Quelques lignes pour nous présenter, nous qui allons débuter une nouvelle "aventure" sportive sur nos futurs vélos.
J'ai 53 ans et ma femme 55 ans. Nous habitons dans les Alpes du Nord. Pratiquant plusieurs sports (vtt, montagne, ski de rando), je me tourne désormais vers le cyclo et ma femme me suit dans mon projet 😉
Notre objectif premier : parcourir les routes de France et d'Europe pendant nos vacances (en attendant la retraite).
Nous avons projeté 5 jours entre Narbone et Perpignan fin avril puis 9 ou 10 jours pour faire Biarritz-Les Sables d'Olonnes en juin.
Au départ, je voulais 2 vélos Intec mais le site bike24 ne livre pas les vélos montés en France (juste les cadres) et avec l'autre site (www.meilenweit.net/), ça semblait encore plus compliqué avec des options. Dommage. Donc après de multiples recherches, de nombreux avis et conseils, de réflexions personnelles, de doutes, de contraintes budgétaires, de lectures de blogs-forums-articles, de prise de tête, de nuits blanches à réfléchir 😏, de remarques de ma femme, j'ai arrêté mon choix sur 2 vélos à cadre acier en 28'' :Pour moi : www.poison-bikes.de/...-Deore.html?&d=1. J'ai opté pour quelques options et demandé le changement des plateaux avant (passage du 48/36/26 au 42/32/24) - Prix avec options : 1007€ (monté en Deore, v-brake, porte bagages av-ar, pneus Schwalbe Marathon)Pour ma femme : www.poison-bikes.de/...e-Lady.html?&d=1. Ici aussi quelques options - Prix avec options : 1049€ (monté en Nuvinci380, v-brake, porte bagages ar, pneus Schwalbe Marathon)J'ai pu bénéficier de -10% sur le site (promo jusqu'au 09/02). A cela on a rajouté 140€ pour la livraison. Total de l'opération 2196€ pour nos 2 vélos. Livraison sous 4 semaines.
Le choix du Nuvinci380 a été dicté par le fait que je veux monter une assistance électrique au pédalier sur le vélo de ma femme. D'après Guillaume de Déclic-Eco c'est le choix le plus adapté pour cela. De plus, je ne voulais pas d'un système fermé (Bosch et compères) et avoir la possibilité de faire évoluer, changer ou supprimer quelque chose sans de grosses contraintes techniques et pouvoir garder le vélo seul.
Les capacités sportives de ma femme sont plus limitées que les miennes et elle a déjà pu apprécier le vtt électrique ! Elle sait qu'elle ne pourra pas faire des centaines de kilomètres sans une aide, même si elle pense pouvoir s'en passer de temps à autre.
Prochaine étape : achat des sacoches (Ortlieb) et divers accessoires.
A ce stade, j'ai quelques questions, alors si vous avez un avis, ce sera avec plaisir.
- Quels modèles Ortlieb pour ce que nous projetons comme voyage (principalement nuits chez l'habitant en utilisant warmshowers, gîte, chambre d'hôtes, hôtel) ?
- comment gérez-vous le train en France avec vélos et sacoches, hormis le fait de réserver à l'avance quand cela est nécessaire ? Est-ce si compliqué, comme je l'entends parfois ?
- Je possède un GPS Garmin GPSMap62s que j'utilise en montagne et un smartphone. Quelles solutions utilisez-vous dans vos périples pour vous guider (en France et en Europe) ? Quelles sont les applications que vous utilisez pour créer vos traces (récupération de tracés, import vers outil adapté et gps ensuite ?
- Que choisir comme solution technique pour recharger ses périphériques sur son vélo (nous avons tous les deux une dynamo sur nos vélos (Shimano Alfine DHS501 pour ma femme et Shutter Precision PV-8 pour moi)
- Quel type de béquilles choisir (centrale, avant (si sacoches) et/ou arrière) et quelle marque ?
- Sacoche: Je n'utilise pas d'Ortlieb donc pas d'avis sur la question. Les prendre bien voyante, genre jaune ou rouge.
- Le train: Pas trop de soucis en priviliégant les TER et en réservant pour vous et les vélos dans les TGV. Le site Capitain Train est à conseiller quand on est avec des vélos. La galère peut être dans les gares s'il n'y a pas d'ascenseur pour accede au quais.
