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Those of you who live in France and Spain......

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Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Mike G » 21 May 2019, 08:51

In a few weeks time I am setting off with my wife to cycle down to Asturias in northern Spain. This 15 day ride takes us through northern and western France (through Dreux, Chartres, Tours) down to the west coast at La Rochelle, then along the coast down to the Spanish border at Irun/ Hendaye. We're then into the Pyrenees and their Spanish extension..........Donostia, Bilbao, Santander, before finally finishing near Oviedo, after about a thousand miles of riding.

So, does anyone live anywhere near our route? Do you own a kettle and some tea bags? If so, and you fancy giving me a workshop tour, let me know and we'll see if we can make a plan. Further, any tips on local routes and roads (and accommodation, too, if you know of pensions, B&Bs, or small hotels) would be much appreciated.

PS......Those who might have noticed a drop-off in the amount of work I am doing on the house at the moment now know why. A ride like this means lots of training beforehand.
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Andyp » 21 May 2019, 12:58

Mike, have sent a PM,

I think you may be going too far east for us but you would be welcome. Always plenty of proper tea around and usually dunkable english biscuits too :) .
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Mike G » 21 May 2019, 13:57

Such a pity, Andy. Maybe next time.....
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Malc2098 » 21 May 2019, 16:14

If you're doing Plymouth/Roscoff, we're 7 miles of J27 M5.
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Mike G » 21 May 2019, 16:16

That'd be cheating, Malcolm. :lol:

We're doing Dover/ Calais. The prospect of cycling around London to Dover was too much, though, so the British leg will be by train.
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Malc2098 » 21 May 2019, 19:51

Mike G wrote:That'd be cheating, Malcolm. :lol:

We're doing Dover/ Calais. The prospect of cycling around London to Dover was too much, though, so the British leg will be by train.


Wuss! What's wrong with the old A30?!! :D
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Woodbloke » 24 May 2019, 09:41

Malc2098 wrote:
Mike G wrote:That'd be cheating, Malcolm. :lol:

We're doing Dover/ Calais. The prospect of cycling around London to Dover was too much, though, so the British leg will be by train.


Wuss! What's wrong with the old A30?!! :D


Not forgetting Malc, the A303 which lies around eight miles North of us - Rob
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Malc2098 » 24 May 2019, 10:18

Off piste for a second, it won't be long before the A303 from Ilminster to Exeter will be de-trunked and all SW traffic will be routed via the upgraded A358 to Taunton.
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Andyp » 24 May 2019, 10:59

On a serious note I’ve been wondering what and how much training Mike is doing. 1000 miles in 15 days is only 60-70 per day which sounds easily manageable. From experience I know that walking with 30lb on my back is much harder than just carrying a picnic so I will assume that cycling with a x lbs must take a similar toll.

How much weight do you carry Mike? And what do you expect your longest day to be?

I am looking an electric bike for my daughter and it seems for a fit cyclist who would not need to use the motor all the time the batteries should easily cope with 60 miles in a day. OK if BnBing, more of a struggle if camping.
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Woodbloke » 24 May 2019, 16:12

Andyp wrote:On a serious note I’ve been wondering what and how much training Mike is doing. 1000 miles in 15 days is only 60-70 per day which sounds easily manageable. From experience I know that walking with 30lb on my back is much harder than just carrying a picnic so I will assume that cycling with a x lbs must take a similar toll.

How much weight do you carry Mike? And what do you expect your longest day to be?

I am looking an electric bike for my daughter and it seems for a fit cyclist who would not need to use the motor all the time the batteries should easily cope with 60 miles in a day. OK if BnBing, more of a struggle if camping.

If using panniers over the back/front wheels, the weight is barely noticeable, except when you come to an incline of any sort and then it's hard work. When we were camping a few years ago in Switzerland, I managed to get the basics of a whole week's groceries into two rear panniers (milk, vino, tins etc) and made it back to the tent in one piece - Rob
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby SamQ aka Ah! Q! » 24 May 2019, 18:06

A good double-butted touring frame can carry an amazing volume - not weight - in panniers. I’ve toured France with a Raleigh Classic and only the hills going into Brest and approaching Portsmouth for the ferry were a serious issue. Mileage in a day, 50 is a cinch, 60 normal, 90 to get to a ferry is possible. Biggest bugbear is headwind. Salisbury Plain to Oxford was a total grunt for that reason.

