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My Route
My route and destination were mainly decided by the availability of hostels. Once there were many YHA hostels within a day's ride from London, now there are very few, which is annoying if, you take my view that for 'proper' touring you should get on your bike at your own front gate and ride - no using trains or cars!
So, the obvious first stop, going west, is Streatley. This is an excellent traditional hostel with a nice old building, not too badly hacked about, and an enthusiastic and helpful warden. From Willesden the first 15 miles are pretty miserable, but after Colnbrook things start to look up until you have to deal with Reading. I took the route through Tilehurst to Pangbourne which did involve quite a hard climb on a narrow and very busy road.
The next day took me through Wantage and Lechlade to Cirencester. I used B roads were I could without doing excessive extra work, but in the end the A417 proved easy and not terrible from the traffic point of view.
On the third day I retraced to Lechlade and then using lanes to Eynsham and then Oxford where, thanks to my sister, I had very luxurious 'hostel' accommodation at Worcester College.
Home by the usual A40 route the fourth day.
I'm impressed that you could manage with only 8 lbs of luggage. My 20 lbs does include spares, minimal tools, the rack and the bags themselves. I did carry some spare clothes including non-cycling wear for the evenings. I too suffered from the cold and was wearing everything I could.
The Bike
As you can see from the photo this was not a pedigree lightweight like your Gillott, although the Sunbeam frame is similar in age. A point that may be of interest is that I took the advice of "The Modern Cyclist 1923" which states: 'for touring a low gear is a necessity, a high gear a luxury'. I did this by abandoning 'top' gear altogether (on my Sturmey AW) and by using sprockets of 47 / 24 I had a top gear of about 69" for level conditions and 52" and 39" to use
for climbing. This works reasonably well, but the gap from top to middle is still too great - however that's not a serious problem for my sort of touring.In fact I didn't use the 39 much, but I must admit it did come in handy climbing Aston Hill (on the A40) back towards Stokenchurch.
Here's the bike with its load:
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clubman
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I have the same view that you should only use the bicycle when touring, however im not very strict or im just lazy with this concept as i did use the train to Newhaven, to pick up the ferry.
I love the fact that this hobby is so accessible and can be appreciated just by leaving the front door and hopping on your bike.
The bike looks great with the sloping downtubes giving that relaxed geometry. Would this bike have been built for touring.
Thats a lot of luggage, not that im criticizing because i didnt have enough, it was fine while riding but once i had reached my over night stop i had very little to wear, the stand out night was Blois by the river Loire which was below freezing once the sun went down.If a rear hub has double sided threads i always like to fit the bike out with double cogs of differing sizes. Useful and it looks smart to me, similar to having pump pegs but no pump fitted. (I'm guilty of doing that though).
My ride in France was surprisingly flat particularly the second day between Chartres and Blois which was dead flat. My gearing was far too low for this 46/17 as i had set the gearing up for Kent's gradients.
It hadnt even occurred to me until i had read the account of your trip and you had explained your sturmey gearing set up that i could have flipped the rear wheel around and used the smaller cog 46/16. -
until you have to deal with Reading
Never a nice prospect, however you approach it
falconvitesse
crossedthread
Ha.. nice questions
Dieppe to Dreux.
Duex to Blois.
blois to chateaureax.
The roads were superb, quiet well maintained and the vilages and towns were picturesque. But lacking supplies so i carried food for the day with me like a baguette, ham and cheese.
I was carrying one change of clothes, food, some tools and a spare tyre, all kept in the carridice.
Incidentally i was wearing most of my clothes as it was biterly cold.
I stayed in Airbnb's each night where it was possible to hand wash clothing for the next day.
The Airbnb's were very cheap (£25) as i guess it was out of season. I ate out in the evening which again wasnt expensive.
You are spot on about fixed wheel it garnered very little interest. A couple of years ago i rode from Paris to london on a Gillott with simplex gears and the french were very appreciative.
Ive just weighed everything now and it came in at 8 pounds.
The route was fairly flat to be honest especially as i am used to cycling in the North downs so the weight wasnt much of an issue.
What was your route to Cirencester and do you have any photos of the bike fully laden.