Day 01; Pontorson

It is always a pleasing, almost unexpected surprise when I find myself bedding down on the first night of an adventure, as if all the logistical work in arranging the trip was just a theoretical activity that was never really meant to become a reality. Once underway the novelty soon wears off and the days of breaking camp, cycling, exploring and finding the next pitch becomes the norm; you immediately adopt a new rhythm for daily life. For now I luxuriate in the joyous feeling of a journey commencing and the faint but very real relief that I have arrived having navigated underground, train, ferry and cycling on the wrong side of the road. Working out routes can be onerous and my strategy for this trip was to use Komoot for navigation hooked up to bone conducting headphones and the actual .gpx files were bought for a modest fee from https://myfranceenvelo.uk/shop/; my version of Satnav for cyclists.  

Leaving London yesterday by underground and train was easy though I felt more relaxed when actually cycling between my stations especially as the Farringdon to Waterloo route includes the CS6 cycle way making life safe. 

The South Western Railway services have excellent provision for bikes including at least one dedicated area sufficient for three bikes and straps to secure your machine. The side benefit of this arrangement is that you get to sit with fellow cyclists and compare cycling notes. My companion was on his way to a 3-day tour on the Isle of Wight and was kitted out with a gravel bike and assorted bags attached in the modern bike-packing manner. He said he wasn't brave enough to tackle a 30-day tour; later on the ferry I met someone who had done a 300-day round the world cycle tour which was very humbling. 

Arriving in Portsmouth far too early gave me time to bask in the sun and watch life pass by. This included a traditional chimney sweep dressed in black with waistcoat and a pocket watch on a chain. I am guessing he had just come from providing his services at a wedding with his small, clean hessian sack clearly labelled "SOOT". Last year when I had checked in at the ferry terminal I toughed it out in the bike shed trying to dry out. This time I locked my bike and made use of the smart new terminal building.

Today, I managed to escape the ferry quickly and the day was mostly a repeat of last year's first day as I headed up the coast towards Mont St Michel. Oysters at Cancale just had to be had and rather than a photo of the oyster market I made use of low tide to show the oyster beds.

I learnt today that whoever worked out the route favoured a bit of off-road which doesn't work when it's damp and you have a fully loaded bike. I'll watch out for those detours in the weeks to come.

Though I am mostly camping and haven't booked much, today is a Chambres d'Hotes as the campsites near Mont St Michel are pricey. After 40 miles of fairly continuous cycling I crashed out (not literally) in Pontorson waiting for my accommodation to open, and was gripped by leg cramps; left inner thigh and right hamstring simultaneously probably due to not drinking enough. 

Not too many photos but I include these to emphasise the benefit of cycling; it let's you stop and see. 

My host for the night only spoke French but as I have experienced in other trips she kept it simple and slow (just like me) so we were able to chat and that got my French confidence back.

Having recently visited Istanbul my choice of eating establishment chose itself. 

Then onto more prosaic matters I decided it was time to start filling my panniers with camping provisions especially as tomorrow is Monday when everything closes; as it ought to have been on a Sunday night. This is pretty much my daily menu for the month with some minor variation and vegetables thrown in.

I have called this adventure "A Hopeful Journey" though perhaps that is getting close to being a tautology like "a sabbatical holiday". All journeys carry with them a sense of hope, a feeling of expectation, desire and anticipation of good things to come even if we don't know what those good things are. It is in the nature of hope and hopefulness that there is a high degree of vagueness; we hope that someone has a good trip without defining what constitutes a good trip. Despite the title I am unsure of my hopes for this journey though it is hope that carried me through the tortuous planning process and it will be hope that will bolster my resolve to get to the top of Mont Ventoux and - as NASA would say - safely back down again. Though scratch that, it will be fear that guides my descent of Mont Ventoux which might explain why we talk of hopes and fears; hope the positive to the negativity of fear. This is a rather long way of saying that you can't write a list of hopes and if you did it would turn out to be better described as a list of wishes, to-do-tasks, items to buy/eat/drink. The only thing we know for sure is that hope is a positive force.

That said, hope was included in Pandora's Box which contained the evils of the world so I am now wishing (not hoping) I hadn't started this conversation with myself. 

Resources

Finding the right approach to cycle touring can be tricky until you have gained some pedalling experience. Fast roads, off-road, a weekend, six months, daily distances, hills, gradients, total daily ascent, trailer, panniers, bike-packing, hotels, deluxe camping, wild camping, remoteness, cities, history, scenery, food, wine, culture, established routes, DIY routes. 

