Well...fook me!!! where did the bloody time go, the time for our trip to Slovenia draws ever closer.... i shall decline to say when, as there are far to many 'unsavory characters'.......like... Policemen :whistling:' on here to divulge that sort of info. But once the 3 week countdown is reached I leap into action!!
Usualy it takes me about 3 days to do all the routes, half an hour for each one, and the other 2 and a half days swearing at the Sat Navs and redoing them when it crashes!!!.... tbh planning the routes isn't my fav job.... i am contstantly plauged with thoughts of 'should i have gone that way instead'.... mind you seeing as invairably get us lost it probably dosen't matter.
Oh yes and maps, which have to be re-taped up after last years stuffing into tank bags.
Then there's the Bikes to prep, usually done the week before, Smartys VFR is new sos should be OK, as long as the Honda hard luggage turns up!!! :rolleyes:.... GTR will get a service, before we go.
Of course sumit that never used to even get a thought is, 'Technology'!!! ffs! ... Camera, Bike Cam, netbook, Kindle, Phase plasma rifle in the 40 watt range... (oh i wish :gun_bandana:)... all these get laid out, battteries and cables checked etc.
Tool kit.... Hmmm what to take, neither of 'em is ever gonna be fixed at the side of the road, but should the worst happen, though not having an allen key and a cable tie can be really iratating if it's just sumit worked loose....... so its punture kit, pump, basic tool kit, cable ties and duck tape..... on the list of 'other shit' is all the crap we have to carry on the EU plus first aid kit and spare visor fixings.
Soooo now to bike gear, water proofs, 2 pair of gloves, one summer (hahahahaha :rolleyes:) one fer colder weather, a few sets of base layers, we use Nike stuff as its cheaper than 'proper bike' stuff but half the price and 10 times better.
Smarty handles the general medicines deptment.... fer some reason she is under the impression that in the event of a 'headache' in Italy she will have to call 'medicines son frontier' as there are no chemists .... :rolleyes: ... I mean it's not like she's not been before, this is our 5th big trip ... i stay out of it... i look at it this way..'You're carrying it'
Brew kit..... being ex Infanty... i never go anywhere with out the ability to make tea :gunsmilie:
Clothes.... the bare min..... then Smarty comes in see's what I've laid out and tells me I cant wear the same underpants for 2 weeks....can't see why not meself. :mfr_lol:... usually the way i work, is to lay out everything i would like to take, then see what i really don't need. I've found that way i'm not taking unnesecery stuff (like xtra underpants :mfr_lol:) the other thing we sometimes do is to buy cheap stuff t shirts, socks, undies, etc when we get to our final destination...saves taking it all the way down... then leaving it there before coming back.
So all in all I usually start about 3 weeks before ... fiddling about with odds and ends. 2 weeks to go I'm looking to start laying stuff out sos i can see if i need anything, there is many a time i've done this and walked past all the kit, looked at it and then realised i'd forgotten sumit important.. 1 week to go, it's all laid out ready to pack and then the night before it gets packed.
Smarty on the other hand has to be 'encouraged' to start packing her kit at least a week before cos she suffers from severe 'Packing Tetrus OCD) ... and will pack, un pack and re-pack at least 300 times before she is satisfied... drives me fookin nuts!!!! :hammer:
So there ya go Mogs pre trip planning... a bit over the top i hear you cry, but He who fails to prepare gets fooked big stlye..... :gunsmilie:
Mogs
Your far too well organised by far! I'm the sort of person who goes, one pair of trainers, one pair of jeans, couple of t shirts and the rest will just fall into place nicely.
There are many bins littered around France with my unsavoury pants socks and sweaty T shirts in ..... dump them as you go ....it's the way forward :mfr_lol: :mfr_lol:
One of the IronButt riders once said
"I buy a pack of 3 pants from Walmart. I wear pair one on day one, turn them around on day 2, inside out on day 3 and turn around on day 4. Then they get thrown in the trash. I wear pair 2 on day 5,... etc.
