Touring the West Coast of France

[oldfatfool]

I would

1) buy a lighter tent, lose rubber mallet
2) lose chopping board/ cup or mug / bowl/ spare canisters x 1, combine knife etc into one multi-tool
3) batteries readily available in France
4) Consider baggy shorts and padded liners,
6) Do you need laptop?
7) Why both?

 

[Eddy Timlin]

I've gone for a slightly heavier tent because it has a high hydrostatic head which I think will be vital for when I am in north Spain on my way to Bilbao, nothing worse than a wet camper, will scrap the mallet though.
I will lose the chopping board and the cup just take a mug, Also can you recommend a decent multi tool?? The ones I have seen in most shops are pretty pricey for not much tool.
I won't bother with the batteries because like you say they are pretty easy to find. casual clothes wise I am taking spare boxers and socks, a pair of shorts a pair of jeans and two tops, plus a light weight jacket.
The laptop is so I can update my blog, keep in touch with people, also I can charge my phone and ipod through it so I only have to take one travel adapter, plus it is my method of keeping track of my money and spending etc.

 

[psmiffy]

Take the mallet - a lot of campsites going down there the pitches are more suitable for campervans than tents - the point about the tent is good - Northern Spain can be very wet even in the summer - not to mention can be quite wet sometimes getting south through France
Chopping board is a good idea to keep things hygienic while cooking - a very thin one does not weigh much and slips easily down the back of a pannier
take at least one spare set of batteries - when you need lights you need lights

All sounds very reasonable to me

 

[jjb]

Did the itinerary change at some point? The title and OP mentions Brittany and west coast of France but I see mention now of Bilbao.

If I were taking this full luggage approach, I'd not skimp by taking a spork rather than two hands cutlery.

Re multitools being pricey, you maybe don't need a multitool. In the olden days, before shopping, everyone used a cloth roll of tools, works fine. There's a great webpage somewhere about homemade mini toolkits using old mints tins. Carefully chosen separate tools in a wee poly bag can be lighter, and cheaper, especially if you already own them.

 

[Eddy Timlin]

Yes I didn't mention it before as I was only concerned about getting over/around St Nazaire bridge. My route takes me from Caen to St Nazaire to Hourtin down into Spain and eventually to Bilbao where I will get a ferry back to Portsmouth. What sort of tools do I need to be taking to cover any issues that might arise with my bike?

 

[jjb]

I did a France top-bottom a year back and took a basic kit of allen keys, chain remover, pump, puncture repair stuff, one spare inner tube, small bottle of oil, some latex gloves, a couple of sram powerlinks for the chain. If your tyres are older, take more inner tubes.

It's just a matter of looking at your bike, seeing what type of bolts there are, and having tools enough to deal with the bits you understand. Plenty of bike repair places down that west coast.

 

[fraefreuchie]

On my trip from Narbonne to Edinburgh last June I kept a blog on my i phone (using the free Blogger app) That would save you several kg worth of laptop and charger. My biggest problem apart from the rain on two thirds of the days, was keeping my one gadget charged.
Brian's Big Bike Ride

 

[jay clock]

OK, re the bridge I did it in September. see here (and journal more generally might help) www.julian2012.co.uk Legally it is fine. The gendarmes when called try and put you off, but you can. There is a shoulder of about 80cm. It is a long high bridge and quite steep and in wind I would personally try to avoid doing it with a massive trailer.

Are you aware of the Velodysee route? will help a lot http://www.velodyssey.com/

Re kit have a look at my journal for my list. Personally I think a mallet is bonkers, and my two man (ok 1.5 man) tent is under 2kg. Do be harsh on yourself with weight!

 

[jay clock]

Pic I took on approach heading south. SHoulder remains like that all the way

 

[Haitch]

http://www.cyclechat.net/attachments/img_5572-jpg.17251/

The bridge is a doddle. This is looking north. If you look carefully there's an elderly couple cycling up it.

 

[Hothoundz]

I can highly recommend the MSR Alpine Kitchen if you plan on cooking.Used it in France last year...
http://www.webtogs.co.uk/MSR_Alpine...+Kitchen+Set&gclid=CPep1t6y4bYCFXMRtAod-gEAKA