In Theory, we're all capable of it, riding a thousand miles in a given (warm) month, but where should we ride to, to make in interesting? (We could ride around Lake Of The Isles 300-times, which would be pretty mind-numbing after about a day.) So where should we go?

I'd propose something outlandish, something wild, something challenging, and even something a bit stupid and arrogant. I'd propose Bicycling from near Frankfurt, Germany to Paris, France, to London, United Kingdom, to Rotterdam, Holland, to Köln, Germany, and back to near Frankfurt.

About 1,700 kilometers... roughly 1,000 miles, and I'd propose to do it in the month of June. Between 100 and 160 kilometers a day (the more 'klicks' per day, the more rest-days in places like Paris and London). All within a 21-day period-- 3-weeks.

Primarily camping, Hostels, and B&B (or equivalent: Pension/Gasthaus/Fremdzimmer, etc.) Hotel when necessary.

Staging in the town of Wiesen (63831), Germany, ending there as well.

The parts that I've done in the past are Wiesen to Paris and return, and Weisen to Köln and return (with some parts of some trips via local-Train). Everything else would be new to me, too. I have (some) maps, a GPS, and a thirst for Adventure (and the time off from work). The most expensive segment would be MSP to FRA (airport-codes). I cannot speak French or Dutch, and have only a rudimentary grasp of German. (I speak English relatively well, so that part of the trip is sewed-up.)

Anyone interested? I'll (gradually) lay it out.

I understand that its a giant commitment in time and capital, but it beats the humdrum of the lake-ride and the food is so much better.

You'd need to apply for your Passport A.S.A.P. if you don't have one already...

I can probably make this.

archiesturmer and I have both purchased our plane tickets to Frankfurt.

I took French from about grade 2 to grade 11 (I'm Canadian), so I'm basically a fluent speaker (completely untrue - I forgot pretty much everything).

Oh yeah, I also speak mostly-fluent Korean. So, you know, if we're hopelessly lost and can't find any English or German speakers, but somehow we track down some Koreans... I'm your man.

This reminds me of trying to communicate with some Swiss people in Spanish because that was the only language out of like 5 that we mutually knew a little of.

I am so jealous of you guys. This sounds like such a fun tour.

What I'd really like to do is bike around Lake Superior!

I've gotten a few different figures on how long it is but maybe 1300 miles, elsewhere I had a figure of 1600 miles.


http://www.lakesuperior.com/online/212/212biking.html

But that would be an extravagant thing to do.

MBLer jaypee took a tour around Superior a few years ago. Check out this thread for some details and lots of pictures.

Thanks for the answer.

So...

Eviljelly is on his way, somewhere over the North Atlantic as I write this from Germany, and we're planning on leaving Sat Jun 4th! Here is the planned Itinerary, misspellings and all (in case you're following along at home):

Sat 4th: Altleiningen, Germany

Sun 5th: Briey, France (maybe too far, perhaps something closer, by Saarbrücken, Germany)

Mon 6th: Sainte Menehould, France (neither of us speak ANY French)

Tue 7th: Chateau Thierry, France

Wed 8th: Paris, France

-------Site Seeing/Relaxing

Sat 11th: Amiens, France

Sun 12th: Calais, France/Dover, England

Mon 13th or Tue 14th: Canterbury/London, England (both of us speak English)

--------Relaxing/Site Seeing

Thu 16th or 17th or 18th: Harwich, England

Some nebulous time (17th, 18th, 19th): Hoek Von Holland & the Rijn to Germany & the Rhine, to Mainz where we'll pick up the Main River thru Franfurt, returning to our home-base by the 22nd or 23rd. These last days will either be gargantuan in 'kilometerage' (when/if we can navigate thru towns like Köln [Cologne] without losing too much time) or spent partly on Trains.

As there is no margin for error, and we're bound to get lost in France, not being able to really ask for directions, this Itinerary may be only a guess (tho I have previously done the stretch TO Paris...)

I'll try to Post progress here, when I can, and if I can figure it out (I'm a technological troglodyte) I'll be 'Tweeting' on Twitter under "1morekilometer". Eviljelly may add his two-cents from time to time as well.

Stay Tuned...

We're in Paris! Internet connections are difficult to come by, and archiesturmer's text-to-tweet thing isn't working unfortunately.

The trip has been surprisingly snag-free so far, despite having to find campsites on the fly two of the four nights we've camped so far, and despite neither of us speaking any French at all (well, I speak very very little).

The hills here are brutal compared to our Mississippi River trip by far. Our least hilly day thus far has been more hilly than the hilliest day on the Mississippi River trip.

Blah blah etc. Sleep time.

Twitter wouldn't allow me to twit from another (European) phone number. Fuck 'em.

We rode from near Aschaffenburg to Paris, up to Calais, from Dover to London, then out to Harwich where we took the Ferry to Hoek Van Holland, where we unceremoniously wheeled onto a succession of Trains to get us back to our Start-Point. We were both ailing from Rain and Cold (with actual Colds to show for it) and very close to out of time.

I feel like we crapped-out on the Holland Section of the Tour and must go back and complete it. Anyone interested? (2012? 2013?)

More details to come...