The Fridays Tour de Normandie 2015

[StuAff]

Fingers crossed it gets resolved sharpish (don't want it affecting my return from Brussels either).

 

[rvw]

I have just realised that the strike the RMT have called might affect train travel from Newhaven when we get back.

That'll probably mean @srw will be collected from Newhaven in the Wilcox courtesy car. Which would mean that there could be room for one other person, plus bike, for a destination between Newhaven and the M25, or up in the Amersham direction...

 

[Gordon P]

there could be room for one other person

Can I register an interest please? I am booked with bike & Loved One on the 1600 Wednesday train Kings X to Aberdeen on the way to Orkney so don't have much spare time. However your route may not get me significantly closer to east London.....

 

[Flying Dodo]

I have just realised that the strike the RMT have called might affect train travel from Newhaven when we get back.

Bearing in mind we can't be on a train with a non folding bike which arrives in London before 7 pm, as the strike ends at 5 pm on the Tuesday, I suggest cycling along to Brighton and resting somewhere for a drink or 3 and then heading up to the station, where there's more likelihood of train availability than Newhaven, given the choice of Southern and Thameslink.

 

[wanda2010]

Aah. Completely forgot about the time restriction. Checks ticket. My train arrives in London at 18.59, assuming it's still running.

 

[velovoice]

Good lord, that's a lot of climbing…

Back to the hilliness "scaremongering"....

Isn't 1000 meters of climbing per 100k considered a standard i.e. not notably flat or hilly? Audax UK requires 1500m of climbing in 100k for an organiser to apply for AAA points to be awarded to those completing.

The hilliest day is 3,257 feet of climbing over 70 miles. That's just about 1,000 meters of climbing in 112.5k so flatter than the 'standard'. Bring it on.

 

[Flying Dodo]

Yes, according to Southern, full size bikes are also banned from trains leaving Brighton before 7pm although that doesn't affect trains from other routes such as Eastbourne, or Newhaven (changing at Lewes). Although as per TMN, Brighton may not be a problem anyway.

 

[dellzeqq]

Sorry for the delay, but I've finally got around to going over the gpx files.

Bear in mind they don't account of any possible excursions such as above, and are based on whatever the new version of Google maps thought Simon had in mind, so hopefully they line up ok.

Day 1 Brix to Bayeux - 65 miles, 2,200 ft. of climbing, quite flat really.
Day 2 Bayeux to Honfleur - 59 miles, 2,350 ft. of climbing, couple of big hills (one of which is a tad steep, so don't blame me but it's got a nice view at the top).
Day 3 Honfleur to Dieppe - 70 miles, 3,257 ft. of climbing, bit of a drag up to a plateau, but nothing steeper than 7.8%, and I can see a lovely descent like Slugwash Lane, only longer with a thatched cottage thrown in.

You'll love it.

thankyou, Adam. The first day and the first 40 miles of the second day are indeed flat. There are, as your splendid ride sections make clear, two hills in the last twenty miles to Honfleur - both are walkers.

The third day is now less hilly than before, thanks to the diversion through Lillebonne. The most worrisome part is the 22% descent down a narrow winding road - but there will be a waymarker at the top telling people to go down at walking pace.

Having said all that....the wind is going to be a big deal. Cross your fingers, one and all!

 

[srw]

...and stay off the haricots!

 

[StuAff]

Back to the hilliness "scaremongering"....

Isn't 1000 meters of climbing per 100k considered a standard i.e. not notably flat or hilly? Audax UK requires 1500m of climbing in 100k for an organiser to apply for AAA points to be awarded to those completing.

The hilliest day is 3,257 feet of climbing over 70 miles. That's just about 1,000 meters of climbing in 112.5k so flatter than the 'standard'. Bring it on.

Scaremongering? I merely pointed out that compared to where I'll be riding, it's a lot of climbing. But that's only relative. The elevation graph for large parts of Flanders is a straight line.....

 

[rvw]

Can I register an interest please? I am booked with bike & Loved One on the 1600 Wednesday train Kings X to Aberdeen on the way to Orkney so don't have much spare time. However your route may not get me significantly closer to east London.....

Our route will most likely be round to the A23, then straight up and round the M25 - if that's any use you are welcome to a lift. Where in East London are you trying to get to?

 

[srw]

Back to the hilliness "scaremongering"....

Isn't 1000 meters of climbing per 100k considered a standard i.e. not notably flat or hilly? Audax UK requires 1500m of climbing in 100k for an organiser to apply for AAA points to be awarded to those completing.

The hilliest day is 3,257 feet of climbing over 70 miles. That's just about 1,000 meters of climbing in 112.5k so flatter than the 'standard'. Bring it on.

The trouble with stats like this is that it all depends on the method of calculating height gain, and the granularity of the height database. Looking closely at Dodo's graphs, ridewithgps.com seems to be counting a lot of tiny little ups (which may just be noise in the height database) as climbing. Other websites might well smooth them out.

Which is why I compared the climbing to Brighton (including Ditchling, Coulsdon and Turner's) using the same web source.

(Here endeth the lesson on the vagaries of mathematical modelling)

 

[StuAff]

Early forecasts suggest you'll have a tailwind for Friday and Saturday, chance of showers.
Hope you're all practising your Normandie Express shuffles....

 

[mmmmartin]

the granularity of the height database. ...... the vagaries of mathematical modelling)

From the wings of this rarified debate I'd like to say how proud I am to be a member of a cycling club where such phrases are in common parlance.

 

[mmmmartin]

Normandie Express shuffles....

Mine will be assisted by the incorporation into my luggage of at least one bottle of wine for the journey.