Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
Psamathe
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by Psamathe »

It will be very interesting to see how you get on. I would guess a significant issue would be getting enough calories. I've found just going for leisure rides around my local lanes my calorie requirement increases dramatically. So on a tour the need for calories must be substantial and it will be interesting to see how foraging and energy input get on.

Another thing (may have already been mentioned), but when I lived in France there were rules/laws about open fires in the summer (i.e. not allowed). I don't know how local or widespread this law is/was, not the exact dates. But maybe something to consider.

Ian
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SimonCelsa
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by SimonCelsa »

Steve, I've just downloaded & bought your book on my kindle (not bad considering I'm on a Chinese ship off the coast of the Philippines at the moment).

Our evening entertainment of table football & table tennis has just finished so it had better be a good read!!

All the best for your next trip, when all my kids have left home I will certainly be doing something similar hopefully,

All the best, Simon
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smith4188
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by smith4188 »

Psamathe wrote:It will be very interesting to see how you get on. I would guess a significant issue would be getting enough calories. I've found just going for leisure rides around my local lanes my calorie requirement increases dramatically. So on a tour the need for calories must be substantial and it will be interesting to see how foraging and energy input get on.


Don't forget that we have the £1. I did some calculations. Flour gives about 12,000 calories to the £, pasta about 9,000.

Psamathe wrote:Another thing (may have already been mentioned), but when I lived in France there were rules/laws about open fires in the summer (i.e. not allowed). I don't know how local or widespread this law is/was, not the exact dates. But maybe something to consider.


Good to know, but I was planning on a stove rather than open fires.
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smith4188
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by smith4188 »

SimonCelsa wrote:Steve, I've just downloaded & bought your book on my kindle (not bad considering I'm on a Chinese ship off the coast of the Philippines at the moment).

Our evening entertainment of table football & table tennis has just finished so it had better be a good read!!


Cheers, Simon. I hope you enjoy it but if not maybe you could try to get another table football league going.
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robing
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by robing »

smith4188 wrote:
Vorpal wrote:No they used this as a strategy to test their software and sell more books. It's not available in every country, but it is available.

http://kindleworld.blogspot.no/p/countr ... ccess.html


My Kindle's registered in the Isle of Man (which never had the free service) and I'm currently in Spain, which according to that page has no free service, and yet my old Kindle can access the internet for free here. I wonder if it'd work in UK (non-Isle of Man), Portugal and France. If, as the page says, some Kindles do work in countries they shouldn't, I've no way of knowing without going there. I'm fairly certain it worked when I passed through all three in 2011 but maybe it has changed since then. Bugger.

Thanks for the link.


As I'm sure you'll agree, the Kindle isn't the easiest thing for typing on. You could get a phone or SIM on the 3 network. You can use data, calls and texts from your allowance just as if you were at home. France is already covered and so is Spain from April.
FatPunkOnBike
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by FatPunkOnBike »

congratulations, this has to be one of the most interesting and unique ideas i have heard! The spirit of adventure lives . . .
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Heltor Chasca
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by Heltor Chasca »

These Kindle things. Hmmm. I've got your paperback book coming my way. I'm struggling to imagine a Kindle in my panniers instead of books. Never say never though.

Just bought a tiny, wooden Bluetooth speaker for listening to podcasts so pleased I'm not a complete technophobe. Just over a tenner. Might even chuck it in my bar bag for company. Audio book? Heh heh...b
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rannochraider
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by rannochraider »

You are clearly a 'nutter ' mate. I have sent you a PM. :wink:
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smith4188
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by smith4188 »

Heltor Chasca wrote:These Kindle things. Hmmm. I've got your paperback book coming my way. I'm struggling to imagine a Kindle in my panniers instead of books. Never say never though.


Cheers, HC! I reckon if it's a tour short enough for a singe novel then there's little difference between a book and a Kindle. But for longer tours, where you might not know what you want to read months down the line, it's hard to beat a Kindle. On my last tour I put all my Open University course books on my Kindle allowing me to study on the move. That would have been impossible with real books. Hope you enjoy the book!
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Psamathe
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by Psamathe »

smith4188 wrote:
Heltor Chasca wrote:These Kindle things. Hmmm. I've got your paperback book coming my way. I'm struggling to imagine a Kindle in my panniers instead of books. Never say never though.


Cheers, HC! I reckon if it's a tour short enough for a singe novel then there's little difference between a book and a Kindle. But for longer tours, where you might not know what you want to read months down the line, it's hard to beat a Kindle. On my last tour I put all my Open University course books on my Kindle allowing me to study on the move. That would have been impossible with real books. Hope you enjoy the book!

I'd have thought if you don't have anything already that a tablet would be better (depending on exact requirements). Although probably not as good as a reader (even if only because of power consumption), it does allow GPS, mapping apps, etc. even a phone (is you get one supporting SIM/GSM).

