touring england

[dirty_harry]

hi all i have a few questions.
first of all im not a touring cyclist but kinda like the idea of going over seas and cycling round so please excuse my noob questions.
first of all i am 18 in a month and am currently taking a gap year before i go to uni and want to travel. i dont have a lot of money and im thinking that cycling round would be a little cheaper aswell as more fun than renting a car. i am thinking of buying a bike rather than travelling with one that said though i havent priced taking a bike with me i might do this next week. what are peoples views on buying a bike over there. i have family over in england so was thinking i could probably leave the bike with them and ask them to sell it for me when i head home and just post the money to me or something like that. so in that sense i shouldnt be losing much money so essentially free transport . does this sound reasonable. the other thing i was wondering is can you get some form of pnnier and rack that doesnt need mounting holes on the frame i.e something that clams to the seatstays and seatpost and something that just clamps to the front fork for front panniers. im thinking down this path so i dont have to worry about getting a touring specific frame. i was also wondering what sort of prices backpackers places are per night and how frequent they are through out the country. i spose there is also b&b's i could stay in or caravan parks if i get a light weight tent. im asking this because google is a bit hazy on these fact so was wondering what other peoples experiences were. also what sort of price is bike gear over there in shops. i.e if i have a major wheel or drive train problem. is it all pbk internet price or similar or is it expensive like australia (i realise it may seem cheap in pounds but i have to keep the exchange rate in mind) hats all i can think of at the moment
thanks harry
oh point ou anything drastic i may have missed

[rhancock]

http://www.yha.org.uk/

[dirty_harry]

thanks fo the link very good site and defnately gives me a good idea of price
harry

[chalkie]

Route-wise in the UK, check out the sustrans website
http://www.sustrans.org.uk/what-we-do/n ... es/england
or here
http://www.bikehike.co.uk/
or get a big roadmap book.
I found it better to stick to the minor roads which had better scenery. Take or get some decent waterproofs. Although having said that I cycled for a month in June with nary a speck of rain. English drivers, in the Midlands at least, seem to be much more forgiving than Aussies - I had a significant tailback on an A road (double white lines) once and pulled over out of politeness. Most of the drivers including truckies waved in thanks (I think) as they passed.
There is the usual price differential between online shops and the LBS. I had a problem using my Oz credit card online because my card address did not match my UK address. I did manage to get around it but can't remember how - I think I might have just talked them into it or used a trusting UK friend's card. With all the paranoia about money laundering and terrorists funding, banking restrictions are pretty tough.
Accommodation-wise YHA is a good way to go - B&B can be expensive $100 a night!
If you're going to be in cider country, the real stuff (not in bottles or fizzy) is better than beer and cheaper and I can't remember any hangovers (not that I could remember much after 3 pints anyway!)
Geoff

[chalkie]

Oh I forgot.
I got my bike from the CTC market place for $200. It fell apart in France but it did the job. I just junked it afterwards - 2000km with no TLC killed it.
There are some good bikes to be had but you will need to be less of a tightwad than me. The guys on CTC seem to be pretty genuine - go for reputable makes - Dawes etc.
The CTC forums are a good resource
http://ctc.org.uk/
I'm sure I'll remember more. I'll post any more random recollections as they surface.
Geoff

[grw]

an you get some form of pnnier and rack that doesnt need mounting holes on the frame i.e something that clams to the seatstays and seatpost and something that just clamps to the front fork for front panniers. im thinking down this path so i dont have to worry about getting a touring specific frame.

Have a look for Old Man Mountain racks on the web. I used one for a tour on a Cannondale frame which had no bosses. Mounts on the rear axle and via p clips to the stays.

is it all pbk internet price or similar or is it expensive like australia (i realise it may seem cheap in pounds but i have to keep the exchange rate in mind) hats all i can think of at the moment

Exchange rate is great at the moment, so things would be pretty cheap over there with AUD. I think its generally a bit cheaper to buy bike kit in the UK than here (given relative similarities in other items...).
Another accommodation option are the camping barns - some run by the YHA, others run independently. Quite cheap, and you have the bonus of being indoors, even if it might be a bit draughty and primative.
grw