Istria is a cyclist's dream. There are hills but many of the roads are only somewhat vertical. Food is incredible. Wine incredible. I think I am adding to my post-covid destinations!

Hi Mike,

I am very remiss in responding but hope to correct that now - I got cycleblaze added to my company's "allowed" websites so I can access it more easily!

I have a now quite old LHT, and lament the progress of technology as it has V-Brakes, 26" wheels, butterfly bars, XT gearing, etc.

I now want rohloff, EBB, SON, bigger wheels, drop bars, and disc brakes... but regardless I'd end up all dressed up and nowhere to go, given current scenario!

Hi John,

I recall some conversations with you from the other website! I cycled Eastern Quebec, NB and NS in recent years, though never quite made it to see Perce Rock - yet!

New year, new hope...

Thanks Andrea,

I downloaded journals from the other place, and must take some time to try and either manually load them here or else see if some form of upload is possible here. 

I've no desire to go setup my own site and anyway the benefit of a site like this is the people. 

Hopefully this year we will be able to venture out and see more of the world again!

Hi Keith,

I wonder how is France doing with the Vaccine now? Here in Ireland it is a very slow and uncertain rollout.

I had been hoping to maybe get a ferry from Ireland to France later in the summer and do a loop. There is a craft beer festival in Paris in September and it seems like a good way to earn a beer or two!

If we still cannot travel by then, I think I will do something here in Ireland, there are certainly many places here I have not visited, the weather is always a risk, but the road and adventure will be reward enough.

Still, I'd prefer sunshine and dry weather!

Hi Karen,

good to see you here! :) 

Hope all is well with you.

Regards,

Emmet

Hi Emmet,

France is still ramping up the vaccine rate and I suspect we are about the same as Ireland. But I am optimistic for late summer and some return to normalcy by then. I’m getting my first jab next week, so one the home front at least things are looking up. 
I’d like to trade places with you and ride through Ireland again, but that probably won’t happen for a while yet.

Cheers,

Keith

G'day Emmet

There's nothing like a new bike to lift the spirits!

I find V-brakes perfectly satisfactory here in one of the driest continents in the world but discs would give you an advantage in your homeland where I understand that it rains a lot. However due to the need to have a more robust fork and the fact that the brakes themselves are heavier discs can add up to 600 grams to the weight of your new bike. If you are into steel the disc compatible fork will not give as comfortable ride as a lightweight steel fork however fat tyres do a lot to smooth out the ride. 26"wheels are usually considered to be stronger than than the larger diameters. If you are using butterfly bars you have plenty of hand positions, drop bars won't help you that much. Also the rohloff shifter is designed for a flat bar but there are options with drop bars but some are not terribly elegant! SON gives a great light and you never have to worry about battery charges running out. Now if you were an American citizen the gummint would be sending you $1,400 towards the cost of your new bike!

Mike

lol careful talking about the gov'ment, could end up like "the other place"

😂😂😂

Y'know, Emmet, with your LHT frame you should be able to make "upgrades" such as larger wheels, say from 26" to 650B, if you wanted to do so.  Depending on its rear dropouts, you might also be able to install a Rohloff.  A key issue there is ensuring the right chain tension:  if you have horizontal dropouts, then (I'm told) an adjusting/fixing mechanism is straightforward.  If you have standard dropouts, then you have to use a derailleur-style chain tensioner.

On the other hand (he said, always ready with suggestions on how others could spend their money), you could buy a Rohloff-specific frame from a company like Thorn/St John St Cycles in Somerset.  The Thorn Cycles Forum has a lot of info on the care & feeding of Rohloffs, along with Incantations You Need To Know before being inducted into the Church of Rohloff.

In a (sorta-) related vein, good to hear that you've done some touring in Atlantic Canada.  One of the (thankfully) limited consequences of the pandemic was that my anticipated-but-not-quite-planned tour of the Acadian coast of NB and of Cape Breton has been put on hold for ...  a while yet.  Maybe next year?  If & as it gets closer to really happening, I'll tap your own experience, if I may.

Cheers,  John