Touring on a fixed

PS. The fixed wheeler was a mistake this time. I was under-geared for a long time in the two flat countries and by the time the REAL mountains arrived I was exhausted. That's absolutely the last time I will ever tour on a fixed wheel. I've done 10,000 miles loaded fixed wheel touring since January 2005 and I can confirm what you've all been telling me. It's a real pain - in mountains, on rough tracks, on the very flat and when you are ill. Never again!!!!

thread ends at the top of the page...

I am planning to riding from London to Harwich on the 3rd of September. Getting the ferry across from Harwich to Hoek Van Holland, then ride to Amsterdam the following day.

I am planning to do this on my Cinelli Vigorelli as is while adding a bottle cage and using my T-level Challenger backpack with minimal weight (I have clothing and all that at my parents house in Holland) so it will only contain lock, spares, food and cycling clothing for the ride there.

Question is, is this feasible? Will my back give out after a few hours? I've done some rides with it on (40 miles or so) and it wasn't too bad.

Secondly, does anyone have any experience/tips or advice on a route from London to Harwich which avoids the main roads? I am expecting a lot of trucks heading to Harwich so am keen to avoid these.

Do stay off the A12, that would be a nasty road to ride on.

Take a small cable lock if you've got one, or fit the lock onto the bike somehow?
All the weight on your back will be going through your butt/saddle so keeping that minimal is a good idea.

cable lock is a plus, however having said that, a small alarmed padlock is a great way of securing your bike.

I would not advised carrying a proper D lock, especially when you're no longer in London.

Also would advised you to get a large saddlebag* to take weight off your back, their current wait time is a couple or so weeks, so I'd advised you to order it ASAP;

http://bikepack.eu/

*ride is still doable with backpack, I seen people carry twice as much stuff and managed it, comfortably I can't says.

You can't really ride on the A12, it's ridiculously busy sometimes. The A120 between Braintree and Mark's Tey is okay to ride on (fast A-Road, but it's really wide and not a lot of traffic as most people take the A12 instead), but before and after that it's a nasty dual-carriageway and I wouldn't ride on it.

You should be able to navigate to Chelmsford fairly easily - then I'd take Broomfield Road through Broomfield/Little Waltham, then join the A131/London Road through Great Leigh and Little Notley, then to Braintree. This'll spit you out in Braintree about where Rayne Road meets Coggeshall Road - follow Coggeshall Road eastbound (it turns into the A120) and keep going on it until you get to Mark's Tey.

At Mark's Tey you'll need to come off at the big roundabout and go onto London Road/Lexden Road (towards Copford and Stanway), then into Colchester centre and down the High Street/East Hill/East Street, then onto Harwich Road. Follow Harwich Road up to Ardleigh (stopping at the Ardleigh Crown for lunch) then to Manningtree, then Harwich Road/B1352 is a little country road that goes right into Harwich centre.

EDIT - if you want a really nice ride, you could go from Chelmsford towards Maldon, then to Heybridge/Goldhanger towards Tolleshunt Darcy, past Abberton reservoir, and into Colchester that way. It's all really nice quiet country lanes. In fact I reckon it might be shorter, since there's no detour up to Braintree...

Annoyingly if you look at a map of that part of Essex you'll see that there are no roads, other than the A120, from Chelmsford to Harwich (all the roads run perpendicular to the sea, you're travelling parallel to it) so going up north of Colchester to the little country roads in Ardleigh/Manningtree that run along the estuary will be the best way to do it, I think.

I could join you at Maldon/Coggeshall until Harwich actually.

How much stuff are you planning on taking in your bag? If you've got clothes and things are yoru destination, I can't see it really being that much of a problem...

a small alarmed padlock is a great way of securing your bike.

Not on a ferry though!

Is it possible to get your bike nicked in the ferry? I mean where would the thief hide it?

I'm planning my first long (kinda) fixed ride to Cork in Ireland next summer, haven't planned a definite route yet.
The journey will be around 400 miles of riding (575 total), the first part is riding to Holyhead from london and pobably spend the night there, get an early ferry to Dublin in the morning and cycle down from there to Cork.
The most I have ridden fixed is only 52 miles and it was pretty easy, I think this will be a fun challenge.
Indra

Is it possible to get your bike nicked in the ferry? I mean where would the thief hide it?

Ferrys move, so a movement sensing alarm isn't great. This is why you're hold not to activate your car alarm when you're parked.

Ah, I wouldn't attached the padlock alarm on the bike (assuming we're talking about those cheapo cable lock that also have a lock on it as well).

I think the edited route you mentioned is ideal, I was having a look at the map this morning and it does seem like the most pleasant and beautiful routes to take to Harwich.

I think I'll have quite a bit of time to spare (the ferry doesn't leave till 23.15) so I think it will be a nice and relaxing little ride with plenty of chances to stop and take pictures.

As the T-Level Challenger backpack is super comfy (thank god for the padding) I think I will be able to do it.

