Our assistant editor Nathan Beddows set off last week for a voyage to France with the Proper team. Nathan sent over a little report of how things are going so far!

UK Proper boys, a naff German car and some wet French weather…

Hello there internet users! Here is the lowdown – some of Proper’s UK pro team – Gav Shortall, Max Wood and Mike Miller departed from Portsmouth on Wednesday evening. We caught the ferry over to France with David Lombard and myself in Dave’s Volkswagon Sharon People Carrier…

We nearly missed the ferry because Max took 3 hours to put a chain on!

Max gave his girlfriend a big snog and said bye bye for two weeks.

Since touching down in France it literally hasn’t stopped raining – completely unseasonal we have been assured, and due to be dry by the weekend/next week, but never the less it has been a bit annoying with some of the scheduled spots we were due to stop at being missed off as we make are way to Montpelier, where we plan to ride for a bit until Fise starts at the end of next week. Major Bummer.

To further rub salt in the wound Dave’s car has just broken down so we stopped in a small French hick-town called Briev to try and source a new bearing for the broken wheel…

Desperados!

The crew has been in good spirits though and hasn’t gotten too desperate yet! We went out last night to sample the culture and the sweet local amber nectar. I never knew this but most English lager is pasteurized to make it last longer on the shelf but over here in some bars you can get fresh lager that is not pasturized and it mostly starts at the 8% mark and keeps on going up and up! But without tasting awful like Kestrel or Skol Super or other such similar strong English lagers… Oui oui!

This might look like a shop but…

…It’s a bar! Cowabunga! (David Lombard and Gav Shortall).

Max Wood is a true English yob and after eating a Kebab and trying (and failing) to find the discoteque he though it would be a good idea to climb up stuff in the streets of Briev and other such debauchery. And that was just on a school night! Good lad… somehow though he managed to spend 50 euros in just one day! The ol’ funny euro money eh?

You can take the boy out of Horsham…

It’s Miller time! Mike taking a quick nap at the bar.

I think we are getting a hire car whilst Dave’s gets repaired and hopefully, fingers crossed, go and get some riding done! Proper boys aren’t the type to whinge though and I’m sure as soon as the sun comes out the shredding will begin. Over and out for now…

– Beddows x

It wouldn’t be a Euro trip without some crazy food. So far I’m hooked on eating granny’s…

Max Wood is Bricktop!

LINKS: Proper Bike Co