Retrobike Touring.

[Joe_Rides]

Re:

Cont'd.......

Then more uphill / down dale before a 15 minute fast descent towards Yorkshire. Made Bentham by about 3.30pm. Pitching up was a little arduous (first time out with my new tent) but easily done. Then a quick wash before walking down into Bentham to check it out. After traversing the high street I scoped out a decent pub serving chilli con carne (my fave) so settled in for a couple of pints of Robinsons Unicorn. Then onto another pub, a quirky place (“Hogs & Heifers”) for a pint of something else I can’t remember.






Quite fancied some of these bad boys;



Walking back to the campsite I spied a couple of farmyards sporting items from yesteryear.




Approx. 52 miles
3,596 ft climbing, 3,530 ft descending

 

[hamster]

Looks excellent! It's a steep learning curve and a shedload of new skills when touring. Early 90s MTBs are just the perfect tool for the job.

 

[Joe_Rides]

Re:

Pt II – Bentham – Home

After a positively S**T nights sleep I made my beans/sausages and packed up at leisure. Setting off around 10am I was instantly met by a hill which went on for about 2 or 3 miles and I was feeling the burn already. Stopped at the Great Stone of Fourstones but couldn’t get a full photo of it as 2 germans were nattering at the top. After telling them what type of birds of prey we have in this area (“der Kestral….errr….der buzzard…..” etc) I carried on over the Fell road. Had to push up some of the hills which can only be described as ridiculous!!! However the drop down towards slaidburn was exhilarating (or a bit scary perhaps).






Lunch at Slaidburn (large mug of tea, ham & mustard sandwich with a lovely salad) followed by a slog over to Dunsop bridge. I was flagging by this point, the hills were super steep (lots of walking) and just kept coming. After a decent ride towards Whitewell I climbed up the steepest hill of all timeTM to the top of longridge fell. Then descended back into Ribchester. More hills led me back to Blackburn and ultimately through to the mother in laws for a whopping Sunday roast and a beer. My legs were like jelly.



Approx 48 miles.

3,786ft climbing, 3868ft descending

Overall a great inauguration into touring. Beautiful scenery, quiet lanes, solitude.

 

[Joe_Rides]

Looks excellent! It's a steep learning curve and a shedload of new skills when touring. Early 90s MTBs are just the perfect tool for the job.

Yeh the bike was great actually. I've got a Trek touring bike which, on paper, would have suited this a bit better (700c wheels, range of hand positions etc) but I was really pleased with the comfort and stability of my trusty Cannondale.

Definitely a learning curve, not so much on the gear/fuel side of things but more on the route planning! (a more gentle homeward journey next time)

 

[enc]

Re:

Great read joe !
Where did you pick up the Leeds Liverpool canal ?

 

[Joe_Rides]

Re:

Great read joe !
Where did you pick up the Leeds Liverpool canal ?

Thanks!

Just past Ewood Park football stadium, Blackburn

 

[The History Man]

Re:

Great tour and account. Just what we need.

 

[dirttorpedo]

When I toured I used an MSR white gas stove, had a compact cooking kit, a sleeping bag and a 5 lb North Face 2 person tent and an ultralight therma rest as my main camping kit. Quick dry towel, tools, clothes, toilet kit, rain gear, change of shoes and some freeze dried food. Carried everything in two rear panniers and three bottle cages. Extras went on top of rack wrapped in plastic.

you could go lighter with a bivy bag or one of those super ultralightweight bicycle tents. They aren't free standing so I opted for a real tent because the ground tends to be rocky here.

 

[Joe_Rides]

Re:

Brief rundown of my camping gear;

- Berghaus Peak 3.1 tent - 2kg - £65 - A little short for me, I'm 6'2" or thereabouts. Nicely made though and easy to pitch/pack
- Lidl inflatable camping mat - 0.5kg - £17 - quite nifty. I need to sort a pillow out though. Again a bit short for me.
- Normal roll up camping mat
- Stove - Alpkit BruKit - borrowed from a friend. Unsure of weight but a brilliant piece of kit!
- Millet's own brand 1/2 season sleeping bag (£3 from a car boot!) - 1.5kg
- Panniers - "Hi-Gear" - £3 secondhand off ebay! Useless clip system - got to make sure the bungee cords are super tight or else they will move!!
- Clothes, wash bag, food, water, book, camera etc.

All in all I think I carried around 8 - 10 kg but bear in mind I didn't need many clothes or much food for a one night stay in summer!

 

[enc]

How do you guys secure your bikes overnight ? @ Joe, didnt you write you had a walk to the pub in the evening ... what did you do with the bike ?