| Title: | Bicycling |
| Notice: | Bicycling for Fun |
| Moderator: | JAMIN::WASSER |
| Created: | Mon Apr 14 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 3214 |
| Total number of notes: | 31946 |
One of the biggest cycling clubs in Holland (called "Le Champion",
what's in a name ..) organizes all kind of bicycle tours. Some of them in
Holland (like the "Tour of Holland", 1000 km. in 4 days), some abroad
(Paris-Nice, a trip across Java and Bali in Indonesia etc.).
I am trying (for some years) to get the "Classics Brevet": 13 professional
cycling races like Paris-Roubaix, Milan-San Remo, Liege-Bastogne-Liege,
Amstel Gold race etc.
These trips are organized by touring clubs in different countries; the distance
is 200 to 300 km, they follow more or less the same roads as the
professional races, but (fortunately) you can ride (or race) them at your own
speed.
Up to this year I did 8 of them. I am not a fast cyclist, each trips took me
from about 9 to 13 hours. I like to see the regions and roads where
the professionals pass through, and experience some of the hardship.
For most of them, I didn't go on an organized tour. All Belgian and the one
Dutch classic are within a 2 hours drive from my home.
Last year I went on an organised long weekend to do Blois-Chaville (on friday
and Paris-Brussels (on sunday).
This year I went on an organized long week to do 4 classics in Italy, Suisse
and Germany. The week was organized by the cycling club, about 125
participants, we went by bus from Holland to Milan in 2 days.
After that: 1 day cycling, 1 day by bus to the next location.
The group of people participating was very mixed: most dutch, a few belgian,
one guy from new-sealand. The oldest participant was a 65-year old belgian.
Some of them spend lots and lots of time on sports (one of the guys cycled over
30.000 km this year up to now, another is a semi-professional skater), others
(like me) much less.
We left mosts hotel/restaurant owners bewildered by the amount of
food we ate (cyclists are like grasshoppers: the come in a group, eat everyting
and are gone..; or: what do cyclists do after dinner? eat..).
I enjoyed the experience; coming home I had the feeling I had been away for a
very long time.
Milan-San Remo, 301(!) km, sunday
Very easy to find your way: from Milan to the Italian Riviera across the
Turchino "pass"; at the sea, turn right and follow the road along the coast.
We started around 6 at our hotel near the centre of Milan. The first 10 km in
the city were behind a car. After that, a fast ride in the direction of
Genova. Some groups were formed. Allthough I don't enjoy riding in groups, I
had decided to stay in a group until the first control point, at the foot of
the Turchino. The country is not spectacular at all, very flat. Like Holland or
Belgium. We arrived a little bit past 10 at the foot of the Turchino pass.
I did the rest, about 170 km, on my own. The road along the coast is definitely
not fit for cycling: too much traffic, I got into sometimes stuck in long lines
of cars returning home form the sea (it started to rain a little bit late in
the afternoon); not so nice swinging right and left along cars.
But there are some very fine views as well. Near San Remo, we made a detour
over the Poggio; not so steep as I had expected. After a beer at the top, the
descent into San Remo was quite fast.
Tour of Lombardy, 235 km, thuesday
Along the Lake of Como with 3 times a climb into the surrounding mountains;
spectacular views and for the most part quiet roads.
We started in Tremezzo, about 30 km north of Como; after 5 km the first climb
started to the Lake of Lugano. Then back to the Lake of Como, and around it,
counter clockwise. The other climbs were to Madonna di Ghisello where
there is a statue of Coppi, and to Premana. This last one is really nasty,
first a climb from the lake in the afternoon sun, followed by a more or less
level part; then the climb to Premana, really steep and long. Going back over
very small roads to the lake, and then another 50 km along the lake.
Very fine scenery all the way, but probably the hardest ride of the four.
Z�rich, 235 km, thursday
We started in Einsiedeln, a little town south of Z�rich, and finished in
Neuhausen, near the famous Rhine falls.
First to the east, then north and finally westwards. Suisse is so terribly
neat; every grassroot seems to be in the richt place. The landscape
looks very much like a M�rklin catalogue: small trains swinging through
the valleys, pulling an open wagon with children waving and encouraging you.
We passed over a col; now, in France the average road over a col is very narrow
and often in bad condition; if you need a toilet, well, go and find a tree.
In Switzerland you pass over this wide concrete road right to the top; at the
top you find a spotless toilet. In short, a little bit too organized for me.
Allthough the views are wonderfull, and you have free music from the cows.
Henninger Turm, 225 km, saturday
Here we started and finished in Wiesbaden; first to the west, then north and
back through the Taunus "mountains".
In Switzerland the temperature was nice, 25-30 I guess in the afternoon. In
Germany, no sun, a lot of wind and a temperature at least 15 degrees lower.
After a climb from Wiesbaden, we had this very long and very, very cold
descent to the Rhine. It took me quite some time in a cafe, and a few cups of
coffee to get warm again. After that, the road was quite hard to cycle; no
long climbs, but always going up and down. Finally the "Feldberg" near
Wiesbaden and then back to the finish.
Jan Mulder
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2072.1 | nice rides! | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Tue Sep 10 1991 11:31 | 13 |
Jan, thank you for the great descriptions. It is very tempting
to do those rides -- too bad they're so far away for Americans.
Your characterization of Switzerland (neat as a pin) rings true.
And the raw climate of Northern Europe (Taunus) makes you yearn
for the South. It's true.
This sounds different from the French cyclo-sportif events that
Robin, Rob, and the Rod's have described, but sharing some of the
same spirit.
