LiT and I are off cycling and camping around Normandy

Jay dubbleU

Not spoilt you're standard of repartee either then

kyoukoku

lost_in_thought wrote:

It was good thanks, Normandy is not completely flat, but sure felt it after Wales!

Didn't quite make it to Bayeux, it was stinking hot so we went for a pootle along the beaches looking at war memorials instead. Good fun! I have learned that I can cycle quite a long way on consecutive days at a moderate pace, and that camping is not at all hellish when you have the right gear.

Edit: also, my altura panniers, although small, are great. What's more, villagers in Normandy like to have slate steeples on their church, Caen is where William The B@stard lived, and is buried, and still has ruins created by us lot during the war. Honfleur is lovely, just lovely. Cider ain't bad either! And Nuun Tri-Berry turns from pink to yellow and loses its acidity when exposed to bright sunlight for prolonged periods.

At least the weather seemed to stay on it's best behaviour for you! Glad you had a good time.

Oooh another Nuun Tri-Berry fan!! Can't say mine has lasted long enough to notice it changing colour though! The Kola flavour ain't half bad either I must say.

stuaff

lost_in_thought wrote:

I have learned that I can cycle quite a long way on consecutive days at a moderate pace

Well, I knew that- we both can, right? (Subject to avoiding cattle grids and not overloading my backpack in my case, and ensuring carb loading in yours)....

lost_in_thought wrote:

I had some trouble with both my derailleurs (stupid veloce) which led for some amusing painfully slow uphill grinding, and just a little bit of walking.

Does your Veloce sound as bad as mine did the other week (hopefully getting fixed tomorrow...)?

Glad you've had a great time, looking forward to seeing the pics. And what did you think of the dump I call home?

roger_merriman

StuAff wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

I have learned that I can cycle quite a long way on consecutive days at a moderate pace

Well, I knew that- we both can, right? (Subject to avoiding cattle grids and not overloading my backpack in my case, and ensuring carb loading in yours)....

don't take this the wrong way but with regard to cattlegrids simply riding over them is the best, with the same rules as to ice or other slippery sufface.

or simply bunny hop at 40mph.....

but in all seriousnes the worse you view a cattle grid the more of a risk it is, if that makes sense.

stuaff

roger merriman wrote:

don't take this the wrong way but with regard to cattlegrids simply riding over them is the best, with the same rules as to ice or other slippery sufface.

or simply bunny hop at 40mph.....

but in all seriousnes the worse you view a cattle grid the more of a risk it is, if that makes sense.

Too true. The benefit of hindsight...........

Coriander

OK, you may have noticed that LiT's praise of the holiday was a little restrained. And that's largely my fault. I fcuked up in a number of ways. I think the major mistake I made was being over ambitious - I had never done long rides on successive days before. And I'm slow when I'm fresh and not carrying all my worldly goods on my bike. Imagine how slow I was when I wasn't fresh and was carrying all my worldly good on my bike...

We got off to a good start - cycling on to and off a ferry is incredibly liberating and exciting, you really do feel that the world is at your feet and yours to explore. The weather was very good to us (we had one 15 minute light shower the entire holiday), and the countryside and the buildings beautiful.

The first day we cycled from Ouistreham to Honfleur along the coast road - the sea was blue, the sky was blue, there were fields and quaint towns and it was really rather lovely. We did about 35 miles to the campsite and I still got it wrong. The last 3km were really weird and freaked me out - I suddenly couldn't get above 6 or 7 mph, but the road seemed flat to me. I was so worried about how I'd cope if I couldn't even do this that, by the time I reached LiT and Robert who were waiting at the top, I was in tears.

