London to Rome: on yer bike!
DougDownunder
Posts: 36
We've signed up to ride from London to Rome, which we'll start doing in mid-May. One thing that always exercises folks about long rides, especially day after day, is keeping things cushy for one's tushy. An integral part of this is selecting a good chamois cream. I've started a blog for our ride and the first post plays around with this vital issue. 
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Good luck with your ride. We did this a few years ago. How are you crossing the Alps?0
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culverwood wrote:Good luck with your ride. We did this a few years ago. How are you crossing the Alps?
Thanks for your post and best wishes. As far as I know so far, we'll be going over the Gotthard Pass in Switzerland, and the Stelvio in the Dolomites. I think we'll also be crossing over Passo Pordoi (the background image on the blog) as well as a couple of other passes in the Dollies, but I can't say for sure.
Cheers
Doug0 -
Greetings folks
Well, we leave for London in three days. Super excited! I've got a bit more info to share on our big tour. We'll be riding 3120 kilometres over the course of a month (26 actual days of riding with a few rest days in between). While that is not a huge distance - 120 kilometres per day - it is the amount of elevation that will be a challenge for an old fart like me. We'll be doing 30,000 metres uphill, with 70% of that in the second section when we go through the Dolomites.
Here's what our route looks like:
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If you want to follow our progress, you can go to http://londontoromebybicycle.blogspot.com.au.
My intention is to do a blog post each day.
Did I mention that I'm getting excited?
Cheers
Doug0 -
Good luck Doug, I will look forward to your blog0
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Good luck - I did Paris to Rome with friends in 2013, and it was a blast. But we had to change route over the Alps as the Galibier was still under 15ft of snow at the end of May, so we went over the superb Mont Cenis instead. Not sure where you check Swiss cols though...0
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Thanks Brian and Dave for your encouragement. Our first day is London to Dover, with a little side trip to Deal just before the end so we can see where Caesar landed. Hopefully we'll all be over the jet lag by then as it's a longish day: ~ 160 kms.
Look for the first post on Saturday night UK time, as we'll have a meet and greet that day before setting out on Sunday.
Cheers
Doug0 -
This is really just a teaser. Today we had our first (half) day together as a group, preparing for our first real day on the bikes. Tomorrow we travel 160 (100 miles for the rest of you) kilometres to Dover. More to share then. In the meantime here's where we're at ... http://londontoromebybicycle.blogspot.c ... ishes.html0
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I hope the weather holds out for you Doug , are you staying in Dover tonight ?0
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Thanks Dave. Yes, Dover tonight and on the ferry to Dunquerque tomorrow then riding on to Ypres.0
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Good luck, should be a great adventure, which I'll certainly follow on your blog.0
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Thanks mate! Just arrived at Dover after a mixed day of weather but brilliant riding nonetheless. Blog post will be up later tonight.0
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So, day 1 is done and dusted. It was a great day on the bike. I hope you enjoy reading about it ...
http://londontoromebybicycle.blogspot.c ... heast.html
Cheers
Doug0 -
Nice one Doug, I had to laugh at the caption in the photo, I wonder how many times that word was used by cyclists yesterday.
Good luck today, just remember to ride on the opposite side of the road, once your across the channel
Cramp there's nothing worse when riding0 -
Latest post is here: http://londontoromebybicycle.blogspot.f ... n-day.html
Hope you enjoy it.
Cheers
Doug :?0 -
Into Flanders Fields we go, visiting quiet canal paths and cobbled sections of Paris-Roubaix - including the infamous Arenberg Forest section after visiting the storied velodrome at Roubaix itself ...
http://londontoromebybicycle.blogspot.f ... thern.html0 -
Have a good day Doug, how's the cramp?0
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Cramp hasn't been an issue since day 1 when I made a rookie error by not using hydration salts because it was cool. Had a great 150 kms today through the Ardennes. Now at Sedan staying in the castle. Post to follow later this evening.Lincolndave wrote:Have a good day Doug, how's the cramp?0 -
The kilometres are ticking by. We're now into Champagne country, though to be honest we're largely riding north and east of the main wine growing area. Weather has picked up and the riding is terrific. The latest post (http://londontoromebybicycle.blogspot.f ... halon.html) has got some nice photos and a couple of short videos.0
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Brilliant Doug, I bet you are pleased the weather is picking up, the social side of the ride looks spot on as well,0
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Hi Dave
It has been a great first week. The folks running the tour have been brilliant too, making the actual riding so much easier.
Cheers
Doug0 -
We've just had two days of wet weather but are looking forward to a better day today when we cross into Switzerland. Here's the post for the last couple of days:
http://londontoromebybicycle.blogspot.fr0 -
Lincolndave wrote:Brilliant Doug, I bet you are pleased the weather is picking up, the social side of the ride looks spot on as well,
Thanks for the positive feedback Dave. We are now in Como, leaving for the Dollies tomorrow. Rest day today; boy did my old legs need it. Here's the latest post: http://londontoromebybicycle.blogspot.i ... italy.html0 -
i thought you were lost Doug after not hearing from you for 4 days
, a good journey by the look of it, good luck on the coming climbs, are you enjoying the Italian food? 0 -
Brilliant day today. 120 kilometres; ~ 1400 metres of climbing; beautiful scenery. Big test is tomorrow with the Stelvio. Blog post to follow later.0
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We leave Como and ride towards the Dolomites, heart of Italian cycling folklore:
http://londontoromebybicycle.blogspot.i ... nture.html
Tomorrow we cross the Stelvio. Wish us luck with the weather!0 -
STELVIO SUFFERFEST!
Our hardest day to date of our epic bike tour but also, for most of us, probably the most rewarding ...
http://londontoromebybicycle.blogspot.i ... rfest.html0 -
Hi Folks
Our journey from London to Rome continued today with a short stage into Bolzano. My main goal was to arrive early enough to find the bike shop where I'd arranged to have my brake shoes replaces. With a lot of descending ahead I thought I might just have to slow down from time to time, and my brakes were looking a bit haggard. No photos from the ride itself, but I hope that these photos from Bolzano might provide some amusement. Here's the link:
http://londontoromebybicycle.blogspot.i ... lture.html
Cheers
Doug0 -
After a beautiful day for the Stelvio the Dolomites showed their heartless side today. We started from Bolzano in warm but overcast conditions: a sure recipe for rain later. And it did rain. With the temperature dropping steadily our group struggled but ultimately came out bonded together. You can read more here:
http://londontoromebybicycle.blogspot.i ... mites.html0 -
That's it. Our last day in the Dolomites. Today's post is all about enjoying the scenery - along with the ascents and descents of course! The climbs were not at all brutal today, and the descents sublime. I didn't talk about them much in today's post, preferring to let the photos of the scenery tell the tale of today's ride:
http://londontoromebybicycle.blogspot.i ... mites.html0 -
Due to a severe weather warning we arrive in Venice more easily than expected. For some of us - yours truly included - it was exceptionally easy! I thought that I didn't really need to ride in the rain another day and that if I didn't my lingering cold might just start to improve. Here's the tale of two rather uneventful day:
http://londontoromebybicycle.blogspot.i ... enice.html0
