The Fridays Tour 2012

[GrumpyGregry]

I like the sound of this, might engineer a start from Brighton or elsewhere on the south coast, a la, or avec, Stu

The Friday's Capital to Coast.....

 

[frank9755]

Sounds good. Starting from HPC at midnight certainly gets my vote.

-1 for support vehicle (just to show you can't please everyone!). My experience is that it changes the nature of the tour and makes it feel less like an escape-from-it-all, which should be one of the main advantages of cycle touring. Far better to bring less gear or, if not that's not possible, there is always Carry Freedom (Mick F from the CTC forum has done thousands of miles round the UK with one)

 

[ceepeebee]

another idea..........

skip LEJoG. LJoG. As in HPCJoG. Midnight start. 664 miles, starting Friday night, getting to (say) somewhere around Market Harborough by Saturday lunchtime, camp, B+B, hotel overnight, continue to (say) Gainsborogh Sunday, camp overnight, then on to York on Monday. Arrive JoG Saturday.

The disadvantages are
- you don't get a sticker saying 'LEJoG'.
- A508 Northampton to MH.

The advantages are
- no Cornwall and Devon, which means either no fast ride down the A30 or no very slow ride on all the alternatives
- a big start on Friday night makes support vehicle for the first (and possibly the second) night worthwhile, so camping is do-able
- weekend to weekend which means only a week of annual leave,
- better scenery
- those coming for the first weekend could train home from Gainsborough, Lincoln, Retford or Doncaster

I heartily approve of this plan, sounds like a winner.


I also wan to do a wee overnighter to Westvleteren in Belgium, possibly from Hook of Holland (may take more than 1 night)

 

[StuAff]

My feeling about the need for a support vehicle is as follows:
1. Some, if not all of us, are unwilling/unable to get a week's worth of kit into a teeny tiny bag that's not too much of a pain to lug about all day, every day. And even if we can and do, lugging it up and down Shap Fell, Glencoe, etc...isn't going to be fun (masochists excepted...) And we do want this to be fun, right...? Certain people might be put off a trip like this altogether, or would enjoy it much less, if they had a fully laden bike to contend with.
2. If someone bonks/has an off day/etc, you're covered.
3. Plenty of room for spares etc. Better in a van than on your bike.
4. Need someone to get a spare tyre or other parts? Covered.
5. Secure bike store for overnight stops...

 

[User482]

I think one can worry too much about carrying luggage. All my kit for a 12 day credit-card LEJOG fitted into 2 smallish panniers, and I'm no hairshirt. Equally, one of those large carradice saddle bags would probably have done. As for cycling uphill, just do it a bit slower. By the time you get to Shap, you're superfit anyway.

 

[StuAff]

I think one can worry too much about carrying luggage. All my kit for a 12 day credit-card LEJOG fitted into 2 smallish panniers, and I'm no hairshirt. Equally, one of those large carradice saddle bags would probably have done. As for cycling uphill, just do it a bit slower. By the time you get to Shap, you're superfit anyway.

Well, I don't know about being able to pack that light, particularly allowing for spares etc, I don't want a touring bike, apart from the expense, and the Viner handles like a fully laden shopping trolley when the Carradice is full (and I'd need a rucksack as well). Certainly easier to climb without that lot anyway...Part of my reasoning is that I'd prefer those people who've expressed an interest but aren't has fit or hardy as others, to feel willing and able to sign up. And those people need to be lugging as little weight around as possible, because they're going to need the help, regardless of route.

 

[Flying Dodo]

- A508 Northampton to MH.

Well, you don't even have to do that. Go via Earls Barton, Sywell, Old, Harrington, Braybroke. Really nice quiet roads, as seen on recent epic rides.

 

[StuAff]

Well, you don't even have to do that. Go via Earls Barton, Sywell, Old, Harrington, Braybroke. Really nice quiet roads, as seen on recent epic rides.

+1.

 

[User482]

Well, I don't know about being able to pack that light, particularly allowing for spares etc, I don't want a touring bike, apart from the expense, and the Viner handles like a fully laden shopping trolley when the Carradice is full (and I'd need a rucksack as well). Certainly easier to climb without that lot anyway...Part of my reasoning is that I'd prefer those people who've expressed an interest but aren't has fit or hardy as others, to feel willing and able to sign up. And those people need to be lugging as little weight around as possible, because they're going to need the help, regardless of route.

I don't think you need to be particularly fit - seriously. 80 miles in a day can be comfortably achieved at an average speed of 10mph, which is within reach of most cyclists, even with luggage.

My view is that people are put off long-distance tours because they perceive that it is going to be difficult. I think that the perception is wrong. All you need is the desire to do it, and a bicycle that's comfortable.