On Day 12 I stop at Walmart and buy another pack of 3"
Personally I think he is missing a trick as you can wear the same pair indefinitely if you rinse them out at night and hang them over a radiator. :banana: :banana:
Evening Mogster, just seen your post, and my spare room sounds like yours. Panniers ready and waiting and everything laid out ready to go. We're off across Europe, through Slovenia, into Croatia, through Bosnia and then Hungary, Prague and back. Going next week-end but and it's a big but for this site.....leaving GTR behind and taking the ZZR1400....OH ERR.
Essex Boy
Wow !! .. now that sounds like some proper milage .. a magnificent treat it will be .. sounds excellent .. all the best mate, we shall ALL want to see the photos ! :smiley: :smiley:
Should be getting hot down there ... with all that luggage and distance to be covered what shall it be on the day you set off .. ZZR or Gtr ??? There is always time to reconsider ! :mfr_lol: :mfr_lol:
Quote from: Essex Boy on May 20, 2012, 08:06:21 PM
Evening Mogster, just seen your post, and my spare room sounds like yours. Panniers ready and waiting and everything laid out ready to go. We're off across Europe, through Slovenia, into Croatia, through Bosnia and then Hungary, Prague and back. Going next week-end but and it's a big but for this site.....leaving GTR behind and taking the ZZR1400....OH ERR.
Essex Boy
cool, have a great time... I'll be taking the GTR on my trip...seeing as my second bikes a Tuono :gunsmilie: you can tour on them... but my arse, shoulders, wrists, elbows, etc still haven't recovered from last time.... 2 years ago!
A week on Wednesday there is a group of us, about 15+ FH who are off to the Moselle region of Germany for 6 days :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: We are staying at a very very good Hotel in Klotten, we stayed there a couple of years ago on the way to the Hartz Mountains.
On the bike front I usually start a month before, checking to see if the tyres are likely to need replacing before I go, booking the bike in for a service, arrange european breakdown recovery etc etc. On the clothes packing front I normally start sorting a few things out a couple of days before and then pack the night before. The chunnel crossing is normally booked months in advance
Steve
I'm off on Saturday for 2 weeks to Holland, Northern Germany and then down through Switzerland to the South of France.
I'll don't start packing until Friday night or Saturday morning since I might need the panniers and the top case before then to go grocery shopping. :grin:
I'm sure I will forget something but with the current exchange rate it'll be most likely cheaper to buy stuff on the continent anyway. Not to mention that most of the things you can buy here are made over there in the first place. :whistling:
Mecki ... that sounds great too ... there is always something that gets forgotten ! Have a great trip .. and of course ... photos !!! :grin: :grin:
We are off to Cornwall on the GTR on the 11th June, early morning which happens to be the morning after our visit to a Coldplay concert the previous night :oops:
Is it too soon for me to start packing my toothbrush and shreddies now :smiley:
I know one thing ....by the looks of it you as well shut up shop on the site for most of June... cos we're all away :biker3:
Be prepared to have me kicked off the GTR forum but I'm going to take the ZZR over, one mate is taking their Moto Guzzi (if it can get to Dover without breaking down) and the other ones taking his TDM.
I shall keep the GTR tucked up in my garage but as I do around 16000 miles a year commuting on her she deserves the rest.
Think I'm getting itchy feet from all this talk of touring into Europe. Any pointers for a continental touring virgin? :mfr_lol:
I was wondering what sort of distances you looked to cover on a daily basis so that you could take in a bit of scenery rather than just getting from A to B each day.
What would be a good starter trip for a week to maybe ten days? I fancy cutting through a few countries heading for Germany or Austria, but think that might be pushing it for time/distance.
Quote from: shaggs147 on May 23, 2012, 12:12:06 AM
Think I'm getting itchy feet from all this talk of touring into Europe. Any pointers for a continental touring virgin? :mfr_lol:
I was wondering what sort of distances you looked to cover on a daily basis so that you could take in a bit of scenery rather than just getting from A to B each day.
