Attacks on cyclists around Dunkirk / Dunkerque ?

[mjr]

Route Des Dunes is unlit. You've got decent lights, I hope.

Route de la Maison Blanche is lit but I'd still go the other way

 

[Dec66]

Well,.needless to say, I got lost... But at least I didn't end up on the Autoroute.

I took the correct gate (as advised by a lovely young lady who was looking out for the single cyclist on the boat), and found the Route Des Dunes OK, but I didn't see the motocross place and thus missed the gravel track. So, I ended up going through Mardyck to get to Loon Plage, not too far out of the way really.

In my defence, it was dark, and I'd only had two hours of fitful sleep. That made for an interesting ride to Bergues before sunrise...

I've still only had that two hours, too.

I'm in the very sunny Grote Markt in Veurne now,.trying to think of a compelling reason why I should go to Diksmuide before I go to Ypres. I might get a small beer and ponder that conundrum.

Oh, and to the OP; nothing to worry about, follow the instructions and you'll be fine. Bergues is a nice little town, too.

 

[Brains]

Well,.needless to say, I got lost... But at least I didn't end up on the Autoroute.

I took the correct gate (as advised by a lovely young lady who was looking out for the single cyclist on the boat), and found rhe Route Des Dunes OK, but ai didn't see the motocross place and thus missed the gravel track. So, I ended up going through Mardyck to get to Loon Plage, not too far out of the way really.

In my defence, it was dark, and I'd only had two hours of fitful sleep. That made for an interesting ride to Bergues before sunrise...

I've still only had that two hours, too.

I'm in the very sunny Grote Markt in Veurne now,.trying to think of a compelling reason why I should go to Diksmuide before I go to Ypres. I might get a small beer and ponder that conundrum.

Oh, and to the OP; nothing to worry about, follow the instructions and you'll be fine. Bergues is a nice little town, too.

Glad you missed the Autoroute option !
However a pity you missed the hidden turn off the Route des Dunes.
Can we re-write that section of those instructions ?
As you have seen, there is zero useful cycle signage in or out of Dunkirk
(Not that Calais or Hook of Holland are much better)

For most cyclists heading to the mainland, Dunkirk is usually the best option, whatever direction you are then heading in, so it would be good to have the 'definitive' and fool proof route in and out.

I can see a sticky will be needed for the best route for all of the ports
UK, France and Hook

 

[Dec66]

Glad you missed the Autoroute option !
However a pity you missed the hidden turn off the Route des Dunes.
Can we re-write that section of those instructions ?
As you have seen, there is zero useful cycle signage in or out of Dunkirk
(Not that Calais or Hook of Holland are much better)

For most cyclists heading to the mainland, Dunkirk is usually the best option, whatever direction you are then heading in, so it would be good to have the 'definitive' and fool proof route in and out.

I can see a sticky will be needed for the best route for all of the ports
UK, France and Hook

I think the instructions work well, just that soft lad here missed the turning. I don't think I would have if it was light.

Actually, perhaps it's not "about 700m" from that second roundabout, probably a bit closer..?

 

[Brains]

I think the instructions work well, just that soft lad here missed the turning. I don't think I would have if it was light.

Actually, perhaps it's not "about 700m" from that second roundabout, probably a bit closer..?

OK, I just checked, it's 700m on the nail, I've added '2 Minutes, count to 120!"

 

[Dec66]

OK, I just checked, it's 700m on the nail, I've added '2 Minutes, count to 120!"

Maybe I was riding faster than I thought

 

[mjr]

Maybe I was riding faster than I thought

Tailwind again, eh? They always show up when they don't help! Like the other week, I had a stonking tailwind into town and as a result overran the bike onto the verge at a corner which is never usually a problem...

More seriously, it is probably very easy to miss that turning in the dark because the main hint is the non-reflective back of a stop or give-way sign facing down the short gravel ramp to the back road. I'm tempted to say if someone will pay my ferry crossings a day off work then I'll take some reflective tape and waymark the route illegally but it's winter and there's too much risk of a choppy crossing

I assume that eventually local government there will widen the road and continue the cycle lane along Route de la Maison Blanche to Loon-Plage and so connect to the D601 cycleway but it's taking them long enough. Maybe I should email DKMobilité or whatever it's called and ask what's taking so long...

 

[Dec66]

Tailwind again, eh? They always show up when they don't help! Like the other week, I had a stonking tailwind into town and as a result overran the bike onto the verge at a corner which is never usually a problem...

