Paris to Dieppe

Monday December 20, 2010

The corridor outside my dorm, in St Christopher's Paris.

Another early start at 8 am! I filled up on breakfast because I knew it was going to be a long day in the saddle. I also stashed a few rolls from breakfast for the road.

Before heading off, I hopped on Google Talk and Skype and tried to talk to my housemate Jim Files, but the connection wasn't good enough, the hostel wi-fi was having issues. I knew it was getting close to the end of my trip because it was time to transfer money to Jim for the next month's rent back in Gooch Street, Thornbury, Melbourne. 

I packed my bags, chatted to Sarah Abel, the girl from Noosa Heads, as well as the bloke from Delhi, then headed downstairs to the common room. I tried a Skype call to Mum, to say something like "Mum, I'm about to ride into the unknown, through adverse weather and thick snow towards the North coast of France, I might die, so if I don't make it, that's where I am"...but again the Skype call was unsuccessful because the Wi-Fi network was having issues. I was able to download some maps and podcasts before I headed off, but it took a while. 

One of the common rooms in the hostel, St Christopher's Paris.

The main common room/dining room in the hostel,  St Christopher's Paris.

While I was idling, I was overhearing a few conversations with people at the hostel reception desk. The typical conversation went along the lines of "Hi, do you have any rooms? I'm going to attempt to catch a train and leave, but I might be back again like yesterday." Or "Hi, I'd like to check out...for the second time." The problem was that most of the trains weren't running because of all the snow, and the main airport, the Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, which is one of the busiest airports in the world, had partially shut down due to all the snow! Lots of people were fretting about not being able to get to their next destination on their European tour/holiday, and that they were missing connecting flights, missing rooms that they'd booked in hostels in other cities, etc. See that's why you ought not plan things too far in advance. Well, there are pros and cons with both, but not planning, with its inherent spontaneity and flexibility is how I like to roll anyway. In a way I felt lucky that I was on a beautiful independent mode of transport - the bicycle, the freedom machine! I would have been the only person there who was on a bicycle; everyone else was dependent upon public transport and aeroplanes. I wasn't sure how my bicycle Florey would fare in the snow, but at the same time I was confident, due to my general optimism. I figured I could walk if I had to, and I would still get there eventually. I found the adverse weather quite exciting and knew it would provide a good challenge.

So it wasn't until after mid-day that I rolled out. Except that I didn't actually roll out, the blanket of snow provided a good deal of resistance so I had to pedal out. But nonetheless I was able to ride in the snow, albeit with a lack of traction. 

The view of the hostel from the outside as I was heading off.

Fortunately it wasn't presently snowing, so hopefully conditions wouldn't deteriorate too much.

Navigating out of Paris was a little difficult, but eventually I found my way out, and as I headed further North out of the city, the snow seemed to get progressively thicker. Some of the roads were difficult to ride on, especially the ones with low traffic because the cars and trucks driving over the road would tend to limit the amount of snow on it. For once, I wanted there to be more traffic, to clear the snow off the roads. 

Snow in Normandy. On the D915, Route de Paris à Dieppe, between Génicourt and Cormeilles-en-Vexin, France.

Snow in Normandy. On the D915, Route de Paris à Dieppe, between Génicourt and Cormeilles-en-Vexin, France. 

The other difficult parts were where the snow had been compressed into ice by the traffic, and where wheel ruts existed; it was difficult to hold a straight line! I almost came off the bike many times, but got very good at putting my foot down when the front wheel slipped to save myself from falling, so I never actually came off, although I did drop the bike once. Is that coming off? I stayed upright...

Snow in Normandy. On the Rue Pirre Eugène Boyer, in Domaine de Gueulancourt, France. 

I rode right through the afternoon and stopped at a supermarket at about 5 pm, after 93 kilometres, for my usual lunch of rolls with cheese, tomato and salami.

I kept riding and the roads got worse, with more snow, such that some sections were very difficult to ride on. Plus it was dark. But I persisted. Occasionally convoys of trucks would crawl by, while other trucks were stopped in groups on the side of the road. The traffic was just crawling along, much like ants in an ant trail on a cold day. I was grateful for the trucks, because they were helping to clear the snow on the roads, otherwise I think my progress would have been much slower. I listened to podcasts as I rode, John Saffran and Father Bob at that point I think, and it was quite enjoyable, and challenging at the same time.

Snow in Normandy. On the Les Terres de Bellozanne, Bellozanne, France.

Snow in Normandy. On the Route de Dieppe, in Pommeréval, France.

Snow in Normandy. On the Route de Dieppe, Les Grandes-Ventes, France.

At about 10 kilometres from my destination of Dieppe, after 160 kilomtres in the saddle, I noticed a rubbing noise coming from my back wheel. "Hmm, that's odd", I thought, "I wonder what it could be..." So I stopped and inspected the bike, and promptly noticed that the rim had cracked, a crack a few centimetres long in the centre of the braking surface, and running parallel to the rim lip. 

Cracked rim, not far from Dieppe.

Cracked rim, not far from Dieppe.

It was the same thing as what happened when I was riding over a mountain pass in Italy in the Northern Apennine Mountains, merely a month earlier. It's caused by wearing down of the rim braking surface from braking, especially when there is grit in between the brake pads and the rim. And I must admit I'd never cleaned the brake pads or rim during the trip. But I replaced that rim when I was in Siena (after it cracked), merely a month earlier, so that rear rim had only lasted a month! I was disappointed, a rim should definitely last longer than that! The rim was now bulging out above the crack, with risk of the crack growing and the tyre exploding. However, I took my chances, and hoped I could limp it through the rest of my trip, I only had another day of riding before I'd be in my final destination of London, less than 100 kilometres to go! I'd ridden some 9000 kilometres throughout Europe up to that point, surely the dear bike could make it another 100 kilometres? I didn't have much choice but to keep going anyway, it was 10 pm so there certainly wouldn't be any bike shops open to replace the wheel or rim. I was optimistic that I'd make it to London the next day, so long as I could catch a ferry across the English Channel that night, which I would soon find out about when I got to Dieppe.

As I got closer to Dieppe, I remembered the town - I passed through there a few months earlier in my trip, I just hadn't remembered it by name. And I didn't actually like the vibe of the town when I'd first gone through, although I did have one of the most delicious pizzas I've ever eaten there. I decided to go straight to that pizzeria again, on the off chance it was still open. Unfortunately it was closed, and so were all the kebab shops - no dinner tonight. I'd ridden 170 kilometres that day, almost nine hours on the bike, yet it had seemed an easy day! I mean it was challenging because of the snow, but my body and legs didn't feel tired at all - I guess that's what three months of bicycle touring does to you.

Upon discovering all the shops were closed, I headed straight to the port of Dieppe and enquired about the ferry. The next ferry to depart for England would be 5 pm, and tickets were only €25, plus I could use the waiting room to rest - perfect! I was happy. 

I took my soaking booties, shoes and socks off, and popped them on the heaters in the toilets to dry. Then I ate the rolls that I'd taken from the hostel that morning, plus some cake and chocolate I had stashed in the panniers - not the healthiest or heartiest dinner but it would have to do. Then at about 2 pm I lined up a row of chairs and layed my weary head for a little while. I was quite making myself at home in the rest room there, with my bike beside me, before I'd have to get up to catch the ferry.

The route for the day, Paris to Dieppe.

An overview of my route so far from Rome.

Ride Stats:

Distance: 170 km
Average: 19.1 km/h
Maximum: 54.8 km/h
Time: 8:53:16

Total ascent: 994 m

Total descent: 1051 m