Thanks Bumble, our little Barchetta is taking us to Mount Ventoux on Friday where we will both be cycling up the mountain on Team Sky Pinarello Dogma K8S's - that's the comfy version of the bike Chris Froome is riding in the Tour De France [emoji4]

Am excited but very nervous. Hope to post a picture from the top - if I get there.



It's a practice for the London Prudential Ride 100 on 31st July. If any Barchetta's are in London, feel free to come and support or watch - we are both riding for Alzheimer's Research this year.

Thank Dave-M. Just got home to Cassis from Mont Ventoux

I don't have a bucket list but if I'd did, this would now be crossed off it. Day started badly with thunderstorm, midges out in force for lunch after the rain stopped...they certainly fed well on my legs. Finally made it to the top. Pretty scary coming down at speed on the rain sodden slippery road. Had the brakes on most of the way down. The Pinarello is an amazing bike - the latest Shimano Durace (for those that might be interested) is simply the smoothest groupset - with apologies to all the Italian Campagnolo-isti out there [emoji1]

Great stuff. I did a tour of the mountains on my bike thirty years ago. However, my bike had a 850cc Norton engine! Good to hear about the charity work too S

Another brilliant thread! It's made me reflect on how I must stop putting things off 'until next year' - which of course never comes!

Hi gar074, it is definitely never too late. Mrs sbd119 and I have actually done the tour thing on a bike without an engine [emoji1]

Although I like the idea of the Norton. Calais to Marseilles and Calais to Venice, although we did cheat a bit on the latter and took the Vereina Tunnel from Klosters before dropping down hill into Italia via the aptly named (at least when you are on a cycle) Ova Spin - this is the road's name, actually the name of a reservoir next to the road.

Here's some final pictures of the drive back in our little Barchetta which was via Paris so we could see Chris Froome win the TdF on the Champs-Élysées.



The middle of the road between Marseilles and Lille - the is a small plaque on the cliff in the distance.



Barchetta in front of the Eiffel Tower



...and again

Mileages for our trip...

692 miles from Cassis to Calais Ferry Terminal - forgot to make a note of Calais to the south - but it will be roughly the same.

Total Cost of Fuel from first to last full-up in France...

Fuel cost of £258.09 - so about £40-ish for 6 fill-ups using Shell V-Power 98 throughout.

I drove for pleasure not economy and travelled at 130kph wherever possible.

Total spent on tolls there and back to Calais plus a bit of touring, for example driving to Mount Ventoux and back to our lodgings in Cassis, all came to:

£192.73 in toll charges so about £80 from Calais to Marseilles.

We will be doing it again next year for le quatorze juillet - if anyone fancies meeting up or going down in convoy [emoji1]

Wow! Great journey Sbd119. We loved Ventoux though I barely have the energy to drive up let alone cycle!!
Let me know you're next over!

I'll let you all in to a secret - I had to get off and walk three times - the bit to the summit almost a kilometre although dignity meant I got on the bike and did the last few hundred metres. Helen was almost sick when she got to the top.

ps. Barchetta's Mileage - we managed 38.5 mpg to France and back which is not too bad given that we weren't dawdling especially on the way home when we foolishly tackled Cassis to Paris in one day! Stuart

In my youth, I saved hard and bought, what was then a top of the range racing bike, a Claude Butler lightweight ten speed. About five years ago, at a barbecue at a friends holiday lodge, a recalled the story and amazingly, my friend mentioned that the bloke in the adjacent lodge had a classic racer for sale for just fifty quid. The wine took control and ten minutes later the bike was in the back of 'Er indoors' Volvo. Early the next morning, before any witnesses were awake, I took to the road. After a mile or so, my legs were on fire so slowed down and turned around for home. As I exited the main road and entered the track to my house, I was doing about a thousand miles an hour and it was only then that I discovered these tiny levers intended to apply the brakes. It was too late and I crashed spectacularly into the wheelie bin removing large amounts of skin from my left arm as it contacted the pebble dash on the gable end of my house. The bike was then confined to the garage for three weeks before subsequently being listed on eBay where, bids went exponential and it sold for just over two hundred quid! Thus ended my dream of returning to my youth! Cycle safely friends. Steve

Sbd119 said:

I'll let you all in to a secret - I had to get off and walk three times - the bit to the summit almost a kilometre although dignity meant I got on the bike and did the last few hundred metres. Helen was almost sick when she got to the top.

ps. Barchetta's Mileage - we managed 38.5 mpg to France and back which is not too bad given that we weren't dawdling especially on the way home when we foolishly tackled Cassis to Paris in one day! Stuart

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Much chapeau in getting to the top, a fine effort! Enjoying the barchetta write up also.

You only got off three times? I'd have been walking the whole damned way!

Steve's post (ouch!!) has reminded me that I still have my old 1970s Dawes Mirage hanging up in the barn, with its then-state-of-the-art Reynolds double-butted tubing, Campag group set and marmite Cerise & Pale Blue colour scheme! It hasn't seen any action for well over 20 years, and I doubt I could even get my leg over it these days, but I have some happy memories of flying down (after staggering up) the mountains of mid-Wales on it, back in the day.

That bike is probably worth a lot more than you think - there is a burgeoning classic scene. Double-butted Reynolds is still great technology.

http://www.sargentandco.com/about_us.htm

Ooh, I wonder if it will cover the cost of a new soft top for my B? :chin: :idea:

Edit: this one is exactly like mine, right down to the dodgy colour scheme:

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=139914

According to the post, it went for £195 unrestored in 2011. Hmm!!!!

Seriously the mirage is a classic - £200 for a nice respray - £100 for a full service including bottom bracket bearings pad and chain and cables done at the same time and you'd more than cover your costs.

Respray? And lose that luvverly pink?!!! (sorry, Cerise)

(Apologies for leading this thread so off-topic!)

Great trip you did there! Must admit it scared me to drive long distances in the B.
Never broke down on me, but still.

would you recommend the area?