Big bike ride planned to south of France - what bike?
mrkano66
Posts: 7
Hi..
Think I found the right Forum???
I am going to the south of France with my girlfriend and her family for 2 weeks, but have decided to ride and meet them there.... 1300 mies or there abouts.....
I have looked into bikes and thought I would need a race bike??? I have ridden BMX for 10 years now, competitions etc, so am fit enough to do this....... I think????
Can anyone suggest a type of bike???? Links??? Prices etc????
Think I found the right Forum???
I am going to the south of France with my girlfriend and her family for 2 weeks, but have decided to ride and meet them there.... 1300 mies or there abouts.....
I have looked into bikes and thought I would need a race bike??? I have ridden BMX for 10 years now, competitions etc, so am fit enough to do this....... I think????
Can anyone suggest a type of bike???? Links??? Prices etc????
0
Comments
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How much do you want to spend.
How much kit will you be carrying.
How much riding will you do after the trip.
I would always go for a bike with drop handlebars but would suggest you go to a good bike shop (or 2 or 3). Tell them what you intend doing, including the answer to the above questions. Get to test several bikes to see wether you prefer flat bars or drops and also how they fit.
My personal choice would be for a light tourer / audax style bike which would take a light rack and mudguards. It would have drop bars and a triple chainset. For a reasonably light and reliable bike I would expect to pay at least £500. A 'race' bike would be OK if you are travelling with support and do not need to carry more than spare tubes and a waterproof top. If the race bike had a double chainset I would get a compact version and at least a 27 bottom cog.
Sorry to not be more specific but the choice is so large and any recomendation would be based more on my requirements than yours.0 -
BMX and long bike journeys arent exactly the same thing.
If you averaged 100 miles a day - then you're talking about a good 2 weeks to get there.
Can you fix bikes yourself ? Bound to have a mishap along the way - so I'd allow another day or two in case something breaks.
You also need to factor in for food and hotels/accomodation along the way.
If it were me - I'd rather just fly down to the South of France with my bike and spend an extra week or so cycling round there.0 -
Course you can do it - what is more, if you can spare the time, you MUST!
I did France end to end at the age of 42, 15 stone, not a lot of preparation. My neighbour's son recently did it at the age of 19 with no preparation whatsoever, on a mountain bike.
Of course, you'll enjoy it more if you have the right bike (light tourer, audax - i.e. luggage capable), a bit of mechanical nous and some basic endurance fitness but you will meet people along the way with none of these things.
Have a look here for further tips:
http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=125969870
