EURO TOUR 2013

[PatRecumbent]

apart from breweries, you should not forget to visit some factory where they produce the famous Belgian chocolate.
(better for the concentration than beer)

First of all, I am the route planner for Belgium. So most probably I will have to say no a lot of times.

Again, we can plan Euro Tour 2014 in Belgium only or Flanders only if we concentrate on beer, chocolates and other tasty stuff. See an earlier post from me.

At this moment we will need to connect all "mandatory" places on the route with more or less the shortest route if we wish to respect the daily distance target. If there is room to extend the route I will be glad to do so.

[PatRecumbent]

apart from breweries, you should not forget to visit some factory where they produce the famous Belgian chocolate.
(better for the concentration than beer)

First of all, I am the route planner for Belgium. So most probably I will have to say no a lot of times.

Again, we can plan Euro Tour 2014 in Belgium only or Flanders only if we concentrate on beer, chocolates and other tasty stuff. See an earlier post from me.

At this moment we will need to connect all "mandatory" places on the route with more or less the shortest route if we wish to respect the daily distance target. If there is room to extend the route I will be glad to do so.

[fietserik]

Patrick,
If you string all of your fine breweries into one spaghetti route, will we ever get through Belgium?

Will we care?

Sean

Well, if my information source is correct, we have about 400 independent beer breweries that produce and sell beer on a commercial scale. Although many of them only serve in their own pub and don't distribute. So, in ONE route? It would take us more than a year, and the velomobile community would have moved into detox.

Euh, als mijn informatiebron correct is zijn er in Belgie 400 onafhankelijke bierbrouwerijen die op commerciële schaal bier brouwen en verkopen. Hoewel velen daarvan alleen in eigen lokaal verkopen, dus bniet distribueren. Dus in één spagetti route? Dan zijn we wel een dik jaar bezig, én zijn alle velomobielisten (Be)verzopen.

Groet,

Fietserik.

[highway_patrol]

Eurotour 2014-2015...?

[Edje]

Euh, als mijn informatiebron correct is zijn er in Belgie 400 onafhankelijke bierbrouwerijen die op commerciële schaal bier brouwen en verkopen. Hoewel velen daarvan alleen in eigen lokaal verkopen, dus bniet distribueren. Dus in één spagetti route? Dan zijn we wel een dik jaar bezig, én zijn alle velomobielisten (Be)verzopen.

Groet,

Fietserik.

Maakt daar maar minstens het dubbele van

[PatRecumbent]

Ik heb Sean laten weten dat ik wil afwijken van de min of meer directe route Straelen (D) => Hulshout (wielerpiste voor mogelijke overnachting, zoals 2de treffen) => Gent (overnachting Blaarmeersen Gent?) => Valençiennes (F) indien er ruimte is. Dit wil zeggen dat de totale lengte van de route toelaat om hier en daar een uitstapje te maken.

A propos, heeft er iemand ervaring met de route van Oudenaarde via Doornik naar Valenciennes, bij voorkeur in de Scheldevalei?

[bicky]

A propos, heeft er iemand ervaring met de route van Oudenaarde via Doornik naar Valenciennes, bij voorkeur in de Scheldevalei?

Moet je keer vragen aan tom goeman, hij is van oudenaarde enheeft veel lange afstanden gereden. Mischien ook die richting uit

[Edje]

Ik heb Sean laten weten dat ik wil afwijken van de min of meer directe route Straelen (D) => Hulshout (wielerpiste voor mogelijke overnachting, zoals 2de treffen) => Gent (overnachting Blaarmeersen Gent?) => Valençiennes (F) indien er ruimte is. Dit wil zeggen dat de totale lengte van de route toelaat om hier en daar een uitstapje te maken.

A propos, heeft er iemand ervaring met de route van Oudenaarde via Doornik naar Valenciennes, bij voorkeur in de Scheldevalei?

