London to Paris and back cycling. Too much?

cpournaras
cpournaras Posts: 3
in Commuting chat
Has anyone done the London to Paris cycling route? I suppose a lot of people have. I'm thinking of doing it. What was your experience? What should I be aware of?

Comments

  • redjeepǃ
    redjeepǃ Posts: 531
    I did it a few years back using the Newhaven to Dieppe ferry and the unofficial green route that takes you mostly down off road or low traffic routes. can't remember the name of who thought it up, but will have a look if you're interested.

    Loved it.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    It'll be fine. You're just riding your bicycle.

    Get it booked, do it, enjoy it, report back.

    #sortedforEandWhizz
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • redjeepǃ
    redjeepǃ Posts: 531
    One of my over riding memories were the cafes on the traffic free greenways that served refreshing, ice cold beer.

    I can still see the condensation forming in the warm humid summer afternoon and streaming down the glass and taste the fine medley of bubbles exploding on the tongue with each gulp.

    Not that I partook of course....

    Nah. You'll hate it. Best stay home. 😆
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    why didn't you partake?

    bit strange tbh considering you were on holiday and you'd been riding your bike.

    oh well.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • mr_ribble
    mr_ribble Posts: 1,054
    I've done it in 2018

    Set off from Marble Arch at 4pm on Day 1. Got down to Newhaven at 11pm, to catch the midnight ferry. That got into Dieppe around 5am, and set off down Avenue Vert for the first 50km. Great riding. Anyway, got to Paris around lunchtime. Spent 10 minutes at the Arc D'Triomphe and then turned around and cycled back to Dieppe. (I'd given myself a hard cutoff to turnaround of 1pm ... Because I needed to get the return ferry.

    Got to Dieppe at 11pm that night and got the ferry back to Newhaven. Got into Newhaven at 5am and was back at Marble Arch by lunchtime.

    So basically, it took me 44 hours total time... but I appreciate that I didnt sleep and it did hurt a little bit. The highlight was when on the outskirts of Paris, I followed other cyclists thinking it was a gravel trail route, only to realise i'd actually joined a cyclocross race.

  • wavefront
    wavefront Posts: 397
    Attempted the LP24 with our club, via Dover / Calais. Faced a fierce headwind down there and my gear cable snapped 2/3rd way in at Croissy Sur Celle so had to jump in the support car and watch my club finish in just over 24hrs. One of the chaps, slept overnight and surfed a beautiful tailwind all the way back via Dieppe way under 24 hrs.

    Main memory was to go back and try again, but to enjoy it over a few days and enjoy it all in daylight, and enjoy proper cafe stops. The roads are always smooth and beautiful in France so don’t do it as any sort of challenge, do it as a holiday.

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