Lozere Biz October 2010

Monday night - Folkstone - Tunnel - Paris - Kip in van.

Tuesday - Autoroute all the way down to the Millau Viaduct - about an hour past Mende. This huge 1000ft bridge is set in a gorge, in a valley, and big as it is, it looks small from 10miles away when you first see it, almost lost in the huge landscape. Then back to Mende to the Hotel du Pont du Roupt.

At the hotel in Mende, met the rest of the guys, and Chris and John.

Day 1) This is supposed to be the easiest day, but there are still some tricky bits. Our local guide, Duke, leaves ahead of the pack to open the route, but goes out early with a broken arm. When we catch up with him, some friends of his turn up to take him off to hospital. He had slid off a track which traversed a steep hillside overlooking Mende, and just before a cliff which Chris asked us to walk our bikes past.

Here is the latest compilation from Day.

Here is the older ones

Sometime after lunch, a stick manages to catch the back of the right rad of the Gasser breaking part of the core. Metal putty seals most of it, but to be safe, I waited for rescue by John in the van. Back at the hotel, a drop of radweld stops all the leaks!

Day 2) A hard day, including several rocky climbs. One stretch crosses open ground strewn with granite boulders up to a radio mast on one of the high points. Glad of my sump-guard! I spent the first couple of hours riding with one eye on the radiator and the very conveniently placed header tank around the headstock. Didn't leak a drop thankfully.

And here is the new compilation of Day 2

Day 3) This was another tricky day in places. Care had to be taken on a deepish watercrossing,

soon followed by a monster rock step.

The loop into the 'Valley of Hell' was missed. Chris reckoned 1hr to do 6k in there, with guaranteed pushing and hauling up slopes for the bikes - not my idea of fun. On a previous outing, Chris commented to Duke on the fact that the climb in here appeared unrideable - Duke said they always came down it!

How about a 3k climb?

Here is the new compilation of Day 3

The Hotel was good as usual. The roadbook was spot on. The lunchbreaks were superb. It was tough in places but well worth the effort.

I spent the 3 days riding with Peter and Graham who were very good company, rode at a perfect pace, and were excellent navigators! Thanks Chaps!!

Saturday - homeward bound - or maybe not. A shortish way up the autoroute, the temp in the van started climbing, particularly going uphill. This rapidly got worse. Eventually I pulled off and called the breakdown services. I got recovered to a garage where they said they would look at it on Monday. The RAC put me in a very nice hotel about 30k away. On Monday pm, they said 'it's the water pump, call back Wednesday'. On Wednesday PM they said 'check in the morning'. On Thursday I collected the van and continued up past Clermond-Ferrand where I pulled in for diesel. There I noticed a leak. A big leak! One of the metal coolant pipes had developed a hole. A hour later after some bodgery with metal putty, tape and hose clips, I was away again. Non-stop to Calais and the tunnel, arriving home about 2:30am Friday. I didn't bother going to work on Friday.