Skinny goes Touring. Bike and gear.

I spoke pretty fluent, though now rusty being unused french.

You're idea sounds good. I'll mull it over for the rest of the day.

First sailing to Spain isn't till tuesday, so train into france and going around sounds better.

Ah do it then, they love Brit cyclists with rusty French.

Ferries to France are dead cheap, I think ours to Dunkirk was a tenner or something and I don't remember Dieppe being much more (possibly £15).

Don't think the language will be an issue, especially when two deaf blokes with a poor grasp of English managed a month riding through France, Spain and Morocco.

When in doubt, just use body language.

Ed did you navigate france just with a map? Easy? Have to stop a lot to think?

France is dead easy. We did about 400 miles of France without a map or GPS.

Thanks.

Plan Mk5, very rough idea of general path.
Ferry to St Malo and ride anti clock circle.

I have to ride to Girona. So in Feb when I'm out there with the team training I can say I rode here!

http://goo.gl/maps/Ilx6u

Ed did you navigate france just with a map? Easy? Have to stop a lot to think?

I just follow the compass that head South, never planned the route, just make it up as we go along.

We took advantage of Google Maps offline maps feature on our phone and rely on it with the build-in GPS.

We buy and ditch maps as we go along too.

That's a good idea!

I can ditch the 3 season sleeping bag for a 2 one now too!!

I wouldn't , unless you plan to avoid any hills.
How about reaching the Med ?
Sea temperature is still 20°C ..

This is my route, as you may have notice, it got a little zig-zag in France when we're just plodding along, route were great, and 1+ on laner; avoid the coast at all cost.

Oh yeah, avoid cities and big town, it's pointless going through it unless you need some supply that small town don't tend to have.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/london-to-casablanca

Head for Col du Grand Bois,
give a little pat to the Velocio monument ?
Lots of lovely and lonely (über hilly )roads on the way.

quite a lot of that route seems to be duel carriage way, will that be OK?

Google maps just defaults to the fastest, bussiest road. I've made actual routes, GM is just easy format to show the rough idea.

Still can't decide on SPD or SPD-SL.

looks awesome! how does it feel compared to your race bike?

If you're very comfortable with your SPD-SL, then stick with it, personal experience I find SPD a good robust system that allow you to walk for a bit instead of taking another shoes.

Nice to see someone also run the triple mudflap as well.

Nice to see someone also run the triple mudflap as well.

Only cause it's yours.

Used to ride SPD for 100s of miles. But moved to SPD-SL a year ago... Don't have any good SPD shoes, but some nice SPD-SL shoes so SPD-SL it is i think.

looks awesome! how does it feel compared to your race bike?

Not far off. I've just raised the bars 2cm and brought them back a few cm. It's still race-ey if I put my palms over the hoods and bend my elbows.

Feels good, from a 2min dash to bead the brakes in.

My route was avoiding the coast so i had less headwind/crosswind to deal with (didn't want to ride 100 miles in to a headwind fixed) as well as people telling me those coastal stretched are a bit straight and boring.

Oh you actually did that. Cool!!
I'll be geared, but understand your fixed dilemma.

I asked someone who's an impeccable knowledge on riding in france and he said go up the coast, it's beautiful.

If it's shit, I'll come inland! Can always change a unplanned route!

True! plus i was heading south which is against the usual prevailling wind. you'll get blown all the way to dieppe :D

Coast route was beautiful, mainly cross/tail winds too IIRC or at least, at no point of my trip was I thinking about a head wind.

I think your touring bike has more drop than my touring bike.

hang on... are you touring with power?!

hang on... are you touring with power?!

Yup. I'm not just touring, training too. ;)

The both go hand in hand.