The 1st Torino-Nice Rally, anyone?

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nedrapier
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Re: The 1st Torino-Nice Rally, anyone?

Post by nedrapier »

Howdy All! A mate of mine lives in Piedmont with a view of Mont Viso. He recently got into cycling more seriously and asked me if I fancy joining him for this.

I do! Looks amazing! Great job Jameso in putting it together, great job everyone who did it last year. I've done some bike packing before, done some long rides, but nothing quite like this.

Found this thread from a search on STW, so joined up to the forum to get involved. I've had a good spin through, but not read the whole 25 pages. Main takeaways for me so far are TLS and relax on bike choice, it will be awful for some of the time. Makes sense to be on broadly the same as riding buddies, though, or you'll always be going as slow as the least suitable bike.

Kit has chosen itself, at least until weather forecasts swim into view much nearer the time.

Bike will probably be a Singular Peregrine, possibly the wife's Swift if long rides back to back on the P'grin start leaving me a bit sore.

Least certain of the whole lot is tyres, obviously! Possibly Compass Snoqualmie pass if I'm feeling rich and brave; possibly 50c Marathon Supreme if I'm feeling less rich and less brave; possibly Thunder Burts if I'm feeling poor but brave - I've got a pair already in the cupboard.
Last edited by nedrapier on Wed Mar 08, 2017 2:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
jameso
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Re: The 1st Torino-Nice Rally, anyone?

Post by jameso »

Hi Ned :-bd and thanks for the +ves.
TLS and relax on bike choice, it will be awful for some of the time
TLS yes. Bike will be *perfect* some of the time. Well, leave the fat bike at home but CX / gravel through to 29er FS last year seemed about right. Tyres .. not much need for treads, even when wet the stradas are grit/gravelly so remain grippy and smooth tyres are nicer on the road sections. Old-school semi slicks may be ideal.
DoctorRad
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Re: The 1st Torino-Nice Rally, anyone?

Post by DoctorRad »

jameso wrote:Old-school semi slicks may be ideal.
*Cough*Smart Sam*Cough*
The only choice you need to make then is width :wink:
jameso
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Re: The 1st Torino-Nice Rally, anyone?

Post by jameso »

A bit of info from Sergio in Turin about Nice<>Turin train travel, thought I'd post it up here for reference. The regional train between Nice and Tende is the Train des Merveilles - info here - http://www.tendemerveilles.com/telechar ... tdm-eng-17
this is the official page of Trenitalia for bike transport (english version)

http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en/Servi ... -your-bike

The italian page explain better

http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom/Offerte- ... i/FAQ-Bici

- any train “Regionale” have a bike section near head or tail of the train; to store you bike here you must buy, over your personal ticket, a daily ticket of 3,50€ for each bike (I do this habitually on my one-way trip)
- in others train you must wheel off your bikes and packing them

I haven’t experience of the french side (Nice-Ventimiglia). In Italian side you can travel from Ventimiglia to Cuneo via Valle Roya - Limone with a very nice (and slow) train “Regionale” and then from Cuneo to Torino with another Regionale. So, no problems to transport the bike.
Other way is Ventimiglia - Savona and then Savona - Torino via train Regionale (about 4.30h) and here also no problem.

Faster solution via Intercity or international train could need to transport the bike as extra luggage and this could be expensive and complicated.

My personal suggestion is to reach Ventimiglia in some way (by bike?) and then take the Valle Roya train. Otherwhise you can get the train of Merveilles
http://www.regionpaca.fr/se-deplacer/tr ... illes.html
or
http://www.tendemerveilles.com/train-des-merveilles
until Tenda and then continue to Limone - Cuneo - Torino via treni Regionali.

It seems a bit complicated but it could be done in a day…
robert
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Re: The 1st Torino-Nice Rally, anyone?

Post by robert »

In France all regional trains carry bikes without extra charge. Long distance trains and TGV charge 10 € for a non-dismounted bike, when space is available. Dismounted bikes inside a bag are like normal luggage, so no extra charge.

Last year we left at 11 am or so from Nice and were in Torino by the beginning of the afternoon, after a change in Ventimiglia and another one in Cuneo.
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SixPotBelly
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Re: The 1st Torino-Nice Rally, anyone?

Post by SixPotBelly »

Long distance trains and TGV charge 10 € for a non-dismounted bike, when space is available.
Just to avoid any miscomprehension by anyone reading, not all TGV lines carry non-dismantled bikes. The TGV from NIce up to Paris is an example of one that doesn't
robert
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Re: The 1st Torino-Nice Rally, anyone?

Post by robert »

robert wrote: Last year we left at 11 am or so from Nice and were in Torino by the beginning of the afternoon, after a change in Ventimiglia and another one in Cuneo.
Sorry :) I had a look at the time tables, and I think we left at 9 am, rather than 11, to be in Torino at about 3 pm
jameso
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Re: The 1st Torino-Nice Rally, anyone?

Post by jameso »

On the train theme .. 2nd mail-out went out the other day, some follow-up train tips from rider replies -

RE getting a train from Ventimiglia near Nice to Turin,
"Trains between Nice and Ventimiglia are frequent and accept bikes free of charge (in TER), so no use going to Ventimiglia by bike (unless for the pleasure of wandering along the coast).
The Nice - Breil line is another option to reach Breil where the two lines (the one from Ventimiglia and the one from Nice) connect."

RE booking a train with bike from/to Turin,
"..my recent experience has been that to formally book a bike on a fast train eg Geneva to Milan, or Milan to Turin then it isn't possible to do online via any of the major websites. I have had to call Trenitalia (v good service in English) and book seat and bike. cost £6.00 from the UK but cheapest way to do it to guarantee a seat and accompanying bike.
Info on bikes see link http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en/Servi ... -your-bike"
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Ian
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Re: The 1st Torino-Nice Rally, anyone?

Post by Ian »

I know there's a wealth of info in this thread, but shouldn't we have a "The 2nd Torino-Nice Rally, anyone?" thread...?

It's a job to know when the first one stops or the second one starts :???:
jameso
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Re: The 1st Torino-Nice Rally, anyone?

Post by jameso »

Fair point Ian .. I suppose I see it all as the same ride now, the plans and most of the route etc are the same.

If anyone feels the time's right to start a 2nd Rally thread, go for it.. Or we can keep it all in one place, I'll happily contribute to either.
pistonbroke
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Re: The 1st Torino-Nice Rally, anyone?

Post by pistonbroke »

Yes please to another thread and the proposed dates as it doesn't seem to feature in the events calender either.
jameso
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Re: The 1st Torino-Nice Rally, anyone?

Post by jameso »

Dates are on the TNR site : )

By a 2-0 vote in favour over last hour - new thread coming up ..
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