Annecy and abouts

Bengaz · Aug 24, 2009

Small write up with a few pics of our trip to France back in July.

Packing the bike ready for the off was a krypton factor type puzzle?
John came at dinner time and we left South Shields to Folkstone (about 380 miles) to find out B+B.
Note the proper bike storage they had promised us :blast

Bengaz · Aug 24, 2009

2nd day, up at around 5am for a totally mental dash to catch the ferry (yes we were late!).
I wish we could have video of the dash thru dover at 5:30am

Anyway, made the ferry and had a nice chill out.
Made straight for lake annecy ( about 500 miles) that evening using the toll roads. These roads are great for getting places quick but work out quite costly.
We arrived in Annecy to the south end of the lake at "camping du lac bleu" at around 6pm.
It was a lovelly campsite, mainly full of dutch families and it is litterally on the lake.
The weather was 31 degrees but the sky seemed to be getting a little angry and the evening got on

That night we were in the worst electrical storm I have ever seen. The lightening bolts were hitting the mountains around us. One hit somewhere on the camp site and knocked the electric off all night. The noise was terrifying

Next day we noticed a few steel roof buildings burnt down. This must happen here often!

The tent flooded out from underneith (we were on a slope, very hard ground)but it never let in anything from above thank god. Good old biker tent!

Bengaz · Aug 24, 2009

Next day we had a look around local, and had a run up the nearest pass.
Managed to snag a tiny piece of galss in my rear tyre and it went straight down

Luckily I had a plugging kit and we managed to to a temp fix and headed straight for the BM dealer in Annecy where they promptly had my trousers down!
They charged my 261 Euros for e new rear tyre and when I complained saying I had just paid £120 back home a week earlier all I got was "welcome to Framce". T**T...

Bengaz · Aug 24, 2009

Next day it P***ed down, all day till tea time.
It was to be the only rain we would see in 8 days tho so really didnt mind after all. Camping is shit in the rain and I keep telling myself every trip "B+B" next time

The ride was still amazing, even in the wet.

Sat nav tells all.

Lovelly little town nearby called Faverges.

Bengaz · Aug 24, 2009

Next day we headed further south and visited some lovelly little ski resorts.
We stopped for a "crap" every day. We got quite addicted to "craps" and ate a lot of them.

Bengaz · Aug 24, 2009

More beautiful scenery

Johns sat nav kept going tits up so we made most of the routes up and just followed the amazing roads.

Bengaz · Aug 24, 2009

Came across this amazing Dam

Bengaz · Aug 24, 2009

This was the highest pass and it was 6 degrees at the top and 32 degrees at the bottom!
Col de L'Iseran...

Bengaz · Aug 24, 2009

More Coll's more "craps" and more passes...

I love this place!

Bengaz · Aug 24, 2009

We chose to leave 2 days early as the toure de france was in annecy the next day and we had chosen to stay at the same camp site all week as the weather down south wasnt too good by the forecast. Also the cost of things in France is unbelievably expensive!
Be prepared if your travelling there.

Last day we took in mont blanc.

Got up on the wednesday morning, packed away and left the camp site at 4am lol, the fellow campers were not too amused.

We rode non stop (exept for the ferry) for just short of 1000 miles and arrived home at 7:30 that evening. In time for a curry delivered :aidan

columbus · Aug 24, 2009

Great report and pics. We were just south of Geneva around the same time. If the thunderstorm is the same one as we were hit by then I dont envy you being in a tent. The kids were woken up and I had to check the caravan roof for hail damage. I didnt know that a thunder clap could last for so long either. Very spectacular area but as you say France is getting more expensive.

Bengaz · Aug 24, 2009

columbus said:
Great report and pics. We were just south of Geneva around the same time. If the thunderstorm is the same one as we were hit by then I dont envy you being in a tent. The kids were woken up and I had to check the caravan roof for hail damage. I didnt know that a thunder clap could last for so long either. Very spectacular area but as you say France is getting more expensive.

Must have been the same storm, we werent far from you.
Hotel next time mate!

8 days, 3000 miles and a £1000 hole in pocket but loved it all

Tarka · Aug 25, 2009

Thanks for sharing your trip and great photos (apart from the 'topless' one

).

Looks like you had a great time.....I love the Alps and the pases you rode.
You can get into 'scenery overload' if you`re not careful...but what a wonderful feeling it is to be riding there,eh?

Tell me,going by the side photo of the HP2,it looks like the soft pannier is touching the silencer.....did it touch and melt or did you get away with it ?

Cheers for the report. :beerjug:

Yellow Peril · Aug 25, 2009

Nice pics great area did it myself last year,
tip ultra seal saves time and money

Bengaz · Aug 25, 2009

Tarka said:
Thanks for sharing your trip and great photos (apart from the 'topless' one ).

Looks like you had a great time.....I love the Alps and the pases you rode.
You can get into 'scenery overload' if you`re not careful...but what a wonderful feeling it is to be riding there,eh?

Tell me,going by the side photo of the HP2,it looks like the soft pannier is touching the silencer.....did it touch and melt or did you get away with it ?

Cheers for the report.

it had about 20mm gap and I also made a simple bracket to stop them from dropping which worked a treat.
The exhaust doesnt get too hot either which is handy.
The panniers were £50 a pair, expandable and came with a waterproof cover. They were great.

Tarka · Aug 25, 2009

Bengaz said:
it had about 20mm gap and I also made a simple bracket to stop them from dropping which worked a treat.
The exhaust doesnt get too hot either which is handy.
The panniers were £50 a pair, expandable and came with a waterproof cover. They were great.

Cheers for that. :thumb2

I`ll check out some of type you used.
I too am increasingly impressed with the performance of the modern soft luggage (in contrast with the crap we endured in the 1980`s :augie

) and am not sure if I`d ever bother buying new 'hard' panniers again.

Thanks again for your report,too. :beerjug:

Bengaz · Aug 25, 2009

Yes Tarka, the hard luggage can work out hellish expensive and this soft stuff just flings off when you get to where you are going.
No good for Morroco tho

Sleepy · Aug 28, 2009

#5.. fourth picture down, looks like 'La Clusaz' ?, was there in June, a lovely place.

Irishdude · Aug 31, 2009

Great fotos man, looks like ye had a good time ,France is great but the french can sometimes be ...lets say rude sometimes.

garfield · Aug 31, 2009

I love those dashes over to France and the Alps, did my first one last year, really love France and have a yearning to scoot over there as we speak.... :beerjug:

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