Options to get daughter (in England) set up for touring?

[azfiddle]

I wasn't sure where to put this...It's a little complicated, and also I have never done any touring, so there may be things I haven't thought about.

My daughter is living in England- going to graduate school at Anglia-Ruskin in Cambridge.. She has an English BF and they have decided to do an end-to-end tour of England by bike with friends this summer.

She has not done much cycling up until now. She was just given a hybrid bike that she is fixing up to get started on, but will need a bike for the trip.

Option 1: I have an aluminum frame Fuji that does have eyelets in the frame, so it could carry panniers, but it isn't designed as a touring bike. I think I could ship it to her, though it looks like shipping is expensive- it might be $300 or more. The bike cost me about $600 originally but it has depreciated, though it's in good condition. I think the bike can be adjusted to fit her (she rode it once or twice when she was home last year).

Option 2: My son will be going to England to visit in April, and could possibly bring the bike as extra baggage - for $150-$200, but then it might be really a challenge for him to get the bike from the airport to either Cambridge where she is living or Norwich where her BF lives.

Option 3: I could try to sell the bike here and send her the money- but it will not be enough to buy her a decent bike. I can afford to help out some, but cannot afford to buy her a bike outright.

She is short like me, 5'2", but has shorter legs and a longer torso than I do.

Any thoughts??? Thanks in advance.

Sharon

[hebe]

Is your daughter going to do JOGLE (John o Groats to Lands End)? That should be a lot of fun!

I'm not sure if shipping by sea would be cheaper than air freight. Two ideas come to mind. If your son is flying in to London, it would be fairly straightforward for your daughter to meet him there and bring the bike back herself by train. The journey from Cambridge to London by train is pretty fast and straightforward (or was, when I used to do it). Secondly, Cambridge and Norwich are both pretty good for cycling as I recall, so there should be a good choice of second-hand bikes, and that should be worth exploring if she has someone who can give her a hand? Incidentally, the CTC board here has a whole section on JOGLE with lots of informaion. Mods, please feel free to delete if the link shouldn't be here. Just from a quick look, it appears that many people use a trailer in preference to panniers, so that might be worth considering.

I hope this helps, those shipping costs do sound quite high.

[azfiddle]

Hebe, thanks, yes they are planning the John O'Groats to Lands end trip. The "lads" have done a trip to Amsterdam, but my daughter hasn't done any cycling to speak of.

Thank you for the link and I will forward all this to them.

[owlice]

Is renting a bike not an option?

[jyyanks]

I second renting a bike if it's possible. Here is a link to some "bikes for hire" places near Cambridge

http://www.cam.ac.uk/local/local/bikehire.html

http://www.camcycle.org.uk/resources/visitors/

If you end up selling your bike, can you buy a bike here and have it shipped to her in England? There are places where you can go to the shop, buy from them and then have them ship it out. It may be cheaper since they may get a better rate.

Another option is to buy from a place that ships worldwide (like Petra or Evans) or check out ebay uk for some used bikes.

Just some options. Good Luck!

[hebe]

Evans is UK based, I believe, so carriage would be minimal. That said, the VAT exemption that you normally get if ordering from outside the EU probably wouldn't apply if the bike was being delivered within the UK.

Renting is a good idea. Another store that came to mind last night is Decathlon, whose bikes seem to get quite a good press on ctc and are very well priced. nb I have no personal experience of Decathlon or their bikes - eta please see more informed post from Rebecca below. Also they don't have any stores in Cambridgeshire or East Anglia so she would have to travel to see the bikes.

[Rebecca19804]

Being a long-distance road cyclist with a little "credit card touring" experience in the UK and considering LeJOG with friends myself next year... here are my two-cents-worth: :

1. Don't rent. It's best if she gets as much time in the saddle as possible beforehand on the bike she'll actually be doing the ride on.

2. Fit is always crucial esp on any ride over 20 miles. Given her size/proportions, there's a bigger risk than usual that she'll have trouble finding something suitable, with higher costs associated with trying to "fix" a bike that doesn't fit.

3. Evans and Decathlon - don't! Yes, they sell decent bikes at good prices but after-sales care is very poor and fitting expertise is non-existent. Big risk your daughter will be sold something that doesn't fit.

4. If she does go for a good-enough bike from a chain store, she will need to go to a professional fitter. She may then find out that the bike can't be altered enough to make it safe/comfortable.

5. Cambridge is, as hebe says, absolutely wonderful for cycling! Over a dozen independent LBSs right in the town centre. She's spoilt for choice so I recommend she shops around for the right shop (before shopping for the right bike). Buying a bike from an LBS with experience and willingness to swap things out (at little/no additional cost) to optimise the fit is worth the time it takes to find a good LBS! She needs to visit as many shops as it takes, until she finds people who listen to her and are willing to advise on what's right for her, not just for the sake of making a sale.

