Cycling UK Forum

Ive just finished a tour on the 16th October - back through Poland, Germany and Holland - Ice on the tent in the morning was not uncommon along with wet cold days - the availabilty of campsites need to be plotted with care which together with the short days and the sometimes strong winds sometimes limited my daily aspirations

"to the edges of russia" - i use a garmin vista with europe maps - it should be noted that poland, estonia latvia and lithuania the mapping outside the major towns is practically non-existant - i cycled out of tallin a few weeks ago in the wrong direction expecting to be able to do a little loop using the garmin map to put things right and discovered i had fallen of the edge of the map - it was like being blind - luckiy the paper map had just about enough detail to put me right again

If you want to save a few k before you get to Loire if you are coming down thecoast thru Lorient - take the passenger ferry from the old fishing port across to Port Louis - saves having to go all theway round the estuary

I cycled over it last week from the north - Ive done it twice before once from south and once from the north - it is only three lanes - but its two going up each side in the middle they change over - the traffic can be venemous - it is steep for a loaded bike - After sitting at the north end on the crash barrier for a few minutes getting my bottle together (and advising an elderly german couple out bridge bagging that it was not nice -stay in front of me - they bottled it) and donning some high viz I got myself stuck in front of a 32T artic on the way up - the encouragement from the air blowing off from his brakes caused me to give it too many licks and I pulled a couple of muscles in my thigh

Its much nicer to head up the Loire estuary a bit and take the ferry across

Beziers-just a convienient place for a nominal starting point - will actually start from and end in Northampton - ordinary (non-cyclists) people think that Beziers to North Kapp and back is mad enough without telling them that about the bit to Beziers and Back

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/psmiffyontour2009

My intention in a few week time is to cycle Beziers to Northkapp and back - warm up by cycling down to Beziers par altlantic/aude - to me the whole concept of Lejogs C2C etc is a bit like collecting badges - not to decry the achievements of people who do them - but its not me - and they seem to have become how quickly can this that or the other can be done - seems to be whole flocks of people attempting Mark Beaumont's Record - better to just make up your own routes

Oresund you have to take the train - no different from taking a ferry - and why should it not be allowed?

Russia you need to buy a tourist Visa

I have scott wrap round at4 on my thorn - a bit like an aero bar for mtbs - they are getting old though so if anyone knows where I can buy some more (discontinued about 8 years ago) or has some in their garage lying unused that they would be willing to sell -let me know

http://picasaweb.google.com/psmiffyphoto/WraproundHandleBar#4991287720042233874

The main big campsite in Copenhagen is OK - its a big open space facilities are OK

The Fort Charlotsville is much smaller and interesting - more suited to the small tent - when I was there it was quite packed -

Is the pass open all year or does it open sort of nowish? I am thinking of going that way in a couple of weeks time