FNRttC Short "Fridays" tour to France
- Thread starter mmmmartin
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Flying Dodo
It'll soon be summer
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User482
Guest
The train from Brighton seems to be timed with a calendar instead of a clock.
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mmmmartin
Random geezer
Home, back in Dear Old Blighty.
Many thanks to you all for being such a great group, good-humoured, cheerful, and able to cope with the relentless pace for day after day, not to mention the utter shambles into which this trip deteriorated on so many occasions. Apologies are due for the terrible route-finding, not to mention the dreadful food you had to tolerate. It was very impressive to see how you reverted to type when faced with stress. That cider really is rather good. For my part, Belgian beer is just too strong. The second one seemed to be stronger than the first one. Finally, my grateful thanks for pointing out, in response to my: "hey lads, it's only 1 o'clock and the bar's still open," that it was, in fact, 1 o'clock and time for sleepy-byes.
Many thanks to you all for being such a great group, good-humoured, cheerful, and able to cope with the relentless pace for day after day, not to mention the utter shambles into which this trip deteriorated on so many occasions. Apologies are due for the terrible route-finding, not to mention the dreadful food you had to tolerate. It was very impressive to see how you reverted to type when faced with stress. That cider really is rather good. For my part, Belgian beer is just too strong. The second one seemed to be stronger than the first one. Finally, my grateful thanks for pointing out, in response to my: "hey lads, it's only 1 o'clock and the bar's still open," that it was, in fact, 1 o'clock and time for sleepy-byes.
Back in the damp of January when I was researching how to do a Reading to Paris tour, taking the Eurostar for the return trip looked hard to organise for a group of 16. It was definite we'd be on seperate trains, there was the possibilty that we'd had to disassemble some of the bikes and hand them over to Euro Dispatch and to cap it all, the bikes might not be on same train. Oh and as a cap on the cap of it all you have to book the bikes seperately to the train tickets. Faffage gone large.
Which is why I turned to the coach option. I tried three companies in the Reading area and only Horseman took me seriously. It turned out that their sales person was a long time CTC member and he measured up the space available and gave me a quote. From a cost perspective it was marginally more expensive per person than taking first the Eurostar and then a GWR from Paddington to Reading. Time from door-to-door was broadly similar too.
But what got me thinking was the sheer waste of taking an empty coach on the outbound leg. Knowing the Fridays from a few night rides I knew the ethos is similar to our own (cafe to cafe, bar to bar, riding for the sheer fun of it) which is why I offered up the opportunity.
So I'm really grateful that you, Martin B, and the rest of the Fridays who went (and one from CTC Oxfordshire) were able to make use of the transport. Oh, and of course we all appreciate that this lowered the cost for us.
A bit more on this. When I went to pick up the "cargo" from the coach depot yesterday (a cardboard box is now sitting on my drive with a "free second-hand bubble-wrap" sign on it) Neil from Horseman told me they were now looking into a business case for getting a trailer for bikes. If they did we could then use a smaller coach to reduce the costs a bit more.
So, once again, thanks for making your tour help make our tour. Watch this space, we may do another cooperative adventure next year.
And if you are interested in our tour report it's here.
Which is why I turned to the coach option. I tried three companies in the Reading area and only Horseman took me seriously. It turned out that their sales person was a long time CTC member and he measured up the space available and gave me a quote. From a cost perspective it was marginally more expensive per person than taking first the Eurostar and then a GWR from Paddington to Reading. Time from door-to-door was broadly similar too.
But what got me thinking was the sheer waste of taking an empty coach on the outbound leg. Knowing the Fridays from a few night rides I knew the ethos is similar to our own (cafe to cafe, bar to bar, riding for the sheer fun of it) which is why I offered up the opportunity.
So I'm really grateful that you, Martin B, and the rest of the Fridays who went (and one from CTC Oxfordshire) were able to make use of the transport. Oh, and of course we all appreciate that this lowered the cost for us.
A bit more on this. When I went to pick up the "cargo" from the coach depot yesterday (a cardboard box is now sitting on my drive with a "free second-hand bubble-wrap" sign on it) Neil from Horseman told me they were now looking into a business case for getting a trailer for bikes. If they did we could then use a smaller coach to reduce the costs a bit more.
So, once again, thanks for making your tour help make our tour. Watch this space, we may do another cooperative adventure next year.
And if you are interested in our tour report it's here.
AlexB
Veteran
I'll just leave this here. Richie explaining, to an increasingly incredulous group, the "hot/crazy matrix". The expressions say it all. Most of our short week away was spent in similarly ridiculous discussions. It was great fun and once again, Martin, thanks for immaculate organisation.
