The Fridays Tour de Normandie 2015

[CharlieB]

I don't know if this is helpful or not at this late stage but I'll be taking a Brompton, so that may create space for someone who'd rather not take a folder?

 

[StuAff]

Well, there's one free bike space on the sailing anyway

 

[frank9755]

There's another couple of spaces on the return crossing now (and a room at the Egg in Dieppe too).
Uta has to be back in London on Tuesday morning so we are going to take the midnight ferry on Monday.

 

[Gordon P]

Where in East London

Mile End - about 2 miles east of TTower Bridge, so fairly easterly.
Let's see what transpires over the next week

 

[srw]

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.....

I suspect you might do better riding to Brighton for a beer or two before getting on a train. My best guess is that given its strategic importance the Brighton line will be a priority for restoration once the strike has finished - and the trains should be pretty quiet as many people will take the strike on the day after the bank holiday as an opportunity to "work from home".

 

[User482]

I suspect you might do better riding to Brighton for a beer or two before getting on a train. My best guess is that given its strategic importance the Brighton line will be a priority for restoration once the strike has finished - and the trains should be pretty quiet as many people will take the strike on the day after the bank holiday as an opportunity to "work from home".

I do hope so, as I need to get back to Bristol. I'm booked on the 1659, which is one minute before the strike ends.

 

[StuAff]

What with the SNCF strike last year, it's almost like the unions are picking on the tours deliberately....

 

[Andrew Br]

I do hope so, as I need to get back to Bristol. I'm booked on the 1659, which is one minute before the strike ends.

It's a similar issue for us with our need to get back to Manchester.
We're booked on the 18.40 from Euston (we're also booked on a train from Newhaven Harbour, change at Lewes, for Victoria. It leaves at 16.30, strike permitting).
Still, what's the worst that can happen ?

 

[User482]

It's a similar issue for us with our need to get back to Manchester.
We're booked on the 18.40 from Euston (we're also booked on a train from Newhaven Harbour, change at Lewes, for Victoria. It leaves at 16.30, strike pernitting).
Still, what's the worst that can happen ?

There's always the pub...

 

[dellzeqq]

The RMT has a splendid record of cancelling strikes at the last minute.

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.

I think that the GPS links may have wobbled a tad - here's the last ten miles of the second day again...

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/4...59bf0b681:0x9650d7caf495b073!1m0!3e0?hl=en-GB

here's the first part of the second day. This is actually a combination of three different recces, a combination that I've never ridden, so there might be a bit of headscratching on the day.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/4...756ae3bfd:0xc36390b1ddb2b912!1m0!3e2?hl=en-GB

Here's the bit that we'll recce on Friday morning - sending Martin on ahead if we think that the gravel is treacherous...

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place...x0000000000000000:0x2975fe37f55c8ca7?hl=en-GB

 

[StuAff]

The RMT has a splendid record of cancelling strikes at the last minute.

Hopefully they'll keep that up.....

Here's the bit that we'll recce on Friday morning - sending Martin on ahead if we think that the gravel is treacherous...

Have the first aid kit handy......

 

[mmmmartin]

sending Martin on ahead if we think that the gravel is treacherous...

When it comes to dealing with Treacherous Johnny Foreigner Gravel, I'm deffo yer man, obvs. (Steel-framed, reinforced tyres, MTB gearing.)

A couple of thoughts occur:

1. Am I the only rider not armed with GPX tracks etc? I was rather hoping to either just follow the one in front of me or even be All-Up Man, for whom nav is never a problem.
2. A glance at the aforementioned map suggests it would not be too far from the end of the Treacherous Johnny Foreigner Gravel to Chez Cri-Cri* where, after a short ride through delightful French Lanes In The Sunshine on Friday, some sort of - possibly prolonged - lunchtime sustenance might be available? Just sayin, like

*scene of much merriment on the Normandy Tour 2013© @dellzeqq

 

[StuAff]

Chez Cri-Cri* where, after a short ride through delightful French Lanes In The Sunshine on Friday, some sort of - possibly prolonged - lunchtime sustenance might be available? Just sayin, like

Now that's a good lunch stop if ever there was one....

 

[dellzeqq]

When it comes to dealing with Treacherous Johnny Foreigner Gravel, I'm deffo yer man, obvs. (Steel-framed, reinforced tyres, MTB gearing.)

A couple of thoughts occur:

1. Am I the only rider not armed with GPX tracks etc? I was rather hoping to either just follow the one in front of me or even be All-Up Man, for whom nav is never a problem.
2. A glance at the aforementioned map suggests it would not be too far from the end of the Treacherous Johnny Foreigner Gravel to Chez Cri-Cri* where, after a short ride through delightful French Lanes In The Sunshine on Friday, some sort of - possibly prolonged - lunchtime sustenance might be available? Just sayin, like

*scene of much merriment on the Normandy Tour 2013© @dellzeqq

I'll be using maps. On paper.

I'm afraid that I'll be down on the docks at Friday lunchtime - welcoming the Poolistas - but you could zip off to Chez Cri-Cri, with other members of the Thursdays.....

 

[mmmmartin]

could bring the Poolistas up to cri cri?

and I prefer paper maps - the screen is bigger, the batteries last for ever and you can read the screen in bright sunlight. And those annoying software updates are kept to an absolute minimum.