FNRttC The Fridays' Tour, 2018
- Thread starter mmmmartin
- Start date
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StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
Only two yes options? 
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Two is almost too many choices already! I just can't make my mind up....
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
I did have the thought that too many yes options would make the poll a bit....organic 
Nick Saddlesore
Über Member
- Location
- London
That man would make a fine local councillor - " We ran a public consultation and everyone seemed content".
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
Perhaps we could have a poll about it....
OP
OP
mmmmartin
Random geezer
Email just gone to those who went to our website and signed up for news and for those who haven't done that - just mosey on down to the page on our website full of spiffing news.
And for the terminally idle who just CBA to do that: this year is different from the previous ones. It's a lot easier. And it's a lot harder if you want it to be. And it's much more civilised. We're based in a town for a week so no carrying your bags halfway across Europe. And there will be trains (and lunches). And some longer rides with shorter sections involving trains.
Did I say Calvados is made in Normandy?
And for the terminally idle who just CBA to do that: this year is different from the previous ones. It's a lot easier. And it's a lot harder if you want it to be. And it's much more civilised. We're based in a town for a week so no carrying your bags halfway across Europe. And there will be trains (and lunches). And some longer rides with shorter sections involving trains.
Did I say Calvados is made in Normandy?
The French Leave - 2018 Tour. A week of French roads, sun, wine & cheese. (Calvados a possibility.)
The Fridays in full colour
Every year we take you to great places to ride on great roads with great people. Next year we'll do it again. And this time it's different. Very different. Read on.
We're breaking the mould. Our destination is easy to get to and you can bring your fast bikes. We'll be spending the whole week with one town as a base and doing day rides so, unlike recent years, you don't need to carry all your luggage halfway across Europe.
Some random geezer drinking beer
And we hope there'll be lots of times when you'll look like the chap in the picture above. Possibly even more so......
So - here's the skinny, and it's all good.
We're going to France. Those who did the Caen-Bordeaux Tour will recall there will be empty roads, cafes, lunches in the sunshine (everyone knows it never rains on a Fridays Tour.........) and the very occasional stop for a small refreshment. We've chosen Lisieux in Normandy as easy to get to, interesting countryside (some exciting fast descents, if you get my drift) and many opportunities to bask outside cafes. And it has a railway station with one line going east-west and the other heading north to the coast. We're going when the weather should be good. July 14-21 will be in school holidays for some (but not all) of you. The more geeky of you will by now be reaching for the Tour de France itinerary and looking at trains to watch the stage on Friday.
Details, details
Rides will start from outside the cathedral in Lisieux in northern France at about 9.30am each morning. You can book into one of the many hotels in the town (some suitable for the impecunious, others might suit those seeking a bit more comfort ) You might like to rent a house for a week (although remember these need to be paid for a long time in advance and don't offer the same flexibility as hotels). And for everyone's favourite recumbent riders there is a campsite.
Getting there
Lisieux is about 60k from Caen by this route or you could go from Le Havre by this route so riding is quite possible. We think the port you choose will have more to do with times of departure and arrival. And it's about three hours on the autoroute from Calais. You might want to think about sharing a car with friends.
The rides
This is the clever bit: you might not want to ride every day. You needn't. And you can bring your slower, weaker/older husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend/teenage son/daughter and take a day off with them. They can, of course, join the rides. We plan to work out about a dozen rides: every day there'll be a led ride and we hope every ride will pass a railway station. (I can see you're paying a bit more attention now....) You could take the train and join the ride at say 20 miles in, or start with the group and leave the ride at 20 miles if your weaker husband/etc/etc is feeling the strain.
So each day you'll ride exactly how you want.
(You can see why we're feeling a bit smug about this can't you?)
And on some days there will be a little ride with a big lunch. Other days will be a big ride with a tiny, hurried lunch. We think there'll be a 200k audax ride on offer one day (plus a nice lunch alternative for us less committed riders, obvs). We hope to provide photocopies of maps with rides marked so a group can do something different from the main crowd.
What next?
The Fridays in full colour
Every year we take you to great places to ride on great roads with great people. Next year we'll do it again. And this time it's different. Very different. Read on.
We're breaking the mould. Our destination is easy to get to and you can bring your fast bikes. We'll be spending the whole week with one town as a base and doing day rides so, unlike recent years, you don't need to carry all your luggage halfway across Europe.
Some random geezer drinking beer
And we hope there'll be lots of times when you'll look like the chap in the picture above. Possibly even more so......
So - here's the skinny, and it's all good.
