Euro-newbie seeks suggestions

So this year, as I contemplate my annual long bike ride, I am also
planning a business trip, and I realized I could combine both. But
there are logistical questions I've never faced before so I turn
to the assembled pros for help.

I do long rides -- last year was Philadelphia to (Truro) Nova Scotia;
typical pace has been 150 km/day, for a week or two. I'm open to any ride
that's "interesting".

My business travel will force me to change planes in Europe, probably
London. I had planned to do my long ride before the business trip, but
then I realized I could fly to Europe early, ride there, and then
continue my business trip. I've never ridden in Europe before, so
any ride there would be new and interesting.

But there are tricky things to figure out.

1. Any suggestions for what I could do with my work supplies for a
week while riding? For example, are there secure lockers in Heathrow?

2a. If I bring my own bike, how much would I pay (ballpark) to ship
it back to the US after riding? Or is there a place I could safely park it
until I return to an airport a couple of weeks later, en route to the US?
I like my own bike (Giant OCR 1) but it starts to look like schlepping it
back and forth across the ocean will be a lot of trouble; hence ..

2b. Are there places where one could rent a good road bike for a week or two?

3. A potential itinerary would have me fly through London but ride from,
say, Paris to Warsaw. I'm just assuming there is a provision to put a bike
on the train through the Channel Tunnel?

At this point, the whole trip is just a (crazy?) idea, and in particular
I have no real itinerary. I'm open to suggestions. I could do 1000 km or so.
Great scenery would be a plus; and I would probably avoid large cities.
I'm hoping there would be good-quality roads without too much traffic.
I can handle hills just fine (I crossed Pennsylvania), but would likely
be undone by a major Alpine route. The ability to throw up a tent
sometimes would be great, but hostels and cheap hotels are also welcome.
I can stumble along in a lot of the likely languages, though there's
no question that a route in Britain would simplify that aspect a lot.

I would be very interested in hearing about the surprises that experienced
American riders had when they first rode in Europe -- what "obvious" facts of
long-distance bicycling had to be revised? (e.g. "I couldn't find Gatorade")

Of course if the dollar keeps sliding, I may simply have to stay in the
States this year...

dave

Get a folding bike and put in wheeled suitcase and take it everywhere
http://mavandjen.blogspot.com/2007/0...in_a_Suitcase/
Here is a folding bike forum
http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=221

go see the www.bikefriday.com website. What you do is buy the bike and its
suitcase. You take your clothes in a duffel bag. Once you get where you're
going, you unfold the bike and throw your duffel into the suitcase which
turns into a trailer with wheels. It's a well-built, durable bike and the
trailer idea really works. I rode all over Ireland two years ago with this
setup. When you get to a pub for lunch, you lock the bike and trailer to a
post--no worries about someone stealing your panniers. And you can take the
suitcase into your hotel room. Meanwhile, the airlines do not charge extra
for the bike because it is in a regular-sized Samsonite suitcase.

Dave Rusin wrote:
So this year, as I contemplate my annual long bike ride, I am also
planning a business trip, and I realized I could combine both. But
there are logistical questions I've never faced before so I turn
to the assembled pros for help.

I do long rides -- last year was Philadelphia to (Truro) Nova Scotia;
typical pace has been 150 km/day, for a week or two. I'm open to any ride
that's "interesting".

My business travel will force me to change planes in Europe, probably
London. I had planned to do my long ride before the business trip, but
then I realized I could fly to Europe early, ride there, and then
continue my business trip. I've never ridden in Europe before, so
any ride there would be new and interesting.

But there are tricky things to figure out.

1. Any suggestions for what I could do with my work supplies for a
week while riding? For example, are there secure lockers in Heathrow?


I'm not totally following you here. Where do you need to be for business
..... and are you riding there? What airport(s) are you coming in to and
leaving from? Where are you riding to and from? Hopefully, without me
actually having to know, you'll understand the concept I'm presenting.
When you arrive (in London? - wherever?) get a room some where. Ask to
leave your work supplies there until you return to spend another night
(or more nights) after your bike trip. Do the same with your bike.
Hotel's (even Inn's and B&B's) with storage space are often happy to
accommodate you when you are going to be return business.

2a. If I bring my own bike, how much would I pay (ballpark) to ship
it back to the US after riding?

On most European carriers it will cost nothing. A boxed bike will be
considered one of your two checked bags. It's mostly the US based
airlines (and all of the US based airlines, I believe) that charge what
I would guess is close to $100 each way at this point. Either way,
having your bike travel with you is convenient and a comfort.

I like my own bike (Giant OCR 1) but it starts to look like schlepping it
back and forth across the ocean will be a lot of trouble; hence ..


No more trouble than it takes to box it.

2b. Are there places where one could rent a good road bike for a week or two?


I suggest you bring your own bike. You're suited to it.

3. A potential itinerary would have me fly through London but ride from,
say, Paris to Warsaw. I'm just assuming there is a provision to put a bike
on the train through the Channel Tunnel?


I don't know that one, but there must be.

At this point, the whole trip is just a (crazy?) idea,

It's brilliant.

.... I can stumble along in a lot of the likely languages,

And that's all you'll need to do.

the surprises that experienced American riders had when they first rode in Europe --

Uhmmmmm ...... Finding a cold drink outside of a bar .... Uhhhh ..... No
Gator Ade?. Shopping hours may be restricted compared to the US.

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://www.CycleTourist.com
Nothing he's got he really needs
Twenty first century schizoid man.
***********************************

On Wed, 20 Feb 2008 22:36:22 -0700 in rec.bicycles.rides, Chuck
Anderson wrote:

3. A potential itinerary would have me fly through London but ride from,
say, Paris to Warsaw. I'm just assuming there is a provision to put a bike
on the train through the Channel Tunnel?