Cycle touring means constructing your own mini-world, one in which you use your own transport and carry your own belongings. Do you go the credit card lightweight tourer route or fully loaded comfort with solar panels and a chair. Solo, couple, group, self-supported, supported. There are lots of decisions to make even before you get to the question of equipment and of course the all important bike. Budget is always a consideration and will need to be considered early on in your planning though I would say that a good place to start is with your vision. The vision for a cycle tour is a statement of what your tour will look like, how it will feel, and what the experiences are likely to be. This is quite difficult. My first cycle tour was in 1981 when I was 16. The cheap bike I aquired only just made it home and my kit consisted of whatever was in the drawer. I still have a scar from crashing on a steep descent in heavy rain. This was a time when youth hostels in the UK still operated as affordable youth accommodation. 

A lesson learnt from my more recent cycle tours is that you cannot rely on a single source of information; accommodation is the most obvious example where you might want to use a variety of methods to find a bed for the night especially when camping. With that in mind here are some web sites to get us started and I start with the co-author of the book I am using for this tour.

http://www.hannahmreynolds.com/what-we-do

The Cycle Touring Festival provides huge amounts of information and runs an annual festival of talks. It's a great way to get inspiration for tours you might want to do whether  in Norfolk or Mongolia.

https://cycletouringfestival.co.uk

There are lots of sites by individuals sharing their extensive experience on tour routes, bikes, and equipment.

https://wraggemorleycycles.com

https://www.cycletourer.co.uk

https://www.cycletouring.org/index.php

https://cyclingeurope.org

https://www.youtube.com/andrewpsykes

Some sites just like to talk about cycling and offer up book reviews, ideas, inspiration and insight. 

https://www.thewashingmachinepost.net/

Personal blogs can provide good insight into the considerations that go into planning a tour including information on the environment, sustainability and biodiversity. 

https://www.davestravelpages.com/cycling-across-europe.html

https://www.annacycles.co.uk/

https://www.outdoorphilosophy.co.uk

France is easy to get to by ferry from the UK and this site includes alot of practical information specific to that country.

https://www.freewheelingfrance.com

https://www.sncf-reseau.com/sites/default/files/2019-04/MEP_POSTER_avril2019_POUR_LE_WEB.PDF

Looking at Europe more generally the Eurovelo routes are a good start whether you do a whole route or link together segments. 

https://en.eurovelo.com/

Belgium has a strong cycling culture and a number of cycle routes.

https://www.flandersbybike.com/flanders-route 

These two UK focused organisations can help with the practical aspects and also provide standard routes.

https://www.cyclinguk.org

https://www.sustrans.org.uk

Cycling lends itself to traveling in an environmentally friendly way where the big win is to avoid flying. The site includes lots of great advice and links for the touring cyclist.

https://flightfree.co.uk/ 

https://flightfree.co.uk/post/how-to-travel-on-a-budget/

If food or wine is your thing then you can use the ratings provided by Google Maps, an online source, or your preferred food writer.

https://guide.michelin.com/en

https://felicitycloake.com/about/

Find something that inspires you or might provide a basis for building a tour. Here is an example if you wanted to enjoy your cycling trip with a non-cycling train enthusiast. 

https://globetrottergirls.com/exploring-france-by-train-our-top-five-train-rides-in-france/

Finally, if you want to post photos and messages to let family know you are safe - and hopefully having a great time - then there are many blogging sites including the easy to use Blogger and some adventure focussed ones which plot your location and journey such as Find Penguins and Polar Steps.

https://www.blogger.com/about/

https://findpenguins.com/

https://www.polarsteps.com/

It's one thing having the toolbox, the bag of tricks, but at the end of the day you need to practice. Due to a shortage of punctures I realise I've never had to remove either of my (newish) bike's wheels so I resolve to practice this as the new skewers use a hex bolt and I naively didn't know if I needed one or two hex (allen) keys to remove the wheels. One as it turns out. I also managed to review the bike storage on my South Western train while travelling on one; they include straps to restrain your bike.

Using public transport with your bike is required and these sites provide a good starting point though the main recommendation is to check with the provider you are planning to use before booking.

• Flying; Cycling UK has great advice on flying and recommend using a simple heavy duty plastic bag as the luggage handlers can see what they are dealing with. Using a lightweight duffle bag is an option for stashing your panniers or bike-packing bags in a single bag to go in the hold. It's the rear derailleur hanger that can get bent so removing that and taping it to the bike is an option.
• Trains; The Man In Seat 61 covers all things trains and includes cycle information. Judicious  use of trains can enhance a tour though you do need to do your research where bikes are concerned. My top tip would be to build in contingency in case there are train strikes, cancellations, missed trains or the guard does not let you on the train. Some sleeper trains such as Nice to Paris cater for bikes though you need to book your bike.
• Ferries; Free Wheeling France has articles on the use of given routes though again check with your chosen provider.
• Bus/Coach; European Bike Express will get you from the UK to France or Spain. Although they have limited routes they stop at many locations so it is easy to plan a tour around the bus. The big selling point is that you wheel up to the bus stop, turn your handlebars through ninety degrees and they load your bike on a trailer with you in the coach. I haven't used them but suspect you need to book early. Flixbus is another option when in Europe.