Ian
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Heltor Chasca
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by Heltor Chasca »

Psamathe wrote:
smith4188 wrote:
Heltor Chasca wrote:These Kindle things. Hmmm. I've got your paperback book coming my way. I'm struggling to imagine a Kindle in my panniers instead of books. Never say never though.


Cheers, HC! I reckon if it's a tour short enough for a singe novel then there's little difference between a book and a Kindle. But for longer tours, where you might not know what you want to read months down the line, it's hard to beat a Kindle. On my last tour I put all my Open University course books on my Kindle allowing me to study on the move. That would have been impossible with real books. Hope you enjoy the book!

I'd have thought if you don't have anything already that a tablet would be better (depending on exact requirements). Although probably not as good as a reader (even if only because of power consumption), it does allow GPS, mapping apps, etc. even a phone (is you get one supporting SIM/GSM).

Ian


My 13 yo daughter has got a mini iPad which she got from her Mum. It's brilliant. It also holds serious "behaviour currency". It's by far the most powerful thing I've confiscated to rein her back in when she slips out of line. It's even surpassed her pet tortoise as confiscation-currency . He's chuffed as he was getting pretty fed up with being stuffed into my sock draw.

smith4188 wrote:
Heltor Chasca wrote:These Kindle things. Hmmm. I've got your paperback book coming my way. I'm struggling to imagine a Kindle in my panniers instead of books. Never say never though.


Cheers, HC! I reckon if it's a tour short enough for a singe novel then there's little difference between a book and a Kindle. But for longer tours, where you might not know what you want to read months down the line, it's hard to beat a Kindle. On my last tour I put all my Open University course books on my Kindle allowing me to study on the move. That would have been impossible with real books. Hope you enjoy the book!


Looking forward to it. I'm interested in book sales and who it's best to buy it from. I'm asking because in the music industry, the artists get more profit if you buy from them direct rather than Amazon or the like. (I know this because my ex is a musician) Is it the same with books? Don't answer if that's too personal. Apologies if I'm being too direct. I work in a garden for a UK fantasy author and I've always wanted to ask, but it feels like the wrong question to ask a client.

All the best, Blair.
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smith4188
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by smith4188 »

Heltor Chasca wrote:I'm interested in book sales and who it's best to buy it from. I'm asking because in the music industry, the artists get more profit if you buy from them direct rather than Amazon or the like. (I know this because my ex is a musician) Is it the same with books? Don't answer if that's too personal. Apologies if I'm being too direct. I work in a garden for a UK fantasy author and I've always wanted to ask, but it feels like the wrong question to ask a client.


If you want to work out what an independent author (as opposed to a traditionally published author) makes per e-book on Amazon, first divide the price by 1.2 (this removes the VAT) and then knock off 5p or 10p for electronic delivery charges (if it's a normal, text-based book). If what's left is over about £1.50 and less than about £9, then the author gets 70% of that. Otherwise, it's 35%. So yes, the author would clearly make more if he or she sold an e-book directly from their website, but then they wouldn't have the benefits of Amazon's exclusivity deal (which I believe is worth having) and they'd also have to find a way to drive loads of traffic to their own site, and if they knew how to do that they could make money more easily by working in SEO rather than writing books. All in all, I reckon Amazon do a great job for both the customer and author (although perhaps not for the people who work in their warehouses.)

I could yack on about this for hours but I've probably bored you already.
Last edited by smith4188 on 16 Mar 2015, 10:06am, edited 1 time in total.
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Heltor Chasca
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by Heltor Chasca »

Thanks Steven. That's very interesting. I'm also pro-Amazon for lots of reasons. I've just been quizzing my daughter on her mini iPad and I don't think it would be as good a reader as a kindle. I would get one only as a portable one stop media shop. Kindle is on my wish list but I will have to wait until the Autumn. For now I am happy with paper books. Very happy...b
ElaineB
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by ElaineB »

I love the sound of your trip but I wonder if you would have better luck finding 'buddies' on perhaps the SAS or Royal Marines website's, if they have them that is.
From my experience the CTC start the day with a Trangia cooked 'full English' followed by coffee at 11, lunch at 1, afternoon tea at 3 and then at 7 a local meal with wine and bed by 9.
If you manage to get Ray Mears to come along then count me in, no disrespect or offence intended.
All the best to you and lots of luck. x
Weimarunner
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Re: Unique Cycling Tour...Riders Wanted

Post by Weimarunner »

This sounds brilliant! I'd love to come along, it combines my two passions cycle touring and fishing but unfortunately I doubt I'd get away with 3 months off work.

Do you know about LRF fishing? It's essentially really light lure fishing, the gear's perfect for travel as it's all really lightweight, there's no need for bait and there are some really good travel size rods. With LRF you're fishing with a few grams of terminal tackle rather than five ounces of lead weight so the pack weight is really light. It's a relatively new approach, a couple of friends are right at the forefront of it, check out Adam's website here - http://light.rockfishing.co.uk/

I'll follow your adventure with envy and if there's anyway I can join you I'll be in touch!
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