Anyway, I calmed down, we camped, ate and slept and started day 2. After breakfast in Honfleur (enchantingly beautiful with its tall, thin buildings and it's eccentric cathedral) we set off for ... I've forgotten (I wasn't doing the navigation!). Day 2 was 54 miles following the river Risle through its valley until late in the afternoon when, after a cake stop, we turned up a steep hill onto a plain. Suddenly we were in another world - it was pan flat as far as the eye could see and deserted. We just rolled along those superb French roads, straight and smooth, rolling out to the horizon. There was virtually no traffic and any cars coming could be seen miles away. Tumbleweed and the banjo playing from Deliverance would have been entirely in keeping with the mood up there. We eventually found our campsite, a wooded area where we pitched out tents in a glade and listened to the silence and the owl - we were the only people there. Being a wuss, it was a little like the Blair Witch Project at first for me.

Day 3 started with the intention of continuing along the Risle valley to Beaumont le Roger but then my problems started. I have discovered that I don't sit on my sitting bones on my saddle. Oh no, I sit on an altogether more delicate and sensitive part of my anatomy, a part not designed to support my body weight for 8 hours a day on many consecutive days. Burning doesn't do justice to the sensastion. What is the stage beyond white heat burning? Because it was somewhere around there and getting worse.

I hadn't slept well the night before - my tent had let a bit of dew in which had made the bottom of my sleeping bag damp and therefore my feet like blocks of ice. Tiredness and the burning, burning pain made me, I am ashamed to admit, throw my toys out of the pram and declare my intention of going home. There was no way I could face another moment on the bike.

Going home, would, of course, have been very rude of me as it would have meant leaving LiT and Robert, who hadn't met before the holiday, but at that stage I didn't care, all I just wanted in the whole world was to go home, sit in an ice bath and then lie on my bed and let things down below cool off a bit.

After a short while of me sulking we agreed that we'd ride to the next town and get the train from there back to Caen and find a campsite for the final two nights and LiT and Robert could then maybe cycle out from there or we could all get the train to Bayeux and see the tapestry and museum. So, after a fun few attempts to get out of Caen town centre as the light started to fade, we made it to our campsite which was on the edge of the canal and just yards near Pegasus bridge (famous for being the site of glider landings by Briitish troops on D-Day).

The next day I was still grumpy - my feet had got damp and ice like again in the night, my nether regions were still sore. And there was no way on this earth I was getting on my bike that day, if ever again.

LiT and Robert went out for a ride while I stayed at the campsite and slept, sulked and burned. We did go out for a very nice meal that evening, though, and most things seem better after a few Kirs and good food. LiT, being the bright thing she is, also came up with a way to stop the dew entering my tent so that night I was as snug as a bug in a rug.

So the final day saw LiT and I pootle along the coastal front, along the beaches where the UK and then the Canadian troops had landed on D-Day. It was just soooooooooo beautiful - an azzure sky, blue sea, sand, beautiful beach front houses, space, a breeze. It was a lovely ride, made bearable for me by me hiring a sit up and beg bike from the campsite - my, the difference to comfort sitting on your arse makes is phenomenal.

The only downside to that day was my enrapturement with the view meant I wasn't looking at the bollard I was heading straight for. LiT's warning shout meant I had time to swerve, but not enough, so I crashed toe first into the bollard, it is fractured, and swollen and purple, purple. My toe, that is. The bollard seemed fine.

So, the holiday wasn't a big success, but I really enjoyed the concept of cycle touring and the sense of freedom you get is bewitching. It's jsut a pity I wasn't a) fit enough to do it and b) I don't sit properly on my saddle.

However, I did enjoy the first 2.5 days and the last day very much.

I would like to thank LiT for being unfailingly optomistic, positive, good humoured (particularly in the face of extreme provocation), practical, calm, interesting, intelligent company and for her superb navigational skills.

I'm sorry I fcuked it up.

stuaff

Cori,
You have my sympathy. I can't help thinking that if I went touring, something equivalent would happen to me....

Wallace1492

Coriander, great outline of your holiday. Sorry to hear of your errr slight issues.
Normandy is lovely, spent a while there in July, we had bikes but also had car, so cheated a bit.

