A-Z Tour

Sean01

Hi All,

Read the forums for a while but this is my first post.

So on my ride to work today I thought why not cycle an A-Z of places! Starting at a place beginning with A, then to a place beginning with B and so on all the way through to Z as a mini tour. Plan being to take a picture at each "Welcome to <insert name of town here>" sign to collect the alphabet along the way. First point was to find a place beginning with X (the toughie). Found one not far from Dutch border in Germany called Xathen. Actually looks quite nice from pics on internet! So figured I'd get Eurostar to Brussels and work my way from Asse outside Brussels through to Z. Got as far as looking for "Y"s back towards Brussels and came across a small village called Xhos in Belgium which might change my route completely as it had been all based on getting to Xanten but ignoring that below is route so far (still after a "Z" on way back to Brussels.

Asse > Brussels > Chamont-Gisteoux > Dhuy > Eghezee > Faimees > Grace-Hollogne > Herstal > Itteren > Juprelle > Kanne > Lanaken > Maastrict > Neeroerteren > Ophoven > Posterholt > Qualburg > Rees > Schapdick > Toven > Ulft > Vehlingen > Wesel > Xanten > Yvoir > ??

Places weren't picked on their attractiveness/areas of interest just a quick search by what's a close name with next letter of the alphabet at lunchtime today. Total distance of the above is c.500km and will no doubt change but any thoughts? Areas en-route that I should try to include etc. Hoping to do it end of April-early May.

Nice places beginning with I, J and Q would be good too as these were a struggle.

Thanks,
Sean

Crapaud

An interesting idea, Sean01. Have got an idea of how far that would work out at?

I wonder if it could be done in the UK. I can't, off-hand, think of anywhere beginning with Z,Q and X though

Sean01

Hi Crapaud,

Its at about 350ish miles up to the letter Y using the above itinerary but there's lots of opportunity to refine that.

Like you say UK was a no go due to lack of X's. Z's are hard to come by compared to Belgium/Holland too.

Sean01

So after much looking and finding a load of X's in Belgium here's the latest incarnation of the route:

The first number is the distance from the previous point, the second is the cumulative mileage.

A Asse Belgium 0 0
B Brussels Belgium 9 9
C Chaumont-Gisteoux Belgium 24 33
D Dhuy Belgium 13 46
E Eghezee Belgium 4 50
F Faimees Belgium 22 72
G Grace-Hollogne Belgium 12 84
H Huy Belgium 17 101 End of Day 1
I Izier Belgium 23 124
J Jevigne Belgium 15 139
K Kiischpelt Luxembourg 35 174
L Luxembourg Luxembourg 41 215 End of Day 2
M Merzig Germany 32 247
N Newel Germany 35 282
O Oberweis Germany 18 300
P Prum Germany 26 326 End of Day 3
Q Quiddelbach Germany 34 360
R Rheinbach Germany 25 385
S Schleiden Germany 30 415 End of Day 4
T Thimister-Clermont Belgium 37 452
U Ubachsberg Holland 19 471
V Valkenburg Holland 7 478
W Warsage Belgium 14 492
X Xhoris Belgium 30 522 End of Day 5
Y Yernée-Fraineux Belgium 8 530
Z Zaventem Belgium 58 588 The END

I've not done distance cycling before but am reasonably fit and can cycle 50 miles without any trouble. Am I biting off more than I can chew??!

looe

Crapaud wrote:

An interesting idea, Sean01. Have got an idea of how far that would work out at?

I wonder if it could be done in the UK. I can't, off-hand, think of anywhere beginning with Z,Q and X though

Quethiock nr. Liskeard, Cornwall

Crapaud

looe wrote:

Quethiock nr. Liskeard, Cornwall

We just need a Z and X, now.

Sean01, 588 miles biting off more than you can chew? I doubt it. If you've got 2 weeks and only do 50 miles per day that's only 12 days. At 10mph it's only 5 hours of your day.

Presumably you'll be doing this in the summer, so plenty of time to build up to 100 miles, say. A multi day ride usually means that you'll increase your endurance during the tour itself. Even if you're doing it fully loaded, 80miles should be achievable.

Solis

Plenty of Z's knocking around for example:

Zabulon (South Wales)
Zeal, Zempson and Zeaston (all near Plymouth)
Zeals House (near Sailsbury)

but think you will struggle to find an X

looe

Solis wrote:

but think you will struggle to find an X

Loads in.....................China

pneumatic

Zeebrugge might be a handy place to end a tour of the low countries.

Sean01

Planning on doing it in about 6 days. Travelling very light, looking at one of those Carradice SQL Slim bags. Did my first long ride for training yesterday: 113 miles. Felt pretty good after except for not eating enough and bonking at about 80 miles but a couple of Cadburys Creme Eggs did the trick.

Plan is to do it in the week between Easter and May Bank Holiday as you book 3 days off work and get a week and a half off with all the bank holidays/royal wedding.

I've now plotted the route on googlemaps as I was plotting the points I found some alternate places that might make more sense to cycle to. Just hoping they all have one of those Welcome To... signs to take a picture at!

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=203567230815799850141.00049a6d0a0970b71fa93&z=8

Sean01

Oh, ignore the timings on the distances between points on the googlemap. That's google assuming I'm in a car rather than my over-ambitious cycling speeds!