The itinerary
We will bike through 10 countries of Europe: Norway, Sweden, Finland,
Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom,
France and Spain. We will more or less follow the West coast, preferring
small roads and cycling tracks. We will cover a total distance of
8,000 km in 6 months, with an average of 65 km per day, 5 days a
week, trying whenever possible to find a nice place to spend the
week-end.
The map (click on the map to enlarge)
The Route
Chart of distances
- Colonne 1: places of reference
- Colonne 2: distance between places of reference (rarely
daily distances)
- Colonne 3: cumulated distance
- Colonne 4: estimated number of days since departure
- Colonne 5: appoximate date of passage through points
of reference
|
1
|
2
|
3 |
4 |
5 |
|
Norway
|
1,392
|
|
|
|
| Cap Nord |
0
|
0 |
0 |
2-Jun |
| Honningsvag |
35
|
35 |
1 |
2-Jun |
| Russenes |
105
|
140 |
3 |
5-Jun |
| Alta |
110
|
250 |
6 |
7-Jun |
| Skibotn |
292
|
542 |
13 |
14-Jun |
| Nordkjosbotn |
45
|
587 |
14 |
15-Jun |
| Tromso |
73
|
660 |
15 |
17-Jun |
| Nordkjosbotn |
73
|
733 |
17 |
19-Jun |
| Bjerkvik |
148
|
881 |
21 |
22-Jun |
| Sortland |
165
|
1,046 |
24 |
26-Jun |
| Svolvaer |
77
|
1,123 |
26 |
28-Jun |
| Sorvagen |
133
|
1,256 |
29 |
1-Jul |
| Bodo-Fauske |
66
|
1,322 |
31 |
2-Jul |
| Lonsdal |
70
|
1,392 |
33 |
4-Jul |
|
Sweden
|
503
|
|
|
|
| Arjeplog |
165
|
1,557 |
36 |
8-Jul |
| Slagnas |
61
|
1,618 |
38 |
9-Jul |
| Bjorksele |
104
|
1,722 |
40 |
12-Jul |
| Umea |
173
|
1,895 |
44 |
16-Jul |
|
Finland
|
332
|
|
|
|
| Vaasa |
0
|
1,895 |
44 |
16-Jul |
| Pori |
193
|
2,088 |
49 |
20-Jul |
| Turku |
139
|
2,227 |
52 |
24-Jul |
|
Sweden
|
843
|
|
|
|
| Stockholm |
0
|
2,227 |
52 |
24-Jul |
| Soderkoping |
110
|
2,337 |
55 |
26-Jul |
| Vastervik |
110
|
2,447 |
57 |
29-Jul |
| Oskarshamn |
110
|
2,557 |
60 |
31-Jul |
| Ljungbyholm |
105
|
2,662 |
62 |
3-Aug |
| Johannishus |
110
|
2,772 |
65 |
5-Aug |
| Trolle-Ljungby |
110
|
2,882 |
67 |
8-Aug |
| Ystad |
110
|
2,992 |
70 |
11-Aug |
| Malmo |
78
|
3,070 |
72 |
12-Aug |
| Danemark |
469
|
|
|
|
| Copenhagen-Stege |
120
|
3,190 |
75 |
15-Aug |
| Gedser |
112
|
3,302 |
77 |
18-Aug |
| Tars |
152
|
3,454 |
81 |
21-Aug |
| Flensburg |
85
|
3,539 |
83 |
23-Aug |
|
Germany
|
382
|
|
|
|
| Husum |
42
|
3,581 |
84 |
24-Aug |
| Husum |
41
|
3,622 |
85 |
25-Aug |
| Meldorf |
63
|
3,685 |
86 |
27-Aug |
| Gluckstadt |
47
|
3,732 |
87 |
28-Aug |
| Bremer-Haven |
72
|
3,805 |
89 |
30-Aug |
| Leer |
95
|
3,899 |
91 |
1-Sep |
| Nieuweschans |
22
|
3,921 |
92 |
1-Sep |
|
Netherlands
|
624
|
|
|
|
| Delfzijl |
32
|
3,953 |
93 |
2-Sep |
| Lauwersoog |
60
|
4,013 |
94 |
3-Sep |
| Harlingen |
70
|
4,083 |
96 |
5-Sep |
| Lemmer |
73
|
4,156 |
97 |
7-Sep |
| Harderwijk |
82
|
4,238 |
99 |
9-Sep |
| Amsterdam |
68
|
4,306 |
101 |
10-Sep |
| Zandvoort |
40
|
4,346 |
102 |
11-Sep |
| Hoek van Holland |
75
|
4,421 |
104 |
13-Sep |
| Brielle |
24
|
4,445 |
104 |
14-Sep |
| Deltaexpo |
54
|
4,499 |
105 |
15-Sep |
| Vlissingen |
46
|
4,545 |
106 |
16-Sep |
| Breskens |
0
|
4,545 |
106 |
16-Sep |
|
Belgium
|
60
|
|
|
|
| Knokke |
25
|
4,570 |
107 |
16-Sep |
| Ostende |
35
|
4,605 |
108 |
17-Sep |
|
United Kingdom
|
527
|
|
|
|
| Douvres |
0
|
4,605 |
108 |
17-Sep |
| Rye |
56
|
4,661 |
109 |
19-Sep |
| Eastbourne |
38
|
4,699 |
110 |
20-Sep |
| Brighton |
40
|
4,739 |
111 |
20-Sep |
| Petersfield |
75
|
4,814 |
113 |
22-Sep |
| Southampton |
48
|
4,862 |
114 |
23-Sep |
| Sherborne |
90
|
4,952 |
