Prologue: This was my first cycling trip in continental Europe since 1983, and the first time I had made use of the European Bike Express (see photo). The bikes are carried in a trailer, and before loading, the handlebars have to be loosened and turned 90deg to the left, so the space is used efficiently. With just over a week to go, I had a go at turning my bars, and found they wouldn't budge! So I soaked the area with WD40 and still no movement. Then I hit on the idea of applying massive leverage, so I put a broom handle through the handlebar drops, and a piece of timber between the front forks (wheel removed!) and pulled. This did the trick, and by repeatedly pulling one way then the other I managed to get the bars to move relatively freely. However when I tried to put the wheel back in, I found the forks had moved apart by about 50mm! Not sure whether it was safe to just squeeze them back in, I took the bike to my local bike shop. They thought it would probably be ok but as they were not frame builders they suggested I go to Woodrups, one of the oldest and best bike shop in Leeds, to see what they thought. I did this, and while Woodrups agreed that steel forks could safely take a bit of bending, they suggested I leave it with them so they could check it out. The check revealed that there was a crack at the top of the forks, not caused by my brutal actions, but older (because there was corrosion evident). So I accepted their advice that these forks weren't safe for a big trip, and paid for new ones. As there was now less than a week to go I was lucky that Woodrups agreed to fit the new forks in time. However there wasn't enough time to paint them British Racing Green like the rest of the frame, so I headed off with black forks, and got the paint job done on my return.

Overall Route: Leeds to Perpignan by European Bike Express (coach), then to friend's house in Catllar, then West and over the Pyrenees via Andorra, Lleida, Ejea de los Caballeros, Pamplona, (side trip by bus to Bilbao), San Sebastian, Biarritz, Dax, Pau, Lourdes, Tarbes, Toulouse, Cailhau, Limoux, Col de Jau, Catllar, Perpignan and EBE coach back to Leeds.

Statistics: See photo in album 'Pyrenees cycle trip 2012'.

Sat 8 Sept: I had to be at the pick-up point in Colton, East Leeds, at 0545, to allow time to loosen and turn the handlebars in advance of the coach's expected arrival at 0615. This meant leaving the house at 0515, so a very early rise at 0430. It felt quite strange riding through Leeds so early (sunrise not till 0630), and I spotted more than one fox on the way down a deserted Gledhow Valley Road. Once the bike was loaded and secured in the custom-built trailer, I got on board along with the three others joining at Leeds. My seat (No 7) was upstairs, and was opposite an empty backwards-facing seat, so I had plenty of room to stretch out, and later to sleep. The journey to Dover was straightforward, with two stops at motorway service areas for elevenses and lunch. The crossing to Calais gave us a welcome chance to stretch our legs and get a bit of fresh air. The journey from Calais to Paris always seems to take longer than expected. The coach refuelled on that leg, and by the time we got to Paris it was dark. Driving round the peripherique was fun, but once Paris was left behind it was time to catch some shut-eye. Sleep was however interrupted by the on-board dinner, another motorway refreshment stop, and a few places where passengers disembarked. We eventually got to the Perpignan drop-off point (junction of A9 and D12 North of Perpignan, near Rivesaltes) at about 0930.