- Le GPS: Perso, je me crée une trace sur Openrunner que je suis plus ou moins sur mon Garmin. J'enregistre aussi ma trace que je vais récupérer ensuite avec Mapsource de Garmin. Sur mon smartphone, j'utilise Maps.me pour avoir des cartes gratuites et pouvoir me repérer clairement sur la carte. J'utilise aussi iphigénie (payant mais avec cartes IGN)
- Recharge: Je n'utilise pas de dynamo mais une batterie Anker qui me permet de recharger 5 à 6 fois le smartphone
- Béquille: Je n'ai pas de béquille ce qui n'est pas toujours très pratique s'il n'y a pas de Poteau, mur ou arbre à proximité.
- Sécurité: Cette attache rapide sécurisée semble intéressante et peu onéreuse. Pourquoi pas.
Sinon, un bon cadenas type U pour attacher les 2 vélos pourrait faire l'affaire. Toujours avoir les effets de valeurs sur soi (sacoche de guidon à prendre en bandoulière). Pour le reste, un peu de prudence et de confiance. Il n'y a pas des voleurs partout, non plus.
- Equipement supplémentaire: sonnette, rétroviseur, écarteur de voiture, ...
Je ne connaissais pas Openrunner, ça correspond parfaitement à ce que je cherchais 🙂 en complément de Basecamp pour "retravailler" mes traces que je suis susceptible de récupérer sur le web et qui parfois sont un peu "pourries" et que ça impose de les nettoyer ou les assembler avec d'autres.
j ai un petit garmin 705 qui me sert que pour sortir des grandes villes , , autrement une bonne carte suffit
as tu fait le choix de la tente ?
bonne prepa
BERNARD "Aucun conseil n'est plus loyal que celui qui se donne sur le navire en péril.
Voiture : Invention ingénieuse, permettant de contenir 110 chevaux dans le moteur et un âne au volant.
Tu as tout a fait raison, c'était mon choix premier mais en 26'', impossible d'avoir un cadre trapèze pour ma femme qui veut se sentir à l'aise... le vélo n'étant - pas encore - sa grande spécialité 😉.
Je me suis donc tourné sur les 28'', ou ils ont un cadre trapèze et pour une question de cohérence entre nous, j'ai fait aussi le choix du 28'' (c'est discutable bien sûr). De toute façon, pour le moment, nous n'envisageons pas de partir à l'autre bout de monde. Les routes et pistes cyclables de France et d'Europe nous suffiront amplement.
Pour la tente, je n'ai pas encore pensé à ça. Nous pensons utiliser plutôt warmshowers, gîtes et chambres d'hôtes. Mais rien n'est encore acté, on réfléchi toujours.
a tres bientot sur les routes des alpes car nous sommes voisins
un petit tuyau pour commencer www.viarhona.com/ c est pas loin de chez nous
BERNARD "Aucun conseil n'est plus loyal que celui qui se donne sur le navire en péril.
Voiture : Invention ingénieuse, permettant de contenir 110 chevaux dans le moteur et un âne au volant.
bonjour, j'utilise des sacoches Ortlieb back roller (2x20l) mais je fais des petites randos avec de grimpettes de temps en temps. je met tout le bazard sur le porte bagage AR. les cyclo au long court chargent aussi l'avant pour équilibrer. je suis partisan des vélo simples, triple plateau VTT (22*32*44 et K7 jusqu'à 32 par exemple ) pour bien mouliner. pneu 1.5 pouce. prendre la bonne taille de cadre et ne pas négliger le réglage de la machine, tout est la.
je vous conseille le site de Claudio qui est une mine d'informations.
http://cbandiera.free.fr/
Salut! vous n'avez pas penser au tandem avec remorque?
Non pas du tout et c'est une solution qui ne nous plait pas trop pour différentes raisons.
De plus il m’arrivera peut-être de partir seul donc ça ne correspond pas vraiment à nos attentes...
