Have you got a bike on board?

[fireball]

I agree that cheap folders are not worth it,

I disagree - cheap folders are worth it - if you don't want significant use out of them and intend to keep them aboard.
We've had ours a number of years now - and other than pumping up the tyres we've done nothing more.
They're always onboard (as we have the space) so available whenever we may want them.
You're not going to win any races - I'd say up to around 10mph on the flat as a comfortable ride - downhill and you better check the brakes! - uphill is fine if it isn't too steep.
Either which way - for ~100-150 each it gets you a far greater range than on foot and doesn't cost you a sum that you're going to worry about if it goes rusty or breaks.

If you're going to be liveaboard and ride often then the £1k folder may be worth the extra cash ... but for me (and many of us) £1k for the occasional use is just a tad extravagant!

 

[V1701]

I've ridden a cheap folder and it was not good but would do in the absence of anything else. Test rode a Brompton and quite liked it but in the end went for a Giant Halfway, very sturdy with bigger wheels, can almost ride it like you would a BMX. Half the cost of the Brompton but Bromptons do hold their value very well, you'd do well to get one under £500 on ebay...

 

[davidfox]

Bromptons do hold their value very well, you'd do well to get one under £500 on ebay...

Probably my one that was nicked! a lot of the stolen Bromptons appear on ebay so i am told.
Another vote for Bromptons

 

[dylanwinter]

Bromptons - confession

Probably my one that was nicked! a lot of the stolen Bromptons appear on ebay so i am told.
Another vote for Bromptons

I take my old three speed in the car for getting around Wisbech but never had it on the boat

I am tempted to take my sons mountain bike for a circuit of Roger Sand in the Wash - might be a bit of a laugh

At the risk of being accused of being Britain's best/worst blagger

- at one time I approached Bromptons to see if they would offer me a discount on a bike if I put it in one of my films

their reply after having watched some of my films was that Keep Turning Left as a brand was not a good fit for Bromptons

make of that what you will my friends

but a £1K bike on a £2K boat would be slightly odd

so I guess if any of you Swan or Nicholson owners want to blag one.... the door is open

Dylan

 

[Wunja]

their reply after having watched some of my films was that Keep Turning Left as a brand was not a good fit for Bromptons

Dylan, maybe a new brand is required.... How about Keep Turning Pedals?

 

[PIKANT]

What make do you recommend?

We have Dahon bikes. As well as a good pump we also carry spare tubes since it's much quicker to change the tube and then repair the punctured one later when back on the boat.

 

[aluijten]

Bromptons are in a class of their own. As good to ride as a full size bike, we have done several 20 mile + trips on them. They have a large carrying basket on the front and a rack on the back. They fold smaller than any other. But, they cost a considerable sum. If you really want the best and can justify the cost with plenty of use, Bromptons are the one to go.

I'm Dutch and I fully agree...

 

[snowleopard]

I have an old folder I bought for SWMBO about 30 years ago. It's a Raleigh with 20" wheels that is reasonable to ride. There must be hundreds like it around that cost the square root of f*** all secondhand. So if you fancy cycling to the supermarché without breaking the bank, try the small ads in your local paper.

 

[wotayottie]

There are some very helpful replies on here thank you.
There are four of us aboard and although I dont enisage us all cycling together on of the problems is storage..

If the issue is storage then the Brompton is much the best alternative. Even then, storage of four would take some fair space.

I can easily get one bike in my cockpit bench locker which has an opening two bums wide.

 

[geoid96]

We have an aluminium framed Dahon which has prooved invaluable for sight-seeing & supplies. Anoyingly it came with rusting steel screws holding break blocks several and other parts. Most or these have now been replaced with s/s equivalents.

Agree with previous comment about carrying spare tube. Pump is stored inside seat post so difficult to forget.

Our model has hub rather than derailleur gears. Advantage on a boat is that they are far less likely to get damaged when hauling in and out of lockers.

