie. Having said that, I took the 20" wheel bike out earlier and that feels really fast. They always say that a pound of weight off a wheel feels like two pounds off the whole bike (in terms of acceleration, etc.) The 20" wheels really seem to prove this point, the bike leaps forward when you hammer down. And taking the shorter spoke argument to its conclusion the 20" bike should have the stiffest wheels in the world.

I got this from the Moulton website:
"Small wheels with high pressure tyres have been integral to the Moulton design from the beginning. The combination of the lower rolling resistance of high pressure tyres and the lower aerodynamic drag of small wheels, allows the bicycle to go faster with less effort. In contrast to large bicycle wheels, the smaller Moulton wheels are immensely strong. Their lower moment of inertia allows faster acceleration and more responsive steering. Smaller wheels also reduce the overall length of the bicycle, making it compact and easier to transport."

GC

[guest18]

I also remember reading a blog by one of the HPV (human powered vehicle) crowd that the uk speed record was/is held by a streamliner built around a moulton because the smaller wheels were more efficient as well as spinning up faster.

[guest7]

82mph I think... on level ground   

GC

[guest18]

Well chaps, we have a provisional route, and it's a belter  I know it's not for half a year yet and I'm still drooling over the prospect  Oh and I'll be on a 26" wheeled bike as well so it looks like we'll all be on mtb type wheels /drivetrain! (albeit with road tyres). I'm steadily getting fitter but Obree/Armstrong etc have nothing to worry about....ever! 
Rough route is below, so get a dram and an atlas, sit down and dream of empty roads, warm winds and big scenery  (that way even if it rains during the trip the planning is nice  :

JoG-Border route
 
JoG – Dunnet Head – tongue (via Thurso)
Tongue – Lairg (A836) – Bonnar Bridge – Dingwall-
National Route 1
 
Preferred option 1
Beauly – Drumnadrocket (A833)
- Fort William – Glen Coe – Crianlarich (A82)
- Callander – stirling (A85)
National route 78
 
Option 2
Dingwall – Inverness – Perth – stirling
National route 7 and 765
 
Stirling – Falkirk – Shieldhill – Armadale
- Lanark – Abingdon (A71 & A706)
 
- Locherbie – Gretna (A7076 Parallel to M74)
A6071 Longtown – Carslile (A7)
National route 74

[themoudie]

Aye Smudge,

Ya whit???

"Preferred option 1
Beauly – Drumnadrocket (A833)". Either the heed's minced, your spellings gone AWOL, you think your going to be wet, as in 'drouket' or else you have dellusions of speed, as in rocket! 

Drumnadrochit! 
 
I've seen more, but will stay quiet as it must be that dram and the euphoria!!!! Do you require a driver, backup, another rider? My head is already thinking of some of the climbs on these routes!

Slainte, Bill.

[guest18]

  not my spelling boss, I just cut and pasted (in a lazy manner!) and no, I'm not naming the guilty party 

Tricky the climbing thing, some of the prettiest routes have some fairly cheeky hills  but then for every uphill there is a downhill  and the aim is an average of 10mph (or better). That all said you know these roads better than us so advice is always welcome 

As to a driver, we're still discussing, another rider is always welcome if you're feeling strenuous 

[guest7]

but then for every uphill there is a downhill 

You've obviously never ridden in Devon 

GC

[Dogbad]

Might be worth joining and putting a few questions here perhaps, I am on there as Pedaldog.

http://z10.invisionfree.com/Travelling_Light/index.php

[guest868]

Incidentally, did you see the BBC4 prog last night about the bloke flying round the world getting parts for his "dream" bike? £4K+ ! 

Nowt to do with the trip but a friend of mine used to DH professionally. His full carbon fibre rig came in around £9k, back in 2002/3ish.
Was amazing to ride, from memory it had around 9" travel and you could do BIG drop offs without feeling a thing.



Not his bike, but one very similar.

[guest18]

but then for every uphill there is a downhill 

You've obviously never ridden in Devon 

GC

True... but I've ridden into the prevailing West wind up here (shudder) 

[guest18]

Was amazing to ride, from memory it had around 9" travel and you could do BIG drop offs without feeling a thing....

Right up until you get one of the big drop offs wrong, then you feel lots of things 

When you start looking at proper competition bikes the prices just get silly, I've just recently committed to a Surly Long Haul Trucker frameset (hereafter known as the "LHT" to save typing/speaking boredom!) and that was quite expensive enough at just over three hundred quid!
Will inherit a lot of my (decent) hybrid mountain bike components though allied to a selection of carefully chosen new parts, so the build will be pretty cheap overall. Especially when I start using it for my normal commute/travelling where every 50 miles covered is a gallon of petrol not bought!

Fun fun fun, (though 40mph down the hill this morning was blooming freezing!  )