What would be a good starter trip for a week to maybe ten days? I fancy cutting through a few countries heading for Germany or Austria, but think that might be pushing it for time/distance.
In short it really depends on where you are planning to visit as considerable daily mileages can be covered if you use Autobahns/Autoroutes, but if that isn't your bag then less distances are likely.
I'm certainly no expert but there are others on here who will be able to advise you more accurately :yes:
In 2009 we went to Austria and various other countries covering 2,300 miles in 10 days and it didn't seem to be a problem, but then the big GTR munches the miles quite easily
Look towards 250 to 300 miles a day, don't book hotels unless you are sure you can make them, Etaps are easy to find, cheap and as much bread and jam and coffee as you can stuff fer 3 euros.
A mix of autoroute and back roads makes a nice ride, you get the balance of making good time and also having a laugh on the twistys.
A good start might be to head towards here http://ridersrest.eu/default.aspx I've had a couple of mates go here and they reccomend it highly, tis a nice easy ride down to Limouges from le harve or any of the ports on that side.
Quote from: shaggs147 on May 23, 2012, 12:12:06 AM
Think I'm getting itchy feet from all this talk of touring into Europe. Any pointers for a continental touring virgin? :mfr_lol:
I was wondering what sort of distances you looked to cover on a daily basis so that you could take in a bit of scenery rather than just getting from A to B each day.
What would be a good starter trip for a week to maybe ten days? I fancy cutting through a few countries heading for Germany or Austria, but think that might be pushing it for time/distance.
Currently planning a big one but in the light of various events this year, I took a short "shakedown" trip with a mate who is also a Eurotour jungfrau.
Before I retired, time for bike tours was limited and therefore the trips tended to fall into : 1. Getting there; blasting down to, say Avignon (or taking the car train overnight from Calais) and then 2. Gentle touring; stopping., sightseeing, staying at the same B&B for a couple of nights and riding out to special places on twisty routes.
Nowadays, I like it all be a tour, I plan circuitous routes through places and parts of countries I have never visited.
Why not start with a short one such as :
The Shakedown TourFrance 15-18 May 2012
15 May: London-Calais-Boulogne-Abbeville-Rouen. 238 miles. (50% on Peage)
Heavy showers/strong winds/occasional dry, sunny spells.
Stayed at: Chambres Avec Vue, Dominique Gogny,
22 Rue Henault, Mont St Aignan. Tel: 02 35 70 26 95.
Evening meal: marvellous Belgian fish casserole at great local bistro
16 May: Rouen-Evreux-Chartres-Le Mans-Saumur. 264 miles. Mostly N and D
Sunny, warm and dry.
Stayed at: Pascal & Olivier Schvirtz, 225 Rue Du Chateau,
49260 Sanziers/Vaudelnay. (In a yurt!) Tel 02 41 59 12 95.
Evening meal:superb lamb cooked by Pascal
17 May: Loire Valley Run. All on D roads following the Loire
Saumur-Tours-Amboise-Blois-Sully Sur Loire. 161 miles.
Dry. Overcast. Afternoon sun. Occasional light showers.
Lots of stops, visited the towns, sat on terraces and watched the world go by. All very relaxed and yet still covered 161 miles
Stayed at: Hotel Burgevin.
Evening meal: superb beef served by waitress in a hurry who won us over with extra dauphinoise.
18 May: Sully Sur Loire-London. 370 miles. 75% Peage
Mostly dry and overcast with occasional showers.
Tooled around the countryside visiting small towns. After Lunch, put the hammer (a little bit) down and headed for the train.
Arrived SW London at about 2030 feeling (and I am a creaky old bugger) quite relaxed and happy.
Our big tourers really do eat miles, when called upon, in comfort, but for me, minimise the motorway riding.
Good luck and great tours to you all. Last one off.....close the door.
It depends on many things but I suppose the most important is that it is a holiday and therefore you want to enjoy yourself. So what do you fancy doing and where do fancy going?
