Generic Touring Thread

Just ordered one of these…
https://m.aliexpress.com/item/32963667433.html?spm=a2g0n.order_detail.0.0.4a7cf19c35BXQ1

Update - arrived on 21/9 and it seems fine. Weight around 900g and I have sat in it without it collapsing. I don’t have access to a genuine Helix to compare the build quality though.

Due to a super-hangover we decided to skip the 200km ride back to the ferry, and instead caught a train from Paris to the city of Rouen, riding 65km to Dieppe in the late afternoon. Which I'd recommend to anyone in the same situation.

Interesting. I'm going to be doing the reverse of that in May next year (cycling from Dieppe to Rouen to then catch the train to Paris/Tours). Do you have a route? So far, cycle.travel has me going down the old train route for about 15km before heading southwards on small D roads. Looks OK but if you have a tried/tested route, I'd be interested in seeing it.

My two cycle tour pals have just had children rendering future trips challenging.

Does anyone know any good Balkan Focused cycle tour companies? I would be interested to do an off road type tour through Kosovo / Albania / The Balkans. Interested in covering solid mileage rather than doing 50km a day with retired couples my parents age...

User Cybernck on here does a race through Bosnia called B hard, maybe you could send them a message, they may know the wider area?

@cybernck Is your man. He has exactly what you are looking for and he's a bonafide legend of a man.

https://bosniacyclingtours.com

I toured the area this year. Unreal.

Thank you!!

https://saillink.co.uk/

New sailing option to France? Advance price is still 2-3x a ferry trip and not sure on regular prices once up and running, but what a way to travel.

Hi there,

Just spotted this, sorry for the delay. The Rouen-Dieppe route is here

It's excellent. Winding roads through small villages, and even some hills!

Ah cool. Thanks. Looks pretty similar to the one the route planner threw up for me, but mine avoids the hill out of Dieppe (or into Dieppe in your case) and takes me along the disused railway line for a while before cutting south on the D-roads. I'll have a closer look at yours later and weigh it up. I might fancy the challenge of that Dieppe hill when I need to warm up at 5am when the ferry pulls in.

Is this the right place to look for suggestions for places to tour this summer?

Around 7 days duration
Not loads of money to get to but happy to fly
No crazy mountains
Bit of a change of culture would be nice
Happy to camp or B&B

Any recommendations gratefully received.

I've been stuck in the house recovering from ACL surgery and my bike itch is going mad.
I would like to do some touring this year, short distance, long distance, over anything (should it come to it), but I can't seem to find anything ideal.

The Trek 920 would have been spot on (seems to be discontinued) or even the Giant Toughroad (unfortunately flatbar).

Does anyone have any suggestions for a go anywhere do anything tourer?

2 Attachments

I would say "go to Germany and ride along a river" but that is because I live near Germany and like riding along rivers.

La Rochelle to San Sebastian is a nice tour.

https://bikepacking.com/bikes/decathlon-riverside-touring-920-review/
If you can find one

Bosnia or Montenegro or both.

Depending on your understanding of crazy mountains....

Might be a bit too flat, might give it a look in a few years when the kids are older as a family trip. Thanks.

Sounds good, the bike polo world champs is in Montpellier this year so could maybe link it in with that.

Good shout, guess the culture would be pretty different and I'm assuming it'd be decent value.

Love my Fairlight Faran for touring. Takes big tyres but probably a bit more road-y handling-wise than the Trek.

Andalucía and Catalonia are both stunning, lovely roads, wild camping by lakes wherever you look, incredible cities and towns to ride through. Highly recommend.

Looks nice, but yeh, probably discontinued now by the looks of it.

I did Toulouse to Nice via the Gorges du Tarn and Gorges du Verdon in the summer, which was amazing. You could make it shorter by starting at Montpellier - Verdon was the most beautiful day of riding I have ever done so don't miss that bit. Fairly climby but no huge ones. It would also be doable without flying if Eurostar could sort themselves out as there are sleeper trains to Toulouse and Nice from Paris. Route here
.

1 Attachment

@steadycam I was contemplating riding to Amsterdam via Saill Link but the ideas above are way more inspiring so thanks for posting the question and everyone's ideas too.

Sail Link still looks like the start of an adventure into Northern/Western Europe https://saillink.co.uk

Around 7 days duration
Not loads of money to get to but happy to fly
No crazy mountains
Bit of a change of culture would be nice
Happy to camp or B&B

I'm much in the same boat, except I'm loath to fly. In Cambridge we're very close to Harwich for the Harwich - Hoek overnight ferry which I used last year and really liked. Trying to think of plans that start from Holland.

Over and up to Denmark?