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A salutary tale: My original plan in the summer of 2002 was to attempt the End-to-End using Youth Hostels. I had had two new wheels built and fitted by Barretto’s Bikes in Plymouth, had paid them for a full bike service as well as getting the indexing on my bike adjusted, I had made all the train reservations – not thinking for a minute that hostels would be full in early July. To my dismay there was no YHA accommodation available between Landsend and Lancashire. This was the time that schools choose to take pupils on trips. What about B&B? Well, a few inquiries revealed that some B&Bs were charging well over £50 per person per night. Who earns that sort of money? Of course, most B&Bs are not listed and are probably cheaper, but I did not fancy leaving things to chance after a long day’s ride. So, if you’re thinking of doing the End-to-End, be warned! Plan and book well in advance. For YH accommodation it is best to go through central reservations in London (0870 241 2314 ) and perhaps even to book before Christmas. It amazes me actually that there is no regulation of prices in Britain and that B&Bs and hotels can charge inflated prices. The situation in France is much more favourable, with a far wider range of hostel accommodation – not just your bog standard YHA but many privately run gîtes d’étape, offering very good service at reasonable prices. The Formule Un hotels are also excellent value with clean modern rooms for up to 5 people all charged at the basic price of the room. The last time I stayed in one of these I paid about £14, just above what I would pay in a YHA in this country. Imagine the savings for a group. It’s also worth knowing that if you’re stuck for accommodation in France, the Office de Tourisme will help you out by telephoning around to find the sort of accommodation you are looking for. They offer a really good service.Anyway, having given up on the End-to-End, I phoned the CTC and Mark Waters suggested that I might be able to join in the 64th Semaine Fédérale (SF) in Quimper instead. The SF is organised by the Fédération Française de Cyclotourisme (FFCT) on the same lines as the Birthday Rides here. The notable difference is the size of the event. This year there were 15,000 (fifteen thousand) participants and this figure rose to 17,000 by midweek, so I was told. 3000 people turned up on the line, so to speak, asking to be admitted at the last minute, thus causing much confusion and chaos at registration. Each day three or four routes were on offer, the shortest being about 40 – 50 miles and the longest between 120 and 200 kms. Each participant was given a pack on arrival and the routes consisted of a map, list of towns passed through. None of the complicated instructions of the Audax UK type, which look more like instructions for a knitting pattern. Drop one, pearl two. Each day the route was marked by a different coloured paper arrow stuck on the road with turnoff points for the different distance routes being clearly marked. Breakfast and evening meals could be taken at the permanence, the base from which all events started, but they had to be booked in advance and entrance was by ticket. Along the routes there were villes-accueil (host towns), which provided a range of food, drinks and services in exchange for tokens. Food was passable but suffered, obviously, from all the disadvantages of mass catering and hardly gave an accurate impression of how excellent French cooking can be. Every evening there was a programme of events. However, it was not as varied as the programme I attended at the Birthday Rides in Leicester a few years ago. There was nonetheless a wide range of exhibition stalls covering repairs, cycle components/equipment and cycling organisations/tours.My general impression, having taken part in the event, was that it was extremely well organized and very worth while. As a matter of interest the event was held last year in Crest, a town of some 8,000 inhabitants, and was attended by 14,000 participants. Next year the SF will be held in Aurillac in the Massif Central, an area of extinct volcanoes. This promises to be a very picturesque venue. Entry forms should be available directly from the FFCT from December onwards, but I believe that the CTC also advertises the event early in the New Year.

Fri 2 Aug

Left home 6.45 am. Arrived docks just after 7.15 am. Met up with Barbara & Keith Wright from Portishead and Chris Hoyle form Bolton, also on their way to the SF2002. Keith and Barbara were on the second leg of a tour which would eventually take them along the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostella before their return from Santander on 1 Sept. Keith, who likes riding a 20/48 fixed wheel, had a buggy in tow replete with two folding chairs. Chris Hoyle was 1993 winner of the Audax Altitude Award, PBP veteran and super-randoneur. After a three-hour ride we arrived separately at the “Camping des Bruyères” just outside Le Cloître St-Thégonnec about 35 miles from Roscof . The site was run by Judi Peate, who told me that for the last 12 years she had spent summers on the camp site and winters in Penzance. The last three summers, she said, were the coldest she could remember.

