Getting Ready to Go

April 23, 2019

The messy task of packing

We are about to embark on our next European bike tour. We are travelling in the spring this year, as our youngest son is getting married in Australia in the fall so that season is taken. We have so much to look forward to in 2019.

These two. We are so excited for them and ourselves. We love them both. They have a great future ahead.

It always surprises me how much thinking time the packing for a bike tour takes - for me anyway. I keep a year over year packing list and that certainly helps, but there are always changes. Having done five fall tours it is interesting contemplating the days getting warmer and longer rather than colder and shorter. It looks like we will be starting in the rain, or at least cloudy conditions.

I started watching the fourteen day forecast some time ago. It was looking pretty fantastic.

Timing is everything! We fly on the 26th, arriving the 27th and start cycling on the 28th. That is quite a temperature swing from the 25th to the 26th!

The bikes have been tuned up at our LBS of choice, North Park Bikes. They are both running like new machines and we are grateful to Joe and his team for the great work. It is one busy shop, but no matter, they take the time to listen and help every customer who comes by. We love their bike parking...you hit an automatic door opener and roll the bikes into a designated spot in the shop. The air compressor is there and there is no need to lock up while browsing. Genius.

Our beautiful blue bikes after their spa treatment.

A great spot for excellent service with a smile.

We also want to give a big thank you to the Pedego ebike store in Oak Bay. They provided us with ten inch wide electric bike boxes which Keith loves for packing the bikes. My bike is in a brand new box and Keith is reusing one for the third time. These are sturdy boxes.

Keith’s workshop is full of cardboard, packing material and panniers. The bikes are in the boxes and we will soon be throwing anything else in them we can get away with while staying within the Air Canada weight restriction of 32 kg.

Our house will be in the capable hands of our son and soon to be daughter in law. We are getting excited. We just have to survive the 3:45 AM departure from the house for our 6 AM flight. After that we can relax.

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Tricia GrahamWonderful that you are on your way again and we will have someone to follow. Looking forward to finding out where you are off to our very best wishes
Ken and Tricia
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5 years ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesWe are reading this from Seattle at 3 a.m. because of jet lag! Looking forward to seeing the proposed route, and like Tricia, to following along. Bon courage.
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5 years ago

Kathleen ClassenTo Tricia GrahamIt is so wonderful to hear from you. We are going to start in Switzerland again, make a very brief foray into Germany to see friends and then into France. The plan this year is to stay a few nights here and there, the first likely spot to be Annecy. We have never been and have heard great things about it. We will be doing some climbing again this year too. As usual we haven’t booked anything beyond the airport hotel and the first night after that.

I hope all is well in New Zealand. We can’t wait to get back there too. Our son and his fiancé did a two week camping tour of the South Island and loved it.
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5 years ago

Scott AndersonHooray! A new Classen adventure to tag along on. Good luck with the flight and the weather!
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5 years ago

Kathleen ClassenTo Steve Miller/GrampiesWe have been thinking of you. We hope the rest of your unexpected journey home goes smoothly. Fortunately you have missed Easter weekend ferry chaos. Hang in there. Hugs to you both.
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5 years ago

Kathleen ClassenTo Scott AndersonWe have been loving reading your blog, and your pictures...oh my! I have also been rereading your 2015 French Alps blog and Keith has downloaded the tracks so that gives you a good idea of what we are thinking. We are meeting Anne Mathers today for coffee for her perspective too. You started a trend 👍. I am envious of Rachael’s sleeveless tops in your pics. It certainly doesn’t look like we will start out that way, but I philosophically think when you sign up for two months outside it can’t all be blue sky and sunshine!!
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5 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Kathleen ClassenWell, why not? What’s the point of planning if you can’t guarantee good weather for yourself in the process?

Good luck with the French Alps. We’re envious - we might dip in around the edges again, but I doubt that we could do a trip like our 2015 tour again. Do it while you can!
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5 years ago

Jacquie GaudetTo Kathleen ClassenAl and I followed the first half of the Andersons' 2015 trip in 2017. We didn't have time to do the High Alps part of the loop because somebody (not me) could not consider more than 3 weeks away. It was still fantastic and I urge you to do it.
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5 years ago

Tricia GrahamTo Kathleen ClassenWe are just on our way home from a great tour of Egypt and Jordan NOT on bikes! Go back to Munich in mid July to pick up the bikes and continue on
Tricia
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5 years ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesThe new blog from David Hobbs about his plans for a brief cycle in Savoie has spurred me to re-read your trip. Here we go!
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3 years ago