Makes me nervous about my own cycle touring, as I have not done long consecutive days in the saddle, although I do try and cycle most days.

Doing Glasgow to Durness in the spring and want to limber up this month with a tour of Mull. Laid low with flu just now, so hopefully that will clear up before colder weather comes in (camping all the way).

Get out there again, and tour again, maybe gel saddle?

alfablue

Coriander

That was a great, if painful, account. I hope it won't put you off for good, cycle touring is fabulous. There is a learning curve and you just started it, you find out what does and doesn't work, such as equipment (eg, tent), technique (sitting position), routes/daily targets etc, before you try you don't know!

My girlfriend had a similarly difficult first tour last year, by day 3 we were in a B&B and then went home on the train. The combination of camping and hauling a loaded bike up welsh hills just did her back in. So we went back to the drawing board, lowered the gears on her bike and did a supported tour (luggage delivered to hotel each night) in Tuscany. Next step, we just toured the Netherlands (because its flat!), fully loaded and camping; brilliant success, now she really has the touring bug and can't wait for the next one. Her bike setup, kit, clothing, eating etc is now sorted and I am sure more adventures will follow.

So, don't give up, have another go taking on any lessons you have learned. Oh, and maybe go for 30 mile max days at first.

What sort of tent was it? Was it a single skin tent?

ChefShoes

I just came back from Normandy and can confirm how lovely it is to cycle around, especially when you're used to cycling in London traffic. Not sure about the whole laden bike touring bit though. Personally I recommend renting a place to act as a base and then doing a number of one or two day mini-tours out from there. Much prefer the cycling when the bike is not weighed down, plus the added benefits of a proper shower/bed etc.

Aidy

As others have said, I wouldn't be too disheartened.

The first tour (or tours!) is a learning experience. You pick up on what works and what doesn't - and what can be improved for next time. And your first try was quite adventurous

lost_in_thought

Yes, definitely a learning experience.

Next time I would:

1. Not set a route, and just go where I felt like, aim for certain mileage in any one day but not going anywhere in particular.

2. Ensure I've got time to spend a few hours in any really lovely places I get to, without having to set up tents in the dark as a result.

3. Take equipment to cook in the evening but only do so when there's not another option.

4. Take a cafetiere or similar. I require coffee in the mornings!

But, as I've said, despite the issues we encountered, it was good. The camping bit, which was my biggest worry, was abosultely fine - I slept like a narcoleptic baby.

Kieran_Burns

Cori - i have to say you didn't 'screw' up - you learnt something. It seems to me that your problems all came down to two things:

1. Dew in the tent: sorted
2. Incorrect saddle position.

So if you sort out the latter and take the experience from this time on, you'll have a great time next time you try.

You learned that LiT is great company and willing to help out, you discovered some beautiful scenery, you found you CAN do something new and different, and despite your discomfort and lost toys took away some great memories.

Get things sorted for next time and maybe try a camping weekend in the UK somewhere as a trial?

greg66_tri_v2.0

Coriander wrote:

Oh no, I sit on an altogether more delicate and sensitive part of my anatomy

What part would that be, then? :twisted:

Coriander wrote:

optomistic

Is that how you spell it? I never knew. :twisted: :twisted:

il_principe

*Crosses "Cycle Touring with Cori" of his list of Things To Do*



Get thee to your LBS for a good old fitting session Cori, sorry to hear the trip wasn't quite what you expected.

kyoukoku

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Cori - i have to say you didn't 'screw' up - you learnt something. It seems to me that your problems all came down to two things:

1. Dew in the tent: sorted
2. Incorrect saddle position.

So if you sort out the latter and take the experience from this time on, you'll have a great time next time you try.

You learned that LiT is great company and willing to help out, you discovered some beautiful scenery, you found you CAN do something new and different, and despite your discomfort and lost toys took away some great memories.

Get things sorted for next time and maybe try a camping weekend in the UK somewhere as a trial?

I was going to say much the same thing as Kieran to be honest.

Hat's off to Cori for sticking through all the pain from the saddle and to LiT for being understanding about it.

Just think of it of a learning experience for the next time.

jonginge

Fiona, sorry to hear of your woes. It's all too easy for physical discomfort to override everything else going on (walking on blisters anyone?). Still, lessons learnt and the next one will be better

Greg66 wrote:

Coriander wrote:

optomistic

Is that how you spell it? I never knew. :twisted: :twisted:

It is if you look really hard.

desweller

lost_in_thought wrote:

4. Take a cafetiere or similar. I require coffee in the mornings!

You want one of these puppies.

You'll average 25mph for the first 30 minutes. And be annoyingly chatty.

lost_in_thought

DesWeller wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

4. Take a cafetiere or similar. I require coffee in the mornings!

You want one of these puppies.

You'll average 25mph for the first 30 minutes. And be annoyingly chatty.

Hmmmmm, I actually have one of those somewhere, god knows where though, I haven't seen it for years! Good shout!

I've also seen these filter coffee bags, sort of like an open-ended teabag that you just pour hot water into with it in a cup then leave it a while, remove and discard. Can I find them in shops? No chance.

Kieran_Burns

http://www.britishfooddirect.com/index. ... rrency=GBP

You can thank me later 8)

lost_in_thought

Kieran_Burns wrote:

http://www.britishfooddirect.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=482&currency=GBP

You can thank me later 8)

Close, but no cigar!

They're what I keep finding when looking for what I'm looking for. Oh how I love to make no sense today. Yoda I am.

The ones I'm after are square, and open at one end, have a cardboard surround on the open end which you open and balance on the top of your mug, which holds it there like a filter while you pour water into it, so the water is filtered through the coffee, like, well, a filter!

I might actually phone the last hotel that had them...

kyoukoku

lost_in_thought wrote:

I've also seen these filter coffee bags, sort of like an open-ended teabag that you just pour hot water into with it in a cup then leave it a while, remove and discard. Can I find them in shops? No chance.

Like this one you mean: http://www.whittard.co.uk/store/catalogue/Tea-&-Coffee-Equipment-P6000/Infusers-Strainers-&-Measures-SC6006/Swiss-Gold-Filter-115592.raa

Kieran_Burns

Ahh.... you mean this: http://royalcoffeemaker.com/one-cup-coffee-filter.html

lost_in_thought

Nope and nope, that's tha idea on which they're based, but they're a bag like a teabag as opposed to a plastic thing. They'd be ideal for camping as they're tiny.

kyoukoku

lost_in_thought wrote:

Nope and nope, that's tha idea on which they're based, but they're a bag like a teabag as opposed to a plastic thing. They'd be ideal for camping as they're tiny.

Ah, I know which ones you mean now. You want the disposable ones. I've seen them somewhere recently, so I'll take a look in my history for you.

jonginge

comme ci?
http://www.discountcoffee.co.uk/lyons-o ... achets-p92

DevUK

Or these disposable ones:

http://www.cafebar.co.uk/coffee_supplie ... lters.aspx

Though, a bit of a waste and have to carry several around. But you'd still have to carry your coffee around too.

I've always been told these are fantastic coffee presses compared to a cafetiere:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aerobie-80R08-A ... B000GXZ2GS

Aidy

lost_in_thought wrote:

Nope and nope, that's tha idea on which they're based, but they're a bag like a teabag as opposed to a plastic thing. They'd be ideal for camping as they're tiny.

These? (halfway down the page).

lost_in_thought

Well, none of the above are quite right, but I have just phoned the hotel I last saw them in and found them with that hotel's help! Hurrah!

Here they are...

Aidy

lost_in_thought wrote:

Well, none of the above are quite right, but I have just phoned the hotel I last saw them in and found them with that hotel's help! Hurrah!

Here they are...

Hey! I was right!