French vélomobile meeting 2023

1100 km, 4000 Hm, wäre eine Überlegung wert, muß noch Urlaub planen und eine Radreise wollte ich schon machen dieses Jahr. An der alten Partnerstadt Parthenay käme ich auch vorbei...

Gruß,

Tim

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Tja, und der Termin der Eigentümerversammlung mit zwei Seiten Tagesordnungspunkten inkl. zweier Anträge von mir ist am - 12.9.

Grummel,

Tim
 
11 days before departure.

Last year:
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This year:

Spezi
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Today:
ultralight.jpg

I looked at a lot of ultralight tents from the <200€ Chinese ones to the Exped and Sea to Summit. I saw the Hilleberg when I was camping at the Spezi, much too small for 2-3 weeks on the road for me so it was off the list. In the end I chose the Sea to Summit Alto TR1 with the Bigfoot footprint for a total weight of 1500 grams (445€). The larger 5 sided inner convinced me and erected in the living room I think it was the right choice. My heavy Decathlon tent has much easier pitching and because it is a 2 person tent everything fits inside.

The small tent:
- can be set up outer tent first if it is raining (but it is not freestanding)
- lots of room for sitting inside in the rain (it rained quite a lot in May)
- room for my small brown clothes bag inside and everything else outside under the rain fly
- the 4 tent stuff bags can be split and stored in different parts of the vélomobile
- the large top venting system looks convincing, to be tested
- it will be interesting to see if the 100% mesh interior is warm enough next April :unsure:
- eventual upgrades are the 3+ season cloth inner tent and the Lightfoot footprint for a similar weight.

I have added to my sleeping equipment a sleeping bag liner sheet (silk and cotton mix) which is in theory good for an extra 2-3º warmth. The summer sleeping bag and the sheet still weigh a little less than the 0º down bag used in cooler seasons. The heavy Decathlon pillow has been replaced with an Exped air pillow, another 200 grams saved!

As you can see from the photo, packing the camping gear in Agilo is going to be rather quick! The kitchen is going to be the light version because I will be eating main meals in restaurants again this time - last year I had no cooking equipment at all. The 100% cafe and restaurant version would mean removing the bottom right brown bag from the photo, another 1 kg saved. The insulated food back is mandatory equipment in end of summer temperatures here!

The drive will be 3 x 145 (approx,) km stages, Sanguinet, Le Verdon and La Tranche sur Mer. I am hoping for cooler weather on the road this year!

Off to the bike shop now for tube patches and I hope a Topeak Shuttle tyre pressure gauge.
 
Correction:

I weighed the actual tent and footprint rather than relying on manufacturers numbers, 1295 grams :cool: That means 1340 grams saved (y)
 
The heat wave is over this morning, it is raining. It may rain a little on Wednesday morning, if it is like this morning it will be OK. Today's status:

- My lungs have not come back 100% since C-19 at the beginning of August. I think the heat is more to blame :unsure:
- My left leg hurts but not the knee
- but my attitude is 100% positive
- everything is packed and ready, I just need to go out and get the last little things

Tomorrow I will decide if I take cooking equipment or not, I don't get on very well with food I have not made myself. Well yes I do enjoy a meal in a high end restaurant from time to time but 8 days of eating someone else's food is not my thing...
 
I bought scales yesterday:

- big green bag with tent and everything sleeping, washing, medication,... 4800 grams
- clothes including off duty sandals 2160 grams
- kitchen (minimal) 1355 grams
- food 2355 grams (will vary each day)
- electricity (without battery) 1385 grams

About 12 kg, so with driver and battery the system weight is around 135 kg.

Last year well in excess of 140 kg... The driver has lost >4 kg, the tent >1 kg, the electrics box 1.2 kg, the sleeping gear >300 grams, the tools 500 grams, etc.
 
Of course it is raining, what did you expect?

Temperature ideal 20º C, driver weight 77.5 kg.

9:00 start
 
1 hour of rain and 20 km. I lost the rear in a roundabout in Bayonne but hey! I have Basel experience! No sweat :giggle: The average for the day was 24 something.

161 km then the camping ground was closed, no problems I am in the 5 star one because I can ;)
 
151 km to Le Verdon sur Mer, the ferry later today.

Yesterday a breakdown and 1.5 hours lost, another day with no swimming pool on arrival...

Flattest day I have ever driven, no speed record broken.
 
WiFi again!!!

Day 3 the ferry then 145 km. New hottest day record broken... 40° C inside, OK I exaggerate a little 39.85° C... Lucky I had a tailwind so lots of > 30 km/h.

Day 4 and VM meeting, I am not driving with the others today swimming pool for my leg and VM meeting in the evening.

I did take a lot of photos!
 
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Despite the nasty weather I made it back home! After the second thunderstorm you stop counting... :rolleyes:

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Sunday on the way home and 25 km from Royan a 30 min storm break, mostly because of the gale force winds.

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On the way the ferry ride was a short peaceful break, the ferry just 6-7 km from the camping ground where I had spent the evening with 3 young German bike tourists heading south to Portugal. A little Schnaps even after dinner!

Arrival at the campground in La Tranche sur Mer

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Saturday morning the others prepare to leave

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The start was given on the seafront

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Not one but 2!!! And in a very topical colour combination... ;)

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Joel told me at dinner that he has delivered 11 and 10 Le Mans.

A velocar was present, with 45 km/h certification and so a number plate. The young man hopes to reach series production, 385 kg and the same motor as the Citroën Ami.

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And on the way home on Sunday before the storms I took the cable car bridge which we saw in @kitenteddy's Green Mamba voyage. It was national heritage day so the crossing was free and the people in green represent the prisoners who were once use to pull the ships up the river to Rochefort.

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The meeting was great, nice conversations, Sunday morning Agilo was the star, many questions and many test seatings. A woman even asked her husband to build her one! Because of the cosy wood atmosphere inside.

There were a lot of Quattrovelos as car replacement. I actually sat in an M9 @ChristianW ! The wide opening works for me both getting in and out. But I did not like the seat, the guy before me loved it which just goes to show how different we all are. Mango, Strada which I did not see up close at Spezi. DF, Snoek, Alphas and WAWs, one in a VERY used condition making even Agilo's finish look quite correct :eek: So lots of variety in the VM park. Other drivers also had a 3-4 day journey there and back so this time I don't think I was the one from furthest away.

The last night on the way home I actually managed to pitch the new tent correctly! I could feel the advantage of carrying less weight and so 150-160 km a day went by without a problem. I got fit after 4 days despite my left leg, and about 900 km total distance. End of season here is the 15th at the latest so finding a camping ground or even a restaurant on a Monday evening was not so easy. Next time I have to plan to arrive at 17:00 so that I can use the campground swimming pools, they all close at 18:00... I ate one of my two survival rations so I was glad I carried the extra weight of the JetBoil.

Agilo behaved great once again. Driving in the storms on Monday at one point I looked at the speedo and I was at 22 km/h without pedaling, uphill... I had to hide from the >80 km/h gusts on the seafront in Royan for a while, I drove through 10 cm water there. A bike tourist who I met in the campground later and who came over on the last ferry just after mine rode through 30-40 cm of water there... :eek: The outside of Agilo has been pressure washed but the inside looks like a swamp, some house work to do today.

And now new adventures await :sneaky: :censored:
 
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