Cycling Bucket list!

rouleur23
rouleur23 Posts: 175
edited June 2014 in Road general
Hi
I live in France and have done since 1999. I am 52 nest year and there are some cols I have never climbed and would love to do so. The French DO take it a wee bit for granted that they are just 'down the road' and they don't really see the cols as we do from the UK or the USA cycling cultures. I would like to do a few in 2015 with like minded folks. Here's how it could pan out.
I would like to find a few others to do some of the biggies with me. Call it a mini 'tour of the cols' if you like. Any number up to 8. We can hire a minibus for 40 euros per day if the group is 8 riders and one driver. Or.....if we are only 3 or 4 we can have a smaller vehicle but it will cost just a little less so let's try and think 8. It really would be a case of 'the more the merrier'. I am one so we need 7 more and a driver. We may need a closed trailer for bike boxes etc. I can borrow one.
Where? Imagine three days in the Pyrenees. Then over to the Ventoux to take it from two sides in one day. Then we could ride (support bus don't forget) over to the Alpes from there and tackle La Bonette and a few others going north. Can we climb 8? Or 10? I don't know.
I can do ALL organising this end. Bus and accommodation. I pay my share too. I DO NOT GO FREE. You pay your own bills at each stopover. I would think there is NOTHING to hand over as a deposit as in this day and age you can pay when there. But....I would have to commit to using my c card to secure bookings so we need to address that in case anyone pulls out. I am open to suggestions. So, that means food and any hotel or gite we stop in is paid for by YOU for YOU the next morning. It would be around 10 days long and be a super break. Perhaps a 'once in a lifetime' ride for some. Women very welcome.
Costs per day? Assuming 8 payers (should the driver go free if he/she is there to support us all the time?) a bus and
fuel at 8 euros per day pp. Food Breakfast at 10 lunch the same and eve meal at 20 to 40 (depends on your taste and budget). Hotels? Twins rooms allow 30 to 50 pppn. So, between 70 and 110 per day.
If, I say if, we got the numbers sooner rather than later.....we tie it in with the TDF passing in the Alpes no?
I'm easy on it. May or June is good too. Not August as the roads are crammed in tourist spots
Food for thought anyway.
If you want to pm me at sales@plan-it-earth.eu then please do so.

Paz

Comments

  • ravenvrider
    ravenvrider Posts: 198
    Initially interested, i am 51 and have been wanting to ride Alpe d'Huez and Ventoux for a long time, looked seriously into it at the beginning of the year but found it was going to cost too much as a single (around £1000), family holidays take funds so not much left for me to play with.

    Not so fussed with doing it with tdf, more about cost but not to the point of poor accommodation. So interested in itinerary, cost and dates.
  • norvernrob
    norvernrob Posts: 1,447
    Wow what a great opportunity. I'd love to do it but wouldn't consider myself a strong enough cyclist yet as I've only been cycling since Jan/Feb this year. I managed 5 categorised climbs on Sunday including the 6km Snake Pass ascent but 20km+ is something totally different.

    If it was 2016 I'd be there!
  • rouleur23
    rouleur23 Posts: 175
    Update: To keep costs down, riders might like to think about a 'car share' to our place near Limoges. Better for bikes too? No charge to stay overnight here. Thanks