9 Days in France and the Pyrenees

[Shep]

Just got back after a 9 day tour of France, the Pyrenees, a bit of Northern Spain and Andorra.

All the pictures are here and even though i say it myself some crackers.

trendinvestor : photos : Pyrenees Trip 2009

What a trip simply incredible and all planned at the very last minute, i had a free week so i loaded up the tent, changed the oil, bombed off down to Dover and went with LD Lines from Dover to Boulogne 35 pounds return.

I decided to stay on D Roads all the way down so i did not use any motorways or N Roads, i basically planned where i was going to go from a Michelin map in the morning sticking to as many D Roads, with the green road of outstanding beauty highlights as possible. This was a great plan as in reality i seemed to make as good time as if i had been using the N Roads which are much busier and also no police.

The weather was great all the way down, i went via the Dordogne which is very beautiful area and then ended in the Pyrenees which were breathtaking, i then headed to Andorra which was a huge dissapointment basically a valley with 1 road and lots of apartments, mind you spectacular mountains going back into France.

I then headed back to Carcassone, then the new Millau bridge (incredible) then the highlight of the trip the Tarn Gorge and Cervennes Corniche (recently voted as the best bike road in France by Moto Journal) it was unbelievable like a race track for about 50km,s perfect bends and perfect surface.

Then i headed back up North, which is ok but a bit flat and featureless and it always seems to be very windy. South of the Loire river in my opinion is best.

I camped every night in municipal sites, and for food i had the wayfarer boil in the bags which they used in the Long Way Round, they were really good very impressed apart from money for beer and petrol that was about it the V Strom does 60mpg, did the whole trip for 300 pounds.

Incredible memories and a superb experience.

[phil w]

Superb pics and a great way to spend 300 notes, top drawer stuff

[Shep]

That is what really surprised me Phil was how little it cost. I guess when you go travelling the big costs are

Accomadation - Solved by staying in the superb French Municipal sites average of 6 Euros per night

Food - Solved by cooking my own boil in the bags, and adding lots of French bread !!!!

Petrol - Solved by the fact that the little V Strom which went like a Swiss watch only sips at about 60mpg.

Mind you still spent a few quid on Ale !!!!!

But i agree it is superb value for money, on the 6th June off to Southern Greece the Pelopeneese where my parents live. Going down via France ( Dover- Calais) Belgium, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania and then across Greece. Then ferry to Southern Italy back up through Italy and then Switzerland and France and back home via Le Havre to Portsmouth

Same score camping and boil in the bags !!!!!!

[tendays]

Nice choice of roads Shep, and perfect bike for the trip eh?

[Shep]

Tenday

I must admit the little strom was magic, i have fitted Sonic fork Springs, Murphs fork brace and a Madstad windscreen bracket it is now like a different bike. The front end feels very good and no wind buffeting.

Also she likes Michelin Pilot Road tyres

[Frad]

Superb great piccies enjoy the next one too

[tendays]

nice one, my front end clunks like a goodun over bumpy tarmac. considering upgrading springs but is this a real solution to the problem or does it need better damping? the suspension is really the weestrom's achilles heel no?

[Jacqueslemac]

Lovely photos. We were there just a fortnight before and it's amazing how the vines came on in between.

[Farky]

Wow!! Im inspired to get out and do this too - originally planning something around August BH but not sure I can wait that long.... and ive got Redundancy staring me in the face this week... by the end of the month I may be just feckin off somewhere for the craic of it.

Like the idea of doing it all for £300 - how much is the powdered food then? I usually survive on bread and cheese in France, sticking to cheap local wine as the beer is a rip off and not that good.

I reckin I can get 180miles out of 15 litres at worst so 1800 miles is £150, add in 8 nites at £8 camping and the ferry and ive got £50 left out of £300 to get food.

Worst come to the worst and im out of here... the wife knows rightly i will too. Best case, im out of here earlier than August... July for the Tour De France sounds likely! Love the party at the side of the road every day!

Excellent website for pics by the way, they all look really sharp, I used to use Photobox but after their upgrade it all went a bit fuzzy so I stopped using it.

[Shep]

Farky

I did it on 300 pounds, i knew from previous "tours" that the budget gets blown on hotels and restaurants especially now with the toilet paper pound.

The Wayfarer foods are easily the best no comparison in my humble opinion. I have a deal with my local camp shop 2 meals for 6 pounds, you can order on the net at this price.

My favourites are the Chile Con Carne, Lancashire Hot Pot and the Chicken Dopiaza. I allways buy bread and have them with this. They are not packet or freeze dried food they are the real thing vacuum packed. You will not taste the difference to food you would have at home or in a pub, cannot recomend highly enough.

The other piece of equipment that was the star of the show was my Jetboil stove INCREDIBLY GOOD.

Each night i pitched the tent boil the water takes 2 minutes only !!!!!! put in the boil in the bag food which you simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, as the bag the food comes in is completely inert, i would then use the boil water to make a mug of coffee, i drink coffee Black as milk too much hassle and use sweetners again easy to carry and store.

And voila a good hot meal with a lump of bread and a mug of hot coffee and all ready in 8 minutes, fabulous bit of kit that Jetboil. I would often getv it out at the side of the road and knock up a coffee, takes 2 minutes max.

The Khyam tent is really good as well, it is great to get to the site and tent up and ready in a minute. I also used a SIGG water bottle left under the straps for the tent and my waterproof bag, you really dehydrate so it is a good idea to have water allways easily to hand, i drank a load.

The magnetric tank bag was a godsend, i always disliked tankbags but i am now a convert, mine is a Hein Gericke Tuarag that i bought unused on Ebay for 15 pounds. I took over 400 pics, because it was easy to stop and open the bag and grab the camera easily and quickly

I brought a mobile phone, I pod, and rechargeable Battery GPS, Canon digital camera and 12v socket to 240v Inverter and 12v AA battery charger. In the winter i fitted a 12v socket and i used the inverter nearly every night to charge my phone, camera, GPS batteries, and the I Pod,

Again i did not really see the point of a GPS but my wife bought me a Garmin Etrex Legend GPS with Euro mapping for Christmas so i bought a RAM mount for the handlebars and it worked really well a set of rechargeable batteries lasted 3 to 4 days. It was very handy especially going through large towns and cities and trying to pick up all the small roads. it was a big help.

Finally the little Strom cracking bike, amazed not more popu;lar here as very popular in the States.

Mine has Sonic Fork Springs, Murphs Fork Brace to tidy up the front end which feels a real budget set up as standard, now it feels very good.

A Madstad windscreen bracket to stop the buffeting and it really works, a set of Renthal handlebars the standard setup is a little bit too upright for me it hurts my back this set up gives a little bit of lean forward much more natural and comfortable for me anyway.

I fitted heated grips and the RAM mount for the GPS and a DL1000 Seat which is much comfier than the less padded and lower DL650 seat. I swapped my original seat. Finally the 12v Socket and a set of Givi pannier racks, i had the panniers from a previous bike.

I am now running Michelin Pilot Road tyres which are fabulous bike handles like a dream and these tyres really grip and seem to last well.

Bike can cruise at 90mph from a 650 !!! does up to 65mpg, and is very, very comfortable and smooth now.