| |
| |
How to choose a long-distance route in the UK?
Click here for link.
|
|
Which bike?
Local bike shops, as well as the big web-based sellers below, usually specialise in a small number of brands, so you might need to shop around to get what suits you best. Here are some thoughts for long tours and for rides of a few days such as Sustrans routes (C2C, Coast and Castles, Devon Coast to Coast etc).
1) Long tours
Long tours can mean either carrying everything with you, possibly including a tent and sleeping bag, through to the opposite extreme of carrying almost nothing on the bike itself. Entirely different bikes are preferable for each of these styles, and the many variations in between.
Carrying heavy loads means having a rugged bike and strong wheels. For example, the authors of the Cycle Tourer website carry everything they need to be self-sufficient, and therefore recommend touring bikes from Giant: check out the Giant 'Seek' range carried by Wiggle Online Cycle Shop. The Dawes 'Galaxy' and the Ridgeback touring range are other options (see Evans Cycles).
I don't carry quite as much (no tent or sleeping bag, since I tend to use hostels), but still have a reasonable weight to carry. I also prefer the option of switching on front suspension when needed. That adds weight to the bike, of course, so it is a trade-off. My current bike is a Scott Sportster Solution, available from Evans Cycles.
If you are planning on carrying very little by way of baggage, then road bikes will keep the overall weight right down. Prices will vary enormously according to quality level and fittings; Halfords always have low-cost options, as does Rutland Cycling.
2) Sustrans routes
For most Sustrans routes, almost any bike will do - but you might be restricted by having a pure road bike. For example, the C2C route has several off-road sections, with road alternatives. The best bet is likely to be a specialised tourer cycle or a hybrid bike - fairly tough, not too heavy, fitted out with a rear pannier rack; the choice of whether to have front suspension is personal, though rear suspension will probably hinder rather than help.
Either try your local bike shops, or any of the main companies listed above: Wiggle Online Cycle Shop, Evans Cycles, Halfords, Rutland Cycling.
|
|
| |
 | Cycletourer.co.uk - Brilliantly useful website full of information on touring - gear, camping, travel etc |
|
 | CTC - National body which you can join for information and help, but which also a website, parts of which are open to all. |
|
| |
| |
| |
![A to B on bikes]() | A to B on bikes - A to B magazine's web page on every British train company's bike services |
|
| |
Ferries from Newcastle to Amsterdam, Dover to Dunkirk, Liverpool to Belfast |
|
Dover-Calais, Hull-Rotterdam, Hull-Zebrugge, Cairnryan or Troon-Larne, Dublin-Liverpool |
|
Ferries between Britain, Ireland and Holland |
|
