Planning

Checklist time. Might as well do this here, then you can tell me what I've forgotten:

Vital:

• bike
• credit card
• passport

Fairly handy:

• phone + charger
  
• clothing, cycling (2 shorts, 1 longs, 2 s/s racing vests, l/s vest/jacket, rain jacket, socks, casquette, gloves for descending)
  
• clothing, civilian to taste
  
• tools - allen key set, multitool widget, bearing pin extractor.
  
• spare tubes, tyre levers, and þe olde puncture outfit
• pump
  
• spare brake and gear cables
  
• spare 4mm hex head M5 bolts for when bits start falling off
  
• contact lenses + spares + glop + sunglasses
  
• maps (adequate to get me as far as St.-Quentin, otherwise buy en route)
• camera and charger
• toiletries + towel
  
• sundry pharmaceuticals (well, you don't expect me to do it on bread and water, do you?)