Cycling UK Forum

Evening all

I am relatively new to cycle touring, having done London to Paris a few years ago.

I have planned a 8 day solo ride from Calais to Nice in September. Everything is mostly planned, including ferries, flights back etc. I have also booked some of the accommodation on the way (mostly B&Bs).

The route is approx 100 miles per day, which I'm pretty happy with fitness wise. It is my intent for it to be a physical challenge in addition to a bit of a holiday. I'm also planning to do Mt Ventoux on the way past. I'll be doing it on my Ribble Endurance with a frame, top tube and saddle bag, Packing as light as possible.

Anyway, does anyone have any tips for such a trip?

What's the best way to do route finding? I have plotted a route on Komoot, and was planning to use the Courses function on my Fenix 6 Pro.

Any places on this route (pretty much direct from calais to Nice) that I should aim for or avoid?

Thanks in advance.

A fair challenge.

My first point would be riding 100 miles in a day is one thing riding it for 8 days non stop is another, especially if you are throwing in a bijou climb or two.

When touring, probably the 2 biggest things are bed and food. You seem to have bed sorted and using booking sites can fill in any gaps.

Food is a daily challenge that needs to be thought about carefully.

For breakfast I normally make my own porridge, bananas, etc. On the odd occasion I've had b&breakfast it hasn't been very adequate - bread cheese, cake, etc. not my ideal food to ride on. Possibly better in more upmarket accommodation.

I then stock up on sandwiches, fruit, etc from Lidl. You cannot rely on finding boulangeries or shops in most small villages, even restaurants are few and far between nowadays* Evening meals are usually available in larger towns, but you need to be staying in nearby accommodation. Many of the b&bs are out in the sticks with no nearby services. I often buy in Lidl and microwave in hotel, b&b, etc. Also there are plenty of kebab type shops that do cheap filling meals. Most restaurants are expensive in the evening when no set meals.

Beware Sunday's as often everything is shut. Restaurants only open lunchtime.

None of this is impossible, just needs thinking about and a bit of planning food is fuel and you will need a lot of it.

Many will recommend cycletravel for route planning. In my experience their routes are normally longer and harder than more direct ones from eg Google maps.

Enjoy the planning enjoy the ride.

*Riding in June I was surprised at how many roadside restaurants had closed down. Shut and shuttered. Probably a mixture of COVID and change in habits.

I don't know much your sat nav.
I usually check against Google maps because they are updated for road closures - as I found when my garmin route went over the Aubisque but the Google map wouldn't allow that route (there had been a landslide blocking the route.).
Calais - Nice is very close to the Dunkerque - Nice Diagonale audax route which is based on 200k a day.
Perhaps you should have a rest day and do the Ventoux climb then.

We've done the France en Velo route from St Malo to Nice (except that we finished in Saint-Raphaël). You could pick that up once you've got to the Rhône. It has recommended accommodation, campsites, food shops, bike shops etc.

Jonathan

a8887 wrote: ↑15 Aug 2023, 10:36pm ...
What's the best way to do route finding? I have plotted a route on Komoot, and was planning to use the Courses function on my Fenix 6 Pro.
...

I don't know that device either.

There are lots of different approaches. You need to find which you prefer.

For touring I plan all of my routes on a Mac before I go. They come from lots of different sources. Then they're edited into roughly day lengths. Then they're loaded onto the satnav device. Then I follow them with turn-by-turn instructions. I occasionally use the built-in course finding when necessary. I don't create routes on the smart 'phones but they're available as back-ups.

If you tell us the general approach to navigation that you'd prefer we can then move on to details....

Jonathan

Thanks everyone for the feedback so far.

The device I am referring to is a Garmin Fenix watch. It'll do turn by turn navigation, just need to make sure the battery is good enough (normally it lasts a week+).

I do think getting food will be a challenge so I need to ensure I stock up when I do find a decent shop.

As for timing, my wife is meeting me in Nice at the end. In hindsight I should have given myself another of days, but too late for that now sadly

a8887 wrote: ↑15 Aug 2023, 10:36pm What's the best way to do route finding? I have plotted a route on Komoot, and was planning to use the Courses function on my Fenix 6 Pro.

a8887 wrote: ↑16 Aug 2023, 5:54pm ...
The device I am referring to is a Garmin Fenix watch. It'll do turn by turn navigation, just need to make sure the battery is good enough (normally it lasts a week+).
...

Thanks.

Do you intend to create your own routes or to use others'? Do you intend to have them all in advance or to create/ find them during the trip?

Jonathan

PS: "Garmin Fenix 6 Series In-Depth Review":
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/08/gar ... eview.html

Sounds like you’re a lot speedier than me. Make sure you plot each day to and from your bed for the night so you don’t lose time in town navigating.

How many hours are you planning to spend on the saddle a day? Anyhow you’ll be having some down time in the evenings so I’d think about taking something to amuse yourself- whether it’s watching silly videos on your phone, reading a kindle, journaling in a mini iPad, knitting- whatever you prefer for some me time so you’re not staring at four walls of a hotel room in the evening. I like some podcasts for the day too and maybe an audible book in one ear but I’m generally ambling along bike only towpaths and I think you’ll be making speedier choices than that.

Ventoux should be a nice tick in the box- I did the tourmalet with camping gear, and ventoux is very doable unless the winds are too strong.

Also do remember to have fun and enjoy some excellent french food. I often pick lunch at the same time as breakfast at a local boulangerie- avoids hunting for somewhere twice and french lunchtime closing times. Evenings I tend to use a local supermarket to top healthy snacks and fruit up. I also can get dehydrated- so I really up my fluids in the evening.