Enjoy your trip Mike, should be warm.

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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Mike G » 24 May 2019, 18:08

Yeah, on the flat the panniers (7 to 9kg of additional weight), are hardly noticeable. You notice their drag (wind resistance) more than their weight. Go uphill, though, and you're soon contemplating the laws of physics.

Sixty miles a day isn't difficult, once. Even doing it consecutive days is OK, and an ordinary weekend cyclist could probably manage that at a pinch. To do it day after day for 2 weeks, though, finishing with 3 days in the Pyrenees.........that's why we train. You've also got to factor in the rather heavy duty touring tyres, obligatory on a long trip because of durability and puncture resistance, which take a couple of mph out of anyone's average speed. They're like riding in deep sand compared with the normal summer tyre we use on our carbon fibre bikes.

At the moment we're at about 120 to 150 miles a week on unloaded bikes. I'm planning on a 100 mile ride in the next week or two, and after that, I'll pop the panniers on and start lugging some weight around. That slows every ascent right down. The things which make cycle touring hard are climbing with weight, and time in the saddle........and the latter is far and away my biggest issue. Shoulders, neck and hands suffer through sitting for 4 or 5 hours on the bike, and it is those, rather than my legs, which are the limiting factor.
Last edited by Mike G on 24 May 2019, 18:21, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Mike G » 24 May 2019, 18:13

SamQ aka Ah! Q! wrote:........Enjoy your trip Mike,.......


Cheers, Sam. I can't wait!
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Mike G » 24 May 2019, 18:15

Andyp wrote:........what do you expect your longest day to be?.........


We haven't booked accommodation yet, so daily mileage will change, but at the moment it is 70 flattish miles. I've front-end-loaded the route so that we are doing fewer miles when we're in the Pyrenees.
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Rod » 24 May 2019, 23:28

Is the 15 days fixed and how are you getting back?

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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Mike G » 25 May 2019, 07:46

Yes, it's fixed. There is a "fiesta" (village party) in the home village of our son in law the day after we arrive, which is the reason for the timings (that, and getting through France before August). We're flying back.
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Andyp » 25 May 2019, 08:51

In my yoof I used to do an annual coast to coast trek accross Scotland over two weeks, backpacking with tents et all. The first week was agony on feet, shoulders, knees etc. by the time we got to the east coast I did not want to stop. Doubt I could do it today.
One day I hope to that velo route down to La Rochelle from here but will have to wait until at least a couple of years.
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Phil » 25 May 2019, 08:58

MG, sounds like a great trip. 8-)

100Km per day is nice easy riding. Except the mountains.
Presume you have a couple of pairs of well padded cycling shorts.
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Mike G » 15 Jul 2019, 09:54

Phil wrote:MG, sounds like a great trip. 8-)

100Km per day is nice easy riding. Except the mountains........


We've 6 days in the mountains. It's going to be brutal, and there is a road closure on our route because of a kayak race, likely to add another 10 miles and 2000 feet of climbing to one of our hardest days. Radio silence follows for a few weeks.......
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Malc2098 » 15 Jul 2019, 12:14

Be thinking of your effort and be raising a glass or two!

Go, woodworkers!
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Jonathan » 15 Jul 2019, 14:00

Buena suerte Mike!

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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Mike G » 10 Aug 2019, 08:56

Well that was a bloody long way on a bike.........
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Andyp » 10 Aug 2019, 09:52

Walking like john wayne now are we? :) :eusa-think:
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby Mike G » 10 Aug 2019, 10:06

:lol: Not at all. I'm eating like John Wayne, though........
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Re: Those of you who live in France and Spain......

Postby DaveL » 10 Aug 2019, 11:16

Mike G wrote: Not at all. I'm eating like John Wayne, though........
Oh yes, cycling does give you a good appetite.
Hopefully not too many punctures on the way.
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