London to Paris on a Dutch bike

I'm thinking about cycling to Paris on my old Dutch bike. Is this a stupid idea? Has anyone done it? I'd go London - Dieppe - Paris.

This route looks good to me:
http://www.donaldhirsch.com/dieppeparis.html

Also, is it safe for a female alone? I wish I was a boy sometimes! =(

Thousands of people have done L2P on all kinds of bikes. Do it.

And I'm sure a lots of females done it alone too, Do it.

Dutch bike is perfectly doable as long you don't exceed the speed limit of such bike (14mph) otherwise it'll be plain hard work.

Unless you install an aerobar on it, in which case be a lots easier.

why would you install aerobars on a dutch bike? seriously??

Bikes like that are designed for being comfortable going around town, rather than for long-distance comfort - all the weight is on your rear end and there's no way of shifting it around.

I would go on a few test rides doing that kind of daily mileage, and see what it's like. Last summer when my bike was broken, I decided to do my normal weekend ride of about 50 miles on my girlfriend's dutch-style bike. I did about 25 miles in the end, and it hurt to sit down for the next few days because I had a massive bruise on my arse.

I fitted a sprung saddle which made it much more comfortable (she started riding it for longer distances too). You could do sprung saddle + suspension seatpost if you wanted it super-plush.

Gidday, anyone want to ride London 2 Paris with me on 3rd/4th of Sept? I'll be on my road bike, averaging about 32km/hr probably. Hoping to go through Dieppe, overnight somewhere and smash it out in 2 days total. I'll have my girlfriend in a support car to carry gear. I don't really know the route so hoping someone can join me who does! First time and all that. I'm a Kiwi expat living in London and this is on my list of boxes to tick before i have to leave this country...
Anyone welcome - get in touch! Matt - 07570094019
Cheers

Did that route last week... very easy and well written directions. Lots of calm roads and beautiful scenery. we stayed in Newhaven (expensive premier inn and crap) then Gournay En Brai then paris. would recommend it to anyone... great ride. could be done on a fixed really. Last day had a few hills but nothing you couldn't grind up.

jo did you get my voice mail the other night?

Dutch bikes are basically copies of the old Raleigh Tourist. These cycles were built to conquer the world, and are capable of being ridden for any distance over any terrain in any weather.

Go for it.

Gidday, anyone want to ride London 2 Paris with me on 3rd/4th of Sept? I'll be on my road bike, averaging about 32km/hr probably. Hoping to go through Dieppe, overnight somewhere and smash it out in 2 days total. I'll have my girlfriend in a support car to carry gear. I don't really know the route so hoping someone can join me who does! First time and all that. I'm a Kiwi expat living in London and this is on my list of boxes to tick before i have to leave this country...
Anyone welcome - get in touch! Matt - 07570094019
Cheers

sounds like my cup of tea. supported and all. otherwise engaged though :(

i did it with a 20 litre backpack and had no issues. for a 1 stop strategy there is a great hotel in gourney en brai that have a secure garage to lock bikes overnight and relatively cheap rooms at £60 for a twin.

why would you install aerobars on a dutch bike? seriously??

Ha, why wouldn't you?

i'm going on the 9th sept. was going to do it solo but wouldn't mind if anyone wanted to join

and before anyone asks... no I will not be doing *this *trip on a boris bike...

If you look at my Century Competition thread you will find some information on doing longish rides on this type of machine - a 'Dutch Bike' is essentially a light roadster.

I'd say that if you just picked up any old roadster (or Dutch Bike) at random and tried to do a long ride on it, you would suffer badly and vow never again to ride* any* bike further than the nearest corner shop.

It's necessary to apply a certain amount of knowledge to riding these bikes - just as it is for any type of machine, but I'd say that normally no one bothers much with roadsters.

Try the following before attempting a long trip:

1. Make sure the bike is in a reasonable state - bearings adjusted and lubricated, chain and sprockets not clapped out, brakes working and tyres pumped up hard (if possible to the maximum permitted pressure stated on the sidewall).

2. Get the best position you can (without radically altering the bike). Most people ride with the saddle too low: your leg should be almost straight when the pedal is at the bottom of its stroke.

Less obvious is that the handlebars can be lowered. Try putting them down as far as is possible, and then try riding holding them near the middle - that is, without the 'rise' of upturned roadster bars. If the lowest position proves too uncomfortable, raise the bars little by little until you get a position you can tolerate.

The importance of this is that a lower position will lessen the wind resistance, and improve weight distribution. Some one further up this thread mentions saddle soreness after riding one of these bikes - a lower position transfers weight from the saddle to the bars which will help this problem.

 If your bike has rod brakes it is usually necessary to shorten the rods below the handlebars, but this can be done in a few minutes using a junior hacksaw.

1. Consider changing to modern clipless pedals, or use toeclips and straps. Also consider using a narrower 'gel' saddle. Neither of these are essential, but both will help.

2. Get some miles in beforehand. If you're fit enough you can go far and fast on almost any bike, if you're unfit you'll struggle on the most extravagant carbon fibre masterpiece.

Can you explain the hows and whys of shortening the rods?
What does it do that the normal adjusters dont?

Immediately below the handlebars and connected to the brake levers are rods which go into 'sleeves', which have clamp bolts ar the top. These clamp bolts can be used for brake adjustment (it's the only means of adjusting the front brake).

When lowering the bars the rods often reach the bottom of the sleeves and prevent the bars from going as low as is necessary. If this is the case remove the bars from the frame - the brake rods are attached - and hacksaw off the bottom couple of inches of both rods.

An example of what can be done on this type of machine is my Mum's ride from Wilderhope Youth Hostel to her home in Teddington, S.W. London in the 1930's.

She was not a club cyclist - her sport was Hockey - and she saw a bike just as a means of cheap transport. Her bike was a 'Dragonfly' roadster - this is not a make you will ever have heard of, and if it ever had any reputation it would have been for cheapness rather than quality. It had a 66" single freewheel, and its only concession to speed was that her dad had lowered the bars in the manner described above.

Wilderhope is near Shrewsbury, and her intention had been to stop for the night in Oxford - about 100 miles, which was fairly ambitious considering she was carrying luggage. Apparently they had a good tailwind which got them to Oxford fairly easily, but when they arrived the Hostel was full. My Mum was generally careful with money, and so rather than stay in a B&B and bearing in mind they didn't feel too bad, it was decided to ride home: about 150 miles in the day.

The Dragonfly is still rideable and is in my sister's possession, but it is like that wonderfully long lasting old axe which had had three new heads and seven new handles. Although my Mum was offered a number of other, better machines she always insisted on sticking to her old bike and continued using it until she gave up riding in her early eighties.

I never discovered who her companion was.

Out of interest, Jo, why do you want to ride your Dutch bike to Paris? ('Because' is a perfectly acceptable answer, I'm just curious.)

good question!

Out of interest, Jo, why do you want to ride your Dutch bike to Paris? ('Because' is a perfectly acceptable answer, I'm just curious.)