29th May 2011 will be the 35th anniversary of the Boulogne Bicycle Rally & it still remains a great day out for any vintage bicyclist. We follow a leisurely route of approximately 25 miles, which traditionally followed the course of the old Boulogne Grand Prix circuit. Since the inaugural ride, time and the French road system have progressed, so the route has been adjusted to be more scenic and safe, avoiding the new dual carriageways, and taking in more refreshment stops along the way. The spirit of the ride remains with the emphasis on FUN for everyone taking part, whether on an old bicycle or in a vintage car. Part of the joy of this event is that it is not organised, never has been and never should be; it is what you make it.
Many Boulognists now make a weekend of it, staying on to enjoy some of what the region has to offer. There is always a good atmosphere about the old town and most hotels, bars & restaurants are taken over by cyclists on the Saturday & Sunday evenings. Please do try to bring an interesting machine as it adds to the eccentricity of the occasion, although if you can’t get your hands on an old bicycle, The Old Bicycle Co showroom may be able to help. But any pedal powered contraption will do, the more the merrier and all are welcome.
Getting there:
LD LINES now offers a new ferry service from Dover – Boulogne direct. Check out their website for the latest prices. Boulogne is also only a 20 mile drive (or ride for the really keen) from Calais. Various ferry companies will take you there.
The advantage of taking your car is that you can stay on & travel the region, then fill your car up with French beverages afterwards.
Accommodation:
We cannot organise any special rates for accommodation so please book direct. Try this WEBSITE for booking a Hotel. Or the Boulogne-Sur-Mer tourist information website is in English and is very useful. It lists Hotels/ camp sites/ youth hostels, good places to eat etc. It also has a map of the town, use the menu bar on the left. Click “The Town” & then the map. Various areas can be enlarged to be printed off. The Start:
In the last few years, we have had a very successful starting point at the Chateau-Musee, this once again will be the starting point. This is the only part we try to organise, but it remains informal. It is quite a spectacle to see all the bicycles & riders collected together, and provides a great social opportunity before the off.
The Chateau-Musee is in the old walled part of the town with Boulogne on the north east side. We recommend meeting there at or before 10am for a 10.30am start.
Lunch:
This is taken on the green at Alincthun village which is about half way round. There is a small bar that can supply beverages, but we strongly advise that you bring you own Picnic.
The Route:
Traditionally, we used to ride nearly all the old Boulogne circuit, but we now take a scenic route avoiding the modern traffic system as much as possible. This also means that we have plenty of refreshment stops for those in need!
There are a few rather entertaining hills throughout the route, both up & down, so please do be careful.
We leave Boulogne for St Martin, then via La Capelle, Conteville, Belle, Bellebrune to Alincthun and the welcome lunch stop. After Lunch we’re off to Cremerest (ideal spot for swimming in the river for those so inclined!) then on to Wirwignes.
The route back to La Capelle takes us through the Foret de Boulogne and along the interesting selection of made up tracks and roads back and eventually back into Boulogne.
As the ride is stretched out over the day and we wish to encourage people of all abilities, on all sorts of weird and wonderful machines, there is no official finishing point. You will however, find most of the riders in the last bar before the final descent back into the town! This bar is at the famous hairpin bend on the old circuit and has some old photos on the wall as a reminder of the circuit.
As we have mentioned, we prefer vintage bicycles & cars, the more bizarre the better but everyone and all their friends are welcome. Hope you can make it. If you need to contact us, please email us or phone 01279 876193 
