Tue 19 April, 2001.

We hope there will be more, and more frequently, later. As we have not started the cycle ride, not too much to say yet.

But something on machines and preparation. We each have what used to be called a touring bike, about 30 years old. They have excellent frames, and some may recall something called Reynolds 361, which was a type of steel tubing used for cycle frames, excellent in its time and still is. Not much of them is original, but they still need attention. The wheels are the old 27” size; we hope that will not cause problems outside the UK if we have a wheel wreck; there is a metric equivalent that is close enough and surely everyone in Holland, Germany, Sweden Norway knows what an inch is. We are getting new back wheels made.

Saddles should be right. Mine (Tom's) is dreadful and I need a new one. Katherine has yet to try several different ones, all so far returnable, and I will have one of the rejects. Then there is shape of handlebars. Again, need to try out but we both think the near-standard straight ones hold the wrists in a twisted position. Gears. Important to have one gear that is so low that you can barely pass someone walking; otherwise what matters is that they work. Getting clicky gears (trigger changers to the cognoscenti) on to different shaped handlebars has given me a surprise for its difficulty.

Next report in about a week o0r so. We start in just under 2 weeks and the various preparations overwhelm – not only getting the bikes etc ready, but leaving other aspects of our lives with a bit less chaos to them than is the norm.