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Post by naughtyfox on Sept 24, 2017 19:59:01 GMT
Especially if it has ghosts in it!!
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Post by NigelMoore on Sept 24, 2017 20:54:50 GMT
Nigel Moore's hostel story is crying out to be told. Please don't keep us in suspense. Rog There is not much to the story from the Hostel angle – I hadn’t violated any YH rules, honest. There was a slight misunderstanding that I might have been an Israeli spy scoping out the Lebanese border, and after 4 days and nights of rather intensive probing, they couldn’t make their minds up, so contented themselves with taking me back to the hostel so they could confiscate my films, and see me off in a shared taxi to Amman [at my expense]. p.s. I received my films back, processed carefully in immaculate condition, two years later, having been forwarded to London in the Aussie Consulate’s diplomatic bag. |
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Post by NigelMoore on Sept 24, 2017 22:03:05 GMT
I always felt that Youth Hostels were a wonderful idea, especially when they were a standard 40c per night for a bare roof over your head. They sadly degenerated into expensive options to the point where B&B’s were more affordable. Only in “third world” countries were prices still attractive, though I took out life membership many years ago, to give me that extra option should it ever prove a favourable one. Mostly, when travelling I prefer to sleep rough, out on my own. I stayed in quite a few throughout south east Asia, though most of the time local alternative accommodation was as cheap or cheaper. They were always good though, for the occasional contact with fellow foreigners with potentially useful tips about the area. Most of the time however, I would be the only one there, let alone the only foreigner. I have my booklet somewhere , but buried too deep in some forgotten garage for me to look up, and photos were few. This is on the west coast of Malaysia, in Malacca –  And in Bangkok [in the grounds of a primary school, where students could look through onto the beds from their upstairs classrooms!  |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2017 8:54:20 GMT
The bike's got some stories to tell too.
Rog
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Post by NigelMoore on Sept 25, 2017 11:25:31 GMT
It has indeed, and I am told it will need to be voiced at some stage. But it hasn't finished it's touring yet .
As to that, I take some sort of comfort from my recent reading of some of Dervla Murphy's later books of her [attempted] cycling trips through Siberia at the age of 80 plus.
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Post by naughtyfox on Sept 25, 2017 14:30:44 GMT
 My sister gave me this last Christmas - quarter of the way through - starts in Finland - it's 'OK' reading - another person doing a naff thing, this time cycling on an East German shopping bike. Sort of a copy of that berk who trudged round Ireland with a fridge just to become famous. Or like people who do the Pennine Way on stilts. I've almost finished Terry Pratchett's 'Reaper Man' book, recommended by lollygagger. Not really my kind of thing, all bizarre fantasy, but I will say it's well-written and clever. |
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Post by NigelMoore on Sept 25, 2017 23:29:22 GMT
That is the book [The Cyclist] I have just received as a birthday present from my sister! I had better read it; she was miffed at my cool response to the last one she gave me.
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Post by NigelMoore on Sept 26, 2017 0:41:44 GMT
One of the more basic versions, on the beach north of Kuala Lumpur. Probably not ‘official’.  |
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Post by Jim on Sept 26, 2017 11:48:50 GMT
The last Youth Hostel I stayed in, Damascus, back in 1987 -  Taken after 4 days and nights in an interrogation centre prior to deportation to Jordan. Is that a huge front chainset on the bickerton bendy bike? I had one for a while, they now go for about £50 on fleabay. I upgraded to a brompton, lots heavier but sturdy. |
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Post by NigelMoore on Sept 26, 2017 11:57:22 GMT
Yes. TA triple chainset with 68 teeth on the largest chainwheel. With my usual rear sprocket set it gave me 21 gears from 20" to 91". [and the bike isn't 'bendy' if constructed, set up, and ridden correctly].
I have geared it to 120" using a Moulton adaptor with 9t cog, but it was too wide a spread physically to be practical, given the short distance between front and rear.
p.s. Comparative sturdiness may be a valid criticism of the factory produced bike, but after various breakdowns during travels - requiring roadside reconstructions - I rebuilt it as designed by the inventor, using some of his hand-built prototype parts with a few extra modifications, and it never broke down since, despite years of off-road travel through deserts and over mountain goat trails.
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Post by Jim on Sept 26, 2017 16:24:34 GMT
Yes. TA triple chainset with 68 teeth on the largest chainwheel. With my usual rear sprocket set it gave me 21 gears from 20" to 91". [and the bike isn't 'bendy' if constructed, set up, and ridden correctly]. I have geared it to 120" using a Moulton adaptor with 9t cog, but it was too wide a spread physically to be practical, given the short distance between front and rear. p.s. Comparative sturdiness may be a valid criticism of the factory produced bike, but after various breakdowns during travels - requiring roadside reconstructions - I rebuilt it as designed by the inventor, using some of his hand-built prototype parts with a few extra modifications, and it never broke down since, despite years of off-road travel through deserts and over mountain goat trails. I did enjoy riding ours when we had that and 1 brompton. Only had a 3 speed sturmey archer hub. It came with the original bag, which doubled as a front pannier. I've just realised I came across the original bickerton manual the other day, if you would like it pm me and I will post it. |
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