Cycling UK Forum

Two other things about Eurotunnel.
1) You can not book online, you must call them.
2) There is limited space, so if you know you are going for sure, then I suggest you call them now.

One point about Dunkirk - make sure you print off maps of the area. The port is the most southerly one and the whole port area is a nightmare to get out of. The signage is just numbers, which refer to areas within the port area and there is no one to ask because its all main road, in the middle of know where stuff.... you will know what I mean if you arrive there....you have been warned !

I have crossed on Eurotunnel but beware because you are only allowed on the 9am and 3pm trains and if you are cycling from London to Dover by 3, it is a push (I know because I have done it!) and yes, you need to book well in advance. You have to cycle to a hotel (forget which one) just before Dover and they put the bike on a trailer, you in a Transit van minibus.

A better option, in my view, is to cycle to Dover and walk into the bookings office at any time (no stress to arrive then!) and book a one way ticket with DFDS to Dunkirk. It takes 30 minutes longer to arrive than Calais (2h in total) - it is 30K further up the coast and if I remember well, it costs £20 one way. Cash or card on the spot.

Have a good trip.

The "Avoidance set up" only gives the option of steering clear of "unpaved roads" and "narrow trails" both of which I opted for.
On my first outing, one for the first things it did was to take me down a cobbled forest track.

Hello.
I have not imported a bike from Belgium but every month I do import other stuff from there...a clue is in my name.
There is no tax to pay when entering the UK...I do not even pay their VAT but then I am doing business.
You will probably have their VAT, which is 21%.

Cross boarder couriers are quite a lot of money...is it urgent?
Where is it?
I might be able to bring it back for you.
Where are you in the UK? I am in Oxford.

Let me know
John

If you can be bothered to read a few bike reviews on Evans's own website, you will quickly discover all sorts of disasters in the putting together of the bikes that left their shops.... Avoid.

Sorry to hear of your back problems. It hurts and I know. I have been a cyclist for 25 years and have had two operations on my lumber. I am also a trustee of a back pain charity.
For what it is worth -
Discs often pop in an out and are very much misunderstood. Some people have tiny movements and really suffer whilst others have the opposite.
The riding position of cycling encourages blood to the painful area - good!
I leave the seat where it is supposed to be, but have a short stem, which is highly angled (ugly but better than a sore back)
I buy a bike frame which is on the larger size - particularly if I am in between sizes
I have started to avoid really, really pushing hard but go on for longer
I have sold my aluminium bike. I only ride steel ones now
I work on my core stability
I avoid running. The jarring on my back really does it no good at all.
I keep on cycling. Moving is certainly good for you. I do an 18 mile daily commute and the odd audax
I avoid pilates and yoga. Physios tell me of the messes that they have had to clean up....
As for surgery, there have been a load of studies that show this stops the pain in an instant rather than the longer route of physio - but the long term effects are exactly the same. Think before you go down this route - the scar tissue can be an issue later too. but, I opted for an operation because I could not stand it any longer.
One final thing - if you have an operation, you have not been fixed. Be extremely careful - especially lifting - in the future.

+1 for it being a bit boring.

I started at the sea and went in land.... there is a decent cycle path which hugs the river but it is very flat and really quite forgettable.

Sorry!

Hi. I do Oxford to Bruxelles regularly.
I use a Michelin 716 "Belgium/Luxembourg" map only. The detail is fine.
I go on the N8 to Bruxelles which goes all the way from Dunkirk to Bruxelles, is brilliantly signposted and the roads are good for cycling. (by which I mean some traffic, good road surfaces). You will be amazed by the shear number of war graves you will pass.... It is 234k from D to B, of flat ridding. The only slightly tricky nagivational bit is through Kortrijk but so many people will speak English (it is probably not best to speak French in the Flemish bit)
Trees every 20m, tricky to go for a pee! The drivers are quite kind, other cyclists will probably blank you. Also, in Dunkirk there is a Formula One hotel which (1) let's you put your bike in the room and (2) is next door to a supermarket/restaurant for resupplies....
Meanwhile, I love Namur. A lovely little town and for all those who think Belgium is flat and boring, there is a cliff there that the king went climbing on (about 80 years ago) and died when he fell off! The town is perched above a beautiful river.
Have a good trip.

