Pan Eurpoean Tour

[Jossdickie]

A new friend of mine has given me a challenge - to cycle tour from Paris to Milan through the Alps this late Summer - a distance of only 528.5 miles!

I used to cycle tour in my teens but as someone in his early 50's I regard myself pretty much as a fresher to it, so have joined a gym and will take up the offer of being provided with a work-out plan as I certainly need to get in shape for such a fantastic journey.

An ex-army friend who is really into bikes advises me that to save money buy a bike that has a good frame and wheels, then I can change the breaks for better ones. I am reasonably adept at cycle maintained after doing my own on various bikes as a teenager plus am good at figuring out how things work to be able to fix them.

He also said get out into North Wales and The Pennines to practise hill cycling.

Although I have not committed to, my friend to do the tour, to be honest I am going to do it regardless as I am really excited about the amazing breath taking scenery and views that there will be.

This seems like a once in a life time opportunity to see some great countries in Europe at our pace in a relatively inexpensive way, while cycling and being in the great outdoors.

I seriously, can't wait!!

If you have any advice, suggestions, ideas or comments they would be greatly appreciated as Cycle Touring, like the route of the planned Pan European Tour, is unexplored territory!

[whoof]

The best way to get in shape for riding a bike is riding a bike. . You done say if you are staying in hotels or camping whichever it is don't take too much stuff. If you search on here you will get lots of advice regarding what to take. Get a bike with low gears the Alps are not steep but the climbs are long and it's better to have a really low gear and not need it than be struggling or even walking up a climb for want of a lower gear. What gear exactly depends on your fitness, weigh, how much stuff you carry and how many mountains you do in a day but I would suggest that the starting point is a triple chainset or possible one of these super compact doubles 42/26 etc.

By the way it's not a once in a lifetime opportunity you can always go back and do it again and again or other routes such as the Pyrenees.

[nirakaro]

If you can ride 30-40 flattish miles, two or three days running, you’re fit enough to set off. The ride from Paris to the Alps will get you fit enough for one long climb, as long as a) you have low enough gears, and b) you take your time. First time I rode over the Alps I was 58, and a lot more nervous than I needed to be!

[simonhill]

I agree that the best way to get ready for cycle touring is by riding a bike. A lot of touring is the ability to sit on a bike for a few hours day after day. Try to ride daily rather than one big long one at the weekend.

Also save money from gym for buying better equipment.

The getting fit is only a small part of it. You have a lot more planning to do:

Route and how you will follow it, ie map or GPS, etc.
Accommodation and gear if camping
Bike
To and from start and finish, how?
Etc, etc.

Also, you don't say how long you want to spend doing it. Three weeks is pretty easy, one week and very tough.

I'm sure you will get a lot more advice, but one way of working out what you need is to spend a while thinking in detail about how you will do the trip from start to finish. It's a lot more than just cycling.

Go and enjoy.

[ossie]

Are you doing it fully loaded ...panniers, a tent etc like us 'proper tourers'

As stated just get out and ride and when it comes to your 'chariot' concentrate on having a strong rear wheel, low gearing to get up those Cols and take a load of Nurofen plus for your knees and something for your sore a rse...ie sudocreme

best of luck

[Sweep]

+1 for not spending money on gym and spending it on bike/kit.

[MrsHJ]

My first trip was also a cycle across France- I flew down to Nice with some friends and cycled back (and didn't make it all the way). It was a shock to the system- I had no bike specfic clothes other than a pair of cycle shorts and none of the specialist kit. I didn't know how to cycle long distances (and ended up with painful knees due to too low a saddle) and had no idea that the bike would weigh the same as a hod of bricks with panniers on (this I learnt whilst still in Nice). I hated it (hitting the mountains behind Nice was agony and I refused to cycle over Mount Ventoux- although I went back a few years later in great form and shot up it) and I loved it (seeing the Gorges of Verdun, feeling the wind in my hair). We camped and I learnt my sleeping bag was too heavy and not warm enough (one night on the massif central when we wild camped and it was heading down to freezing) and my rack fell off on the way into Le Puy and we fell about laughing and then watched hoopoes flying above us. Every time we came to a bakery we crowded around in awe (as we never had the right food with us- I eventually took over food planning as it was so likely we'd end up hungry- we camped the whole trip and ate in a restaurant once ), map planning was done almost on junction by junctions basis until we took the major leap forward of highlighting the planned route for the day in the morning and then just followin it.

I now have lightweight camping gear, spd pedals and shoes and specialist lightweight clothing, gps, a well set up bike etc. I also take a book with me for the "me space" I need and run the days to suit me better with early starts and early finishes rather than cycling into the dark as we did on that first trip. It still bloody hurts sometimes but the memories of the routes I've done are ingrained on my inner eye.

Break it down in to chunks of say 50 miles - this would be my classic daily distance as a mid range tourist (and if that's too much then do chunks of 30 miles, too little then chunks of 75 miles or whatever). When I'm really unsure I draw a line from start point to end destination on the map and vary it slightly to get to bits I'm interested in and I aim to use the yellow roads (on michelin map) most of the way through France.

Get a map, get on your bike and go. Don't over analyse it. People here have kit lists if you need some guidance on what to take but DON'T overpack- there are bike shops all over France etc.

Are you camping or hotelling?

[Sweep]

Loved your post about your first trip mrsh.

Got to ask, how old were you.

[MrsHJ]

Loved your post about your first trip mrsh.

Got to ask, how old were you.

25/26 - still very much in student mode although I'd just finished my 4 yr professional qualifications. My friends were doing their Phds. I think my furthest cycle ride at that point was 15 miles and I was pretty unfit- then one day on that trip we did about 80 miles through Provence with camping kit etc. I think it changed me that trip even though it's very modest compared to what many here do.

Next year we flew down to Toulouse and toured the Pyrenees (lots of good stories on that trip!).