We're going to France. Those who did the Caen-Bordeaux Tour will recall there will be empty roads, cafes, lunches in the sunshine (everyone knows it never rains on a Fridays Tour.........) and the very occasional stop for a small refreshment. We've chosen Lisieux in Normandy as easy to get to, interesting countryside (some exciting fast descents, if you get my drift) and many opportunities to bask outside cafes. And it has a railway station with one line going east-west and the other heading north to the coast. We're going when the weather should be good. July 14-21 will be in school holidays for some (but not all) of you. The more geeky of you will by now be reaching for the Tour de France itinerary and looking at trains to watch the stage on Friday.
Details, details
Rides will start from outside the cathedral in Lisieux in northern France at about 9.30am each morning. You can book into one of the many hotels in the town (some suitable for the impecunious, others might suit those seeking a bit more comfort ) You might like to rent a house for a week (although remember these need to be paid for a long time in advance and don't offer the same flexibility as hotels). And for everyone's favourite recumbent riders there is a campsite.
Getting there
Lisieux is about 60k from Caen by this route or you could go from Le Havre by this route so riding is quite possible. We think the port you choose will have more to do with times of departure and arrival. And it's about three hours on the autoroute from Calais. You might want to think about sharing a car with friends.
The rides
This is the clever bit: you might not want to ride every day. You needn't. And you can bring your slower, weaker/older husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend/teenage son/daughter and take a day off with them. They can, of course, join the rides. We plan to work out about a dozen rides: every day there'll be a led ride and we hope every ride will pass a railway station. (I can see you're paying a bit more attention now....) You could take the train and join the ride at say 20 miles in, or start with the group and leave the ride at 20 miles if your weaker husband/etc/etc is feeling the strain.
So each day you'll ride exactly how you want.
(You can see why we're feeling a bit smug about this can't you?)
And on some days there will be a little ride with a big lunch. Other days will be a big ride with a tiny, hurried lunch. We think there'll be a 200k audax ride on offer one day (plus a nice lunch alternative for us less committed riders, obvs). We hope to provide photocopies of maps with rides marked so a group can do something different from the main crowd.
What next?
- Mark the date in your diary and book the time off work.
- Check ferry times and work out how to get there and back.
- Look at hotels/houses/buy a new tent.
- Go to the website and fill in the form so we know where you're staying and if we expect you on a ride we can make an effort to ensure you're OK. You can update the form as and when you make the bookings.
- Contain your excitement.
- Er, that's it.
Last edited:
Fab Foodie
hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
- Location
- Kirton, Devon.
Dammit, I was planning to wash my hair and rearrange my belly-button fluff collection that week.
Oh well....
Oh well....
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
Got my leave form back last week...and got the week in question. Hurrah!
Handily, fast bike (titanium) and touring bike are one and the same
200k audax? Nope, doesn't appeal.....
Will look at booking hotels etc Sunday.
Handily, fast bike (titanium) and touring bike are one and the same
200k audax? Nope, doesn't appeal.....
Will look at booking hotels etc Sunday.
U
User482
Guest
This looks great, @mmmmartin
Looking at the plan, it seems as though people could come for part of the week, what do you think?
Looking at the plan, it seems as though people could come for part of the week, what do you think?
U
User482
Guest
Excellent. Looks like I can come for the first half.
OP
OP
mmmmartin
Random geezer
yes indeed, and some may choose to arrive early or stay late. Whisper it, but you could even look at the weather forecast and pop over at the last minute. But you'd pay a lot for last minute booking on ferries and hotels, assuming you could get in late in July. And you could take the family and stay nearby and pop in to the cathedral for the start of the ride. It's designed to be flexible.
StuAff
Silencing his legs regularly
- Location
- Portsmouth
I take it Saturday 14th will be a 'getting there' day rather than a 'going for a ride' day? Given recent problems at work getting odd days off definitely easier for me if Saturday's just for travelling. Getting to the ferry port for the overnighter to Caen after work would be tight if not impossible too.
On the subject of ferries: the Portsmouth-Le Havre sailings are 2145 on Friday, 2330 on other nights, all arriving 0830.
Caen- well, we know it's Ouistreham- sailings are 0815 (arrives 1500), 1445 (2130) and 2245 (0645)- all daily.
Fast cat to Cherbourg (and hence SNCF to Liseux, usual PITA excuse for a timetable but if you get a direct one about 1hr 45) is at 9, arrives 1300.
On the subject of ferries: the Portsmouth-Le Havre sailings are 2145 on Friday, 2330 on other nights, all arriving 0830.
Caen- well, we know it's Ouistreham- sailings are 0815 (arrives 1500), 1445 (2130) and 2245 (0645)- all daily.
Fast cat to Cherbourg (and hence SNCF to Liseux, usual PITA excuse for a timetable but if you get a direct one about 1hr 45) is at 9, arrives 1300.
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