Je suis actuellement en randonnée vélo de la haute Savoie à la presqu’île de giens et j’ai L’impression qu’ il y a beaucoup de voyageurs à vélo. Beaucoup de…
A moins que cela existe par ailleurs sur internet, je rêve d'avoir accès à un guide dédié aux cyclo-voyageurs que nous sommes, qui donnerait des détails…
Voyager à vélo › France › Rhône-Alpes / Provence-Côte d'Azur / Centre · 5 replies
Nous sommes 2 solides quinquagénaires qui souhaitent se rendre à un festival de musique proche de Béziers. Nous partons de Mâcon avec nos vélos et nos…
Je m'appelle Nicolas, je suis un photographe de 33 ans et je m'apprête à me lancer très bientôt dans mon premier voyage. Voilà avant d'investir des 100 et des…
J'envisage d'acheter un vélo de la marque cyclo-randonnee, et j'hésite entre 2 tailles (M et L), me trouvant juste à "l'intersection". Je mesure 177 pour un…
Bonjour,
Je prévois de faire la partie hollandaise de l'Eurovélo 19, de Maastricht à Rotterdam.
Comme c'est trop compliqué d'amener mon vélo en train, je cherche à louer un vélo sur place.
Je suis preneuse de conseils ou d'adresses de loueurs de vélos, j'ai du mal à en trouver même à Rotterdam.
L'idée serait de le louer à Rotterdam, de partir avec en train jusqu'à Maastricht, pour faire Maastricht/Rotterdam à vélo
Merci d'avance pour vos conseils ou suggestions.
Nath
I’ve gotten used to crossing Europe by bus to return by bike.
It was really convenient to take the bike without having to disassemble it.
But FlixBus no longer accepts bikes...
What alternatives do you know about?
Thanks.
I’m planning to cycle from Morlaix to Brest (via Roscoff and the V45 coastal route). We’ll start riding on August 16th for 13 days (with stops for island visits, surfing, etc.). Is there a lot of traffic at this time of year? I’ve got two kids, 11 and 13, and we don’t like riding in the middle of cars (we’ve already done the Vélomaritime—Caen to Cherbourg—the Loire route from Orléans to Saumur, the Vélodyssée from Nantes to Royans, and the canals like the Nivernais and Bourgogne, where there were plenty of bike-only lanes, which isn’t the case on this route).
Thanks for your help if you’ve already done this route in late August!
Virginie
I’ve got my flight ticket sorted—departing in mid-November and returning in mid-March. I’ll arrive in Santiago and leave from Buenos Aires.
I’ve already been to southern Argentina, specifically Torres del Paine National Park, and I’d love to go back to do the full W trek (I only did the shorter version last time).
I also want to do some hiking and maybe even tackle a summit. I climb and occasionally do some mountaineering, so I’ll definitely be going with a guide.
I plan to start around Temuco in Chile, with the idea of heading toward the lakes, then taking the Carretera Austral.
I’m not sure if I’ll go all the way to Ushuaia—it’s supposed to not be *that* worth it, except for the bragging rights of saying you’ve been to the end of the world.
I saw there are lakes in Argentina too.
I don’t have a precise itinerary, but what I’d love is, once I reach the southernmost point of my trip, to take a mini-cruise to see some wildlife. Any tips for that?
What kind of sleeping bag did you take? Is a 0°C (32°F) one enough?
And one last question: white gas stove or can I get by with my gas stove?
This summer, we’re planning to cycle along the EV 19 that follows the Meuse River from Langres all the way to Rotterdam.
My question is about getting back to Nantes.
Do any of you know what the best return option might be? I’d love to hear about your experiences.
I saw that FlixBus doesn’t take bikes.
By train, I think it’s possible but would involve multiple local trains.
We were also wondering if there’s a boat from Rotterdam to Saint-Nazaire that could take passengers with bikes.
Any tips or experiences you can share would be really helpful—thanks in advance!
Have a great evening
Hi there,
I’ve been road cycling for several years, and I’m about to switch to gravel in the next few days—I’m waiting for my bike, which should arrive this week.
I’m planning a bikepacking trip in a few weeks along the Véloroute V81, also known as the Vélosud, from Biarritz to Le Barcarès.
Has anyone here already done this route? Any info is welcome, whether it’s about the route itself, gear, or accommodation. I’ll prioritize staying with locals as much as possible. On that note, I just signed up for the brand-new site *Guidon et Couette* ((www.guidon-et-couette.fr)), which offers free accommodation between cyclists across the country, but there’s almost no one listed along my route!
Thanks in advance.
Laurent.
I’m planning to build a new touring bike.
I want to prioritize lightness.
That said, I’m tempted by a suspension fork that could offer some comfort on rougher roads.
The recent appearance of gravel suspension forks on the market might meet my needs—at least on paper.
I’m particularly considering the RockShox Rudy Ultimate XPLR fork.
Unlike MTB forks, its travel is short: either 30 mm or 40 mm.
It weighs 1400 g, which is 400/500 g more than a steel fork.
Any thoughts or real-world feedback on this?
I’m also wondering about the durability of magnesium (lower leg) for long-distance bike touring.
And what’s the impact of skipping the manufacturer-recommended maintenance every 50 and 200 hours? That’s bound to happen on a long trip unless you carry extra gear.
More generally, how reliable are these kinds of forks?
Hi everyone,
I wanted to share with you the incredible feat my friend José, who’s 72 years old, is currently undertaking. He left Auterive near Toulouse on Monday, May 18, 2026, on his non-electric bike, heading for the North Cape in Norway!
You can follow his route on the link below—he’s currently in Sweden:
https://thierry-thomas.travelmap.net/jose-de-toulouse-a-nord-cap-2026
You can zoom in on the map and click on each stopover town to see the photos
I’m making an exception and creating a separate post this time, since it’s all about France. In May, we spent a week in Provence, specifically in the Luberon, exploring the cycling routes *Autour du Luberon à Vélo*, the *Véloroute du Calavon* (part of EuroVelo 8), and the shorter *Les Ocres à Vélo* route. Together, they gave us an amazing journey through rolling hills, vineyards, lavender fields still green in spring, and some of the most stunning landscapes in southern France.
It was, of course, the perched villages that impressed us the most. We visited Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux, Lacoste, Lourmarin, Ménerbes, Oppède-le-Vieux, Cucuron, and Lauris. Many of them are among the most beautiful villages in Provence, and it’s hard not to agree with that reputation.
One interesting point is the route of EuroVelo 8 in this part of the region. The official path mainly follows the old railway line of the *Véloroute du Calavon*, which is very comfortable and safe. But in our opinion, cyclists traveling EuroVelo 8 around the Mediterranean would discover even more treasures if the route passed through villages like Bonnieux, Lacoste, or Oppède-le-Vieux.
We were also pleasantly surprised by how safe cycling felt. Most of the route takes small local roads, but traffic is light, drivers are respectful, and road design really takes cyclists into account. It’s one of those places where you can ride peacefully even without separated bike lanes.
Our full story:
Around Luberon by bicycle - the most beautiful villages of Provence
You can also find all our cycling travel stories on the forum:
Cycling Thread - Europe’s most beautiful bike routes
Hi there, we’re a group of 4 cyclists looking to get from Treviso in Italy to Munich with our 4 non-folding bikes. It seems complicated! Are there any solutions? Thanks so much.
hello fellow cycling enthusiasts
here’s a travel journal of the cycling tour through the Rhône-Alpes Auvergne region by Claudio
zouli
it was the plan
http://cbandiera.free.fr/parcours/auvergne-Ralpes/
the trip was completed
story being posted online soon
1100 km in 11 days
beautiful and varied regions
Hi there, we’re planning a Munich to Venice bike trip at the end of June 2026. Getting back from Venice to Toulouse by train with 4 bikes isn’t straightforward. What return options have others who’ve done this trip chosen? Any tips or great deals would be much appreciated. Thanks a bunch! !
Hi everyone,
Happy owner of a Pegasus Estremo bike with a Rohloff hub, which is giving me trouble with the SF11-NCX-FT-E-LITE 700C TS 300/0 fork (serial number TD01329060). It’s starting to show its age, and I’d like to repair it to extend the life of my beloved bike.
The suspension is gone, and there’s an oil leak from the seals.
Does anyone know how to repair it? Where can I find parts that are about fifteen years old? Or where to find an identical replacement fork? Just to clarify, the Magura HS11 brakes are mounted using Firm Tech, meaning they’re on pivots behind the fork, facing the frame.
Hi, I'd like to know if anyone has done this route recently or has reliable info.
Does the track exist, and most importantly, is there sand (for biking)?
Any info is welcome.
Cheers,
diego ambilobe: mangaoka, manondro, ramena
vohemar sambava: masondrono, tanambao
Hi there,
New to bike touring,
I’d love to start with a section of the Via Rhona to explore and share (route to be decided).
Looking forward to exchanging tips!
I’m landing in Madagascar with a buddy before the end of April 2026. We’re planning to bike around for about twenty days or so. We don’t have a specific goal other than exploring the country and meeting the locals.
Ideally, we’d prefer a loop route starting from Antananarivo with a good chunk of it along the coast. On the bike side, we’re used to riding 6 to 8 hours a day, depending on the needs, encounters, and mood 😉 Any feedback or tips from trips around this length?
A big thank you to Lazarou for all the info you share in this forum!
I'm passionate about Morocco, which I cycled through back in 2009.
Last year, my wife and I explored the High Atlas by tandem. Completely smitten, we're heading back in April (Anti Atlas) and May (High and Middle Atlas), still on our tandem.
Do you have any info on the track between Amezri and Ali Ait Nito? Are the river crossings in the Tessaout still there? It's not easy to navigate with a loaded tandem... especially if the river level is high due to this year's heavy snowmelt!
Thanks in advance for any tips you might have, and best wishes for health in this new year!
Claudio specializes in the route of the Savoie lakes
Here are his travels
Between Bornes, Chartreuse, the Savoie foothills, and Dauphiné
Five lakes: Léman, Annecy, Paladru, Aiguebelette, Bourget, not to mention a few ponds along the way
Plenty of accommodation options: camping, hotels, and more...
A lovely route not far from his place
Rural and quite peaceful
A road cycling route created by Serge B...
First of all... happy New Year! Wishing you great roads in 2017!
I’ve been traveling for a few years now with a high-quality mountain bike, but it’s equipped with hydraulic disc brakes. I live (pedal) with the constant worry of a breakdown (leak, air bubble, heat causing the fluid to...). My bike mechanic tells me it’s impossible to switch them out for V-brakes.
What do you all think? Am I taking a big risk continuing (alone) with these brakes? Thanks in advance for your great tips!
First post here to share a quick recap of our west-to-east bike trip along Algeria’s coast in January 2025.
It was just the two of us—my partner and I—with French passports and not a word of Arabic. No friends or welcoming hosts in the country.
Under those conditions, we’d strongly advise against going.
Our original plan was to follow the coast from Algiers to Tunis. We ended up cycling from Algiers to Béjaia, then took the train from Béjaia to Annaba (with a stop in Constantine), and finally biked to the border.
We were tailed by police the whole way—whether on our bikes, on the train, or even on foot while exploring towns. On top of that, we couldn’t wild camp and were limited to the few state-approved hotels that accept foreigners. Under those circumstances, connecting with locals was especially tough.
With such an omnipresent and intrusive police presence, we’d definitely recommend against this destination for bike touring. A really sad situation that completely cuts you off from the local population...
We’d been warned, we went to check it out, and we weren’t disappointed!
Hi there,
I’m planning the route to cycle from Lille to Nordkapp with my partner.
Duration: 3 months, from May 1st to July 31st, 2026.
In the attached details below, I need to add some "non-riding" days (rest days, basically).
So I’m looking to "shorten" the trip by taking ferries or trains for some stretches. Which areas could I skip?
Thanks in advance for your great tips.
Have a good evening.
https://www.komoot.com/fr-fr/collection/4023980/-lille-cap-nord-1er-mai-au-31-juillet-2026?ref=collection
I’m planning to bike back from Poland this summer. Does anyone know a way to ship it there without having to take it apart? Otherwise, it’s a real hassle to fine-tune all the settings before departure!
Thanks in advance.
Hi, has anyone recently bought Primus or Butagaz gas, possibly puncture-style, in Dubrovnik or the surrounding area? Same question for Albania... thanks. aichatou
Just a few words about the loop I did by bike in Yunnan.
Entry and exit
I entered China through the Sino-Vietnamese border crossing at Lào Cai / Hekou under the 30-day visa exemption currently available to French nationals and others.
The process was simple and quick. A Chinese police officer even helped me complete my electronic pre-registration at a computer kiosk. I wasn’t aware this formality was required—it’s similar to Thailand’s TM6.
No issues with the bike.
I left the country via the Sino-Laotian border crossing at Mohan / Boten.
The atmosphere was a bit chaotic there, but again, no problems with the bike.
The timing
I visited Yunnan in February 2026.
Weather-wise, at higher altitudes (between 1,500 and 2,000 meters), it was around ten degrees at night and in the mornings, and around twenty degrees at the hottest part of the day.
I had two days of rain, so I took the bus to keep moving. Otherwise, clear blue skies.
Culturally, Chinese New Year fell on February 17th (and the 15 days following), right in the middle of my trip. Because of this, my take on the traffic might be off.
Accommodation and food
I always found a hotel to stay in for prices ranging from 8 to 15 €. Except in Kunming (the capital), where many hotels were fully booked (Chinese New Year). I ended up at a 100 € hotel with great value for money.
A bowl of noodles costs about 1.5 € on average.
Onboard electronics
Since my smartphone doesn’t support eSIMs, I subscribed to a China plan with my carrier. Otherwise, for much cheaper, Alipay offers eSIMs for foreigners that allow access to services usually blocked for Chinese users (WhatsApp, Facebook, etc.).
An internet connection is essential for paying with Alipay or WeChat, as this payment method is widespread.
I only managed to use Alipay.
Either way, always carry cash because sometimes there’s no signal, or the merchant only accepts WeChat.
Also, it’s best to bring a power adapter when you arrive rather than struggling to find one.
Traffic and roads
The Chinese aren’t reckless drivers. They follow traffic rules and watch out for cyclists. This is slightly less true in Xishuangbanna (the region bordering Myanmar and Laos).
In urban areas, there are almost always wide bike lanes, separated from other roads, where bikes, electric mini-scooters, and scooters share the space pretty harmoniously.
The roads are in great condition, and traffic is generally manageable—even light—except for one stretch (Eshan -> Yangwu).
Most traffic is absorbed by expressways, China’s equivalent of highways: toll roads that are off-limits to slow vehicles.
You’re never far from these expressways; sometimes you even ride alongside them, which can be noisy at times.
The climbs are usually reasonable, around 5% to 6%. From what I remember, the steepest section was between Menglun and Mengla, with gradients of 8% to 10%, sometimes more.
Riding at these altitudes—though modest—took a bit of getting used to.
The route
I didn’t plan anything in advance. My only goal was to reach Kunming. I don’t know why, but just hearing the name of that city, like Yunnan, always felt dreamy to me.
Hi! I’m planning to visit the Stockholm Archipelago by bike in early April.
Do you know if the boats will be running between the different islands at that time of year? For those who’ve already been, all your tips and recommendations are welcome—accommodation, etc. Also, do you know where I can rent a bike in Stockholm? Thanks so much in advance for your help!
Hello there, pedal-powered Young Boys!
Claudio (still from Faverges)
dreaming about a cycling getaway in Italy from Faverges (train all the way to Turin)
from Turin down to Venice along the Po River and back via the Padana (Alta Italia da attraversare – Northern Italy to cross)
The tricky part is getting from Chioggia to Venice.
I read it’s possible by hopping on a boat from island to island,
but it sounds a bit stressful.
Has anyone already tackled this route?
I’m currently looking for a bike to do my first bike trip across France, with the ultimate goal of cycling through Latin America. I’ve got a lot of questions and I’d love to hear if you have any answers or advice to share.
First off, I’ve been through this before with hiking. I want to get top-quality gear right away. When I started hiking, I ended up buying everything three times—first beginner gear, then intermediate, then expert, etc.
For biking, I’d prefer to skip that process and invest right now in a bike that could ideally handle Latin America.
I’ve set a total max budget of around 5000 € (roughly 4000–4500 € for the bike and the rest for accessories: panniers, helmet, cycling shorts, etc.).
So, I’ve got quite a few questions:
* I’ve read in several places that some people recommend buying the bike directly in Latin America. Since I need a first bike to train in Europe, would it be better to buy an entry-level bike in France (and sell it before the big departure)? Or is it preferable to start right away with my final bike to get used to it? Is buying it there just to save a bit of money?
* For a long-term trip (around six months) in Latin America, is it better to go for a gravel bike or a mountain bike?
* Should I buy a new bike or a refurbished one? Even more so given that I’m planning a long trip—could a refurbished bike end up causing more breakdowns?
If you have any advice on models, technical features to prioritize, or recommended sellers or resellers, I’d love to hear it. I’m a total beginner—I’ve only just started watching videos and reading up on the subject, and all the technical specs are new to me!
