Forum Ride Out 20xx

[BanditMike 0]

Just looking at the photos from the "Spanish Sojourn" and a little idea germinated. There are a few people on the forum who have toured across continental Europe. Do we fancy organising a forum "European Tour"? I'm not saying next year, or even the year after, but giving peope sufficient time to plan, and save I fancy doing a bit of touring, but would like to start with someone who has a degree of experience. It's only an initial idea and mainly looking for peoples thoughts?

[Oldfart 0]

Sounds like a good idea to me. (provided its not TT week! )

[gravelrash 0]

I don't even have a passport Mike but its something I would be interested in, for the future!

[Stue11 0]

I would have to hire a bike as i couldnt even consider attaching a caravan to the back of me bike but would consider going

[smilinjack 0]

I'm on a ZZR forum where they do exactly this. They have a Euro minirun, basically a weekend or maybe slightly longer, and a Euro maxirun, which is a bit more like a week's work. I'd certainly be happy to offer guidance and would probably be in for a long weekend for example. My problem is the sh1t holiday allowance from work.
As a bit of a taster, a weekend gives you northern France, Belgium & the Low Countries. Could do a war sites visit for example. Could maybe do Brittany with an extra day (my first bike tour was Brittany in 1982 on my Z650 chop )
Add on a day or two more and if you're hard arsed could do the Vosges south of Strasbourg (had a fab 5 days there in 2004) or Black Forest, or a bit nearer and a place I'd like to visit is the Ardennes Forest or the Eifel area which gives the potential to visit several countries quickly-you're in the crosshairs of the frontiers of France, Germany, Belgium & Luxembourg. I'd be interested-put my name down.

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

@gravelrash wrote:

I don't even have a passport Mike but its something I would be interested in, for the future!

your not on your own there m8 I dont have one too

[madsod 0]

@Davehutch wrote:

@gravelrash wrote:

I don't even have a passport Mike but its something I would be interested in, for the future!

your not on your own there m8 I dont have one too

mine ran out 4 years ago must get a new one soon

[BanditMike 0]

I had one, but mine expired in 2010 as well Sounds like some interest so may look at this. Smilinjacks idea of an initial "minirun" as a taster could be a good way to start. Think we'll mark this one as a "one to be done"

[smilinjack 0]

Not sure if you need to be registered to see the pics, but a lad on the VFR forum did a quick visit to the Vosges in Eastern France. Just for example.

http://www.bikersoracle.com/vfr/forum/showthread.php?t=118929

When we did it we stopped overnight each way as it's pretty tedious motorway. I think somewhere like this would need 5 nights away TBH.

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

@smilinjack wrote:

Not sure if you need to be registered to see the pics, but a lad on the VFR forum did a quick visit to the Vosges in Eastern France. Just for example.

http://www.bikersoracle.com/vfr/forum/showthread.php?t=118929

When we did it we stopped overnight each way as it's pretty tedious motorway. I think somewhere like this would need 5 nights away TBH.

no you can see them Alan

[dick65 0]

im up for it,still got a passport as i went to prague a couple of years back,passports are coming down in price around september to £72 look at your insurance docs as well cause you sometimes get limited european cover inc so would possibly cover a mini tour

[ptolemyx 0]

We used to do a lot of Euro touring. Last big one, we took the ferry to Santander (7 years ago now), a week to get down south to Andalucia, a week on the Costa then a week back north to Santander. The Spanish roads have got to be some of the best, and emptiest, in Europe now after loadsa money spent on infrastructure over recent years. I'd love to go back to northern Spain and do the Picos De Europa mountains again, make it a five dayer perhaps??? Whadya think?????



