Peterborough to Barcelona in one go

[MCN_LiamM]

That's almost 1000 miles.

We''ll have a couple of rest stops but other than that all we'll get we'll be our time on the ferry from Dover. Then 12 hours through France at night.

And all this just to watch a football match in a pub. It's gunna be fun.

[Professor]

Many years ago, when I was much younger, I drove my car from
Brighton to Toulouse in one go. That was tiring. And Barcelona is
further.

On a bike it would be even more tiring. Not sure what bike you've got,
but if it's an SV your ass will be really sore. Why don't you get
yourself an Easyjet ticket or such?

[MCN_LiamM]

That would be too easy.

Ye... my 33bhp SV

[fizzwheel]

Most I've done in one day was 400 odd miles back from Scotland to Yeovil.

I was dead tired by the end of it and my concentration was shot to pieces. I was glad I didnt have to ride further. I think your mental for considering it, but it'll be a trip to remember thats for sure...

[ThEGr33k]

Most ive done is 680 miles in a day. I think you are a little mad, though if you have some decent rests then you should be ok.

As to reason, watching football. Thats just a poor excuse no matter what. :rolleyes:

[rictus01]

Done roughly the same trip before, London to Terrasa (or something like that), anyway, just north of Barcelona, about 900 and something miles, loo breaks, fag breaks and the odd brew, needed to keep a fair pace, but doable in about 23 hours.

Cheers Mark.

[Professor]

If you succeed, MCN_LiamM, you will be eligible to join the Iron Butt club

http://www.ironbuttuk.org/

But you will have to keep all your receipts for verification purposes.

[MCN_LiamM]

Yea I know it's gunna be a bit difficult

Red Bull, Monster and ridiculously strong French coffee for the win

[yorkie_chris]

It will be an experience, but it is possible.

[ThEGr33k]

Just thought about it a little. You'll be fine as long as you are doing mostly straight riding (not many corners) as it makes it quicker and its a lot less tiring. I guess you will be on main roads for the most part so you should be fine Ill bet.

Have fun!!! :smt023

[MCN_LiamM]

Done roughly the same trip before, London to Terrasa (or something like that), anyway, just north of Barcelona, about 900 and something miles, loo breaks, fag breaks and the odd brew, needed to keep a fair pace, but doable in about 23 hours.

Cheers Mark.

23?!

We aim to do it in 12 or 13.

[rictus01]

23?!

We aim to do it in 12 or 13.

Hmmmm well possible, but that's at an "average" speed of about 75mph (900/ 12hr), where as I aim for about 50 or so, but hey fill your boots.

Cheers Mark.

[MCN_LiamM]

Well the estimated time is 12 hours 23 mins. So give or take an hour I think we should do it.

[rictus01]

Well the estimated time is 12 hours 23 mins. So give or take an hour I think we should do it.

and that obviously includes the toll roads, boader crossing, and such, I think you'll find an lot of things aren't as straight forward as you may think, "Average" is really easy to say, not as easy to do, One police stop can seriously screw the whole thing up, but then you wouldn't be speeding anyway............;).

As said it's possible, adviseable or enjoyable is a matter of perspective I suppose.

Cheers Mark.

[yorkie_chris]

You won't get near that time, there's loads of stops needed.

[Thingus]

Iron butt indeed. Good luck with that, but i'd give myself a week ^.^

[yorkie_chris]

I'd allow 20 if really trying to shift.

[Swin]

I think a double layer of pampers around the bum region will be essential, otherwise you'll arrive at the footy and not be able to sit down for "monkey butt syndrome" !!

[jumjum_0214]

I think good luck to ya mate, I would love to do something like this one day.:-)

Go for it.... ;-)

[Lozzo]

St Tropez to Bedford in one hit, two-up with full camping kit on a Honda VF400F in 1988. It took 16 hours of hard riding plus the ferry trip. I was filling the bike up every 110 miles and couldn't turn the engine off or it wouldn't start again because of fuel evaporation in the carbs. I fell into bed when I got home and didn't surface for 18 hours.

[Baph]

Liam, you're clearly insane!

As rictus has basically said, to cover 1000 miles in 12-13 hours, you're looking at roughly 85mph average speed!

That sounds do-able doesn't it? Right?

Don't forget, on the SV, you'll be stopping for fuel ever approx 100-120 miles. That's between 8-10 fuel stops, where the bike will be doing 0mph for a good 5-10mins each time. That's a minimum of 40mins stopped. Your average speed has now been pushed to just below 90mph.

How are you getting over there? How many ferries travel at 90mph (as the average is regardless of transport you're moving in)? How long will it take you to get through check-in/customs? Even if you're getting the EuroStar, the train can do 186mph in the tunnel, but you still get slowed down at customs etc.

I haven't even got to the fact that your average speed is in excess of the UK speeding limit. Get caught, and forgetting fines/points, you're loosing time.

You're doing it on a 33bhp bike, which will die at about 110mph. It's going to be very hard to make time back up.

20hours, and your average speed becomes 50mph. 24hours and your average speed is 40mph ish.

If you make it there alive due to tiredness, be sure to give us a decent account of it. :)

[dizzyblonde]

managed around 600 across France in one go. But only as on the way there I had my best friend at the end of it, and on the way back, a B and B. Its knackering.....especially in the pouring rain as we found on the way back. It shows how big ya balls are kid :-)

[Spikenipple]

Last Thursday I rode 410 miles from Nurnberg to Amsterdam in 6 hours. Although I was averaging at 170km/h (107ish mph) on the Autobahn...

[MCN_LiamM]

It's 12 hours once we set off from Calais. Sorry I should have pointed that out.

Still going to be difficult though.

[rictus01]

It's 12 hours once we set off from Calais. Sorry I should have pointed that out.

Still going to be difficult though.

that's about 820 miles fastest route, still 78 mph average, be interesting to know what your actual time is.

Cheers Mark.

[Stu]

I'm thinking of John O'Groats to Lands End in a day which is 840 miles which we would probably extend to 1000 to get the Iron Butt thing.
But I'll nly do it if I get a serious amount of sponsorship. Not to watch a football match. In a pub :roll:
I think it's doable but would seriously doubt it being enjoable. Certainly not as enjoyable as a flight, which would also be way cheaper.

[Lozzo]

The current (unofficial and entirely fictitious, officer) record for John O'Groats to Lands End is held by a mate of mine, Neal Champion. He reported that even riding like a complete loony for most of the trip on his GPZ750 Turbo, he could only average 78.7mph.

There's a write up here:

http://www.champ.org.uk/bikes/endtoend.htm

Other have tried to beat it, but even with better motorways and better bikes, it's never been done faster.

I think you'll be hard pushed to manage a 50mph average, so time the trip accordingly

[Stu]

I think that would make the trip much more interesting than someone else's suggestion of starting out from Lands End the day before (a return trip ;))

[busasean]

last year i did john o groats to lands end for charity in a day - the problem was i had to then go from lands end to nottingham straight after for the motogp as we had hospitallity at about £400 per person. I ended up covering 1204 miles in 20 hrs. try and get the bulk of the mileage out of the way before any proper stops - do 150 miles, stop fuel up & 5 mins max for bog/coffee/cig then do the same for the next 450 miles before a decent break. dont hang around, make it max of 5 mins, it does make a difference of just how tired you get towards the end of the journey.