Generic Touring Thread

Don't miss going through Montserrat it's worth the climb.

The climb to Bonaigua (highest point on your route) is nice. You get some dickhead sports cars in summer but nice. The valley after is fine, if a bit tight in spots.

Also the routes kinda direct and missing a lot of stuff, but maybe that's the point. Could look at Transpyrenees routes for some inspiration.

Montserrat

It takes way longer than I was prepared to give it. I've seen it suggested you can add water then leave the pouch down your shorts to 'cook' via body heat. This sounds chafier than I was prepared to experiment with.

Bosh! Made it to east coast from the west.. x

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Has anyone taken liquid fuel (methylated spirit) in a proper fuel bottle on a Brittany ferry? It seems it may be banned for foot passengers whilst cars can board with a tank full of petrol.

Yeah, but... cars.

I'd pick some up in France, saves the worry.

Those small super C front panniers look great. Better than the Kendal's?

I can't comment on the Kendal's but I really like my Super C fronts. So much so I bought a pair for the rear too.

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Has anyone taken liquid fuel (methylated spirit) in a proper fuel bottle on a Brittany ferry? It seems it may be banned for foot passengers whilst cars can board with a tank full of petrol.

I would secrete it deep into your luggage, and pray for no leaks.

Also fill up the reservoir of your stove so if it is confiscated you'll have one shot left to buy some time for finding more.

FWIW I brought petrol onboard in an MSR fuel tank without issue, just sitting in a normal bottle holder on the bike. Neither the Irish or French staff seemed to have any interest. This was last September. Maybe the UK port staff/brexit might take more interest though.

I'm planning to cycle from Basel in Switzerland to Rome at the start of June. Does anyone have any route advice?

I'll be on my Tour de Fer, so I'm looking for quiet roads and hard packed gravel rather than anything too rough. I see there's a EuroVelo route (#5) that I could intersect with and follow - does anyone have any experience with it?

I'm in a good general state of fitness with lots of running, climbing and football, however most of my riding is getting around the city, so I'd like to aim for less than 100km a day, and I'm not averse to hopping on a train if some areas have particularly boring riding or congested roads. I'm a little bit nervous about being on busy roads in Italy, for example...

The Swiss bit of Eurovelo 5 is basically national route number 3, which I did a couple of years ago and enjoyed. Not a lot of it is off-road though, if you are specifically after gravel. You could perhaps count the cobbles from the Gotthard pass to Airolo as off-road, and they are definitely a highlight.

https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/veloland/route-03.html

Good to know, and no, I'm not really looking for gravel, I just know from cycling in the area that a fair amount of Swiss walking and cycling trails are fairly hard packed gravel, which I'm fine with. I'll probably be cycling it on 32mm tyres and panniers so I won't be set up for anything too challenging.

32mm tyres and panniers is ideal.

I'm not averse to hopping on a train if some areas have particularly boring riding or congested roads.

In that case I would get a boat ride all the way across the lake from Luzern to Flüelen (the cycle route has you go round the lake, ferry across and then carry on round, but the first part is unremarkable and the second has a busy road). From Flüelen on, up over the Alps and down the other side includes all the best bits.

Cycling in Rome to me was a bit like in Central London, but with higher caffeinated drivers, more cobbled uneven surfaces, cool stuff to look at, little narrow alley ways or flowing through the tourist trail that can link things up. It was fun, but easy to find snarled up commuting traffic by accident. Route 5 might be the best way in if it is designated for cycling.

Visit the Church of San Giovanni Battista by Mario Botta if it's on the way. A little architectural gem.

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Just saw this, I'm located in Stockholm if you want some tips or borrowing tools etc.

I'd love some tips! In Stockholm for four days mid June, not sure if I'll get much riding though as we can't take bikes on the sleeper train so leaving them with family in Germany.

Is there good hiring of bikes available?

I'll pm you!

Thanks for the advice folks!

You totally can - though you can't stir in the butter to melt if it's cold.

Ha! I’d prefer olive oil in me couscous anyway.

What did you sleep in? Nobody wants to carry loads of weight

Sorry not sure which post you are referring to