I want to join in!
Would
you like to join in with an Old Gits trip?
Do you think you would like to
be part of an Old Gits trip? Below are some Questions and Answers that may help you
decide and if you are interested in finding out more about our trips or are thinking about
joining us on the next trip, then please either contact
us or subscribe to our next trip e-mail
list.
Questions
and Answers
Q.
Do I have to be old to be an Old Git?
A. No, you
can be an Old Git at any age but most of the current Old Gits are over 50. The youngest so
far have been in their early 20's
Q.
What will it cost me?
A.
Joining in on an Old Gits trip costs nothing more than your own
travel/accommodation/spending money costs. You will pay for your own ferry/hotel/petrol
costs etc. though you will benefit from any group discounts that can be arranged. As a
rough guide, expect the costs to be around the following:
Ferry/Tunnel
- £80 - £180 return (Dover/Calais) / £850 - £1,200 return (Portsmouth/Spain)
Hotel - £85
- £125 per night (room and breakfast) - Rooms can be singles or twins/doubles but are
single occupancy unless you request different. (Hotels are 3* or better)
Food - Lunch
and evening meal required each day along with coffee/tea etc. Expect £25 to £50 per day
Beer - About
the same as you would expect to spend in the UK.
Petrol -
About the same as the UK, expect to do around 2000 miles for a Dover Calais trip and
around 1200 miles for a northern Spain trip.
All in, we expect a trip to
cost around £1500 - £1900 per person
Q.
When do I have to say yes or no that I am coming.
A. You
will be asked to commit as early as possible and to cover any costs incurred
on your behalf. This means that hotels and ferry bookings will be made for you and that
you are agreeing to pay those bills whether you come on the trip or not. You will be asked
for a deposit before anything is booked on your behalf to cover ferry tickets and some of
your accommodation. Your deposit will be used to pay your bills and your bills only. Any
deposit money left over will be returned to you at the time of the trip.
Q.
Do I need a big engined bike or a touring based bike for the trip?
A. No, you
can use any bike you want but if you want to ride with a group then some of us do expect
to 'cruise' at speeds of up to 90mph and to cover distances of up to 500 miles in a single
day (journey there and journey back) in stints of around 150 to 200 miles at a time.
However, how you ride and what you ride is entirely up to you.
Q.
What organised ride outs/visits are there?
A. None!
That said, groups of like minded Old Gits tend to form to ride together and to visit
various roads, sights or other points of interests together. But, how you ride, where you
ride and who you ride with (or even if you ride) is entirely up to you.
Q.
Will the Old Gits slow me down?
A. Only if
you wait for us! We are not a group who 'race everywhere flat out'. We do make reasonable
progress on the road. We're not the fastest and we're not the slowest. But, how you ride
is entirely up to you!
Q.
Will I have to spend all my time on the trip with the Old Gits?
A. No, you
can do exactly what you want, when you want. We normally discuss plans for each day at
breakfast that day and each of us decide if we do or don't want to join in with others. You
are very welcome to do your own thing.
Q.
What luggage to I need?
A. Very
little! We are only going for just over a week and we stay in hotels so a tank bag and a
decent tail pack or panniers will normally suffice. If you want to bring the complete
'kitchen sink' then that's OK too. One of the advantages of only going to a small number
of pre-booked hotels is it also allows some Old Gits to post luggage ahead, removing the
requirement to carry it on the bike across Europe.
Q.
Why do the Old Gits generally go to a specific location rather than tour around?
A. Generally
the trips are only a little over 1 week long. We find that having to unpack the bike every
evening, to then repack again the next morning, while having an itinerary of so many miles
the next day, regardless of weather, how anyone is feeling or any other considerations,
does not make the most of the limited time. It also means many good roads are being ridden
while carrying a weeks worth of luggage on the bike. We've not yet "run out" of
good roads to ride or sights to see by staying in one or two locations for the whole trip.