Sat 3 Aug

I packed up my Outdoor 4000MX tent, which I had recently bought for £60 in the Outdoor Shop sale in Plymouth, and set off. The tent weighed in at just about 4

lbs and came to 6 lbs rolled up in the inflatable therma-mattress I also carried. After a quick coffee in the café in Le Cloître St-Thégonnec, I set off at about 10.30 am, making my way to Quimper via Huelgoat and Pleyben. My Thorn Brevet handled extremely smoothly under all the weight, but the chain was rubbing at the front and making a noise in all the gears it should have been running smoothly in. Blast! The original plan was to fellow the D785 from Pleyben straight through to Quimper, but somehow (I’m sure I saw a signpost saying Quimper) I managed to get on to the D41 going East towards Laz. Once I noticed my mistake I cut down south via Ty Fléihan into Edern and from there to Briec and the D785 to Quimper at about 5.30 pm. That’s where the fun really began.

The descent to the roundabout on the outskirts of Quimper was a welcome relief from the 60 miles of slogging from Le Cloître. But there were no signs of the accueil, where we were due to register before going to the permanence, where the meals, exhibition stands, campsites … etc were to be found. I saw a steady stream of cyclists coming back from somewhere and after a number of inquiries I decided to follow the direction they came from. Still no signs! By luck rather than good management I finally arrived at the accueil which was about 5 or 6 miles from the permanence on the other side of town. There were crowds of people scrambling for documentation, but the distribution of documents was well organized. In a matter of minutes I had my bits and pieces which included a plastic tag for my bike and a medallion which participants had to wear to gain entrance to the permanence. So far, so good! Now back through the town and all the traffic, up the hill and find the campsite. Site J, I was told, and route T – and that was just me. Total confusion. Angry cyclists everywhere, totally bewildered. But again, luck rather than good management got me to the permanence and the campsite was just a few hundred yards down the road. It was here that I first met members of the Reading CTC and together we made out way to the far end of the site where there were as yet very few tents and set about pitching our tents. Oof – what a day!

Just before 8.00 PM before I was reasonably sorted and ready to explore the permanence. There were display and repair stands for Shimano, Mavic and Canondale as well as others. I was just in time to get the Canondale bloke to check my indexing. The chain was worn, so he said. Couldn’t set it up satisfactorily like that. But he did his best and the result was not bad. Went round the corner and “Eureka!” got another chap (Vélo-Sprint – Pierre Riou from Brest) to replace free wheel and chain for a total of 52.05 Euros . Took him about 10 minutes with this magic ratchet-like tool with a sort of long screw-driver attachment on it. Never seen one of those. But it did the trick with the greatest of ease. Science is a wonderful thing. Hoped all my troubles would now be over. Some hope!

Sun 4 Aug

Up bright and early. Chain still rasping at the front. Up to Shimano bloke. He must know. Couple of turns of the screw driver and a flick of the pedal. Hey presto! How do they do it? And it didn’t cost a penny – not to mention a Euro. So off to the “Tour Des Trois Cols”. Bit ambitious for someone of my constitution – however! There was a steady stream of cyclists whizzing down the road past the permanence from early on till late morning. That was the easy bit. Quimper is situated almost at sea-level on the river Odet and entails steep and long climbs out of the town before a succession of long and gentle ascents and descents. From Pentrez the road climbed steeply for about 4 miles to the Col du Ménez Hom. The grinding on the front was really getting on my nerves by now, so with the aid of another cyclist’s screw driver I took matters into my own hands. Big mistake. Fortunately any plans of doing the longer ride had to be abandoned because the chain after my efforts was immovably situated on the small front ring. Then the cable broke. Bliss! So I limped back to Quimper in bottom gear along the shortest route. The organizers took us up the most horrendous hill just outside Châteaulin. Thank goodness I wasn’t jammed up in top gear. Pierre Riou (Vélo-Sprint) looked at my bike on my return with the look of a doctor diagnosing a seriously ill patient. It would be an overnight job. There! I knew there was something seriously wrong. Barrettos eat your shorts.