Old and Disgraceful

[smilinjack 0]

Picos de Europa might work for me as I could detour off to my flat-I'll need to ride my VFR back next year for the MoT so could swap bikes & leave the Kawasaki there

And from what I've read you'll have all on finding a better biking area. Scenery, roads, zero traffic

[BanditMike 0]

Looks like some good interest. Could be a plan for 2014? Bit in the distance I know, but I'm at Uni until next year so want to get that out of the way, then look at saving a bit to get me around there. Look out Europe here we come

[ptolemyx 0]

How about next June? Then we can rub it in to Mike to get his juices running for the "2014 Hutch's Euro Trip"

Old and Disgraceful

[melly 0]

2014 would be better for me - already used 11 days of next years annual leave going to the TT next year mind you dave may prefer next year - depends if he wants me to come along - maybe need to see how next weekend goes

[BanditMike 0]

@ptolemyx wrote:

How about next June? Then we can rub it in to Mike to get his juices running for the "2014 Hutch's Euro Trip"

Old and Disgraceful

[BanditMike 0]

@melly wrote:

2014 would be better for me - already used 11 days of next years annual leave going to the TT next year mind you dave may prefer next year - depends if he wants me to come along - maybe need to see how next weekend goes

I'll have a chat with Dave before he leaves next Sunday then and see what he says

[smilinjack 0]

Glad there's been a positive response to this one. When it might happen is as broad as it is long to me, but I'm definitely interested and will be more than happy to contribute to planning/organisation in due course.

[Stue11 0]

@smilinjack wrote:

Glad there's been a positive response to this one. When it might happen is as broad as it is long to me, but I'm definitely interested and will be more than happy to contribute to planning/organisation in due course.

Thanks Alan

[dick65 0]

yeah thanks alan

[BanditMike 0]

Given the positive response, definitely one for the future

For me - 2014

[RichardH 0]

nice idea but more than 10 bikes and things tend to go pear shaped

[smilinjack 0]

ITCHY wrote:

nice idea but more than 10 bikes and things tend to go pear shaped

Yep I was going to point that out. I'd organise for a max of 6 bikes personally. First come, first served.

[ptolemyx 0]

So how about the few of us who can do 2013 hop on the Plymouth-Santander ferry in June, do a few days and report back for the 2014 mob to get a feel for Eurobiking. I've used Brittany Ferries many times - they can sort out a ferry and hotels package for us, might even get a discount.....

Old and Disgraceful

[smilinjack 0]

@ptolemyx wrote:

So how about the few of us who can do 2013 hop on the Plymouth-Santander ferry in June, do a few days and report back for the 2014 mob to get a feel for Eurobiking. I've used Brittany Ferries many times - they can sort out a ferry and hotels package for us, might even get a discount.....

Old and Disgraceful

I might very well be doing just that in any case to bring my VFR home for it's MOT. I was thinking N-260 west from Santander/Bilbao, swap bikes (I was planning going on my ZZR) at my apartment, up the Med coast to Grasse and then Route Napoleon to Grenoble, onwards to Calais & the tunnel. Won't come cheap mind which is why I've already started saving.

[RichardH 0]

@smilinjack wrote:

@ptolemyx wrote:

So how about the few of us who can do 2013 hop on the Plymouth-Santander ferry in June, do a few days and report back for the 2014 mob to get a feel for Eurobiking. I've used Brittany Ferries many times - they can sort out a ferry and hotels package for us, might even get a discount.....

Old and Disgraceful

I might very well be doing just that in any case to bring my VFR home for it's MOT. I was thinking N-260 west from Santander/Bilbao, swap bikes (I was planning going on my ZZR) at my apartment, up the Med coast to Grasse and then Route Napoleon to Grenoble, onwards to Calais & the tunnel. Won't come cheap mind which is why I've already started saving.

How far and how(ish)not cheap?

[smilinjack 0]

Itchy-that route is going to be approaching 2k miles. I budget around £1500 if I'm touring over a week as I don't camp and hotels can occasionally become expensive if you take pot luck and find all the cheap ones are full.

Ptolemyx et al there are two ways I can approach next year. I can do a shorter trip (Picos for example) but would need to swap bikes at my place so might need to razz off, or we could do Pyrenees and detour from there (quite a detour as it's 120 miles south of Barcelona) French side is equally nice with some great looking roads so you could call it a two country tour for not massive effort.
Or, I could do a short tour with yourselves but make my own way home having swapped bikes.
No rush, but I will say for me it would have to incorporate late Spring Bank Holiday to gain a day's leave. Let's hope we can make something hang together.