Le Mans in a Caterham?
Discussion
As fortune would have it, the Wife and I have been invited to stay with relatives over Le Mans weekend. It's only 40 miles from the circuit so would be rude not to make the pilgrimage!
I'm planning to hire a Caterham to take for the week though, other family will be heading over too so we can dump luggage on them.
Other than: Ear plugs, sun block, a hat and several changes of t-shirt, is there any other advice people would offer to make it as comfortable as possible?
I'm planning to hire a Caterham to take for the week though, other family will be heading over too so we can dump luggage on them.
Other than: Ear plugs, sun block, a hat and several changes of t-shirt, is there any other advice people would offer to make it as comfortable as possible?
A friend and I did it about 6/7 years ago in a 7 and whilst it was hard work it was great fun on the country roads, but the autoroutes were a bit dull. Also, that year the heavens erupted for most of the weekend and we were soaked for the whole weekend.
Whilst it was fun in a weird kind of way, I can imagine a lot of ladies would not have appreciated the experience... Make sure the weather equipment with the car is up to the job as ours wasn't and we ended up having to just drive through the rain with the roof off. I would suggest taking a few black bin liners with you to cover everything up, just in case it does rain.
Personally it made me think that LM in a 7 was a bit too hardcore, but loads of guys do it every year and enjoy it! Having done it in both, I would go for an Elise given the choice.
Whilst it was fun in a weird kind of way, I can imagine a lot of ladies would not have appreciated the experience... Make sure the weather equipment with the car is up to the job as ours wasn't and we ended up having to just drive through the rain with the roof off. I would suggest taking a few black bin liners with you to cover everything up, just in case it does rain.
Personally it made me think that LM in a 7 was a bit too hardcore, but loads of guys do it every year and enjoy it! Having done it in both, I would go for an Elise given the choice.
wezo said:
A friend and I did it about 6/7 years ago in a 7 and whilst it was hard work it was great fun on the country roads, but the autoroutes were a bit dull. Also, that year the heavens erupted for most of the weekend and we were soaked for the whole weekend.
Whilst it was fun in a weird kind of way, I can imagine a lot of ladies would not have appreciated the experience... Make sure the weather equipment with the car is up to the job as ours wasn't and we ended up having to just drive through the rain with the roof off. I would suggest taking a few black bin liners with you to cover everything up, just in case it does rain.
Personally it made me think that LM in a 7 was a bit too hardcore, but loads of guys do it every year and enjoy it! Having done it in both, I would go for an Elise given the choice.
Wifey knows what to expect and is prepared for it. I've hired the car before so know the roof is "watertight" too. Whilst it was fun in a weird kind of way, I can imagine a lot of ladies would not have appreciated the experience... Make sure the weather equipment with the car is up to the job as ours wasn't and we ended up having to just drive through the rain with the roof off. I would suggest taking a few black bin liners with you to cover everything up, just in case it does rain.
Personally it made me think that LM in a 7 was a bit too hardcore, but loads of guys do it every year and enjoy it! Having done it in both, I would go for an Elise given the choice.
Will make a note of the bin liners. Might stick the helmets in too just in case we do end up going topless.
The only saving grace is that we don't have to endure a campsite upon arrival. If it wasn't for that I don't think I'd attempt it.
wezo said:
In that case I would say go for it and try the N138 route (see other thread), which is ideal for a blast in a 7.
We won't be going directly to Le Mans, head off after Rouen as we are staying between Le Mans and Vendome. RemaL said:
taking my tiger for the second time this year. apart from the clothes take a helmet, unless u have a windscreen and roof. I don't have either. waterproofs and Ipod to listen to music on the way down
The car has a screen/doors/roof so I'm hoping to avoid lids if possible. I guess they will help immensely with the wind buffeting though.I took my XI last year, the helmet spent all the time in the footwell as I couldn't wear it for more than 20 minutes without geting blurry vision. My only recomendation is for full wet weather gear if you plan to go topless (I don't have any choice), driving home in the thunderstorm was actually quite fun if you are prepared for it!
Doors are the main thing. It's surprisingly comfortable in a 7 with the doors on. I did 3000 miles in 2 weeks in my Rush and although it has hard work it was definitely fun. It's an adventure! You can cut buffetting even more by having a bag strapped to the roll bar as it stops air from coming in behind you and blowing everything in the cockpit around.
My other tip would be get a map bag so the pages don't fly all over the place. Useful for when you're reading the map on the move and when it's just sitting on a seat.
Edited to add don't bother with helmets. You'll only need them if you don't have a windscreen.
My other tip would be get a map bag so the pages don't fly all over the place. Useful for when you're reading the map on the move and when it's just sitting on a seat.
Edited to add don't bother with helmets. You'll only need them if you don't have a windscreen.
