BigRingGrinder wrote:Will be flying back to Stansted with Ryanair.

Ahh, I'm the other side of London with BA.

ZeroDarkBivi wrote:See you all at the tomato hostel!

Hoping I wont have too much of a hangover on start day...

Anyone for Nice-Turin-Nice?

I gave up trying to book a bike onto a Ryanair flight to Turin so I'm flying to and from Nice and will ride to the start. Nice to Turin, Fri 31st Aug to sometime Sat eve or Sun am? Route here -

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27981435

- avoids crossing the TNR route apart from at one point, takes in a really nice area of France leading up to the Col Lombarde and then follows the base of the foothills around to Turin. 308km, 5000m climbing, looks like a day of 100km with 3500m climbing to get to the start or part way up the Lombarde, then a mostly-downhill day of 200km or so, arriving Turin Sat evening? Can arrive Sunday mid day if needed, no rush.

If I can swing the extra time out, I'd give it a whirl.

Greetz

S.

That'd be good Scott. We can get the expensive rounds out of the way before Nice then I can be flexible on start time (after 11am Fri) or ETA in Turing, anytime Sunday before late afternoon.

That looks like a good route jameso. If i'd not have already booked a flight to Turin that would be tempting. Seeing as I haven't booked a flight back from Nice yet I'm wondering if I should do a Turin-Nice-Turin.

Then again seeing as I've never done TNR before maybe I should save that idea for another year!

That looks like a good route jameso. If i'd not have already booked a flight to Turin that would be tempting. Seeing as I haven't booked a flight back from Nice yet I'm wondering if I should do a Turin-Nice-Turin.

Then again seeing as I've never done TNR before maybe I should save that idea for another year!

Users location - Flatlands .... Are you quite mad

Users location - Flatlands .... Are you quite mad

Well let's just say you wouldn't be the first person to say that to me!

Bigringgrinder.....

I'll be joining you from the flatlands... training in Norfolk has been hard, instead of hills i have just been making the chainring at front of singlespeed bigger and bigger!

T-N-T and N-T-Ns ... when the route to link them up looks like either a good day out for a randonneur or 2 days w/o too much stress, why not. I think there's a mental aspect to it though. Once you arrive at Nice you'll relax and start going into recovery mode (eat/sleep a lot, prob a few beers) so riding back to Turin may seem less appealing after that. Riding to the start is different, it's just extending the ride that has the same end place?

Felt the same about my recent tour in France. Rode Calais to the Verdon to stay with family there for a few days and planned to ride back to the UK afterward. But before I'd even arrived there I realised they were the destination, mentally the trip was done (a week of long days and solo riding usually itches the itch) and I had no real appetite to ride back, esp through the longer days needed in N France (so I stayed with family a few nore days before doing a couple of days west across the Luberon and over Mt Ventoux, a long-held wish to ride that, then got on the CTC coach back. ...which is a tangent ramble, but there's my trip report).

When Chew and me rode to Turin from Milan, it felt like a good warm up - not too sure I'd have fancied turning round once we got to Nice

I've ridden to the start from a few days out both years so far, agreed, it's a good way to get settled in. Always good to arrive in Turin full of appetite with a few stories for over a beer later on. And knowing the bike is going OK by then helps.

Scud wrote:I'll be joining you from the flatlands... training in Norfolk has been hard, instead of hills i have just been making the chainring at front of singlespeed bigger and bigger!

Ahh I'm just over the border in Cambridgeshire. Training has not been ideal due to various reasons but hoping grit, determination and maybe the odd sweary word every now and again will get me through.

jameso wrote:Once you arrive at Nice you'll relax and start going into recovery mode (eat/sleep a lot, prob a few beers) so riding back to Turin may seem less appealing after that.

Bearbonesnorm wrote:When Chew and me rode to Turin from Milan, it felt like a good warm up - not too sure I'd have fancied turning round once we got to Nice

jameso wrote:I've ridden to the start from a few days out both years so far, agreed, it's a good way to get settled in.

