RAFBF Paris to Geneva Essential Info
Here is some essential info about your RAFBF Paris to Geneva tour.
When?
Monday 5th September 2016 – Saturday 10th September 2016.
We will travel from London to Paris via Eurostar on Monday the 5th September and will then be cycling for 4 days in total from the Tuesday to the Friday, finishing with a celebratory dinner and overnight stay in Geneva on the Friday evening (everyone will then go their separate ways on the Saturday 10th September).
Things for you to organise/think about before your trip
- Please hire a bike box to transport your bike – see section below on bike boxes
- Please make sure that you have made the necessary travel arrangements to get yourself and your bike back from Geneva (return flights/transfers are not included in the cost of the trip). Information on hiring a bike box is below.
- Please also ensure that you have had your bike serviced before the ride so that it is in tip-top condition.
- The route is not signposted and so you will need to use either a Garmin or Strava on your phone. If you are using your phone as a navigation device, please ensure that you have somewhere to mount your device and that you carry a portable battery charger. You can download the route from the links below under the section ‘The Route & Strava’ (please don’t do this until we notify you approx 1 week before your event in case as we may make minor tweaks beforehand).
Eurostar to Paris – Monday 5th September 2016
You are booked on the 11.31 train from St Pancras to Paris on Monday the 5th September.
The timings are as follows:
From 9am-10am
Starbucks @ St Pancras:
On your arrival at St Pancras station please head for the Starbucks (near Boots and Marks & Spencer). Here, John from Ride25 will be waiting for you with details on where to take your bike box (to the EuroDespatch office) and will give you your Eurostar ticket. Details on where to find EuroDespatch can be found here. John’s number is 07912 214901 if you need to contact him on the day.
10.30am:
Check-in at 10.30am.
11.31am:
Train departs from St Pancras
14.47:
Train arrives in Paris
On arrival in Paris, we will collect the bike boxes from Euro Despatch and then head to the hotel – Novotel Centre Eiffel Tower (this is where our Grand Depart will be from on the following morning).
START POINT – 7am Tuesday 6th September 2016
We will all meet in the reception area at the Novotel Centre Eiffel Tower in the Paris. You will then be guided through Paris by one of the Ride25 tour crew to the Eiffel Tower where we will stop for photos before setting off on our adventure! Look out for the orange Ride25 flags and our tour crew in their Ride25 shirts in the reception area! (You won’t miss us!)
Start Time:
7am – registration and bag/bike box drop
7.30am – rider briefing
7.45am – depart and start pedalling!
N.B. – please make sure you have had some food and coffee before arriving at the start and also had a pee!
The finish – Lake Geneva, Friday 9th September 2016
We will all arrive at Lake Geneva on Friday 9th September 2016. Approximate time for arrival is 5pm (NB: this is very approximate and depends on how fast you pedal!) After freshening up back at the hotel, we will all enjoy a celebratory meal and a restful night’s sleep.
Evening Stops
We will be staying in the following towns throughout the trip (NB: hotels are subject to change)
Monday 5th Sept 2016: Paris – Novotel Centre Eiffel Tower
Tuesday 6th Sept 2016: Sens – Hotel de Paris et de la Poste
Weds 7th Sept 2016: Semur en Auxois – Hôtel de la Côte-d’Or
Thurs 8th Sept 2016: Lons Le Saunier – Logis Hotel Grill
Fri 9th Sept 2016: Geneva – Hotel Novotel Genève Centre
Saturday 10th Sept 2016: Everyone departs Geneva/Flies home
What’s included?
- Five nights’ accommodation in a clean, comfortable hotel (in Sens, Semur-en-Auxois, Lons-le-Saunier and Geneva).
- Three meals a day plus stops for snacks
- Cake and coffee at the optional coffee stops
- Support vehicle to transport your luggage (clothes and supplies) from each stage to the next
- Back-up vehicle to provide you with medical help and any assistance should you need a rest
- A digital map in the format of a .gpx file for mobile navigation devices such as Garmin
- Customised, waterproof, cloth route map including essential directions, pitstops and interesting information on the area.
- Two new, bespoke high quality breathable cycling shirts for use on your trip.
- Daily fresh fruit and water in the support vehicles
- Celebratory dinner in Geneva
- Eurostar from London to Paris
What’s not included?
- Return flight and transfer – please organise your own home from Geneva
- A Bike
- A bike box
- Personal insurance – including cycle cover
Dress Code
Please don’t over pack as we will just have to carry all the overweight bags in our vans for 4 days.
As well as plenty of lycra, you only need a couple of t-shirts/tops and a pair of jeans – and your pjs!
Kit List
You will be given 2 x RAFBF personalised cycling shirts when you check-in
Things you should consider buying and bringing on your Paris to Geneva adventure….
