FNRttC The Fridays Tour 2016

[totallyfixed]

Can I make a suggestion?

 

[mmmmartin]

Anyone can comment and come along - not just members of The Fridays.

Come on then.

 

[totallyfixed]

Ok, here goes. Not sure how many days you are allowing for the tour but, [trim / add as necessary] Ferry, Dover to Calais, Ypres [visit Paschendale, amazing], Roubaix, Mons, Rochefort, Liege, Maastricht [just stunning] north to Nijmegen [incredible cycle museum there] zig zagging on lots of little ferries. West to Delft [do not miss Delft!] and return via Hook. Three countries and lots to see.

 

[StuAff]

Ok, here goes. Not sure how many days you are allowing for the tour but, [trim / add as necessary] Ferry, Dover to Calais, Ypres [visit Paschendale, amazing], Roubaix, Mons, Rochefort, Liege, Maastricht [just stunning] north to Nijmegen [incredible cycle museum there] zig zagging on lots of little ferries. West to Delft [do not miss Delft!] and return via Hook. Three countries and lots to see.

Like that. Ypres (or Ieper) to Roubaix I've ridden, that stretch is dead easy riding.

 

[User482]

More on the Eurostar situation: http://road.cc/content/news/167680-eurostars-new-bike-carrying-policy-gets-complicated

It seems you can check in a boxed bike, so long as the box is smaller than a bike box. Or something.

 

[totallyfixed]

Edit, alternatively stick with The Hook and do what we did, go south on the coast to Middelburg [1 day], Bruge, Ypres and carry on as before. Some of our travelogue from this year covers the first part of the suggested route.

 

[StuAff]

More on the Eurostar situation: http://road.cc/content/news/167680-eurostars-new-bike-carrying-policy-gets-complicated

It seems you can check in a boxed bike, so long as the box is smaller than a bike box. Or something.

TMN to me (post #45). Those rules make even less sense when you remember most folding bikes (excluding Bromptons) are bigger than the boxes they expect you to get a full-size bike in, yet still fit into their limits for carry-on luggage. Mind boggles.

 

[velovoice]

Edit, alternatively stick with The Hook and do what we did, go south on the coast to Middelburg [1 day], Bruge, Ypres and carry on as before.

That's a fair bit of where we went this year, just travelling in the opposite direction.

 

[AKA Bob]

If we decide to go further a field my friend used a service called Luggage Mule

https://www.luggagemule.co.uk/?gcli...DZNaaCFjuZKaXLm0Uv99EkPzWsDRThTXoUaAt4X8P8HAQ

They collected the bike on Monday from Reading and delivered it to southern Spain the following Friday. It cost about £25 to ship. The only drawback is the bike needs to be boxed. Might be able to do as a bulk deal?

 

[frank9755]

If we decide to go further a field my friend used a service called Luggage Mule

https://www.luggagemule.co.uk/?gcli...DZNaaCFjuZKaXLm0Uv99EkPzWsDRThTXoUaAt4X8P8HAQ

They collected the bike on Monday from Reading and delivered it to southern Spain the following Friday. It cost about £25 to ship. The only drawback is the bike needs to be boxed. Might be able to do as a bulk deal?

Interesting service - not heard of it before.
So I played with their website, but I fear their pricing might not work.
First I put in a return to Gran Canaria. That would cost £778 for one bike, so I won't be doing that!
And then I noticed they did bulk pricing, so I put in 20 bikes back from Berlin next September. That came to £1600 or £80 each. I have no problem putting my bike on a plane (other than it's a pain having to dismantle it, etc), but thinking about it, if I didn't trust a plane with my bike, would I trust one of these services with it?

 

[velovoice]

I really would prefer my bike to travel with me if possible, by some form of ground travel, again trains and ferries for preference.

I do not want to be dismantling and reassembling (especially to someone else's timetable), or handing my bike over to transporters, no matter how professional they may be or how much liability insurance they carry.

If my bike were lost or badly damaged, replacing it would take a minimum of 3 months, starting after (if/when) the insurance company approved the claim. I would not be a happy bunny.

 

[mmmmartin]

That's a fair bit of where we went this year, just travelling in the opposite direction.

^^^ this

 

[Dogtrousers]

Not that it's any of my business, as I won't be involved (unless there's a night ride to Newhaven or somewhere like that at the start), but having done LonJOG, have you considered LELon or LonLE? Does it have to be abroad?

 

[StuAff]

Last month's Cycling Plus has a feature on Shetland. Looked like a good place to ride if not that easily accessible. Night ride in the light anyone?

 

[Jacqueslemac]

I'm hoping to have my holiday home business in Normandy up and running by the end of May next year. Do pop in if you're passing and/or want any advice on routes if you're anywhere near.

I'm planning on having a well-lit cycle workshop area too.