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mmmmartin
Random geezer
The Little Helpers will be consulted, obvs, and if they agree, the club may well run a similar ride to forrin parts over a long weekend next year. The idea will be to continue the @dellzeqq legacy with another shortish north France Tourette - just like the @redfalo Dieppe-Paris ride
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mmmmartin
Random geezer
I'd like to take this opportunity to distance myself from this disgraceful view of the world. Although the first section is all wrong, the second section might not be entirely wrong, in a humorous sort of way. We remain an inclusive club. Richie describes this very well, with just the right level of disdain.
ianmac62
Guru
- Location
- Northampton
ianmac62
Guru
- Location
- Northampton
Thanks to everyone! Rides, routes, food, drink, sleeps ... all were excellent! Confirmation that the best answer to any questionnaire is "Any random place - if The Fridays are going, it'll surely be a hoot. Sign me up."
My photos are here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ianmac55/albums/72157668464095906
My photos are here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ianmac55/albums/72157668464095906
redfalo
known as Olaf in real life
- Location
- Brexit Boomtown
the only downside is that we still have not found a work-around for the ludicrous bike limits on the ferry (or have you made any progress, @StuartG ?) so it is likely to be only a small band of brothers going into France in July...
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mmmmartin
Random geezer
We were 12 on the ferry from Dieppe, with two civilians. So 14 bikes in all.
Some pix:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/29651652@N06/albums/72157668236204092
Some pix:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/29651652@N06/albums/72157668236204092
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mmmmartin
Random geezer
Some tracks, for your amusement. Note the final day has two tracks as I was nursing the GPS batteries to ensure no alarums as we did nav round the backstreets of Dieppe. Now these tracks are here for others to search for and find and copy.
Most of us used the IBIS hotel in Villers St Paul which is also in Criel sur Oise. It was fine and the receptionist could not have been more helpful and competent. We ate in a flemish restaurant. Their beer is very strong.
There is nowhere to eat between Criel and gournay, especially on a Sunday. We bought food from the Intermarche in Criel which is open at 9am on Sundays, and had a picnic.
Most of us stayed at the Cygne hotel in Gournay en Bray: secure garage for the bikes, friendly welcome and pizza place just up the road open on a Monday evening (unlike lots of other places). Email communication best described as patchy: email followed by phone call recommended.
We ate in Forges Les Eaux at the Bar du Centre, at the north end of the square. They took 13 of us without blinking an eye. Good quick service. Bikes can be seen outside, €19 menu, four courses. Calvados is €2.20 a shot. Just sayin'.
Most of us stayed at the Hotel Windsor in Dieppe, which is nice but expensive. Rooms with a sea view are nicer and only a bit more money. Some used the Egg Hotel, which I'm told has seen better days but was perfectly fine and almost a third of the price. It has 24 hour reception for those arriving late or leaving early (which using the ferries out of Dieppe can often involve).
We ate at a fish restaurant recommended by the hotel receptionist, who made the reservation for us, which was also pricey but very nice and anyway it was our last night together and you only live once.
Most of us used the IBIS hotel in Villers St Paul which is also in Criel sur Oise. It was fine and the receptionist could not have been more helpful and competent. We ate in a flemish restaurant. Their beer is very strong.
There is nowhere to eat between Criel and gournay, especially on a Sunday. We bought food from the Intermarche in Criel which is open at 9am on Sundays, and had a picnic.
Most of us stayed at the Cygne hotel in Gournay en Bray: secure garage for the bikes, friendly welcome and pizza place just up the road open on a Monday evening (unlike lots of other places). Email communication best described as patchy: email followed by phone call recommended.
We ate in Forges Les Eaux at the Bar du Centre, at the north end of the square. They took 13 of us without blinking an eye. Good quick service. Bikes can be seen outside, €19 menu, four courses. Calvados is €2.20 a shot. Just sayin'.
Most of us stayed at the Hotel Windsor in Dieppe, which is nice but expensive. Rooms with a sea view are nicer and only a bit more money. Some used the Egg Hotel, which I'm told has seen better days but was perfectly fine and almost a third of the price. It has 24 hour reception for those arriving late or leaving early (which using the ferries out of Dieppe can often involve).
We ate at a fish restaurant recommended by the hotel receptionist, who made the reservation for us, which was also pricey but very nice and anyway it was our last night together and you only live once.
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the only downside is that we still have not found a work-around for the ludicrous bike limits on the ferry (or have you made any progress, @StuartG ?) so it is likely to be only a small band of brothers going into France in July...
We knew of TWO charity rides that came through Dieppe on the ferry, each ride had over 50 bikes on them, so, somehow, whatever, the ferry company CAN work round their ludicrous limits. OR the charity rides had a huge, great vehicle on which pack the bikes. I just thought of that..
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