Day-by-day routes have been added to the GPS - that's to supplement the printed maps ... I like a "picture" - Jon is "gadget man" with 100% trust in the technology.   

Have to say I was surprised at how little weight the files added to the GPS 

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From Rob's handlebars

The shakedown rides for the re-painted, rebuilt Galaxy have been OK - I'd forgotten what a pleasure it is to ride this machine.    I've been round and tightened everything up and all seems ready to go, just a small amount of fettling required for the waterproof pannier covers and that should be it.

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From Rob's handlebars

On 15-16 April 2010 Rob & Jon, together with Steve, rode from Stratford, London E15 to Stratford-upon-Avon - in part as a "mini boys' outing" for some E2E training, but also to check out the route for a(nother) charity ride that Rob is helping to organise - Stratford-to-Stratford (110 miles in a day and half, 75 riders)

On the day before the "Recce Ride" started the team went to The Pedal Club in London for lunch and met the television cycling commentator (and veteran of over 30 Tours de France),  journalist Phil Liggett.   It should be noted that the club committee granted special dispensation for the team to wear cycling kit rather than the usual suit and tie!

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Not quite what it, allegedly, might appear to be . . . it's pure, uncut, Lucozade Sport (Orange flavour) packed in bottle-dose plastic bags.

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From Rob's handlebars

Checked off and ready to stow in the front rack-bag: 2 x tubes, tyre boot, puncture kit, C02 cartridges and adaptor (only if it's raining!), allen key/minitool, mini-pliers, brake blocks, chain tool, 8 & 10mm spanners, grease, chain oil, silicone lube spray, cable ties, brake & gear cables, tape, various nuts, bolts, washers etc., plastic gloves.

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From Rob's handlebars

Our train tickets, with the all-important cycle tickets, are now booked for all four segments of the journey:  home to Bristol; Bristol to Penzance; Inverness to Edinburgh; Edinburgh to Birmingham and home.  The sector from John O'Groats to Inverness is with a minibus and trailer service.

The map-case for the printed map, the cycle computer and Garmin GPS

The complete route has been plotted using Memory Map and then printed (as a .pdf) in A5 pages before being colour printed and wire-o bound into 4 separate volumes, each of c60 pages.  The maps are the Ordnance Survey 1:50 000, but with the scale reduced slightly.

The same Memory Map routes have been converted to .gpx files and uploaded to the GPS through Garmin MapSource as a file for each day

The rebuild of Rob's 1975 Galaxy is complete. 

A complete strip-down for the frame and forks to be powder-coated in metallic red - then rebuilt with a new bottom bracket, headset, brakes, cables and chain together with a new front rack - all other parts have been re-used.

The luggage is a new (old stock) pair of Karrimor panniers and an Altura bar bag.  The small bag on the front rack is for tools, parts, tubes etc. and a lock.

Waterproofs will be stored in the top netting pockets on the panniers