I know its been a long time since i've posted on here but to be honest I didn't have too much to say, but now I do! I MADE IT TO PARIS!!!!
To those who think the above statement makes no sense, let me explain..A few months ago, the community relations officer for our company sent an email out saying that as part of the samritans charity raising we can ride from london to paris.
Initially I liked the idea and so did about 3 or 4 others in the office, then the list gradually went down to 2 then to just me.I did gradual training building up to the ride, doing from 20 mile rides up to 55 mile rides in the weeks prior to setting off. I didnt stick to any plan as such but used the training plan given by the company running the event as a guide.
I met up with a guy down in Birmingham and we both went down car full of kit and bikes to Greenwich on the 19th (tues) all was fine until we went out for something to eat, whereby the heavens opened and we got soaked going back to the hotel!
London - Dover - Calais (Day 1 - 20th June - 95 Miles approx)
We had to get up at 5am to get ready and get breakfast (albeit toast was the only hot food on offer at this time of the morning) and get our stuff down to the lobby ready for the taxi at 6am to take us to Blackheath Common (the starting line)
We were both half awake but got there in the cold morning sun.6.30am we congregated on Blackheath Common getting instructions and saying hellos to people you are about to spend the next 4 days with, and at 7am we were off towards Dover!The fist morning was ok, getting out of London suburbs was a pain as even though the road was flat it had a thousand traffic lights!
Prior to our lunch stop which was in a little village called Doddington we had a big hill to climb which was a killer since it seemed to go on forever!After a lengthy lunch (we couldn't leave until the lead vehicle had gone and it was being used as a repair truck) we left for Dover and for a while the roads were good but not fun since there was quite a headwind no matter which direction you went and it killed your speed.
Eventually at 4.05pm we arrived in Dover for the 6.30pm sailing, plenty of people arrived before me but the majority were behind since today was the day I felt in the back of my mind that we had a deadline to reach, Dover's ferry sailing. I had since found out that someone didn't follow the arrows (we follow orange arrows so we dont have to get maps out) and ended up in the middle of Kent, no mobile, no money and missed the ferry. They eventually arrived at the hotel at 1am I believe.
After we got off the ferry we had to go by convoy following the support truck to the holiday inn in coquelles which is near the big shopping centre near the Eurotunnel. This wasnt easy as it was about 5 or 6 miles from the ferry and we were all knackered!
Calais - Abbeville (Day 2 - 21st June - 75 Miles approx)
Next morning I was feeling better than I thought I would since I thought I would be aching all over but I had a cold bath the night before in an effort to shift some muscle pain away and it seemed to work!
We set off on day 2 towards Abbeville in the sunshine feeling ok but a bit daunted by what lay ahead and having to think about cycling on the right hand side from now on! The first hill was a sod since it went on for about a mile and a half and even though it wasn't steep, you felt it in your legs as you had to constantly pedal and not rest, plus the headwind made it hard work too.
Since the moment we set off from Blackheath I was unprotected from the sun and by mid-morning I was burning, so prior to the first water stop beyond Desvres I went into the pharmacy in the town to get some sun tan lotion and after sun just in case. I had asked a bunch of fellow riders to look after my kit whilst I went inside. When i came outside they had gone plus all my kit had as well, i was freaking out, then i heard giggles round the corner and found them smirking, bastards!
Following the first water stop and after a bugger of a climb out of the valley we came into another valley which seemed to go on forever and was very picturesque and at this time i relaxed and wanted to enjoy the view and hospitality of the locals (ie bar/cafe!)
After an hour or so we found a bunch of bikes outside a pub so we pulled in and ordered a nice cold Stella! It was the best drink i'd had all week, I am not a beer drinker and prefer soft drinks but this one went down like a dream! Us cyclists then chatted and mused over the ride so far then realised we had been there nearly an hour so we had to push on to lunch, which I initially thought was just down the road... oh how wrong was I, 90 mins later we turned onto this dubious farm track and thought it must have been a mistake but no lo and behold the majority of the riders had already arrived and were eating, chosing not to sample the local beer.
We then rode off towards Abbeville going through sleepy villages and hamlets, but one thing we did notice, how clean France is, no crap on the roads, houses were sparkling but also no one about! virtually no cars, people or kids (we passed the occasional school but we never saw people out walking or on bikes which was odd)
As we approached Abbeville the heavens opened for the first time and it pelted it down, a bit like thundersorm rain.. the droplets were massive!I was so glad to pull up to the Ibis in Abbeville as the rain had dampened my spirits somewhat. (and soaked my shoes!)
Day 3 - Abbeville - Beauvais (22nd June - 70 Miles)
Little did I know this day would be eventful but hey if it was easy it wouldnt be a challenge. Heading out of Abbeville on a rainy morning we went down this hill which had a roundabout at the bottom. No cars so i went through and i had to turn slightly to join the next road and the back wheel lost traction and the bike went from underneath me. I was going around 25mph so the bike went bouncing down the road and me following it on my arse! Ripped NEW JACKET!, ripped shorts, missing skin on leg/bum/arm and damaged pedal was result.
After getting up and shaking a bit from the fall, i got back on and carried on but the leg stung so i washed it out with some water i was carrying which didnt help as it was cold!5 mins later we were riding over the river Somme, which had an eerie feeling due to its history and what went on all those years ago.