6. Second hand a good option, so long as she knows exactly what to look for, or is accompanied by someone else who does and whose opinion she trusts. (And a good LBS will often pass on news of good second hand bikes they know of coming up for sale, once they've met your daughter and have a clear idea what she's looking for.)

7. YACF is the UK cycling forum for touring. Lots of LeJOG (and JOGLE) veterans on there. Friendly, helpful, supportive people. I strongly recommend your daughter joins the forum, reads the LEJOG threads, dips her toes in and asks questions, and ideally meets up with a few people face to face - to pick their brains and hopefully find a few riding buddies for the winter.

8. The shipping-from-USA options. Hmmm. I've tried that. If you've got a frame that you already know 100% is exactly the right size for her, then might be worth it. Otherwise... it's a lot of hassle, unexpected costs (phone calls, postage, and taxes nobody tells you about), on top of the UK-based expenses e.g. fitting, swapping components etc. Usually the total cost is higher than if you just sourced everything in the UK to start with. Not worth it, IMO.

To sum up: good LBS relationship + a sound bike that fits + TITS (time in the saddle!) = happy LEJOG!!

Hope all goes well and she has a brilliant time!

[Rebecca19804]

Oh, and a hybrid bike would be totally unsuitable for LEJOG - much too much hard work on all those hills!!

[hebe]

That's a great post Rebecca, have edited mine above! Thanks for the forum link too, I wasn't aware of that one.

I forgot about the tax and handling on inbound goods - that would be substantial on a bike.

[Vanilla]

end-to-end tour of England by bike with friends this summer.

I have nothing to add to the good advice that you've already been given but John O'Groats is in Scotland, not England and it's really not advisable to confuse the two

[azfiddle]

Yes, I knew that about Scotland!

Thanks for the suggestions- especially the links for the ride. I didn't realize it was such a well known route when they told me about it.

I am currently leaning toward having my son carry the Fuji with him, unless my daughter can find a good used touring bike in her size there. Neither she nor I can really afford to outfit her with a new bike - and I know the Fuji can be fit to her- it's just not the perfect touring bike.

Since my daughter plans to stay in England, and the BF likes to cycle, I like the idea of her having a bike to keep. But- do any of those rentals have touring bikes? The ones I checked were mostly "town" bikes.

Sharon

[Rebecca19804]

I have nothing to add to the good advice that you've already been given but John O'Groats is in Scotland, not England and it's really not advisable to confuse the two

LOL! Sez the lassie from Glasgow! "Not advisable" indeed!

[Rebecca19804]

do any of those rentals have touring bikes? The ones I checked were mostly "town" bikes.

I can't say for certain that rental services don't have touring bikes but I've never heard of any that do. All the rental places I know of stock a particular type of bike, in a small range of sizes, and rent them out for short terms, usually by the day, possibly longer. Perhaps your daughter could contact the rental places in Cambridge and ask them?

[azfiddle]

Okay- still thinking this through...

I found that Dawes has an entry level touring bike that comes in 43 and 48 cm. One of those might fit my daughter. If I could sell the Fuji for a reasonable amount, then maybe it would be better to apply that money and the money I would spend on boxing, baggage fees, and misc like mudguards and racks) to help her buy a bike in England.

Anyone have experience with Dawes? It's alloy with steel forks. And how are the saddles?

Also- recommendations for gloves and other bike clothes she might need for the weather conditions in England and Scotland during the summer (probably July). Since I am in Arizona, I don't know much about gear for wet conditions.

[Rebecca19804]

Dawes touring bikes are very good, especially the steel ones. Alu is lighter but tends to transmit vibration and road 'buzz' more than other materials. Your daughter may be okay with this - lots of people are - though I myself can't stand it. Steel forks may help with that a little?

Of the 43 and 48, the 48 sounds promising. Quite a lot can be done to optimise fit, e.g. different stem and/or handlebars, as no doubt you know. She should probably try the 43 too before deciding, just in case that feels better and/or the component swaps needed to make it fit are easier/cheaper than what might need swapping out on the 48.

I don't know what stock saddles Dawes uses. Do you have a link? Saddle comfort is very individual. She may like the stock saddle. Again, it's one of those things that needs to be tried out, with a realistic expectation of perhaps trying several more before finding one that works for her. Again, the sooner she can get started putting time in on the bike, the more time she'll have to get these questions settled and the right stuff bedded in before the big trip.

Same goes for gear for the weather conditions and gear...! I'm happy to talk with her about this, but not via an intermediary, that would take ages - sorry!

Meanwhile - has she got cycling friends she can discuss all this with locally?

If not, I'll PM you my mobile number, but there's only so much anyone else can do on her behalf... whether it's before she gets a bike or after, the sooner she starts going round the shops, reading online threads and asking questions herself AND meeting people, the better.

Winter is a good time to get this process started.

And my previous recommendation of YACF still stands!

ETA: I know costs are a concern. If your daughter gets to chatting with people on YACF, I am sure she will find some who are willing to lend her things to try out. I know I would be, if, after talking with her, it sounded like anything I have that's not currently in use might be useful to her....