In a little while I am off for my first fully loaded bike tour on my Shand Cycles Stoater, my Bike for Life.
Actually “tour” is not really the right description. I am riding to our annual Retreat for Ministers in the Northampton District of the Methodist Church, as usual it is at Launde Abbey. That is only 15 miles (with some quite steep hills) away. However, I am going to be fairly loaded up with ordinary clothes for 3 nights away, plus laptop, books, paperwork etc.
These kinds of journeys are very typical of my loaded bike use. Two years ago I went on my Bullitt Cargobike (see 4 blog posts about that 1, 2, 3, 4), last year I did a 100 mile ride to get there on my Trek.
A few years before those I rode to Launde from Raunds in Northamptonshire on my Giant Mountain Bike towing a Bob Yak Trailer. That time I got caught in a snow storm that left is snowed in for 3 days.
Today is going to be gentler and easier. Time means I need to go a direct route.
Anyway, I have just prepared my bike. That meant pumping a little air into my back tyre (first extra air since fitting the Marathon Plus tyres before Christmas) and I decided to give the disc brakes a clean with a disc brake cleaning spray. So the bike is already.
I am carrying a 30litre Mountain Equipment bag for clothing on the front VO Porteur rack and 2 Carradice CXarradry rear panniers with everything else in. Makes packing nice and quick.
Maybe more later, got to dash now.
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I like the lanes around Launde Abbey. They feature in CTC Northamptonshire’s “Hilly 100″ audax-style event each summer. So, although the area wouldn’t leap to mind as “hilly” for most cyclists, it’ll be a good test.
Steep but reasonably short I would say but there are lots of them.
I keep thinking I should have a go at Audax but sadly most conflict with working at weekends.
BTW Arrived with no problems except slow due to very strong winds, most from the side but sometimes a direct headwind.
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