All valid points. Something to consider for another year once I've got my first TNR under my belt and know what's achievable.

I'd be interested to hear what that Nice-Turin route is like once it's been ridden for future reference

Definitely not flatlands around here, just come back from a 90km 4hr bimble, no real set piece climbs just local hills. 1,500m of climbing! Also it's 36°c at the moment.

pistonbroke wrote:Definitely not flatlands around here, just come back from a 90km 4hr bimble, no real set piece climbs just local hills. 1,500m of climbing! Also it's 36°c at the moment.

Sounds like the Chilterns at the moment :)

Always amazes me how much elevation gain you can be up against in the Alps. The TNR route averages about 25-27m per km, a col-bagging day in the Alps can be more like 35m per km, so the TNR's actually not that hilly?

jameso wrote:

pistonbroke wrote:Definitely not flatlands around here, just come back from a 90km 4hr bimble, no real set piece climbs just local hills. 1,500m of climbing! Also it's 36°c at the moment.

Sounds like the Chilterns at the moment :)

Always amazes me how much elevation gain you can be up against in the Alps. The TNR route averages about 25-27m per km, a col-bagging day in the Alps can be more like 35m per km, so the TNR's actually not that hilly?

I hate the Alps!*

*I was built for the fens

jameso wrote:Always amazes me how much elevation gain you can be up against in the Alps. The TNR route averages about 25-27m per km, a col-bagging day in the Alps can be more like 35m per km, so the TNR's actually not that hilly?

You've just reminded me of Hero Dolomites. 52m per km.

Really, really tough.

I had to look it up .. it's only 86km. Pah

It felt harder than the BB200, no question. Probably up there with Braunton.

Short, but relentless.

Just kidding Rich : ) as hilly as it sounds it's also the steepness and the repetition I think, plus how hard you push it. It's why I think people shouldn't get too hung up on the TNR elevation gain stats. Or stats in general tbh. It's quite hilly but you don't need to push yourself in terms of climbing rate - save it for riding later, starting earlier, getting to a great (hidden, subtle etc ) bivi spot, doing the longer loop options or the R-S routes, and so on. 'What would Fred do?'

Yeah, it's a whole different experience when you don't HAVE to go fast (to be honest, even choosing to do so feels easier).

Having just finished a supported LEJOG, I can feel I have more training to do. The hills were OK but I didn’t have a bike full of luggage (although I did use the gravel bike with 40mm treads)
Our biggest day of 80 miles and just shy of 4000ft of climbing makes it very flat compared to TNR.
Time to hit some hills while I have LEJOG fitness.

Seems a few signed up riders are feeling a bit under-climbed. Here's a thought, I have an opportunity for a 3-4 day trip w/c 5th of August as Mrs PB is back in the UK for a week. I could collect from Reus (Tarragona) airport and either ride north to the Pyrenees or South to the c2,000m range of mountains to the south. The riding will be gravel/country lane based, no big rocks and vertical downhills. There's a massive network of such trails around here and the scenery is great as anyone who has done the C2C will confirm. Obviously it's short notice but timing wise it seems ideal to sharpen up the suffering gene prior to the 3rd of Sept. Let me know asap and we can flesh out an itinerary.
Ps flights are going at around €50 each way plus bike so won't break the bank. Mrs PB is going to Bristol for €70 return Sat-Sat.

That's pretty damn tempting, but I'm fairly sure I couldn't handle the temperatures!

Edit - Seeing £250 for flights. That's with Ryanair to Bristol. I guess booking early helps!

Oops, Mrs PB is actually flying on Sat 4th. Flights Bristol -Reus on the 4th €42 Girona -Bristol Wed 8th €50 plus bike obvs. Perfectly possible to do a trip over 3 days. Temp wise, UK has been similar over the last 3 weeks and I'll bet it'll be well into the late 20's early 30's for the TNR.