MY
STEED
In
2009 I had several ideas about my future life ranging from going
round the world in Alchemi forever, through sailing back to UK and
doing something different after arrival, to offering the boat for
sale immediately or buying a small property in New Zealand near
which to base Alchemi so I could live in perpetual summer by spending
half of each year in the Southern Hemisphere and the other half in
the Northern one.
I
thought that last idea was particularly attractive because I hoped it
would provide frequent opportunities also to visit my two
grandchildren in Australia. But my daughter was not keen and in
the end I thought I might find myself rather isolated living in the
North Island of New Zealand for long periods on my own.
Those
thoughts further expanded to wondering how I would spend my time if
and when I stopped sailing and realising I would not be able to spend
it all with my two sons and their children in the UK – I would have
to find something else to do as well.
I
understood I would be too old and physically incapable of returning
to the mountain and rock climbing enthusiasm of my youth but thought
I ought to be able to manage some cycling that had been so prominent an
activity when young.
Thus
was borne the idea of cycling in a leisurely but still interesting
way somewhere different from the over-crowded towns and roads of
southern England. I know – I thought – I'll go to France
and wobble from one auberge to another along the tow-paths of the
canals.
To
withstand the rough tracks and my own excessive weight I would need a
sturdy bicycle that should be well equipped and easy to maintain with
the emphasis on strength and durability rather than speed. By
August 2009 I had ruled out the idea of buying a property in New
Zealand and decided to buy a bike suitable for the sort of riding I
had in mind.
In
researching what others had done I came across the website “Crazy Guy on a Bike” in which there are many and varied accounts of
amazing expeditions over the mountains of Tibet and the Andes, of
journeys through North America and Europe, and indeed of
circumnavigations on two wheels.
I
knew I was now too old to emulate these but studied closely the bikes
these adventurers had chosen as I thought one with a similar
specification should be able easily to carry my weight over the
moderately uneven surfaces I was expecting to encounter in my milder
version of off-road cycling.
There
were many bike manufacturers and designs aimed at satisfying people
with these sorts of ideas but I narrowed them down to just three.
Koga
Signature
Roberts
Roughstuff
Thorn
Nomad
All looked attractive but I was unhappy at the idea of
spending about £ 3,000 on a bike ordered over the internet and so
ruled out the Koga.
Roberts had the attraction of a bespoke frame but his delivery period meant I'd have to postpone my
return to New Zealand and forego my 2010 sailing plans to visit Fiji again if the boat didn't sell - 2016 note - Chas Roberts has now
suspended his business so whilst his bikes may still be available
second-hand, new ones are no longer being built.
Thorn could make a bespoke frame at extra cost but with a physical presence in the UK and demonstration bikes to try for fit, and an acceptable delivery period I decided to order from them - 2016 note -
Thorn are still in business and I visited them this year to buy a few
accessories.
My researches had resulted in very definite ideas about
all aspects of the specification and Thorn's assembly system
provided ample scope in which to define the final machine.
Unfortunately I can no longer find photos of the bike taken at the
time but here's one taken today - 1 October 2016 - seven years after purchase
and without having specially cleaned and "tarted up" the
bike.
You can see the main features are
Couplings enabling the frame to be split into two halves
for transport
A Rohloff Hub Gear which, with the chosen chain-wheel
and sprocket sizes, give 14 ratios from about 18 to 95 per rev
Strong wide wheels and tyres with super-grip brake
blocks set in high quality Deore calipers.
A hub alternator that powers an amazing lamp
A very robust rear carrier, and,
To suit my size and weight, a sprung Brooks B66 leather
saddle (a later modification from a B17 on a sprung seat pillar that
I didn't think gave enough shock absorption).
As I was planning on leisurely riding I chose a
relatively flat pair of handlebars and to ease storage and transport
problems I specified removable pedals.
Beneath the remaining narrative I have included a copy
of the detailed specification as three separate photos of the original invoice.
As frequent use of the bike was delayed by some 5-6
years whilst I continued to sail Alchemi it is almost certainly
over-specified for the riding I can now carry out - and I've had to
rename this blog from "...Tours" to ".....Rides"
as I now find 15-20 miles an outing to be quite enough.
But the bike has performed well with no sign of distress
at my weight - it is also very stiff and holds a straight line when
zooming down hills, even over less than smooth surfaces, at speeds of
up to 30 mph. If its rider had the power of his youth it
would also "Climb the Highest Mountain" with the Rohloff
gears providing a ratio suitable for any gradient.
Here are photos of the original spec and invoice:
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