Lessons learned

So, time to look back on how things went for the try-out.

In short, things went as well as I could have expected. I’ll address a few specific points below, but in general, I left feeling very optimistic.

What I do need to concentrate on are the rhythms of everyday life, especially on the road. I will be living out of a suitcase in a car, both literally and metaphorically for nearly a month. I’ll have a variety of accommodations, and so I’ll have to pack an overnight rucsac to carry the bare essentials for each night’s stay in with me. One of these essentials must be a little kettle, mug and possibly teapot. I’m an inveterate tea drinker, and you certainly can’t rely on provision in French accommodation.

It’s actually very difficult to get an overview of the Tour each day. You get bombarded with the bare results from many sources on social media, but trying to get a wider picture is difficult. In the end I realised that the hour-long nightly summary of the lamented itv4 coverage was the best summary, and that there’s usually a lull the next morning after breakfast which makes the perfect viewing time to catch up on what is happening.

Navigation

In general, navigation proved quite easy. I used cyclingstage.com to both get an overview of the stages, and the very granular detail of the course for that particular day. Google Maps provided navigation between stages, and towards the day’s viewing point, but I’m convinced that some days I wasn’t served the most efficient route, or the most scenic. Navigation does get difficult with all the road closures associated with the Tour, and so our trusty old Michelin motoring atlas of France will be a useful adjunct to Google, just to check up on her.

Within towns, when on the bike, I used the cycle.travel route planner. This has proved invaluable. You can either recall previously saved routes, or very quickly plan on the fly (and I do mean very quickly). Always seeking the most optimal routes for cyclists, and mounted on my handlebars using a Quadlock case for my phone, it effortlessly guided me through built-up areas. 

Brompton bike

For many years I had a Brompton folding bike - an S6L in Turkish Green (which curiously was actually a pale blue). I have to tell you, dear reader, that before we came to France, I sold that Brompton. Yes - I sold my child!

So, as part of the grand plan, I bought a new Brompton C Line in Ocean Blue. I don’t have the opportunity for much urban cycling in rural France (though it it great for cycling to the local night markets), and I had forgotten just what a joy it can be riding a Brompton in urban environments. I bought a Demano bag for the front, which was enough to keep me self-sufficient for the day (mental note: you can get through a lot of fluid just riding around on a Brompton, or standing around waiting for the peloton. You need to be able to carry around a two litre bottle of water).

And yes, the Brompton lived up to all the promise. Small enough to easily fit in the car (or a hotel room), and nimble enough to get you into towns or onto the parcours. I’m not too sure how I’ll be in the Pyrenees or Alps - with only 16” wheels, you rapidly run out of power when the road rises up. I definitely need to get some miles in my legs.

Accommodation

I used a combination of commercial hotels and Airbnb - somewhere to park the car being a primary consideration. Airbnb does give you a bit more autonomy for making hot drinks and meals. I was fortunate that the Airbnb I used in Agen was good. Hopefully, I will be as lucky everywhere else.

Food

There’s a temptation to rely on bread-based food whilst on the move. And there’s certainly a temptation to start every day with pain aux raisin, and spend lunchtime and diner in a restaurant, I’m going to have to carefully think about my diet. Hopefully staying in Airbnb’s will help this. As I’ve said above, one bidon of water proved far too little, and I’ll be carrying around 2 litres of water.