Edited by gingerpaul on Tuesday 2nd March 13:30
gingerpaul said:
Doors are the main thing. It's surprisingly comfortable in a 7 with the doors on. I did 3000 miles in 2 weeks in my Rush and although it has hard work it was definitely fun. It's an adventure! You can cut buffetting even more by having a bag strapped to the roll bar as it stops air from coming in behind you and blowing everything in the cockpit around.
My other tip would be get a map bag so the pages don't fly all over the place. Useful for when you're reading the map on the move and when it's just sitting on a seat.
Edited to add don't bother with helmets. You'll only need them if you don't have a windscreen.
Thanks Paul! I'll make a note of the map bag. We make the journey quite often so will only need maps for getting in and out of Le Mans, definitely a good idea though. My other tip would be get a map bag so the pages don't fly all over the place. Useful for when you're reading the map on the move and when it's just sitting on a seat.
Edited to add don't bother with helmets. You'll only need them if you don't have a windscreen.
Edited by gingerpaul on Tuesday 2nd March 13:30
I took mine last year but did the Portsmouth - Caen ferry crossing so only around 100 miles to LM from the ferry. Enjoyed it hugely but it probably helped that most of our gear was in the motorhome.
I took the roof but did not use it. Waterproofs seemed to keep the water in after the rain had stopped so I just did the usual shorts and t shirt and air-dried pretty quickly.
My brother in law used to own the car and he did LM in 2006 with his wife and all their own camping gear!
BTW if you are planning any autoroute use, I recommend the Sanef gadget.
I took the roof but did not use it. Waterproofs seemed to keep the water in after the rain had stopped so I just did the usual shorts and t shirt and air-dried pretty quickly.
My brother in law used to own the car and he did LM in 2006 with his wife and all their own camping gear!
BTW if you are planning any autoroute use, I recommend the Sanef gadget.
Edited by James P on Tuesday 2nd March 16:45
I took mine last year and I'm taking it again this year.
I had the Caterham doors and roof on. With the car going one way at 70ish and the heavy rain coming the other to meet it, the water came up and over the windscreen, resulting in a waterfall down the inside of our screen, and this was with the roof on!! I could only laugh as it hadn't happened before and there wasn't much we could do about it at the time bar stick a towel over our legs.
The boot is surprising big if you did take things. I took a normal 2 man tent, sleeping bag, roll matt, clothes for 5 days, 2 spare sets of shoes and KFS/ Mess tins/ Mug etc... all in the boot.
Things I'd recommend you took;
Sun glasses due to know sun visor,
I don't use ear plugs, but I did take noise cancelling earphones and an iPod. You can get communication systems that allow talking, listening to music, the use of a phone etc... Google Autocom, Starcom to name a few.
If driving in France these days you need a certain number of safey equipment in the case of breaking down - warning triangle, high vis jacket for each car member etc...
I had the Caterham doors and roof on. With the car going one way at 70ish and the heavy rain coming the other to meet it, the water came up and over the windscreen, resulting in a waterfall down the inside of our screen, and this was with the roof on!! I could only laugh as it hadn't happened before and there wasn't much we could do about it at the time bar stick a towel over our legs.
The boot is surprising big if you did take things. I took a normal 2 man tent, sleeping bag, roll matt, clothes for 5 days, 2 spare sets of shoes and KFS/ Mess tins/ Mug etc... all in the boot.
Things I'd recommend you took;
Sun glasses due to know sun visor,
I don't use ear plugs, but I did take noise cancelling earphones and an iPod. You can get communication systems that allow talking, listening to music, the use of a phone etc... Google Autocom, Starcom to name a few.
If driving in France these days you need a certain number of safey equipment in the case of breaking down - warning triangle, high vis jacket for each car member etc...
James P said:
BTW if you are planning any autoroute use, I recommend the Sanef gadget.
Hi James, can you shed any light on how to source one of these? I'm looking on the Sanef site and struggling! Edited by James P on Tuesday 2nd March 16:45
Gingerbread Man said:
I took mine last year and I'm taking it again this year.
I had the Caterham doors and roof on. With the car going one way at 70ish and the heavy rain coming the other to meet it, the water came up and over the windscreen, resulting in a waterfall down the inside of our screen, and this was with the roof on!! I could only laugh as it hadn't happened before and there wasn't much we could do about it at the time bar stick a towel over our legs.
The boot is surprising big if you did take things. I took a normal 2 man tent, sleeping bag, roll matt, clothes for 5 days, 2 spare sets of shoes and KFS/ Mess tins/ Mug etc... all in the boot.
Things I'd recommend you took;
Sun glasses due to know sun visor,
I don't use ear plugs, but I did take noise cancelling earphones and an iPod. You can get communication systems that allow talking, listening to music, the use of a phone etc... Google Autocom, Starcom to name a few.
