Appreciate help for vacation in England...

markwill

I'm a displaced (misplaced?) Brit who's lived in the US for 13 years, the last 9 being in Seattle. We've come home to England a whole bunch of times, mainly for Christmas' but also for a couple of funerals. But I have never been back in the summer. Until this year...

I've been planning this trip for some time and have five weeks in England, starting on June 17th. I'm a Bristol lad and would LOVE to cycle around to some of my old haunts. For those who know the area, I lived in Keynsham as a kid so Bristol or Bath were common trips for me. Areas of interest would include Claverton, Woollard, Hunstrete Lake and the beautiful countryside around Bath. All of these memories are based on fishing trips as a kid but now I am returning as a 43 year old who now loves road cycling. To that end, I have a bunch of questions around the logistics of this...

I'm guessing it won't be worth my while to buy a bike cargo case and ship my road bike. As far as I know, airlines add a significant surcharge for bikes (why - I've heard they do this even if the luggage is within standard size limitations?). So, I am interested in renting a road bike in England. But I am not sure where to go. Does anyone have any ideas on where I can rent a good road bike in the Bristol or Bath area? I have Speedplay pedals/cleats - am I best served by bringing my pedals with me when I travel or should I be able to rent a bike with Speedplay pedals? And what about the other stuff - helmet, spare tire, pump, toolkit, etc, etc? And how much would I expect to pay?

I really don't know where to start but if I can pull this off this would be a tremendously nostaligic trip for me and I'd have an absolute blast. I'd appreciate any pointers...

Thanks.

Mark

VeloSpeed

Hi Mark

Can't really help too much as I live up north but a friend of mine was based outside Bath for a while and I enjoyed some fantastic cycling in that area and along the Bristol - Bath cycle way. Can't blame you for wanting to get out there!

Most of the bike hire I saw was for mountain bikes and hybrids. I would say certainly bring your own pedals but personally I know I'd miss my own bike!

May be worth getting in touch with the Cyclists Touring Club for that area

http://www.ctcwest.org.uk/bristol/
they may well have some better local info

David

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