Nice - Calais : SS/fixed

Hello everyone,

I though I would just put this out there and see what people think....

I am flying out to Nice on Monday (30th July 2012) and have about 2 weeks or so to get back to the UK.

I have kind of planned my route and it looks like a killer for the first few days. I am planning on riding about 50 miles for the first 4 days and then riding more as the hills get smaller. I am taking a Carradice saddle bag and taking as little as I can get away with. I also plan on staying in B+B's and eating along the way, which I know will cost a bit but I dont mind spending the money if it's going to be a hoot.

My bike: 42-16 free-wheel and 42-20(maybe 21) fixed for the bigger hills.

I know it may not appear to be the best of ideas, but it's the only bike that I own.

My hope was to post my trip on here and see if anyone has any general advice.....

I am generally fit and cycle single speed around the Mendip hills regularly with a normal ride having about 5000 feet of climbing. Some of the first few days in France are like 12000, so it's going to test me, but I am ready for it I think.

Anyway, I'm talking too much.

Any help would be really appreciated :-)

Rob

you could probably follow one of the canals that run from the south coast to the north it would mean flat cycling plenty of pubs somwehere to swim in the evenings
Canal Du Midi or something like that ( although I think that one runs Bordeaux to Nice so not quite the right direction )

canal du rhone is the one you need i think

Sounds like an excellent trip. In terms of route - are you going to head due west to begin with to pick up the Rhone valley, or go over the Alpes Maritime?

50 miles a day is pretty easy, even on tough terrain and you'll find as it flattens out you can easily ride further each day, especially if you eat regularly.

Hi guys,

Thanks for the info. Especially the idea about following the river.

My plan is to essentially head due north straight into the Alps. Having looked at a few possible routes however.... 12,000 feet of climbing over 45 miles is going to be a killer, or maybe over 8 hours that's not that bad?!

All I have to do now is take as little as I humanly can.

Im excited, but also a bit scared that maybe this is a challenge beyond me.

Due north would involve you having to cross the Bonette which tops out at 2715 metres above sea level, followed by the Vars, the Izoard and the Lauteret before descending down into Grenoble. I wouldn't fancy that on a singlespeed.

A more sensible route would be to either follow the coast, which is still fairly lumpy, down toward Marseille, then pick up the Rhone Valley and head for Lyon, or to follow the Route Napoleon which is more direct, hillier but not terribly mountainous in the way that heading due north is.

Due north would involve you having to cross the Bonette which tops out at 2715 metres above sea level, followed by the Vars, the Izoard and the Lauteret before descending down into Grenoble. I wouldn't fancy that on a singlespeed.

A more sensible route would be to either follow the coast, which is still fairly lumpy, down toward Marseille, then pick up the Rhone Valley and head for Lyon, or to follow the Route Napoleon which is more direct, hillier but not terribly mountainous in the way that heading due north is.

I just had a look, and they do indeed look like monsters. I'm in two minds at this stage. Either to go west like you suggested or just push on with a north route. I have never been to the Alps, and fear that cycling comfortably all the hills in Bristol area has given me a false sense of security!

I know it's all relative, but, do you think even on a 42/21 this would be suicide?

the mendips < alps

make sure your brakes work for the descents ! front and rear

haha, I know its like comparing a scrap in the local boozer with WW2, but you get the idea. I was able to climb 5000 feet without too much trouble and ride 80+miles a day. But still, I feel like it's within reach...

Brakes are in good condition, new pads and on the 40 miles descents I plan on stopping a few times to cook an egg on my rims.

Climbing in the UK is very, very different from climbing in the Alps.

Do not be lulled into a false sense of security by the seemingly lower average gradients, for what the Alps lack in gradient they make up for in sheer length. There is a big difference in climbing a 5 minute, mile long hill here and a 15 mile, 2.5 hour mountain in the Alps. 42x21 wouldn't be low enough in my view.

My bike: 42-16 free-wheel and 42-20(maybe 21) fixed for the bigger hills.
Rob

This is odd? Usually it's best to have a freewheel with the lower gear.

Something like 65 GI free // 70 GI fixed. Perhaps lower if loaded.

Then you go and do most your riding on the fixed, then flip it for hilly days where you'll appreciate the speed and rest time that the freewheel will give you.

why u rest on the way up ? ^

I'll just put this here again!
www.powpow.co.uk

Route des Grandes Alpes - if you're not carrying vast amount of kit like I did, I reckon a nice low gear...I'd go even lower than 65 actually...should be fine.
Those climbs may not be steep, but they really do go on for ever!

why u rest on the way up ? ^

u srs?

65GI up a 10% grade isn't resting, but it is ridable if it's short, though that's still higher than is nice for most people if it's a long climb.

So many replies and so much help.

Thank you for all the input. Where do I begin...

I guess maybe I had eyes bigger than my tummy. Given it's my first ride of this magnitude and duration, I will take the advice of andip & dicki and head west from Nice along the sea down to Cannes and then head along the Napoleon route.

Maybe next time I go with a geared bike and just see if I could have done it.

Thanks again guys, heart attack avoided!

Hey guys,

Thought I would share with you some pictures of the trip (slightly changed trip to original)....

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152015936790364.889355.744425363&type=1&l=f2823758c4

It was really good, and doing it on a SS posed no real problems, if anything it was quite great doing 14,000 feet in a day knowing that you did it all with one gear.

Only had to push once, but that was due to heat being 35° and my fearing for collapsing!

Cycling in France is the best. The roads are truly amazing and the drivers deliciously aware of cyclists.

Good time. Thanks all for your help....

Rob

Great photos, looks like you were really fortunate with the weather.

Am very jealous, would love to do a ride like that again.

Nicely done!

Did you B&B it along the way? And over how many days did the journey take?

I'd quite like to try something similar (from Montpellier) next summer.

Yeah it was cracking!

Took a rain jacket and only got to wear it upon pulling into London!

I took 10 days with 1 day as a half day to explore Grenoble, which ended up being a pretty rubbish city. Lyon was much much nicer in my opinion.

I stayed in B&B's all the way, but if I had room I would have camped. There were a lot of places to camp. But my bag would not allow it really. And I didnt mind spending a bit of money on the trip really.

My average was 80 miles a day, with the first 4 being hilly as hell. 13 - 14,000 feet in a day.

Was really good. D roads (their version of a B road) were the best part of the trip.

Chapeau!! I've done a few trips cycling in France (none as impressive as this) and I've have to agree with you, cycling in France is the best. I've done some short tours around Northern France and fitted some short rides in around family holidays in the Alps, Provence, the Dordogne, Brittany etc etc and I've not found a bad place to ride a bike in France yet. Smooth quiet roads and epic scenery round every corner.

Truly great photos: and hats off to doing it with one gear!

those blue blue bits of water
looks stunning

How did you navigate? 10.000 waypoints on your Garmin?

Best post this week, yeeeeaaahhh.

in the morning you keep the sun on your right hand side
between lunch and 4 keep the sun behind you
then from 4 till sunset keep the sun on your left
you'll get to paris eventually

Dicki, haha, this is very close to the truth. I have very odd tan-lines. Back of the legs very brown, front as white as ever.

And yeah, the water in the man-made lakes is truly stunning. It's some of the most beautiful looking water. And swimming in it even better. Like swimming in milk.

Thuekr, I created a route for each day at bikely.com and then loaded it each morning. But I did my best to not pay too much attention to the route and explore the smaller roads when I could.

When I go back to France it's mostly going to be around the Alps, around Italy and Switzerland, this time with a touring bike and tent. It's simply amazing to cycle on velvet smooth roads with scenery like that.

Went for a ride back home the other day, the roads honestly felt like I was going cross-country.

Great route, the scenery looks epic. Want to do this but need to take er in doors on the back of the tandem :)