Soloing Paris-Roubaix

Visa? Are you not American? Borders in the EU?? Google bicycling in Europe blogs. Time to go: September. Stay in hostels (L'auberge de la jeunesse in French) or backpackers. Take only what you can fit in panniers. Forget the consulate, everything you need to learn in on the internet.

You might want to ask questions on these bicycle touring forums: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/forum/?o=3Tzut This site is only about bike touring. Be sure to read the trip journals for tours in France. http://www.bikeforums.net/index.php This site is for all kinds of riding. There is a large touring forum, and also notice the regional sub-forums. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forum.jspa?forumID=32&start=0 Of course the Thorn Tree forum on France has a great deal of general travel info.

One thing to know is that Flemish/Dutch won't help you at all, since nobody anywhere near the Paris-Roubaix route -- or anywhere in France -- speaks it. (If you want to do the Ronde van Vlaanderen http://rvv.be/en/tourism/routes/rvv-bicycleroutes/cyclingroute09 and try the Koppenberg or something, that's a different story.) Not knowing any French will be a pain in the ass, but there are tons of tourists who also don't speak French, so pretty much everywhere you stay and eat they'll be able (if not exactly happy) to help you in English. Another thing to know is that the Paris-Roubaix route changes every year (not a lot, but some) so you'll have to decide which version you want to ride. Some sections of the official route might be unrideable -- since the race sometimes uses some roads that aren't appropriate for cycling when traffic is on them. So you'll want to look carefully at a map and figure out where you have to detour. For the riding itself, just remember that riding on cobbles is a special skill. (I live and race bikes in Belgium, and I can tell you from experience that it's hard and slow and you're ass and everything else will take a beating, especially as you get used to handling your bike on pavés.) If there's somewhere you can practice handling your bike on cobbles and get used to it (the trick is to relax as much as you can and pedal in a high-ish gear) you should do it. You don't need a visa to enter France as a tourist, and once in, there are basically no border crossings in western Europe. (That is to say, you cross borders, but inside of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_area there is no border control. So you can visit Belgium or Germany or (as of this year) Switzerland without any hassle. The weather in this part of Europe tends to be best in late summer and (very) early fall. If you come in August there will be huge numbers of tourists, but if you delay until September, it's a little quieter and the weather is still pretty good. I'm not sure there's tons to do in Roubaix, so you might consider -- instead of spending 2 days there -- hopping a train to Belgium and visiting Brugge (Bruges) or Antwerpen or something. If you wait until the beginning of October -- risking the possibility that the weather starts to get worse -- you could catch one of the first big Belgian 'cross races of the season, the http://neo.superprestigecyclocross.com/ race in Oostkamp, which is not more than an hour's drive from Roubaix. (If you like Paris-Roubaix, you should really go to at least one big Belgian 'cross race.) One last thing, flying to Europe with a bike is no big deal. Just get yourself a good bike box and maybe check with the airline in advance of your flight. Usually you can just show up with your bikes/wheels/whatever, but a couple airlines require you to tell them in advance that you plan to fly with a bike.

- Oh, you'll want a cell phone too, in case of emergency and to call home/the next hostel/wherever. For about 50-60 Euros you can get a cell phone with a prepaid SIM card that'll last you a while. There are shops at the airport that sell them--some places will even rent you a cell instead. If you have an unlocked GSM phone, you may be able to switch out your SIM for a prepaid one and save 40 Euros or so, but make sure you have a "quad-band" phone or it won't work.

One concern I would have with random hostels is that they can be bike unfriendly. Quite a few with no elevator, and dorm rooms often literally have no space to put a bike except in the center of the room. I suggest emailing them in advance to see what they say.

What should I pack? Tools. Wrenches. Most of those cobblestone roads are only opened once a year, for the Paris - Roubaix road races. Some are in a seriously bad shape. The most famous parts of the race are also the ones with the most terrible pavement. Cycling the Trouée d'Arenberg / wood of Wallers-Arenberg part for instance will feel like if you're controlling a jackhammer, if you stay on the stones. Parts fixed on your bicycle will come undone. Luggage will fall off. Apart from that, that part of France is dreary, a poor industrialized zone. You better pick a time of the year with some chance for good weather.

See what airlines you can take your bike for free with. In January, British Airways did not charge to transport a bicycle-bag, and I believe the same was true of Virgin.

I may consider sending baggage ahead of me each day via rail package services I notice that noone has commented on this component of your plan and I can't either (I've cycled in France but always had panniers). You might just want to double-check that what you're describing there would work in the real world.

Cobbles; I have a cyclocross bike that I will most likely be taking, that or putting some 28c tires on my road bike. As for practice, I don't think anywhere in the midwest of the USA has terrain like the cobbles so I'll have to make do with roads-under-construction around my hometown. I am expecting that it will be a challenge to ride on the cobbles. Hell, I'm looking forward to it! Bike Transportation; I will likely be purchasing a bike hardcase. I know of a company that makes an inexpensive corrugated plastic bike packing case. Comes with foam spacers, straps and etc. Visa; I assumed that I would need a Visa since that is what the French Consulate website for Chicago said. That site said nothing about not needing one if I was an American.