Part 1 - You could always come off of the M74 and run down the APR (B7076) from Junction 11 south, quieter than motorway and just as quick. We were on it Saturday afternoon, in the monsoon conditions !!!! The run through the lakes is OK, they are reasonably good roads, round Carlisle down to Keswick is a road I use often. Filling station in Keswick is a nice stop, bike themed diner, just up your street. Fair chunk of motorway after that, so should be OK for time. To avoid that last ~75 miles of motorway, will be one hell of a detour or just a waste of time ! Part 2 & 3 - can't really comment, don't know the roads ! Enjoy your trip.
Hi Sam! Looks like an epic ride!! One thing of note: the m5 last time I was on it had major roadworks and 50 mph limit I'd suggest jumping off m42 at jcn 3 and heading down a435 through Alcatel onto a 46 down to Tewksbury and join m5 there, stay on m5 til past Bristol, a roads can be really slow due to villages around Bristol. Now we are friends on myroute you can ok at my routes, I have put one in called samualf missing m5 for you to look at, it's only 15 mins slower than m5 but that's assuming you can do 70 on m5. Regards the puncture repair kit. That kit is for tubeless tyres it proved very useful for one rider while on a rideouts at the gmu! 1 last thing, check your waypoints carefully if they are placed on opposite carriage way, sliproad etc by mistake it can cause havoc and time wasted while you stop and delete them!
Looks ok but get a mini compressor as well. Either attaches to the battery or to an electrical socket if you have one. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Airman-Com...1087947&sr=8-1&keywords=motorcycle+Compressor This is the one I have. Those CO2 canisters will not fully inflate a tyre without using a lot of them. So either get more of them or a compressor.
My 5p........ This is about a 7hr run plus stops. 490 miles at 70 mph. More realistically 8hrs at an average of 60 mph. The 'critical path' is the ferry departure. I would look to break the back of the journey on the mway to Taunton or Exeter on Day 1 (6.5/7hrs 420+ miles) and then tour Dartmoor down to Plymouth on Day 2. It will not be much 'fun' on day 1 but day 2 will feel like a holiday with little time pressure and the freedom to divert and dawdle.......not something that feels quite so comfortable with hundreds of miles still to do. There is no right or wrong way to tour but, psychologically and as a novice, you may put yourself under less time pressure this way. It will also give you a feel for what a long dash feels like if you ever do have to cut things fine!
I don't know how much time you've got but would it be worth taking an extra day to get down there and have a nice leisurely ride down. It means you can enjoy your holiday from day 1,instead of on day 3 after a 490 mile motorway trip.
If you do this keep the bike running till youre finished with the compressor as if you end up with a low battery you will be cursing, but a good Idea I always carry one.
Sam i had a quick look at your routes,i noticed you have accidentally put a few way points on the wrong side of the motorway..if you zoom in you will see it's going to take you down to a roundabout then back up north then back down again!! on the first route it is waypoints 3 and 5 and on the 2nd route it is way points 2 and 3 there was also one waypoint that looks as if it's on the road but it is actually on a side street so that will mix you up too,i suggest you go over all the way points (zoom right in) and place them on the road. in the french route way point number 4 is going to cause a bit of confusion too!! once the waypoints are placed correctly you shouldn't have any problems..enjoy your trip
Thank you very much, your help is very much appreciated. I'll look into the APR (B7076). Thanks a lot crispey, I will look into your roads suggestions. Yeah I was expecting to have to verify them, because for now i put them here a bit quick. I was waiting for comments and suggestions. I wish I could but I only have 2 full days ( ferry at 10pm on sunday night ) to get there. ( I am working friday). Very good idea, thanks ! Duely noted ! I should have answered every one whom offered help, and If I forgot anyone, sorry, but you know your help is appreciated. I'll look into all your suggestions and corrections and modify the road accordingly ! Thanks again guys...
@MrOrange & @Dougie D @crispey Your road suggestions and corrections have been taken into account. Thanks a lot ! Question, for the way back : Can you reverse a track on your GPS, or on the My route App, so I just ride the same way back ? Garmin Zumo 345LM.
yes i'm sure you can do that with your sat nav,you can also reverse the route via myroute-app (not sure if you have to be a gold member though) but i've found if you do this it will sometimes take you a slightly differant route and you have to check the way points again.if i were you i'd just make up a seperate route for the way home
My garmin offers you to start route at either end. I actually call point 1 - start, so I know which way to go, as default is usually starting at the end!!!!
So get this: I was planning the same trip last year, my accident happened 6 weeks before. Never made it. This year, and as of this morning, basically, Bank of Scotland voided my current debit card, and blocked my account. Why because they thought they did ( and realised they did not ) send me a replacement card that I should have been using since july, and blocked my account for using my current one. and upon failed payment tried twice more. they also refused to open a credit card for me, because anyway, I would not have the card in time for departure. The Britanny ferries apparenly needed me to have my card with me to give me my ticket, and so did the hotel from booking.com. Without card, means of payment or solution for saturday morning, I had to cancel... I just filed an official complaint to the FCS for Bank of Scotland behaving like a bunch of blind monkeys with down syndrome. (No disrespect meant for people afflicted with mental difficulties). Sooooooo.... Next Year ? Gees... You plan for month, invest in gear and security, just to see the whole shebang cancelled 5 days before....
Really sorry to hear that, but, RBOS seem to be like that very high handed attitude. Good luck with the complaint !
It's alright. I'm modestly surprising myself by taking it calmly and reasonnably. I'll pester the bank until they refund me my ferry tickets, and apologise and some more, but besides that, it's just a ride. Take it with a smile, calmly, anger is useless.
Cheers for the support guys... I'm actually more pissed today than I was yesterday, I was realising this morning how much I wanted to ride Britanny (My homeland) and that I won't for another year or so... Waiting on the call for the official complaint, but i was calm and courteous to the manager because he's just a desk jockey, but indeed I'm not letting this go... Better get some form of compensation...
Hi Billy, ever so sorry to hear about this monumental f*ck-up by your bank. They can really screw things up can't they. As others have said you need restitution then compensation.
Yup... as I said... A bunch of blind monkeys with down syndrome.... I'm at the bank in one hour to chase them again. Every time I can till I get reparation.
Bad news Sam - hope you can get something sorted with the bank - but what a bunch of tw*ts! I hate banks as much as I hate insurance companies!
That sucks big time Sam hope you get it all sorted.Go at them like a Jack Russel on a rat (dont let go till it's dead)