For me and from experience I prefer to use one place as a base and tour around each day rather than go from one place to the next day after day. Having a base to tour from means that if the weather does turn bad at least you don't have to get on the bike and have to travel to the next place - which happened to a few of us a couple of years in Germany when he had several days of torrential rain and its no fun riding in the wet on motorways rather then taking the scenic route as originally planned. Also having a base to tour from means you can unload all of your gear.
In terms of distances per day - a good starting point would be
- Covering long distances just to get there then 250-300 miles
- Easy flowing roads with open bends then 180-200 miles a day
- Tight technical twisties then around 90-120 miles a day
There is no point in wearing yourself out so take fairly frequent comfort breaks.
A week would be a good place to start as you can get to some very good places in a day and then have a good few days touring around before making the return leg.
We have all probably done long distance stints from time to time ie 300-400miles at time or even more but when touring you have to remember you are riding day in day out and unless you are used to to it you will become tired and coming back to the first point its a holiday and therefore you want to enjoy yourself.
Just my thoughts no doubt others will chip in with theirs.
Steve
Quote from: shaggs147 on May 23, 2012, 12:12:06 AM
Think I'm getting itchy feet from all this talk of touring into Europe. Any pointers for a continental touring virgin? :mfr_lol:
I was wondering what sort of distances you looked to cover on a daily basis so that you could take in a bit of scenery rather than just getting from A to B each day.
What would be a good starter trip for a week to maybe ten days? I fancy cutting through a few countries heading for Germany or Austria, but think that might be pushing it for time/distance.
Quote from: routemaster on May 23, 2012, 06:56:50 PM
We have all probably done long distance stints from time to time ie 300-400miles at time or even more but when touring you have to remember you are riding day in day out and unless you are used to to it you will become tired and coming back to the first point its a holiday and therefore you want to enjoy yourself.
Steve
Yeah... back in the day..the Bol D'or.... get off the ferry at calais (pre tunnel days) at 7am Friday morning already fired up on coffee and proplus...
Gixxers at the ready and 12 hours later we are at Circuit Paul Ricard, 680 odd miles..... party for 2 days.... stay just long enough to see who wins.... then back to Calais 12 hours later :gunsmilie: ...oh to be young and stoopid again lol
Routemaster Steve is right; It is good to have a base and ride out daily. In the late nineties we stayed at Le Lavandu, and did day rides to places like the French Grand Canyon: Verdon Gorge. etc loads of possibilities.
Time being of the essence, we would take the overnight Car train ( two bikes charged as one car) to Avignon and spend the day meandering through Provence to the coast and our base.
Whatever you do, it's all great so happy riding.
We are off to Scotland again in mid June for a week, staying at 3 different locations travelling up the west side as far as Loch Awe and down the east side taking in the A7 which I have done many times in the cage when working but never by bike. As far as packing underwear, er indoors can't understand the theory of underpant changing: day 1, wear normally. Day 2, turn back to front. Day 3, turn inside out rightway round. Day 4, turn back to front. Day 5, throw then at the wall, if they fall on the floor go back to day 1. If they stick to the wall, bin them and find a clean pair. Ouch my head! :mfr_lol:
Cheers for the replies guys, think I'll get the map out and have a good study of all of what Europe has to offer.
I'm used to doing 600 plus miles over a weekend, travelling down to Plymouth and back, that was the reason for getting the GTR in the first place - you just don't feel the mileage, so that shouldn't be an issue.
One of the best holidays I ever had was when we flew over to a mate's wedding in Lyon, then hired a big Merc off the cuff, and travelled around the French mountains to the likes of Chamonix.
We looked like a gang of scally wags in a stolen car :mfr_lol: it was great.
We saw so much on that holiday that you would never see by going on a plane etc.
If it was that good by car, then going on the bike must be truly awsome! :yes:
I guess its all a question of balance, you want to pack as much as you can in, without making it a chore by the end of the trip. It makes sense to just book hotels as you go, then if you fancy a chill day and a few beers, then thats not a problem.
Hope you all have a great time ..... ya jammy :censored: :grin: