An Oldie But Goodie: Raleigh RSW 16

Here's another Luton & Dunstable Cycling Forum Recycle Project story...

One Saturday afternoon last month, Adam disappeared into the depths of our shed looking for a longer seat post for Petra.  He began removing various bicycles and boxes of parts from the shed and laying them out on the lawn. My mind on Petra, I took little notice. I am so accustomed to seeing lots of 'junk' from the shed -- all of it donated, all of it received without inspection -- that it was several minutes before my eyes focused in any meaningful way, only for them to land on something that made me dash for my phone. 

I know nothing about Raleigh's RSW range but I knew instantly this was not another run-of-the-mill "let's see if we can transform a sow's ear into a silken purse" sort of refurbishment project. 

A few minutes later, I had uploaded a handful of photos to the Vintage Bicycles UK group on Facebook. And within 24 hours, this little beauty had a new home. 

(Not So Much) Cycling in Provence: Relaxing in Vaison-la-Romaine (Part 2)

One of the aspects of cyclo-touring that can make or break your enjoyment is getting your clothes washed and dried so you have the right kit at the right time. 

In case we thought we were the only cyclists staying in le Beffroi, spotting this from the street swiftly proved otherwise: 

Our own system was rather more discreet: 

Day 2 dawned hot and sunny yet again. Time to find out what this town is really famous for. 

(Not So Much) Cycling in Provence: Relaxing in Vaison-la-Romaine (Part 1)

In a slight departure from normal service, this post doesn't cover much in the way of cycling -- except for Adam's epic Sunday morning!

I awoke when I heard Adam's voice. What was this he was saying?  

"I'm going to do it."

Instantly, I knew what "it" was. We hadn't discussed it at all but, really, realistically, how can "it" not be on the mind of any cyclist visiting Provence? 

"It" being riding up Mount Ventoux. 

I was still living in a migraine fog. Adam, on the other hand, was pumped up and raring to go. He intended to ride over to the mountain, do the ascent and come back before the heat of midday. So we had an early breakfast -- one that, technically speaking, meant he was actually going to do this epic thing in a fasted state. 

Cycling In Provence: The Rhône Valley Outbound

Saturday -- the first 'proper' day of our holiday - dawned a little on the grey side. This was a blessing somewhat, as I had a migraine (triggered by a phone call that jolted me out of a deep sleep the previous evening). On my personal scale of 1 - 10 (with 10 being "shoot me now" and 5 being the threshold for "no longer able to pretend to function, must lie down in dark room"), this was running only about 3-4, so "bearable" but it certainly was casting a pall over my morning. 

Breakfast was disappointing in its lack of protein but the coffee ("American", our host said proudly) was strong and I drank two cups. 

Our bicycles had been stored in the garage overnight. It didn't take long to pack up and be on our way, with the plan being to find a grocery store on the way out of Avignon to supplement our meagre breakfast and buy provisions for a picnic lunch. 

First stop, however, was the chemists (pharmacy) around the corner from our B&B, where I bought extra-strength paracetamol + caffeine tablets to try and keep me going. 

Cycling In Provence: Getting There

The alarm went off at 4:15am on Friday, 3rd June. Having prepared the bikes well in advance and then packed up everything but our toothbrushes the night before, we were out the door in time to catch the 05:13 train to London St. Pancras. Admittedly, I did not feel awake yet, even though I had downed a cup of coffee and then experienced the thrill of freewheeling a loaded Brompton down the 'black run' of Cutenhoe Road. 

Brompton? Yes, we were off to France for a week's cycling holiday on folding bicycles: me on Lucy my 3-speed Brompton and Adam on his heavily-modified early-1980s era Bickerton. 

All packed up ready to board the Eurostar service from London to Avignon.

Cycling In Provence

We have just returned from 8 days in Provence. We took our folding bicycles (Brompton for me, Bickerton for Adam) since Eurostar is still imposing prohibitive restrictions on travelling with full-size bicycles. As it happens, though, touring with small-wheeled bicycles worked out very well for us. 

I will do fuller write-ups on our travels each day as I sort through 1,500+ (!!) photographs, but here are a few highlights: 

Food

It is of course a stereotype that French food is wonderful, but that reputation is well earned. We ate like kings every day. After the first 4-5 days, we began telling ourselves "must not eat so much today" but it was really hard to resist when the menus were so enticing. 

Brompton Touring Mods - Part II

A few weeks ago, I set up Lucy the Brompton with everything I believed would be needed to transform her from a multi-modal commuter into a "Short(ish) Distance Touring Bicycle That Folds". 

Trying out the kit revealed a few further changes were necessary, notably a support for the Carradice saddlebag. I have an original Bagman Sport support frame but for convenience for the kind of trip we are making (including being required to take all the luggage off, fold the bike and put it into a bag while on the EuroStar trains), I decided to try the SQR system which fits to the seat post rather than to metal loops on the back of the saddle -- which isn't an option for me anyway having ditched my VeloOrange leather saddle in favour of the Selle SMP Dynamic I prefer for distances longer than a commute. 

I fitted the Carradice SQR today and I think it's a winner. The system was easy to fit and will keep my Carradice Barley saddlebag away from the backs of my legs as I pedal. The metal frame also has a nylon web handle attached to the top, which will come in handy when the bag is off the bike. 

REPORT: Bespoked The UK Handmade Bike Show 2016 (Bristol)

I really enjoyed attending the Bespoked show in 2014 when it was held in London. When I heard it was returning to Bristol in 2015, I pretty much assumed I wouldn't ever be able to attend again, or at least not easily. But at some point late last year, I made the decision to try to go this year so I put a reminder into my calendar for January to book tickets and a hotel, then another reminder 12 weeks before the event to buy advance train tickets. 

And so Adam and I made a 3-day weekend out of it and attended the show on Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. 

I apologise for the quality of these photos. I made the monumental mistake of not double-checking that I had a memory card in my camera before leaving home and then discovered the battery was dead and of course I'd not checked whether the spares were in its case. All these photos were taken on Adam's and my mobile phones, which were not always up to the job.

Links to exhibitors' websites are included where possible - just click on their names. 

THE VENUE

The event was held this year in the Engine Shed next to Bristol Temple Mead train station. This venue could not be more of a contrast from the Lee Valley Velodrome where the 2014 show was held! The Engine Shed is beautiful and historic... and a much more intimate space. 

THE EXHIBITORS

Yes, the venue was small (by comparison with the velodrome) but it was, as the saying goes, perfectly formed... and jam packed with stunning bicycles everywhere you looked. So let's dive right in and have a look. 

Summer? A Taste And A Test

After a prolonged cool and damp spring, this past week has brought Proper Summertime Temperatures, i.e. 20C degrees! That's 70 in Fahrenheit. (Normal service resumes tomorrow: cool and unsettled with thunderstorms, which means showers, including hail I have no doubt.)

Today is the climax of our mini-heatwave, with temps of up to 27C expected.  This presented me with an unexpected (and very welcome) opportunity to set up my Brompton according to the plan I had devised (on paper) for our South of France trip next month. In addition to prepping the bike, I have also kitted myself out according to plan, anticipating similar temperatures in the Avignon area. 

It'll Be Worth The Wait....

Just a quick note to say, yes, I went to the Bespoked show in Bristol last weekend. A full report with an insensible number of photos is in the works but we've had a death in the family early this week which has, as you can imagine, pushed blogging down my list of priorities. 

Do check back in a few days. Meanwhile, here's one of my favourites from the show:  

2008 custom build by Darrell McCulloch of Llewellyn Bicycles in Perth, Australia. Ridden regularly in the UK and looks as good as new.