More seriously, it is probably very easy to miss that turning in the dark because the main hint is the non-reflective back of a stop or give-way sign facing down the short gravel ramp to the back road. I'm tempted to say if someone will pay my ferry crossings a day off work then I'll take some reflective tape and waymark the route illegally but it's winter and there's too much risk of a choppy crossing

I assume that eventually local government there will widen the road and continue the cycle lane along Route de la Maison Blanche to Loon-Plage and so connect to the D601 cycleway but it's taking them long enough. Maybe I should email DKMobilité or whatever it's called and ask what's taking so long...

Sadly not... Most of that ride today (and it turned into even more of an epic than I'd planned, for all the wrong reasons) was into a bugger of a headwind.

I thought I was doing the Tour of Cambridgeshire again, but this time with a ton of weight over the back wheel.

 

[Brains]

Cycling on the Pas de Calais region is ALL about the wind
If it's behind you, fine
If it's against you, then you really are better off taking a train

A few years back we had a situation trying to cycle to Dunkirk Ferry port into a headwind.
We missed the Ferry by some 3 hours.
2 of the more experienced cyclists in the group ended up pushing their bikes for the last 7 miles as it was faster as less effort that trying to ride.
Those that cycled were struggling to keep above 5 mph.
With the benefit of hindsight, we should have taken the train upwind to Calais and then come back to Dunkirk with the wind behind us.
It would have been several hours faster and a lot more pleasant !

 

[Dec66]

Cycling on the Pas de Calais region is ALL about the wind
If it's behind you, fine
If it's against you, then you really are better off taking a train

A few years back we had a situation trying to cycle to Dunkirk Ferry port into a headwind.
We missed the Ferry by some 3 hours.
2 of the more experienced cyclists in the group ended up pushing their bikes for the last 7 miles as it was faster as less effort that trying to ride.
Those that cycled were struggling to keep above 5 mph.
With the benefit of hindsight, we should have taken the train upwind to Calais and then come back to Dunkirk with the wind behind us.
It would have been several hours faster and a lot more pleasant !

Properly windy today, things being blown about in Bethune all over the shop.

I did 10k going to Gorre and back to visit my great granddad, et ca suffit.

 

[Julia9054]

If I were to do this year's trip again, I would take the car across on the ferry and leave it in long term parking in Dunkirque rather than leaving it in Dover. For 2 people, it costs £10 more.
This would avoid the getting lost between Dunkirque and the ferry port problem and the sheer hell of being kicked out of Dover ferry port onto the A20 dual carriageway with all the freight lorries on the return journey. That left me with a dry mouth for sure!

 

[Julia9054]

Already planning next year's trip which will be Hull - Zeebrugge, pottering round Belgium and up to Amsterdam and then returning Rotterdam - Hull. Bit more pricey but the car doesn't have to leave my driveway!

 

[Dec66]

Already planning next year's trip which will be Hull - Zeebrugge, pottering round Belgium and up to Amsterdam and then returning Rotterdam - Hull. Bit more pricey but the car doesn't have to leave my driveway!

You know what? I took the kids to Scarborough for the weekend a couple of months ago, but it would have been quicker, cheaper, and probably more enjoyable for them to go to De Panne instead.

So, next year I'll book... Oh.

 

[slowmotion]

Glad you missed the Autoroute option !
However a pity you missed the hidden turn off the Route des Dunes.
Can we re-write that section of those instructions ?
As you have seen, there is zero useful cycle signage in or out of Dunkirk
(Not that Calais or Hook of Holland are much better)

For most cyclists heading to the mainland, Dunkirk is usually the best option, whatever direction you are then heading in, so it would be good to have the 'definitive' and fool proof route in and out.

I can see a sticky will be needed for the best route for all of the ports
UK, France and Hook

I've never managed to get lost going North out of The Hook and I'm no great navigator. Just follow the signs to the LF1 or Monster.

 

[mjr]

If I were to do this year's trip again, I would take the car across on the ferry and leave it in long term parking in Dunkirque rather than leaving it in Dover. For 2 people, it costs £10 more.
This would avoid the getting lost between Dunkirque and the ferry port problem and the sheer hell of being kicked out of Dover ferry port onto the A20 dual carriageway with all the freight lorries on the return journey. That left me with a dry mouth for sure!

Oof! Did no one tell you to follow the red line out of Dover docks? That puts you on a contraflow cycleway on a side street, then a toucan crossing to the seafront cycleway, with the option of an underpass to the town centre and almost railway station.