 

[dylanwinter]

Hub v derailer

I would echo the hub gears

the sturmey archer was designed after a holy visitation by an angel of the lord

the derailer after a similar visit from the devil

who wants more than three gears anyway

if its that steep going up - get off and push

if you are going so fast downhill that you need a higher gear than third to go even faster

....don't

Dylan



PS I trust you guys always wear your life jackets and harnesses while cycling - the risk of falling into the water is high

 

[lenseman]

. . . . Have you ever had one and did you use it?
Foldy things seem to cost a fortune . . . . .

Halfords sell them and the last time I looked they were £139.99 foldaway "Apollo".

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_247311_langId_-1_categoryId_165577

When I grabbed the link, I noticed they are now £149.99 which is cheap as chips and you don't want to pay for a Brompton at £800 as they go rusty very quickly or will get stolen very quickly!

 

[lenseman]

. . . . . . Wouldn't be without bikes.

Absolutely +1

.
.

My experience of bicycles at sea is that they don't seem too useful

I agree wholeheartedly, they don't float too well. Make a good anchor though. Shall we start an anchor thread?
.
.
.

 

[Wunja]

The problem with hub gears is that they are horrendously inefficient.
The middle gear on a Sturmey is around 100% efficient as it is a direct drive. However, the first and third gears are only about 70% efficient.

 

[snowleopard]

Halfords sell them and the last time I looked they were £139.99 foldaway "Apollo".

I loved this bit in the product description:

Single Speed gearing system for simplicity, just get on and ride

Perhaps they should have said '...and get off and push when you meet a hill'.

Have to say I disagree with Dylan's comment about hub gears. I've spent ages unsuccessfully trying to persuade SWMBO's bike not to slip in at least one gear.

 

[sailorman]

Ok, I know what you’re thinking but this is a serious question.
Every time the Dutch come to the UK they seem to have several bikes on board.
Have you ever had one and did you use it?
Foldy things seem to cost a fortune and I was thinking it may be wiser to try and pick a cheap one up abroad and sell it when we move on.
Any thoughts?

we always take 2 bikes on holiday they are superb for shopping then when its stowed away its off for a bike ride

 

[dylanwinter]

efficiency

The problem with hub gears is that they are horrendously inefficient.
The middle gear on a Sturmey is around 100% efficient as it is a direct drive. However, the first and third gears are only about 70% efficient.

I hate to engage in a discourse with a dutchman on bikes

but surely if 30 per cent of my effort was being wasted then the gear box on the bike would be hot enough to cook an FB on by the time I got home.

As for stopping them from slipping - one of two things are the likely cause

.... adjustment or wear

Dylan


this from wiki regarding efficiiency

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hub_gear

Hub-gears are typically more expensive than derailleur systems.
Gear-hubs with a large number of speeds will tend to be less efficient than a properly lubricated and adjusted derailleur system in new condition. However, less sophisticated gear-hubs such as the 3-speed hub (with only a single epicyclic stage per high/low gear, and direct drive in second gear), when run-in and properly lubricated, can match the efficiency of similar quality derailleur systems, because the hub-gear chain runs in a straight line and does not run through the jockey wheels of a chain tensioner.
Gear-hubs will tend to be heavier than equivalent derailleur systems, and the additional weight is concentrated at the back wheel. On rear-suspension bicycles in sporting use this unsprung weight will adversely affect traction and braking.
Gear-hubs are complex and virtually impossible for the ordinary rider to repair - most certainly not as a side-of-the-road procedure. However, failures generally give plenty of warning and repair may be an option.[13]
Gear-hubs systems are generally incompatible with quick release mechanisms/skewer axles.[14]
The gear-hub is an integral part of the wheel and it is not possible to change the wheel without also changing the hub.

 

[vyv_cox]

I'm Dutch and I fully agree...

We bought ours in Holland after seeing how many people used them for commuting. They were bought here; I just love the little video on the left.

 

[mjcoon]

The problem with hub gears is that they are horrendously inefficient.
The middle gear on a Sturmey is around 100% efficient as it is a direct drive. However, the first and third gears are only about 70% efficient.

Do they get very hot in use, then? (The energy would have to go somewhere.)

It's many years since I rode a bike. I think my teenage one had four gears in the hub...

Mike.

 

[Topcat47]

No, there's nowhere on my boat I need to cycle to get to.