116 |
25-Sep |
| Exeter |
102
|
5,054 |
118 |
28-Sep |
| Plymouth |
78
|
5,132 |
120 |
30-Sep |
|
France
|
954
|
|
|
|
| Roscoff |
0
|
5,132 |
120 |
30-Sep |
| Saint Thegonnec |
31
|
5,163 |
121 |
30-Sep |
| Brasparts |
38
|
5,201 |
122 |
1-Oct |
| Roudoualec |
27
|
5,228 |
122 |
2-Oct |
| Plouay |
40
|
5,268 |
123 |
3-Oct |
| Pluvinière |
32
|
5,300 |
124 |
4-Oct |
| Elven |
37
|
5,337 |
125 |
4-Oct |
| Missillac |
56
|
5,393 |
126 |
6-Oct |
| Saint-Nazaire |
30
|
5,423 |
127 |
6-Oct |
| Boin |
50
|
5,473 |
128 |
8-Oct |
| Les Sables d'Olonne |
76
|
5,549 |
130 |
9-Oct |
| La Tranche s/ Mer |
44
|
5,593 |
131 |
10-Oct |
| La Rochelle |
60
|
5,653 |
132 |
12-Oct |
| Rochefort |
42
|
5,695 |
133 |
13-Oct |
| Royan |
54
|
5,749 |
135 |
14-Oct |
| Pauillac |
66
|
5,815 |
136 |
16-Oct |
| Bordeaux |
60
|
5,875 |
138 |
17-Oct |
| Lugos |
56
|
5,931 |
139 |
18-Oct |
| Escource |
48
|
5,979 |
140 |
19-Oct |
| Vieux-Boucau les B |
62
|
6,041 |
141 |
21-Oct |
| Biarritz |
45
|
6,086 |
142 |
22-Oct |
|
Spain
|
1,602
|
|
|
|
| Elizondo |
55
|
6,141 |
144 |
23-Oct |
| Tolosa |
63
|
6,203 |
145 |
25-Oct |
| Amorebieta |
90
|
6,293 |
147 |
27-Oct |
| Bilbao |
20
|
6,313 |
148 |
27-Oct |
| Trespaderne |
80
|
6,392 |
150 |
29-Oct |
| Burgos |
64
|
6,456 |
151 |
31-Oct |
| Baltanas |
79
|
6,535 |
153 |
2-Nov |
| Valladadolid |
66
|
6,601 |
155 |
3-Nov |
| Salamanca |
130
|
6,731 |
158 |
6-Nov |
| Bejar |
73
|
6,804 |
159 |
8-Nov |
| Plasencia |
57
|
6,861 |
161 |
9-Nov |
| Caceres |
97
|
6,957 |
163 |
11-Nov |
| Badajoz |
105
|
7,062 |
165 |
14-Nov |
| Jerez de los Caballeros |
74
|
7,135 |
167 |
16-Nov |
| Aracena |
72
|
7,207 |
169 |
17-Nov |
| El Rocio |
123
|
7,329 |
172 |
20-Nov |
| Sevilla |
67
|
7,396 |
173 |
22-Nov |
| Arcos de la Frontera |
114
|
7,510 |
176 |
24-Nov |
| Tarifa |
130
|
7,640 |
179 |
27-Nov |
| Gibraltar |
48
|
7,688 |
180 |
29-Nov |
Some figures
A few figures about our journey, as compiled on July 31th :
Norway: 1731 km
The most:
Total for a day: 133 km on 7/31
Ride hours in a day: 8h35 also on 7/31
Average speed: 17,6 km/hour on 69 km (06/15)
Maximum speed: 58 km/hour for Ben on 06/07, 57 km/hour for Gaë
on 06/18
The least:
Total for a day: 32 km on 7/20
Ride hours in a day: 2h45 also on 7/20
Average speed: 11,3 km/hour on 06/06
Maximum speed: 30km/hour on 07/13
Since we are in Sweden and Finland, we have no more "serious"
slopes and consequently our maximum speed no more exceeds 35 km/h.
Temperatures:
At the North Cape: 7° in the morning
In the tunnels: 5°
Monday June 18th : maximum 10°
Tuesday June 19th : max 20°
Wednesday June 20th : max 30° (under the sun…)
Mechanical troubles:
Due to the flight travel, the front wheel of Gaëtane bicycle
has been buckled. At the end of the first day at the North Cape,
Benoît skillfully fixed that using the spanner provided to
tune the wheel spokes. The courses we attended on mechanicals before
our departure are priceless, thanks Tanguy ! Then on the second
week Gaëtane had a problem in the speeds selection: to go up
on the rear chain-sprocket, she had to move up twice, then move
down once. This time Benoît could'nt fix it, during the courses
on mechanicals they had already foreseen the complexity of the speeds
selection mechanics. This has been fixed by a professional at Solvaer
in the Lofoten.
Besides that, nothing to mention: no flat tyre, no fall.
Every 10 days we clean and oil our chains; every 3 weeks we grease
our saddles and check all bolts and screws.
|
