Jim's charity Loire Source to Atlantic bike ride postponed until September.

Esme Morris-Macintyre, who died of a brain tumour 

in July 2013 aged 18

Very reluctantly we decided today to postpone my charity ride down the Loire from the source to the sea from June until September. This is largely due to the catastrophic failure of the bike rack supplied by Volkswagen on our return from France on 8th April. See here.

Ironically no sooner had I announced my intended charity ride than my Scott Scale 35 bike was wrenched by high wind from the bike rack while travelling on the A16 towards Calais breaking the back window of our car at the same time. 

I took to Evans in Clapham, London. They initially thought it could be repaired and ordered in the necessary parts, some taking two to three weeks to arrive. Unfortunately once they started to repair the bike they discovered that the carbon frame was cracked. This meant a new bike – we are still talking to Volkswagen about the warranty...

Due to the uncertainty over whether I would have a bike and various work commitments, we just haven't had time to do the proper planning, although I have done a considerable amount of training... 

Therefore we have decided that I will do the ride in September – still to raise money for teenage cancer charities but to look to combine this with vintage time. I will start from the source of the Loire in the week beginning 15th September after the 2014 edition of Bourgueillothérapie – 13th and 14th September, where this year one of my shirts will be included in the charity auction. 

 The bike rack that failed

The new Scott Hardtail Scale 720 

 Jim starting the cycle track from 

Calvine to Dalwhinnie – Route 7

 

Jim to ride Loire to raise money for teenagers with cancer

Esme Morris Macintyre: 1995-2013

Early Last July my partner's niece, Esme Morris Macintyre, lost her seven year battle with a brain tumour. She was just 11 when the tumour was discovered and 18 when she died.

In those seven years she raised thousands for teenagers with cancer. Her death, her brave fight and indomitable spirit have inspired others to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust. (See Esme's Adventure on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/EsmesAdventure). Esme set up this page when she knew that she had only a few months more to live.

Last August Esme's aunt Carole Macintyre cycled from John O'Groats to Esme's home in Kinross, some 300 miles if you include a few involuntary diversions. I rode with her as support vehicle. She raised some £3600 for Teenage Cancer Trust.

Carole@John O'Groats, Scotland

This June we plan to reverse roles with me riding from the source of the Loire at Gerbier de Jonc to La Baule, where the river flows into the Atlantic. Although 1000 kilometres by river but it will be just short of 1200 by road. Carole will kindly be supporting me but this time support will be motorised.

Again the ride will be to raise money for teenagers with cancer but this time I plan to assist two charities - Teenage Cancer Trust (www.teenagecancertrust.org/) and Fondation Gustave Roussy (http://www.gustaveroussy.fr).

The current plan is to take seven to eight days to ride from the source to the Atlantic starting from Gerbier de Jonc heading to to Solignac-sur-Loire then following the Loire northwards to Le Puy, passing just to the west of Saint-Etienne onto Roanne, Digoin, Decize and Nevers. Once I reach Nevers there is a recognized and signposted cycle route from there to the Atlantic. Before then there may be some cycle routes but as far as I know not yet a complete cycle route.

Halfway point: sign on the bridge across the river@Pouilly-sur-Loire

From Nevers the route runs on the West Bank of the Loire past the bridge across the river to Pouilly-sur-Loire, which marks the halfway point for the Loire’s journey to the sea. Then I will be skirting round Sancerre to the east and staying mainly on the west bank until Orléans, where the Loire decides against heading onto Paris, instead heading westwards. Much of the remainder of the route will be on the now south bank of the Loire until I reach the Pont de Saint-Nazaire to finish the last few kilometres to La Baule on the north side.

More details to follow along with a donation link. Will be very grateful for any advice.

Jim's VTT in vines above Chavignol (Sancerre) March 2013

A sorry sight!

An unfortunate postscript!

This post first appeared early yesterday morning on Les 5 du Vin blog and yesterday was the day we motored back to London from the Loire with our bikes on special roof racks. When we left Touraine it was a calm sunny day. Unfortunately by the time we reached the Baie de Somme the wind had really got up. Very soon after we joined the A16 for the run to Calais there was a loud crack and my bike was ripped from its rack and deposited on the carriageway. On its way it hit the back windscreen, shattering it.

We are not sure how it happened but there was a large lorry passing on the other carriageway heading towards Paris and combined with a big gust of wind, produced a force that tore the bike from its housing and completely searing off the rear fastening. The locking part would have released the bike as it is designed to do in the event of a crash.

Luckily there was no other car near us and two or three cars swerved to avoid the bike that was now in the middle of the nearside carriageway. As I ran back along the hard shoulder to try to rescue the bike and get it off the autoroute, an approaching lorry spotted me and the crippled bike. Very kindly he slowed to a halt putting on his hazard lights and a car in the outer lane followed suit and I was able to pick up the bike without risk.

Now it is a question of finding out if the bike can be repaired – the part of the frame that holds the gear change mechanism has been sheared off.

 Not going to get me very far in its current state!

 

    

   

A Scott in the Loire

Scott Scale 35 box-fresh (above and below)

Earlier this year we decided to buy some mountain bikes, which we had long promised ourselves. Time to branch out with mountain bikes that would allow us to ride trails in the Loire, Scotland and elsewhere. To go places where our road bikes just couldn't which is one reason why they had been little used in recent years.

We chose to get them through Westbrook Cycles, who have been brilliant to deal with especially Jason my main contact. Also Vaidas Bicycles in Honor Oak (SE23) were great putting the two mail order bikes together for us. 

We also bought some gear through Evans Cycles where our experiences have been more patchy – some good and some frankly poor. Perhaps inevitable as it is a much bigger organisation.  

Have been enjoying getting off road riding along tracks amongst the Touraine vines. Very interesting to see the different types of vineyard management. Still quite a lot of pruning yet to be done, presumably people delaying as long as they can to reduce the danger of the being hit by another Spring frost.    

No longer box-fresh following an outing on tracks through the forest and vineyards