If driving in France these days you need a certain number of safey equipment in the case of breaking down - warning triangle, high vis jacket for each car member etc...
Safety equipment all noted. Thanks for the reminder! I have some decent isolating Shure headphones but this may be a bit antisocial with the Wife on board too. I'll look at these systems and see what's on offer though. Any idea on what I should be prepared to spend?I had the Caterham doors and roof on. With the car going one way at 70ish and the heavy rain coming the other to meet it, the water came up and over the windscreen, resulting in a waterfall down the inside of our screen, and this was with the roof on!! I could only laugh as it hadn't happened before and there wasn't much we could do about it at the time bar stick a towel over our legs.
The boot is surprising big if you did take things. I took a normal 2 man tent, sleeping bag, roll matt, clothes for 5 days, 2 spare sets of shoes and KFS/ Mess tins/ Mug etc... all in the boot.
Things I'd recommend you took;
Sun glasses due to know sun visor,
I don't use ear plugs, but I did take noise cancelling earphones and an iPod. You can get communication systems that allow talking, listening to music, the use of a phone etc... Google Autocom, Starcom to name a few.
If driving in France these days you need a certain number of safey equipment in the case of breaking down - warning triangle, high vis jacket for each car member etc...
fivesixseven8 said:
James P said:
BTW if you are planning any autoroute use, I recommend the Sanef gadget.
Hi James, can you shed any light on how to source one of these? I'm looking on the Sanef site and struggling! Edited by James P on Tuesday 2nd March 16:45
Gingerbread Man said:
I took mine last year and I'm taking it again this year.
I had the Caterham doors and roof on. With the car going one way at 70ish and the heavy rain coming the other to meet it, the water came up and over the windscreen, resulting in a waterfall down the inside of our screen, and this was with the roof on!! I could only laugh as it hadn't happened before and there wasn't much we could do about it at the time bar stick a towel over our legs.
The boot is surprising big if you did take things. I took a normal 2 man tent, sleeping bag, roll matt, clothes for 5 days, 2 spare sets of shoes and KFS/ Mess tins/ Mug etc... all in the boot.
Things I'd recommend you took;
Sun glasses due to know sun visor,
I don't use ear plugs, but I did take noise cancelling earphones and an iPod. You can get communication systems that allow talking, listening to music, the use of a phone etc... Google Autocom, Starcom to name a few.
If driving in France these days you need a certain number of safey equipment in the case of breaking down - warning triangle, high vis jacket for each car member etc...
Safety equipment all noted. Thanks for the reminder! I have some decent isolating Shure headphones but this may be a bit antisocial with the Wife on board too. I'll look at these systems and see what's on offer though. Any idea on what I should be prepared to spend?I had the Caterham doors and roof on. With the car going one way at 70ish and the heavy rain coming the other to meet it, the water came up and over the windscreen, resulting in a waterfall down the inside of our screen, and this was with the roof on!! I could only laugh as it hadn't happened before and there wasn't much we could do about it at the time bar stick a towel over our legs.
The boot is surprising big if you did take things. I took a normal 2 man tent, sleeping bag, roll matt, clothes for 5 days, 2 spare sets of shoes and KFS/ Mess tins/ Mug etc... all in the boot.
Things I'd recommend you took;
Sun glasses due to know sun visor,
I don't use ear plugs, but I did take noise cancelling earphones and an iPod. You can get communication systems that allow talking, listening to music, the use of a phone etc... Google Autocom, Starcom to name a few.
If driving in France these days you need a certain number of safey equipment in the case of breaking down - warning triangle, high vis jacket for each car member etc...
I use my Shures for music. If you eBay the autocom/ statcom, I doubt you'd loose any buying before you go and then selling when home? They're £80+ though.
fivesixseven8 said:
James P said:
BTW if you are planning any autoroute use, I recommend the Sanef gadget.
Hi James, can you shed any light on how to source one of these? I'm looking on the Sanef site and struggling! Edited by James P on Tuesday 2nd March 16:45
Gingerbread Man said:
I took mine last year and I'm taking it again this year.
I had the Caterham doors and roof on. With the car going one way at 70ish and the heavy rain coming the other to meet it, the water came up and over the windscreen, resulting in a waterfall down the inside of our screen, and this was with the roof on!! I could only laugh as it hadn't happened before and there wasn't much we could do about it at the time bar stick a towel over our legs.
The boot is surprising big if you did take things. I took a normal 2 man tent, sleeping bag, roll matt, clothes for 5 days, 2 spare sets of shoes and KFS/ Mess tins/ Mug etc... all in the boot.
Things I'd recommend you took;
Sun glasses due to know sun visor,
I don't use ear plugs, but I did take noise cancelling earphones and an iPod. You can get communication systems that allow talking, listening to music, the use of a phone etc... Google Autocom, Starcom to name a few.
