Читать книгу The Wild Atlantic Way and Western Ireland. 6 cycle tours along Ireland's west coast онлайн

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What to take

Bike

Bikes sold as tourers generally have a relaxed frame geometry, good clearances for mudguards and tyres, mounting points for carriers, and low gear ratios. A set of hand-built touring wheels is a good investment, especially for Ireland where the roads are bumpy. Drop handlebars are not for everyone, but they do give a choice of hand positions and can be a godsend in headwinds. Mountain bikes or mountain–road hybrids are also popular for touring, but since most of this book is on sealed roads, make sure suitable road tyres are fitted.

For Irish conditions, 32–42mm (width) tyres are a good compromise between speed and comfort. A puncture resistant Kevlar band is pretty much essential, because of thorns. Schwalbe Marathons (www.schwalbe.com) work well in Ireland: the basic Marathon is a good choice although you might prefer the faster-rolling Marathon Supreme in wider tyre sizes.

Simple is generally best on tour, and in Ireland, if you have the absolute latest in gear, spares might be hard to get hold of. Sticking to 26-inch or 700c wheel sizes will give you the best choice of spares, if you happen to need them.