How we cycled from Canterbury to Amsterdam in 24 hours
For our second epic 24 hour cycling adventure, the crew from our 2016 Paris trip was joined by new recruit David on a trip to Amsterdam. Thanks to Neil, Jen B, Jen T, Jamie, Dave S and David A for being a great team of cycling buddies. This time around we were superbly supported by Angus from La Vie en Velo.
The challenge: to get from Canterbury to Amsterdam by bike in under 24 hours.
Leaving Canterbury at 6.30pm on Friday, 2nd June 2017, we made it to Amsterdam within 23 hours for dinner and beers.
211 miles
3,953 ft climbed
13h 22m riding time
The basics
We rode from Canterbury to Amsterdam via Dover, Dunkirk, Bruges, Breskens, Vlissingen and Delft.
Our stats
We rode from Canterbury to Amsterdam via Dover, Dunkirk, Bruges, Breskens, Vlissingen and Delft.
Our route included rural northern France and Belgium, some idyllic woodland cycleways, canals, dikes and waterways.
We also had three ferry crossings, including a couple hours of sleep as we crossed the English Channel.
Our routes in detail
Our back-up team – La Vie en Velo
We knew that to do this challenge at speed we needed to travel light so we worked with Angus at La Vie en Velo to provide on-the-road support and return journey transport.
Angus met us in Canterbury to load up our food supplies, spare gear, tools and overnight equipment. We then did the ferry crossings in the minibus and he met us at pre-arranged stops en-route through the night and day.
It was great to be able to meet him every 20-30 miles, get some fresh food and clean gear from the minibus and refill with water. This saved us plenty of time finding food and water and gave us more time to ride.
If you’re thinking of a similar challenge or a European cycling trip, give Angus a call on +44 (0) 7984 065329 or email angus@lavieenvelo.com.
