FNRttC The (not the) Fridays Tour of the Low Countries 2015

[mmmmartin]

This is most definitely not a tour organised by the Friday Night Ride to the Coast. It's just a bunch of friends going together on a series of rides - and I am not leading it. There might be a recce of the route, which I might go on if I am free. After the recce, those on the ride may, or may not, choose to follow the route found by the recce. You will book and pay for your own accommodation. You will pay for your own food. You can stay in any hotel you wish to. If there are enough riders to make it viable, there might be a van that might carry your luggage. If not, you carry your own luggage.
You will need to have a date in mind. Some people need to book their holidays in November and December for the following year - those employed by the police and the post office spring to mind, So: here's a date: we leave on the evening of Friday September 11 and return the following weekend. You'll be back at work on the Monday morning. (I can't really do anything in the spring as I am in Patagonia for two months and in the summer PBP will be at the front of my mind.)
Vote as often as you wish. Hotels in Germany and northern Europe tend to be pricy but that tour should be brilliant.
At the end of this someone has to make a decisoon as to where the tour will go. Then you can decide if you want to sign up for it.We might have a van in support, which might have a driver. At this time, everything is up in the air.
There is no limit on numbers. BUT the only criteria is that you must have taken part in one FNRttC.

Over to you, peeps...............

 

[StuAff]

I have yet to hear about the first chunk of leave I picked, and I can't remember if I put any requests in for September. [Edit: no, I hadn't]. I'll still have a week or two to choose anyway, and during term time should be OK.

I like all those options- though the poll does not include my idea (Hook/Brussels to Cherbourg), there are certainly plenty to be getting on with. Spain just isn't going to work for a mixed-ability group, Germany might well be €€€€ (I'd like to be wrong though). French selections all good. If I had to choose, either Breton tour.

 

[mmmmartin]

i just checked the Ibis prices for Osnabruck - same as France. Perhaps @redfalo will be along later to put our minds at rest?

 

[wanda2010]

That date works for me. I'll see how this develops.

 

[Gordon P]

... make a decisoon ....

According to my dictionary a "decisoon" is a decision quickly made, so yes, come on peeps.....

 

[Gordon P]

Re the Roscoff St Malo option, Google maps says it is only approx 200kms so we would need to explore Brittany's lumps & numinous archaeological monuments as well.

 

[StuartG]

I can heavily recommend Bordeaux to the Med. There is a great tarmacked former railway cycleway out of Bordeaux through a long well lit tunnel with vineyards and a medieval town. Unforgettable. Then the canal route is good, flat as far as Castelnaudary (between Toulouse and Carcassonne). Unless you are into hard off-road its on road, but good quiet roads, from there on. its mostly Languedoc-Rousillon (good pay de vin). Relaxed. Its a five day ride @100km/day

Problem is it was perfect weather with consistent tailwinds this year. It could never be as good again. So personally it would be nice to try somewhere else. Why can't we have two rides? Perhaps a smaller unsupported one during the traditional June time? Two has to be better than one? @mmmmartin knows what I'm thinking

 

[redfalo]

i just checked the Ibis prices for Osnabruck - same as France. Perhaps @redfalo will be along later to put our minds at rest?

youth hostels are a good-value option too, and their standard has improved significantly over the last two decades (on the first cycle tour of my life down the river Rhine in 1990, I almost got killed by a roofing tile falling from the youth hostel in Bacherach. I was standing outside, having a smoke, and stepped aside in the last second.)

Getting back from Berlin may be a bit hairy. There are plenty of Easyjet flights, but the high speed trains going to Cologne and Amsterdam don't accept big wheel bikes unless they are bagged. A Bordeaux-Caen style van expedition to Hoek may be possible, though.

 

[redfalo]

Would alternative German destinations be easier for return by train?

yes and no. Neither the Thalys nor the Deutsche Bahn ICEs from Cologne to Brussels (Eurostar) or Rotterdam / Hoek (ferry) have bike spaces. However, it would be possible to take local trains from westerly cities like Cologne. Cologne to Hoek will then be a 4.30 hrs journey, rather than 3.45hrs with high speed trains. Berlin to Hoek is 7.11hrs on trains that accept bikes.

however, Hoek-Cologne-Dunkirk would be about 400 miles, leading through Aachen, Ghent, Bruges..... I know the part from Hoek to Cologne, and it's really really lovely, as @frank9755 can testify.

 

[frank9755]

Yes, I've ridden most of that and it is very pretty. However, my hunch is that the prettier bits of Germany are further south, eg the Black Forest, Bavaria. @redfalo will know better than me, but my understanding is that the north German plain is a bit same-y after a few days.

One question: do people have an aversion to putting their bike in a plastic bag and putting it on a plane? I've done it many times and, while it's always a slight concern, I've never had any major problems (and I've never taken a really expensive / fragile bike). TBH I found Eurostar more hassle.

 

[mmmmartin]

Er, a van might carry luggage there and the bikes back. So the efficient German trains would be our friends.
Checkpoint Charlie is an iconic destination. Innit. Germany is interesting, even without our Tame German.

 

[Andrew Br]

Oh, exciting !

My vote is for continuing from Bordeaux towards the Med as we discussed en-route (see what I did there ?) to Bordeaux.
I would however, prefer to deviate from the Canal du Midi to take in a bit of the lovely territory near Revel.

Just because:-

P6120035 by Chocolatebike1, on Flickr

Bassin de Saint-Ferréol:-

P6110012 by Chocolatebike1, on Flickr

P6120025 by Chocolatebike1, on Flickr

 

[mmmmartin]

The trick would be hire van in london, bikes in van, drive to bordeaux, Riders fly to bordeaux with luggage (sharps and liquids in van with bikes) then in bordeaux bikes out luggage in. Go to the Med. Dip bikes and bodies in Med. cheer and drink fizz.
luggage out of van and bikes in. Van drives home, riders fly. Route can be tweaked to suit. But could be flat, Weather likely to be good.

 

[StuAff]

however, Hoek-Cologne-Dunkirk would be about 400 miles, leading through Aachen, Ghent, Bruges..... I know the part from Hoek to Cologne, and it's really really lovely, as @frank9755 can testify.

Like that idea.....

 

[redfalo]

So the efficient German trains would be our friends.

just saying...