I’m now coming up to 5,000 miles on the Surly Long Haul Trucker, aka my little Tank, and boy have they been my most comfortable 5,000 miles ever.
But, as there always is a but, the fecking LHT is the reason that I can’t ride my other bicycles any more. As my good friend at my LBS said … “Over the years as you get older you might find that you want to raise your handlebars a little bit as time goes on. You my friend have gone and done it, raised the bars by at least 20deg on your Surly and there is no way that you can go back again“.
And then there are the Brooks saddles, I do have a Brooks bum and there is no way I’m going back to other saddles.
Dirty Pia : My beloved MTB, which I have done umpteen miles on without any problems. Now I’m in agony after a few miles, too much weight on my hands and arms because of the forward leaning position. And then there is the saddle, how the heck did I manage all these miles before on that sharp brick ?
Chutney : My Speed Pro TT from …

The other day while cycling home from work. I heard and felt the loud noise of what seemed to be a screwdriver being put to a bench grinder coming from my rear hub.

Description: Brixton Cycles – Powering the individual for 25 Years and still we roll
Shop visited: Continuously.
One of the most famous bicycle shops in London, people from all over would come from all over. Even I travel 6 and a bit miles to go there even when I got easy 8-10 bicycle shops closer too me.
We have had only good service from Brixton Cycles when we ordered our Surly Long Hall Truckers.
They are run as a workers Co-Op so it can only be good service, what other bicycle shop can you enter and hear Mozart or other classical music playing ?
Even when they are clearly off their feet because they are so busy, they have given me a great service. I have arrived 5min after opening time on a Saturday and there was already a queue! So be prepared for a little wait.

Shop contact:

www : http://www.brixtoncycles.co.uk/
phone : + 44 (0) 20 7733 6055
Ratings:
I really love the sign on the door saying, No manners – No spanners.

Description: Bicycle Sales in Split, Croatia.
Shop visited: September 2009.

I emailed Ciklo Planet a few month ago and asked if it would be ok for us to come and pick up some empty bicycle boxes after our cycling tour in Croatia for our flight home.
Yes no problem, was the answer and the same when I send them a reminder a week before we would arrive in Split.
I called them up the day before to remind them and to ask for directions, since I didn’t, nor did the campsite we stayed at, have a detailed map of the area.
They told me to avoid the tunnel out the Marjan area of Split since it would “not be good for my health” ;). Armed with that general information I hit the tourist information in Split and within few seconds and two clicks on the computer we had an explanation on how to get there.
As I walked into the little shop and said “Hello, I’m here to pick up…” “Two bike boxes” they finished the sentence for me.
They lent us a some tools to take off our pedals and even explained on the phone to the hotel we stayed at …

Description: Bicycle Sales France. Charly opens his shop doors on the roundabout in the middle of Argelès-Gazost. He is proud to offer his clients, who are enthusiastic about all types of biking, only the best.
Shop visited: Summer 2009

As seen on the blog: A good start …
My thread on my left crank arm broke, and Rob at Les Sorbiers took me down to Sport Loisirs Diffusion to see what they could do.
They did have a left crank arm in the right lenght but not the right fitting to the bottom bracket. So the mechanic said that he could fix the thread. We where a bit worried that this would take some time, and I will miss out of a few days cycling while waiting.
Not to worry said the mechanic, if you go and have a coffee for 20-30min, I will have it done for you today. As he would just let Chutney jump the queue, simply brilliant service.
We came back around 40min later, and everything was just fine. 20.50 euros for a new thread, some drilling and some glue/cement and the crank arm is as good as new. I just had to let the bike rest for a night …

My review of the Surly LHT

… our LBS fella had the odd size seat post in his back pack when he swung by on his way home, ain’t he a good man :)

Description: Bicycle Sales in West London. We have 30 years experience in bicycle repairs and sales. Our customers come from all over West London – Fulham, Chelsea, Putney and Battersea – for our speedy repairs and our great range of new and used bikes.
Shop visited: Continuously

As seen on the blog: seat post
This is my local bike shop, very good service very friendly staff. Cory is the man, who will take are of you.
The bike shop is split into two, the shop on 361 New King’s Road, Fulham, London, SW6 4RJ and the repair shop in the viaducts (where the shop used to be).

Shop contact:

www : http://www.mend-a-bike.co.uk/
phone : 0207 371 5867
Ratings:
Simply worth all the oinks it can get :)

Description: Bicycle Sales in Copenhagen, Denmark. Specialise in road and mountain bikes. They even got their own team so do look out for them.
Shop visited: August 2007 and June 2009

As seen on the blog: Living in a box
A lovely shop if you are looking for a new road or MTB bike, some very nice gear in there. A massive lower floor with plenty of bike p0rn and a upper floor full with cycling clothing and chaning rooms.
The shop is kinda hidden, my host in CPH had lived on the street next to it for 4 years in 2007. He only found out, that there was a bicycle shop there, when I arrived home with 2 empty bicycle boxes
In 2009 the staff provided us, with a smile, some empty bike boxes to pack ours in for the flight home. But do come early, or call first, because they had already compressed the empties into a small block of cardboard when we visited the first day.
When I visited in 2007 to do the same, e.g. get a empty box, they did not have said machine and was told yeah do grap a box less work for us at the …

Our last day of our holiday started nice and slow, with a good breakfast and tea and some basic chilling out.
We went over to the local bike shop, Webike, to pick up some empty bike boxes to pack our bikes in.

Last minute snack before we had go to the airport. Dead easy on the Metro in CPH only 25min door to door.

Georg Jensen’s bling bike on display in CPH airport.
At the airport I had my last hotdog of the tour and we failed to find a Danish for Peli, but then again she should have enough in me :)
We got on the plane on time, and arrived in Gatwick on time, and found our bikes but no compressed air. Back home just after midnight and very tired from all that traveling but happy after a well needed holiday that we enjoyed very much.
3 miles ride back home in London, even late at night it was a wake up call for us, totally different from Denmark.
Today’s non ride was sponsored by WeBike in CPH. Located just around the corner from where we were staying. A lovely shop if you are looking for a new road or MTB bike, some very nice …