Answers
How good a cyclist do I have to be?
- This ride is for active people who want an adventure. You'll have from 9am to 4pm to do 60-80 miles per day for 3 days in a row. Of course there'll be a lot of experienced roadies on the ride too to help but if you've never cycled over 40 miles before in one day the 5-day ride would be more suitable
- If you're not sure how far you can cycle but are pretty fit i.e. can run a 10k in around 1 hour or below then you should be fine, providing you have a suitable bike
What sort of bike do I need/can I rent a bike?
- We'll be travelling on small roads and sometimes on cycle paths/disused railway tracks with hard surfaces. A touring bike would be ideal (you can rent a Dawes Touring Bike in Oxford for <£50 for 5 days) or try Spinlister or alternatively any road bike you can find on ebay >£180 should be fine.
- The advantage of a touring bike is that you can use panniers - even though we have a bag-drop van this will only be with us at the start and end of each day so you'll want panniers to carry spare clothes and food etc throughout the day. If you don’t have a touring bike, the next best thing would be to buy a rack that attaches to your seatpost. Failing that you’re stuck with a rucksack.
Will it be cold, wet and miserable?
- Er... yes! Plus this ride is being organised by volunteers on a shoe-string budget. The organisation when we arrive at the ferry and so on may be slow; we may get lost and end up on a dual-carriageway; please be patient and respect that this ride has been engineered to keep costs low. Stops for food etc may be quite ad hoc, you're going to have to roll with it.
- This will NOT be a pampered ride. You'll have to navigate by yourself, feed yourself, and so on. You'll only get a few hours of sleep on the floor on the ferry crossing on the Wed night, etc etc... get the idea?
- Only sign-up for this ride if this is your idea of fun and you have a sense of adventure.
Can I still come if I'm not a 'massive hippy?'
- Yes! This ride is aimed at people who care about environmental protection FULL STOP. Whatever our political views we are united by the belief that looking after the natural environment must rise up the political agenda.
- At the moment large parts of the population are turned off by seeing what they call 'massive hippies' protesting against inaction on climate change. Part of the attraction of cycling is that it provides an outlet for active people to show they care. In turn we hope this brings in others who value the natural world and want to show their support for it's protection but don't necessarily agree with the rest of the political baggage that traditionally goes with it.
- As Gandhi once said "be the change that you wish to see in the world". Whatever your political views, this ride will be a great place to make friends and help launch new environmental initiatives and events.
When are the dates?
- Leaving London on morning of Wed 9th December 2015, arriving into Paris late afternoon on Fri 11th December. Travelling back to London on Sun 13th December.
What will we be able to book through this site and what do we have to book ourselves?
- We are organising accommodation in a beautiful farmhouse for Thurs night (10th Dec) and a van for transporting the bikes back to London on Sun 13th December. We will be launching booking for this shortly, to hear about it, please subscribe to the mail-list. For those that do book, we will release an info pack telling you what else you need to book (Wed overnight ferry crossing, Paris accommodation, Eurostar home, and your own insurance).
When will booking be open?
- By end of October 2015
Will return transport with bikes be provided?
- No, we will be travelling back via Eurostar. You have to put it in a bike box (you can get cardboard bike boxes for free from any bike shop in Paris) and use their registered luggage service for a charge of £25, plus they deliver at St Pancreas "within 24 hours of drop-off" meaning realistically you'd have to drop it off on Sat night which would be a bummer.
How do I find the route?
- Step 1: get a smart phone, download the Strava app, and sign-up to leg1, leg2, and leg3.
- Step 2: MOST IMPORTANTLY OF ALL, buy a battery booster for your phone like this as otherwise you'll be out of juice as Strava is pretty energy intensive when following routes on your phone
Will there be a van available to carry luggage?
- Yes, we have a bag-drop van which will be with us at the start and end of each day
- So you'll want panniers to carry spare clothes and food etc throughout the day
Will there be medical or mechanical help available on the bike ride? And will food be provided during the ride?
- Nope, no medical help will be provided
- Nor will any mechanical help be available... you need to have a good bike, that's in good working order and bring with you the essential tools for fixing punctures and adjusting stuff
- Buy your own food en route
What shall I bring with me for the cycle ride?
It's important for people to pack light, but it's also really important that they get their cycle and normal clothing right. Rain and cold could ruin the ride for those who are unprepared....
It's important for people to pack light, but it's also really important that they get their cycle and normal clothing right. Rain and cold could ruin the ride for those who are unprepared....
- Make sure you have personal cycling insurance covering UK and France - this is a DIY ride, get your own insurance or you're on your own
- buy a battery booster for your phone like this as otherwise you'll be out of juice as Strava is pretty energy intensive when following routes on your phone
- Clothing: padded leggings, quick drying and breathable clothes and waterproofs; thermal socks; woolly hat; fully insulated, waterproof gloves, waterproof shoe covers, helmet.
- Rechargeable lights
- Mudguards
- Pannier rack and Panniers (unless using a backpack)
- Simple repair kit and any tools that might be specific only to your bike
- Replacement inner tube specific to your bike
- High energy snacks
- Water bottles
- Personal medication and toiletries
- Head torch (for getting around after the ride)
- Passport, personal cycling insurance, Euros/bank cards
- Travel towel
- Warm winter clothing and shoes for the 3 days in Paris (best to pack in waterproof bag)
- Battery chargers for lights/phones/cameras with adapters
- Optional sleeping bag for Wed night sleep on the ferry (and maybe required in hostel accommodation in Paris)
Will my bike be safe at night in Paris?
- Maybe not... bring a good lock!
Where are we staying en route and in Paris?
- Wed night - sleeping rough on the ferry (11pm to 4am)
- Thurs night - staying in a beautiful farmhouse halfway from Dieppe to Paris
- Fri and Sat night in Paris - staying in a hostel organised by Friends-of-the-Earth
Who is behind #ClimateKilometre?
- The #ClimateKilometre 3-day ride to Paris has been put together by a number of volunteers who met through the Campaign Against Climate Change
- We're tired of the climate activist stereotype
- We want to engage with other like-minded people who love the natural world and can see that business-as-usual is not an option... we will use our energy to carry out 'on a shoe-string' sporting events to promote action on climate change. Join the ClimateKilometre group on Strava to keep up to date.
Can I help with publicity for #ClimateKilometre?
- Yes, see the Share page
Can I organise a feeder ride to London?
- Yes! Please get in contact
- There is already one leaving from Oxford on Tue 8th Dec
