The Fridays Tour

[mcshroom]

I'm definitely interested (although I don't know what I'll be committed to otherwise at that time). I'd also probably be a camper/YHAer.

 

[dellzeqq]

I think the ideal solution to the van/minibus thing would be to hire both vehicle and driver - and I'm very open to suggestions on that. Commercial hire of a minibus for the (effectively) ten days would be about £700 - and the driver would be another £600 + accommodation - but, in addition to the daily rate for support you might cut out the return fares for a few people which might be costed in at £50 each - by rail it's £140 and by rail and air it's about £70 to Gatwick.
The JoGHPC trip is too long for one driver, and we would have to make insurance arrangements for people to chip in with the driving.

A van would be considerably cheaper, and the merit of that would be to transport the bikes back to Inverness.

The JoGHPC trip is too long for one driver, and we would have to make insurance arrangements for people to chip in with the driving.

Then again, there might be non-commercial option. We might hire a minibus and driver from an organisation that uses the vehicle from time to time, but not all of the time. That might be considerably cheaper. There are a couple of non-commercial options floating around, and, once I have some idea of the numbers, I'll be looking to come to an arrangement.

One important thing - laundry. The driver would spend part of each day in the company of a washing machine and dryer. There's nothing eases a tour as much as clean smalls in the morning......

 

[StuAff]

Hello, 25% of target market here - just registering the fact that I'm very much up for this! Sounds so much fun, not to be missed I reckon. If I have to vote I'd prefer a less mountainously hilly route as I'm not really a climber, but as long as people don't mind waiting for a slow back marker I could probably cope. I need to find a new saddle that I'm happy with before June though !

Who will be driving the van? Will there be a dedicated driver, or will those who need a day off the bike take turns in hypnocratic fashion? Insurance issues with this perhaps? Anyhoo, I've had a word with my boss and she's already said take all the time off you need ... she's wonderful you know.

Jen, be warned. 'A less mountainously hilly route' for this doesn't exist. There will be lots of climbing. Though the views will be utterly fantastic and make the effort entirely worthwhile. Though I'd prefer we avoid the b*****d climb that the NotLeJOG route took out of Drumnadrochit (kind of like Box Hill followed immediately after by Whitedown, for those who know those....), in the midday heat (!!). I know there must have been a more sensible option than that... Then there are the joys of Berriedale. Oh yes, 'weeeee' as you speed downhill at 35 mph freewheeling. Then 'aaargh' as you go straight from that into a 14% climb. And though the prevailing wind is supposedly in your favour going north, it never seems to actually work out that way by the time you get to the Highlands. Didn't for me, or Pippa, all the peeps who did an E2E from bikeradar last year...But, as always, no-one will mind waiting. You will not be nagged. It isn't a race.

 

[Becs]

Very flattered to be considered part of the target audience. It's going to be impossible for me to commit until relatively last minute due to the phd write up and family situation but in theory I'm very keen.

The school Dad works for has minibuses and vans that they use for D of E expeditions - I could ask if they would lend/hire them if u like?

 

[dellzeqq]

Becs - that would be wonderful - thankyou!

 

[dellzeqq]

Berriedale. Those of you with a tablet of stone to hand might want to pick up the cold chisel now.......

Berriedale is not a problem. Strip it out of your thinking. It's one of two tough hills in a relatively easy day. It is, as Stu didn't quite say, a bastard. It is also eminently walkable. If it takes 40 minutes to walk, then that's fine. The view at the top is worth the wait.

The other hill, Helmsdale, is a monster, but not steep - you go down in to a low gear and just pootle up it (unless you're a middle-aged man in the grip of delusions brought on by past glories, in which case you may well make a complete arse of yourself standing up on the big ring).

I'll be posting up a kind of guide, but here, for now, is the outline of Route A

Day 1 - dreamlike start, easy ride through north London and Saint Albans, dawn somewhere near Newport Pagnall, breakfast in Northampton, a tough ride to Market Harborough, stop for elevenses at Melton Mowbray and then drift along luscious lanes to Bingham.