De laatste Flanderstour, mochten wij onze tentjes niet opslaan in het ovaal, dus 100% is dit niet.
Overnachten Blaarmeersen zelf, mag je vergeten, daar mocht je nog geen wagen parkeren voor een weekje om Flanderstour te rijden, het is van Bloso en als je met Karla Galle wilt onderhandelen FEEL FREE

[fietserik]

Euh, als mijn informatiebron correct is zijn er in Belgie 400 onafhankelijke bierbrouwerijen die op commerciële schaal bier brouwen en verkopen. Hoewel velen daarvan alleen in eigen lokaal verkopen, dus bniet distribueren. Dus in één spagetti route? Dan zijn we wel een dik jaar bezig, én zijn alle velomobielisten (Be)verzopen.

Groet,

Fietserik.

Maakt daar maar minstens het dubbele van

Voor, of ná het proeven?

[Sean.Havins]

There has been much discussion about daily average distance on the tour forum in this thread:
http://logical-vehicles.org/tour13forum ... topic=42.0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As of today, I think that because the terrane through Belgium is mostly flat, we will need to average 150 km a day.

Am I correct that most of the northern part of Belgium is flat?

[Sean.Havins]

As I understand it, here is the current shape of the route:


I have not had any volunteers for the route through northern France yet. There has also been discussion here about visiting more breweries, so...



Would this pass near more breweries or chocolate or other places that should not be missed?

I have not proposed this on other forums yet, this is just an idea. I also don't know what may be in the areas of France that would be bypassed.

What do you think?

[PatRecumbent]

... As of today, I think that because the terrane through Belgium is mostly flat, we will need to average 150 km a day.

Am I correct that most of the northern part of Belgium is flat?

Dear Sean,

The northern part of Belgium is fairly flat. When a colleague tells me he has climbed a mountain by bike over the weekend I alwyas ask which mountian. Then he gives a name of some place nearby. I stop the discussion with a picture of me taken in Andorra on the Envalira pass at 2405 m with a fully loaded bike (camping gear, clothes and other stuff for a 4 week bike trip). Also, the route I have planned is avoiding hills (those we have can be steep). Consequently, 150 km a day should be feasible.

When looking at the alternative route you have given, the part after Ghent will include quite some hills as it crosses the Ardennes. Then 150 km per day will become difficult.

For the northern part of France I can look into the route from the Belgian border to Reims. I need to limit myself to the route recommended by ViaMichelin. I hope Thibaut can pick up the trail from Reims onwards.

[wout]

Overnachten Blaarmeersen zelf, mag je vergeten, daar mocht je nog geen wagen parkeren voor een weekje om Flanderstour te rijden, het is van Bloso en als je met Karla Galle wilt onderhandelen FEEL FREE

niet aan beginnen, er is wel een camping in de buurt

[Sean.Havins]

... As of today, I think that because the terrane through Belgium is mostly flat, we will need to average 150 km a day.

Am I correct that most of the northern part of Belgium is flat?

Dear Sean,

The northern part of Belgium is fairly flat. When a colleague tells me he has climbed a mountain by bike over the weekend I alwyas ask which mountian. Then he gives a name of some place nearby. I stop the discussion with a picture of me taken in Andorra on the Envalira pass at 2405 m with a fully loaded bike (camping gear, clothes and other stuff for a 4 week bike trip). Also, the route I have planned is avoiding hills (those we have can be steep). Consequently, 150 km a day should be feasible.

When looking at the alternative route you have given, the part after Ghent will include quite some hills as it crosses the Ardennes. Then 150 km per day will become difficult.

For the northern part of France I can look into the route from the Belgian border to Reims. I need to limit myself to the route recommended by ViaMichelin. I hope Thibaut can pick up the trail from Reims onwards.

I see your point about the added difficulty of the V6 route. That would slow us down and the schedule is starting to look tight.

Regarding your offer to plan the north of France;
Thank you, but I will first try again to get a local rider to volunteer. It may be easier for them to find camp sites along the route.

Regarding detours;
Looking at the overall route, I think the only way we can add extra kilometers to go to visit a brewery is if we remove kilometers from another section.

If there is a brewery on Patrick's route already, then we could stop there without adding more km. But that is up to him, of course.

[Evelien van Jeroen]

Patrick,

I think you can easily make a detour via West Flanders, avoiding the climbs in the Ardennes that way, without losing time. Because you will be able to make more kms/day in W-Flanders than in the Ardennes.
Again, let me know if feasable. We are also willing to help you plan routes in our region.

Evelien