FNRttC The Fridays tour 2014

[redfalo]

Probably not for you (or at least not so soon).

.

Germany does not have a flying start -here's last week's news:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/socce...cident-that-injures-two-people-204536485.html
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soc...-driving-as-penalty-points-mount-up-1.1810793
http://www.goal.com/en/news/15/germ...reutz-apologises-for-urinating-in-hotel-lobby

Plus many injuries - the team may be beyond its peak already....

 

[ianmac62]

ABE

 

[dellzeqq]

This brings back memories of my first multi-day cycling, which I did in the summer of 1990. On July 4th, I spent the night at Darmstadt youth hostel. So did a busload of English tourists. We were all watching THE GAME in the breakfast room. I was smoking at the time, rolling my own. After the game, a shattered Englishman asked me if I could roll him a ciggy, which I did. It was a really really weird evening, I have to say.

watching the '66 final in Soest was well odd.......

 

[Andrew Br]

Would it be a popular move if I took some PG Tips across and left them in the van ?

.

 

[ianmac62]

Would it be a popular move if I took some PG Tips across and left them in the van?

Shades of LonJoG (and to the delight of Mice).

Hot drinks of LonJoG came courtesy of my wife who brought the Camping Gaz twin stove over to Wellingborough so that, when I took over driving duties from Andrew at that first breakfast, it was part of the kit I put in the van in that lovely Tesco car park.

On this trip, however, I am just carrying a rucksack down to Portsmouth and so there'll be no room for stove, billy cans, plastic cups, etc.

In one of my chats on the phone with mmmmartin, I suggested that some of the kitty you've paid into for the van might be used by me to buy multipacks of large bottles of water from hypermarkets, together with fruit such as melons, so that when you see the van and need refreshment there's something for you.

One water bottle on your bike will be fine - since you'll be able to fill up whenever you see the van.

P.S. Andrew could, if he wished, take some teabags for people to raid at their hotels if there are kettles in the rooms.

 

[ianmac62]

I've sent an e-mail out to everyone for whom I've got an e-mail address. There will be 22 cyclists and me. I think I have addresses for everyone except Mark A (so if you're reading this, Mark, please send it to me). The main parts were:

• Luggage labels. With fewer of us on this tour, and fewer hotels, than on LonJoG, I don’t need the colour-coded, plasticised labels which Simon and I thought up (independently!). What I need so that I can deliver your luggage to the correct hotel is evening is a simple - but sturdy - label on each piece of luggage you want carried in the van. On each label just put your forename and surname - with your surname in BLOCK CAPITALS please!

• There will be space in the van for things you need during each day’s ride. No labels needed.

• Mobile phone numbers. It would be good if I could have your mobile number if you’re taking a phone with you (if you haven’t already told me). I don’t have numbers for Moodyman or Ian H.

We’ll all meet in the car park at Ouistreham ferry port when the overnight ferry docks at 0645 French time - it will be a Europcar white van and I’ll have parked as near as I can get to the last of the disembarkation barriers.

The e-mail has some other details which don't need repeating here but I hope are worth reading.

 

[StuAff]

Shades of LonJoG (and to the delight of Mice).

Hot drinks of LonJoG came courtesy of my wife who brought the Camping Gaz twin stove over to Wellingborough so that, when I took over driving duties from Andrew at that first breakfast, it was part of the kit I put in the van in that lovely Tesco car park.

On this trip, however, I am just carrying a rucksack down to Portsmouth and so there'll be no room for stove, billy cans, plastic cups, etc.

In one of my chats on the phone with mmmmartin, I suggested that some of the kitty you've paid into for the van might be used by me to buy multipacks of large bottles of water from hypermarkets, together with fruit such as melons, so that when you see the van and need refreshment there's something for you.

One water bottle on your bike will be fine - since you'll be able to fill up whenever you see the van.

P.S. Andrew could, if he wished, take some teabags for people to raid at their hotels if there are kettles in the rooms.

On the suggestion to bring knives- would it not be easier to buy them over there, thus avoiding 'adventures' at customs?

 

[Andrew Br]

Andrew could, if he wished, take some teabags for people to raid at their hotels if there are kettles in the rooms.

That's what I was thinking of.
If I did camping (shudder), I'd probably have a stove for brewing up on, but I don't.
Sorry.

.

 

[ianmac62]

On the suggestion to bring knives - would it not be easier to buy them over there, thus avoiding 'adventures' at customs?

Yes, if I buy fruit like melons for "the back of the van", I'll buy a cheap and cheerful hypermarché canif.

 

[MarkA]

Ian:
macappleton@mac.com

 

[srw]

Is someone bringing a trackpump or any other less portable tools?

 

[rvw]

What @srw means to say is, "since we are coming down to Oistreham as foot passengers, are there some larger items that we could usefully bring - such as a track pump?"

 

[Andrew Br]

I'm bringing a track pump and some basic tools (think allen keys and screw drivers).
And tea-bags.

.

 

[StuAff]

On spares: I have plenty of 700 tubes in 18-25mm sizes, and four Schwalbe 20" tubes that could be handy as backups for Olaf.

On Friday: is there a plan for meeting up? You are of course, all welcome at mine. Evening pootle if anyone fancies it, plenty of room for luggage/bike storage, pub two minutes staggering distance, mile and a half from the ferry port...

@Michael Adu If you're still intending to ride down, I'd be happy to meet up en route and lead you in....I'll probably go for a ride anyway as I have the day off.

 

[mmmmartin]