MooN Posted May 21, 2020 Share Posted May 21, 2020 i have a "medium to long term project" on the go which has been motivated by a number of people from the club here ( we're no longer oficially a club) begging me to organise a bike trip to the uk. it's still in the primary planning stages and obviously all depends on such variables as covid, post brexit regs, funding etc etc so I'm still at the stage where I'm looking for info. scenery and decent biking roads is what were looking for we'll be 4 or 5 bikes, well used to riding together. if all goes according to plan there'll be 2 of us speaking fluent engrish and 4 or 6 having no clue. it's basically going to take a day riding each way to and from the UK. If we had 3 days in the uk, where should we ride? my fave places are all too far to ride comfortably ( north yorkshire moors, Lakedistrict, scoland) so I'm trying to find some southern england riding but I don't know the area between london and the south coast at all so any suggestions sould be welcome from people who know the area... I thought something like: hastings, brighton, Bath. day 2 bristol, the cotswolds ( castle combe, stroud, stow on the wold, moreton in marsh) stratford on avon, Banbury, chipping Norton and finishing in or near Witney cos my family live there. following day witney, south of oxford, central London ( are bikes exempt of congestion charge?) and back to folkstone, pushing on down to Arras for the night. any must doo roads or must see thingys around that sort of route? Ta south downs national park? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted May 21, 2020 Share Posted May 21, 2020 There's a glaring omission there @MooN I don't think this image has ever been more fitting! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedro Posted May 21, 2020 Share Posted May 21, 2020 I've never been to wales, but "hard blokes" could have two meanings! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MooN Posted May 21, 2020 Author Share Posted May 21, 2020 Just now, XTreme said: There's a glaring omission there @MooN I don't think this image has ever been more fitting! please don't think I didn't think about welsh whales, but the really pretty bits that I know are just that bit too far to e a comfortable ride and fit in the timescale. ( and going from Burgundian civilisation to Swansea would be too much of a culture shock...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted May 21, 2020 Share Posted May 21, 2020 They'd love this culture Chris....... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MooN Posted May 21, 2020 Author Share Posted May 21, 2020 I rest my case... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catteeclan Posted May 22, 2020 Share Posted May 22, 2020 Me and Mandi were riding to Bath to see the daughter when she was at uni. We took her and my son down to Cheddar Gorge on the bikes on the back roads. Well worth a look. Bet @boboneleg could point you in the right direction. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted May 22, 2020 Share Posted May 22, 2020 11 hours ago, XTreme said: There's a glaring omission there @MooN I don't think this image has ever been more fitting! and the bridge is free now 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted May 22, 2020 Share Posted May 22, 2020 Your plan sounds doable Chris although I've no idea why you want to go to Brighton, it's just full of queers standing around on the beach with thongs on . Cheddar gorge is nice but might be a bit of a let down compared with the Gorge du Tarn, Verdon etc I would be more than happy to guide you around the Cotswolds and Bath. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted May 22, 2020 Share Posted May 22, 2020 13 minutes ago, boboneleg said: I've no idea why you want to go to Brighton, it's just full of queers standing around on the beach with thongs on . Doesn't want to go to Wales but he's well up for hanging round Gay beaches! There's a word for people like that.......I think @Buckster can shed some light on this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tym Posted May 22, 2020 Share Posted May 22, 2020 I thought Brexit meant no more French were alowed in Britain anymore.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renegade Posted May 22, 2020 Share Posted May 22, 2020 1 hour ago, boboneleg said: and the bridge is free now Bikes have been free to cross the Severn bridge for years. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckster Posted May 22, 2020 Share Posted May 22, 2020 6 hours ago, XTreme said: Doesn't want to go to Wales but he's well up for hanging round Gay beaches! There's a word for people like that.......I think @Buckster can shed some light on this! He has been in France too long. There are a number of words that come to mind but "pufta", "boner biter" and "turd burglar" are not PC anymore so let's not blacken the name of our old friend (and indeed the friend of any guy who winks at him in a public lavatory), Moon, the bum loving cunt. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted May 22, 2020 Share Posted May 22, 2020 1 hour ago, Buckster said: He has been in France too long. There are a number of words that come to mind but "pufta", "boner biter" and "turd burglar" are not PC anymore so let's not blacken the name of our old friend (and indeed the friend of any guy who winks at him in a public lavatory), Moon, the bum loving cunt. What Buck said! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted May 22, 2020 Share Posted May 22, 2020 I thought he was more of a propeller fiddler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MooN Posted May 22, 2020 Author Share Posted May 22, 2020 11 hours ago, boboneleg said: Your plan sounds doable Chris although I've no idea why you want to go to Brighton, it's just full of queers standing around on the beach with thongs on . Cheddar gorge is nice but might be a bit of a let down compared with the Gorge du Tarn, Verdon etc I would be more than happy to guide you around the Cotswolds and Bath. having a local guide would be top banana mate, I might just take you up on that, obviously depending on timings and availabillity etc, but I'd give you plenty of warning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MooN Posted May 22, 2020 Author Share Posted May 22, 2020 4 hours ago, Buckster said: He has been in France too long. There are a number of words that come to mind but "pufta", "boner biter" and "turd burglar" are not PC anymore so let's not blacken the name of our old friend (and indeed the friend of any guy who winks at him in a public lavatory), Moon, the bum loving cunt. 3 hours ago, XTreme said: What Buck said! I am treating you two with the contempt you deserve. I did mention that I know nothing of the uk between London and the south coast heving never set foot in the area. Brighton is simply a name of a known coastal town that the frogs might have heard of... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted May 22, 2020 Share Posted May 22, 2020 @MooN........what I can't get my head around is why a bunch of French guys want to tour Britain? You could go down to the Pyrenees and northern Spain, or across into Bavaria, or even up to somewhere like Denmark. And all in the Schengen area. Plus you may not be covered with your EU health card, you may need to get a visa, and your free mobile roaming will be gone. Also, the weather in Britain is bound to be shit, traffic backed up everywhere, and generally not particularly attractive as a holiday destination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted May 22, 2020 Share Posted May 22, 2020 30 minutes ago, XTreme said: @MooN........what I can't get my head around is why a bunch of French guys want to tour Britain? You could go down to the Pyrenees and northern Spain, or across into Bavaria, or even up to somewhere like Denmark. And all in the Schengen area. Plus you may not be covered with your EU health card, you may need to get a visa, and your free mobile roaming will be gone. Also, the weather in Britain is bound to be shit, traffic backed up everywhere, and generally not particularly attractive as a holiday destination. You silly man, you're forgetting that I live here, what could be more attractive 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckster Posted May 22, 2020 Share Posted May 22, 2020 9 minutes ago, boboneleg said: You silly man, you're forgetting that I live here, what could be more attractive Chopped liver. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted May 22, 2020 Share Posted May 22, 2020 11 minutes ago, boboneleg said: You silly man, you're forgetting that I live here, what could be more attractive You're in the West Country! I would class the south as Kent, Sussex, Dorset, Hampshire etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MooN Posted May 22, 2020 Author Share Posted May 22, 2020 ok, I'll try and answer seriously: I don't for one instant believe that visas will be needed for schengen residents to enter the uk ( mostly cos the shengen area would reciprocate in kind, but also because it wasn't that way previous to the borders opening in '92. The Uk never signed or ratified the schengen agreement of 1985 but still didn't need visas there is no reason for that to change) It will be neccessary however to have a valid passport whereas previously a national identity card was sufficient, this is already in place. The insurance question will deend on brexit negotiations and agreements, there is no real need for this to change, it's just that the uk will have to negotiate with each individual country rather than being able to use a blanket "EU" agreement. but obviously one of the many details that we will need to ;ook into before comitting. Free mobile roaming... umm... I am old enough, so you certainly bloody welll are! to remember a time before mobile phones existed and I certainly don't need one, if the cost is prohibitive then we'll manage without. as for why they want to do a uk trip, the reasons are various; There is a certain fascination within the french psyche with Britain, and all things British. we are reputed to be a little odd, quirky, individualist, not to say bizarre and god forbid, gentlemanly! these are obviously stereotypes but the idea is there. This particular group find themselves with the possibility of exploring a foreign land in the company of a native, who will help them, or so they believe, avoid any "faux pas" or communication problems, who is used to riding on the wrong side of the road and all the other anomalies that make us "so British". the French are, on the whole not a very adventurous people, and don't need to be as they have beaches and mountains galore in their own country and if they feel the urge to go abroard then french polynesia or Mayotte enable them to get exoctic whilst remaing at home within their own administrative framework. Posibly more importantly thir language is not universal, where ours is. The pyrenees belong to them, as do the alps, the jura, the massif centrale etc etc and have already been done forwards, backwards and inside out. They have no interest whatsoever in going into Germany ( forgiven yes, but not forgotten...) other than to have a go on the autobahn. I have singularly failed to spark any interest in a run to the nurburgring for example. dunno if that makes sense 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted May 23, 2020 Share Posted May 23, 2020 Why don't you think of Southern Spain? April/May and September/October are not too hot.......and you could schedule it at the same time as @Pedro's Meet. Here's the comparison...... Or........ No brainer as far as I'm concerned! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tym Posted May 23, 2020 Share Posted May 23, 2020 Those puddles aint no big deal, hold my beer! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MooN Posted May 24, 2020 Author Share Posted May 24, 2020 On 23/05/2020 at 09:48, XTreme said: Why don't you think of Southern Spain? April/May and September/October are not too hot.......and you could schedule it at the same time as @Pedro's Meet. Here's the comparison...... Or........ No brainer as far as I'm concerned! None of us speak the language it's too hot it's full of bloody foreigners I get sunburnt but apart from that... I've never been interested in the south, never wanted to sail the med either, gimme the baltic I'd go, i'd love to visit furter east and north into europe but spain or italy... not my thing mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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