Ed T. wrote:> [posted to rec.bicycles.rides,rec.travel.europe]>
Hi;>
I'm planning to visit these islands in June: 8 days Faroes, 5-6> Shetlands, and 3 Orkneys. (Wish I had more time in the Orkneys, but> this is how it works out.)>
My current plans include bringing a bicycle and using it for at least> short-to-medium sightseeing trips out of the major towns (Torshavn,> Lerwick, Kirkwall).>
I have no problems putting in three or four hours of reasonable effort> on the bicycle. I am also not too paranoid about traffic, since I do> commute through downtown Toronto with streetcars (trams), taxis,> delivery trucks, latte-sipping SUV and Lexus drivers who don't pay> attention, etc.>
The bicycle itself is a ~1993 Marin full-rigid mountain bike that now> has 1.4" Tom Ritchie slicks, fenders, and a good saddle. I plan to> add small panniers. This is my #3 bike, and I am using it as a> rail-trail, gravel-road, countryside day tourer. (This bike was> replaced by a nicer, lighter front-suspension bike for MTB, and I have> an old Steve Bauer road bike for, well, roads.) I'd have reasonable> bicycling clothing, and also general-purpose clothing fit for North> Atlantic islands (wind and rain resistant).>
I have heard that all three island groups are windy. Island roads can> be narrow, and possibly gravel. Also, the Faroes apparently have> tunnels.>
1) Are these obstacles all that horrible for a reasonably experienced> bicyclist? I mean, headwinds are no fun, but these would not be> high-speed training rides--I'd just enjoy the scenery if forced to> crawl. The Marin has gears and brakes to handle whatever the slicks> can adhere to (I can mount knobbies, but that seems like overkill).> Narrow roads would only worry me if there was no visibility and> drivers take blind corners too fast. And are the tunnels that bad if> I have front and rear LED lights and reasonable reflective tape?>
2) Assuming 10-20 Km/h into a good headwind or uphill, 25 km/h on> flat and windfree, and 30+ km/h dowhill/downwind, with stops for> sightseeing, I think I should be easily able to explore a 20-30 km> radius from my base. Does this sound about right?>
3) Are there any nice cycle outings on all the islands, assuming> starting from Torshavn, Lerwick, Kirkwall, that you can recommend?>
"Ed T." <Ed.Toronto@gmail.com> kirjoitti viestissä:916b4b93.0504140643.6639383f@posting.google.com...> [posted to rec.bicycles.rides,rec.travel.europe]>
Hi;>
I'm planning to visit these islands in June: 8 days Faroes, 5-6> Shetlands, and 3 Orkneys. (Wish I had more time in the Orkneys, but> this is how it works out.)>
My current plans include bringing a bicycle and using it for at least> short-to-medium sightseeing trips out of the major towns (Torshavn,> Lerwick, Kirkwall).>
I was couple of days in Faroes (Thorshavn) with my bicycle. Olny problem (in June) was weather: below + 10 C and strong wind all the time.
in message <3c7k7mF6hrrshU1@individual.net>, Jan ('jan@freeinternet.com') wrote:
Ed T. wrote:>> [posted to rec.bicycles.rides,rec.travel.europe]>>
I'm planning to visit these islands in June: 8 days Faroes, 5-6>> Shetlands, and 3 Orkneys. (Wish I had more time in the Orkneys, but>> this is how it works out.)>>
My current plans include bringing a bicycle and using it for at least>> short-to-medium sightseeing trips out of the major towns (Torshavn,>> Lerwick, Kirkwall).>> 1) Are these obstacles all that horrible for a reasonably>> experienced>> bicyclist? I mean, headwinds are no fun, but these would not be>> high-speed training rides--I'd just enjoy the scenery if forced to>> crawl. The Marin has gears and brakes to handle whatever the slicks>> can adhere to (I can mount knobbies, but that seems like overkill).>> Narrow roads would only worry me if there was no visibility and>> drivers take blind corners too fast. And are the tunnels that bad if>> I have front and rear LED lights and reasonable reflective tape?
