Letters – March 07

From Simon – about the Survival Skills e-course

…the e-course material itself is excellent, it’s certainly working in terms of making me scrutinise the way I ride and the thought processes involved. The format of weekly assignments works for me too, I need a deadline to work to!

Excellent feedback – I hope you find the next week’s exercises equally interesting.

From Hawker – French days out: How much notice do you need for a French day out? I get the impression from your post above that they are almost an ad hoc ride, but presumably you need riders and dates! Please let me know when, where, how much etc etc.

Unlike the Wales/Yorks dates, France trips can be done any time I’m here in Kent (ie., not in Oxford, Yorks, Wales or anywhere else), because from my point of view, it’s 30 mins to the Chunnel Terminal. So a one dayer can be booked as late as the night before so long as there is space on the train!!!

The two dayer does rely on the Gite being available, though there is a back-up option just round the corner – nice accomodation again, but they don’t do food, which means a 15 min walk to the pizzeria… Weekdays obviously are easier than weekends. At some point soon, I should be able to arrange overnight accomodation in Kent too – but it’s still being built at the moment which is why I’ve not mentioned it before. I’ve researched and put together one or two day routes, which take in the well-hidden downland scenery behind Calais and Boulogne, with a mixture of sweeping and highly technical roads, including a dozen hairpin bends. The roads are well surfaced and virtually empty, particularly on a weekday. The route starts nice and easy, goes via some splendid sweeping corners, mixes up a bit of town work, and finishes off by taking the magnificent coast road around Cap Griz Nez and Cap Blanc Nez back toward Sangatte and the tunnel. Oh… and I explain “Priorite a droit” PROPERLY.