Two Saturday's in April

[craig1985]

I have to know this, if I'm to hire a car, and given that we drive in the left, would I need an international drivers licence? I have never driven on the right in my life, and I would honestly consider throwing some euros as petrol money to any of the posters who are going and are hiring a car and let me be a passenger.

 

[Archibald]

I have to know this, if I'm to hire a car, and given that we drive in the left, would I need an international drivers licence? I have never driven on the right in my life, and I would honestly consider throwing some euros as petrol money to any of the posters who are going and are hiring a car and let me be a passenger.

get one anyway. they're not expensive and you basically just need your own licence plus a passport photo.
driving on the right is easy. After years of driving on the left I had no problems with "changing lanes". It felt quite natural to do. Once I got back I made some interesting turns into the right hand lane a few times!

 

[L'arriviste]

get one anyway. they're not expensive and you basically just need your own licence plus a passport photo.
driving on the right is easy. After years of driving on the left I had no problems with "changing lanes". It felt quite natural to do. Once I got back I made some interesting turns into the right hand lane a few times!

+1 You must have an international licence if you're from outside of the EU and you want to drive here.

Other than that, the normal guidelines apply: people in big cities drive like idiots, everywhere else they're generally considerate.

Concerns about driving on the right will disappear within a few minutes anyway. It's really not a big deal once you get started. This coming from somebody who totally bricked it the first time.

As to avoiding the task altogether, that rather depends on where you want to go. A lot of people take the train to Geraardsbergen, for example, so they can knock a few jars down in the festive atmosphere. I thought about it this year but ultimately I drove because I wanted to have more options afterwards. Most bergs you couldn't do without a car - the Muur is a shining exception.

 

[Finbouy]

If I have any advice at all ..., this year P-R was brutal,
You'l get pulled along a pace faster than you are used to just because it's so much fun riding flat out.. If you can, pace yourselves, if not don't be too concerned if you bail early, there are stop off points along the way.
We did it the easy way by taking a mates Vito over with 3 of us and the bikes/kit in the rear it was comfortable and we also slept in it.
After the race it feels like it's just as long to get back, all be it on smooth tarmac, we opted for a pick up due in part because of the nature of the event and it's ability to pumell backsides and wrists into pulp, by far the best option, if you have the option that is.

 

[Archibald]

did PR in an even easier way... some guy drove the bus there and back, the organiser booked the hotel, the bus followed us as though it was a support vehicle and took us back to the hotel afterwards...
sure, it may be considered "overpriced", but convenience-wise it was excellent!
i'll be using the same company again for RvV next year

 

[craig1985]

+1 You must have an international licence if you're from outside of the EU and you want to drive here.

Other than that, the normal guidelines apply: people in big cities drive like idiots, everywhere else they're generally considerate.

Concerns about driving on the right will disappear within a few minutes anyway. It's really not a big deal once you get started. This coming from somebody who totally bricked it the first time.

As to avoiding the task altogether, that rather depends on where you want to go. A lot of people take the train to Geraardsbergen, for example, so they can knock a few jars down in the festive atmosphere. I thought about it this year but ultimately I drove because I wanted to have more options afterwards. Most bergs you couldn't do without a car - the Muur is a shining exception.

It would be easy enough to get a train from Brussels Airport (via the main train station) to Ghent? I had a look at STI, as good as it looks, it's just a little bit out of my price range at this stage. Depending on what the best option financially is what I'll do.

 

[L'arriviste]

It would be easy enough to get a train from Brussels Airport (via the main train station) to Ghent? I had a look at STI, as good as it looks, it's just a little bit out of my price range at this stage. Depending on what the best option financially is what I'll do.

The train from the airport to Gent Sint-Pieters is direct. You can get a 10-journey pass (price depending on your age: 26 or under = €50; otherwise it's €74) for any destination within Belgium. There's a small supplement for the airport with this pass which is called the "Diabolo".

Map of the complete train network in Belgium

 

[Boeing]

sounds like a great time but I cant justify the 4 Gr

 

[Archibald]

It would be easy enough to get a train from Brussels Airport (via the main train station) to Ghent? I had a look at STI, as good as it looks, it's just a little bit out of my price range at this stage. Depending on what the best option financially is what I'll do.

how's your planning going? any success?

sounds like a great time but I cant justify the 4 Gr

after doing paris-roubaix last year, it'd be a very safe bet to say that once you do them both [incl. RvV] you'll think it worth every cent

 

[craig1985]

I would like to regretfully inform that there has been a change in plans and circumstances and I will unfortunately not be there this year

Best I go to the bottle shop after work tomorrow and drink to end my sorrows.

 

[L'arriviste]

I would like to regretfully inform that there has been a change in plans and circumstances and I will unfortunately not be there this year

Best I go to the bottle shop after work tomorrow and drink to end my sorrows.

Sad to hear that, Craig. This thread was kind of written for you in a way. Anyway, I guess there's always next year, but I'd been looking forward to the possibility of a meet-up or at least sharing the war stories.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

What distance will you guys ride? the hardcore 260 km?

 

[Anonymous]

What distance will you guys ride? the hardcore 260 km?

Oh yes. Go big or go home (as the saying goes...)

I did the 260kms last year. I had a great time. There is support and thousands of riders so you can find a group going your pace pretty easily.

