Bike Weekend!

[azekeil]

Fantastic! Everyone seems to be finally getting their bikes in order, so all that remains is for someone to organise something. So here it is! We are all going to OXFORD, on Saturday 5^th July (yes, just over three weeks from now!) to meet in:

The Three Pigeons Inn, London Road, Milton Common, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 2JN

Yellow pages entry Multimap Streetmap (use even z= numbers in URL to get 5x5 map instead of default 3x3)

There is a field right next door which bikers have used to camp in before and the pub has been informed - so bring yer tents/sleeping bags/what have you - if you haven't room on the bike for a tent I'm sure someone will give you some room in theirs!

The plan is to meet up in the pub during the early afternoon and then we will go for a ride leaving at 3pm promptly. Route TBC. We get back, get some booze, light a few fires and generally have a damn good time before retiring to the tents for the night.

Anyone who wants to come should leave a comment on this post (for numbers), preferably with:

• Make/model of bike (for interest) - links, not pictures please.
• Whether they will be bringing a pillion or not
• Whether they'd be willing to take a pillion in case someone wants to come but hasn't got a ride..
• Where they're coming from (to help people get rides)

Anyone who wants my mobile number in case of problems should email me separately.

Come on, this is the big biking event of the summer! Promote/link like crazy!

Comments

[sciamachy.livejournal.com]

I could manage 100 I guess...?

[stuartl.livejournal.com]

Heh, probably best that you come see it and we negotiate from there. We're the right ballpark :) What colour is your bike?

azekeil: I'm going to need to talk to you about the panniers and top boxes :)

[sciamachy.livejournal.com]

Blue. There's a photo behind the link I posted earlier. :-)

[stuartl.livejournal.com]

You've got a choice between charcoal/grey boxes and black ones. azekeil has borrowed my black ones and has replaced them with his grey ones. It'd be a three-way negotiation to decide which ones you want :)

[sciamachy.livejournal.com]

Well, black would be ideal since my bike's blue and black.

[sciamachy.livejournal.com]

D'you have a photo of the grey boxes?

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

Yes, the original topbox is attached to my bike here. And you've seen the black topbox (if you remember it) when we went to collect the bike the other day :)

[sciamachy.livejournal.com]

Well, I'd prefer black, but the charcoal one looks okay too. Are there any other differences functionally between them? Same size I take it?

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

Yes, the topbox of the black set is large enough to fit two full-size helmets in it. The grey one cannot quite fit a helmet. Hence why I swapped with stuartl for the black ones.

If you're interested in the grey ones, I'd happily give you say.. 50 quid? to keep the black ones?

[sciamachy.livejournal.com]

Is that just a matter of shape, or is there a significant difference in capacity? What I'm thinking is in terms of touring and so on. Sue and I tend to keep our helmets with us anyway, but I might use the topbox for shopping or camping equipment.

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

Yes basically the black topbox is larger in every dimension. I think it's 45L(itres) as opposed to 35L (?) - the panniers are 35L for both sets.

[sciamachy.livejournal.com]

Say if I was to upgrade later to a 45 litre system, is the fixing system the same for brand new kit? Like, I wouldn't have to buy a new wingrack?

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

I use the same wingrack for the black boxes as I did for the charcoal boxes. That's not to say that newer models won't have changed their wingrack design however...

[sciamachy.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'm not too averse to the charcoal coloured ones. You said "right ballpark" - want to name a price nearer the mark that you'd accept?

[stuartl.livejournal.com]

150 quid would seal it for you :)

If you're going on the Oxford ride it's not that far from my house, about 30 mins, so it'd be trivial to come to mine and fit it there and then.

[sciamachy.livejournal.com]

OKay - done! :-)

Shall we meet up before the ride, or d'you want me to follow you back from the ride? Bear in mind that me in a pub with 150 quid in cash is a recipe for disaster.

[stuartl.livejournal.com]

It's not 100% that I'll be on the ride as yet, if that appears to be a possibility make sure you get hold of me (email addy is on my profile) before the event and we'll sort something out.

Either way if you're worried about the cash we can do the deal before the ride itself, give it an hour or two to fit the kit just in case I've lost a bolt and need to go shopping to replace it.

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

So I take it you want me to bring the charcoal topbox - I hope it fits inside the black one otherwise I'll have problems.. and I'll be giving you £50 and sciamachy will be giving you £100? Is that right?

Bring any/all keys you have for the grey ones.. ooh I hope I have a key for the grey topbox :S

[stuartl.livejournal.com]

I haven't touched the grey ones, whatever keys you gave me are hopefully still exactly where they were. *crosses fingers*

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

So I take it you want me to bring the charcoal topbox - I hope it fits inside the black one otherwise I'll have problems.. and I'll be giving stuartl £50 and you'll be giving him £100? Is that right?

[sciamachy.livejournal.com]

Yup, sounds right to me. :-) Or shall I come and collect the charcoal one from you in the car beforehand? The only tricky thing as I see it is getting the wingrack fitted. Ideally, from my POV, I'd like to do the deal a day or two before the ride-out so that I'll be able to just load up the luggage with the camping gear rather than faff around with a set of soft panniers as well as the luggage.

[stuartl.livejournal.com]

You're perfectly welcome to pop down to see me (look up 'Newbury' on a road map) during the week. Unfortunately I work during weekdays (it's shocking to anyone who knows me ;)) so it'd have to be an evening.

The one alternative is if you were to visit me on Sunday or I could bring the gear to Cheltenham tomorrow...?

[sciamachy.livejournal.com]

Can't do it this week, as I need paying before I can afford to pay you anything (I'm down to my last 20 quid in my account). I should be paid on the 28th (next Saturday) so if you like I could do it then - or better yet, I'm biking down to London on 30th June anyway, and back up on 1st July, so I guess I could call in on my way down.

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

*grin* Yes I realise.. I noticed I definitely *do* have the grey topbox in the loft in Bristol...