One thing to be aware of when wild camping in France is the "7 a 7" rule
If you are wild camping, do not put up your tent before 7apm and take it down before 7am.
In some places you will notices to this effect, and if your are camping in the national parks they will move you on at 7am (I have experience of this!)
Search found 29 matches
- 5 Feb 2017, 5:24pm
- Forum: Touring & Expedition
- Topic: Any tips for touring on the cheap?
- Replies: 47
- Views: 3603
- 5 Feb 2017, 5:18pm
- Forum: Touring & Expedition
- Topic: Any tips for touring on the cheap?
- Replies: 47
- Views: 3603
Re: Any tips for touring on the cheap?
I'd start by loading up all your gear, cycling 20 miles to a camp site, spend the night, and then cycle home again via a different route (or if you live in a city, take a train out and then cycle 40 miles or so between two stations)
That will give you the start of the experience.
You will find you have taken way too much equipment, so the following weekend do the same thing with half the gear.
You will then also find out what you need for the bike. Is it good enough as is, or do you need to make changes or even get a new (second hand) bike
That will give you the start of the experience.
You will find you have taken way too much equipment, so the following weekend do the same thing with half the gear.
You will then also find out what you need for the bike. Is it good enough as is, or do you need to make changes or even get a new (second hand) bike
- 5 Feb 2017, 3:35pm
- Forum: Lands End to John O'Groats
- Topic: Motorhome including a driver hire !
- Replies: 17
- Views: 15187
Re: Motorhome including a driver hire !
The idea 'could' work, but not as a business.
You could volunteer to do the odd JoGLE run as support, and get paid for your trouble, but it would only work if the riders were doing it for a charity and you were only charging expenses.
Having spent years of my life in tents and motorhomes, spending a couple of weeks in very close proximity to a bunch of (smelly) strangers without a get out option can be difficult and only suits some people
You could volunteer to do the odd JoGLE run as support, and get paid for your trouble, but it would only work if the riders were doing it for a charity and you were only charging expenses.
Having spent years of my life in tents and motorhomes, spending a couple of weeks in very close proximity to a bunch of (smelly) strangers without a get out option can be difficult and only suits some people
- 1 Jan 2012, 10:54pm
- Forum: Touring & Expedition
- Topic: Best way to cross the Alps?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 4928
Re: Best way to cross the Alps?
Hanibal and Napoleon both used the Mont Cenis pass which is above Modane and the Frejus tunnel.
It's a bit over 2,000m and is do-able on a bike if you are fit but I would not like to try it on a loaded tourer, I think you would be doing a lot of up hill walking!
That said, as long as you picked a nice day and started early I think you could do the top by mid day.
It's a bit over 2,000m and is do-able on a bike if you are fit but I would not like to try it on a loaded tourer, I think you would be doing a lot of up hill walking!
That said, as long as you picked a nice day and started early I think you could do the top by mid day.
- 1 Jan 2012, 6:20pm
- Forum: Touring & Expedition
- Topic: Best way to cross the Alps?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 4928
Re: Best way to cross the Alps?
Frejus rail tunnel (though I can’t find any evidence that you can take bikes through it)
You can, just get on a train at Modaine and get off t the other end
There is a camp site in Modaine, above and the the east of the train station
However I would have thought the best Alpine crossing is the Via Claudia Augusta
http://www.tyrol.tl/en/mountain-biking- ... gusta.html
You can, just get on a train at Modaine and get off t the other end
There is a camp site in Modaine, above and the the east of the train station
However I would have thought the best Alpine crossing is the Via Claudia Augusta
http://www.tyrol.tl/en/mountain-biking- ... gusta.html
- 25 Jan 2009, 3:06pm
- Forum: Touring & Expedition
- Topic: boxing your bike for travel (flight,trains,etc..)
- Replies: 15
- Views: 2416
The rules vary from airport to airport and carrier to carrier
We shipped 2 bikes from Gatwick to Shannon without any packaging, just turned handlebars and slightly deflated types and removed pedals.
Coming back however (same carrier) they would not take the bikes unless boxed, wheels removed etc. (Despite website saying unboxed bikes were fine)
Luckily a couple coming in from the USA were assembling their bikes in the airport foyer and we got the boxes from them, otherwise it would have been a case of missing the flight and paying again
Whatever is said on the airline website is often of zero relevence to the situation on the ground.
We shipped 2 bikes from Gatwick to Shannon without any packaging, just turned handlebars and slightly deflated types and removed pedals.
Coming back however (same carrier) they would not take the bikes unless boxed, wheels removed etc. (Despite website saying unboxed bikes were fine)
Luckily a couple coming in from the USA were assembling their bikes in the airport foyer and we got the boxes from them, otherwise it would have been a case of missing the flight and paying again
Whatever is said on the airline website is often of zero relevence to the situation on the ground.
- 25 Jan 2009, 2:56pm
- Forum: Touring & Expedition
- Topic: Route - London to Berlin
- Replies: 12
- Views: 4634
- 15 Mar 2008, 11:39pm
- Forum: Touring & Expedition
- Topic: Puglia - Italy's 'heel' Anyone toured there ?
