What To Do About Bolloxed Vacation?

Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote:

I have never seen cycling shorts in my size. I will have a look
in the UK before I head out to the Netherlands, or indeed try
within the Netherlands which must have its quotient of fat ladies
who cycle. Apparently there is no such animal in France, apart
from myself.

I'm not sure quite how big you are, but www.teamestrogen.com have
woman-specific padded shorts that go up to at least 4X. Any use?

--
Dave...

Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote:

snip......... I managed my 28 kms on the bike that I
plan to take. I can deal with the saddle, which is suspended. I'm not
sure what will happen, to me or to the frail folding Dahon loaded
beyond its capacity that it is, over those distances, however.

I have never seen cycling shorts in my size. I will have a look in the
UK before I head out to the Netherlands, or indeed try within the
Netherlands which must have its quotient of fat ladies who cycle.
Apparently there is no such animal in France, apart from myself.

Err, I think I might be one of them?! I have cycling shorts from Lidl,
not padded though. Also some Adidas mens ones from our local brocante. I
also use a gel seat on the saddle, also from Lidl. Gloves with gel are
handy too, my hands get sore if I cycle for long distances. If you
practice longer distances a bit beforehand I don't think you will have
any trouble with 50km. Go for it - I would!

HTH

--
Holly, in France.
Holiday home in the Dordogne,
website: http://la-plaine.chez.tiscali.fr

"Elisa Francesca Roselli" wrote in message
...
I had the annoying news that my scheduled group vacation, touring
the
Netherlands by barge and bike, from the 30th April to the 7th May,
has
been cancelled for lack of a sufficient number of participants.

I agree with everyone else who has suggested taking the 50 km/day
holiday. It sounds as if the tour company's customers agree too, if
there aren't enough customers for the 25km tour.

You might not be able to meet your barge in the middle of the day,
but I imagine that you could take a complete day off on the barge, if
the day before had been too uncomfortable, perhaps only riding a km
or two along the towpath, between locks..

When you did your 28 km ride, was it one continuous ride, with only a
few short stops, or a commute, a 14 km ride in the morning, and
another 14 km going home at night? If it was either of those, 50 km,
spread throughout the day, with plenty of stops, ought to be no
trouble at all. If it took you all day to ride 28 km, and the last
few kilometres were a struggle, I still think the holiday would be
ok, but you had better do some training between now and then. You
have enough time. It would be a good idea to do at least one 50 km
ride, just to see how comfortable your clothes were for that distance

I can't remember all the things you have said about your own bikes,
but I doubt if you will have anything slower than the tour company's
Dutch bikes, so you might be faster than some others, not slower.

Good luck

Jeremy Parker
London

"James Annan" wrote in message
ups.com...

Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote:
How can this forum help me in my decision? I suppose the only
opinions
you can input are regarding the longer journeys. Given that this is
flat
terrain and good Dutch country roads, and that there should be
relatively less mental stress because there will be guides to show us

the way and we will be in a group, so I won't have to worry about
traffic or getting lost, is 50 km much more tiring than 25? Another
consideration is, people on this tour will be fitter and more active
than on the lazy tour, and I'm worried about not fitting in as well
socially. I don't want to be a drag on the group.

What do you suggest? Oh, and does anyone want to buy a cut-rate
round-trip Paris-Amsterdam by Thalys for the 30th-7th?

50km unloaded on flat roads will not really be very hard so long as you
are reasonably accustomed to sitting on a saddle regularly. If you have
the option of a day off (or a half-day) part-way though then certainly
it shouldn't be a struggle. As for the group thing, I imagine that
anyone who wants to cycle fast would not be interested in such a
holiday in the first place. Sounds like a very pleasant and relaxed
trip.

A few years back my husband and I took a tandem trip in France
that was a unloaded, we will bring your bags to the next town but
you need to make it there on your own type tour. Average distance
was 50km a day, but not necessarily flat. Note the word average.
A long day was 80km. I don't remember a day with a shorter trip
than 35km. To ready ourselves for this trip we upped our riding
from 40Km twice a week to 50km five times a week. We had
the touring seats, padded shorts, and incredibly good bike. By
the 10th day the riding wasn't all that fun. However, the vacation
stories impress my non-cycling friends a ton.

