Fat Man, Tiny Bike…..“Col de la Bonnette or BUST” !!

*Please watch to find out my latest plans sur le continent !*

Imagine how I felt when I discovered that what was a good weather window, turned into thunder and lightening on my days in the Alps ⛈️⚡️🤬 Memories of Ireland 😅

So L’m off on my travels again, this time to The French Alps continuing the “Fat Man, Tiny Bike” theme although maybe I should rename it “The NOT quite so Fat Man, NOT quite so Tiny Bike” because this time I’m on the XSR125. If anyone sees me over there, feel free to say hi !

For those interested in routes, I’m taking the motorway to the channel tunnel and I will stick to the free bit of autoroute between Calais and Saint Omer before hitting the “D” roads across northern France! First night – Sedan – and then through the Voges to Besancon for my second night. Skirting Lake Geneva; third night just south of the lake then through the mountains to Briancon. The next day is the biggie, through the Col du Bonette – not far off 9000ft ending the day in Castellane and then it’s the Gorges du Verdon (“the French Grand Canyon”), across Provence and The Luberon after which I will spend a couple of nights with my friend Jean-Denis to regain strength for the journey back through the Gorges du Tarn and mid-western France.

I do have a few concerns…..my arse being one, my safety of course but, moreso, the fact that the XSR is eminently “nickable” so I am taking steps to minimise having to hitch-hike home by making sure I use the easily bustable steering lock as well as an Oxford alarmed disk lock and a MoniMoto tracker!

Eventually I’ll put some videos on YouTube but in the meantime I’ll post the occasional update on Facebook!

@RobLittleuk

anyway uh that’s the plan it’s going to be in June sometime i’m going to be looking out for the weather um fairly flexible on dates so uh there’s no need for me to do it in the pouring rain if it looks like it’s going to be pouring with rain but uh it’ll be a question of what’s this space um I’m sure it’ll be good little bike should be good for if I have to 350 m a day um the first day I’ll be doing more than that probably um I’m a little bit uh full of trepidation to some degree but I’m sure it’ll all be okay [Music] [Laughter] [Music] so as Bev has disappeared up the mountain um and I’ve got a few minutes to myself I thought this would be a good time to mention my next silly escapade fat man tiny bike although touch word the YB is running flawlessly to be honest uh time doesn’t permit me to do what I’ve got in mind on the YB but determined to continue the tiny bike theme i’m going to be on the XSR125 planning basically to ride across France to the Alps so I’m going to leave leave home very early one morning ride to the Channel Tunnel drive across France to uh and then then south of Lake Geneva to Thon Lesbain and then drive over the Rupes Alps um pronunciation is all all wrong of course down through Brienne down to uh the gorge de Verdonor taking in the cold dilab bonnet which is the highest uh one of the highest roads you can ride through the Alps okay okay i’m I’m always getting myself into trouble i thought that was a good spot to uh do my little speech but clearly the wind got the better of me once again so I’ll carry on from the safety of my car i’m going to end up down near the gorge de Verdon i’ll then skirt west across Provence and hopefully stay a couple of nights with some friends near neem and then I shall poodle back up through the French countryside on D roads if I can and um cross either from Sherburgg car or back to the tunnel i’m not sure which so this will be sometime in mid to late June and um watch this space more information later [Music] [Music] oh I love to go a wondering along the mountain track and as I go I love to sing my last sack on my [Music] backy on my back