A little guidance needed-TET Spain & France

[Anthony Byrne]

Hey folks, this forum has been my ultimate go to for guidance on my bigger trips outside of Ireland. People have helped me plan my trips over many years. I think its time for a new plan......

Im planning 2 weeks in April/May next year, my main aim is to cover some of the TET in either Northen Spain or Southern France. Offroading is new to me and something im only getting into now. Most of my riding to date is 99% road based.

Ive a new Himalayan 450 on order and plan to kit it out for this trip. Im lucky enough to live rural so plan to have plenty of practice off road before then and maybe attend an off-road course if needed. Im fairly experienced camping and confident in that space.

I can take the ferry from Ireland to France, this takes 18 hours each way plus maybe 2 days each way of highways to get through France to Spain. Maybe im better off biting the bullet and taking the Ferry to Spain, 36 hours each way but would leave me nicely placed in Spain.

• Has anyone done a similar plan and would you have a preference?
• If you did 8 hours in the saddle what's a safe number for distance travelled in conditions like the TET (i.e. 150km a day)?
• Any earls of wisdom for a long time road rider but off road newbie?

Im looking at the TET website and googling as I go but no better place than here for some advice (and abuse )

Thanks
Anthony

 

[Wapping]

Maybe im better off biting the bullet and taking the Ferry to Spain, 36 hours each way but would leave me nicely placed in Spain.

Leaves you nicely placed in Spain, the main destination of your holiday and the central purpose of you going away …. And cuts out the entire chunk through France, which will probably take a day, at least…. The answer is as plain as the nose on your face, I would have thought.

Edit to add….

As to how far you’ll go along the TET in eight hours? How long is a piece of string? In that sense, it’s perhaps no different to riding on tarmac. Stopping to take pictures for an hour over the day, will mean covering less distance than you’d cover had you not stopped. Stop for a puncture, less distance again. Stop for pictures and collect a puncture in the same day, less distance still. Stop for a fag every hour for 15 minutes, less distance. Stop for lunch….. I guess you can see where this is heading, and that heading is not moving forwards, as you are stopped.

I think Arsey is quite new to off-roading (maybe on a part of the TET) and found it tiring; his posts might give you an idea or PM him perhaps?

From a Google, the perceived wisdom seems to be 25 kmh. But, quite what that means is a bit of a mystery.

 

[Mzokk]

Rosslare to Bilbao. Then straight through Zierbena and into the hills. No need to venture into or through any centre of population if you don't want to and it cuts out big road miles

Snap Wapping!

 

[Berin]

Hey folks, this forum has been my ultimate go to for guidance on my bigger trips outside of Ireland. People have helped me plan my trips over many years. I think its time for a new plan......

Im planning 2 weeks in April/May next year, my main aim is to cover some of the TET in either Northen Spain or Southern France. Offroading is new to me and something im only getting into now. Most of my riding to date is 99% road based.

Ive a new Himalayan 450 on order and plan to kit it out for this trip. Im lucky enough to live rural so plan to have plenty of practice off road before then and maybe attend an off-road course if needed. Im fairly experienced camping and confident in that space.

I can take the ferry from Ireland to France, this takes 18 hours each way plus maybe 2 days each way of highways to get through France to Spain. Maybe im better off biting the bullet and taking the Ferry to Spain, 36 hours each way but would leave me nicely placed in Spain.

• Has anyone done a similar plan and would you have a preference?
• If you did 8 hours in the saddle what's a safe number for distance travelled in conditions like the TET (i.e. 150km a day)?
• Any earls of wisdom for a long time road rider but off road newbie?

Im looking at the TET website and googling as I go but no better place than here for some advice (and abuse )

Thanks
Anthony

having done quite a bit of riding trails even before the TET, I would say that unless you are hardcore enduro rider or don’t mind riding to the evening then plan for no more than 120-150km a day

The thing about riding even a curated route like the TET is it’s unpredictable. One section of the TET in France that was no more than a kilometer took over 2 hours walking the bikes (properly prepped 690 KTM’s) as it had rained heavily the day before and completely washed out the route.

Some sections were not passable due to some recent local restrictions being imposed, or closed due to fire risk.

This means it can be hard to predict where you’re going to end up, easier for you if you’re camping but we stay in hotels and B&B so usually that means being off the trail by about 4pm to find somewhere to stay.

If you end up making good time then great, either have an early bath or put the extra miles in the bank in case they are needed the next day.

Also, unless it’s a short trip, we plan a day off the bike every 5-6 days, to do some washing, bike maintenance and to rest up a bit- it can be very tiring, especially at first.