At 6.oo pm the official opening of the SF2002 began. Speakers included Dominique Lamouller, president of the FFCT, Josselin de Rohan, President of the Brittany Regional Council, Alain Gérard, mayor of Quimper, Pierre Maille, president of the General Council of Finistère and Emile Guiffan, who headed the team of SF officials. Frequent mention was made of the 2000 (two thousand) volunteers who had given up their time and energy in the preceding fours years of preparation. Good news – probably fine weather till the end of the week.

Mon 5 Aug

I picked the bike up just before 10 am. Another 9 Euros. Cable and labour. There’s nothing like chucking money at a bike to get it working. Surely it would work now? No – my trip around the “Pays Bigouden” was accompanied by the soothing rasp of the chain on the front changer. Why don’t they pick these things up? I did say. Oh, well …

It was finally the Reading crew (Mike Simmings and Clive Gordon) who finally spotted that the front changer was so close to the large chain wheel that there was almost no clearance at all. Something which had been missed by Barretto in Plymouth, the Canondale chap all then way from Switzerland, Shimano from God knows where and Vélo-Sport in Brest. With enormous patience and perseverance Clive coaxed me through repositioning the changer without scratching the down tube so that there was now the necessary 1/4 inch clearance between it and the large chain wheel. By trial and error we got it to change more or less satisfactorily through all the gears. Just a little stiffness in changing which would be irritating on a long ride, I thought.

Tue 6 Aug

“Le Cap Sizun et La Paint du Paz”. Yes, but first get the front changer sorted. Dare I go back to Vélo-Sport?

Needs must. In spite of Pierre Riou’s weary and dour expression I wheeled the bike in. Explained to the best of my ability what I had done and what the problem was. It took him no time at all to ensure that that the chain passed perfectly over the middle wheel in all gears. Only some friction in naughty gears on the large and small wheels. There was no charge and off I went to Pont Croix, Audierne and Douarnenez. In spite of the – to my view – anomalous combination of a Shimano SRX triple and Shimano Sora changer, I was assured that they were compatible. No need to change either of them. This really was the end of the saga of the front changer and at last I could begin to enjoy the cycling.It was a scorching hot day. The best we had weather-wise and quite uneventful apart from the bee which managed to fly down my top on a rapid descent and sting me in return for the inconvenience of getting caught up in my top. I’m not keen on killing things – including slugs and cabbage white larvae – but this was, alas, an exception. It was me or the bee. There was an accueil in Pont-Croix. The town doesn’t quite match up to Locronan. It does have a magnificent 13th Church with 17th C stained glass windows and more recent ones (1977) by Gruber, who was also responsible for some of the glass work in Quimper cathedral. I called in at the tourist office and asked them to arrange for me to stay at the Hôtel d’Angleterre in Roscof on Sunday evening. Tourist Offices offers this sort of excellent service free of charge. On to Douarnenez, which was a spectacular port with gleaming sandy bays, dazzling white sails on ranks of boats in the bay. Towards late afternoon I started the ascent east out of the town, which went on for about 10 miles. I think most of the Semaine Fédérale must have passed me on that hill. Not too discouraged, gently but relentlessly to Plogonnec and then St Albin where the descent began. I got back to Quimper at about 6.00 PM after a very satisfactory day’s riding.

Wed 7 Aug

“La Presqu’île de Crozon”. This was intended to be a car-assisted route or a 200km jaunt from Quimper round the peninsula and back again via Châteaulin. Obviously some modification was necessary since I was without car and the route I took went along the D63 through Plogonnec (now you see it, now you don’t), Locronan (ancient cobblestone townlet, a real must), Plonevez-Porzy (dull) , Sainte Anne la Palud (interesting church with yearly pardon in July) to Pentrez (dull seaside town). Salade Océanne here and tea. Back up Sunday’s long hill via St Nic to the D887 by the Ménez Hom and, ignoring the ascent to the Ménez-Hom and the suggested route to Châteaulin. Visit to Le Clerc supermarket where I replaced my tube of washing liquid. Over the river by the cycle track and to the main bridge in the town, where I found a pâtisserie. Here I enjoyed two cakes, a coffee and a glass of water. By a circuitous route I was led to the accueil, which I did not visit, and back on to the D770 and a fairly easy ride to Quimper, arriving just in time to rescue my washing, which was pegged hopefully to the wire enclosure surrounding one of the caravan sites, from the worsening weather.