- Overshoes
- Chamois Cream – lots
- Base Layers to wear under your cycling shirts
- Arm and Leg warmers – to carry with you in case it gets cold and or wet
- Gloves
- Helmet
- Sunglasses / clear lenses for glasses (if its not sunny)
- Large saddle bag with – 2 x spare inner tubes, puncture repair kit and tyre leavers
- Cycle pump or gas canisters
- 2 x large water bottles for hydration drinks and water – we sell hydration table if you need to re-stock supplies
- Energy gels – we have a pay as you go shop supplying these if you need some
- Washing powder to wash the lycra in the shower at night
- Sun cream
- Top bar bag for phone, wallet and energy stuff
- Phone mount if you are using Strava as a navigation tool
- Portable battery charger for mobile
- Garmin (or similar GPS navigation device) or Strava App for phone
- Also, make sure you have some Euros and some Swiss Francs with you in case of emergencies
- Read our really useful blog on the Essential Kit List for a Ride25 tour here.
Bags and Tags
Between Paris and Geneva, we will carry all your bags, bike boxes and kit for you in the vans and will provide you with luggage tags when you check in on the first morning. You may also want to have a small day bag/rucksack that you leave in the van which you will have access to at coffee stops and lunch time etc – we will provide a separate tag for this bag and you will check this bag into a different van to the overnight luggage as this will go straight to the end hotel. Things to put in day bag could be – leg/arm warmers, extra layers, waterproof jacket, additional energy etc.
Bike Boxes
You will need to hire a bike box for use on your tour. We recommend using BikeBox Online.
To check out the prices, click on the banner below to choose your delivery – they will deliver your case to your door and arrange collection upon your return.
Also, take a look at our blog which gives advice on travelling overseas with your bike: ‘Flying With A Bike: The Ultimate Guide’
WHAT ELSE CAN I EXPECT?
RIDE25 APP
Ahead of the ride, you will be able to access your route on the Ride25 app (available to download on the app store – just search on ‘Ride25’). This will enable the crew to track your precise location (and allow you to also see where the crew are and other riders at any given time). It will also count you down to your next coffee/lunch or finish stop! You can also use the app to navigate although we recommend that you carry a portable battery charger and somewhere to mount your phone if you are doing this.
REGULAR DESIGNATED STOPS
We will have designated stops mid morning and mid afternoon together with a lunch stop – no pressure to stop unless you want to but we have endeavoured to find the best places on the route to stop for coffee, cake and ice creams as well as a good lunch. The mechanics will also set-up a service stop here for any tweaks you need.
SUPPORT VEHICLES
We will endeavour to make support vehicles fully accessible throughout the days so that you can always call to be picked up if you’re struggling. The crew can be contacted (and tracked!) via the Ride25 app – or by calling them. We will have a bike mechanic on the trip to keep you rolling – however they are not there to change tubes when you get a puncture. You should be able to do this on your own! Please make sure you have had your bike serviced recently, most issues are normally cause by poor bike maintenance.
Some things to organise before you go:
- Organise your airline travel from Geneva to get you back home.
- You will also need to consider hiring a bike box if you are flying. See above section on bike box hire (and read our blog here: ‘Flying With A Bike: The Ultimate Guide’).
Your safety
We recommend that you always cycle in groups and not alone. Please also ensure that you wear a helmet.
Sound Cycling Advice
Read one of our rider’s Tricia’s blog with advice for people doing their first long trip Part 1 and Part 2 – including a bit about why you should always ride commando!
Training
There are plenty of training tips and training plans around. Find one that suits you and your schedule and give yourself enough time so that you are fully ready for when the time comes to complete the ride.
We have plenty of training advice here and you can also watch our video from tips from previous Ride25 riders here and also a great GCN video on how to train for long bike rides here.
Also, read our blog on how to train for a 100 mile cycle ride.
Indoor training is also really useful (especially in the winter) so check out our advice on indoor watt bike training here.
The Route & Strava:
Please note that the route is not signposted and you will need to use either a Garmin or a phone downloaded with the Strava app to self-navigate. Please make sure that you have somewhere to mount your device and that you carry a portable battery charger. You will be given a waterproof map, to use in emergencies.
The routes are as follows:
Strava routes:
If you are using a Garmin, we also recommend having a back-up route on a Strava app on your phone. If you are unfamiliar with downloading a route onto Strava for use on your mobile, please follow our instructions here. (Please click on the image to enlarge it). (Those with Android phones – please see the instructions in the section marked ‘Instructions for Android users’ below).
Instructions for navigating for Android users: Duplicating the Route to your STRAVA account – ESSENTIAL for Android users.
Step 1
Open up the routes on a desktop/laptop computer.
You will see a page like this (NB – Route is for illustrative purposes only – you are not travelling from London to Brighton on your Paris to Geneva adventure!):
Step 2
Click on the duplicate button above the map, give the route a logical name so you can find it later. It will now save the route to the map/routes section on your phone app – this works for both Apple and Android but is essential for some Android users.
Step 3
Log into the app and check the route is there – click on the MAP tab, then the SELECT A ROUTE tab.
Step 4
On the day you want to use the route click the USE ROUTE button, also remember to click record (if you want to track your ride) and then go back to the maps to use the navigation of the route.
