Meeting minutes/2007 05 08 on Internet

MEETING ON TIMELINE BIKETOUR2008 27th may 2008 10:00

who?:Pippa just reached Sofia this morning around 3, so the meeting was npostponed until tuesday morning. We talked with Suha (who didn't have a microphone, but could write in the chat), Daka, Pipa, Radost and me. Milan couldn't be there (can you give us an update on organization of the Serbian part?).

Short summary of meeting: First we looked together at the routeplan of Suha (see attachment) and as this plan seems to fit within the timeschedule of 25 days (option number one, the late start) we took a critical look on this plan and asked him questions to be sure about this possibility.

Questions, answers and remarks concerning Suha's routplan for Turkey:

1. the road conditions? good, asfalt all the way
2. the amount of traffic on the coastal road? good, not to much traffic and also not in the summer season (totally different infomation as Greg's friends gave us... We surely need more information about this!!!!).
3. If there are possible alternative roads which could be taken if the traffic seems worse then expected? Suha told us that there are 3 possible (direct) roads from Istanbul to Sinop: the coastal road = not a mayor road, the highway (i guess the E 80) and in between another main road (I guess the D100) with lot's of lorries. The coastal road seems like best option with this information. (After the meeting me and Pippa where looking on googlemaps and there are lot's of little roads.. but they seem pretty chaotic and make a lot of turns... will take long time... also we don't know the conditions of this roads. It could be an option tough to find alternatives during the biketour for certain parts...). Also we asked about the mountainroads and if they wouldn't be a better choice (concerning traffic)? According to Suha the roads more inland are more trafficy... more lorries.. (also #this information is different then the info we have got from Gregs friends.. )
4. Besides of this Suha's timeplan for the route didn't incalculate a 3 days stay in Istanbul (but just 1 resting day)and there was just one other resting day planned in this route (this should be a few more).
5. Suha's proposal is based on aprox. distances of 50-55 km a day, it's hilly terrain (no mountains) acoording to him.

So this is the information we have on the turkish part... It's little and contradictive with earlier information.. We need more information before the routeplan can be really decided Anyway all people in the meeting were convinced that we need to set a timeschedule for the biketour!

Decision Based on the information we have and Suha's calculations (50-55 km a day) that this routeplan will fit in 25 days and that an alternative routeplan (with use of public transport between border of turkey and Istanbul and Istanbul and Sile and a possible longer route through mountains... could also fit in a timeschedule of 30 days (still we will cycle an average of 50-55 km a day, which will be tough, but is less then average distance in former BT's through rough terrain) we decided to find a compromis between the two options for the timeschedule.

This means: 30 days for Turkey (resting days included!), but the routeplan needs further elaboration: which road will be best (based on more info on conditions/traffic)? Should we take public transport on certain parts? Ecotopia will take place from 9 to 23 july, we planned to arrive the 14th, but can always arrive a bit earlier or later...

Of course the participation level will change with this decision, but 5 days earlier is already better then 10.. (a real compromise). We will try to provide good information for participants who want to take part in the tour on later stage. Best information we can give is clear dates and places some weeks before the Biketour starts (NOW!!!), so participants can start planning, arrange transport/visa/other neccesities and registrate!

Conclusion: Overview of timeschedule BT08 start in Belgrade:16 june border Serbia-Bulgaria: 1 july Sofia: 2-4 july (1 arrival day - 1 preparation/meeting/workshop day -1 action day- + celebrate yo's birthday on 4-7 day ;) Border Bulgaria-Turkey: 5-15 july Istanbul: (depends on planning turkish route) Ecotopia: 14 august

Meeting in Istanbul: Yo is planning to meet Suha on the 7th of june in Istanbul to take a closer look at the routeplan + gather more information. Besides this there will be a meeting of Ecotopia organizers on this day and probably they will go this weekend by car to Sinop to check out the place for the camp (the permissions are arranged!). I will try to convince them to take the coastal road (partly) so I can take a look here. And talk to people to get more info on the different roadoptions + conditions and check public transport options (also for way back!).