- Replies: 1
- Views: 502
Puglia - Italy's 'heel' Anyone toured there ?
We are thinking about touring in Puglia, Italy's 'heel'
I can't find any CTC info on the area, and even google seems sparse.
Has anyone cycle toured in the area ?
I can't find any CTC info on the area, and even google seems sparse.
Has anyone cycle toured in the area ?
- 10 Mar 2008, 6:11pm
- Forum: Touring & Expedition
- Topic: london -> athens
- Replies: 3
- Views: 929
- 25 Feb 2008, 6:28pm
- Forum: Touring & Expedition
- Topic: Where to tour in N. Europe ?
- Replies: 7
- Views: 1575
- 18 Feb 2008, 1:02pm
- Forum: The Tea Shop
- Topic: Imperial, Metric, or Impric?
- Replies: 86
- Views: 6297
Metric Years have been tried before, the last attempt was by Cambodia which measured year one as being when Pol Pot took over.
A more serious attempt was made by the French after the revolution (along with changing their imperial system to decimal)
I have a picture on my wall of a France vs. England naval battle that took place in year 7.
I forget how many months there were in a metric year, but I seem to remember they had good names like Wine month and Flower month
I think they also had a shorter working week (4 days on 1 day off ?)
A more serious attempt was made by the French after the revolution (along with changing their imperial system to decimal)
I have a picture on my wall of a France vs. England naval battle that took place in year 7.
I forget how many months there were in a metric year, but I seem to remember they had good names like Wine month and Flower month
I think they also had a shorter working week (4 days on 1 day off ?)
- 16 Feb 2008, 7:07pm
- Forum: Touring & Expedition
- Topic: Where to tour in N. Europe ?
- Replies: 7
- Views: 1575
Where to tour in N. Europe ?
Hi.
I'm looking for a Northern European tour:
The spec: (in priority order)
1 - Flat
2 - Lots of things to see and do
Could either be Credit card touring
or car based camping, (so we go out on day rides from a central point)
We have done the Danube (Passau/Vienna) as a credit card tour and thought it was great.
We have also toured from a couple of central points on the Loire, which was also good in a different way.
Whilst I enjoyed a full camping tour in the south of France, my wife did not, so we are looking for one of the above.
Any ideas ? Holland ? Germany ? France ? Italy ?
I'm looking for a Northern European tour:
The spec: (in priority order)
1 - Flat
2 - Lots of things to see and do
Could either be Credit card touring
or car based camping, (so we go out on day rides from a central point)
We have done the Danube (Passau/Vienna) as a credit card tour and thought it was great.
We have also toured from a couple of central points on the Loire, which was also good in a different way.
Whilst I enjoyed a full camping tour in the south of France, my wife did not, so we are looking for one of the above.
Any ideas ? Holland ? Germany ? France ? Italy ?
- 16 Feb 2008, 6:49pm
- Forum: Touring & Expedition
- Topic: Advice on Prague to Vienna
- Replies: 2
- Views: 807
The best books by far are the Bikeline Esterbauer books.
They are worth getting, even if you don't speak german, just for the maps alone. But with the aid of a dictionary you can translate the dritical bits (such as where is the next campsite)
The Danube section between Passau and Vienna and Vienna to the sea is available in English
A word of advice, you should get a amall bar bag with a map pocket on top, it makes lif SOOoooo much easier
http://www.esterbauer.com/
To look at all the books, if you are in london or bristol go to Stamfords Map shop
They are worth getting, even if you don't speak german, just for the maps alone. But with the aid of a dictionary you can translate the dritical bits (such as where is the next campsite)
The Danube section between Passau and Vienna and Vienna to the sea is available in English
A word of advice, you should get a amall bar bag with a map pocket on top, it makes lif SOOoooo much easier
http://www.esterbauer.com/
To look at all the books, if you are in london or bristol go to Stamfords Map shop
- 16 Feb 2008, 6:35pm
- Forum: The Tea Shop
- Topic: Cable lock users beware...
- Replies: 21
- Views: 2477
A rule of thumb is the locks should cost >10% of the value of the bike
I have a 'work' lock (serious Abus gold cable)
A 'home' lock (serious Abus Gold D-Lock)
A 'pub' lock (best light cable lock i could find, which lives on the bike)
and two 2m kyriptonite cables
There have been occasions when the lot has been used, but it usually one or the other. I'd guess the toal value of the locks is close to £200, so the 10% rule is about right.
I have a 'work' lock (serious Abus gold cable)
A 'home' lock (serious Abus Gold D-Lock)
A 'pub' lock (best light cable lock i could find, which lives on the bike)
and two 2m kyriptonite cables
There have been occasions when the lot has been used, but it usually one or the other. I'd guess the toal value of the locks is close to £200, so the 10% rule is about right.
- 12 Feb 2008, 9:06pm
- Forum: Touring & Expedition
- Topic: Dawes Horizon v Dawes Galaxy
- Replies: 13
- Views: 10163