Any question answered...

Road bike with panniers

The section of the towpath between Weybridge and junction of the Wey navigation and the Basingstoke canal is quite narrow and can be very congested with peds and dog walkers, not recommended on the weekend OK'ish mid week.
The section after the junction and Brookwood is OK not too sure after that.

Would not like to do the majority of the towpath on 23c tyres, regularly ride it on my steel bike with 36 spoke wheels not too sure I would be so happy on a carbon bike with 20 spoke wheels.

28 spokes, but the rims are carbon.

How about this:

https://www.strava.com/routes/2782985

Don't bother getting onto the footbridge in Hampton, go straight to Lower Hampton Road and go across the Walton Bridge instead, it's quicker (and still nice with minimal motor traffic).

(obviously go through Hampton court Road then turn off at Lower Sunbury Road).

Opinions on this route?

Are you trying to get there quickly, or enjoying the scenery? I used to use the A30 from south of Basingstoke to Bagshot if I was just trying to get home quickly, Winchester-Basingstoke section on the A33 if I was in a hurry but through the Candovers is nicer, at the other end Bagshot-Staines on the A30 and then A308 to Kingston is pretty harmless.

BTW I remember that the LFGSS Ride to Bournemouth follow similar route that can take you to Winchester.

Here's another one.

Might just stick with the Strava one, seems straightforward enough.

BTW I remember that the LFGSS Ride to Bournemouth follow similar route that can take you to Winchester.

That was a really nice route, until Bournemouth...

I am trying to fix a mount to the mid-fork rack mounts on a 80s Dawes Galaxy.

The only bolts I seem to have don't seem to go in easily so I haven't persisted in case they fuck up the threads.

Is there a way to measure of the bolts I have? And does anyone know what size bolts I need (a Google says probably M5 x 8)?

Cheers

Edit: there are bolts in the rear rack mounts - I assume all the brase ons would be the same on the various braseons. These are also tight to screw in.

Therefore I assume either; a) the threads are tight because they've never been used, or b) the wrong screws were used in the rear bosses.

The thing is how much does it matter if the slightly wrong threaded screws are used?

The thing is how much does it matter if the slightly wrong threaded screws are used?

It will explode and kill you. If the bosses have never been used, they're probably just blocked with some paint overspray. Just run a tap through them to clean them up.

Thanks for replying.

Unfortunately I don't have a tap. Can I just use another m5 bolt plus some sort of lube?

If you can cut through the threads of a spare bolt perpendicularly with a junior hacksaw on either side, but not all the way through. That will make do as a homemade tap which should assist.

Why does a tap need those cut-outs?

gives somewhere for the cut material to go

Are there any compact geometry steel track frames out there?

Anyone know how tall Davis Phinney is?

172 cm.

Which size Randonneur is closest to a 23c Armadillo? I'm guessing 25c?

25cm shorter than Taylor then.

Chap on the Paceline is selling an ex-Davis Phinney/Coors Serotta, it's a 55x57.5, long and low. I'm wondering if I have the flexibility to do it justice.

13.4cm headtube.

Unfortunately I don't have a tap

Buy one, an M5 tap is only a few quid.

Do city of london police have something similar to roadsafe?

What he said.
Also as Tester said the are not expensive but my option is for when you absolutely can't wait for the shops to open and works perfectly well if you can sacrifice a bolt.

Assuming the only difference between the two is the weight each has to support, what's in theory the ideal way to ensure even wear on front and rear tyres?
Different width tyres? Different pressures? Different compounds?
Any of the above?
Cheers

Rear tyre always takes more abuse as it carries more weight, you could have a harder wearing tyre at the rear, but will lose comfort and grip.