I think I'll be bringing (besides what I'll be wearing on the bike)

• 1 Jersey
  
• 3 pairs of cycling socks
  
• 3 pairs of underwear
  
• lightweight sweater for in the evening
  
• pair of vans
  
• t-shirt
  
• 1 pair of shorts
  
• repair gear: 2 inner tubes, wrench, allen key set, mini-pump, tire levers.
  
  

Then I'll strap a bottle cage to my downtube and with some bananas, nuts and PBJ sandwiches I should be fine..

The only lock I have is a Kryptonite NY Faghedaboutit, which I might bring or I might see if I can borrow a shitty lightweight mini-lock from a friend for the week.

cable lock is a plus, however having said that, a small alarmed padlock is a great way of securing your bike.

I would not advised carrying a proper D lock, especially when you're no longer in London.

Also would advised you to get a large saddlebag* to take weight off your back, their current wait time is a couple or so weeks, so I'd advised you to order it ASAP;

http://bikepack.eu/

*ride is still doable with backpack, I seen people carry twice as much stuff and managed it, comfortably I can't says.

Yeah, whenever I visit my parents my normal route is Maldon>Tolleshunt Darcy (cup of tea at aunt's)>Colchester (second cup of tea at granny's)>Ardleigh (lunch at the pub)>home (via third cup of tea at the Peldon Rose near Abberton). The roads are good and the terrain rolls gently - should be a very nice ride out.

Awesome! This has eliminated 95% of my worries about getting to Harwich!

What's Harwich like? Typical ferry town?

Yep. Makes you feel like you're smuggling something even when you're not.

Awesome.. I am just ''afraid'' of getting to Harwich really early and having to wait in some shitty pub for hours waiting for the 23.15 ferry.

If I leave at 10 am, I should be in Harwich (77 miles away) at 6/7 if I leave time for a few stops and hanging out near the sea. I might have to slow right down and get into town at like 9.. Maybe have dinner like an hour out of Harwich.

There's a pub about 3 miles south of Harwich in a place called Little Oakley, it's called the Cherry Tree; it's okay. Nothing special but nicer than anywhere in Harwich, and they do food.

''I love it when a plan comes together''

you don't need 3 paris of underwear and socks - wash them every-night.

take less rather than more, you can always buy stuff if you need it.

backpack will be fine you're not going that far.

just get on your bike

do not take your Kryptonite NY Faghedaboutit. they weigh a ton and you'll use it once. jus take a crappy lock and keep and eye on it. those cinelli are as common as muck these days anyway, thieves only want grey hybrids..

you don't need 3 paris of underwear and socks - wash them every-night.

plus, if you wear bibs short, you don't need three pairs of underwears, just chamois cream.

This guy does a lot: http://www.gordontaylor.co.uk/

I am always tempted by the idea of ultra light fixed touring. Just a carradice saddlebag, small stove, and a bivy to sleep in, there's something really nice about doing things a simply as possible - one of the biggest reasons I started riding fixed. There's nothing wrong with pushing up/down a big hill if you have to or hopping on a bus/boat/train when you need it. A flip flop hub with a freewheel on one side and two brakes would definitely be helpful though. Go for it!

Hi,
Just ridden 450 mls up to the North of England on my fixer. Travelling as light as possible, used Warmshowers for accommodation . Less than 8kg of kit, a wonderful experience!

I think the edited route you mentioned is ideal, I was having a look at the map this morning and it does seem like the most pleasant and beautiful routes to take to Harwich.

I think I'll have quite a bit of time to spare (the ferry doesn't leave till 23.15) so I think it will be a nice and relaxing little ride with plenty of chances to stop and take pictures.

As the T-Level Challenger backpack is super comfy (thank god for the padding) I think I will be able to do it.

I think I'll be bringing (besides what I'll be wearing on the bike)

• 1 Jersey
  
• 3 pairs of cycling socks
  
• 3 pairs of underwear
  
• lightweight sweater for in the evening
  
• pair of vans
  
• t-shirt
  
• 1 pair of shorts
  
• repair gear: 2 inner tubes, wrench, allen key set, mini-pump, tire levers.
  
  

Then I'll strap a bottle cage to my downtube and with some bananas, nuts and PBJ sandwiches I should be fine..

The only lock I have is a Kryptonite NY Faghedaboutit, which I might bring or I might see if I can borrow a shitty lightweight mini-lock from a friend for the week.

Riding with back pack is doable, but not advisable, sweaty, uncomfortable over a days ride. Bikepack or saddlebag infinitely more suitable. Though you could fit your kit into waterproof bag and strap to saddle, I've just ridden North doing just that?

you want to speak to Tp88 or TM on here about fixed touring because they did 3 weeks in france/spain touring on brakeless track bikes!

Thanks for the input.

I'm off to France this year on my fixed (also running SS) I have a question though with regards to racks. My bike doesn't have the eyelets to attach a rack, would you recommend a decent sized saddle bag or fitting the rack with p clips?

thanks in advance

You could always use a Carradice Nelson LongFlap on an SQR or Bagman, that with a bag of some kind on the bars , to balance the bike. Or another alternative would be strapping a waterproof bag to your saddle/ seat pin. Keep everything at a minimum, travel light travel far!