Dave Emmett's Trip to France

Dave Emmett's trip to France

I try to take at least one cycle trip across the channel every year and have used a number of different bikes over the years. Last year I re-equipped with a Raleigh Venture GT, a chromoly tourer, recommended by Mar at Peter Hansford's Olivers Battery. Having cycled through large parts of France and Spain, i thought i would give Belguim a try this year. My son drove me and the bike down to Dover and I took the Norfolk Line ferry to Dunkerque. My tour took me a week and took me along the North Coast sea coast, across into belgium, on to the Dutch border and then back in a large curve through central and southern Belgium. I set myserlf an easy pace this year and averaged around 75kms. a day. I can confirm that Belgium is very very flat. In fact there were occasions when I went several days without using the low gear range. A rise in the road to take you over a motorway or river qualified as a steep hill! It is also wonderfully provided with ctcle paths every where. I rode from Bruges to Ypres along the N32 without ever riding on the road itself.

The weather was as bad as it was here at the end of June and after some very wet nights in my tent, I gave myself the luxury of a wooden trekking hut on the campsite at Ypes. I sat on the chair with my feet on the bed and a plastic cup of wine in my hand watching the monsoon rain falling outside and felt i had made a wise choice. All in all a great trip. The bike performed faultlessly and after a good clean and oil is as good as new.