Since finishing work at the end of March ’21 I have enjoyed travels in England including to favourite haunts within 2 hours of here – the Lake District and Silverdale/Arnside – as well as down in June to Salcombe & Brixham in South Devon, onto a few days in the New Forest, and then two days seeing Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon on the way back. The love of all things van travel has not diminished.
Having bided my time since then, and particularly given normal full summer holiday season, not to mention staycation overload, can I assume that I and the van will once again be able to cross into France in less than 2 weeks now?
I am certainly gearing up for it – and the gear encompasses a new satnav into which I can put the dimensions of the van, and thereby hopefully avoid the google-just short of disastrously led-journeying, and a new electric foldable trusty steed with various other related bits and pieces.
This caused me to look back to my post featuring Ans and Piet, when they let me have a go on their e-bike, and mine is a very-similar albeit Taiwanese equivalent:
I have done two 50-mile plus rides in the last week, and additionally achieved a very sore right-arm from practising getting this heavy thing – 22kg before I remembered I could take 2+kgs off by removing the battery first- into the van and my car. But I concur with a common observation on the forums, that it puts a smile on your face sailing turbo-assisted up those hills, especially in this neck of the woods. And round here, just 20 miles with a few hills on a non-assisted bike is enough for this weekend warrior! I do feel somewhat like the guy leading Keirins in the past on a moped-type vehicle, rather than my previous look which was of course more like the guys following. 😂
I am a convert to the confidence such a steed inspires for more enjoyable, greater distances including significant hills, exploration, with the option of getting it easily into a car or train in case I go too far, as well as increased security from storage inside. It doesn’t feel like cheating, as it rolls really well without assistance, but the motor only responds to pedalling, and then upto 15 mph. Despite the bike’s heaviness, yesterday I covered 30 miles of mostly flat terrain using the motor only for a couple of hills. Brilliant.
The trip broad outline envisages a visit to the Poitiers region in the first instance, crossing over to the Alps, then to southern France, but my travels will start with a visit to the Twinwood vintage music festival near Bedford, which has been on my list for a few years. Just hoping that it will stay dry for this, and then calm as I drive onto the ferry at Portsmouth for the subsequent longer crossing to Caen.
Excitement building & gulps – not long to go now.