Thu 8 Aug

I was pretty nackered by now and rather than do the picnic which had been planned I spent the day in Quimper. The weather had definitely taken a turn for the worse. It was icy cold for the time of year with a stiff breeze. Bought two books in the Librairie de l’Ecole and then, having parked my bike outsiden a shop, I worked my way through the street market to the other end of town. By this time I was getting worried about my bike, so went back to retrieve it. Continued with bike to ar Bed Keltiek, a shop containing a vast range of books and music about the Celtic languages and culture. Two books acquired here: “Quelle école pour la Bretagne”, transcripts of a series of talks given in Landernau in 1985 as part of a colloquium on biligualism, biculturalism and education in minority cultures of Europe. Heavy stuff, but I was particualrly interested in the Ecoles Diwan, which were set up in Brittany some 20 years ago to provide primary education through the medium of Breton and to extend the use of Breton. All of this was motivated by my growing conviction as a teacher of foreign languages that the only satisfactory way to teach a second language is through the target language iteself from a very young age up to the age of six. Histore de la Language Breton gave interesting insights into the historical background of Breton, the grammar and syntax of the language and number of speakers. A cencus in 1997 showed, for example, that 240,000 people (i.e. 1 in 5) speak Breton in Basse-Bretagne (the area west of a line joining Vannes in the south with St-Quay-Portieux in the north) and 370,000 are able to understand it. This compares with 508,000 Welsh speakers in 1991 – half the number of Welsh speakers in 1911. Having looked at dictionaries of Welsh and Erse and books on Celtic calligraphy, I made my way to a wall behind a bus shelter by the main road where I had lunch. Talk about going from the sublime to the rediculous. On previous trips to France snacking at lunchtime had been a problem, mainly because of the size of the bread. What I found was that packs of 12 crêpes, which were much more compact, could be bought cheaply in supermarkets and that ham, cheese, tomatoes … etc rolled in a pancake made a very good sandwich. Together with some fruit it made a healthy and satisfying meal. The pancakes keep for weeks and the ham, if it is dried and cured, will keep for days without going off. At least, I’m still here. The street market had actually taken over the whole of the centre of town, so it was not possible to appreciate Quimper properly as a town. However, the variety of merchandise on show was vast, including very colourful lama wool cardigans made in Ecuador. They were going at 30 Euros each. I wondered about the economics of it. I suppose they cost little to make in Ecuador – even so, transportation, flight costs etc. I spent ages in La Maison de la Presse. I looked to see what books had won prizes, but found nothing that was interesting or light enough to buy. I was mainly interested in the magazines. There seems to be a much wider selection than in England, especially the more esoteric stuff. I bought copies of Nexus (article about multinationals controlling food and population growth), Science & Vie (special issue on origins of writing), 3millénaire claiming to be a magazine of humanism, science, art, philosophy of human progress, and carrying the inviting title “Vers la convergence Des religions … Quelle source commune?”. At the end of the afternoon the weather had deteriorated even further and I made my way back to the campsite in the hope of rescuing more washing from the wire enclosure before the deluge. Just in time. It bucketed down for the next 12 hours, turning the caravan site into a quagmire interspersed with pools of water. I listened to the rain pelting on the flysheet and wondered if the tent would hold. I was delighted with the performance of my Outdoor 4000MX, which didn’t let in a drop and held out against the blustery gusts of wind beating against the sides. The design is quite practical, too, with opening flaps on both sides of the inner which make access to articles stored under the fly very easy. The triangular design makes the usually irritating process of dressing quite tolerable.