Cycling on Orkney - I haven't been to Shetland or Faeroe - is mostly very pleasant. Apart from Hoy there aren't any significant hills; the roads aren't busy, and the surface is mostly OK; the scenery is mostly pretty spectacular and the archaeology is amazing. But do not under-rate the wind. It probably _averages_ 20 miles per hour, and there are thirty days of gales in the average year. I can't remember a windless day in the two months I was there.
2) Assuming 10-20 Km/h into a good headwind or uphill, 25 km/h on>> flat and windfree, and 30+ km/h dowhill/downwind, with stops for>> sightseeing, I think I should be easily able to explore a 20-30 km>> radius from my base. Does this sound about right?>>
3) Are there any nice cycle outings on all the islands, assuming>> starting from Torshavn, Lerwick, Kirkwall, that you can recommend?
You _have_ to see Maes Howe and Skara Brae. There's lots of other absolutely spectacular archaeology but those two are world class. Apart from that, it would be interesting to cycle on Hoy (which I didn't do) and see the Old Man (a natural rock pillar 450 feet high) from close up - it's pretty spectacular when you look at it across Scapa Flow but close up it must be unbelievable. Don't miss the distilleries, of course - Orkney whiskies are my favourite.
-- simon@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/ ; ... of course nothing said here will be taken notice of by ; the W3C. The official place to be ignored is on www-style or ; www-html. -- George Lund
"Jan" <jan@freeinternet.com> wrote in message news:3c7k7mF6hrrshU1@individual.net...> Ed T. wrote:>> [posted to rec.bicycles.rides,rec.travel.europe]>>
Hi;>>
I'm planning to visit these islands in June: 8 days Faroes, 5-6>> Shetlands, and 3 Orkneys. (Wish I had more time in the Orkneys, but>> this is how it works out.)>>
My current plans include bringing a bicycle and using it for at least>> short-to-medium sightseeing trips out of the major towns (Torshavn,>> Lerwick, Kirkwall).>>
I have no problems putting in three or four hours of reasonable effort>> on the bicycle. I am also not too paranoid about traffic, since I do>> commute through downtown Toronto with streetcars (trams), taxis,>> delivery trucks, latte-sipping SUV and Lexus drivers who don't pay>> attention, etc.>>
The bicycle itself is a ~1993 Marin full-rigid mountain bike that now>> has 1.4" Tom Ritchie slicks, fenders, and a good saddle. I plan to>> add small panniers. This is my #3 bike, and I am using it as a>> rail-trail, gravel-road, countryside day tourer. (This bike was>> replaced by a nicer, lighter front-suspension bike for MTB, and I have>> an old Steve Bauer road bike for, well, roads.) I'd have reasonable>> bicycling clothing, and also general-purpose clothing fit for North>> Atlantic islands (wind and rain resistant).>>
I have heard that all three island groups are windy. Island roads can>> be narrow, and possibly gravel. Also, the Faroes apparently have>> tunnels.>>
1) Are these obstacles all that horrible for a reasonably experienced>> bicyclist? I mean, headwinds are no fun, but these would not be>> high-speed training rides--I'd just enjoy the scenery if forced to>> crawl. The Marin has gears and brakes to handle whatever the slicks>> can adhere to (I can mount knobbies, but that seems like overkill).>> Narrow roads would only worry me if there was no visibility and>> drivers take blind corners too fast. And are the tunnels that bad if>> I have front and rear LED lights and reasonable reflective tape?>>
2) Assuming 10-20 Km/h into a good headwind or uphill, 25 km/h on>> flat and windfree, and 30+ km/h dowhill/downwind, with stops for>> sightseeing, I think I should be easily able to explore a 20-30 km>> radius from my base. Does this sound about right?>>
3) Are there any nice cycle outings on all the islands, assuming>> starting from Torshavn, Lerwick, Kirkwall, that you can recommend?>>
