London to Paris on a Single Speed

[Will1v]

Hi there,

I'm thinking about cycling from London to Paris on my single-speed, probably in June. That is a very ambitious target as I've never cycled for more than 2,5 or 3 hours, but I'm trying to increase my training to get to it.
I'm quite new to cycling but fairly fit and really motivated.
London to Paris feels like a long road even on a proper road bike, has anyone done it on a single-speed and could give me their impressions?
I have the impression that there are only ferries at 10am and 11pm, and I'm not sure I could make it by 10am, which leaves me with the 11pm ferry, arriving in Dieppe at approx 4am I think. Then I'd have the day to ride to Paris.

Is it far too difficult do you think? I've heard there were a fair bit of uphill sections, not sure how steep they are...

I might eventually give up the ss and rent a regular road bike, but if it's achievable, I'd rather do it on my ss.

Any advice?

I ride a Charge Plug
http://www.chargebikes.com/bicycle-collection/plug-1

Many thanks!

Will1v

 

[Yellow7]

A friend in Budapest knows these guys who cycled from Germany, across Austria into Italy on single-speed, their video may prove inspirational;

View: http://vimeo.com/84693317

Good luck! mark.

 

[Will1v]

These guys are madmen! They're actually riding fixies in the Alps!

Suddently Paris to London feels pretty easy...

 

[jefmcg]

Well, the first time I did the uk section (ok, Brighton not Newhaven) my folder's gears had packed it in, so I was single speed. It wasn't too hard.

http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/cycling-to-brighton-with-only-one-gear.84143/#post-1513155

I think it would be quite doable, if the engine was up to it.

Any reason not to take a night in a hotel between dieppe and paris? (though I personally love the idea of doing it in 24 hours)

 

[frank9755]

As above; it's not difficult if you can ride the distance, but very hard if you can't! If you're working up to that sort of distance, it's a good challenge to aim for.

The terrain is pretty flat all the way and doesn't need gears so doing it with one won't make it significantly harder.

The overnight ferry is fun. I've done it a couple of times. You're well on your way before anyone wakes up, which is good, but don't expect to find anywhere open for food, warmth, etc, for a few hours.

 

[Yellow7]

These guys are madmen! They're actually riding fixies in the Alps!
Suddenly Paris to London feels pretty easy...

In the video seeing their rear tyre's bald patch made me laugh, being the 'brake' on a fixie coming down big descents I guess [rear] tyre wear is unavoidable. Is your's a fixed or ratchet sprocket?

 

[Will1v]

Thanks guys.

jefmcg: when I first thought about it I wanted to get to Newhaven around noon (i.e uk part in morning), and cycling 2-3 hours on the French part in the end of the afternoon. Then I would have slept over in a hotel and finished it off the following day. Trouble is, I'm not sure I can get the 10am ferry (since I'd need to be in Newhaven by 9am, that seems to be difficult for me as it's my first long ride). And I have to say the idea of doing it within 24 hours on a single speed sounds really great, that would be a tremendous achievement (but I might be a bit over estimating my capabilities...). But what troubles me with the 23pm ferry is having to ride in the dark at 4am when I get off in Dieppe. Even in June I'm not sure how much light there will be and I don't want to get hit by a drunk driving back from a nightclub (I'd ride on a Friday night !). I'd feel much more comfortable leaving around 5.30 or 6am, but then I don't know what I'd do in the middle of the night in Dieppe...

franck9755: how do I know if the engine is up to it? I should probably simply do London-Newhaven and see how far I get. But to be honest I'm more concerned about the French part: it's much more hilly than the UK part isn't it?

Yellow7: no, mine's a free-while, not a fixie, thank God. In their video even going downhill must be exhausting!

 

[frank9755]

Thanks guys.
franck9755: how do I know if the engine is up to it? I should probably simply do London-Newhaven and see how far I get. But to be honest I'm more concerned about the French part: it's much more hilly than the UK part isn't it?

No, it's a lot flatter! The first half is virtually pancake flat, then one moderate rise and a couple of undulations on the way in to Paris. But there's nothing as big or steep as you'll encounter on this side. Also, the roads are smoother and the traffic lighter and more considerate.
If you can make it to Newhaven, you should have not problem getting to Paris.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I'm riding 111.11 miles in a day on a singlespeed (for charity) later this month I've let you know how I feel about it after I'm done.

 

[Will1v]

franck9755: that's v good news!
GrumpyGregry: yeah I'd love to hear about how it went. Do you cycle a lot?

My next target towards the preparation of London to Paris is to ride from London to Windsor and back (Google maps says ~25 miles/2 hours). That should be a good way to see where I stand.