first multiday tour

ARob

i'm planning myfirst mutliday tour for next summer to France from Kent. have never done more than 50 miles in a day before and this will be 3 days x 70 miles.

i'd be really greatful for any tips anyone has on how to do this!

is it essential/ usual to get someone to carry the kit or can you do this yourself? if so what should we take?

what about training before hand?

how best to plan the route and where do you get route info from?

where is good to get custom kit to help promote the funraising?

is there anythign else that anyone who has done this sort of thing would think essential that a total newbe might not think about!

how much is this going to hurt?!

any advice will really help!

benvickery

Which part of France are you aiming for? I live in Maidstone and I'd love to cycle to Paris one day. From what I've seen and read I think it would be a lot easier if you had a back up driver just in case. If you've cycled 50 miles before I don't think the extra 20 miles would be too hard for you with practice. I've only been cycling for fun for a couple of months and I did 70 miles last Sunday so it's definitely possible.

Good luck

ARob

well to Beauvais actually.

a group of us from Maidstone Borough Council are going to make the trip and thats our twin town.

you'd be very welcome to come to i'm sure!

probably thinking June at this stage

benvickery

Sounds exciting. Keep posting on here as you get more details.

dannygcp

I recently did a 3 x 60 mile tour carrying two panniers with change of clothes, food, spares, etc.

It was a doable distance, but I was surprised at how tired I was at the end of each day, and by the end of the three days I was well and truly knackered! Like you I was used to regularly cycling distances of 50 miles per day.

Our route did involve some major hills so it might have been easier if it had all been flat - like Kent and northern France?

Anyone go for it, but just don't expect to have the energy to go out dancing in the evenings.

magibob

Can I suggest that if you are going to France from Kent, a boat would probably be better than a bike.

Andy

PS, No I can't think of anything more useful to say. :oops:

BeaconRuth

ARob wrote:

well to Beauvais actually.

a group of us from Maidstone Borough Council are going to make the trip and thats our twin town.

Interesting. I grew up in Kent, went to school in Maidstone and both my brother and I did French exchanges to Beauvais. A nice city IIRC - though it was, erm, a rather long time ago now.

The issue of whether you need a back up vehicle may depend on what accommodation you intend to use. If you intend to camp then carrying all your kit would be an extra challenge you might not want. However, if you're going to stay in hotels or B&Bs, then you can get away with carrying a minimal amount of kit eg. shorts and jerseys can be washed out at the end of each day so you only need one spare of each, one spare pair of (lightweight) shoes, one change of clothes for the evenings etc. (On my first ever tour I distinctly remember optimistically taking a reading book - and regretted it. Shed ALL unnecessary weight!) This can easily be fitted in a couple of panniers or even just a rack-pack.

You'll be fine with the distance if you build up your strength and stamina gradually.

Ruth

Bronzie

ARob wrote:

is it essential/ usual to get someone to carry the kit or can you do this yourself? if so what should we take?

Depends on how much kit you plan to take and whether you have a bike that is suitable for taking panniers. Presuming you have a bike with panniers mounts, a couple of reasonable size panniers will carry enough for a short tour. If your bike doesn’t have panniers mounts, you can still fit a rack with p-clips etc although these don’t always last too well on bumpy roads.
If you take panniers, you’ll want a bike with wheels that will stand up to the rigors of the extra weight (not light race wheels) and gearing to suit (mtb gearing is more suitable than standard road bike gears).

For a 5-7 day tour staying in hostels etc, I’d normally take:
- 2 sets of cycle jerseys / shorts / socks (don’t be tempted to ride in the same shorts day after day without washing as it may give you saddle sores)
- Arm-warmers, knee-warmers, rain cape, gloves, shades, helmet, waterproof overshoes
- As little off the bike clothing as you can get away with – jeans are very heavy, lightweight walking trousers that convert to shorts are ideal
- Suncream, sudocrem (to prevent saddle sores), as little in the way of toiletries as you can get away with (huge can of deodorant much heavier than a dry stick deodorant)
- Basic tools – chain break, multi tool with screwdrivers/allen keys, spoke key, 2 spare inner tubes, puncture kit, decent frame pump, zip ties (for running repairs on your rack fixings if they break)
- Some food to tide you over if you get stuck with a mechanical or find everywhere shut
- Camera and notepad for your diary (see below)
All told, this will weigh around 20kg which is a fair bit of extra weight on your bike, and makes the bike handle very differently. Although your trip is shorter, you will probably still need most of the same stuff.

ARob wrote:

what about training before hand?

If you are comfortable doing 50 mile rides, 3 days of 70 miles shouldn’t be too much of a stretch. Would be very beneficial to ride the bike laden with panniers before you set off to get used to the different way it handles.

Breaking up each day’s 70 miles into a more manageable amount (ie we ride 25 miles to this town for a coffee stop, another 25 to here for lunch, then it’s only 25 miles to the end for dinner!) will help if you find it a bit daunting.

ARob wrote:

how best to plan the route and where do you get route info from?

I just use a road atlas (needs to be big enough scale to show the small lanes etc) – cut out the relevant pages you’ll need for the whole tour to take with you and mark out the next days route with a highlighter. I fit these in a handlebar bag with a clear map pocket on top (wrapped in a sealed poly bag to stop them getting wet if raining) – much easier than getting the map out of your pocket all the time to consult although map reading on the move needs a little care! A piece of string can be useful for estimating the distances of the next day's route.

ARob wrote:

where is good to get custom kit to help promote the funraising?

If you mean cycle jerseys with your charity details on, there are lots of places that supply team clothing, but there will be a minimum order and set-up charge which may prove prohibitive if there’s just a few of you going. There is a recent thread here with more details: http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12546825
Otherwise, you could get some cotton t-shirts printed up at a local print shop and wear those instead of proper jerseys, but they are less practical to ride in in my opinion (esp if it gets very hot).

ARob wrote:

is there anythign else that anyone who has done this sort of thing would think essential that a total newbe might not think about!

Keep a diary each evening and write up a little report at the end with piccies – always fun to look back on your memories later!
Don’t forget that France is not like the UK – less of a 24/7 culture! Lots of small villages will shut down for lunch at 1pm or so and could leave you searching for food if you arrive late. Same applies in the evenings.

ARob wrote:

how much is this going to hurt?!

It shouldn’t too much if you do the preparation!

top_bhoy

Bronzie wrote:

Don’t forget that France is not like the UK – less of a 24/7 culture! Lots of small villages will shut down for lunch at 1pm or so and could leave you searching for food if you arrive late. Same applies in the evenings.

Good point - just make sure you dont go on a long weekend

Personally I don't see much wrong if you decide to camp, in having a couple of panniers with some spare clothes, etc and a small lightweight tent strapped to the rack.