The undulating 30km ❝ to Bonifacio was beautiful
but exposed under the baking sun. Adrian drank all his water before reaching Bonifacio
❞
the disc pad retainer was bent. Adrian put the pads back without the holder as it was too badly damaged. The pads rubbed slightly but we were off again. Thankfully, our hotel had a swimming pool outside our rooms so we could relax and ease our tired limbs.
Day 9 Aleria to Bastia – 132km, 3298m climbing We set off at 6am before the day became too hot, having an incentive of breakfast at 57km. We soon split on the initial climb, it was a day of long climbs and steep descents. Adrian was upfront and sent a message to say
that the road was closed but he would continue and let us know if it was passable. Luckily it was. Further up, as the road got steeper, there were pigs and other animals to avoid. There were also a couple of 30 per cent sections but these were short. I was relieved to finally reach the top of the climb and breakfast at L’Auberge de 2 Vallees. We had an excellent omelette, coffee, and orange juice. The beer garden had excellent views down the valley. Crossing the busy T10 road was a shock after the quiet interior roads. It became very hot riding the coast road without shade, a straight and flat road, but easy to
navigate. Paddy was first to stop at a beach. Adrian and I joined him for a swim. We planned to regroup here to ride the last part of the ride together into Bastia. However, when we realised how far back Lars was Paddy took off and Adrian and I took a more leisurely ride together to await Lars in Bastia. Lars had sent a message that he was a long distance away, making the most of his last day on the bike and in no rush to catch up. On our return to Bastia in the evening there was a music festival which was great. Later we walked to the outskirts of the town to find a quieter place to eat and to toast the end of our adventure!
Man (and bike) in a suitcase
Arrivée152Summer2021
Globe-trotting Audaxer Chris Wilby is a big fan of the Airnimal folding bike – a machine designed and built in Cambridge, the cycling capital of Britain. Here he describes his travel experiences with a fold-away favourite, the Airnimal Chameleon, and his many modifications in search of the perfect machine
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I DID SOME TINKERING with my bike in lockdown – and now I believe I have the perfect travelling Audax machine – an Airnimal Chameleon, upgraded to 26-inch or 650c wheels. I’m no longer refused entry on buses or taxis and need make no special arrangements with train companies. As well as the in-a-case option there’s the travelling-bag option. I’m regularly adding something new to my Chameleon – the latest upgrade being a Busch and Muller rear dynamo lamp. The size of a £1 coin, it fits unobtrusively on the rear stay, with an LED light powered from my dynohub. I’ve been an Airnimal fan for years. Mine is a sporty model the Chameleon, first produced in 2002. I also own a carbon Dolan road bike, but frequently choose to ride the Airnimal, particularly since adding the bigger wheels.
The suspensive rubber technology gives the whole unit a feel of a steel tourer. It also has an aluminium frame, which I find less harsh than alloy frames. I bought my first Airnimal, a gold painted Chameleon, in 2007 prior to my third Paris Brest Paris ride. I’ve had plenty of experience taking bikes to USA, Canada, Australia, Italy and Russia. But I got fed up with various Airline problems, and the process of taking a full-sized bike on a plane. So the idea struck me – why not take a bike in disguise? When airlines began to demand payment for bike carriage, it seemed convenient to “smuggle” a bike in a suitcase, while meeting airline standards. My advice, though, is not to put any cycling identification, like stickers, on the suitcase. This only attracts attention. Once an airline knows there’s a bike in the case, even if it’s
regulation-size, they’re likely to charge you. There are some carriers, like Air Amsterdam, who welcome bikes at no extra charge, but generally it’s a compromise. You can pay for a higher cost flight that doesn’t charge for bikes, or choose a budget airline which will add a supplement. Sometimes it’s cheaper to use the more expensive airline. Airnimal offers benefits when you get off the plane, too. Getting the bike in a taxi or on a bus is so much simpler. Once it’s packed it become normal luggage. On the Moscow subway, for instance, regular bikes have to be transported up and down escalators with the front wheel removed. The escalators, built by Stalin to double as bomb shelters, are so long you can’t see the end of them My first Audax ride with the folding bike was in Wales (300km) where everything went wrong. I had repeated punctures due to the front wheel not having any rim tape. I packed in the end, and a kind organiser took me back to base. My first 600km was the Scotland’s Daylight 600. Travelling by train and bus to the ride headquarters was easy. Assembling the bike and packing it in the case can be quickly learned. I took photos of the process so I could get it just right.
