As an outsider (and I accordingly offer this diffidently), it was weird reading the unfolding day by day accounts. Simultaneously, there was a litany of discomfort, heat, exhaustion, mechanical breakdown, health breakdown, and various recourse to trains; and a litany, sometimes I think from the same people, of how this was the best tour ever and how much people enjoyed it.
Data point, for whatever it's worth:
- I was carrying more weight than anyone else on the tour, by a substantial margin. This didn't actually matter as there weren't any hills.
- I was probably riding the most appropriate bike for the conditions in the Netherlands, which some people found hard going.
- I had some digestive issues on the first day (I have chronic digestive problems, so I was expecting this at some point), and found the heat and sleep deprivation unpleasant at times, but otherwise I found the cycling to be enjoyable and well within my capabilities.
- But I feel there was too much distance. The overheads inherent in wrangling a large group meant little time to stop and see things, or even photograph them. Breaks to wait for the tail-end aren't really breaks, because they come at random and you don't normally know how long you've got before the group moves off again. And you might be the one with the issue at the tail end. This is absolutely fine on a social ride, but I'm less keen on a multi-day tour.
- On the other hand, you can't help geography.
- As we reached Aachen, I developed an unexpected injury that crippled me for the rest of the tour. Indeed, I've been unable to walk properly since I got back, haven't been near a bike (I can't even crouch down to fettle them) until a gentle (inconclusive) experiment on the turbo trainer this afternoon, and expect to take weeks to recover. I'm still not entirely sure what caused it, but my best guess is bad luck facilitated by newish shoes. I don't think it was the ride structure or over-exertion that caused it, and nobody could have predicted it.
- I certainly enjoyed the first half (I made it as far as Maastricht). The rest was mostly educational frustration. I wouldn't have minded bailing out to trains as much if I'd been able to wander around (on bike or foot) and see more of the places I was visiting. Chatting to randoms in the hostel while keeping my feet elevated was good though, even if it wasn't part of the plan.
- I found Belgium particularly challenging due to the language barrier. But that's because I'm crap at languages, and had more opportunities for it to be an issue. On the other hand, Belgian railway staff are brilliant and I wish we could import them.
- Would I do it again? Possibly. But given limited time and money, I think I'd rather tour solo or in a small informal group (preferably of fellow campers, to simplify logistics) with less rigid planning, it's just easier. I'm all for pushing the envelope, but in cycling terms I'd rather do it in other types of ride. This is in no way intended to be a criticism of The Fridays.