Generic Touring Thread

Also if you're down that way, Cancale is nice and worth a visit just outside of St Malo. Has a lovely beach you can have a swim in and see Mont St Michel in the distance.

The beaches by Cherrueix are also stunning, sandy numbers which you'll probably be passing if you're following that coast.

Lovely, could I ask how much stuff you have packed there? Was thinking of running a similar set up on my next trip.

Camping stuff? Cooking?

Thanks both, high praise indeed

Amazing, thank you! Cancale was also recommended by a colleague so that's on the route, apparently oysters and dry white wine by the seafront, hard to resist! Great into on MSM too, thanks again,

Yes, I was camping and cooking, in the front panniers and bar bag, tent, sleeping bag, cooking gear and food. I can’t remember what went in what specifically. Clothes etc in the saddlebag.
We were gone for 5 days riding, which was 3 nights camping and overnight/evening ferries.
That config could have easily done a week and at a push my summer 11 day trip down the French west coast.

• do you have a route file?
  

I don't as I was just following some NCN and a rough idea. Activities linked below. Turns out it wasn't as 'big loopy' as I thought, more of a tight loop...

Day One - Oxford
Not being a native, saturday we drove up and spent the day riding/mooching around Oxford, just looking at rivers etc. Didn't starva this.

Day Two - Oxford to Evesham
link - https://www.strava.com/activities/9775920143

Basically out of Oxford along the canal, along to Woodstock along the A44 which was ok as its segregated. Then along some gorgeous back roads, wood paths etc to Shipston On Stour where we lunched. Then bit of a diversion so I could add in the Stratford greenway for a few miles, before more lovely back roads (recommend a stop off at the Cottage of Content!) to Bidford on Avon, then a rather plain road out of there to the campsite just north of Evesham. Dinner in a local pub, it was a Marstons, so not the greatest, but food and drink and just a short walk away.

Campsite was nice, quiet and friendly owners. Kind of a meadow feel to it : https://bredon-valecaravanandcamping.co.uk

Day Three - Evesham back to Oxford
link - https://www.strava.com/activities/9782298213

As we camped just north of Evesham, we then headed into Evesham for brekkie (Shout out to the Bear Claw Cafe, lovely coffee and pastries). Out of evesham to take in the Broadway tower, which was an absolutely savage climb, especially given the heat. We couldn't get the bikes right up to it, but close enough and had a second coffee at the cafe which has wonderful views.

Then down the back roads to Moreton in Marsh, which was HEAVING, and full of cars and plainly we just didn't fancy stopping there at all. Carried on down the lanes through Aldestrop (lovely gravel / wooded path there, and a famous poem!) to Kingham for lunch at the Kingham Plough which was exceptional. Fantastic food, great staff (ice cubes in our water bottles!) and lovely village. I had a puncture so stopped on the green to fix it after lunch and was excellent, all the locals came over to chat. Best village on the route in my opinion. Anyway, we then carried on through Chadlington, home of that twat with the farm where we saw some massive RAF planes doing some low flying.

Carried on to Charlbury for an ice cream, another lovely green in the middle of town. A real theme in the villages and towns of the area! Finally, winded our way back to Woodstock and back into Oxford.

All in all, great trip, wonderful area, lovely friendly people.

Edit - Do those links work? Or do I have to embed?

Maybe my searching skills aren't up to scratch, but has anyone done a circular tour around Santander or Bilbao? Thinking of getting the ferry down for a week or so if anyone has any tips

Thanks for sharing!

Been enjoying the vistas in the Vuelta? The stages around Cantabria looked gorgeous

Haha, yeah. But actually the earliest I could go now is the beginning of Nov, so may be a bit cold

Thanks for this!

I've got family in Banbury and always looking for new routes back home (Birmingham but soon to be Warwickshire)

Are people who wear padded merino boxers wearing them for extended periods without washing? Seems confusing...the pad isn't merino...right? What's the deal...Always thought it was an odd product

Anyone flown with a cardboard bike box on Ryanair within the past year?

Trying to determine how hot they are on box dimensions - I'm seeing 119 x 119 x 81 cm on their site, but then lots of forums where people claim no one really minded.

Secondly I'm seeing 30kg on their site for mx weight, but elsewhere on their site I'm seeing 20kg.

All slightly confusing.

Anyone done the 'Wiltshire Cycleway'? Looks like quite a nice two days in October mini getaway.

https://cycle.travel/map/journey/510

On the way up, you went past where I grew up -between Great Rollright and Shipston. The road down to the ford is one of my favourite stretches of tarmac!

Yep!

The plan was to ride solo for 800km from Dieppe to Lausanne across 4 days of cycling, with 2 rest days for 'hydration' in Paris.

I quickly realised that the bike tour recipe I'd been sticking to for years was spot on, and I was foolish to deviate. For me, touring should be:

• Done with your mates
  
• In the peak of summer sun
  
• Limited to 100km per day
  
• Fun
  
  

I caught the train from Paris to Dijon due in part to a belting hangover and absolutely crumbling under the pressure of having to ride 200km per day. Physically it wasn't an issue, but mentally I could not. It cut the overall tour down to 500km in 3 days, which was perfect.

Had 10 or so punctures along the way (felt like 300) also broke a spoke and badly buckled the rear wheel around 150km from the end. Dark clouds followed me the entire way. I was very happy to reach Lausanne for 4 days of laying by the lake and reflecting.

Looking back at my photos, I've only taken snaps of the bike. The image of the road panning straight ahead reflects the entire route to be honest, direct AF, heading South East all the way, with no redeeming features.

Disgustingly, I'm really drawn to having another go solo bike touring, even though I hated almost every moment spent turning pedals on this one.

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Love that cow snoot!

put a tandem in two glued together bike boxes on ryanair in june. no extras just the bike, i can’t remember the weight but definitely maxed out dimensions and they were cool. The worst thing was they opened the box to check there wasn’t a terrorist hiding in there or a tandem made of cocaine and we watched as te most crack handed person i have ever seen in a wrk environment where you use your hands all the time taped the box back up. it made it through so kudos to him

Oh that's really good to hear and gives me some hope - thanks!

The road down to the ford

I remember that, was very nice (as were most of the roads tbh!), only slightly soiled by an old couple in an i10 parked in the ford watching it go underneath them lol

Done with your mates
In the peak of summer sun
Limited to 100km per day
Fun

Perfect list.

My version

Done with your mates
In the peak of summer sun
Limited to 100km per day
Fun(ish)

Back from doing The Wolf's Lair (really shite name and I don't say it outloud)

Started and finished in L'Aquila, Tackled in 5 days so about 80km a day with 2000m of up.

Mostly super rubble-y farm tracks only used by cows, short bits of fun but unrideable mtb forest trails, draggy 5% road climbs, plenty of hike a bike ups and hike a bike downs, symphonic cow bells.

Loads of completely deserted medieval villages with only mountain water taps as amenities. Wild camped 3/4 nights, saw a wolf, felt an earthquake (2.4 on the richter) got pretty spooked by endlessly barking mountain shepherd dogs that ain't friendly in the slightest. Didn't drink enough espresso.

9/10

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Looks great! Plenty packed in to 5 days

How'd you get out there? looks amazing!