h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Oooh How exciting some has replied to my message.
Thanks

I'm actually in the Cotswolds, Stroud area.

Where abouts are you?

I've just seen this website on the South Downs Way Randonneé 100 mile off road in one day...that just mental!!! Have you done this??

I've done 100 mile rides around the Chilterns and Watership Down, but that's about it. I'm in Reading.

Hello again,

When you did your 100 miles was it on or off road?

How long did it take you to cycle 100 miles? Were you on a road or mountain bike?

I'm thinking of cycling to Mid Wales one weekend. I reckon I could do it in a couple of days.

Do you have any tips for this type of ride?

Also I've been in a bit of a dilemma over waterproofs...and since the rain has arrived with such a vengence, it's got me searching again.
What kind of waterproof do you use? I'm not sure whether to go for a goretex (expensive) jacket or something a bit cheaper, just as waterproof but less breathable...because nothing is ever that breathable on a bike

cheers

Logging on and joining in from NanChang, China. Was a bicycle mechanic, now an English teacher. Vocation? Lifelong cyclist.
While bicycles are sort of common here in China, cycle clubs aren't, so joining an on line club suitable for me right now.
What do I ride? Anything that fits (I'm 6"2 with size 12 feet, making me roughly 3 times the size of the average Southern Chinese grandmother. Riht now what fits is a "Yeah" single speed folder built by Dahon. What do I want to ride? My beloved "Tom Board" tourer, risiding for five years in my Mothers garage (in NZ) while I work my way round the Pacific rim, buying, riding, selling and giving away lesser ironmongery.

[email protected]

The usual 100 mile route from Reading starts at Dinton Pastures, heads out through Silchester and the like, and - well I can't really remember much of it except that wherever there is a hill the route goes up it! I missed it this year, unfortunately, I was hoping to beat my rather disappointing performance last yer (from memory it took nearly 7 1/2 hours, due to a pulled muscle shortly after 45 miles, and stopping for tea on the way back). I should be able to do it in six, on a good day, but probably not on the recumbent.

Oh, waterproofs. Don't even think about staying dry. Accept that you'll get wet, and buy something that's comfortable - Altura do loads of decent waterproofs at sensible prices. Gore-tex is nice, but above 25mph the breathability seems to start working in reverse

The crucial thing is to use really good bike bags - Ortlieb or VauDe - which allow you to take dry clothes with you. Or rather, which allow your dry clothes to actually be dry when you get there

I'm a cyclist!

I commute to work every day on my bike - only 10 minutes but it gets the blood circulating.

I like to cycle in the forest at the weekends as well

Sign me up!

Sprout

Duly singed up, welcome. I've been doing a bit of work on my own site lately, www.chapmancentral.com - pictures of my bike on there. Sad, innit?

I'm a cyclist! U178834.
Being Dutch, I was almost born on a bicycle.
My wife and I like to make tours of 40-70 kms in summer, and in the future we hope to get a lie-down bike, or whatever they are called in English.

Hi Marijn, the English for ligfiets is "recumbent" (usually shortened to bent by those of us who ride them). Mine was made in Holland.

Is Marijn a common name? I knew a man called Marijn in den Bosch.

Cheers, JzG

I'm still a cyclist at heart. My Specialized racer is hanging on the wall 'cos I refuse to sell it. I broke my neck 2 years ago after landing my off-roader badly.

Still living the dream, though. Got myself a tidy wheelchair: minimal titanium frame narrow(25mm), slick tyres, cambered wheels, chrome & metalic blue finish. pukka.

can I be an honorary member?

Sorry JzG, dropped out of sight.

My name is not really common, but also not completely rare. The funny thing is, it is being used for boys and girls equally.

An honorary underground member, even

I'm a cyclist!

But not a number .....

True! I used to cycle every day from Walthamstow to London Bridge (racing the 141 bus used to be a particular speciality of mine, I used to pass about 3 every morning - and I used to believe I could out-accelerate anything away from the traffic lights at the end of King William Street on to London Bridge), but my current job precludes cycle-based commuting because it involves 10-hour shifts either starting very early or ending very late, and you're always too knackered to cycle safely...

However I'm back on to office hours in the new year so I should make my long-awaited (well, by me, at any rate) comeback in January.

Hurrah! The more the merrier

I'm a cyclist!

If this is what it takes to get cycling taken seriously, then count me in. As a regular Monday to Friday cyclist, I do hope you don't plan on doing any 'Sunday Club Rides' I reserve Sundays for washing the week's muck off my bike, some Sundays I actually do wash my bike!

Here's hoping I can add some stuff of my own to the already great cycling content on h2g2.

Terry.

Welcome, Terry (maker of saddles, I note). Have a banana

I'm a cyclist! More than that, a PDQ rider. See A891830 Cycling: the future is laidback.

Include me in !

~Recumbentman