Retrobike Touring.

[hamster]

Camping in the Forest is more difficult at present as the Forestry Commission sites are closed for the year (bonkers decision in my view). However there is a nice little private site by Lepe Beach:
https://coolcamping.com/campsites/uk/en ... tgQAvD_BwE
Also Acres Down Farm, very small and quiet:
http://www.acresdownfarm.co.uk/campsite.html
This one allows you to roll straight into the cycle network's best parts. Loop through Bolderwood to Burley, then up to Frogham, along Hampton Ridge on the old bombing range to Fritham, and then various ways back.
The orange OS Explorer map for the New Forest is the best starting point to plan. It's easy to come in by train from London or Reading, get off in Ashurst or Brockenhurst.

As the Forest has a blanket 40mph limit, the cars aren't too bad.
PM me for more detail.

 

[widowmaker]

Re:

Thankyou Sir, much appreciated.

I'll drop you a message once the bikes built and it's ready for an outing

 

[widowmaker]

Re:

What's the best, simple, reliable gearing for general touring. Double or triple, just seeing what parts I have before sourcing more.

I have some XT thumbies for 7/8 speed that I was going to use but thinking double or triple crank :?

 

[ILoveEnriqueAli]

Re:

3x8/9 is optimal imo.

1x and 2x can work if you have large range cassettes that are 10 or 11 speed, but not very retro!

I tried 2x8 for a bit and I definitely felt like I was missing options, not worth it for them minimal weight saving unless you're doing ultra races I think

 

[hamster]

Gearing depends on terrain and how much stuff you are taking. Certainly a bottom gear at around 20"-ish is a good start, so a triple with something like a 22/32/42 and 11-28.
You can end up grinding a lot in bottom gear or close to it, so fashionable 1x transmissions have really accelerated wear in these circumstances from the horrid chainline in low gears. They also don't have the range in my view.

Personally I want something simple and bombproof - I run bar-end shifters. My tourer gets loaded on and off planes, trains, ferries and manhandled a lot as a result. Thumbies are ideal, if it all goes wrong you switch to friction, which is no hardship at all.

Personally I use 7 speed: the wheel has a bit less dish, making it a little stronger. You should be fine with an 8/9 speed setup.

 

[The History Man]

Re:

I use the biggest cassette I can fit. Up to 36 with long cage rm. when fully loaded it was a godsend. Even bigger on 29ers. You’ll thank me when you hit the first long drag at 15/20%.

 

[hamster]

Quite. If you have gears lower than you can possibly imagine you will still use them!

 

[widowmaker]

Re:

Thanks for the info

I'll be tackling flat-ish routes, sadly as a man with more hernia repairs than thumbs my days of powering up hills are over

I'll start with the 7x3 set up with a 11-28 cassette and work from there. I have those parts in the spares box so makes sense.

I was planning on starting with a LX groupset, ditching the cantilevers for some v brakes, probably some Dia-compe levers with XT thumbies.

 

[mattr]

Gearing depends on terrain and how much stuff you are taking.

Very much this. I've done road tours that require 1:1 gearing or lower (fairly laden in the mountains, 3-4 hours of climbing at walking pace. Then 15 minutes at 60+kph with the smell of burning rubber.). I've also done road tours where something like a 50/34 and 12/28 was more than adequate. (both the Netherlands and Sweden, lightweight/credit card touring, averaging 26-28kph for the day, usually knocked out 120+km by the time you stop for a late lunch, and a few beers....)

 

[widowmaker]

Re:

A few questions for those that have used stoves such as the Trangia liquid fuel stoves.

How long does the fuel last ?

Can it be stored in something like a Sigg bottle ?

Does the fuel make the food smell ?

Does the simmer setting work well ?


Swinging between a folding stove with pipe and canister or a Trangia liquid fuel one.

There's too much choice