Fri 9 Aug

The campsite was a dismal sight. The air was cold and

there was a stiff breeze. Plenty of rain about by the looksof it. To stay or not to stay? That was the question. Whether it would be better to sacrifice the money I had paid up until Sunday or by upping tent end the monotony of riding inpoor weather. At breakfast I heard that the outlook for the next few days was not good. Apparently, according to one person I spoke to, the usual anticyclone over the Azores had not, as in previous years, moved sufficiently far north this year to deflect the low pressure areas. The weather, as a consequence, was bad throughout Europe, not just here. Could this have anything to do with 25% of the ice caps having melted? Surely the volume of cold water in the Atlantic must be having some effect on wind movements? Not according to the Met Office, which says on its web site that there is nothing “significant” in recent weather statistics. I’m not so sure. As if moved by some force majeure I began packing up my tent and other belongings soon after breakfast. By midday, having said long good-byes to the Reading group and Mark Waters, whom I had spoken to some weeks previously on the telephone about the SF2002, impromptu conversation with a fellow cycle-camper from Ashford and others along the way to the exit, I was ready to leave. Wearing a pullover and my Gill rain jacket over my cycling top because of the cold and rainy weather, I started out on the haul to Roscof. Back up the D785 to Briec, Pleyben (lunch at 2.20 PM), Brassparts. Then a long climb to Roc Trévezel (4.00 PM) at the top of the Monts d’Arrée.

By this time the weather had brightened, but there was a fierce side-wind, which at times blew me on to the side of the road and made me nervous when the occasional articulated lorry thundered past. I hoped that the descent to Plouénour-Ménez would bring some shelter from the wind but when I turned west in Plouénour-Ménez towards Guimiliau I was facing the wind head on. I stopped in Guimiliau (5.30 PM) to take a picture of the calvaire, which is one of the more spectacular ones in Brittany. In the church there was a weekly organ recital. I could not stay long, but the reeds on the organ were superb. I phoned the Hôtel d’Angleterre to ask whether I could change my reservation. No luck. I was warned that Fridays were particularly busy. I mightn’t get in anywhere. Thence to St.-Thégonnec (6.30 PM), where I stocked up on pancakes, apples, tomatoes, Emmental and cured ham. They only had lait Ribot (fermented milk rather like yogurt – a local specialty) in half-litre bottles. Gorgeous stuff. I retraced along the D712 for a short while and then picked up the D31 on my right to Penzé. However, after going under the express way bridge, I turned left (unsignposted) away from Penzé and picked up the D75 which took me through Croaz an Born, Plouénan, St Pol de Léon and finally to Roscof (8.30 PM). A total of 67 miles. The going from St.-Thégonnec was particularly hard. Although this is a much quieter and flatter approach to Roscof, the headwind was very strong on the high, exposed lanes flanked with maize and cabbage fields. Roscof was a welcome sight.

At an additional cost of £7 I was able to change my ticket and catch the 8.30 am boat the following day. At the Office de Tourisme at the port I inquired about accommodation. Sure enough, the first few hotels the young lady rang were full. But finally I managed to get a room with en suite shower and loo for 31 Euros at the Hôtel Des Alizés. I had no intention of camping that evening, not fancying getting up at 5 in the morning and packing up the tent …etc in possible wind and rain.

Sat 10 Aug

At 6.25 am the alarm rang. By 7.15 am I was ready and packed. The boat left shortly after 8.30 am, arriving in Plymouth at 1.15 pm. It was about 2.35 PM when I arrived home, having completed a total of 531 miles since leaving Plymouth the previous Friday. The weather in Plymouth was, if anything, slightly warmer than in Quimper.

Sun 11 Aug

This was the day of the grand finale of the SF2002. Under the flag of each nation a solemn procession of some four miles would end the SF2002 followed by celebratory meal. Well, I missed it. But looking out of the window now, looking at the grey sky and drizzle, I haven’t the slightest regret in leaving the madding crowds of cyclists behind me and avoiding a late trek back in the rain to Roscof after the final meal.

Cycling Gear:

4000MX tent
Sleeping bag
Inflatable mattress
Foam mat (good at entrance to tent and for sitting on)
Pillow case (to keep clothes used as pillow together)
Torch
Light-weight (Life Adventure) towel
Washing gear (Soap works well instead of shampoo)
2 changes of clothes + 1 to wear
pullover
pyjamas
two handkerchiefs
Cycling jacket
Gill waterproof
Tools and inner tube
Medical kit
Passport
Diary & pen
Maps (Compass can be useful on some trips)
Clothes detergent, pegs, string
Loo paper