Please Read if you are interested.

OK Folks. It's early days yet but I have started to work on a rough draft of the itinerary.

The trip will be for between 12 & 14 nights and will take place in June 2008.

It is intended to catch either the Portsmouth to Caen or Le Havre ferry depending which suits our purpose best. These routes are run by Brittany Ferries and they tell me that their timetable for 2008 will not be published until the end of September.

Why this Ferry route? Well it will take us a good way down the coast without spending too long on a boat. 5 1/2 as opposed to 8 1/2 hours to St Malo. Once the timetables are out I will compare the difference in costs to see if a night sailing to St Malo with a Cabin for a good night’s sleep is viable. 

Assuming it will be Caen and arriving early morning we will travel:

Day 1 to somewhere near Poitiers (279 miles) or La Rochelle (286 miles) where we will stop at a hotel for the night.

Day 2 we will travel to the vicinity of the Millau Viaduct, the famous Bridge in the Sky (from Poitiers 268 miles, La Rochelle 332 miles) The Millau Viaduct is a must if you are in that part of France

                                                                                                                                                                                                                          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millau_Viaduct

Day 3 we will travel to an area of Southern France in the region of Cannes / St Tropez but probably inland a bit (Cannes 275 miles)

Here we will spend 4 nights in a good class hotel with ride outs each day (not obligatory) to the resorts and other places of interest.                              

Day 7 we will travel in to The Alps, probably looking to stay in the region around Briancon (subject to change) where again we will spend 4 nights in a good quality hotel with optional ride outs through the Mountain Passes in the area.

Day 11 we will start to head home on a route yet to be determined which could include 1 or 2 overnight stops.

A tour we did this year for 12 nights worked out at £650 per person based on rider and pillion and that included Ferry travel for 3 nights and 8 nights half board at a very good quality hotel.

Obviously solo riders are likely to have a slightly higher ferry fare pro rata and persons wishing single occupancy at the hotels will be charged a supplement. However, I will be endeavouring to keep the costs to the above figure as much as I can. Having said that, this will be a main holiday and is not a budget jaunt to the continent.

This is only a rough guide at this time and if you have any suggestions as to alterations please let me know.

I anticipate that those going will be required to pay their Ferry Fare in advance at the time of booking, probably in October when we will get the best rates. I will also require a couple of nights Hotel accommodation charges to protect me for people failing to arrive as Hotel reservations will be made on my credit card. It will be the responsibility of the individual to settle their Hotel Bills during their stay or on departure from each hotel.

So basically, the majority of the cost of going on this Tour will not need to be made until you are actually there, giving ample time to start saving. If you haven't toured in Europe you don't know what you are missing out on.

You need to be able to travel at 80 - 90 mph on Motorways fully loaded. All mileage on travelling days is easily achievable and you will not be put under pressure. There will be Refreshment stops on route. Even on Ride Out Days you will not be required to ride beyond your ability as there are frequent stops to regroup, take pictures etc... If you have not been before, don't worry as several of us have experience in this and we will look after you although you will be responsible for your actions and will be required to sign a disclaimer absolving anyone engaged in the organisation of responsibility or blame for those actions (sounds dramatic but is essential in the current law suit climate).

Now in order for me to negotiate the best rates I can with the Hotels I need to know who is interested in going. I have details of 6 bikes that are almost certainly going already. Can I ask that if you are seriously giving some thought to taking part in this Tour then you let me know ASAP including how many bikes, rider / rider + pillion and type of accommodation you require. Double / Twin / Prepared to share / Single Occupancy. As stated, no commitment will be required until October.

July Newsletter

Well July has started only slightly better than June was. Those that came out on the Ride Out to the Queens Hotel at Newbury enjoyed some of the best weather we have had for some time and we beat the rain home which was a bonus.

Ann & Lebby have a cracking Pub and if you are up that way you will be made welcome. They also do accommodation. It is in Market Square at Newbury.

On most of these Ride Outs (i.e. when I remember to turn the camera on) you are being captured on video so that your riding skills are preserved for posterity. Don’t panic, the camera is mounted so that the Speedo is not in view and I can be bribed to remove any evidence of transgressions. It is our intention while enjoying ourselves on bikes to try and raise a little money for local charities while we are at it. When I get the time to Edit the videos for each run and prepare a show including any stills I have I will announce their availability. They will go on sale at £1.50 each plus any additional donations you care to make. All but 20p (to cover the cost of the discs and tapes) will go to the charity fund. So if you have been on that ride out and want a memory of it, then get your wallets out.

This month we have The BSB Ride Out to Poole Quay on Tuesday 10^th, The BKING Road Show at Rob Willsher’s on Wednesday 11^th, Ride Out to Brighton on Sunday 15^th and The Bikers Day at The Sammy Miller Museum on Sunday 22^nd. All details can be found here; www.theclubatrobwillsher.spaces.live.com .

So far for August we have the Brands Hatch Round of WSB’s on Sunday 5^th, please Email me if you are thinking about coming, and a Ride Out to Cheddar Gorge on a date TBA.

Another date for your diary is Saturday 8^th September when there will be a Charity Treasure Hunt, starting and finishing at rob Willsher’s. This will involve a tricky but solvable route, questions and clues, with a facility to get you back on track if you go astray without giving the answers away. This is not a race and the emphasis will be on accuracy including bonus points depending how close to the actual mileage you are. There will be a small entry fee but all monies raised will go to charity. I am hoping that I can twist the arm of those jolly nice people at Crescents for some attractive prizes. There will also be a raffle so if you have any suitable items kicking about, like the unwanted birthday present from Aunty Jean, then please offer them up. If you can approach any other businesses and persuade them to cough something up it will be greatly appreciated. This will take a lot of effort to organise and is being opened up to anyone on a motorcycle. Please do your best to support it. I anticipate the actual advert for it will be out by the end of the week.

Have a look at the “Useful Club Links” that are on the web space. There are companies there offering discounts to Club members. If you know of any companies that will offer such a discount, please provide me with details.

Have a good read through the web space and don’t forget to read the details regarding the proposed Tour to the French Alps in 2008. I will circulate specific details of the trip including costs as soon as I can.

Finally, I still need your input as to what you want The Club to take part in. Don’t be shy and have a go at organising something. I am always prepared to do the route sheets and maps, advertising etc so just Email me. Jeff Cooper is first off the mark and has sorted the Run to Brighton on the 15^th of July. Give him your support. Don’t be shy about coming along. The routes are always clearly mapped out and you ride at a speed that you are comfortable with. There are always plenty of stops to regroup.

Fingers crossed that the weather has broken and we can get out there and have fun.

I hope we will see you all soon. If you want to contact me regarding anything Club related either Email me at theclubatrobwillsher@tiscali.co.uk , and request a phone number if necessary (I have no objections giving it out, i just wont be putting it on the web space) or you can normally find me at Rob Willsher’s on a Saturday.

Ride safe.

Ali