For overnight accommodation you might want to think about whether the accommodation dictates the route or vice versa; though it may well be a trade off between price and convenience. As well as AirBnB, Booking.com, hotel chains and various campsite listings using Google Maps is an option if you want to stay on your route. There are two interesting options:

• Warm Showers is a reciprocal hosting option for cycle touring though with limited options this will dictate your route
• Camp In My Garden or CampSpace as it is now called allows you to camp on someone's lawn or small campsite. This could be a good way to meet people if you choose wisely though now it appears to be a campsite directory 
• Welcome To My Garden is a useful site for camping where you get access to water, a toilet and maybe a shower. 

Cycle touring as a discipline has many sources of information.

• Crazy Guy On A Bike is full of information and links
• Adventure Cycling Association is included here as an example of the information and support available.
• Thighs of Steel is a group who, as the name suggests, go in for big challenges. I mention this as an example of the types of organisation that exist. My thighs of firmly set jelly would not qualify.

I haven't mentioned the commercial offerings but there are many companies that offer supported cycle tours and these will come up all too quickly in internet searches.

Some travelling with a bike quick cheats as an indication of the things you need to think about. Though these focus on bikes on planes from the UK taking the ferry to Europe is easy and benefits from a much lower carbon footprint.

• Plastic bag for bikes on a plane
• Lots and lots of zip ties and the means to snip them off
• Optimus Polaris multi-fuel stove when maximum flexibility is required
• The MSR Hubba Hubba tent is popular (as of 2023); think about using a free standing tent
• No mudguards on a plane as they will get bent and some makeshift ones made from plastic milk carton or similar 
• MSR folding chopping board for the gourmands 
• Go for 22 front chainring and 46 rear cassette if tackling tough terrain; I go 34 and 34 on tarmac which is enough for France's 10% maximum gradients 
• A bike stand can be useful especially if you like to jump off the bike for photos regularly
• A chair is a must have for some such as the Helix chair
• Pipe lagging can help protect your bike in transit if you are flying 
• Dummy hubs can protect the forks and chain stay when removing wheels for transit
• Disc brake inserts can stop pads and pistons popping out especially if you lock the brakes on with a cable tie
• Brake lever elastic so you can fix your brakes on; a sort of parking mode 

If its the sport you are interested in then the cycling press is there. 

https://bikeraceinfo.com/index.html has good reference information 

The pre-start

On the 29th of April 2023 I travel to Saint Malo to cycle the classic Channel to Mediterranean adventure. There are many classic cycle routes such as the well defined Eurovelo routes and less defined challenges such as Channel to Mediterranean or Atlantic to Black Sea. For the Channel to Mediterranean tour you can start and finish anywhere and take any route though I'll be using a pre-mapped one from the excellent book, France En Velo.

I will take the train and ferry to arrive at the start (Saint Malo), cycle for 30 days to arrive in Nice, return on the Nice to Paris overnight train, cycle from Paris to Dieppe, then it is a ferry and a train home. There are some obstacles along the way such as hitting the time slots for bikes on UK trains, avoiding French train strikes and having the strength and endurance to tackle Mont Ventoux in Provence then more climbing before getting to Nice where I meet my wife Mayuri; so I can't be late. The route is 1,000 miles and cuts South-South-East out of Saint Malo then curves East when you hit the Lot valley allowing you to wriggle through the French highlands (the Massif Central) without too much climbing. I'll recycle my kit list from a previous French cycle tour which means 16Kg plus 1Kg for the hefty but well executed guidebook. Though I mention climbing as something to be avoided I actually like hills, just not with 17Kg of kit on a bike built for touring. My target maximum daily distance is 40 miles and this drops to a 35 mile average when taking my single rest day and shorter days into account. That is 30 days to get down to Nice and 4 days for the Paris to Dieppe leg.

I have talked about cycling, France and the French in earlier blogs so I will endeavour not to repeat myself. In place of the cycling in France theme my aim is to talk about 'hope' as hinted at by the blog title and we'll just have to see where that goes. There will of course be lots of photos and updates on my journey posted each night.

If you haven't seen my other trips do look, simply click on 'View my complete profile'. Also, if you want notifications you can go to this blog's home page where there is a subscribe facility just under the Home link at saintmalotonice.blogspot.com

You will have heard of Pandora's box and that it comes from Greek Mythology. The box was actually a large storage jar of the kind you might imagine the ancient Greeks having and Pandora was given the 'box' by one of the gods as part of a broader punishment on the relatively newly created mankind. It was an odd gift from the start as she was under strict instructions never to open it. Never, ever, under any circumstances. It goes without saying that with those instructions she did eventually open the box and out flew the evils of the world. Quickly realising her mistake she slammed the lid shut but only managed to contain one last remaining evil. That evil was hope. Given my travel plans I will be hoping everything goes well on a daily basis and that should give me time to ponder the mysterious world of hope, and especially, why hope was in Pandora's box of evils?