Nottingham to Paris 2009

In April 2009 we (Glen & Greg) are cycling from Nottingham to Paris, because we want to.

We also want you to join us for parts (or all) of the journey. Get in touch if can you cycle 50+ miles a day with a hangover.

View the route on Google Maps

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01.05.09

Epilogue

Journal post #10

So we made it, 360 miles. Overall the trip was excellent, and while it was very amateur at times there were no major disasters (except Greg losing all the important documents about where we were staying and return travel arrangements). The enthusiastic few who arranged to join us couldn’t make it – Andy’s knee is on the fritz and we were in the wrong place at the wrong time to meet Ben (though this probably saved us the embarrassment of being both slow and lost in the presence of someone who is an expert in being fast and not lost). Thanks go to Colly for being on the end of the phone to sort shit out when needed and to Greg’s mate Gilly for meeting us for a couple of drinks in the West End (and we really needed it that night).

Plans for future trips are hatching so there’ll be more opportunities for an en-masse ride. In fact why not join Erskine Design at the 50 mile Great Notts bike ride?

We built this site because that’s what we do and because we thought someone else might learn something from our trip – this is basically it.

1. Pace. Find a pace early on that all riders can achieve for a long period and stick to it. On a ninety mile ride you’ll achieve sweet FA by going as fast as possible for the first 30 – you can recover easily from being out of breath but once your muscles are overworked they won’t really get any better. You are only as fast as your last man.

1.1 Train. I knew that having not cycled much for a while (read) it would be tough but I should have been in better cycling condition, if I was then the trip would have been better for the both of us.

2. Travel light (I found my bike was a bit too bulky and heavy to be fun to ride) but don’t sacrifice the stuff you need to save weight. Greg used the smallest lightest sleeping bag he could find but he froze his ass off and had to change it on day 2.

3. Practice unpacking, pitching your tent and repacking again. By the second or third time we packed we were like a well oiled machine but early on we were ridiculous, and it was annoying.

4. Hunger is very depressing. Take as much food as you can carry and never miss an opportunity to eat.

5. If you are not a seasoned camper make it easy for yourself and take a stove and the basic utensils required to cook.

6. If you have to keep stopping to look at maps and work out where you are it will really add time to your trip. Plan routes carefully before you leave… and don’t leave them behind by accident.

7. A rest day to clean your bike, eat, attend to cuts and bruises (Greg fell in a ditch, I kept catching my legs on my chainring and pedals, we looked like we had been mauled at one point) and just rest your legs will do you every bit of good. Our schedule was quite relentless, it would have been nice to have a rest day.

8. Whoever said “a dodgy workman blames his tools” was a twat. Good quality, reliable, clever, lightweight equipment will make your journey easier and more enjoyable especially if the weather is inclement. Get your equipment on recommendation from someone who has used it, learn to use it properly and get the best you can afford.

That’s about it really. I think we’d both like to do something similar again in the not too distant future and we’ll likely put another open invite here, so watch this space.

Thanks to everyone that sent emails I’m about to send a thanks reply now, it’s nice to hear other people are enthusiastic about something you are doing but I suppose cycling is a bit like that.

Also, if you are planning something similar or perhaps charitable let us know via the email address and we’ll try to make mention of it here.

Cheers – and thanks for reading.

Posted by Glen at 10:02pm on 01.05.09 | 1 comment
17.04.09

Leaving Nottingham…

Journal post #09

Our intrepid, reasonably prepared heroes have – at 8:06am this morning – set off from the Erskine building, with a mere 391 miles between them and Paris.

Tonight, their top-heavy panniers, hot wheels and sore arses will make Cambridge, completing the first day of windy, rainy adventure. God bless the eccentric English.

By the way, as unofficial coordinator for Glen and Greg’s epic journey, I’m here basically to update this here journal if they find themselves in a wifi-drought – and also on stand-by with the mighty Datsun should they need urgent assistance, or a delivery of Jelly Babies or whatever. Either myself or our heroes will keep you up to date. Possibly.

Update: Text from Glen, 2.17pm: “Pub food in Northamptonshire, 35 miles from Cambridge. EPIC hills in Leicestershire. Knackered.”

Update: Text from Glen, Saturday 11.05am: “Couldn’t get anything to eat last night. Full English breakfast now. Sweet.”

Update: Voicemail from Glen, Sunday 1.06pm: “At Epsom racecourse on the way to Brighton. Its lovely weather and good all round, but Greg has left all the top secret documents in the office, so we need to know how to get to Blackberry Wood campsite. Do your thing as coordinator and let us know how to find it.” I can confirm that I have done so.

Update: Sunday night, 6.37pm: our heroes have arrived at Blackberry Wood campsite (just north of Brighton), as planned. Three days in and they’re nicely on schedule.

Update: Text from Glen, Monday morning 9.36am: “On the ferry. Just made it. Fucked.”

Update: They’ve made it! Greg just called from Paris. They reached the city itself quite a while ago, then got a bit lost, but finally arrived at the desired point at 5pm. Some suggestion of neck pains and other troubles, but they’re in good spirits. Well done chaps!

