2011 sinks slowly in the west, so it's time to think about next year.
Some ideas of possible destinations:
(a) A 'beginners' weekend
This one will be a definite
Suitable for anyone who has never ridden abroad or anyone who just wants to have a trial run with a pillion..... old hands welcome, too. This will be a two day jaunt, bringing in just about every type of road you may come across (motorways, National (N) and Departmental (D) roads, towns and villages)..... maybe the odd farm road, too...... but nothing 'off-road' and nothing that I would not ride on my HP2 Sport, I promise.
(b) Haut Languedoc
In the sort of Castres region. A bit of a schlepp to get there, but I could probably work in some Massif Central or Morvan fun, too.
(c) Chemin des Dames, Verdun, the Vosges / Black Forest and the Schlumpf museum at Mulhouse
More than likely that this one will be a goer
A good chunk of French WW1 and then the Bugatti collection, with the forest bit lobbed in for good measure.
Probably lends itself to a longer time away as the museums and site visits will take up most of a day each.
(d) Some classic racing in Belgium and a wander around the Ardennes
Unfortunately the Jehonville racing weekend seems to have dropped off the calendar, but I'll try to find something else. If not, the Ardennes are always good and a doddle to get to.
(e) The Dolomites
This really is a toss-up with the Castres pipe dream. Lots of great riding, if you don't mind hairpins Like the Haut Languedoc proposal, it would have to be a longer jaunt to make it worthwhile.
(f) A four-dayer to Normandy and maybe Brittany
Probably a definite.
The idea here would be to go over to France the afternoon before, so as to save a bit of time the next day.
(g) A couple of camping weekends
I am warming to this idea.
To make a change from the short hop / one night's hotel format, how about a bit of camping instead?
(h) The 'Dijon' run
A decent crack down, some great roads when you are there and a decent crack back. This might lend itself to the 'go-over the night before' idea, too.
==========
Format and anything else?
Numbers? The six to eight bike numbers work well and makes booking hotels easier, for sure. Pillions are welcome, of course.
When? That's a bloody good question. If we can get going in early April and go thro' to mid or late October, we should be able to get most of them in. I will do my best to use bank holiday dates, of course. It may well mean two jaunts in a month, sometimes...... hey-ho.
Hotels? I do try to find private hotels (Logis or similar). If not, one of the chains (Ibis, say). The Logis hotels are sometimes a bit limited with space. I will try to get some dates reserved for next year, early. That will make planning easier, for sure.
Suitable for? Anyone who can ride a motorbike, is the easy answer. They won't be thrashes but we may well need to crack-on with some decent milages (250 plus) on some days. I do try to get everyone to the hotel by 18:30, preferring to start earlier in the day if possible. Similarly, I do try to get some reasonable lunch, coffee and leg-stretch stops in, too.
Getting across the water? I like the Chunnel but have no problem if bods want to take a boat and meet us somewhere.
Routes etc? I will do suggested Garmin GPS routes for all the jaunts. We will use the marker drop-off system, too.
Deposits etc? These are all very much 'amateur' affairs, not in anyway a business enterprise. I try to avoid giving hotels deposits, where possible. But, that does mean trust and that bods have to be near enough certain that they are going to come along. I have had a couple of cry-offs, which were all given in very good time and for very good reasons. No problem at all. I have only ever had one no-show..... It wasn't a big issue; just delays bods getting going while we stand about wondering, "Is he, isn't he". I do like to take the 'wondering' out of 'wandering'........
Anything else? A reasonable sense of humour, a bit of self-reliance and a willingness to help out / be a 'good egg'. In short, just the sort of bods who have been on all the wanders so far.
Richard
PS If anyone has a great idea (or just a suggestion) of possible alternatives, sing-up, please. I sort of fancy a Rhine / Moselle jaunt.........
Some ideas of possible destinations:
(a) A 'beginners' weekend
This one will be a definite
Suitable for anyone who has never ridden abroad or anyone who just wants to have a trial run with a pillion..... old hands welcome, too. This will be a two day jaunt, bringing in just about every type of road you may come across (motorways, National (N) and Departmental (D) roads, towns and villages)..... maybe the odd farm road, too...... but nothing 'off-road' and nothing that I would not ride on my HP2 Sport, I promise.
(b) Haut Languedoc
In the sort of Castres region. A bit of a schlepp to get there, but I could probably work in some Massif Central or Morvan fun, too.
(c) Chemin des Dames, Verdun, the Vosges / Black Forest and the Schlumpf museum at Mulhouse
More than likely that this one will be a goer
A good chunk of French WW1 and then the Bugatti collection, with the forest bit lobbed in for good measure.
Probably lends itself to a longer time away as the museums and site visits will take up most of a day each.
(d) Some classic racing in Belgium and a wander around the Ardennes
Unfortunately the Jehonville racing weekend seems to have dropped off the calendar, but I'll try to find something else. If not, the Ardennes are always good and a doddle to get to.
(e) The Dolomites
This really is a toss-up with the Castres pipe dream. Lots of great riding, if you don't mind hairpins
Like the Haut Languedoc proposal, it would have to be a longer jaunt to make it worthwhile.(f) A four-dayer to Normandy and maybe Brittany
Probably a definite.
The idea here would be to go over to France the afternoon before, so as to save a bit of time the next day.
(g) A couple of camping weekends
I am warming to this idea.
To make a change from the short hop / one night's hotel format, how about a bit of camping instead?
(h) The 'Dijon' run
A decent crack down, some great roads when you are there and a decent crack back. This might lend itself to the 'go-over the night before' idea, too.
==========
Format and anything else?
Numbers? The six to eight bike numbers work well and makes booking hotels easier, for sure. Pillions are welcome, of course.
When? That's a bloody good question. If we can get going in early April and go thro' to mid or late October, we should be able to get most of them in. I will do my best to use bank holiday dates, of course. It may well mean two jaunts in a month, sometimes...... hey-ho.
Hotels? I do try to find private hotels (Logis or similar). If not, one of the chains (Ibis, say). The Logis hotels are sometimes a bit limited with space. I will try to get some dates reserved for next year, early. That will make planning easier, for sure.
Suitable for? Anyone who can ride a motorbike, is the easy answer. They won't be thrashes but we may well need to crack-on with some decent milages (250 plus) on some days. I do try to get everyone to the hotel by 18:30, preferring to start earlier in the day if possible. Similarly, I do try to get some reasonable lunch, coffee and leg-stretch stops in, too.
Getting across the water? I like the Chunnel but have no problem if bods want to take a boat and meet us somewhere.
Routes etc? I will do suggested Garmin GPS routes for all the jaunts. We will use the marker drop-off system, too.
Deposits etc? These are all very much 'amateur' affairs, not in anyway a business enterprise. I try to avoid giving hotels deposits, where possible. But, that does mean trust and that bods have to be near enough certain that they are going to come along. I have had a couple of cry-offs, which were all given in very good time and for very good reasons. No problem at all
. I have only ever had one no-show..... It wasn't a big issue; just delays bods getting going while we stand about wondering, "Is he, isn't he". I do like to take the 'wondering' out of 'wandering'........Anything else? A reasonable sense of humour, a bit of self-reliance and a willingness to help out / be a 'good egg'. In short, just the sort of bods who have been on all the wanders so far.
Richard
PS If anyone has a great idea (or just a suggestion) of possible alternatives, sing-up, please. I sort of fancy a Rhine / Moselle jaunt.........
) on our way
