Cycling to Spain
 

My 40th is coming up, and in a discussion on Friday night 'er indoors
said that if I didn't do something else, she'd be organising a
"surprise party". You know, the kind where all the people you never
wanted to see again are dragged out of the woodwork - all very
embarrassing!

So I said - "No problem, I'll be out of the country". I must admit, I'd
had a fair few glasses of Stolichnaya at that point, so when pressed I
said I quite fancied cycling to Spain. So now I seem to be committed.

So. A few questions:
1. What to pack
2. Where to find a good route
3. Suggestions for camping/washing
4. I'm fit enough - currently cycle 22 miles/day @ 17-19 mph and run
5-10 miles several times a week. What mileage should I expect per day?
Will I get there and back in two weeks while still enjoying it?
5. Am I totally mad?

--
iakobski.

iakobski wrote:

4. I'm fit enough - currently cycle 22 miles/day @ 17-19 mph and run
5-10 miles several times a week. What mileage should I expect per day?
Will I get there and back in two weeks while still enjoying it?

If you're doing more than about 100 miles per day, you definitely won't
be enjoying it. However, unless you do that kind of mileage, you won't
be there and back in a fortnight.

If "two weeks" and "Spain" are both firm requirements, why not take a
train halfway down France and skip the northern bit? Alternatively, take
the Plymouth-Santander ferry and spend the time cycling around Spain,
rather than to it.

I did Caen to St Tropez (one way only, note!) in nine days with my
brother-in-law, averaging 80 miles per day, but there wasn't much time
for sight-seeing.

http://tranchant.plus.com/cycling/france-1996/

--
Mark.
http://tranchant.plus.com/

Fly to Bilbao, then poodle round the Picos dos Europas mountains and
along the northern coast of Spain. Very pretty and the climbs are tough
and worth doing.

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 02:09:28 -0800, iakobski wrote:

So I said - "No problem, I'll be out of the country". I must admit, I'd
had a fair few glasses of Stolichnaya at that point, so when pressed I
said I quite fancied cycling to Spain. So now I seem to be committed.

I remember reading a book from someone who walked a pilgrim's route
from Canterbury to Santiago de Compostela.

I could have got that wrong though.
Quick web search turns this up:
http://www.csj.org.uk/routes.htm
Search me if any of these can be cycled.

And the Wikipedia turns this up:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EuroVelo

That's really useful, thanks. That looks like a good starting point,
I'll get the maps out tonight - now I'm thinking of starting from
Paris, so Paris - Santiago looks interesting.

Good idea - had not thought of flying with a bike!

Going in May - what's the weather like in the mountains at that time of
year?

That's a good point - I'm not going for the feat of endurance, I'm
going for the experience.

From your reply and the others, I'm now thinking:
1. Eurostar to Paris.
Then cycle either
2a. Some variation on EuroVelo pilgrim's route to Santiago de
Compostela; or
2b. due south to Catalunya (Catalonia) then via Madrid to Asturia
Then fly back
3. Ovieda - Stansted on EasyJet for 13 Euros (plus ten quid for the
bike - the bike costs more than me and doesn't even get a seat!)

AA routefinder gives 2000 km - so probably about 2200 by the D-roads -
for either route, but the pilgrim's route gives the option of not going
all the way to Santiago and cutting it down to 1300 km.

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 05:01:32 -0800, iakobski wrote:

3. Ovieda - Stansted on EasyJet for 13 Euros (plus ten quid for the
bike - the bike costs more than me and doesn't even get a seat!)

But bikes do have seats.

Why do I have an image of a cargo aircraft with loads of clamps to keep
bikes upright whilst passengers perch?

Take it one stage further to a Belleville Rendezvous scenario and
install turbo trainers, coupled to the propellers.
Plenty of incentive there to keep up a decent pedalling rate...

"iakobski" wrote in message
oups.com...
So I said - "No problem, I'll be out of the country". I must admit, I'd
had a fair few glasses of Stolichnaya at that point, so when pressed I
said I quite fancied cycling to Spain. So now I seem to be committed.

My experience (using ferries from Portsmouth) is that it's better to get the
ferry to Spain (Bilbao) and cycle home than to cycle to Spain to catch a
ferry back. This is because:
a) ferries from Bilbao are not that frequent if you missed the planned one
b) the prevailing SW wind. This is a major factor.

Jon