Posted by Simon Collison at 08:09am on 17.04.09 | 9 comments
01.04.09

Ride Journal

Journal post #08

My copy of Ride Journal arrived yesterday and its providing me with some top-notch inspiration ahead of our trip. A good mix of articles from the serious and the not so serious grace this issue’s beautifully produced pages.

Anyone who rides a bike, whether to work, to the shops, over jumps or around the World will find something to love. Contributors range from Pharrell Williams to Alastair Humphreys and I can’t stop reading it. It’s only a few quid and it’s worth buying – so get one.

Posted by Glen at 09:41pm on 01.04.09 | 0 comments
29.03.09

Hungry Belvoir

Journal post #07

Greg didn’t make it out today – a mixture of alarm clocks, Daylight Saving Time and idiocy kept him at a home, but seeing as I was already at the rendezvous point I thought I’d hit a 50 mile loop on my own. The Vale of Belvoir didn’t disappoint. Fantastic views, perfect visibility, not too cold and mile after mile of almost traffic free roads. I recommend the route if you’re around that way, though it may be a bit hectic when the castle opens.

The only problem I had was that I didn’t take any food with me – like an idiot I just forgot – and there was no where to get anything at any of the villages I passed through. I finally found food at a petrol station 7 miles out of Nottingham. By the time I got there I was depressingly hungry, a bit weak and fantasising about food – I’m sure I could smell bread baking at one point – anyway, the petrol station sorted it, then I just had to handle the indigestion for the last leg.

Now I’m home I caught the last of the Grand Prix replay, and I’m delighted to se Jenson Button winning – he’s a classic British racing driver type I think, good in front of a camera and excellent for Britain and the sport, It’ll be interesting to see how the season pans out. In other news Victoria Pendleton was winning something on a track, I don’t really follow track cycling so I couldn’t tell you what it was but she seemed pleased, which is nice. The boat race is about to start. massive day of sport.

Go to Belvoir on a bike, you’ll enjoy it. But take food.

Posted by Glen at 02:03pm on 29.03.09 | 4 comments
21.03.09

Training day #2

Journal post #06

Today’s training went a lot better than last week. We managed to avoid alcohol by setting off super early (which also meant we got back home to watch most of today’s rugby), we scored some atomic pork pies by going through Melton Mowbray, and we got in some decent climbing practice by inadvertently picking a very hilly route. This was our first 50 miler this year so my legs are feeling a bit achy right now, but what does bode well is the fact that I reckon I could do the same thing again tomorrow.

Apart from Swinfield’s two punctures (due to stock tyres), our two steeds also performed remarkably. Shirley and the Giant SCR 1.5 (hereby known as “Beast” on account of its fat tubing and weight) will get to Paris with ease.

If you live around Nottinghamshire or Leicestershire, this circuit comes recommended. Climbing the epic Ab Kettleby hill is really worth both the achievement and the rapid descent, and make sure you hop on the Notts-Grantham tow path (which we can’t show you on Google). Loving our work.

Posted by Greg at 10:04pm on 21.03.09 | 1 comment
14.03.09

Sometimes Car Beats Bike

Journal post #05

Greg and I embarked on a leisurely 25 miles to Colly’s mate’s pub in Branston (approximate route: here).

We had considered riding back but it was getting late and we didn’t have lights or the will to leave the pub without another beer. Colly’s 1970’s Datsun 120Y to the rescue. It’s surprising how many bikes you can fit in a car if the alternative is to ride the bike home into a brisk headwind. Colly found the sight of us trying to fit the bikes into his car amusing and rather than helping thought it better to take photos.

The ride, if you fancy it, was excellent and there’s a fairly epic hill about three quarters of the way there which should give you a sense of achievement and an amazing view over Nottinghamshire – and what better reward than the food server at the Wheel Inn. We recommend it.

Posted by Glen at 07:55pm on 14.03.09 | 3 comments
10.03.09

Motley Crew

Journal post #04

Initially when Glen and I started planning this ride I thought it’d just be the two of us. To be brutally honest I was a little fearful of this, especially so considering the moves he made on me last summer in Yorkshire (he disguised his shame as a hangover the following day). The prospect of sharing a tent with him for five days did not excite me at all, so I threw invitations out for anyone to join us. The less time spent with him the better, I say.

Joking aside, I’m delighted to see that our open-door policy has started out successfully. At first I thought no one would really give a shit, but we already have three other people accompanying us on various stages.

Jamie Wells

Jamie is an old friend of Glen’s, haling from Leicester and whiling away the 9-5 as a marketing person. In the spirit of the occasion he will be completing his section of the ride (Leicester-London) on a borrowed bike. Also, and in many ways more importantly, Jamie performed a classic drunken fall on NYE09 that is in Glen’s top five all time best drunken falls. He will be the perfect addition the trip.

Andy Ward

I decided to avoid getting caught up in the rat race and set off to walk from London to Istanbul on a whim. 5,000 kilometres, 2 pairs of shoes and a fractured leg later I crossed the river Bosporus into Asia. Needless to say I got the adventure bug and have had itchy feet ever since. andyward.me

Andy will be joining us from London to Brighton on a folding bicycle that doesn’t fold anymore.

