Suitable bike for London to Paris cycle challenge

[Lucy.P]

Hello...i hope someone can help. I am a novice and I've just recently signed up to a London to Paris bike ride in September...something i've wanted to do for many years now as a fundraising challenge. My training has been ok but could be better. When filling out my registration form for the event i gave details of my bike, health and fitness etc as was requested. A few days after submitting my registration form i received a call from the organisers (European Cycling Tours), the gentleman was very friendly and we had a lengthy chat about how my training was going at the moment and he discussed targets regarding my training i should be looking to achieve in the following months leading up to the ride - he even offered to forward a training plan for me, but the thing that he was most concerned with was the make and model of my bike that i was planning to use. It is a rather old bike which i have used for almost everything over the last few years from popping down the shops to riding at the weekends with friends and family. The gentleman explained that i should really look to upgrade to a bike more appropriate to long distance riding and that is a little lighter than my current bike. He pointed out that many riders who sign up for these type of events will likely have reasonably nice aluminium/carbon fibre bikes with gears suited to riding over long distances and up lots of hills. He did say to perhaps visit my nearest 'Bike Hut' by Halfords as they offer good bikes and the staff 'should' help me with my sizing and set up. Not knowing anyone who is really that 'ua fait' with this sort of thing i really would be grateful for any advice on this matter.
Many thanks

Mod edit: Link removed as this member seems to be here primarily to promote the above company.

 

[seraphina]

Hello and welcome aboard!

First off,what bike have you got at the moment? People have ridden incredible distances on all sorts so it will almost certainly get you to Paris. Is the organised ride hoping to achieve a certain distance per day? Are you going to have to carry your own kit?

Also you will be better served at almost any other shop than Halfords; they're notorious for being a bit crap. Whereabouts are you? Someone on here may be able to recommend a local bike shop.Failing that I would go for an Evans over Halfords. If your employer offers a Cycle to Work scheme that may be a good way of buying a new bike.

The best bike for long journeys is one you are familiar and comfortable on.

 

[raleighnut]

^^^^^^+1
I'd want a decent steel frame to attempt it on, what bike are you currently riding.

 

[Broadside]

You can do it on almost anything, but if you're on an old heavy mountain bike ou are just making it difficult for yourself. I would agree that it is a ride best done on the right sort of bike and usually this means a road bike.

I've ridden to Paris a couple of times and chose a road bike each time, on one occasion one of my ride mates came on an old heavy Mongoose MTB and he bitterly regretted it!

 

[Mile195]

As said above if it's got wheels and pedals you'll make it. But yes, the lighter it is, the easier it'll be. That part of France is actually quite hilly. If you're not used to hills, uou might do well to consider a triple (where there's three cogs at the front). Whatever you ride, just make sure it's in good mechanical order though. That's the most important thing.
What's your budget for a new bike, or would you just prefer not to upgrade if possible? Depending what you ride at the moment, the money may be better spent on servicing and making good your current bike.

 

[vickster]

How much are you looking to spend on the bike if anything?

There was a similar discussion here with another woman wanting to do the same ride in the future

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/can-i-ride-this-bike-from-london-to-paris.198450/

 

[BalkanExpress]

Welcome, a little more information about the ride and about your bike would help to steer our advice.

It sounds as if the organiser is a little worried that you may hold up the group either by being slow or from the risk of mechanicals.

As others have said, you might be able to get your bike a bit lighter, this is where details on the bike would be useful, but for me the main element is your personal fitness: after all any bike is only as fast is it's motor:-).

 

[Dogtrousers]

I think the ride may be this:
http://europeancyclingtours.com/london_to_paris/

But beware, I think their server is powered by a single, rather frail, hamster

London - Newhaven 95km/1000m
Newhaven - Gournay-en-Bray 73km/350m
Gournay-en-Bray - Paris 98km/750m

"You should be capable of riding comfortably up to 100km in a day and/or used to riding distances up to 70km over hilly terrain".

