London to Paris - Average Speed !

Slipknotjonny

Hi,

I have just finished a charity London to Paris, 300 miles over 4 days, it ws an excellent experience, averaging 75 miles each day with around 15000 feet of ascent, I averaged 14 miles per hour, I am 41 and 18 stone.

Is this a reasonable average over this kind of mileage and terrain, I ask as I have nothing to compare it to or use as a bench mark. I would like to go out on some club runs in the near future and was wondering if this sort of speed/ability would be good enough.

All advice welcome, thanks.

cosmaboy

Hi i'm doing the london to paris at the end of august, can you tell me how you found it? i'm a little nervous as the longest ride i've done is 60 miles.....

i'm training on a weekly basis but the thought of 300 miles over 4 days is a little daunting....




www.justgiving.com/mathewcosby

biondino

I did the shorter version last weekend, 190 miles in 3 days, and even with a strong tailwind the average speed was under 16mph I think, and we were at the front of the pack. Your speed sounds fine.

Slipknotjonny

Hi,

The ride isfairly tough, I don't know what route your doing but it will be undulating and will involve some longish climbs, but it is very 'do-able', if you can cycle 60 miles now you will have no problems, you will find that the organisers have put in place water stops every 20/25 miles and a lunch stop.

Keep training and you will do it no problem at all, I would say however, make sure that you get some good kit, best shorts that you can afford, cycling shoes and clipless pedals.

Enjoy it.

SJ

cosmaboy

thanks, just what i needed to hear! am looking at kit at the moment....

hopefully won't be too burning hot!

congrats on completing it.

sithebike

Slipknotjonny - well done for completing the ride.
Did you this ride - Day 1: London - Calais
Day 2: Calais - Abbeville
Day 3: Abbeville - Beauvais
Day 4: Beauvais - Paris
I did this ride 3 weeks ago, it poured with rain for the first 2 days but I loved it.

Cosmaboy,

As Slipknotjonny has said you will be fine. Kit is really important. it is worth mentioning that the hotels we stayed in had no drying facilities so if it is wet you will be putting on some wet kit the next day, unless you take 4 waterproof jackets!!
Ride at your own pace and enjoy the experience.
I was nervous before I started that I had not done enough training but if you are able to ride 60 miles now you will be fine.
Remember to have and easy week the week before you go so you are rested for the ride.
If you are anything like me, once you get back you will want to go again.. it is fantastic, you'll love it.
Remember to update us when you get back.
Good luck and have a safe trip.

Simon

Slipknotjonny

Hi SCR,

My route was:

D1: Bexley - Calais
D2: Calais - Arras
D3: Arras - Compiegne
D4: Compiiegne - Paris

I enjoyed it, and will be signing up to do it again next year.

sicrow

Slipknotjonny wrote:

Hi SCR,

My route was:

D1: Bexley - Calais
D2: Calais - Arras
D3: Arras - Compiegne
D4: Compiiegne - Paris

I enjoyed it, and will be signing up to do it again next year.

Slipknotjonny,

I've signed up for this route (fancied it as I think it goes though some of the WW 1/2 battlefields and graveyards and I thought it may be interesting, so I will be doing it with Action Aid in 2009 and looking forward to it already.

Is this route good ?

Slipknotjonny

Sicrow,

The route was fantastic, the leg between Arras & Compiegne was very moving, you pass a great many battlefields and cemeteries, including a German one with over 22000 graves.

I found it a very humbling experience.

Good luck with it!

SJ

madturkey

In Sept I am doing the ride that GiantSCR did - originally signed up for Paris-Geneva but they had to cancel due to lack of numbers.

60 miles is the max I've done as well (find it really hard to get time on the bike) and I only learnt to ride a bike a year ago, but I reckon I'll be fine. I'm making sure I'm doing as much hill work as poss and cycling harder than I intend to do so on the ride itself to make the actual event feel easier...