Generic Touring Thread

Madeira, Sicily, Crete, Cyprus, Morocco..

Did it ever happen? Mini-me threw the plans around so either I wait or either I make it a long weekend with 2/3 rides.

Have visited Lisbon but want to explore Portugal more.

Nope, I plan a lot of things in my head, but then I rarely commit to the logistic of planning something like that and just end up going within train reach from London

I had the route though

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/9902485

Same. Love planning stuff like this. Will probably end up just rebuilding an old bike tho.

Look up split ticketing and get a railcard.

Yes and only good things to say about it. Do it!

Yep yep, always.

Could get it down to £90 for 2ppl by adding a day.

Still, fiancé said she'd rather go hiking.. So all back to the planning table

Has anyone used this service? Cost says from £20, seems too good to be true...
https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/traveller-info/vehicles/bicycles/

Pretty sure this is the bike-only fare, you still need to buy a ticket for yourself! You may well have known that, but £20 e/w to transport my bike never seemed great value. But yeah, I've used it a few times, they don't guarantee which train your bike will be on so to avoid any waiting/missed connections I've always dropped it off the day before I travel and it's always been there waiting patiently for me when I arrived...

No, this includes travel - it's a bloke in a minibus with a trailer, and the bikes go in the back. You can find discussion of various people's experiences on the CTC forums IIRC. The major downside is that it involves pick-ups and drop-offs in desolate industrial estate car parks a fair way away from train stations at (by my reckoning) slightly inconvenient times, but by all accounts if everyone in a group is going the same way the drivers will sometimes drop you off somewhere more convenient.

Ah, my bad, confusing it with the Eurostar bike transporting service - that page up there is incredibly low on detail re what is actually being offered! Still, £20 for transit to France is a great offer and visiting a desolate industrial estate carpark seems a small price to pay...

Thanks for the info. And I suspect I’ll have my own transport from the station to the desolate trading estate 😏

Yeah, it's more that for me I couldn't easily get there in time for the morning slot, which would mean shelling out for accommodation in Folkestone (that jewel of the South Coast...). Still, the advantage is it gets you to France in time for a solid day's touring.

Yes, I used it last year at the start of my cycle to Athens and back. It's a great service and such good value.

They pick you up in a minibus, stick your bike in the back, then drive onto the train. At the other end they drop you off at a car park in France.

Anyone want a water bottle with built in water filtration for free?

https://www.trailspace.com/gear/drink-safe-systems/travel-tap/

Pickup peckham

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TransCambrian way 15/16th of June?

I'm going to do a ride out to Germany and back at the end of May (probably). Specifically Ibbenburen.

Anyone got any good advice for riding from Dunkirk (i expect) along through Belgium / Holland and into Germany?

I'm also open to tagalongs if anyone is interested. (no weirdos).

That sounds pretty flat..

Touring the Trans Pyrenees Race route from Girona to Biarritz, 17 to 29th of July, anyone keen on joining?

I fly into Nice on the 30th June for around 3 weeks of cycling. I was planning on doing the tnr in reverse, is this advisable? Is it just a case of flipping an original gpx file or are some alterations needed? I need to be in Cesenatico (an hour east of Bologna) by the 19th July, so will be looking for some other routes to ride in the region, any advice?

@jameso probably has some tips

Hey Alb .. yes probably, already on the TNR thread : )

You need to re work some bits. Or you'll descend the best climbs. Ie finestre.

I'm looking to update / upgrade my sleeping bag for touring.

What do people recommend in the £100-£200 range for a decent lightweight 3 season bag?