Route advise: Calais to Koblenz

itboffin
itboffin Posts: 20,072
edited April 2012 in Commuting chat
I'll be heading over to Koblenz in April, driving from Calais any advise on which route or places to avoid etc?
Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.

Comments

  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,895
    Head north along the coast, turn right towards Brussels, round the outer ring on towards Aachen. Not too sure from there but I think round Cologne, Dusseldorf area and down to Koblenz.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    Yep, head towards Brussels: you can go like sh1t off a stick that way. Good road, that.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    Thanks now guess why i'm heading there :-)
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,895
    Some sort of lederhosen wearing thigh slapping contest?
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • phy2sll2
    phy2sll2 Posts: 680
    itboffin wrote:
    Thanks now guess why i'm heading there :-)

    The horticultural festival?
  • shedman
    shedman Posts: 26
    This? http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=717375

    but probably this:http://chilloutnow.net/wiki/index.php/DB_Museum_Koblenz/2011
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    What the others said. Drove back from Austria that way on Sunday, very good roads and no tolls (even in France). The Dutch don't seem to be too good at clearing the snow off their motorways (once had to use chains to get across the border into Germany) but shouldn't be an issue in April!
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • Greg T
    Greg T Posts: 3,266
    itboffin wrote:
    Thanks now guess why i'm heading there :-)

    You keep a young Thai man there?

    The obvious answer.
    Fixed gear for wet weather / hairy roadie for posing in the sun.

    What would Thora Hurd do?
  • jzed
    jzed Posts: 2,926
    You can only have a test ride of a Canyon at its factory in Koblenz. That coupled with you enjoy beer, leather and sausage.

    What's my prize?
  • asprilla
    asprilla Posts: 8,440
    JZed wrote:
    You can only have a test ride of a Canyon at its factory in Koblenz. That coupled with you enjoy beer, leather and sausage.

    What's my prize?

    I thought there was a guy in Essex who offered test rides?

    That may only have been of the beer and the sausage though.
    Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
    Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
    Sun - Cervelo R3
    Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    JZed wrote:
    You can only have a test ride of a Canyon at its factory in Koblenz. That coupled with you enjoy beer, leather and sausage.

    What's my prize?

    Well done, some sausage ;-)
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    itboffin wrote:
    JZed wrote:
    You can only have a test ride of a Canyon at its factory in Koblenz. That coupled with you enjoy beer, leather and sausage.

    What's my prize?

    Well done, some sausage ;-)

    edit: oh and it's the Amstel gold race too ....gulp!
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    two things, firstly Amstel gold in 2 weeks - gulp!

    secondly yesterday was payday and there it was a big fat £2k recruitment payment for introducing someone to the company.

    Now just an extra €699 ish and I'll have myself a shiney new Canyon CF SLX

    droooooooool
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    Well I made it and not just the test ride at Canyon but also the Amstel gold race and a few very nice cobbled rides in Koblenz, for the most part we missed the really wet bits.

    I'm terrible at remembering to take photos or for that matter taking a good photo but we did take a few of the trip

    Me crossing the finish line the 1st time
    SDC13376.JPG

    Where the fook did I leave my bike ?????
    SDC13377.JPG

    One of two MASSHOOF beer tents, my kinda people
    SDC13378.JPG

    Bike back at the hotel after performing excellently once again
    SDC13379.JPG
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    and finally back in Brugge before the journey home
    SDC13407.JPG
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,474
    itboffin wrote:
    Bike back at the hotel after performing excellently once again
    SDC13379.JPG

    Just shows you.

    A lot of buying and selling over the years but the aluminium Trek still performs...
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    Very true when it comes to it that bike wins hands down, not sure if a Trek carbon would be better but this baby feels like someone else is riding for me.
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.

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