No mention of pace though, which is key.

 

[Lucy.P]

Hi, thankyou everybody for your advice. I have a Dawes Mohave bicycle. It has lots of gears but is not the most aerodynamic bike by any means and it is quite heavy. I think the gentleman at European Cycling Tours was concerned the bike is not designed for long distance touring and i would find the already demanding itinerary unnecessarily more of a challenge than it already is and i'm concerned by what he said about what other people will be riding - i feel a little pressured now to seek another bike that will help me complete the challenge, which isn't actually a problem i'm quite happy to buy another bike i just don't know which sort. When you look at European Cycling Tours website all the bikes in the pictures look really expensive. The gentleman at European Cycling Tours suggested 'Bike Hut' at Halfords - does anyone think this is a good place to go or is there somewhere else i should try? I've probably a budget of around £500-£600.

 

[vickster]

The cheaper touring bikes from spa won't be immensely light but will be fit for purpose,

http://www.spacycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s21p0

Do you have to carry luggage or just a few basics? If the latter, you could have a look at a roadbike, something like a Giant avail @jefmcg has done some seriously long distances on hers with a Carradice bag on the back, you can also fit a pannier rack as I did on the one I had

Not sure where you are based, but Ashcycles in east London for example have the older models with reductions, depending on your height

http://www.ashcycles.com/site/giant-liv-avail-3-2015
http://www.ashcycles.com/site/giant-liv-avail-2-2015

Paulscycles also have other roadbikes with reductions, albeit restricted sizes

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m7b0s134p0/Road-Bikes/Racing-Bikes-Women-Specific

 

[Dogtrousers]

Short answer: Decathlon. Very good value bikes. Or your Local Bike Shop.

Long answer:

For reference, the Dawes Mojave is (a quick search reveals) a trekking type flat bar hybrid with a triple chainset and a wide spread of low ish gears (28/34 bottom, 48/14 top) and 35mm tyres. Not light (14.8kg), and not built for speed but comfortable over distances.

In order of importance (IMO)
The engine (you)
Comfort of bike
Suitability of components ( gears, tyres etc.)
Weight of bike

Ideally you'd like a bike that's a bit lighter, has narrower slick tyres, possibly/maybe a bit higher top gear without sacrificing the low gears that is comfortable for you.

Personally I'd go for a dropped handlebar road bike, but that's what I ride. You might not get on with it at all, and a sporty flat bar hybrid may be better for you. Only you can find that out.

On the other hand, depending in your fitness levels and the pace they are going to set, your current bike with some minor mods (slick tyres, reduce the weight a bit by removing unnecessary accessories) may be OK.

But your bike is quite heavy. So if your fitness is not quite there, or only just, then a 15kg bike will be harder work than a 10kg one. So weight isn't a complete irrelevance.

Key question is how fast do they propose to ride? Ask that. Is that way above your usual speed or just a bit quicker?

 

[Dogtrousers]

@vickster according to the website it's a supported ride. All luggage is carried in a vehicle.

 

[oldfatfool]

If you are comfy and happy to ride your bike for the distances quoted then do just that. Certainly the weight of a bike is not an issue over any distance, you are never going to find a bike that weighs as much as a full loaded tourer that many think nothing about riding for much greater distances and elevations, its the engine that is the key

 

[vickster]

@vickster according to the website it's a supported ride. All luggage is carried in a vehicle.

That makes things easier, although she could get a taste for touring

The amount of training is probably more important than the bike as above

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I am sceptical about y'mans motivation to be honest. Unless he comes clean on the intended pace for each day, and it turns out he is going to be whipping everyone on, I think he is likely to be more worried about discord in the group when the carbon riding lycra warriors this sort of challenge attracts (note the language, why is doing a supported three day touring holiday a challenge?) spot someone riding what they will regard, with disdain, as a shopping bike.