Ben Saunders

Ben Saunders is a record-breaking long-distance skier, with four North Pole expeditions under his belt. He is the youngest to ski solo to the North Pole and holds the record for the longest solo Arctic journey by a Briton.

I think it’s probably fair to say that Ben will be the most prepared for this, given that he’s currently training for something far more significant.

That’s all for now. This is going to be loads of fun, so email us if you fancy some not-too-serious cycling and some good socialising action.

Posted by Greg at 08:16pm on 10.03.09 | 4 comments
09.03.09

Pubs and Campsites

Journal post #03

We have decided that we will be camping our way to Paris (as in using tents, not being camp), this requires a look at the route and a join the dots operation. We need pubs and campsites. If anyone has any suggestions they would be appreciated.

Rutland

This is home(ish) territory for me as I’m from Leicester. Rutland represents the halfway point between Nottingham and Cambridge, and, as the UK’s smallest county it punches way above its weight in pub terms. The bike shop at Rutland Water isn’t bad either. A lunch and pint stop at Kings Arms is on the cards.

The Kings Arms is a family-run 17th century inn situated in the quaint village of Wing, close to Rutland Water. It is popular for its good food, beer and ambience. All the food is freshly prepared and produced in-house, even the sauces, relishes, bread, ice cream and sorbets. AA 2008 Pub Guide

They’ve got Timothy Taylor Landlord on so who is going to argue with that?

Cambridge

We’ll be setting up camp in Trumpington (classic English place name), there are apparently ‘a number‘ of pubs in the area. Which is a good thing. Anyone know of any specific pubs worth a visit for food/ale?

London

A few good pub suggestions from Jason, who is is generally a good source of beer-related information. He suggests the Prince George in Hackney and, south of the river (this is definitely on the cards), The Rake. We will be relying on the good nature of friends and family for lodgings in The Big Smoke.

Brighton / Newhaven

We need to get to Newhaven early in the morning to catch the Ferry so an overnight stop at Blackberry Wood could be on the cards, I don’t really know East Sussex all that well so a few pointers from any southerners would be nice. There’s certainly no lack of drinking establishments. Also some info on good pubs on the London to Brighton route would be useful.

Full reports on pubs/campsites visited will be posted at our earliest convenience.

Posted by Glen at 10:33pm on 09.03.09 | 3 comments
05.03.09

Running is not cycling

Journal post #02

I’m looking forward to this now. I think its because I just realised that I am completely unprepared for it. When we started planning this it was going to be an epic cross-Europe ride but due to time and money limitations it got boiled down to Nottingham – Paris via Cambridge and London, the sense that it might not be that difficult to hit the mileage took some of the edge off for me.. but the edge is back (and I’m not talking about “The Edge” – hat wearing, guitar effects pest from that Irish band I can’t remember the name of) .

I’ve been running a lot lately, I ran the Nottingham Marathon last year and was delighted I finished (first Marathon) but overall was disappointed with my time, I made a few schoolboy errors. I’m entering again this year and I’m going to tear it a new arse hole. With this in mind I’ve been running, and loving it, but its fair to say that my bike has been collecting a little dust. I don’t mind admitting that cycling is a spring/summer effort for me, I can’t stand leaving my bike dirty and I can’t stand cleaning it (I live in a flat) so winter is tough. Running shoes on the other hand require little or no maintenance, plus I like the idea that you actually don’t really need any stuff for running, cycling for some people on the other hand is more about stuff than riding. You generally don’t get runners who are in it for the kit.

Anyway, back to the point. While I’m in reasonably good shape at the moment cycling uses a very specific muscle set – and not really the same muscle set as running. Anyone who has embarked on any consistent exertion will tell you that aerobic fitness won’t help you if your muscles are out of condition. So I’m expecting chronic neck ache, a sore arse, burning thighs and lower back ache – for five days and four hundred miles. I actually can’t wait. “It’s on”.

Posted by Glen at 09:04pm on 05.03.09 | 4 comments
04.03.09

Two one halves of one introduction

Journal post #01

Here we go then. Swinfield and I are cycling to Paris (from Nottingham) as our first cycling expedition, and this website will document our training, preparation and all sorts of other stuff. We made this site because we both make websites for a living, so it would’ve been silly not to create one for this. There’s also the hope that someone planning their first medium-to-long distance cycle will hopefully learn from some of our mistakes/successes. If you’re savvy you’ll notice we’re currently on a subdomain; the onemorehero.co.uk site will eventually be a cycling site of it’s own.

As mentioned at the top, we’re doing this because we want to. We both love cycling and visiting new places, and I have a sneaky suspicion that this particular expedition is going to the first of many, not to mention the closest to home. If you fancy joining us for a spot of exercise, a spot of self-destruction, or a spot of cheerleading drop us an email.

I think that’s about it for now – I’m shite at writing introductory things. Be sure to jump on the RSS Feed, we’ll be posting fun stuff up almost daily. Loving your work.

Posted by Greg at 03:18pm on 04.03.09 | 4 comments