mmmmartin
Random geezer
Absurdly early I know, but read on and you'll see why this thread has been started now.
Here's the plan, subject to the democratic vote (see poll)
We cross from Plymouth to Roscoff on the night of:
https://goo.gl/maps/LnLZvMtrpwu
https://goo.gl/maps/YdcEsDWQsuq
You will probably want to do this route in good weather so you may opt to sign up for a Tour in July rather than the autumn. For a Tour in July the recce needs to be done and dusted and everything ironed out by end of April so you can then get weaving on the hotels and ferries nice and early. Hence the discussion now.
The poll refers to this, the French Tour.
Now here's another thought:
Would you also like a SECOND Tour? (Note the first idea will lways take priority.)
Here's an idea: The Checkpoint Charlie Tour
https://goo.gl/maps/ALKrREwxZL92
We cross Germany. From the German border into the heart of Berlin, and we have a whole day in Berlin to savour it.
This is bloody tricky Tour to organise but I reckon it'll be worth all the hassle because I've ridden a bit in Germany and thought it was great and the people I met were the icing on the cake - so here's the gist:
Overnight from Harwich to the Hoek, bikes in a van, us on the train to the German border. Bikes out of van, ride to Berlin, bikes go back in van to the Hoek and we go on the train back to the Hoek. It'll be in September, after the school holidays and this is northern Europe so it could be windy, cold and bloody wet. You will, of course, by September 2017 have forgotten that I wrote those words.
there - what could be simpler? and what could possibly go wrong?
We (sorry, I meant I ) need to find either a man-and-a-van or a coach company (Horseman Coaches in Reading will be getting a call but we'll probably use a Dutch or German one) to get us/and or bikes to the border and getting back will be another order of difficulty.
Now - here's the rub - numbers will be limited to those we can fit into the travel arrangements - we know we can fit 16 bikes into a coach luggage area. The Tour this year (2016) will have about 30, and getting 30 bikes and 30 riders around Europe is hard and expensive. So this won't be as cheap as nipping over to Calais for a few days. Some will be happy to fly, others won't.
If too many for the logistics want this then there will be an extremely democratic weeding out process decided entirely by me, based on nothing more than whimsy, bias, venality and sheer evil. OK?
Your thoughts, please.
Finally, anyone can comment, you don't need to be a member of The Fridays. (But if you own a bike and are not a member of The Fridays, you probably need therapy.)
Finally finally, please just don't produce the usual hallelujah chorus - the more critical, the better AFAIAC
Time to vote ........
Here's the plan, subject to the democratic vote (see poll)
We cross from Plymouth to Roscoff on the night of:
- Friday June 30 and wake up in Roscoff on the morning of
- Saturday July 1 and do 70k to Brest (fairly hilly but a short day - the more energetic can dump the bags and go for a thrash after arrival the the hotel)
- Sunday July 2 80k to Quimper (see Google maps for this route, pretty countryside)
- Monday July 3 110k to Loudeac (empty small roads in France - a longer day)
- Tuesday July 4 to St Malo (similar to yesterday although the entrance to St Malo is good riding)
https://goo.gl/maps/LnLZvMtrpwu
- Wednesday July 5 we ride to Mont St Michel where we spend an hour or two, it's very pretty.
- Thursday July 6 75k to Saint Lo, French countryside, decent lunch in Villedieu-les-Poeles
- Friday July 7 an easy 35k day - to Bayeux where we can have a look at the famous tapestry if you wish, there's plenty of time, and early finish and time for a decent lunch.
- Saturday July 8 easy 45k day - first to the landing beach at Arromanches where the Mulberry harbour is still visible in the sea, and there is a very good museum - we'll spend an hour or two here. Some of you will have seen it but many will not have. Thence to the ferry port at Ouistreham and the night ferry back to Dear Old Blighty.
https://goo.gl/maps/YdcEsDWQsuq
You will probably want to do this route in good weather so you may opt to sign up for a Tour in July rather than the autumn. For a Tour in July the recce needs to be done and dusted and everything ironed out by end of April so you can then get weaving on the hotels and ferries nice and early. Hence the discussion now.
The poll refers to this, the French Tour.
Now here's another thought:
Would you also like a SECOND Tour? (Note the first idea will lways take priority.)
Here's an idea: The Checkpoint Charlie Tour
https://goo.gl/maps/ALKrREwxZL92
We cross Germany. From the German border into the heart of Berlin, and we have a whole day in Berlin to savour it.
This is bloody tricky Tour to organise but I reckon it'll be worth all the hassle because I've ridden a bit in Germany and thought it was great and the people I met were the icing on the cake - so here's the gist:
Overnight from Harwich to the Hoek, bikes in a van, us on the train to the German border. Bikes out of van, ride to Berlin, bikes go back in van to the Hoek and we go on the train back to the Hoek. It'll be in September, after the school holidays and this is northern Europe so it could be windy, cold and bloody wet. You will, of course, by September 2017 have forgotten that I wrote those words.
there - what could be simpler? and what could possibly go wrong?
We (sorry, I meant I ) need to find either a man-and-a-van or a coach company (Horseman Coaches in Reading will be getting a call but we'll probably use a Dutch or German one) to get us/and or bikes to the border and getting back will be another order of difficulty.
Now - here's the rub - numbers will be limited to those we can fit into the travel arrangements - we know we can fit 16 bikes into a coach luggage area. The Tour this year (2016) will have about 30, and getting 30 bikes and 30 riders around Europe is hard and expensive. So this won't be as cheap as nipping over to Calais for a few days. Some will be happy to fly, others won't.
If too many for the logistics want this then there will be an extremely democratic weeding out process decided entirely by me, based on nothing more than whimsy, bias, venality and sheer evil. OK?
Your thoughts, please.
Finally, anyone can comment, you don't need to be a member of The Fridays. (But if you own a bike and are not a member of The Fridays, you probably need therapy.)
Finally finally, please just don't produce the usual hallelujah chorus - the more critical, the better AFAIAC
Time to vote ........
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