Flemish NRttK

[swarm_catcher]

I'll be doing a Flemish NRttK on Saturday 4th May, starting from the Grote Markt in Brussels at midnight (not Friday, but Saturday). It's not a Friday's ride, but the ride is modelled on Simon Legg's formula of the FNRttC.

There will be a stop in Ghent, hopefully, the 24 hour cafe 't Hoekske is exactly that. And I'm banking on a bakery being open early hours in the Bruges area. Breakfast will be at the Caruso in Ostend.

It's untested territory. I designed a route based on a Velomap download of the Benelux cycling map. It comes in at 123km, say 130 to be safe. I have not contacted any of the eateries. I don't know of any public lavatories or Tescos on the way. A headwind is almost certain. It will be an adventure: Brussels, Ghent, Bruges and the Kust (coast) in one night .... Trains back from Ostend can be researched here Railtime, cycles carry a charge of 5 euros regardless of distance (folders are free as long as they are folded).

So far, it's going to be my sister and I. If you can make the bike/Eurostar logistics work, you'd be most welcome to join us.

swarm_catcher

 

[mmmmartin]

There will be a stop in Ghent, hopefully
And I'm banking on a bakery being open early hours in the Bruges area
It's untested territory.
I have not contacted any of the eateries. I don't know of any public lavatories or Tescos on the way.
A headwind is almost certain.
It will be an adventure

Such uncertainties make it all the more alluring.
Is your sister as fast as you and do I have to learn Belgian?

 

[StuAff]

Is your sister as fast as you and do I have to learn Belgian French and/or Flemish?

FTFY.

 

[mmmmartin]

I'm astonished at how hard the logistics are. Even if I don't make it (see below) here is the result of a couple of hours of research so others might benefit.

• ferry from Ramsgate to Ostend has just gone bust and stopped operations. This would have been ideal, although I seem to recall it didn't take bikes anyway.
• Eurostar is £150 return to Brussels plus £60 return for the (non-folding) bike, making £210 for an overnight trip. (Also the £20 single for the return in the morning from Ostend back to Brussels.)
• NonEurostar train - Calais to Brussels is a cheaper €37 - single - on a train arriving in the late afternoon leaving 8 hours to waste. If you go from Ostend after the ride back to Brussels, the return to Calais is tricky.
• the return (second option) Afterwards, one could ride from Ostend to Dunkirk and get the ferry back, another 50k on top of the 130k.
• all this and, of course, the train to Dover and return ferry crossing.
• The gnarliest way would be to take the ferry to Dunkirk, ride to Ostend and pay £20 single fare from Ostend to Brussels, then ride back to Ostend overnight and ride back to Dunkirk for the ferry home to Dover.
• Another way would be to put the bikes in a car and drive to Brussels, then get the train back to Brussels, but that involves a hotel to sleep in before driving back to Calais.
• The best option? Train to Dover (£16 return), ferry to Dunkirk (£30 return), ride westwards for 33k to De Panne railway station in Belgium. Train for €19.70 for adult and €5 for the bike to Brussels, no changes, arrive Brussels 11.05pm. Ride overnight to Ostend. Ride the 50k from Ostend to Dunkirk, get ferry back to Dear Old Blighty, train home from Dover. Total cost £66.

I am in France on the Normandy recce trip in mid May for a week, then again on the Normandy trip for a week in June and straight back for six days for the Dieppe Raid. Not to mention the chance of going on the Newhaven-Paris FNRttC.

My constant absence from home (the "overnight" ride from York to Hull saw me leave home at 5pm on Friday and arrive exhausted at 10am on Monday and spend the next two days in bed, and I'm away for the next three days as well) is being noticed. This is why I might not make this one.

 

[swarm_catcher]

Indeed, thanks for the research. 'The best option?' sounds really good and I may do something like that in the future.

 

[mmmmartin]

Those roads between Belgium and France are fine, good tarmac and not busy, but you need to plan the navigation to ensure you stay away from the main roads. I rode there last year. And the exit from the Dunkirk ferry is best done by waiting 20 minutes for the vehicles to leave or you will be sharing a narrow road with big lorries. There is allegedly an exit north-eastwards along small dock roads, according to Googlemaps, but I have not ridden it.

 

[frank9755]

I recall we ended up on a few farm tracks, and going the wrong way round the one-way system in a deserted shopping centre. But apart from that, it was a good route.

Sounds like a fabulous ride. Alas, Els, I will be in Wales that weekend - with Eddie and co - so won't be able to make it. But the thought of that beautiful canal between Ghent and Brugge with the big trees on either side in the dawn is quite mouth-watering!

 

[frank9755]

I'm astonished at how hard the logistics are. Even if I don't make it (see below) here is the result of a couple of hours of research so others might benefit.

• ferry from Ramsgate to Ostend has just gone bust and stopped operations. This would have been ideal, although I seem to recall it didn't take bikes anyway.
• Eurostar is £150 return to Brussels plus £60 return for the (non-folding) bike, making £210 for an overnight trip. (Also the £20 single for the return in the morning from Ostend back to Brussels.)
• NonEurostar train - Calais to Brussels is a cheaper €37 - single - on a train arriving in the late afternoon leaving 8 hours to waste. If you go from Ostend after the ride back to Brussels, the return to Calais is tricky.
• the return (second option) Afterwards, one could ride from Ostend to Dunkirk and get the ferry back, another 50k on top of the 130k.
• all this and, of course, the train to Dover and return ferry crossing.
• The gnarliest way would be to take the ferry to Dunkirk, ride to Ostend and pay £20 single fare from Ostend to Brussels, then ride back to Ostend overnight and ride back to Dunkirk for the ferry home to Dover.
• Another way would be to put the bikes in a car and drive to Brussels, then get the train back to Brussels, but that involves a hotel to sleep in before driving back to Calais.
• The best option? Train to Dover (£16 return), ferry to Dunkirk (£30 return), ride westwards for 33k to De Panne railway station in Belgium. Train for €19.70 for adult and €5 for the bike to Brussels, no changes, arrive Brussels 11.05pm. Ride overnight to Ostend. Ride the 50k from Ostend to Dunkirk, get ferry back to Dear Old Blighty, train home from Dover. Total cost £66.

Or how about a Friday evening train (or ride) up to Harwich and a leisurely overnight cruise to Hoek, then a pleasant 90-mile (flat) leg stretch (or train) down to Brussels during Saturday?

 

[Trickedem]

I'm astonished at how hard the logistics are. Even if I don't make it (see below) here is the result of a couple of hours of research so others might benefit.

• ferry from Ramsgate to Ostend has just gone bust and stopped operations. This would have been ideal, although I seem to recall it didn't take bikes anyway.
• Eurostar is £150 return to Brussels plus £60 return for the (non-folding) bike, making £210 for an overnight trip. (Also the £20 single for the return in the morning from Ostend back to Brussels.)
• NonEurostar train - Calais to Brussels is a cheaper €37 - single - on a train arriving in the late afternoon leaving 8 hours to waste. If you go from Ostend after the ride back to Brussels, the return to Calais is tricky.
• the return (second option) Afterwards, one could ride from Ostend to Dunkirk and get the ferry back, another 50k on top of the 130k.
• all this and, of course, the train to Dover and return ferry crossing.
• The gnarliest way would be to take the ferry to Dunkirk, ride to Ostend and pay £20 single fare from Ostend to Brussels, then ride back to Ostend overnight and ride back to Dunkirk for the ferry home to Dover.
• Another way would be to put the bikes in a car and drive to Brussels, then get the train back to Brussels, but that involves a hotel to sleep in before driving back to Calais.
• The best option? Train to Dover (£16 return), ferry to Dunkirk (£30 return), ride westwards for 33k to De Panne railway station in Belgium. Train for €19.70 for adult and €5 for the bike to Brussels, no changes, arrive Brussels 11.05pm. Ride overnight to Ostend. Ride the 50k from Ostend to Dunkirk, get ferry back to Dear Old Blighty, train home from Dover. Total cost £66.

I am in France on the Normandy recce trip in mid May for a week, then again on the Normandy trip for a week in June and straight back for six days for the Dieppe Raid. Not to mention the chance of going on the Newhaven-Paris FNRttC.

My constant absence from home (the "overnight" ride from York to Hull saw me leave home at 5pm on Friday and arrive exhausted at 10am on Monday and spend the next two days in bed, and I'm away for the next three days as well) is being noticed. This is why I might not make this one.

This in depth research comes from someone with time on their hands.

 

[StuAff]

Sounds like a good one for a 2014 excursion, methinks.....

 

[slowmotion]

Frank's Harwich Variant.

Slightly off-topic, but the last time I looked into it, the rail trip from Liverpool Street to Harwich to catch the overnight Stena ferry seemed distinctly risky. You couldn't book a bike space and they were limited in number, three(?). You seemed to be entirely at the mercy of the station staff at LS on your evening of travel. Not ideal if you have a firm ferry ticket. Does anybody know if the situation has improved?

 

[swarm_catcher]

This in depth research comes from someone with time on their hands.

But not enough time to do the ride ... I thought retirement gave you freedom.

 

[swarm_catcher]

Or how about a Friday evening train (or ride) up to Harwich and a leisurely overnight cruise to Hoek, then a pleasant 90-mile (flat) leg stretch (or train) down to Brussels during Saturday?

Overnight to Ostend, then 200km south to Dieppe, ferry to Newhaven, cycle up to London ... when shall we do it?

A recovery detour via Westvleteren would be reasonable.

 

[swarm_catcher]

A recovery detour via Westvleteren would be reasonable.

In fact, it's not even a detour!

 

[mmmmartin]

Ahem. This is getting even more interesting. For the return, there is no need to ride from Ostend to Dunkirk. Oh NO!. You can take the longest tram journey in the world* for €6 by putting your bike on the Belgian Coastal Tram. It goes along the entire Belgian coast to De Panne, takes an hour for the 27k journey, then ride the remaining 34k to Dunkirk. Mid-afternoon ferry back to Dear Old Blighty, back home in time for tea and medals. I think I'm up for this one, Els.

* little moment there oops