Ride to Harwich, Delft, Bruges and Westvleteren; 27 October

[frank9755]

The plan is to do this on the last weekend in October

Thursday 27th - leave from Hyde Park Corner at midnight

Friday 28th - arrive at Harwich in the morning, have breakfast and catch the 9:00am ferry to Hoek. Land at Hoek at 4:45pm, ride the 12 miles to Delft and spend the evening there.

Saturday 29th - ride to Bruges. My initial route was 110 miles but Delftse Post has suggested one involving a couple of ferries which is a bit shorter. Probably 90-100 miles - so quite a long way but it's flat.

Sunday 30th - come home, either by Eurostar (easy connection from Bruges to Brussels) or ferry from Dunkirk to Dover. Optional pilgrimage to the Abbey of St Sixtus of Westvleteren for lunch and a couple of beers.

Why might this be a good ride...? A few reasons:

- The Netherlands is the best place in the world to cycle, and Belgium is next.

- Delft is a beautiful, old Flemish city, just 12 flat miles from where the ferry lands at Hoek

- Bruges is considered by many to be the most picturesque city in Europe

- Belgium is generally acknowledged to have the best beer in the world. And many believe it also has the best food (although Dutch food is not that great!)

- Many believe that Westvleteren is the best beer in Belgium. But it's hard to get hold of it - you have to go to the Abbey and buy it from the Trappist monks who brew it. I've never had any.

Any takers?

 

[StuartG]

Frank, the SuperSpeedy had a following wind and only arrived in Harwich at 7.45am which, I guess, is the check-in time for the ferry. We had no fairy visits or other technicals so you are leaving no contingency. Is midnight sacrosanct?

 

[frank9755]

Frank, the SuperSpeedy had a following wind and only arrived in Harwich at 7.45am which, I guess, is the check-in time for the ferry. We had no fairy visits or other technicals so you are leaving no contingency. Is midnight sacrosanct?

No. I have to admit that the ride out to Harwich is the bit that I'd given least thought to. If it is going to be tight then bringing the time forward to, say, 10pm might be a good plan.

 

[StuartG]

No. I have to admit that the ride out to Harwich is the bit that I'd given least thought to. If it is going to be tight then bringing the time forward to, say, 10pm might be a good plan.

Would the Colne Ferry operate at 4.30/5.00? If its only one boatload it is obviously only going to take a third of the time to cross. Otherwise cycle via Colchester?

The ride would be wonderful with good weather but a bit challenging with bad. Forecasts are usually good 4/5 days in advance for highs/lows and winds. That is the weather pattern but inexact enough for rain. When I've done these sort of jaunts I have tended to leave it to Monday to have a weather view before finally committing and booking tickets. Its a risk they will have all gone but it does allow you to slip a week if it looks bad. Watchafink?

 

[frank9755]

Assuming others want to come, I'm inclined to set a date and stick to it.


I just find my mental health is better if things don't move around too much! The weather is always a variable but:
- we got absolutely soaked riding to Paris in July
- I remember going on a camping trip to the Cotswolds on the same weekend (end of October) two years ago and it was very mild and sunny

If the weather is atrocious then we'd cancel but otherwise I generally find that a bit of moderately bad weather is much worse in the anticipation than the actual experience!

 

[martint235]

For my tuppence, and bearing in mind I can't make it this time :

- I agree with Frank, it's better to just set a date. If you start moving it because of the weather, you could be moving it forever particularly in October.

- start time I would decide based on who is going. Harwich by 9am if you take a direct route via the outskirts of Colchester could be comfortable.

I'll keep out of it now.

 

[iZaP]

I wish I had a pot of gold under my bed, so I could fund a trip like this

BUT, I could ride to Harwich and then ride back home or..take the train back and go to work just in time!

 

[dellzeqq]

I'm pretty sure that two bachelor boy rides to Harwich in quick succession will be out of the question. I'll ask.

It is quicker if you go through Chelmsford and Colchester - it's 76 flat miles, which is surely do-able in eight hours. If there is some ghastly misadventure you'll be within spitting distance of a railway station.

There's a 24 hour Tesco at Chelmsford and another one at Colchester.

 

[frank9755]

Just done a bit of research into trains and ferries for the return journey.

1. Eurostar:
Lots of trains. It takes an hour from Bruges to Brussels, an hour to wait and check in then a couple of hours for the journey over, so about 4 hours altogether. Cheapest one is the 18:50 from Brussels (leave Bruges 16:58, arrive London at 20:03, £80)

2. Ferry option
a. Bruges to Dunkirk direct is 53 miles
b. Bruges to Westvleteren is 34, then 31 to Dunkirk, so only an extra 10 miles. Should be no problem to do each of those legs within 3 hours, so
leave Bruges by 9am
arrive WV by 12 noon; leave by 2pm
arrive at Dunkirk by 5pm, for 6pm ferry
arrive at Dover at 7pm (UK time), aiming for 19:34 train which gets to Victoria at 21:29

Ferry is €19 and the train is £19.90

 

[User169]

Yes please - to the second and possibly third days.

 

[velovoice]

Is this "the ride proper"? or a reccie?

I said 'yes please' on the other thread but the last weekend in October is my birthday weekend and I'll be in Glasgow "celebrating". Would still be interested in doing this ride in April if there's a chance of that happening.

 

[ChrisBailey]

The plan is to do this on the last weekend in October

Thursday 27th - leave from Hyde Park Corner at midnight

Friday 28th - arrive at Harwich in the morning, have breakfast and catch the 9:00am ferry to Hoek. Land at Hoek at 4:45pm, ride the 12 miles to Delft and spend the evening there.

Saturday 29th - ride to Bruges. My initial route was 110 miles but Delftse Post has suggested one involving a couple of ferries which is a bit shorter. Probably 90-100 miles - so quite a long way but it's flat.

Sunday 30th - come home, either by Eurostar (easy connection from Bruges to Brussels) or ferry from Dunkirk to Dover. Optional pilgrimage to the Abbey of St Sixtus of Westvleteren for lunch and a couple of beers.

Frank, out of the 4 non starter weekends for me, you got a direct hit. I'll have to say no, thanks for arranging it, hope it goes well

Chris

 

[Andrij]

Can't do the Oct '11 ride, but hopefully when it's re-run next year I'll be able to make it.

 

[frank9755]

Is this "the ride proper"? or a reccie?

I said 'yes please' on the other thread but the last weekend in October is my birthday weekend and I'll be in Glasgow "celebrating". Would still be interested in doing this ride in April if there's a chance of that happening.

Assuming it works OK, I'd expect to do it again next year. It won't be in April / May as there is already another ride involving the Harwich - Hoek ferry being planned for then; it would be later in the summer.

 

[User169]

Just remembered, I'm running a half marathon which starts at 2am on the Sunday morning, so will probably cycle half way to Brugge and then turn back.