How long does a journey have to be before you can call it 'touring'?

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Brains

Legendary Member
Location
Greenwich
Look at the Dunwich Dynamo times over a similar distance:

The start is around 20.00 (+/-1hr)
The FIRST block of busses leave at 9.30am - That is 13.5hrs later, that is for the Kevlar & Lycra crowd
The big block of busses leave between 10.30 and 11.30 - That is around 15 hrs later, for the normal riders.
The last buses leave at 13.30 - That is around 18hrs later for the Boris Bikes and Penny farthing crowd

It would imply they are expecting the door to door time including stops to be around 14-15 hrs (unloaded)
I wonder how many then sleep on a rocking boat and then cycle another 50 miles on a loaded bike the next day ?
 
Last edited:

oldwheels

Legendary Member
Location
Isle of Mull
Milzy we did not have a tent. Sometimes SYHA but often dossed where we could. We could have taught Ray Mears a few things as we were pretty adept at living off the land. It was a long time ago and conditions have changed I think so not so easy nowadays. My first tour was aged 3 on a trike when I set off to visit an aunt a few miles away. Did not get very far as police saw me and took me home in their car.
 
OP
OP
nickAKA

nickAKA

Über Member
Location
Manchester
Look at the Dunwich Dynamo times over a similar distance:

The start is around 20.00 (+/-1hr)
The FIRST block of busses leave at 9.30am - That is 13.5hrs later, that is for the Kevlar & Lycra crowd
The big block of busses leave between 10.30 and 11.30 - That is around 15 hrs later, for the normal riders.
The last bus is at 13.30 - That is around 18hrs later for the Boris Bikes and Penny farthing crowd

It would imply they are expecting the door to door time including stops to be around 14-15 hrs (unloaded)
I wonder how many then sleep on a rocking boat and then cycle another 50 miles on a loaded bike the next day ?

It's the definition of the 'loaded bike' that's throwing me here... I'm not against doing 50 miles a day on the outbound route if it's what the group wants to do tbh. Whatever it takes, but as I say the intention is to travel pretty light - a change of clothes, some fuel and a credit card. I've been rather selfishly looking back at my century rides last year and thinking 10 hours (including regular stops) would be enough time for a group assuming everyone has done enough training. The sailings are at 8.30pm, so setting off at 8am would give us plently of time, in theory... certainly my regular riding buch would manage it no problem.
I'll ruminate on it for a while.
 

Brains

Legendary Member
Location
Greenwich
The ship departs at 20.30h.
They will be closing the bow door for departure around 20.20

You have to clear customs and load before that, which in Harwich takes around 20-30 mins.
You really want to aim for arrival at the customs office no later than 19h00.
Ideally you want to get a meal etc in Hull, rather than a late (and expensive) meal on the ship
This means you arrival in Hull should be no later than 18.00
(The very nice, but not cheap, restaurants on the Stena ships open once they have cleared the harbour, so around 20.45)

At the 55 mile mark you have South Milford station.
If you have not passed that point by midday at the latest, then that is your escape route to Hull to arrive in time.
There is one train per hour at 18 mins past.
It takes about 1h30 to Hull by train.

If you want a test run, see if can you make the start to South Milford before mid day.
What time do you then arrive back at the start ?
 
Last edited:
The ship departs at 20.30h.
They will be closing the bow door for departure around 20.20

You have to clear customs and load before that, which in Harwich takes around 20-30 mins.
You really want to aim for arrival at the customs office no later than 19h00.
Ideally you want to get a meal etc in Hull, rather than a late (expensive) meal on the ship
This means you arrival in Hull should be no later than 18.00
The very nice, but not cheap, restaurants on the Stena ships open once they have cleared the harbour, so around 20.45

At the 55 mile mark you have South Milford station.
If you have not passed that point by midday at the latest, then that is your escape route to Hull to arrive in time.
There is one train per hour at 18 mins past.
It takes about 1h30 to Hull by train.

If you want a test run, see if can you make the start to South Milford before mid day.
What time do you then arrive back at the start ?

I'm sure that was a question in my GSCE Maths paper...
 
As others have said: carrying a load drastically changes speed, mileage and endurance, even for people who are reasonably fit.
The most obvious example I have is when I took my laptop around Arran in my backpack (was on-call and had to do some sysadmin stuff on the ferry - don't judge me) and the weight of the laptop turned what would have been an enjoyable 4 hour ride into a painful 5+ hour slog where I still ended up cracking badly.
 

HelenD123

Guru
Location
York
The ship departs at 20.30h.
They will be closing the bow door for departure around 20.20

You have to clear customs and load before that, which in Harwich takes around 20-30 mins.
You really want to aim for arrival at the customs office no later than 19h00.
Ideally you want to get a meal etc in Hull, rather than a late (expensive) meal on the ship
This means you arrival in Hull should be no later than 18.00
The very nice, but not cheap, restaurants on the Stena ships open once they have cleared the harbour, so around 20.45

At the 55 mile mark you have South Milford station.
If you have not passed that point by midday at the latest, then that is your escape route to Hull to arrive in time.
There is one train per hour at 18 mins past.
It takes about 1h30 to Hull by train.

If you want a test run, see if can you make the start to South Milford before mid day.
What time do you then arrive back at the start ?
You wouldn't get a group on the train. Many are advance booking only too.
 

Venod

Eh up
Location
Yorkshire
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30176163

I haven't tweeked this route at all, it's as ridewithGPS spat it out so subject to change.

I don't know the route on your side of the hill but on the Yorkshire side it can get confusing around the Mirfield Savile Town area, some of the route is on cycle tracks, be prepared for a bit of rough stuff on the TPT coming out of Selby and again Hemingborough to Barnby on the marsh aslo between Flaxfleet and Broomfleet.

I have ridden these section on 25mm tyres but only when its dry, I have ridden them a lot more on 32mm tyres, I like a bit rough stuff so it doesn't bother me but I know some people are dedicated road riders and may not appreciate it especially if its unexpected.

The A63 between Monk Fryston and selby can get busy with some HGV's but can be avoided by going through Hillam to the south of the road and carrying on by Selby Golf Club and crossing the A63 here towards Brayton and Selby.

An alternative route would be, Fairburn, Byram ,Birkin (good cafe here) West Haddlesey, Carlton, back road from Carlton to A645 (accessed through a gate) then Airmyn, Howden, this avoids the two rough bits on the TPT.

To avoid Flaxfleet, Broomfleet you could go through Gillberdyke and Newport.

I prefer the TPT route, but the alternatives are probably quicker.
 
Last edited:
I ask purely because I'm thinking of organising a saunter from Manchester to Amsterdam via the Hull-Rotterdam ferry with a some mates... once we're out of Greater Manchester it's a flat 160 miles split 60/40 by an overnight on the ferry, a night or two in the 'Dam & then back... it's not a problem distance-wise (for me) but it'll feel like a "boys own" adventure, especially for the newer riders.
I intend travelling pretty light, one change of clothes (civvies) in a single pannier or a backpack and will be advising everyone else do the same.
The plan is to make this the first of many if it goes to plan, increasing the distances until it's about the journey rather than the destination.
I'd like to refer to it as a 'tour' mainly to appeal to those who doubt their own capacity to do it but it'll probably be laughed off by the mile munchers!
That's a tour.
 
Top Bottom