I do recommend doing some off road training, and my pick would be Simon Pavey’s off road skills course. Although your Himalayan isn’t a big bike it’s heavy and so learning on a GS will give you confidence.

And then there’s your route planning and gps device to think of….

But it will be great. As Wapping said, if your destination is Spain go straight there. Running though France on a Himalayan will be miserable and you’ll knacker your off road tyres.

 

[KMD]

If I could offer any advice it would be don’t , under any circumstances ride TET alone. You will fall off, no matter how carefully you ride and many of the tracks you will find yourself on could be miles away from the nearest assistance. You don’t want to find yourself injured in the middle of nowhere and it’s not unusual on the TET Facebook page to see requests for assistance to recover a bike from lone riders.

Choose carefully who you ride with. The wrong combination of personalities can ruin a whole trip.

Make sure you can maintain communications while away and always know pretty much where you are.

Take spare parts such as inner tubes, brake and clutch levers, brake and gear pedals with you.

Don’t do too much per day, don’t try to ride too fast, and finally…..enjoy it as much as you can. Good luck

 

[er-minio]

I've done only a couple of bits of it in Europe, and I am a newbie in the mud, but my two cents:

With zero non tarmac experience, I'd say even less than 100km a day if doing any offroad.
As Berin say, 1km of muddy ruts could take you half a day.
100% do not go alone.
Plan carefully your tracks and consider "exit" points (and the follow up routes from there) if you get tired, weather, etc.

And... take the ferry to Spain directly.

 

[Arsey]

I think Arsey is quite new to off-roading (maybe on a part of the TET) and found it tiring; his posts might give you an idea or PM him perhaps?

From a Google, the perceived wisdom seems to be 25 kmh. But, quite what that means is a bit of a mystery.

Been off ridding sporadically for 30 years but haven’t done much until recently.

The 450 Himmy will cope just fine .
Took mine on ferry to Santander , did some off-roading in Picos then rode it back to St Malo .
I was a bit knackered on the gnarly section but that’s more about me being 60 , having buggered knees and a poorly foot which requires surgery in two weeks .
Someone else said to take spare levers . Easier to fit a pair of Barkbusters .

The 450 is the perfect bike to ride to the trails then ride home again .

A lighter bike like a CRF300 will be better off-road but much more compromised on road .
Just do it …..

 

[g00ner]

I was in Potes in the first week of September this year with friends though I kept to road routes, two very competent off road riding friends rode the TET. Feedback was there were easy parts as depicted above but several very difficult sections, including three hours to complete 1.5km and another section that required the bikes be lowered down a ‘slope’ on ropes.
Most could be navigated around via GPS but it’s not something I’d ride alone.

PS. They completed the ‘figure of eight’ loop around Potes in six long days. They looked knackered arriving back

 

[Wapping]

How far on the TET is a self confessed novice going to go in eight hours on the TET? That’s the burning question, that the OP is looking for an answer to.

 

[er-minio]

In short: there is no straight answer as explained by Berin in post #4.
Plan accordingly with fallbacks. Nothing tragic, but keep in mind you can get stuck in mud and can take you 3 hours to push a heavy/ish bike (GS) through 400 meters of it and be exhausted after that.

Of course this is highly hypothetical and not based on extremely embarrassing personal experience.

On top of that, for the TET specifically, there should be enough video evidence online to give you an idea of what bits could have surprises and those (many) that are mostly unpaved roads. YouTube is your friend.

But, by all means: go and do it. And you'll have fun.

 

[Arsey]

How far on the TET is a self confessed novice going to go in eight hours on the TET? That’s the burning question, that the OP is looking for an answer to.

Actually the burning question is where is Wapping planning on taking his Himmy 450 off-road seeing as he’s fitted Barkbusters ?

 

[Berin]

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In short: there is no straight answer as explained by Berin in post #4.
Plan accordingly with fallbacks. Nothing tragic, but keep in mind you can get stuck in mud and can take you 3 hours to push a heavy/ish bike (GS) through 400 meters of it and be exhausted after that.

Of course this is highly hypothetical and not based on extremely embarrassing personal experience.

On top of that, for the TET specifically, there should be enough video evidence online to give you an idea of what bits could have surprises and those (many) that are mostly unpaved roads. YouTube is your friend.

But, by all means: go and do it. And you'll have fun.

As to Wapping’s point on how far can you go in 8 hours, there’s no answer. We’ve done 300km on good trails in good weather but most days just don’t work like that. er-minio is probably being sensible with 100km a day.