If driving in France these days you need a certain number of safey equipment in the case of breaking down - warning triangle, high vis jacket for each car member etc...
Safety equipment all noted. Thanks for the reminder! I have some decent isolating Shure headphones but this may be a bit antisocial with the Wife on board too. I'll look at these systems and see what's on offer though. Any idea on what I should be prepared to spend?I had the Caterham doors and roof on. With the car going one way at 70ish and the heavy rain coming the other to meet it, the water came up and over the windscreen, resulting in a waterfall down the inside of our screen, and this was with the roof on!! I could only laugh as it hadn't happened before and there wasn't much we could do about it at the time bar stick a towel over our legs.
The boot is surprising big if you did take things. I took a normal 2 man tent, sleeping bag, roll matt, clothes for 5 days, 2 spare sets of shoes and KFS/ Mess tins/ Mug etc... all in the boot.
Things I'd recommend you took;
Sun glasses due to know sun visor,
I don't use ear plugs, but I did take noise cancelling earphones and an iPod. You can get communication systems that allow talking, listening to music, the use of a phone etc... Google Autocom, Starcom to name a few.
If driving in France these days you need a certain number of safey equipment in the case of breaking down - warning triangle, high vis jacket for each car member etc...
I use my Shures for music. If you eBay the autocom/ statcom, I doubt you'd loose any buying before you go and then selling when home? They're £80+ though.
Been to the race every year since 2003 in a 7, never had any problems really at all when travelling with a male race fan, slightly different situation with the wife, convinced her it would be good idea to go to Brittany in the Caterham, she was less than impressed with tangled hair, stiff neck from the draught, numb bum from the stiff suspension, limboing in and out through the doors when the rain starts. She says she's not coming again
fivesixseven8 said:
James P said:
BTW if you are planning any autoroute use, I recommend the Sanef gadget.
Hi James, can you shed any light on how to source one of these? I'm looking on the Sanef site and struggling! Edited by James P on Tuesday 2nd March 16:45
I managed to get through the site with schoolboy French but it looks more complicated now. Sorry cannot help more, maybe a question on the France forum?
There is a €30 up front charge for the unit (refundable on return of unit). After that it is just tolls (I believe slightly discounted) and €2 charge in months where you use the unit only and €5 postage.
https://www.sanef.com/fr/ecommerce/particulier/lib...
Translation
1. Formule Liber-t mensuelle.
- Monthly 'Liber-t' subscription
1. Abonnement de 2,00€ TTC par mois circulé et par badge.
- Subscription charge: €2 per month (if card is used in that month only) (all taxes included).
1. Un dépôt de garantie, par badge, d'un montant de 30,00€ restitué en fin de contrat lorsque vous rendez votre badge en bon état de fonctionnement.
-A deposit of €30 is payable per card, refunded at the end of the agreement when you return your card in good working order.
1. Frais d'envoi : 5,00€ TTC.
- Postage costs: €5.
Instructions
-
> Click on 'un particulier' (private person)
Fill in address
Nom - Surname
Prenom - first name
N° et Rue * - Number and road
Ville * - Town
> Click 'etape suivante' (next step)
> Fill in card details, click 'etape suivante' again
> Check details, click 'confirmer' (confirm!) at the bottom.
https://www.sanef.com/fr/ecommerce/particulier/lib...
Translation
1. Formule Liber-t mensuelle.
- Monthly 'Liber-t' subscription
1. Abonnement de 2,00€ TTC par mois circulé et par badge.
- Subscription charge: €2 per month (if card is used in that month only) (all taxes included).
1. Un dépôt de garantie, par badge, d'un montant de 30,00€ restitué en fin de contrat lorsque vous rendez votre badge en bon état de fonctionnement.
-A deposit of €30 is payable per card, refunded at the end of the agreement when you return your card in good working order.
1. Frais d'envoi : 5,00€ TTC.
- Postage costs: €5.
Instructions
-
> Click on 'un particulier' (private person)
Fill in address
Nom - Surname
Prenom - first name
N° et Rue * - Number and road
Ville * - Town
> Click 'etape suivante' (next step)
> Fill in card details, click 'etape suivante' again
> Check details, click 'confirmer' (confirm!) at the bottom.
I have taken the Caterham to Le Mans for the last 4 years. The best investment I made was getting a half hood as when it rains in France as it has done in the last couple of years driving with the full weather gear just gets too hot and noisy. The half hood keeps most of the rain off but keeps the air circulating and the noise down.
Caterham john said:
I have taken the Caterham to Le Mans for the last 4 years. The best investment I made was getting a half hood as when it rains in France as it has done in the last couple of years driving with the full weather gear just gets too hot and noisy. The half hood keeps most of the rain off but keeps the air circulating and the noise down.
What's a half hood? The car isn't mine, it's one I've hired a few times before.Gassing Station | Le Mans | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff