I think the hill gods or the wind gods were with me today, because it just seemed easier. I went south west from Maroeuil to Amiens. The weather forecasted winds "NE" about 18 kph, so I thought it would be tough, but the winds seemed low and in my direction.
My friend Flector tissue gel also helped out my ankle. :-)
The day started out sunny but cold (note, you CAN get a suntan or burn even when it's just a few degrees above freezing :) ). By the end of the day it was overcast and sprinkling.
At some point, my gps told me to take a road which was closed. Silly Garmin. A photo of the closed road is below.
I had the weirdest thought as I approached Amiens. I had been solely on country roads for about 6 hours, and as I saw the buildings and signs of civilization up on the horizon, it reminded me bizarrely of seeing the first hotels of Las Vegas, driving on the 15 from Los Angeles. Yet, Amiens is far from the blinking city of Las Vegas. Maybe I was just hallucinating from having to pee but not being able to find a place, for several hours. :-)
I tried to gorge myself with food today, as a couple of people suggested. But even after a long day of cycling, I could only complete 57.2% of a footlong sub at Subway. I tried. :-)
Tomorrow I will head out to Beauvais. I have to leave early (8am) because the hotel staff have put my bike in a conference room for the night, and there is a conference tomorrow morning at 8.
Note that the photos here are in no particular order. I'm using the Blogger app to post these blogs, and this app has a mind of its own. You can see the timestamps in most of the pictures. These are placed there by an app I found called Evidence Cam. It seems to be geared towards cops (or wannabe cops or nosy neighbors) , but it's pretty handy for tourism, as it also adds the location the photo was taken. The timestamps are in GMT though.
Today has been pampering /rest day. To follow up on yesterday's "how am I gonna pay for this" scenario: this afternoon, the owner of the property drove me to the ATM in the next village. That's service!
This morning, I was served breakfast in my room. Yesterday evening, I had told the owner that I usually have cereal with orange juice, and maybe a croissant. The breakfast I received this morning had cereal, milk, orange juice, a croissant, two slices of bread, jam, dried apricots, nuts, raspberries, blueberries, a kiwi, and a banana.
Today, other than breakfast and the excursion to the ATM, I have been mostly staying in bed. I've slept quite a bit. Some muscles are feeling better. I hope all my muscles will be ready for another 60km tomorrow! If all goes well, I'll head out to Amiens.
Today was a mixed experience. Beautiful sunny sky, not too cold, beautiful scenery. I had lunch in a brasserie, which is a major improvement over my previous gastronomic experiences when cycling solo (cold sandwiches or canned food on the side of the road. ) I saw a cycling race along the road with both adults and children participating. I also saw patches of snow at some point, on the side of the road. Pictures are below.
On the other hand...
This morning, I lost a screw for my gopro camera, which I attach to my handlebars. As I was mounting the camera, the screw fell into the grass, and it turned into a "needle in a haystack" adventure. That's not a big deal though, as I can probably find a replacement at a hardware store like bricorama.
There were high winds and a few hills today that made the ride challenging.
I reserved a room in Maroeuil. I thought it would be practical as it is a bit closer to Hazebrouck than the next "major" city, Arras. Upon arrival at the "hotel", I read the fine print of the hotel policies : credit card or bank card not accepted. Must pay in cash. And the nearest ATM is in Arras, 7km away.
Apparently there are no restaurants nearby, and this "hotel" serves only breakfast, not dinner.
The nice lady in charge here offered to pick up a meal for me, since she had to go into town anyway.
But as I'm waiting for her to come back, I'm wondering how I'm going to pay. Before she left, the lady told me I could retrieve money at the tobacco shop next door. I said "cool, let's do that". She left, and I went to the tobacco store. They told me they could not let me retrieve money.
So, as I'm writing this, I'm wondering what I'm going to say when she gets back. Luckily, I have enough cash to pay for the room, but not the takeout food she is getting.
I've been to "hotels" in the middle of nowhere before, but I've never been to a hotel which only accepts cash and is located 7km from the nearest ATM. Wtf?
I was also planning on staying a whole day here, to have a rest day. I'm not sure how that is going to turn out...
That said, the hotel room is lovely and is equipped with a kitchen and microwave.
In other news, BoD, who had to return home, is my unofficial (and unqualified) remote personal trainer. We've tried an approach to take it easy, as I'm feeling a bit sore from the first couple of days. Today, I had 60km to cover. For people in shape, that's probably no big deal. But that's a challenge for me. So, instead of trying to knock off the kilometers as fast as possible, I aimed at biking 30 minutes, resting 10-15 minutes, and repeating. During the rests, I stretched and took pictures, and sent my personal trainer a message to prove I was taking my break, and to hear some motivational speech.
With this approach, I biked (and rested) from 9:30 to 6:30, so about 9 hours. I'm not sure if this approach is better or worse for muscles than doing an intense ride for 5 or 6 hours and then having the rest of the day to recover.
Today we had a bit better luck with the weather : less wind, and a sunny morning. It's still a bit cold around here, but it should warm up soon!
This morning we were mostly on tiny country roads, which was quite enjoyable. The afternoon, we took some departmental roads with light traffic.
We arrived in Hazebrouck much earlier than anticipated. This is good news, as my muscles are starting to ask me "wtf, why so much exercise all of a sudden? ", so tomorrow, I will be able to take my time ;-)
I am currently in a café, which was hard to find, as most places are closed this easter Sunday. I've just booked my hotel for tomorrow, which will be just outside Arras.
BoD will return back to reality and the working world tonight. I think he'll spend easter Monday in bed. I will have to find some way to take pictures of myself now. :-)
Today we went from Paris to Dunkirk by train, by bicycle to Bray-Dunes, then into Belgium to Veurne. We had a beautiful sunny sky, but the cold temperatures and wind were a challenge. As a result, I am quite exhausted, and this blog will be short with just a few pictures. :-)
A year since my first bike road trip from Paris to Bordeaux, I decided to embark on another adventure, this time to London. I really lucked out with beautiful weather during the whole trip, which I'd say is unusual for this time of year in Paris and London. I met a few challenges on this trip, but it was a pleasure again to be rolling out in the countryside.
Overview
Here is an overview of the main stops:
A: Paris
B: Gisors
C: Forges-les-eaux
D: Dieppe
E: Newhaven
F: Brighton
G: Sutton
H: London
The trip by bike took just over four days; five days including the return trip by Eurostar.
Most of the gear I had with me on this trip was the same that I took on the Bordeaux trip. In addition, I attached a bag to my handlebars for things I would need to access often while on the road: water, snacks, and sunscreen.
I had done no preparation whatsoever for the Bordeaux trip. Since that trip, I have been cycling to work everyday. The commute is 13km round trip. This is not an extreme workout, but I assumed that it would be sufficient to better prepare me for the London trip. My performance on the London trip ended up about the same as on the Bordeaux trip. I guess proper training would involve cycling with heavy gear over longer distances.
Time for a new bike?
I'm still using the bottom-of-the-line mountain bike I had on the Bordeaux trip. The following are the pros and cons of my current setup. I'm considering getting a new bike, or at least making some changes to my current bike, to make the trips easier and be able to enjoy riding even more.
Pros:
- Cheap. If it is stolen, it's only a minor drama, not the end of the world.
- Sturdy tires. I have not had a single flat tire in over 4000 km. I occasionally (though rarely) have to travel on unpaved roads, so this is a major benefit.
- Suspension. Front and rear suspension makes traveling over most bumps almost unnoticeable.
- Heavy-duty bike lock. After my first bike was stolen, I purchased a heavy lock at a motorcycle shop. This gives me peace of mind if I have to leave my bike alone in public for a while.
Cons:
- Cheap. Since the bike was cheap, the material is probably heavier than what I would get with a more expensive bike.
- Sturdy tires. I'm sure I could whiz by much more quickly if I had some ultra-thin tires and tubes inflated up to maximum pressure.
- Suspension. I believe the full suspension may contribute to the heaviness. Since I rarely travel on unpaved roads, I think I could live with only front or even no suspension, if it could make the bike much lighter.
- Heavy-duty bike lock. This adds to the already significant weight. In all the hotels I stayed at when touring, I could leave my bike in a secure place (either in a private parking or in the room itself). So I'm sure on my next trip I'll carry a lighter lock.