I have no doubt anyone who rides 25km once a week could
ride 50km in a day. Or even 50km two days in a row. But
by the 5th day it might not be so fun. The other key is the
original trip lets you toodle around the towns, so if you got
tired you just headed back to the barge. On the meet the
barge trip you need to make it to the town by dinner. Even
on the longest day we got to our final destination with a few
hours to spare. Not all on our trip did...

So, if you want a more challenging type vacation, where you
come home with stories of grit and distances conquered go
for the longer distances. You will come out of it feeling good
about yourself. If you are looking for a relaxing, site seeing
type trip with enough exercise to allow some splurging at
dinner, go for the original trip.

Elisa Francesca Roselli of Guest of ProXad - France wrote:
I have never seen cycling shorts in my size. I will have a look in the
UK before I head out to the Netherlands, or indeed try within the
Netherlands which must have its quotient of fat ladies who cycle.
Apparently there is no such animal in France, apart from myself.

The UK large ladies who cycle contingent on this news group snap up the
bargain XXL padded cycling shorts from Aldi when they have cycling gear
twice a year. No idea when it's time for that to come round again, but the
odds are not soon enough for your trip.

Steph
Fat bird on a bike

Steph Peters wrote:
Elisa Francesca Roselli of Guest of ProXad - France
wrote:
I have never seen cycling shorts in my size. I will have a look in
the
UK before I head out to the Netherlands, or indeed try within the
Netherlands which must have its quotient of fat ladies who cycle.
Apparently there is no such animal in France, apart from myself.

The UK large ladies who cycle contingent on this news group snap up
the
bargain XXL padded cycling shorts from Aldi when they have cycling
gear
twice a year. No idea when it's time for that to come round again,
but the
odds are not soon enough for your trip.

Steph
Fat bird on a bike

I'm guessing it shouldn't be long now, last one was late September

"Elisa Francesca Roselli" wrote in message
...
JLB a écrit :
Elisa Francesca Roselli wrote:

I'd be inclined to go for it. On flat terrain 50km a day will probably
be 3 hours (easy touring speed) to 4 hours (a very gentle pace) of
cycling. If you have a saddle you are comfortable with, you'll be fine.
If you have *any* doubt about the saddle, use padded cycling shorts.
Take some anyway, just in case.

What I'm taking with me is my whole bike. The tour company does provide
a Dutch style bike, but since it is unfamiliar I'm unwilling to trust
that we will get on. I managed my 28 kms on the bike that I plan to
take. I can deal with the saddle, which is suspended. I'm not sure what
will happen, to me or to the frail folding Dahon loaded beyond its
capacity that it is, over those distances, however.

I have never seen cycling shorts in my size. I will have a look in the
UK before I head out to the Netherlands, or indeed try within the
Netherlands which must have its quotient of fat ladies who cycle.
Apparently there is no such animal in France, apart from myself.

EFR
Ile de France


You might try the baggy "mtb" type of padded shorts. if you can't find a
women's, you can try a men's.
http://www.gbcycles.co.uk/eshop.asp?...1&desc=SPECIAL
IZED+ENDURO+SHORTS

Cathy Kearns a écrit :

So, if you want a more challenging type vacation, where you
come home with stories of grit and distances conquered go
for the longer distances. You will come out of it feeling good
about yourself. If you are looking for a relaxing, site seeing
type trip with enough exercise to allow some splurging at
dinner, go for the original trip.

That's pretty much my reckoning. I think 25-30 km a day is already an
enormous challenge for me, far more than I have ever done in my life,
and my goal is to enjoy myself, my group and the Netherlands. I don't
believe in Stakhanovite vacations.

I've more or less decided to remit the whole tour to another session of
the Comfort trip, in early June. I lose the train fare, but it works out
better personally, professionally and astrologically.

EFR
Ile de France

Fri, 11 Mar 2005 15:26:01 +0100,
, Elisa Francesca Roselli
concluded:
\snip

I've more or less decided to remit the whole tour to another session of
the Comfort trip, in early June. I lose the train fare, but it works out
better personally, professionally and astrologically.

But you miss the tulip bloom.
--
zk