 

[Archibald]

with another change in circumstances, i'm now booked for the week
RvV cyclo
Schelderprjis
PR cyclo
6 weeks to put in some kind of training now after very little time on the bike (ignoring commuting) over the winter.

 

[Archibald]

So who's definately going now?

RvV/PR cyclo double:
Scott SoCal
Archibald

RvV cyclo:
Micheilveedeebee

Spectating RvV:
l'arriviste

RvV meet up of any sort?
a spot on the Muur?

 

[Anonymous]

So who's definately going now?

RvV/PR cyclo double:
Scott SoCal
Archibald

RvV cyclo:
Micheilveedeebee

Spectating RvV:
l'arriviste

RvV meet up of any sort?
a spot on the Muur?

Absolutely doing the RvV/P-R double. I'm training pretty hard now and am sore and tired most of the time

My wife and I will be on the Muur. We purchased tickets this year for the race organizers BBQ (big white tent just past the crest of the Kappelmuur). It would be fun to meet up with forumites and share a beer there.

Looking forward to it.

 

[Race Radio]

Absolutely doing the RvV/P-R double. I'm training pretty hard now and am sore and tired most of the time

My wife and I will be on the Muur. We purchased tickets this year for the race organizers BBQ (big white tent just past the crest of the Kappelmuur). It would be fun to meet up with forumites and share a beer there.

Looking forward to it.

How is the viewing of the race in those VIP tents? I know they have the TV's but how well can you see the riders go by?

I can only imagine they may have beer and pork products there.

 

[Anonymous]

How is the viewing of the race in those VIP tents? I know they have the TV's but how well can you see the riders go by?

I can only imagine they may have beer and pork products there.

This is the first time in the tents for us. My idea is to get there in time to get liquored up and wander over to the Muur to watch the leaders, then stumble back to the tent for more beer and sausage.... we might watch the finish too.

A great day to be sure

 

[Race Radio]

This is the first time in the tents for us. My idea is to get there in time to get liquored up and wander over to the Muur to watch the leaders, then stumble back to the tent for more beer and sausage.... we might watch the finish too.

A great day to be sure

You had me at beer and sausage

The next couple years are not good but 2013 with a group of friends for a buddies 40th is already in the planing

 

[Archibald]

Absolutely doing the RvV/P-R double. I'm training pretty hard now and am sore and tired most of the time

My wife and I will be on the Muur. We purchased tickets this year for the race organizers BBQ (big white tent just past the crest of the Kappelmuur). It would be fun to meet up with forumites and share a beer there.

Looking forward to it.

started "training" last week, but like you am sore and tired - myself and a mate are late entries for this one, but well up for it.
doing it with STI again and our raceday will have us on the Muur, so will look out for your white tent - although, I'm guessing there'll be more than one!

 

[flyor64]

In two years we will be going for a buddies 40th.....but beer will be the main focus of the trip so you might not be interested.

I will do it next year for my 40th. Permission is already granted and saving now.

Alas I have no friends willing/crazy enough to join me so I will definitely use one of the all-inclusive touring groups.

It was always going to be Flanders for me, but the more I read about the PR tour, including the 135km cyclo, the more I consider it.

So, one or the other for me, next year...ugh wish it was this year!!!

 

[Cobblestoned]

People, do yourselfs a favour and don't ride these cycletours.
It's a mess and a bloodbath.
Choose a nice day to life the RvV, AG etc., but definately not that day.

You will always find some "guides" there, who will ride with you or show you the way.

Just my opinion.

 

[Anonymous]

People, do yourselfs a favour and don't ride these cycletours.
It's a mess and a bloodbath.
Choose a nice day to life the RvV, AG etc., but definately not that day.

You will always find some "guides" there, who will ride with you or show you the way.

Just my opinion.

Opinions are like A-Holes. Everyone's got one.

Thanks, I'll take my chances.

 

[Fus087]

People, do yourselfs a favour and don't ride these cycletours.
It's a mess and a bloodbath.
Choose a nice day to life the RvV, AG etc., but definately not that day.

You will always find some "guides" there, who will ride with you or show you the way.

Just my opinion.

I disagree. I rode the RvV twice (once the 75 km, once the 140 km), and both times it was neither a mess nor a bloodbath.
Yes, on the 140 km the pace in the start was very slow as there was a solid group of several hundreds, if not thousands. And the first climb (Molenberg, I think) was impossible to ride up as it was just propped with cyclists everywhere.

But once we got over that and through the first flat cobble-section there wasn't really any problem.
Yes, there were several falls on the cobbles, I saw one guy lose his chain, and probably some people were hurt. But that can't really be avoided in an event with 20.000 riders. And I think that bad servicing of bikes and overestimating of abilities may play a bigger part in that than the number of cyclists around you.

And nothing, absolutely nothing, beats riding up the Muur cheered on by the crowds.

You should definitely go for it.

 

[Elagabalus]

Here's a nice primer about riding Roubaix. Very cool blog. He needs more viewers:

http://www.cyclinginquisition.com/2010/04/paris-roubaix-race-ride-and-ernest.html

later on he meets JV at the airport coming back from Roubaix

http://www.cyclinginquisition.com/2010/04/jonathan-vaughters-incident-tale-of-two.html

and then JV helps him settle an argument with his wife! How cool is that!

http://www.cyclinginquisition.com/2010/05/jonathan-vaughters-settles-argument.html