The N367 will help you out. Whilst this sounds terrible, it really isn't.
I cycle to my in-laws a lot (Brussels) and the "n" roads are great.
You will be pleased too know that Belgian drivers are generally nice to cyclists but I more-often-than-not get blanked by other cyclists....
Bear in mind that if you do come across a cycle path (next to the road, for example) it is a legal requirement to use it in Belgium. This will considerably slow you down.
Still, at least in this part, it is very flat. It is very windy too, with trees every 10 metres and few hedgerows. Good luck in finding suitable places for a pee!
Have fun. I have always enjoyed my runs over there.

Hi. I happen to cycle Oxford-Dunkique, stop, then Brussels quite a bit....
So, how long to you plan on staying over there?
How many days are you looking to plan?

Some things to point out now.
1. It is very hilly near to Dover...good luck if you choose to cycle there with a bike carrier on the back!
2. I think you can long stay at the ferry - you can go on any ferry by the way. You can cross on the Eurotunnel, but only on the 9am and 3pm one (this may have changed recently). The minibus leaves from a nearby hotel in Dover (the bikes go on a trailer). They may let you long-term park. The hotel name is on the Eurotunnel website (sorry, can not remember it!)
3. In my experience, the French drivers are buggers, cyclists nice and will give you a wave. It's the other way around in Belgium.
4. In Belgium, where there is a cycle lane, you HAVE TO USE IT BY LAW. This really slows me down, not in that they are poor quality but that they twist and turn all over the place... to the point where I am quicker in this country, despite the hills over here!
5. In Belgium, in the West anyway, it is best to speak English. Don't try your French out...the country is great but the Flems (west, Flemish speaking) and Wolluns (East, French speaking) are not best of friends most of the time. However, you will find their English to be excellent on the whole.
6. Formula One hotels let you put the bikes inside your room! The one in Dunkique is OK. It's next to a huge Carrefour supermarket, which I have always found useful.
Get back to me with the above questions.....

Hi. I've owned a UK made Dawes which was lovely but the geometry isn't great any more.
The LHT spec from last year is great - the price for this year is the same with downgraded components. They are very heavy BTW.
I think Thorn's are far too much money for what you get.
Robert's I have never owned but they are simply beautiful machines...and of course, you can make up your perfect bike.

Which leads me on to my new purchase which is a Condor Heritage. This too you can build through their bike builder web site, they come with either wheel size and the frame is Deddi 14.5 which translates into (roughly) slightly sub 853 (so Super Galaxy territory). I am very pleased with it's comfort, agility, weight and build quality. It is well worth a look, even if Condor are not 'famous' for this model. The staff are extremely helpful, too.

Marathon Plus tyres are fantastic (3650 miles this year to date and just 1 puncture) but they weigh an awful lot..... they do a version called the Supreme which I quizzed a man from the manufacturer about at a show - he said they were half the weight with 70% of the puncture resistance so I would have thought that this option was spot on.

Just a boring little point. In Belgium and Holland, if there is a cycle path IT IS AGAINST THE LAW NOT TO USE IT.

I do Oxford-Calais then Calais Brussels quite a bit. It is a similar distance both days - in the UK we have hills, no cycle path restrictions but whilst Belgium is hopelessly and boringly flat, it takes just as long because of the restriction. Best to factor this in when you are working out how far you will travel daily.

The higher the spec the more fancy materials are used which tend to not be so reliable.

I have used both and have had less trouble with 105 - which also costs less to keep going.

Consider Tiagra too, which as a 9 speed is so flexible in that most manufacturers and most groupsets come in a 9 speed, so the options to later add or subtract and get parts for, make this a very sensible option.

Hi. If it is a long term, high mileage set you are looking for then please consider Terry Rowland.

I bought a bike with them already fitted and have been sooooooo impressed (and Ive had a load of bikes and cycle a long way each year)

They are incredibly well made, solid and smooth.