I don't know that one, but there must be.

The Eurostar, like the high speed French TGV trains, requires
that you pack your bike with the wheels off in a special bag
(easily purchased in Brit bike shops). That makes it difficult
to use a bike with full panniers and front and rear racks, though
it might work with a bike that has only a rear rack.

Beware of riding in Britain, because your natural tendency will
be to ride on the right instead of the left, and to turn into the
right hand lane instead of the left one when making turns. You
also need to change your habit of looking to the left for
oncoming traffic in cross roads, and instead look to the right.

I was able to store a bunch of stuff that I didn't need for my
'04 Tour de France visit at the B&B I stayed at in England, and
retrieve it on my way back to Heathrow.

For maps, Michelin issues some excellent ones, and their website
is great for planning European trips. http://www.viamichelin.com

Check the Trento Bike Pages for trip descriptions
http://www.trentobike.org/

Dave Rusin wrote:
[...]
3. A potential itinerary would have me fly through London but ride from,
say, Paris to Warsaw.
[...]

In Wasaw, Poland you should be very carefull - 80% car drivers do not
like cyclists...

Have you seen this site?:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/
There are many journals and practical info from all the world.

--

All The Best
----
"Freedom is the state of mind"

Dennis P. Harris wrote:
On Wed, 20 Feb 2008 22:36:22 -0700 in rec.bicycles.rides, Chuck
Anderson wrote:


3. A potential itinerary would have me fly through London but ride from,
say, Paris to Warsaw. I'm just assuming there is a provision to put a bike
on the train through the Channel Tunnel?


I don't know that one, but there must be.


The Eurostar, like the high speed French TGV trains, requires
that you pack your bike with the wheels off in a special bag
(easily purchased in Brit bike shops). That makes it difficult
to use a bike with full panniers and front and rear racks, though
it might work with a bike that has only a rear rack.


There is a commercial shuttle that takes bicycles through the Chunnel:
http://www.eurotunnel.com/ukcP3Main/...cketsAndFares/
Scroll down the left side to "Bicycles" (16£ - one way). Availability is
dependent on the "volume of traffic and the discretion of the shuttle
driver," .... or - it would seem - you can make a reservation.

Or you can take a ferry to the French coast for about the same price in
about an hour and a half.

Beware of riding in Britain, because your natural tendency will
be to ride on the right instead of the left,

I had no problem adjusting. I just "fit in." (That's what all the cars
are doing, too.)

But do mind the gap. ô¿Ô¬

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://www.CycleTourist.com
Nothing he's got he really needs
Twenty first century schizoid man.
***********************************

On Feb 19, 12:31*am, (Dave Rusin) wrote:
So this year, as I contemplate my annual long bike ride, I am also
planning a business trip, and I realized I could combine both. But
there are logistical questions I've never faced before so I turn
to the assembled pros for help.

I do long rides -- last year was Philadelphia to (Truro) Nova Scotia;
typical pace has been 150 km/day, for a week or two. I'm open to any ride
that's "interesting".

My business travel will force me to change planes in Europe, probably
London. I had planned to do my long ride before the business trip, but
then I realized I could fly to Europe early, ride there, and then
continue my business trip. I've never ridden in Europe before, so
any ride there would be new and interesting.

But there are tricky things to figure out.

1. Any suggestions for what I could do with my work supplies for a
week while riding? For example, are there secure lockers in Heathrow?

2a. If I bring my own bike, how much would I pay (ballpark) to ship
it back to the US after riding? Or is there a place I could safely park it
until I return to an airport a couple of weeks later, en route to the US?
I like my own bike (Giant OCR 1) but it starts to look like schlepping it
back and forth across the ocean will be a lot of trouble; hence ..

2b. Are there places where one could rent a good road bike for a week or two?

3. A potential itinerary would have me fly through London but ride from,
say, Paris to Warsaw. I'm just assuming there is a provision to put a bike
on the train through the Channel Tunnel?

At this point, the whole trip is just a (crazy?) idea, and in particular
I have no real itinerary. I'm open to suggestions. I could do 1000 km or so.
Great scenery would be a plus; and I would probably avoid large cities.
I'm hoping there would be good-quality roads without too much traffic.
I can handle hills just fine (I crossed Pennsylvania), but would likely
be undone by a major Alpine route. *The ability to throw up a tent
sometimes would be great, but hostels and cheap hotels are also welcome. *
I can stumble along in a lot of the likely languages, though there's
no question that a route in Britain would simplify that aspect a lot.

I would be very interested in hearing about the surprises that experienced
American riders had when they first rode in Europe -- what "obvious" facts of
long-distance bicycling had to be revised? (e.g. "I couldn't find Gatorade")

Of course if the dollar keeps sliding, I may simply have to stay in the
States this year...

dave

I have combined business travel - in each case a continuing legal
education seminar - with several days of bike riding, five times, for
seminars that took place in Bonn, near Rostok, Weimar, Tegernsee and
Strassbourg. Each time, I took the bike as baggage, and went straight
to the principal destination, put my bike together there, left my bike
box and baggage at the hotel/motel/bed and breakfast where I'd be
staying for the seminar, and had the bike available for local riding
during the seminar. Twice my bike didn't make the same plane
connection I did and was delivered to my place of lodging the next
day, so I rented a bike locally. On one of those occasions, my long
trip was after the seminar. On the other, I planned long weekend
trips both before and after the seminar, and on the "before" ride,
took the rented bike.