Recommendation: battery pack for your devices- it sounds like you’ll be doing longish days and it might stretch your battery capacity. I use cycle.travel to plan and although I used to export to my garmin I currently use the app on my phone. I’m considering going back to the garmin as I’m worried I’m depending on one device for everything which feels like it might put everything at risk if it gets damaged en route.

Jdsk wrote: ↑16 Aug 2023, 7:53pm

a8887 wrote: ↑15 Aug 2023, 10:36pm What's the best way to do route finding? I have plotted a route on Komoot, and was planning to use the Courses function on my Fenix 6 Pro.

a8887 wrote: ↑16 Aug 2023, 5:54pm ...
The device I am referring to is a Garmin Fenix watch. It'll do turn by turn navigation, just need to make sure the battery is good enough (normally it lasts a week+).
...

Thanks.

Do you intend to create your own routes or to use others'? Do you intend to have them all in advance or to create/ find them during the trip?

Jonathan

PS: "Garmin Fenix 6 Series In-Depth Review":
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/08/gar ... eview.html

I am putting together my own that'll I'll upload to Garmin connect then onto my phone I think. Gonna test it out this weekend

MrsHJ wrote: ↑16 Aug 2023, 8:09pm Sounds like you’re a lot speedier than me. Make sure you plot each day to and from your bed for the night so you don’t lose time in town navigating.

How many hours are you planning to spend on the saddle a day? Anyhow you’ll be having some down time in the evenings so I’d think about taking something to amuse yourself- whether it’s watching silly videos on your phone, reading a kindle, journaling in a mini iPad, knitting- whatever you prefer for some me time so you’re not staring at four walls of a hotel room in the evening. I like some podcasts for the day too and maybe an audible book in one ear but I’m generally ambling along bike only towpaths and I think you’ll be making speedier choices than that.

Ventoux should be a nice tick in the box- I did the tourmalet with camping gear, and ventoux is very doable unless the winds are too strong.

Also do remember to have fun and enjoy some excellent french food.

I've done quite a few 100 mile rides, and generally take around 7 hours. I'll not be in any rush so I suspect 8 hours cycling day will be about right. I'm sure I'll be alright fitness wise, it's the contact points that worry me....

a8887 wrote: ↑16 Aug 2023, 8:15pm

MrsHJ wrote: ↑16 Aug 2023, 8:09pm Sounds like you’re a lot speedier than me. Make sure you plot each day to and from your bed for the night so you don’t lose time in town navigating.

How many hours are you planning to spend on the saddle a day? Anyhow you’ll be having some down time in the evenings so I’d think about taking something to amuse yourself- whether it’s watching silly videos on your phone, reading a kindle, journaling in a mini iPad, knitting- whatever you prefer for some me time so you’re not staring at four walls of a hotel room in the evening. I like some podcasts for the day too and maybe an audible book in one ear but I’m generally ambling along bike only towpaths and I think you’ll be making speedier choices than that.

Ventoux should be a nice tick in the box- I did the tourmalet with camping gear, and ventoux is very doable unless the winds are too strong.

Also do remember to have fun and enjoy some excellent french food.

I've done quite a few 100 mile rides, and generally take around 7 hours. I'll not be in any rush so I suspect 8 hours cycling day will be about right. I'm sure I'll be alright fitness wise, it's the contact points that worry me....

Yeah- do note than many french hotels etc don’t let you in until 5pm so no need to rush off in the morning, frustratingly this can be the hottest time of day ie between 4pm and 6pm when you’d rather be cooling off. I sometimes use this time to get to where I’m staying and then do some shopping or hang around in the local park with a book just to avoid the heat.

When are you off? We’re heading to France next week and the daytime temps in the south look to be hitting 40c which is too blimming hot for cycling- it looks a little cooler the following week is more like 30c. I’m taking the bike but it’s a family trip so we’re using the car as our a to b transport.

I'm setting off on the 15th of Sept, so hopefully it will have cooled down a little.

Probably already aware , but the search on Google maps is invaluable. You can locate hotels, bike shops, supermarkets, etc. Also reviews (select latest) to see if place is open (very useful post COVID).

I like to post a quick review to show place is open, eg a ferry that I wasn't sure if it was still operating. Took the chance and it was. It saved a lot of time but would have cost even more if shut. My review was to help those that follow behind. So don't be selfish if you find something helpful to other cyclists.

I also use Google Street view to see if a road or track is cyclable. Surface, shoulder, no cycling signs etc. Sometimes look at possible hotels to see if they may be bike friendly (garage, access etc).

I was going to ask about your route actually. Are you going via Paris?- I tend to find cities slow down progress with a bike for the same reason as for cars- traffic signals, changes of direction etc. the other alternatives seem to be either going via Troyes or Rheims.

I think almost inevitably you’ll be heading down the Rhône valley south of Lyon which is fast and efficient (and the southern half is gorgeous, the northern half not so thrilling) and then you’ll swing east south of Arles and then it’ll be a bit bumpier.

MrsHJ wrote: ↑17 Aug 2023, 11:01am I was going to ask about your route actually. Are you going via Paris?- I tend to find cities slow down progress with a bike for the same reason as for cars- traffic signals, changes of direction etc. the other alternatives seem to be either going via Troyes or Rheims.

I think almost inevitably you’ll be heading down the Rhône valley south of Lyon which is fast and efficient (and the southern half is gorgeous, the northern half not so thrilling) and then you’ll swing east south of Arles and then it’ll be a bit bumpier.

The route is pretty much a straight line, so I have avoided going to Paris (I assumed that would be a nightmare). I'm generally stopping at small towns, including Roye (has a Lidl ), Nogent Sur Seine, Avalon and Malaucene are the ones I have planned so far.

The route does follow the Rhone south of Lyon, really looking forward to that part. The up to Malaucene, Mt Ventoux, then staying in Castellane before coasting down to Nice...