- No panniers. Most of the weight of my gear was carried on my back. Even if I don't get a new bike, at a minimum I should install panniers to distribute the weight away from my body a bit.
France versus the UK - Challenges
Based on my experiences cycling from Paris to Bordeaux, Paris to Dieppe, and Newhaven to London, I can say that I feel much more at ease cycling in France than in the UK. Of course the experience will vary depending on where in these two countries one decides to cycle, but on the routes I've travelled:
- Hills. The routes I travelled in France were generally much flatter than in the UK. From Brighton to Sutton I saw one sign warning about a 15% grade, and another for a 16% grade. These signs were on a route recommended by a Brit who described the route as "almost flat". If this is "almost flat" for Brits, I'd like to see what "hilly" looks like! I'm pretty much a novice to bike touring. I haven't trained, and my goal is really to just be outside, not necessarily to push myself to test my physical limits (which seem to be pretty low :) ). So, I think I'll plan my next trip for Belgium and/or the Netherlands... :)
Quiet country road in France, entering Picardie
- Traffic. One of the craziest areas I've biked in, in France, is probably Place de la Concorde, in Paris. Here's a satellite view, where you can have an idea of the traffic there. I can say that I've felt more comfortable cycling in Place de la Concorde than in many areas of the UK. A few of what I thought would be remote roads in the countryside in the UK turned out to have many cars, going fast, with narrow lanes and not much visibility. The epitome of this was Pebblehill road, which I describe later. Fortunately, the majority of the trip in the UK was quiet.
- Roundabouts. Although riding on the left side of the street didn't pose a problem most of the time on long distances on a single road, intersections and roundabouts were a bit trickier. I navigated many roundabouts in the UK as a pedestrian, walking my bike across each section. I have a feeling that I was probably a bit overcautious here, and that most cyclists would probably have no problem riding these roundabouts :)
Despite the challenges biking in the UK, once in the small country roads, the scenery was beautiful and the ride enjoyable.
Highlights
Day 1: A sunny start in Paris
On day 1, the trip gets off to a good start in Paris.
At the Arc de Triomphe
Bye-bye Paris!
Day 2: Forges-les-eaux to Dieppe: the Greenway (avenue verte)
The morning was a ride from Gisors to Forges-les-eaux which went much faster than I anticipated. I arrived at Forges-les-eaux around noon, and decided to continue on to Dieppe, which I had initially planned for the following day.
Just me and the cows
A bike/pedestrian pathway runs from just outside of Forges-les-eaux to Dieppe. Removed from traffic, running mostly through scenic farmland, this is the perfect route for bike touring, strolling, or roller blading. I would like to come back at some point and just spend the day here, either on bike or roller skates. Something to look forward to as warm weather approaches...
The Avenue Verte in Beaubec-la-Rosière
Day 3: The Dieppe-Newhaven ferry
The ferry ride from Dieppe to Newhaven is about four hours. I took it on an early Sunday morning, and it was quite empty. I had never ridden a ferry like this before, so this was a new experience. The only ferries I'd ridden previously were for short trips (about a half hour): at New York and at Bordeaux. This ferry was huge, with plenty of places to sit, shop, or eat. There were some seats which resembled seats on an airplane, except more comfortable with much more leg room. This is the way to travel!
Arrival at the Newhaven port
Day 3: Brighton
I was lucky to have magnificent weather as I came into Brighton. I discovered the Undercliff walk, a welcome flat stroll for several kilometers along the beach leading to the pier. I took it easy this day and mostly walked.
Lunch break between Newhaven and Brighton
View from the Undercliff walk leading to Brighton
As I approached the pier, I discovered the Brighton Mile / Sport Relief. I wasn't too sure what this was about, but I assumed it was some fund-raising/charity event, as I saw men, women, and children of all ages, shapes and fitness levels, running. Some were dressed in costumes such as cheerleaders or rabbits.
Without a cloud in the sky, and with the warm temperatures, the sunbathers, street performers, and the pier, I almost thought I was in Santa Monica.
Brighton beach
Brighton beach
Day 4: Devil's Dyke
After a tough climb going up Dyke Road leaving Brighton, I was rewarded with this view:
View from Devil's Dyke
The Pebblehill detour
On the route from Brighton to Sutton, I came across a street called Pebblehill road, about 15km from Sutton. This is a very beautiful area, with trees lining the road, on a steep incline (16% grade) with no visibility around bends, little room for cars to pass cyclists, and no path for pedestrians. Upon seeing this, I hesitated for a while, and when I didn't find any reasonable alternative paths, I decided to go for it.
16% grade
Debating whether to go up Pebblehill road:
Just then, a resident of the area saw me and we chatted for a while. He told me that he had been living there for 15 years, that there had been four cyclist deaths up this passage (I haven't been able to verify this), and that he refused to walk up this passage. He recommended an alternative route, which went through private roads, on a very steep and narrow footpath, with two fences I had to lift my bike over. I felt like I was on a reality TV show, my endurance and willingness to continue being tested. In the end, it took me an hour and forty-three minutes to navigate less than one kilometer. But when I finished, I felt like a warrior who could accomplish anything! Raaawwww!!
The narrow and steep footpath I took
Hurdle #1 - Almost there...
Hurdle #2 - Over this and it's back to the road!
Day 5: London
I made it! It was a pleasure to see Big Ben and the London Eye as I cycled up to Lambeth bridge.
At London
In front of Big Ben
And to finish the trip, a nice meal of Guinness battered fish and chips, at a pub:
Fish and chips
Stats
How could one of my blog posts be complete without at least some statistics and a chart?
The following table and chart show my performance progress (or regression :) ) as the trip went on. I excluded the Pebblehill detour, because it was a statistical anomaly, not within the bounds of the typical values for speed and distance (i.e., it would bring down my stats too low and make me feel less proud of myself. :))
Trip segment
Path
Avg Speed (km/h)
Distance (km)
Time (hours)
Day 1-morning
Paris-Gisors
10.5
76.4
7.3
Day 2-morning
Gisors-Forges-les-eaux
10.6
49.7
4.7
Day 2-afternoon
Forges-les-eaux-Dieppe
10.9
57.1
5.2
Day 3-morning
Newhaven-Brighton
4.5
21.9
4.9
Day 4-morning
Brighton-Pebblehill detour
8.8
58.8
6.7
Day 4-afternoon
Pebblehill detour-Sutton
7.7
19.4
2.5
Day 5-morning
Sutton-London
8.3
18.0
2.2
Average
8.8
43.0
4.8
Total
301.2
33.4
What next?
It will probably be a while before I can go on a long tour again, but I'm already thinking about possible tours to do next. There are a couple of 3-day weekends coming up in April and May. Based on my how I did during this trip, and assuming on a shorter trip I'll have a lighter load, I could plan for about a 200km trip one-way over 2.5 days, returning the afternoon on the third day by train. On a regular 2-day weekend, I could plan for 100-125 km trip. For a more relaxed trip, I might first take a train out of Paris and start the cycling in the suburbs or countryside. Here are a few possibilities (not sure if the trains connecting Paris to these cities allow bikes):
This month I finally had the opportunity to go on a road trip in France, by bicycle. The trip was about 665 km, from Paris to Bordeaux. Here is an overview of the stops, from Google maps:
The initial goal was to do about 60km per day, over 10 days. In the end, it took 12 days. The list of stops:
A: Paris
B: Etampes
C: Orléans
D: Beaugency
E: Blois
F: Tours
G: Richelieu
H: Poitiers
I: Ruffec
J: Cognac
K: Blaye
L: Bordeaux
I had not done any training or preparation for this trip, and I lead a pretty sedentary lifestyle. This means that if I can do it, anybody can :) All that is required is motivation! (Ok and a few more things I'll get into.)
Below are my actual tracks, seen in Google Earth, with the data extracted from my GPS.
Zoomed out to see how the path fits in with the whole area of France (click for larger picture):
Zoomed in a bit (click for larger picture):
Here is a video simulation of the trip:
Challenges
Getting into shape
The most difficult leg of the trip was from (B) Etampes to (C) Orléans, about 60km. This was only day two of the trip, and most of the trip was through wide open fields. While this makes for beautiful scenery, it was also quite windy. The wind, coupled with my not being in the best shape, led me to overexert myself, greatly straining my knees in the process. I had initially planned to bike the following day another 60km to (E) Blois, but I could barely get myself to mostly walk 32km to (D) Beaugency. :) I ended up staying an extra day in Beaugency, most of it spent in bed recovering :) After this rest day, I think I was in better shape than before the trip started!
Rain
I did have a drizzle on a couple of days. Even with a slight drizzle, being out in it long enough can get you soaked :) Fortunately I had a rain poncho which kept my backpack and its contents completely dry. I only had to deal with uncomfortable wet legs for a few hours. The most challenging weather I had was from Ruffec to Cognac, where for most of the trip, there was a constant drizzle, wind (though not as bad as on the road to Orléans), which when added to the hills, made for a relatively difficult trip. I was very glad to find a heater in the hotel room at Cognac that afternoon :)
Supplies
The bike:
My bike is almost a bottom-of-the-line mountain bike. I purchased it in 2006 for about 120 €. I believe it was the second cheapest bicycle at Carrefour. This shows that you don't need a top-of-the-line bike to do a long road trip, though I'm sure a higher quality bicycle could make life easier. :)
My backpack:
I carried all my supplies in a regular sized backpack. Here is the list of all my supplies, either inside my backpack or on my person:
Clothes:
A hat
A few pairs of socks
A few pairs of underwear
Three shirts
Two shorts
1 pair of pants. Not jeans. The pants I brought were lightweight and dried quickly.
A rain poncho
A fluorescent yellow reflective safety vest
Reflective clips for pants/socks.
Bike tools:
Bike pump
1 inner tube
1 small can of lubricant for the chain and gears
Screwdriver
Gadgets:
A Garmin Dakota 10 GPS, mounted on the handlebar
An odometer which died along the way
Alkaline batteries for the GPS and rear light
Camera
Cell phone
Charger for camera and cell phone
Food:
Can opener (which I actually never had to use)
1 spoon
A bag of cereal and dried fruits and nuts
1 meal: usually one canned food item plus one fruit
Toiletries:
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Sunscreen
Deodorant
Other:
Four fold-out maps of the various regions I was going through.
This was all I could fit in my backpack. If there was one more thing I wish I had brought, it would have been a comb! :) And maybe some moist napkins, to wipe my hands. At some point, the chain on my bike came off, and my hands became completely black in the process of putting it back on. I had nothing to clean my hands with, and resorted to using leaves, which didn't work so well... :) I believe the people at the hotel that night thought I was a homeless bum, because of my dirty appearance :)
Things I bought along the way:
A bike seat. After a few days on the road, I painfully discovered that a quality bike seat would be worth an investment :) I bought a Selle SMP TRK seat at a bike shop in Poitiers for 39 €, and it was the best purchase I made during this trip.
Shoes. I wasn't sure if my shoes would last through another 60km, so at Tours I treated myself to a new pair.
Lodging
I spent every night in a hotel. I simply did not have room to carry a tent to go camping, and, quite frankly, the nice warm shower in a hotel after a day of biking was always very welcome :)
Technology
While, in theory, this trip could probably be done strictly with paper maps and no technology like a GPS or smart phone, using these technologies allowed me to focus on the riding and to enjoy the trip.
GPS:
While I didn't always follow the GPS directions exactly, it was still extremely useful to see where I was. Often the fold-out map would indicate a route as D42 (route départmentale number 42), but the actual street would either not be labeled at all, or be labelled something like “Rue de Jacques Chirac”. Try navigating that with only paper maps. :P Also, as I avoided taking the high-traffic streets, my paths were often comprised of many different small streets, mixed with some medium-traffic routes, often traveling from small town to small town. Navigating from one major city to the next, without a GPS, would require writing down or memorizing a list of 15-20 different routes and small towns to travel through (not to mention, if you DO happen to get lost, having to stop and pull out the big fold-out map to figure out where you are...). Vive la technologie !
Plus, tracking my position with the GPS allows me to show some nifty stats (below) and simulations in Google Earth :)
Smart phone:
I had an iPhone during this trip, but any phone with internet access and a few apps would have worked just as well. The apps I used were:
Google maps. Sometimes a more user-friendly alternative to the GPS, when walking around inside a major city.
Booking.com. I booked most of my hotels the same day, on the road. As I experienced first hand, with this kind of trip it is difficult to plan in advance all the hotel bookings, as weather, physical condition, or bike condition may force a change of plans. An app like Booking.com allows you to see the prices of the hotels around you and to reserve a room. Much more useful than just riding around looking for a hotel in the city and hoping to find one with a decent price (which I did the first night at Etampes).
PagesJaunes (yellow pages). Google maps was disappointing in locating things like grocery stores in several of the cities I visited. On a few occasions it indicated stores that either were not grocery stores or simply addresses which did not exist. The yellow pages app was more accurate.
Web browser. This was useful for checking the weather. There are also some weather apps.
Facebook. Obviously not necessary for the trip, but a nice addition to keep in touch and post your progress. Unfortunately the iPhone Facebook app did not allow me to upload any photos, so I had to e-mail them to my boyfriend so he could upload them for me from his PC :)
E-mail. Also a nicety to keep in touch, but may also be necessary to show hotel booking confirmations.
Daily Routine
I more or less followed this routine each day, with some variations:
6am: wake up, breakfast
7:00am-7:30am: check out of the hotel
7:30am-8:00am: leave the city
8:00am-10am: riding
10am: snack time :)
10am-12:30: riding
12:30pm: lunch time
12:45pm-arrival (sometime between 1:30pm and 4:30pm): riding
Check in hotel
Find grocery store, and buy dinner and tomorrow's lunch.
6:00pm: dinner
Plan tomorrow's trip, Facebook, E-mail, Scrabble, phone boyfriend :)
9:00pm: sleep!
Some nights I would go to sleep as early as 8pm. I must say I did a lot of sleeping during this vacation – I suppose to make up for the extra physical activity. :) I rode from about 6 to 9 hours a day.
Cost
Doing a bike road trip can only be a truly low-cost vacation if you go camping. In my case, I indulged in the luxury of staying in hotels every night (though I usually picked the cheapest ones). Here is a breakdown of the cost of this trip:
Hotels: 585€ (avg 53€/night) Transportation:
Ferry at Blaye: 4€
Return train trip from Bordeaux back to Paris: 95€
Food: Negligible. In fact, I probably saved money during this trip by eating mostly from grocery stores, instead of out in restaurants. :)
Total: 684€
Plus the investments I made:
Bike seat: 39€
Dakota 10 GPS: 180€
Map of France for the GPS: 40€
Total: 259€
Why??
So why on earth would I want to go from Paris to Bordeaux by bike, over 12 days, when it is a 3 hour trip by high speed train? Here are a few reasons:
A physical challenge. To find out what I am capable of. I'm not usually a sporty person, spending most of my time in front of my computer screen :) so it's nice to get out there and do some physical activity every now and then.
Being outside. It's a nice change to spend most of the day outside, in the fresh air. After working hard to climb a hill, it's a great feeling to coast down with the wind blowing in your face.
Nature, calmness. Spending the day in the open fields, in the forests, along side the rivers, being greeted by a donkey along the road, watching cows and horses grazing, …
Stats
Here are some statistics I've extracted from my GPS. This includes the total traveling time each day from departure until arrival, including stops and breaks. The average speed would be slightly higher if I did not include my lunch break. These speeds look pretty low to me, so people who are even moderate hobbyist cyclists should have no problem doing this trip :)
Day
Path
Avg Speed (km/h)
Distance (km)
Time (hours)
1
Paris-Etampes
9
63.1
6.9
2
Etampes-Orléans
8
66.0
8.6
3
Orléans-Beaugency
3
32.9
10.5
5
Beaugency-Blois
6
34.6
5.6
6
Blois-Tours
9
68.4
7.9
7
Tours-Richelieu
9
63.1
6.8
8
Richelieu-Potiers
10
55.8
5.9
9
Poitiers-Ruffec
9
77.1
8.5
10
Ruffec-Cognac
10
64.8
6.8
11
Cognac-Blaye
10
94.6
9.3
12
Blaye-Bordeau
10
44.7
4.3
Average
8.45
60.46
7.37
Total
665.1
81.03
My average speed throughout the trip seemed to correlate a bit to my state of fitness :)
