I did say last year after doing lejog that I would never do anything like this again for a very long time if ever but I have to admit... I miss the planning & excitement of these things. So this years challenge is London to Paris and back.
On Sunday the 9th July I plan on riding from Trafalgar Square in London to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and then back again.
The first leg from London to Newhaven for the ferry is around 60 miles and the longer bit from Dieppe to Paris is around 100 miles.
I will be doing it just like last year unaided and on my own. I am heading down to see my favourite band U2 on Saturday 8th July at Twickenham and the next day my rucksack will be stored at left luggage in Charing Cross and I aim to start around 6 pm on the 9th July. It will be just me and my bike with spare inner tubes, phone charger, passport and as much food stuffed in my pockets as I can carry !!!
I will be doing it just like last year unaided and on my own. I am heading down to see my favourite band U2 on Saturday 8th July at Twickenham and the next day my rucksack will be stored at left luggage in Charing Cross and I aim to start around 6 pm on the 9th July. It will be just me and my bike with spare inner tubes, phone charger, passport and as much food stuffed in my pockets as I can carry !!!
I could not find any info online of this being done much. I would love to help anyone wanting to do this in future so I have registered a domain www.L2P2L.com where I will load all the info I've learned and anything worthwhile like the bike set-up, route, food, warnings, etc when it is complete.
If anyone wants to do it in as fast a time as possible you have to adhere to the ferry check in procedures and they say I have to be there at least 45 minutes before departure so I am guessing a set off time in London of 6 pm would be safe. If you felt confident of getting out of London and down to the coast in a quick 60 mile blast then I guess someone could leave it as late as 7 PM but I think I will play it safe. The Newhaven-Dieppe ferry sets sail at 11:00 pm with a 5 hour duration and 1 hour added as you cross a time zone into France so I arrive at 5 am...
I have paid a bit more for a cabin going to France to get some decent rest. It is an overnight sail. This ferry is the only thing I have had to pay for so it is a luxury worth upgrading on. Coming back will be find a seat, put my earplugs in and try to sleep a bit but after 260 miles I hope to nod off quite easily.
This is the ferry schedule which dictates when to start......
I have paid a bit more for a cabin going to France to get some decent rest. It is an overnight sail. This ferry is the only thing I have had to pay for so it is a luxury worth upgrading on. Coming back will be find a seat, put my earplugs in and try to sleep a bit but after 260 miles I hope to nod off quite easily.
This is the ferry schedule which dictates when to start......
When I get into France early on the 10th July I will use Avenue Verte for some of the trip which is a cycle path which starts about 5 miles from Dieppe and heads inland towards the French capital. It is laid on top of an old railway line so is flat, smooth and as straight as it can be. Perfect.
This link shows you some of the route, I will not be doing the whole of this cycle path, just 25 miles of it from Dieppe to Forges Les Eaux.... https://avenuevertelondonparis.co.uk/
If anyone wants to donate I am raising money for Nightingale House Hospice in Wrexham. In memory of our close friends father Norman Land.