While YouTube video can help, do not rely on it.
What was an easy trail 2 months ago or even yesterday may be a washed out boggy rocky nightmare by the time you get to it.


And you do need levers, even with decent handguards like CRM or HDB I’ve seen plenty broken. Barkbusters and all of this type with an expanding bolt in the handlebar end and single bolt for the inner clamp will rotate around and pretty quickly become useless after a hefty fall.

 

[Wapping]

Actually the burning question is where is Wapping planning on taking his Himmy 450 off-road seeing as he’s fitted Barkbusters ?

Tesco, like every other w’nker.

 

[mspenz]

I've ridden solo from Bilbao to just short of Andorra using the TET on my 690 Enduro, some sections would have been easily doable on a GS1200, while others felt felt really tough for me on the 690 !
The condition of the trail is changing all the time, due to rain..there can be big wash outs and serious ruts in the more sandy sections, however, most of the bad bits are avoidable. And always walk something first if you aren't sure !

100km / day is a good average guide.

Is there still a TET specific forum, you could get up to date condition reports there ?

And it might be worth contacting Simon_100 off of here..he was the Spanish linesman and should be able to give you some sensible pointers

 

[Mad Hatter]

My experience of trail riding in Spain and France, some on the TET and some elsewhere, is that 100 miles a day is possible but only if you are a competent experienced rider on a suitable bike and have done your route planning thoroughly and are riding with an equally experienced group who can support each other in the event of mechanical/medical problems. The terrain varies from easy peasy to full on hard enduro which is why you need to do proper planning. Take away any of those critical ingredients and you should set your sights a lot lower. Don’t be put off though, it is brilliant and stunning, just do it with a bit of thought

 

[Anthony Byrne]

Thank you all, some good reading and thought provoking comments. Im not pushed on the distance I make each day, it was more so a steer for planning. I'll happily tip along and plan it day by day with regards to where I will stay. There looks to be plenty of camp sites plus worst case ill wild camp late and get going early.

The harder part for me will be getting a buddy or group, I like my trips solo. Im naturally a loner and enjoy my own company, living by my own rules as I go. I guess my day to day life is so restrictive, kids, wife, job........ I enjoy that space and freedom.My way to recharge the soul

 

[Wapping]

I (am I am sure, we) look forward to hearing how you get on and, as usual, see the great pictures you take.

My off-roading has been limited to taking my 1600 along some very unsuitable roads, often due to my own stupidity. The most recent was earlier this year when I thought to myself that I’d cut a corner by taking a two mile hilly unmade farm road on the German / Belgian border of the Ardennes. The road signs all showed (very plainly) that it was unsuitable for anything but agricultural vehicles and, indeed, that anything else was banned. But did I take any notice? No! Was I incredibly stupid? Yes. I won’t be doing it again!

 

[g00ner]

I (am I am sure, we) look forward to hearing how you get on and, as usual, see the great pictures you take.

My off-roading has been limited to taking my 1600 along some very unsuitable roads, often due to my own stupidity. The most recent was earlier this year when I thought to myself that I’d cut a corner in by taking a two mile hilly unmade farm road on the German / Belgian border of the Ardennes. The road signs all showed (very plainly) that it was unsuitable for anything but agricultural vehicles and, indeed, that anything else was banned. But did I take any notice? No! Was I incredibly stupid? Yes. I won’t be doing it again!

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. And think twice next time

 

[Berin]

I've ridden solo from Bilbao to just short of Andorra using the TET on my 690 Enduro, some sections would have been easily doable on a GS1200, while others felt felt really tough for me on the 690 !
The condition of the trail is changing all the time, due to rain..there can be big wash outs and serious ruts in the more sandy sections, however, most of the bad bits are avoidable. And always walk something first if you aren't sure !

100km / day is a good average guide.

Is there still a TET specific forum, you could get up to date condition reports there ?

And it might be worth contacting Simon_100 off of here..he was the Spanish linesman and should be able to give you some sensible pointers

Good advice here to walk it.

We always try to adhere to the rule not to ride anything you couldn’t ride back, in case the route isn’t passable when you get round the next corner.

It was ignoring this that got us into bother on the French TET

 

[GFJ]

If going solo, maybe consider the ACT for starters, nicely broken up into day sections.

If doing TET and solo or in small numbers, just hit the road when you've had enough and head for the nearest digs. Resume the following day.

TET can have some challenging bits, and as others have said, the character will change with things such as the weather etc