shouldbeinbed
Rollin' along
- Location
- Manchester way
Excellent stuff 
The long journey back
- Thread starter RichardB
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
AyJay
Über Member
- Location
- Suffolk Coast
Well done that man. 
OP
OP
RichardB
Slightly retro
- Location
- West Wales
Another Guzzi fan! I had a V50II a long time ago, not the fastest bike I have ever had, but the sweetest handling. I'm trying to buy it back, but DVLA won't tell me who has got it. If I ever buy another motorbike, it will be a big, lazy Guzzi, probably a T3. Lovely bikes.
OP
OP
RichardB
Slightly retro
- Location
- West Wales
Thanks for all your kind comments! I'm a little disturbed by comments about being in the over-60s, though. That sounds old, and I am barely out of my teens. Not even that, according to my wife.
steveindenmark
Legendary Member
Just so you know what you are missing Richard. ;0)
My first Guzzi
My 1956 Cardellino which I restored from the ground up.
My 1974 Trotter which I have just finished.
My current Guzzi. In Alsace last week.
My first Guzzi
My 1956 Cardellino which I restored from the ground up.
My 1974 Trotter which I have just finished.
My current Guzzi. In Alsace last week.
Last edited:
booze and cake
probably out cycling
Yay well done fella, bikes = smiles
OP
OP
RichardB
Slightly retro
- Location
- West Wales
I'm at work, and images are blocked. Will have a look later, thanks.
I assume from your username that you live in Denmark. How is it to be a cyclist there? I visited some friends there a few years ago on my Honda Pan (bikers-only campsite at Kolind, near Åarhus) and we did a lot of miles in the locality. My main impression was how calm and law-abiding the car drivers were. I felt like a proper renegade, and I am actually quite a cautious rider. If that was right, then I would imagine they are pretty good to cyclists, although not on the same level as the Netherlands, perhaps.
Cannondale Lady
Senior Member
- Location
- Sunderland
You did it and what a story!
OP
OP
RichardB
Slightly retro
- Location
- West Wales
Thank you!
Salar
A fish out of water
- Location
- Gorllewin Cymru
Nice one Richard,
As you say apart from dedicated Roadies you don't see many casual riders on our west Wales roads.
Have you tried any of the traffic free routes in Pembs or Carms.?
We certainly are fortunate in having so many traffic free routes around here and I need to use them a lot more.
As you say apart from dedicated Roadies you don't see many casual riders on our west Wales roads.
Have you tried any of the traffic free routes in Pembs or Carms.?
We certainly are fortunate in having so many traffic free routes around here and I need to use them a lot more.
OP
OP
RichardB
Slightly retro
- Location
- West Wales
It depends how you define 'traffic-free'! I've been on the Sustrans website and looked at the maps, and some of the roads they call traffic-free are anything but with local knowledge. But most of the roads round me are pretty light traffic anyway, mainly farm vehicles and badly-driven Range Rovers We've used the Brunel path from Neyland to Johnston many times, and it's a great ride. Any recommendations?
We've used the Brunel path from Neyland to Johnston many times, and it's a great ride. Any recommendations?
OP
OP
RichardB
Slightly retro
- Location
- West Wales
Another great week and weekend. I am flying along on the ebike now, much of the time at speeds where the power has cut out and I am just riding a heavy unassisted bike. Hills that I panted up in the lowest gear (it's about 39", so not that low) when I started I am now climbing with much more ease and two gears higher as my legs get stronger and have more endurance. My butt is finding the saddle much more comfy - a combination of being lighter myself, my butt hardening up, and plenty of Proofide on the B67 in between rides. Having smoked for most of my adult life (I gave up 8 years ago), my lungs are clear and full of puff. My blood pressure is down and more-or-less at normal levels, although it varies a bit. And I am enjoying the riding so much! More than when I was a child, definitely, as the asthma that prevented me from vigorous exercise when I was at school no longer bothers me.
On Sunday morning I took the Galaxy up to a local landmark which is a 20-minute climb from my house. I had promised myself I would be out for an hour, so I took a diversion on the way home without checking with a map first. It's a road I had never been down before, despite it's being less than five miles from my house. It was VERY hilly. Some of the steeper ones, I thought I would never make it, but I remembered Rule #5 and ground my way up in the Galaxy's luxurious 24" bottom gear. On one of the shorter ones, I even stood on the pedals, which is impossible on the ebike because of the riding position and the flat city-friendly pedals which are very easy to slip off. The total ride took me an hour and a quarter. Not much to some of the characters on this board, no doubt, but for me it was significant because it was further than my journey to work, and therefore I now know that I can do it on a normal bike, in about 20 minutes longer, and considerably sweatier. My legs just seem to be getting better and better. The commute on the ebike seems to be building endurance (55 minutes brisk effort four times a week) and the Galaxy is building the strength, so each complements the other. Do I sound happy? I am.
On Sunday morning I took the Galaxy up to a local landmark which is a 20-minute climb from my house. I had promised myself I would be out for an hour, so I took a diversion on the way home without checking with a map first. It's a road I had never been down before, despite it's being less than five miles from my house. It was VERY hilly. Some of the steeper ones, I thought I would never make it, but I remembered Rule #5 and ground my way up in the Galaxy's luxurious 24" bottom gear. On one of the shorter ones, I even stood on the pedals, which is impossible on the ebike because of the riding position and the flat city-friendly pedals which are very easy to slip off. The total ride took me an hour and a quarter. Not much to some of the characters on this board, no doubt, but for me it was significant because it was further than my journey to work, and therefore I now know that I can do it on a normal bike, in about 20 minutes longer, and considerably sweatier. My legs just seem to be getting better and better. The commute on the ebike seems to be building endurance (55 minutes brisk effort four times a week) and the Galaxy is building the strength, so each complements the other. Do I sound happy? I am.
slowmotion
Quite dreadful
- Location
- lost somewhere
Great stuff!
OP
OP
RichardB
Slightly retro
- Location
- West Wales
A fine weekend here, so I was assigned to gardening duty and didn't get out on the Galaxy at all. Still, I am flying along on the ebike and feeling good. Two good things in the last few days:
One, is that I have been using a pair of ancient Karrimor panniers on the ebike. As I am working overnight, I really have to carry enough to get me through any weather and temperature. I can go to work in the evening in warm sunshine, and return home at 6.30 the next morning in thick chilly mist. Plus my lunchbox, work stuff, lock, tools, repair kit etc. I don't have enough to fill the panniers, and yet there is too much for a rack pack. So I bought myself a Carradice Nelson saddlebag. Link. It's in green cotton duck with tan straps and it is absolutely lovely. It's exactly the right size and looks as if it will last a lifetime. I had a similar one (in black) from the old Galaxy, but it had been rotting in a shed for years and was covered in cobwebs and muck. Stupidly, I threw it away after I had sold the bike. But I have another now, and couldn't be more pleased. (Plug: bought from Victor and Liberty in Hebden Bridge at around £10 cheaper than I had seen elsewhere. Arrived next working day, free delivery, beautifully packaged, and nice attitude from their sales staff when I emailed a question. Will use them again. No connection, etc etc.)
Two is an encounter with some dogs on my way in to work tonight. Country lane, no-one around, no houses for miles, just a farmhouse by the roadside. As I approached, three big dogs came out of the farm and fanned out across the road, barking furiously. I love dogs, but these made me a little nervous. I slowed down and started talking to them in the same way I used to talk to my Lab - you daft thing, who do you think you are kidding, does it take three of you to protect this place then? All in a nice friendly voice, but loud and firm. Secretly, I was hoping the famer would come out and call them off. But no-one appeared. Instead the dogs stopped barking, rushed up to me, and started running alongside the bike, hopping up and down and clearly delighted that someone was paying them attention. After I had cleared their territory, they turned back and not another word was said. Just doing their job!
One, is that I have been using a pair of ancient Karrimor panniers on the ebike. As I am working overnight, I really have to carry enough to get me through any weather and temperature. I can go to work in the evening in warm sunshine, and return home at 6.30 the next morning in thick chilly mist. Plus my lunchbox, work stuff, lock, tools, repair kit etc. I don't have enough to fill the panniers, and yet there is too much for a rack pack. So I bought myself a Carradice Nelson saddlebag. Link. It's in green cotton duck with tan straps and it is absolutely lovely. It's exactly the right size and looks as if it will last a lifetime. I had a similar one (in black) from the old Galaxy, but it had been rotting in a shed for years and was covered in cobwebs and muck. Stupidly, I threw it away after I had sold the bike. But I have another now, and couldn't be more pleased. (Plug: bought from Victor and Liberty in Hebden Bridge at around £10 cheaper than I had seen elsewhere. Arrived next working day, free delivery, beautifully packaged, and nice attitude from their sales staff when I emailed a question. Will use them again. No connection, etc etc.)
Two is an encounter with some dogs on my way in to work tonight. Country lane, no-one around, no houses for miles, just a farmhouse by the roadside. As I approached, three big dogs came out of the farm and fanned out across the road, barking furiously. I love dogs, but these made me a little nervous. I slowed down and started talking to them in the same way I used to talk to my Lab - you daft thing, who do you think you are kidding, does it take three of you to protect this place then? All in a nice friendly voice, but loud and firm. Secretly, I was hoping the famer would come out and call them off. But no-one appeared. Instead the dogs stopped barking, rushed up to me, and started running alongside the bike, hopping up and down and clearly delighted that someone was paying them attention. After I had cleared their territory, they turned back and not another word was said. Just doing their job!
OP
OP
RichardB
Slightly retro
- Location
- West Wales
Well, that's a bit of a milestone! This morning, returning home from work, the electric bike passed 1000 miles. It's still performing as well as ever, but the rough roads are taking their toll and it is getting a bit rattly over the rough stuff. Time for a strip down and a session with the spanners and threadlock, I think. In that 1000 miles, it has saved me about £150 in petrol and diesel, lost me over 3 stone in weight, and improved my fitness massively.
I have fitted MTB pedals instead of the stylish, but flat and slippery, ones it came with, and this has meant that I have been able to stand on the pedals and honk the shorter steep climbs. Not only did I set a PB on my way in last night, but on the way home I attacked a hill that used to have me wheezing up it in bottom gear when I started. I flew up the hill in the 4th from bottom gear, honking the steepest section. On the level bits and downhills, I am usually over the 15.5 mph where the power assistance cuts out, so it's only on the upgrades where I am getting the help. When I started, I was getting home with 1/4 of the battery power left. Now it's 3/4. When I eventually start to do the commute on a normal bike, I'm hoping that the only real difference will be twiddling up the hills in a low gear, rather than bashing my way up with 250W to help me. The rest should actually be easier, as the ebike weighs about 25 Kg with all my kit and is on big sluggish tyres, whereas the Dawes is 14 kg and on high-pressure 32C. On level terrain, it should be a lot easier to pedal.
I'm looking forward to using the Dawes (or the old MTB) for commuting, and probably I will eventually sell the Wisper, but I keep reminding myself that the bike has changed my life, and without it I would still be sitting on the sofa, thinking that getting back into cycling was something I was going to do, probably, one day, when I lost some weight and got fitter, perhaps. I fully intend to cycle through the winter months, and look forward to the next 1000.
I have fitted MTB pedals instead of the stylish, but flat and slippery, ones it came with, and this has meant that I have been able to stand on the pedals and honk the shorter steep climbs. Not only did I set a PB on my way in last night, but on the way home I attacked a hill that used to have me wheezing up it in bottom gear when I started. I flew up the hill in the 4th from bottom gear, honking the steepest section. On the level bits and downhills, I am usually over the 15.5 mph where the power assistance cuts out, so it's only on the upgrades where I am getting the help. When I started, I was getting home with 1/4 of the battery power left. Now it's 3/4. When I eventually start to do the commute on a normal bike, I'm hoping that the only real difference will be twiddling up the hills in a low gear, rather than bashing my way up with 250W to help me. The rest should actually be easier, as the ebike weighs about 25 Kg with all my kit and is on big sluggish tyres, whereas the Dawes is 14 kg and on high-pressure 32C. On level terrain, it should be a lot easier to pedal.
I'm looking forward to using the Dawes (or the old MTB) for commuting, and probably I will eventually sell the Wisper, but I keep reminding myself that the bike has changed my life, and without it I would still be sitting on the sofa, thinking that getting back into cycling was something I was going to do, probably, one day, when I lost some weight and got fitter, perhaps. I fully intend to cycle through the winter months, and look forward to the next 1000.
