For Nigel, whenever I might find him

Find your ride

You can travel on almost anything

Dear Nigel

It is Nigel, isn’t it? Nigel comes back, but I’m not entirely sure we were introduced. So kindly be Nigel.

In Vendôme you admired our bicycles, and our journey from Saint Malo. We agreed how easily and quickly at our age one loses fitness, and how long the struggle to regain it is. When we saw each other again in Blois I promised to post some notes on how to get started. And here we are.

The big thing is not to plunge in to cycling, get put off, and give up. Even more, don’t lay out a ton of money on a smart new bike and accessories, only to find you don’t like it that much.

Giving it up might indeed be the final outcome, but first identify what attracts you and explore it.

Greed for speed

There is a definite thrill to be had swooping through country lanes under your own power. You might enjoy club riding with a group of MAMILs (middle-aged men in Lycra). For this you would want a light bike, and a minimum level of fitness that you are unlikely to start with. Most cycling clubs are friendly and inclusive, and would advise on how to get in shape to ride with them.

If this is how you like to ride you may well end up with an expensive carbon road bike, but don’t start off by buying one. Rent or borrow road bikes until you know what you want as your own ride; then pay for it a little more (say, twice) than what seems wise.

I’m not a sport rider myself, so this is about all the help I can offer.

Transport of delight

Your vision might be more utilitarian. Perhaps you would be entirely satisfied simply to pop down to the shops, or across town to visit a friend. Or to take your bike by train or car and ride it somewhere for a few hours.

You do not need to train for this; simply doing it will steadily improve your fitness.

And you do not need any particular bike; anything that works will serve. But do make sure the basics are sound: brakes, gears (eight are enough) and tyres inflated to within the range shown on the sidewalls. Saddle at the right height, which is higher than feels natural at first – get assistance with this.

If you drive, you already have a basic sense of how traffic flows, but there are safety practices specific to bikes that are well worth knowing. Many local councils provide ‘bikeability’ training free of charge. Enrol for the training; pay if you have to.

An hour or two learning basic bike maintenance would be well spent. You should at least know before setting off on a bike whether its brakes will stop you if you need them!

Slow travel

I discovered The Hobbit at the age of nine, then The Lord of the Rings at thirteen. Tolkein left me feeling no journey has been truly made unless on foot or by bicycle. (You might have supposed horse, but there it is.)

Flying too high with some gal in the sky
is my idea of nothing to do

Touring bikes

You & I met this year as Miki & I were on our way from Saint Malo to visit friends in the Loire valley. Last year I came this way to reach my sister in Burgundy, stopping en route to visit friends. I was six weeks on the road and finished it tanned, fit, and cheerful.

The Invincible Summer at Sancerre. Battery on the down tube, motor on the front hub.

There is no need to train for such a journey; the journey trains you. Just ride each day as far as pleases you, then find somewhere to stay. If you carry a small tent, you will find campsites everywhere in France. There is something hugely peaceful about settling down for the night beside a huge river; or waking and making coffee.

As I have written elsewhere, I recommend travelling without reservations. Not being committed to arriving anywhere particular, you always have time for conversation; are always open to invitations and suggestions. Discovery is possible.

For slow travel, any kind of bike will do. I made my first journey at sixteen, setting off for Venice on a 3-speed bike with a motoring atlas, a nearly useless tent, and no experience. I got no further than Paris, where I spent a fortnight before returning home, well satisfied with my adventure.

Try slow travel on any bike that works, but if this is your thing you will soon get ideas about on what kind of bike to spend days in the saddle.

In the video above, Eddy rides a classic 1980s Dawes Galaxy 10-speed, almost identical to the one I toured on from 2013–2022.

Outside Britain, bike networks in western Europe are transport infrastructure and well surfaced; classic touring bikes work well. The EuroVelo routes are worth exploring: either quiet back roads, or paths barred to motor traffic entirely. I spent a week last year following EV6 from Blois almost to Basel. (EV6 follows the Loire east from the Atlantic, then hops the Rhine to follow the Danube to the Black Sea.) Bliss.

In Britain the so-called National Cycle Network is a collection of signs managed by a charity. Much of the ‘network’ is suitable only for off-road machines – at best leisure routes for keeping kids on mountain bikes away from motor traffic – and wholly unsuitable for travelling. This has provoked a new class of bicycle.

Gravel bikes

Gravel bikes are fat-tired touring bikes that can handle a bit of rough, but also cover distance on asphalt, where a mountain bike would plod. The main drawback for a tourist is that they carry soft frame bags rather than panniers clipped to racks. It limits load capacity and also means the weight is carried a bit higher, reducing ride stability.

Trade-offs, trade-offs.

CycleFit in London will rent you a top-end machine for a weekend so you can get a taste. Miki is much happier on rough stuff than I am and enjoyed the gravel bike’s sure handling on the Ridgeway in Berkshire; also the smooth, light ride on asphalt – “like riding on a mirror”.

On asphalt I prefer the crisper handling of my steel-framed ‘Flying Gate’, and the load it hauls when I need it to.

Small-wheel bikes

Consider too small-wheel bikes. Moultons are the original small-wheel bicycles. The 20" wheels are immensely strong; their rigidity requires full suspension, producing possibly the most comfortable touring bikes ever made.

Their descendants are the foldable Bromptons. Their foldability makes them famous for commuting, but you can tour on a Brompton too. (I have twice ridden from London to Paris with Bromptons in the group.)

Being foldable is an immense advantage for a travelling bike, because you can take it on trains and buses as hand baggage. (Taking a non-folding bike on Eurostar or intercity trains is possible but so inconvenient I limit my bike/train journeys to local services.)

Miki toured for years on her small-wheel Bike Friday Pocket Rocket, which adds performance to the foldability, but without the Moulton’s suspension, which she came to prefer for touring – before preferring the more stable handling of a classic diamond frame.

If bike touring is your thing, you can see there is a wide range of rides available. Experiment as much as you can before making your choice!

Eeee, lad

Lastly, consider either an e-bike or an e-boost.

Neither removes the need to pedal. You still do the work, but the motor ensures you don’t struggle. Your cardiologist would approve.

An e-bike is heavy to ride but with the motor on is like having a permanent tailwind. We’ve watched pensioners ride e-bikes up a slope in Croatia we considered to steep to ride down. (We walked ours, holding the brakes firmly.)

Cytronex battery and motor

On my Flying Gate you saw a Cytronex e-boost: a small hub motor on the front wheel and on the down tube a battery that looks like a water bottle. The kit adds a few kilos to the bike, which I ride most of the time with the boost off. I can also ride without the battery, leaving only the weight of the motor on the front axle, comparable anyway to a hub dynamo.

I use the e-boost to take the struggle out of steep hills, usually only for 10-30 seconds at a time. Arriving in Vendôme after riding 75km, my battery level was still above 75%. The hardest I have ever had to use it was last year, riding fully loaded from Middelburg to the Hook of Holland: 125km against strong headwinds. (A long lunch at a restaurant allowed me to recharge my battery.) So I like my e-boost much better than I would an e-bike, because most of the time I’m effectively just riding a classic touring bike.

Hope this helps, and – see you down the road!

Smiles
Stephen