European cycling-(advice needed)

[Josh]

Bike- Raleigh Venture/ Dawes Horizon
LOOK ON EBAY AND BUY THOSE BIKES! BUY FROM GOOD DEALERS WITH GOOD HISTORY!
I got 1/3rd off the price of my dawes galaxy!
Otherwise go to bike shop!

[gar]

All talking at once!

Comunista how about a membership of international YHA?

Trouble ? you get to Nantes in May. There are five hostels and they are all fully used by students until
early July.

[Comunista]

Hi Gar, what is the YHA? website?

[Tim]

Hmm, communista, seems very ambitious for you to plan such a long trip the first time you venture over the channel. why not pick a particular area of France, Spain, wherever and explore it thoroughly? you can then do what takes your fancy and also get the miles in without being slavishly tied to a fixed route. you'll also get to know an area really well, often including the people who will see you cycling around and in a cycle friendly country, e.g. France, will want to talk to you. I've made friends this way and it is so much more satisfying, I find, than slogging away at a prearranged schedule which comes to feel a bit pointless eventually.

[PeteM]

I agree with other posters that it seems a long trip for a month and a half. Nice though! A few thoughts... I'd consider hopping on a few trains for parts of that route to give more time to enjoy the best bits, e.g Florence-Venice (don't forget Ravenna). A train from Cannes/Antibes to Genova would avoid a coast road which can get pretty busy (others may have alternative views!). Int. YHA card is definitely useful (www.iyhf.org) and I suggest some googletrawling for private hostels as well. You may find http://www.sheldonbrown.com/euhansen.html intersting. Google can get you lots more useful info and trip reports if you use the right words. Try 'cycling' and the area for a start.

[gar]

Just because you are comunista is no excuse for not knowing the Youth Hostels Association.

What does a Kingston grad do with IR apart from the obvious?

[Andy Tallis]

I think it's www.yha.org.uk

By the way - I find proper outdoor clothing that dries fast (e.g. helly hansen base layers, good cycling sjhorts, tights and jerseys etc) extremely useful on a tour, allowing you to survive on little more than one full set of clothing. Lightweight is paramount on a bicycle.

[Comunista]

What do you mean gar? As in occupations etc etc..?

[Comunista]

http://www.falconcycles.co.uk/2005/cb/chinook.html

What do you guys think of this bike? I cant find a price though.

[gar]

Yes Commie

I was thinking of FO or something like that.

[Comunista]

Well gar, it would be great to work for the FO, or in a foreign embassy abroad however I would have to start all the way from bottom working my way up.

I could also look into journalism, teaching, social work, other government bodies, NGO's etc etc... the world is my oyster! I think how they say it.

[Comunista]

Cheapest way to go to from london? By Ferry from dover? By Channel Tunnel? Bike restrictions etc etc?