 

[StuAff]

I don't think you need to be particularly fit - seriously. 80 miles in a day can be comfortably achieved at an average speed of 10mph, which is within reach of most cyclists, even with luggage.

My view is that people are put off long-distance tours because they perceive that it is going to be difficult. I think that the perception is wrong. All you need is the desire to do it, and a bicycle that's comfortable.

It's a darn sight easier if you are fit..and it's a darn sight easier if you're not carrying loads of stuff. Let alone if you're not fit, and you are fully laden. The decisions you make for yourself about touring are one thing, but a group is quite another. We have to be thinking of the group as a whole, and I think there are plenty who would much prefer to avoid anything even vaguely resembling the hair-shirt approach (self included). Some people don't want to do their own laundry every night, wear the same clothes all day every day, go without items they consider essential, even small lightweight ones, because they just won't fit...and I'll say it again: it's supposed to be fun. The hard bits- and there will be hard bits- will be hard enough without a fully laden bike. On the attempted LeJOG, I did 90+ miles over two days, pretty much on my own, into a headwind. At no point was I regretting not having luggage. If anyone suggested otherwise, the language would have been colourful to say the least. I had in many respects an absolutely awful time, and I certainly don't want anyone going through anything like that this time around.

Nothing to stop people doing it the self-reliant way on this trip...but please don't assume everyone else can or should.

 

[frank9755]

I don't think you need to be particularly fit - seriously. 80 miles in a day can be comfortably achieved at an average speed of 10mph, which is within reach of most cyclists, even with luggage.

My view is that people are put off long-distance tours because they perceive that it is going to be difficult. I think that the perception is wrong. All you need is the desire to do it, and a bicycle that's comfortable.

Agreed. The whole 'support vehicle' thing has been propagated by companies who need to raise the barriers to entry in order to have a product to sell. There's a straightforward trade-off between how much luggage you are carrying and how many miles you can comfortably do in a day. Neither is necessarily more or less comfortable than the other.

 

[swarm_catcher]

I've had visions of a Friday Night Ride through the Country.

We would ride at night, sleep in the morning, sightsee/eat/drink in the late afternoon/evening.

We would set off at HPC on a Friday and reach a coast somewhere, from then on coast to coast till we reach HPC again on a Friday.

Accommodation would be available and economical because who else needs a room between 0900-1500.

You could get a FNRttC Star Sticker.

 

[StuAff]

Agreed. The whole 'support vehicle' thing has been propagated by companies who need to raise the barriers to entry in order to have a product to sell. There's a straightforward trade-off between how much luggage you are carrying and how many miles you can comfortably do in a day. Neither is necessarily more or less comfortable than the other.

What? Touring bike makers?

Seriously, if anyone actually wants to argue that they prefer riding with 20 or 30 kilos, if not more, of bike and gear to something under 8 or 9, feel free. I certainly don't. On the travesty, we met a guy coming the other way, at his own pace (very slowly). No-one could pick up his bike.....Rather him than me.
Having a support vehicle means all kinds of problems that will come up can be dealt with much more simply and easily. The slower people will be slow enough if they're not weighed down....don't make things harder than they need to be.

Let people have the best bike for the job that they've got, and not have to worry about where they have to carry stuff on it....

 

[Becs]

I reckon a support van would be a bonus but I'm sure if someone was really struggling the kind hearted fitter folk would happily share the load until the next stop.


Personally I'm up for small panniers, B and Bs and washing my lycra in the sink each night! I will therefore have to leave the hair straighteners at home

 

[Flying Dodo]

For doing Durness to Dover last month, Mike and I had 1 pannier each. His weighed 6.5 kg and mine was 8.5 kg (but that extra weight was mainly because I had a notebook plus chargers and spare batteries for the GPS, so it could have been lighter). 3 lots of jerseys, shorts and socks, 2 coats (thick and thin), leggings, waterproofs including overshoes, a pair of trousers and top for the evening + shoes + toiletries. Tools including spare folding tyre in the saddle wedge bag.

So for touring, it's perfectly possible to do it on a lightweight, completely independent basis, but as Becs says, it would be a bonus to have a van and that would have the advantage of being a sag wagon in case someone is ill or is suffering badly for whatever reason.

One option could be to hire a van, picking up from one location, and dropping off say 3 days later, with the driving shared between 3 people in turn, who each have a non cycling day as they're on driving duty*, and then pick up another van for a few more days for others to then share the driving.

If you're looking at Europe and were sticking to Northern France, then I can provide a people carrier for a few days.





* [sub]or they could drive on ahead, park the van and cycle back to meet the group.
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