Day 2. Flat. Some towns, but nice bits around Edwinstowe and Tickhill

Day 3. Flat bar the last ten miles. Beautiful honeystone cottages in Swaledale

Day 4. Hellish. Like a rollercoaster up to the junction with the A697, then a flat section before the long drag up to the border. Downhill to Jedburgh

Day 5. Sweet, although Edinburgh takes some getting through or around. Big long drags before Edinburgh, but not steep. The Nether Blainslie and Pathhead diversions are good.

Day 6. Starts well, gets better. Beautiful colours.

Day 7. Too good to be true

Day 8. Beyond words.

 

[StuAff]

I'm obviously not the target audience for this, but Berriedale and Helmsdale weren't too bad. Hard (ish) work, but compared to some other climbs I've done, pretty straightforward. Jen, Becs and Her Nibs might disagree.

 

[User10119]

I've been to Swaledale onna bike. It is as lovely as a lovely thing from a lovely thing factory, if not lovelier. Even if you don't go this way on this tour, you should go there on your bike at some point. Every single one of you!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I'll through my chapeau in the ring (m-i-l care arrangements permitting) and express a preference, for Tow Law. Land of my fathers and all that. It's in my blood. I even know a little song in pitmatic about West Auckland ...

I've been to Swaledale on a bike too; 1000cc V Twin.

 

[mcshroom]

[QUOTE 1661173, member: 10119"]I've been to Swaledale onna bike. It is as lovely as a lovely thing from a lovely thing factory, if not lovelier. Even if you don't go this way on this tour, you should go there on your bike at some point. Every single one of you![/quote]
+1

Cycling up Swaledale in the early morning sun was one of the stand out cycling moments for me this year.

 

[StuartG]

Interested - but a few issues to be resolved. First - my Thursday night excuse of the storm for my late return didn't wash. So getting Senior Management Team approval and/or participation is going to require some effort. A tandem is, perhaps, a tad too much effort so I was thinking, Simon, if you need a van driver - I've got a willing volunteer with previous sag waggon experience ...

The other issue is whether you are prepared to go down a notch on your target market. TMN has left me for dead before now. I'd prefer B&B.

 

[wanda2010]

I'm disappointed re Barca/Nice, but highly interested in the alternative. Could probably only commit to two three* days due to sparse finances. Prefer June, but will go with the majority if possible.

TMN - fancy some company up them hills?

*Swaledales looks fab.

 

[StuAff]

I meant the less extreme route of the choices on offer, but OF COURSE I know there will be a lot of uphill stuff - we're going north aren't we? Haven't you ever looked at a globe for goodness sake?

(and I don't mind walking, esp if the scenery's stunning ...)

Er, yes I merely meant that it's probably the difference between how many 'lots' you put before climbing...

 

[Davywalnuts]

Registering a gentle interest here.... Only I do want to tick the LeJog box in 2012, so will think about a plan that might be LEHPCJOG.

Am a plus one to that idea too as I really must get a Lejog under my belt and this would be a great work around..

My only concession upon a fully 'yes please, count me in and lets get reccie'ing', is I cant commit to too much at all just yet as I am hoping to be accepted as a Games Maker for the Olympics and its all at an early stage, so I wouldn't want things to cross-over and clash..

But.. I shall keep my eye on the thread and it will be at my forethought.

Of which, as I done touring this year, going light, is great with said mileage not a problem. Said mileage, tour loaded... another kettle of chips..

 

[Davywalnuts]

Never mind LEJOG, the World and his dog do that one. Start from whatever counts as the furthest corner of Kent, ride up to HPC for the start and there you go, an end to end for the thinking man. You could even carry on across to Cape Wrath if you wanted to make it more of a diagonal.

Your soo right Adrian... ..