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All the best to the poor man. I really hope he pulls through.

Thanks for the update Titivulus.

Hoped never to have to post on this page...

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Breaking-news-Cyclist-Gloucester-Road-accident/story-20081395-detail/story.html

Very popular road with cyclists (and cars too). I cycle to work here every day. I always take it easy on this part of the road as the sun is directly in your eyes as you come round the bend. I hope this poor man didn't get caught out.

Thoughts with everyone involved.

Links no workiee.....

Edit: They do if you remove the http bitz

Edit: Looks great. Im going Bilabo - Nice this summer, so will be crossing some same roads. Make sure you let us know how it was. With pictures.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33742801@N02/8683877750/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33742801@N02/8682758185/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33742801@N02/8683871092/

Readers wives and all that. All in France. Between Nice and Lyon. Road porn heaven.

Mallorca, here I come.

Looks like you were pushing a big gear there, run into much trouble in the hills?

I think I might hire a bike when I get there, cheaper than taking my own. I hope my bike does not consider it cheating....

Thanks for the info about the various places guys. I really appreciate it. And it looks like Australia is of the map for a while at least.

The joy I experienced in France while cycling has spoilt me I think....

Dundry hill, up Dundry lane. The other roads were covered in a mix of cow shit and snow...

What's a big ring then?

Going back to the alps this summer and Bristol has nothing as long to compare. Bristol hills are steeper in my experience .

So, found a hill I like and went up and down it a bunch. Mentally difficult more than anything...

42-16 SS

Hi guys,

Thanks for the info so far, it's nice to have a few opinions thrown in.

From my time in France(nice to Paris SS ride) last summer I can say...

Weather was amazing, food great, nice looking ladies. I even came home and started to learn French.

My plan is to Mallorca it up for a couple of days in march. Just wish Australia was closer so I could check it out myself.

Don't want people to think I dislike the UK by the way, just think there may be more out there...

R

Hey all,

I did think about posting this in the travel category but I feel general is more appropriate.

Basically I am lucky in that my job can take me pretty much anywhere in the world. And after many years in the UK I am thinking of leaving. Which is where you come in...

I like cycling in the UK but it can be a stressful affair with bad drivers and pot holes.

I have been to France, Netherlands, Eastern Europe and Canada. I would like a dry-ish place but more importantly is a great cycling culture. Good infrastructure and good drivers. And also hills if possible. Maybe too much to ask.

I have been reading the forum and can horribly collate the following about cycling cultures....

USA - not great generally and not very safe
Netherlands - need not say much here...
Australia - had high hopes but sounds like you get beer bottles thrown at you just for being on a road bike
Canada - good but given its size most roads are big and busy
France - from my experience its cracking.

Keen to basically hear from anyone who has liven in a cool part of the world and cycling was all good.

Hope this is not too general-er a question...

R

Googling now....

I plan on riding (poss camping) from Bilbao to Geneva, over the Pyrenees then along to coats to the Alps and to the lakes....

The Saunders looks small but then again we aint doing this for comfort are we
?!

Thanks for the heads up

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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?

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.

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

I would love this. Single speed rider. My friend did something similar solo and said it was ball-to-the-wall amazing. People, places, food.

sold, online money transfer ok?

yet more proof that 99% of people on here are fags

Pray tell how does one read dick?

reply fail

read one and chances are you have read them all, ie, dick