the Fridays Tour 2014

[martint235]

This could be just me but a 8 hour ferry trip could be asking for trouble.... just sayin'

 

[ianmac62]

One coach company which specialises in hiring coaches to cycling groups is Boultons of Shropshire (http://www.boultonsofshropshire.com). There's only a hint on their website that they do this. I travelled on one of their coaches last summer from Northampton to Hamburg and then back from Dresden to Northampton at the start and end of a CTC holiday. IIRC, the coach and driver went off to do other contract hires during the two weeks we were pedalling.
Like BikeExpress, the coach picked up at a number of points from Nottingham to Dover. Unlike BikeExpress, the coaches are for hire; the bikes travel inside (half the seats are taken out); and the hirer determines the pick-up points, the destination and the return pick up. The hirer can also determine the venue of an overnight stop (e.g. at a motel) during the journey(s). We stopped near Breda on the way out and near Ghent on the way back.
The driver on this particular holiday was Mick Boulton and the family have an interest in cycling.
The company might well take a group from England to Bilbao and then from Gerona to England. Worth an enquiry?

 

[dellzeqq]

This could be just me but a 8 hour ferry trip could be asking for trouble.... just sayin'

it is just you

 

[srw]

An 8-hour ferry trip is enough to reserve a Commodore class cabin and get 8 hours of sleep and breakfast in bed.

 

[martint235]

Probably just you.

it is just you

Hey I seem to remember Davywalnuts helping last time!!

 

[Flying Dodo]

I'm looking at Channel Ports to La Rochelle/Bordeaux with Martin. A shade more bucolic, but possibly less dramatic - albeit that we could hug the western coast down to La Rochelle.

I think this idea might work better for next year, and appeal to a broader range of people, rather than Spain*. Being that much closer to the UK, it will enable people to dip in and join on sections if they wanted to. In fact you could hug the coast most of the way but cut across south from St. Malo - St. Brieuc, with interesting little diversions to places of interest such as Bayeux, Mont St Michel, Carnac etc. Or nice hills. Which would be nice. About 1,000 km to La Rochelle.

Although again, you've got the issues about getting back to the UK, but that coach thing could work.


* Edit - plus of course gets round the awkward fact that in theory, unless it's boiling hot, you;re supposed to wear a helmet in Spain. So France wins, on requiring less luggage.

 

[redfalo]

as for bike hire - unless you're going to Mallorca ... it's not worth even thinking about. .

which might be another option? A Normandy style thing with hired bikes in Mallorca? Would make logistics a lot easier, and the island is supposed to be a cycling eldorado (I've never been there)

 

[Flying Dodo]

The things that make Mallorca a cycling mecca are not for the hill averse.

If you're considering an island tour, I'd prefer Tenerife.

 

[StuartG]

If you're considering an island tour, I'd prefer Tenerife.

Better a winter tour than a summer at that latitude. Air fares are expensive compared with Ballerics. Also lacks variety - it either round the edge or up the volcano ...

 

[ianrauk]

which might be another option? A Normandy style thing with hired bikes in Mallorca? Would make logistics a lot easier, and the island is supposed to be a cycling eldorado (I've never been there)

Can you please knock the hired bikes thing on the head.. ta!

 

[StuartG]

Can you please knock the hired bikes thing on the head.. ta!

Ian - you are free to take your own. Why seek to deny others a choice?

 

[StuAff]

Can you please knock the hired bikes thing on the head.. ta!

Unless the firm has bikes available in spec equal or better to my own, and (more importantly) the right size with the ability to get the right fit, I'd rather bring my own, even if it meant buying a decent bike bag and paying airline charges for it.

Edit: Stuart does have a point though, that option might work better for some.

 

[ianrauk]

Ian - you are free to take your own. Why seek to deny others a choice?

Sorry, internet forum humour doesn't come across well sometimes. Just that Olaf has mentioned it a few times now.

 

[redfalo]

Sorry, internet forum humour doesn't come across well sometimes. Just that Olaf has mentioned it a few times now.

oh, I'm not too fond of hiring bikes as well, TBH and would try to bring my own.

 

[mmmmartin]

Stop wittering on about bike hire. Ask yourself this question: would Dellzeqq do it? Do you have an answer? Ok.
Seems to me it is down to spain, france or Germany. I suspect a recce will provide answers that will inform the final decision, which will be made by Dellzeqq. Be aware that his Spanish route contains no mountains at all merely long easy gradients.