Calling Big H Cycling to Le Mans

[BigH]

it was a litter-strewn shithole.

I think I was part of the litter...
Dog sh*t!! that's it! It's up my nose, in my hair, it barely has time to cool after emerging from the canine bung hole before it's spread all over. Like Brut. It was definitely the culprit Andy, and I'll swear in a court of law. In fact, the language will be terrible. Will there be any kangaroos? I hope so, I love the little bastards.

Doesn't sound like you need much advice on gear Si, - slicks, a bit more psi and smaller cassette if you can be arsed, will do it. I found the French roads great, but unlike the Brit roads you very rarely come across any signs of life or habitation. Over here you can rely on a village grocers or the odd petrol station fot a bit of grub, but not over there. It's worth planning your route to arrive near some sort of civilisation when you reckon you'll be turning hungry, and/or carry a bit of grub with you.

H

[Lazy B'stard]

Good points.

I plan to stay just outside of a town on the Thursday night, so after breakfast I'll grab a baguette, some sliced meats and cheese and eat as and when needed. Plus I'll have the usual cyclists stash of stomach churning gels and powders to keep me going.

Good call on the casette. There's a 12/34 on there at the moment. I'll probably drop down to a 12/26 for closer spacing and go up to a 46 on the front. I have a well worn pair of Conti Race King 2.3 tyres which roll well with 40psi in. Tubeless too, so no punctures. Might pop some gel pads under the Brooks bar tape to ease the hands, but that apart I think it'll be fine.

Fitness wise, not done much this winter so need to get some miles in. I've been off the fags for seven months now so that will help. Could do with losing a stone, and will need to look after my left knee, but otherwise all good on that front.

[Barry]

Regards power for an iphone.
Power monkey's are good, hold enough power to charge your phone about 3 times, very light, and you can get them with a little solar panel that, when plugged in, recharges the nut.

[Martini...LB]

Regards power for an iphone.
Power monkey's are good, hold enough power to charge your phone about 3 times, very light, and you can get them with a little solar panel that, when plugged in, recharges the nut.

I was going to say that...

Hey Si.... on yer bike 

>Martini...LB

[Lazy B'stard]

They sound ideal. I'll look into them. Of course I will also plot on the map where I'm going too as a back up. I'm going to start detail route planning. I want a direct as possible route but want to avoid hilly areas, and busy main roads (there's always some right knobhead motorists about at that time of year  ). I hope France had its own Dr Beeching at some point and there are lots of lovely flat disused railways kicking about- excellent for making rapid cross country progress!

[gatordad]

Gawd, you guys are gross.  I don't think I want to bike in the UK based upon this thread.

[Lazy B'stard]

Cycling here in the UK is great. Problem is H is down South, and it's over populated. Come up north and it's wild. We have some awesome riding up here.

A few months back we decided to get together for a few days riding with friends, talk crap, drink beer, mess about with tools and bikes, burn meat on the BBQ.... You know, the usual sh*t. Word gets around, the numbers build, and here we are with just three days to go and we have over sixty folk turning up including two dudes flying in from Iowa.

I love motor racing, but cycling comes a close second. It's the same craic, good people, good times. We are no athletes, unless drinking beer and talking rubbish becomes a sport. Look at it this way.... We have yet to invent a time machine, yet at the weekend I'll be hanging around in the woods, pulling skids and popping wheelies, flying along through the trees, getting muddy, tearing holes in jeans, jumping off things, and generally acting like a twelve year old kid again with all my buddys. It's good for the soul man.

So who cares about a bit of dog sh*t occasionally!

[BigH]

Problem is H is down South

It's not nice down here.

I live in the epicentre of the 'stockbroker belt' (and I have to say, here and now, I'm not a stockbroker, and never will be...). The two biggest problems are 'erberts in Range Rovers who insist on travelling at full throttle and giving way to no-one, and the desperate state of the roads. There's plenty of angry men in vans too. Surrey seems to be famous for being pathologically unfriendly, I've worked in various parts of the world, and some of them pretty dodgy, and haven't met a more unfriendly populace. There was some lads in West Africa once who had the real hump and tried to eat me, but it was all a misunderstanding, and once we sorted that out we got along like a christian on fire. Strangely, it's noticably different once you cross the borders into East and West Sussex.

Cycling in the country lanes is still damn fine though, mainly because it takes a while to learn the network, and generally satnav doesn't send people into them. A mate of mine lives just south of Berwick, and I had a day or two riding with him last year, and it was fan-shimano-tastic! I'll be doing that again. I missed the whippet sh!t though.

Take plastic bags for your maps Si, - June is a good time for sudden French deluges (I love the Speedtribe film of LM, - that's raining alright!), and mine turned into paper mache.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI7o-FJM8f4

H

[Lazy B'stard]

Good tip. I have a pouch thing somewhere for maps. I will dig it out.

Be sure to give me a shout next time you are up this way. I have a few good routes that are essentially just a cycling pub crawl that I'm sure you will enjoy.

[mgmark]

Problem is H is down South

It's not nice down here....and the desperate state of the roads.

Too right it's not.  Aside from the exponential growth in suspension-wrecking potholes (on major trunk roads let alone normal roads) there is a Home Counties penchant for not being arsed to change blown light bulbs, thus driving around in the dark on one functioning side light bulb....

MG Mark     

[Canada Phil]

Hi Si,
      In reply to your line" unless drinking beer and talking rubbish becomes a sport." all I can say is.
I'll be on the podium 
My arse hurts just thinking about your adventure. see you in France.
Phil