-john
| |||||
| 2072.2 | RUTILE::MACFADYEN | I feel better already! | Wed Sep 11 1991 04:32 | 8 | |
The description of Switzerland is very accurate. I did the Col de Marchairuz (in the Jura) on Sunday, and the landscape was just amazingly neat and clean. I also liked the description of cyclists' eating habits: just amazingly greedy. Rod | |||||
| 2072.3 | Paris-Roubaix | IJSAPL::JMULDER | Fri Jun 26 1992 11:54 | 67 | |
Paris-Roubaix, june 14th - the Hell of the North
The famous classic for the professionals is held once a year for whoever
wants to experience it him/herself.
After much hesitating, I decided to participate in this event.
For one thing, it is rather difficult to organize, unless you go on an
organised trip: start and finish are about 200 km apart.
Another thing is of course your poor bicycle, which has to endure about 50
km. of 'pav�', or roads not improved since some centuries ago.
Anyway, I decided to go on my older bicycle; I put special tyres, which a
reinforcement, and rather wide (25 mm) on it. I bought a pair of extra thick
cycling gloves (or what is the english term) to absorb the shocks, removed
everything which could fall off, packed a small bag which can be strapped
around the hips, and I was ready to go.
I left home on saturday night, around 18.30; drove to Roubaix, which is just
over the belgian border, about 260 km from my home in Holland.
In Roubaix a bus was leaving at around 23.00 which took me to Compi�gne, where
we had to start (although the name is still Paris-Roubaix, it is actually
Compi�gne-Roubaix). The bus was equipped which a trailer especially equiped to
hold bicycles. Luckily I dozed a little in the bus. A little bit after 1.00 a.m.
we arrived at the start. Lots of people already, some of them camping, some of
them just waiting. I ate some things, talked which some people, changed clothes.
3.00 a.m. was the moment to start, so I left in a group. The first 2 hours were
very dark - luckily I had brought my lights. Around 5.00, sunrise, then we
had a lot of fog for the next 3 hours.
The organization was very good, lots of food and drinks at the different
check points. And it was one of the most international events I ever
participated in: I met people from at least 8 different countries.
After 100 km, the first pre-historic roads. I rather enjoyed it, as long as you
stay in the middle, and keep up your speed, it is not too bad. But when you're
in a race, it is very different: there is only one who can take the best road in
the middle, the others have to struggle at the side.
Anyway, the sun started to shine, so I took my jacket of and continued in my...
Digital jersey, most probable the only one.
After Valenciennes, we had to pass through the 'Bois de Wallers'; there is a
nice road leading to the Bois, you have to pass a bumpy railroad, and then ...
there's no road anymore, although you're supposed to continue.... Anyway, I
took a small mud path along the 'road', and was able to continue more or less
regularly - only a very deep hole every 100 meter or so.
I was filmed when I entered the wood, and when I came out of it, the filmcrew
was there again- they must have taken a detour; I forgot to ask why they
filmed it, it might have been the local television; if so, nice free publicity
for Digital....
Anyway, the roads got worse and worse. And I had more and more trouble to keep
up my speed on the 'pav�': when you have bumped over the road for some time,
you get extremely tired, so you lose speed, so the bumping gets worse, etc.
And when you leave the middle of the road, you get a flat tyre sooner or later,
as the worst pot holes are at the side. Which was what happened to me, about
20 km. from Roubaix. Anyway, I had a number of spare tyres, so not much of
a problem.
The finish was at the cycling stadium in Roubaix, so, after 265 km. I entered
the 'v�lodrome' and circled around; first time in a cycling stadium for me,
I was surprised how steep the sides are.
I finished at about 3.30 p.m., so after collecting my luggage (they take a bag
for you from start to finish), collecting my certificate as 'randonneur' and
buying a 'pav�', I went back to my car and drove home.
Where I arrived at 7.30 pm, sunday night; I fell almost asleep in the bath....
I enjoyed it very much, and looking back, it wasn't as bad as I had expected.
Even my bicycle survived without problems - apart from one flat tyre.
Jan Mulder
| |||||
| 2072.4 | nice | SHALOT::ELLIS | John Lee Ellis - assembly required | Fri Jun 26 1992 12:16 | 13 |
Great report, Jan!
- The television crew may have been trying to get "before" and "after"
shots of someone going on the mud path.
- Why did they start so early? To avoid Parisian traffic?
- Whence came the pav� you bought? Was it a real paving stone
dug up from the route?
Bon jou� as Robin would say!
-john
| |||||
| 2072.5 | IJSAPL::JMULDER | Thu Jul 02 1992 05:15 | 24 | ||
> - Why did they start so early? To avoid Parisian traffic? > > - Whence came the pav� you bought? Was it a real paving stone > dug up from the route? > Starting time was from 3.00 to 6.00 am, probably to give everybody the opportunity to reach Roubaix in time....; you are supposed to finish before 21.00. About the traffic, it is a little bit dangerous on sunday mornings so early: I saw at least one disco which was open and crowded. There is not much traffic, but a good chance you meet a driver with a little bit too much alcohol in his blood. France is unfamous for its traffic accidents (much more than in other european countries); although in my opinion it is one of the best countries to go by bicycle - there are many small roads, with very little traffic. The stone looks quit original; it fits in a holder with the text 'Paris Roubaix Cyclo'. Although some stones were gone on the roads, they must have got them from somewhere else, maybe some road which was 'modernized' - if you pass by on one of your trips, have a look! (maybe B-P-B is something for you, a little more challenging than P-B-P). Jan | |||||