Search found 74 matches

by Cyclefrance
12 Jan 2010, 10:32am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: London 2 Paris in 24 hours?
Replies: 7
Views: 1834

Re: London 2 Paris in 24 hours?

I think I prefer the more leisurely approach, but that's just me

http://www.cyclefranceuk.com/cyclefrance2008/default.htm if you want to view our trip in 2008

Good luck with your express version!
by Cyclefrance
12 Jan 2010, 10:27am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Cyclefrance's websites at new location!
Replies: 2
Views: 585

Cyclefrance's websites at new location!

Hello all.

I've finally moved my websites from the old free geocities service (they closed it down in October last year) to a new hosting service with Webmania.

The new address is http://www.cyclefranceuk.com

I now have to add last year's trip - I've started buiding the site but expect it may take me a few weekends to complete - the trip eventually ran to just 4 days cycling from Calais on a, very roughly, circular route taking in Wierre Effroy, Alembon, Lumbres, Auchy au Bois, diverting then to visit La Coupole just south of St Omer, on to Bonningue-les-Ardres, Blockhaus in the Forest of Eperlecques, La Cocove and then back to Calais - La Coupole and Blockhaus are two V2 launch sites from WW2 which now act as museums covering the German occupation in France and the V1(Doodlebug) and V2 rockets development.
by Cyclefrance
19 Aug 2009, 4:43pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: France - cycling advice
Replies: 7
Views: 1161

Re: France - cycling advice

stewartpratt wrote:I'd just keep driving. The sole attraction of the northeast of France (unless you hug the border and dip into the Vosges etc) is the autoroutes that head to all the other nice bits.

Why spend a valuable day pedalling through some flat fields when you could spend it in the Vercors or the Chartreuse?

Well that's my opinion anyway...


W-e-e-e-l-l-l, I might disagree there...

http://www.geocities.com/cyclefranceuk
by Cyclefrance
19 Aug 2009, 4:31pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: France and HI-VIZ
Replies: 17
Views: 1389

Re: France and HI-VIZ

A slightly spurious connection, but whenever I see something about Hi-vis, I immediately have to point anyone concerned in the direction of my son's Hi-vis Trilogy, as performed by him during a marathon 18 hours he spent participating in an entertainment competition last year on BBC3.

http://www.chriscohenmusic.com/media/the_hi_vis_trilogy

As I am a fairly regular contributor of disputable value on this site, I hope the mediators here will suffer my self-indulgence by allowing the link to be enjoyed (or not). Just remember, he was in a glass box for 3 x 6 hour sessions and managed to keep his audience entertained by creating no less than 175 spontaneously composed original songs over the time he survived.

HI VIS JACKETS WILL NEVER SEEM THE SAME AGAIN!
by Cyclefrance
16 Jul 2009, 2:56pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Family friendly parts of france
Replies: 11
Views: 869

Re: Family friendly parts of france

Baie de Somme mught suit as well - you could cycle from Calais (or take the train to Abbeville)- take the Eurotunnel Cycle Service across if you don't plan taking your bikes across on the back/roof of a car

http://www.geocities.com/cyclefrance2004
by Cyclefrance
17 Jun 2009, 4:02pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Paris
Replies: 2
Views: 372

Re: Paris

Cecile Bobrie who I mentioned before does self-catering now (although she more or less provided all the food we needed when we stayed last year!)

Details now at http://www.bed-and-breakfast.la-france.org/html/gite922_1.htm

Best to phone her rather than rely on email - she speaks excellent English
by Cyclefrance
26 May 2009, 1:22pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: London to Paris Help?
Replies: 11
Views: 2958

Re: London to Paris Help?

Hi - maybe I'm a bit late here, but have a look at the route we did last year at http://www.geocities.com/cyclefrance2008 - you can email me from the site if you have any questions.
by Cyclefrance
8 Apr 2009, 4:09pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: D940 Calais-Boulogne
Replies: 4
Views: 1389

Re: D940 Calais-Boulogne

Yep - the coastal road is busy and hilly.

Try our day 1 route from last year and strike west after a nice lunch at Wierre Effroy

http://www.geocities.com/cyclefrance2008/day1.html
by Cyclefrance
7 Apr 2009, 3:27pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Bike friendly hotel in Paris
Replies: 5
Views: 1303

Re: Bike friendly hotel in Paris

Might be a bit late, but if you want something a little different, try Cecile Bobrie's place http://www.geocities.com/cyclefrance2005/paris.html

I see that the link to her entry in Sawdays French B&B is no longer active - try this one instead:

http://www.chambres-hotes-france.org/Bed-Breakfast/chambres_hotes_detail_informations.asp?id=779
by Cyclefrance
3 Apr 2009, 12:00pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: First tour
Replies: 11
Views: 835

Re: First tour

Check out some of my tours of North France at http://www.geocities.com/cyclefranceuk, and please do email me if you want more info.

You might find doing a part of the 2004 trip suits. There's also a 4-day one that we are doing this year that I can tell you about if you want.

Good luck!
by Cyclefrance
27 Mar 2009, 4:30pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Cycle Touring and family holidays!!!!
Replies: 10
Views: 1077

Re: Cycle Touring and family holidays!!!!

Have a look at some of the holidays I have done - a good one for the children might be to take in the V1 and V2 rocket sites near St Omer. Then there's sand yachting aling the coast near Etaples (see 2004 trip for the area but without the yachting - we did do that pre 2003 though - as we did do the V1 and V2 sites as well - all pre digital photography and website building on my part).

If you like the idea of northern France and using the Eurotunnel Cycle Service, but want something different from what's on my sites, then by all means send me an email for other suggestions.

http://www.geocities.com/cyclefranceuk
by Cyclefrance
17 Feb 2009, 4:40pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Insurance for 4 month European cycling tour?
Replies: 6
Views: 756

Ifyou have house contents insurance you can usually get an extension to cover bicycles which will include travel abroad. I don't have any experience of cover for long stays away, but at the end of the day it's all down to an underwriter assessing the risk and calculating an appropriate premium for same. I wouldn't have thought that would be too much of an effort for an insurance company to make if they already have a residential property covered.
by Cyclefrance
13 Feb 2009, 4:31pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Normandy
Replies: 7
Views: 652

try this website for Calvados info and some routes worth trying:

http://www.calvados-tourisme.info/EN/

and the tourist routes section of the site at

http://www.calvados-tourisme.info/loisirs/route_gb.php

the second link gives you access to expanded info on different areas of interest
by Cyclefrance
13 Feb 2009, 4:19pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Normandy
Replies: 7
Views: 652

I checked this out in some detail as we were planning to do this area this year too (have since deferred for personal reasons). I worked out that best combination for us was:

1. Overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Caen
2. 3-4 days investigating the Calvados region (can't miss out on apple brandy!)
3. 3-4 days visiting the five beaches and related places of interest
4. Fast-ferry from Cherbourg to Poole (rather than back to Portsmouth - connecting train services were better for us at Poole, surprisingly)
by Cyclefrance
5 Feb 2009, 12:43am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: First cycle touring trip with family
Replies: 6
Views: 921

I always seem to come into these discussions late - still, you seem to have some time left for planning, so by all means check out my sites at http://www.geocities.com/cyclefranceuk.

We were going to do the Normandy beaches this year, but we've changed plans and are now doing the V2 sites of northern France at Blockhaus and La Coupole - plus a few extra days cycling thrown in for good measure.

You can contact me via the email link from my websites if you have any questions or would like additional information.

Hope this proves to be useful