Got a Garmin?

If you're a Garmin user, I've got TCX and GPX files of the route.

TCX files (Garmin Edge 705 Bike SatNav):

UK side | French side

GPX files (older Garmins):

UK side | French side

Escape Hatches

In conversations, some people mentioned shorter versions; either by design or as a back-out plan. Here's a summary of what has been mentioned or found out:

1. 1 person who lives in Brighton is thinking of meeting us in Newhaven
2. 65 miles into the French side we ride along a suburban commuter train line. It runs from Gisor to Paris St Lazare stopping about 20 times. It takes about 1.5-2 hours, costs about €12 and runs about every 90 minutes. The timetable (so I don't lose it) is here: https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.paris-gisors.com/docs/Horaires_Paris-Gisors_Samedi_Dimanche_Fetes.pdf
3. We should have car backup too.

Finalizing Route

Hi.

We're close to the details now, and I've been plotting the routes, looking on google streetview at the road surfaces etc and plotting elevation. (Total ascent hurts).

UK Part

My thinking is that we need to get out of London on a Friday afternoon as cleanly as possible. The Brighton Road allows us to part company and not really get lost and I see it in two parts: inside the M25 and outside the M25. Simplicity says that as just stick to the A23, then A22 until just before the M25. These are well posted and have a lot of bus lanes. (4-7pm is buses, taxis and bikes only). From a distance perspective, it's about 20 miles to the M25, and 40 after.

From the M25, we can be a little more adventurous and take a series of back roads that are broadly parallel to the A22 to Newhaven.

The stats for the route I've chosen are:

Total distance: 58 miles

Total ascent: 2354 ft

BikeToaster est.: 5.5 hours

French Part

We're going to be early in the morning, and there's a series of D roads that take us into Paris, following the towns: Saint-Aubin-le-Cauf, Neufchatel-en-Bray, Forges-les-Eaux, Gourneay-en-Bray, Gisors, Paris. Apart from my desire to cycle into towns when the D road bypasses them, this is plain sailing.

The stats on the French side are:

Total Distance: 106 miles

Total ascent: 2,333 ft

BikeToaster: 8.5 hours

Notice that the scale on the French chart only goes up to 600ft; compared to 900ft in the UK.

I'll have a Garmin, and can share TCX if anyone else has one and wishes to have sat nav.

Ouch, and feel better.

So I just did 65 miles with my club this morning and it f@ing hurt me. It scares me to think that I'd need to do this, then 4 hours later do a long century. If your thinking like that, then here's some consolation.

My ride with the club had a total ascent of 3,000 ft and a max rise of 2%. My ride averaged 15mph, we're only attempting to do 12mph... and the total ascent per mapmyride is only 1700ft since it was the long stretches at 21mph and the hills what done it, then a ride in the Chilterns of 65 miles in 4 hours is no way comparable to a ride from Trafalgar Sq to Newhaven in the same time.

On the French side, roads are generally better quality than in the UK, and the total ascent in the whole of the French side is only 1700ft. If we're aiming to do 110 miles in 10 hours, then the average is very low.

Deadline April 10

On April 10, we want to be able to get tickets. This is is the date when people need to confirm or otherwise.

Thanks,

Justin