Since my accident i was being a bit cautious around corners and this didnt help when many came up, i slowed down whilst others bombed around them.Today was a bit easier since the lay of the land was a bit flatter than the previous day but since the roads were flatter the headwind was stronger so pedalling was more of an effort than normal. Today was a lot colder too and it rained a lot more, so much so that we stopped in a cafe and had a coffee and a plate of chips!, the meal of champions!
After lunch we headed towards Beauvais, and about 5 miles out of town the clouds darkened again and we had a thunderstorm! It was a beast too and the lightning hit fields yards from where we were riding, the rain coming down so hard you couldnt see the road which was frightening but we couldnt stop. We pushed onto Beauvais and when we hit city limits we felt elated, however it became apparent we had another 5 miles to the hotel!!!We eventually climbed out of Beauvais and headed to the outskirts where the hotel was.. boy what a relief! Shoes/Gloves/Jacket/Clothes all hung outside to dry, in vain as it was still raining.
That night though my thighs hurt quite bad, not too painful just uncomfortable, so i was glad to see bed that night.
Day 4 - Beauvais - Paris (23rd June 70 Miles approx)
Today started pretty much like the day before with light rain and long climb out of the town. It felt good and daunting we were on the home straight but my pleasant thoughts soon ended with the mother of all climbs over the mountain, it went on for about 1.5 miles but was quite steep with many stopping for air or even walking. It wasnt for the faint hearted and many made it in one go.. nutters.
After the big hill the roads were a lot better for cycling with a good downhill for miles but the headwind made freewheeling impossible. We headed towards the last lunch stop which was on the banks of the river Seine and quite peaceful but since we had stopped at a coffee shop and helped a stricken lady with no pump or levers we had gone to the back of the pack so we made an effort to get down to Paris so lunch was short lived and we headed through endless streets in the rain towards Paris.
We headed through what seemed like endless streets and the roads became more urban and we saw for the first time the sign for PARIS! After a good hour or so cycling through minor roads we saw the Seine and cycled alongside it for what seemed like ages but followed the route to Clichy. The parisien traffic was mental and we managed it only to stop again at another bar for a quick drink which became an hour of chilling out watching the sights (ie french women! 1 mile later we arrived at the parc prior to the arc de triomphe and got our t-shirts and got instructions on what to do do get to the tower.
After 30 mins we headed out as one through the cobbled streets up to the arc with the infamous roundabout! Managed this with ... ease.. ;) then down the champs elysses and down towards the river then cut back to the tower which was a massive achievement in itself! One or two got punctures yards from the tower which was quite amusing for me but upsetting for them, the irony of it all. After the usual photographs and one of me holding my bike above my head in front of the tower, we headed off towards the hotel which was the Novotel down the road from the tower.
After stopping here, we then realised we wouldn't be riding the bikes again on this trip which felt quite empty since we had been with the bikes constantly for the last 4 days. We then had to wait for our luggage then check in then up 20 floors to our room, and finally get rid of the grubby cycling gear and have a shower!
That evening we had a celbration meal which was stunning and the traditional speaches of which one by Gudrun (one of the support crew) got a bit bolshy and was telling rude jokes! Which wasnt so bad but we hadn't heard a peep out of her until now!
After dinner we went out to the local bar and got the celebratory bottle of champagne! (60 euros!) so we bought 2 between 4 of us... when in paris ;)
The next morning we had some cooked breakfast (well the others seemed to think i had a whole pig on my plate) we went out for the day in paris, muscles aching so we were walking a bit funny and knackered but odd without cycling kit on or bikes in sight. A boat tour down the seine and then some lunch it was time to head back to the hotel to get our luggage and taxi to Gare du Nord for the Eurostar.
Sad as it may seem I had never been to Paris nor had I been on the Eurostar so the ending was just as good as the ride in some respect (new experiences all the time). Gare Du Nord was huge and we couldn't find the way to the train so eventually we asked and it seemed you had to go up an escalator to get it? (turns out you have to go in a secured area, bit like an airport security and departure lounge since we are going into a different country, which felt odd for a train station.
Sitting on the train you didn't feel it move except for going around corners as it was so quiet and smooth. The funny thing was, that it took us 3 days cycling to get from Calais to Paris but the Eurostar took 1hr 20mins from Paris to the tunnel entrance! We left France in lovely weather and entered a very wet Kent. We were told its nigh on 3hr journey, little did we know the majority of it was on the shortest leg between Folkestone and Waterloo, since it cannot go as fast as it can in France, it was boring by comparison!
After disembarking from Waterloo, Ian and I had to get a train from Waterloo East to get to Greenwich (more luggage lugging!) then get a cab to the hotel, my god how much public transport would we be using today eh! We got our car then headed back to the start line outside the Clarendon Hotel in Blackheath to get our bikes, luckily they were there and in good nick considering they'd been transported in a luton van from paris.
Finally leaving London we headed home, via South Mimms for an Angus burger ;)
I then fell asleep and work up in Birmingham to pick up my car and go home.
Getting home at 2am on Monday morning, I was knackered but buzzing from an amazing and unforgettable experience!
Pictures of my adventure are found here:
