Bike Touring France

Trekker09 · 14-06-2021 1:11pm #1

Thinking of heading over to France on August for a couple of weeks. No plans of geographic area or routes yet. I was thinking of camping with a 1 person tent.

Any tips or info gratefully received!!!!

Fann Linn · 14-06-2021 1:17pm

Trekker09 wrote: »

Thinking of heading over to France on August for a couple of weeks. No plans of geographic area or routes yet. I was thinking of camping with a 1 person tent.

Any tips or info gratefully received!!!!

Heading over myself in Sept with the bike and car.
Brittany Ferries to northern Spain then into the Pyrenees for Luz du Saveur for two weeks. At foot of Col du Tourmalet, d'Aubisque and a few others.

mh_cork · 14-06-2021 2:14pm

Trekker09 wrote: »

Thinking of heading over to France on August for a couple of weeks. No plans of geographic area or routes yet. I was thinking of camping with a 1 person tent.

Any tips or info gratefully received!!!!

There are established cycle touring routes called Euro Velo. The benefit of these would include low-traffic roads, regular facilities and shops / hotels that are used to dealing with cyclists.
https://en.eurovelo.com/
For a first timer, EuroVelo 6, from Nantes to Basel would be a good suggestion

If your looking to be a bit more adventurous, I can recommend the following book that has maps and descriptions of a route from North West to South East.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/France-Velo-Ultimate-Journey-Mediterranean/dp/0957157347/

Or if you are looking to just do a short trip, this is another excellent book with very detailed maps:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cycling-Northern-France-Cycle-Routes/dp/1901464288/

You may want to avoid the holiday season in France, I think its Aug. Basically everyone in the cities heads for the country. Harder to get places to stay, roads busier, etc

ARX · 14-06-2021 3:55pm

I've done a good bit of cycling in France. A few thoughts:

- It can get hot enough to burn you through your jersey. Cover your back, shoulders and every bit of exposed skin with factor 50. If you need to stop, look for a shady spot to stop. It gets REALLY HOT in France.
- You will need lots of water. I was getting through a litre every 10 km at times.
- Shops are closed much of the time. Don't pass a bakery without stocking up. Running out of food or water in rural France on a Sunday is a real concern.
- France is superb for camping. With a 1-person tent I don't think you'll ever be turned away from a campsite. At municipal campsites someone may or may not turn up in the evening to collect the €5 or some such small sum.
- Learn at least enough French to check in at a campsite ("Vous avez besoin d'électricité?") or to knock on somebody's door and ask them to fill your bottles.
- At a campsite, figure out where the sun will rise in the morning (a compass is useful) and try to get a spot that will be in the shade in the morning. Packing up in blazing sun is no fun.
- If you don't speak French, pick up enough phrases to get by. People will be very helpful if it's clear that you're doing your best.
- Forget whatever people have told you about what the French are like and make up your own mind.
- An alcohol-burning stove like the Trangia is a good choice for France as methylated spirits is available in every supermarket
- Make sure you are equipped to deal with mechanical failures (puncture, sidewall blowout, broken chain, broken spoke being the most likely)

Chips Lovell · 14-06-2021 5:14pm

Lots of good advice there already. I've done a good bit of touring in France and would second the advice regarding August. It's peak holiday time in France and, even with a bike and small tent, you may find a lot of campsites booked out, particularly in the popular spots.

Bring a power adapter for campsites. Got stung by this the first year I went (in addition to making lots of other mistakes). Handy to have for charging your phone, Garmin, etc.

It can get incredibly hot. I've found it breaking 40 at times. When the weather was like that, we tended to get going early in the morning and try get the bulk of our distance done before lunch.

Re. lunch, rural France isn't like here. Don't expect to pick up a bite to eat at any time of the day. Few restaurants will be open after 2 and you rarely the likes of convenience stores. You have to row in with the French way of doing things.

fat bloke · 14-06-2021 5:49pm

Le Genesis ??

Give us a run down on your equipment. I'd be interested to see what superleggera solo, tented bike touring looks like

Seaswimmer · 14-06-2021 10:22pm

Great advice above.

Never under estimate the French "penchant" for opening and closing at odd times. Especially in rural France. We were there in 2018 and ended up having to call into a house for water at one stage
As pointed out above stock up whenever you can. We used to buy our lunch early in the day whenever we passed a supermarket and carried it for 2 or 3 hours just to be safe. France can also be expensive to eat out and especially for beer if you drink draught. You should be fine in the tourist areas and along the west coast but inland be prepared..

ARX · 15-06-2021 9:36am

Seaswimmer wrote: »

Great advice above.
You should be fine in the tourist areas and along the west coast but inland be prepared..

Exactly, la France profonde is very different to the tourist areas. You will see a lot of derelict buildings - in some parts of northern France it feels like they never really recovered from WW1. I guess the hypermarkets have sucked the life out of much of rural France - the nearest shop might a hypermarket 30 km away.

dave_o_brien · 15-06-2021 11:36am

Also just to add to the temperature observations: if you are camping in central France/ not near the coast, it can be really hot during the day and quite cold at night. Make sure your camping gear is appropriate.

fat bloke · 15-06-2021 12:15pm

If it's a 2 week trip and you're ferrying there and back, there's an obvious limit to how far deep an incursion you can make into the middle of the country. Where would you be targeting? Roscoff or Le harve? Roscoff gets you straight into rural Brittany off the boat.

Seaswimmer · 15-06-2021 12:30pm

Trekker09 wrote: »

Thinking of heading over to France on August for a couple of weeks. No plans of geographic area or routes yet. I was thinking of camping with a 1 person tent.

Any tips or info gratefully received!!!!

When we did it in 2018, we flew to Beauvais and flew home from Biarritz. And cycled down pretty much heading south west, hitting the coast at Archachon. We stayed in cheap hotels as opposed to camping. Good thing about Biarritz is that they sell cardboard bike boxes in the airport. Would you think of flying one way and ferry the other way. You would cover a lot more ground. I am not sure how you intend travelling to France?

ARX · 15-06-2021 12:32pm

fat bloke wrote: »

If it's a 2 week trip and you're ferrying there and back, there's an obvious limit to how far deep an incursion you can make into the middle of the country. Where would you be targeting? Roscoff or Le harve? Roscoff gets you straight into rural Brittany off the boat.

IMHO rural Brittany is pretty dull. If you could land at Cherbourg you have a lovely spin down the Cotentin peninsula into Normandy which I think is much nicer. You have the Bayeux tapestry and the D-Day beaches, then you could head east (skirting north of Paris) to the WW1 battlefields around Verdun - fascinating area.

lochdara · 15-06-2021 7:44pm

This chap is doing a fundraiser at the moment from Dublin to Spain on bike. He got a few bike upgrades in france, apart from that a very basic setup. His facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/alisdair.anderson
Strava https://www.strava.com/athletes/84274637

David6330 · 15-06-2021 10:18pm

Some very helpful info here.

I'll be heading to France too at the end of July. It will be my first time going bike touring there.

Wishbone Ash · 15-06-2021 11:17pm

And for anyone staying in a hotel - the breakfast is usually crap. A croissant and glass of orange juice doesn't really set a lad up for crossing several Alpine passes.

KevRossi · 16-06-2021 9:00am

Brittany is excellent for cycling, there's a huge amount of canals and narrow gauge railways that have greenways on them. They keep investing heavily in them, so keep an eye out for any updates.

There's an interactive map here: https://www.francevelotourisme.com/itineraire

Good book on them here but it's from 2016: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brittanys-Green-Ways-Railway-Towpaths/dp/0956869998/ref=pd_sbs_1/261-0233786-4387404?pd_rd_w=R2Ble&pf_rd_p=a3a7088f-4aec-4dbd-97cc-9a059581fe7b&pf_rd_r=A2NFNA1TY5GXD7AA089Y&pd_rd_r=5e13e356-0a3b-4a8b-aa68-83a76db85878&pd_rd_wg=gd0Q6&pd_rd_i=0956869998&psc=1

Greenways tend to be a lot more sheltered from the sun than open roads, so might be something to aim for. As above, it gets very crowded in August. In August, avoid the south at all costs as it does get very hot and it can ruin the holiday. For cooler climates in those months I'd stick to Normandy and Brittany. Go to the south from September.

Consider purchasing an Interrail ticket, or consider taking a train on one day. You can move around a lot more freely, especially if the weather turns in one part of the country. A lot of TGV's do not take bikes, some do have space. Forget the Eurostar with a bike if you're going that way, just take the train to Dover/Calais, the ferry and the train on the other side. You can train/ferry Dublin to anywhere in France (or return) in one day.

ARX · 16-06-2021 12:13pm

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

And for anyone staying in a hotel - the breakfast is usually crap. A croissant and glass of orange juice doesn't really set a lad up for crossing several Alpine passes.

So to sum up: you'll die of either heatstroke, dehydration or starvation. Have a great trip!

Mefistofelino · 16-06-2021 12:27pm

At peak holiday time in any of the touristy areas, be wary of caravanners. I've had several near misses in France over the years with drivers unaware of the width or length of the caravan, or just not giving a sh!te. Fridays / Saturdays are usually the worst as they are the changeout days for most campsites.

For some reason, Dutch drivers seem to be the worst for this, which is doubly disappointing.

Trekker09 · 17-06-2021 1:30am

Cheers folks! It was a brainstorming moment I had with myself and only mentioned it to the wife by text today! She replied "Go for it, it'll be great, you need it"

I'm seriously thinking of using one of my road bikes and travelling relatively light. 1 man tent for the nights I camp, tools and spares for breakdowns, my well worn copy of Down & Out In Paris & London. Clothes will be t-shirts, sweat shirts, shorts and a decent pair of lightish jeans that roll up plus one of my Goretex jackets. I'm well used to the heat as I have done a lot of work in Asia, Malaysia, Oz and not too long ago spent 3 years in Papua New Guinea where it was 35-40 degrees most days!

I'm more than likely going to get the ferry to Roscoff and head down to Nantes. The other option is to cycle down to Bordeaux and get the train back up. The plan is really to have no plan as I can extend the holiday if required as I have nearly 50 days AL accrued!

ARX · 17-06-2021 12:38pm

Trekker09 wrote: »

Cheers folks! It was a brainstorming moment I had with myself and only mentioned it to the wife by text today! She replied "Go for it, it'll be great, you need it"

I'm seriously thinking of using one of my road bikes and travelling relatively light. 1 man tent for the nights I camp, tools and spares for breakdowns, my well worn copy of Down & Out In Paris & London. Clothes will be t-shirts, sweat shirts, shorts and a decent pair of lightish jeans that roll up plus one of my Goretex jackets. I'm well used to the heat as I have done a lot of work in Asia, Malaysia, Oz and not too long ago spent 3 years in Papua New Guinea where it was 35-40 degrees most days!

I'm more than likely going to get the ferry to Roscoff and head down to Nantes. The other option is to cycle down to Bordeaux and get the train back up. The plan is really to have no plan as I can extend the holiday if required as I have nearly 50 days AL accrued!

Don't underestimate the amount of stuff you'll need for comfortable solo camping. Go through the day in your head from the moment you wake up till the moment you go to sleep and figure out what you'll need to deal with whatever is likely to happen. Start laying stuff out so you can figure out how much luggage you'll need. For example, you wake up in your tent. So you need a tent, a sleeping bag and a mattress, maybe a pillow. You're hungry; you need food. Are you going to have a bowl of porridge? You need a stove, fuel and a spoon (if not for breakfast then for dinner). It rained during the night: where are you going to sit at breakfast? After breakfast you need the jacks: toilet roll. You've had your breakfast, washed up, applied chamois creme & sunscreen, stood on your sunglasses (you have spare sunglasses), planned your route for the next couple of hours on your map (map holder on handlebars). Off you go: a spoke on your rear drive side breaks: FiberFix spoke. Your hands are now dirty: Rema Tip Top Clean-Up 25 ml.

At the end of the day you'll need to pitch your tent. It's dark: you want a head torch. What will you use to hammer the tent pegs into the ground? You'll want dinner, soap, a towel, flip-flops for the shower, maybe a razor, toothbrush, toothpaste, a way to wash your gear and so forth. How will you keep your phone charged? I could go on, but you get the idea. Will you be able to get everything you need onto a road bike?

Good planning can take away a lot of the stress of dealing with problems on the road (and there will always be problems). If you're equipped to deal with anything bar a medical problem or a mechanical failure like a failed freehub, you will have a nice relaxing time.

Wishbone Ash · 17-06-2021 5:09pm

ARX wrote: »

.... So you need a tent, a sleeping bag and a mattress, maybe a pillow. You're hungry; you need food. Are you going to have a bowl of porridge? You need a stove, fuel and a spoon (if not for breakfast then for dinner). It rained during the night: where are you going to sit at breakfast? After breakfast you need the jacks: toilet roll. You've had your breakfast, washed up, applied chamois creme & sunscreen, stood on your sunglasses (you have spare sunglasses), planned your route for the next couple of hours on your map (map holder on handlebars). Off you go: a spoke on your rear drive side breaks: FiberFix spoke. Your hands are now dirty: Rema Tip Top Clean-Up 25 ml.

At the end of the day you'll need to pitch your tent. It's dark: you want a head torch. What will you use to hammer the tent pegs into the ground? You'll want dinner, soap, a towel, flip-flops for the shower, maybe a razor, toothbrush, toothpaste, a way to wash your gear and so forth. How will you keep your phone charged? .....

The above is why I'd have absolutely zero interest in ever doing a cycling with camping trip. Life's way to short.

(....and that's without mentioning the weather. Imagine it being cold, wet and windy for days on end. No thanks.)

Tigerandahalf · 17-06-2021 5:21pm

The camping sounds like hard work plus all the weight you are lugging around. If the rain doesn't get you are dealing with the heat in a tent. Packing and unpacking each day plus drying out gear would be a chore for me. You wouldn't want to be a comfort creature.

Staying in hostels or the like gives you a bit of comfort, a shower plus you get to meet a few people which is no harm if you are going solo.

Any time I read these threads the mind wanders off.

I bought a book a few years back - France en Velo. He took a route from the Channel to the Med. It is another one of those nice cycling/travel books with details on areas, food and culture etc.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0957157347/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_QXP5F14MEK4SK58X5080

Edit: Sorry didn't realise this was already linked earlier.

cyfac · 18-06-2021 12:01am

Preparing for a cycle tour and overcoming challenges on the road are two of the best things about cycle touring the best is the cycling of course the rythem is totally different to both road and mtb and thats what makes it so special when i started touring after years of being a slave to my powermeter i reconnected automatically with why i loved cycling in the 1st place.

rootsman · 18-06-2021 2:18pm

Well worth a watch and a stunning route with plenty of advice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PbR4AmEB6Y

ARX · 18-06-2021 5:59pm

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

The camping sounds like hard work plus all the weight you are lugging around. If the rain doesn't get you are dealing with the heat in a tent. Packing and unpacking each day plus drying out gear would be a chore for me. You wouldn't want to be a comfort creature.

Staying in hostels or the like gives you a bit of comfort, a shower plus you get to meet a few people which is no harm if you are going solo.

I won't lie, packing up in the morning is a big pain, particularly if it's hot or raining. It's the one part of camping I really don't enjoy. On the other hand, I really do enjoy arriving at a campsite in the evening and setting up my tent, having dinner outside my tent and falling asleep to the sound of a river or of the wind in the trees (and I can sleep for 11 hours in a tent, one one occasion with trains passing every half hour a few metres away).

It's a great way to meet people as well - on several occasions I've ended up eating or drinking with people on campsites. Few people arrive at campsites by bike so when you arrive looking like a travelling circus then of course people are going to talk to you.

Hotels are grand but you won't get talking to anyone there. But yes, if it's dusk and bucketing rain I'm going to get a hotel if I can.

The other thing about having a tent is that it saves you worrying about where you're going to sleep. If you have to stick to hotels, then you generally have to pick a destination for the end of the day and make sure you get there before dark (or before the reception closes at 6 pm). That means you can't stop for too long or make detours because you have a target to meet. That's not much of a holiday for me. If you have a tent you can just wander around and at dusk if you can't find a hotel, you can often find a campsite (in France at least) and if you can't find a campsite, you can often find a bit of grass behind an electricity substation, in a park or in the grounds of a church - you might get moved on in the morning but so what? You'll have had a night's sleep.

So even if you plan to stick to hotels, it's not a bad idea to have a tent just in case. A one person tent, a light down sleeping bag and a mattress won't come to more than about 3-4 kg. My touring bike fully loaded and carrying food and water nudges 50 kg so the extra weight isn't significant.

And of course if you're on a tight budget, staying in hotels gets very expensive!

Trekker09 · 24-06-2021 10:33am

Thanks for all of the good advice. I was just about to pull the trigger on a full touring rig when my wife rang and said "Why don't you hike the Camino?" To be fair, I've been on about doing that for years, but the magnetic draw of a new Kona and full Ortlieb rig was strong. I actually applied pressure on my index finger as it hovered over the 'Confirm Order' button. Alas, I resisted and actually weighed up the pros and cons and have now am doing the Camino Portuguese, from Porto to Finisterre this August.

The Kona etc are still sitting in the basket but I think I'll wait and get more advice. I've just remembered that I'm eligible for the BTW scheme.

Wishbone Ash · 24-06-2021 10:46am

Trekker09 wrote: »

... when my wife rang and said "Why don't you hike the Camino?" To be fair, I've been on about doing that for years...

That's something myself and Mrs WA have been talking about doing for a few years also.

Trekker09 · 24-06-2021 11:11am

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

That's something myself and Mrs WA have been talking about doing for a few years also.

My Mrs wouldn't dream of doing something that doesn't entail room service

In fairness she deserves it as she works really hard. I'm really lucky in that she is 100% supportive and encouraging.

ARX · 24-06-2021 11:15am

Trekker09 wrote: »

Thanks for all of the good advice. I was just about to pull the trigger on a full touring rig when my wife rang and said "Why don't you hike the Camino?" To be fair, I've been on about doing that for years, but the magnetic draw of a new Kona and full Ortlieb rig was strong. I actually applied pressure on my index finger as it hovered over the 'Confirm Order' button. Alas, I resisted and actually weighed up the pros and cons and have now am doing the Camino Portuguese, from Porto to Finisterre this August.

The Kona etc are still sitting in the basket but I think I'll wait and get more advice. I've just remembered that I'm eligible for the BTW scheme.

You mean ... walk?

:pac:

Trekker09 · 24-06-2021 11:31am

ARX wrote: »

You mean ... walk?:pac:

Yup!

I know it's near blasphemy, but I used to do loads of hiking. (Trekker09 is from the 1st Irish Trailtrekker 100km in 2009, and not because I'm a Star Trek fan)!

Bike touring is definitely on the agenda for next year.

Mefistofelino · 24-06-2021 11:56am

Tim Moore, who has written some excellent books about cycling the routes of the TdF, the Giro, the Vuelta and Iron Curtain route from Finland to Bulgaria, has a book about hiking the Camino with a donkey.
Spanish Steps

Tigerandahalf · 24-06-2021 12:33pm

The Camino is a great trip.
I have done some of the Camino Francés, the more common route.

The Portuguese one is meant to be lovely though. You could always consider renting a bike out there and cycling it.

How many days are you planning?
Google says it takes roughly 2 weeks to walk it with 2 routes - an inland one and a coastal one.

Large bottle small glass · 24-06-2021 1:10pm

Trekker09 wrote: »

Yup!

I know it's near blasphemy, but I used to do loads of hiking. (Trekker09 is from the 1st Irish Trailtrekker 100km in 2009, and not because I'm a Star Trek fan)!

Bike touring is definitely on the agenda for next year.

I cycled the northern French route; well a road version as I was on a road bike.

What struck me was there are some very long boring sections of something like our National Secondary roads. Pretty boring walking u would think.

There is a certain buzz/camaraderie in the hostels and Santiago, particularly so if you like to get high on Jesus

If doing a European hiking tour, with good hiking as a priority, I'd be inclined to do one of the GR routes rather than the Camino.

Trekker09 · 24-06-2021 1:55pm

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

The Camino is a great trip.
I have done some of the Camino Francés, the more common route.

The Portuguese one is meant to be lovely though. You could always consider renting a bike out there and cycling it.

How many days are you planning?
Google says it takes roughly 2 weeks to walk it with 2 routes - an inland one and a coastal one.

I'm starting on the 12th August and have my return flight for the 30th.
My company has an office in Porto so I can extend if I need to but that should be plenty of time. I have accumulated loads of annual leave, especially since Covid and I am in no pressure to get back to work.

I plan to take a year off in a couple of years and will do the Camino Francais in one trip, as well as the Kokodo Trail (both ways). I was actually signed up for the Kokoda trip in 2013 as I lived 1 hour from the start of the hike, but it was cancelled as it was too dangerous after several local attacks and local porters being killed.

Trekker09 · 24-06-2021 2:10pm

Large bottle small glass wrote: »

I cycled the northern French route; well a road version as I was on a road bike.

What struck me was there are some very long boring sections of something like our National Secondary roads. Pretty boring walking u would think.

There is a certain buzz/camaraderie in the hostels and Santiago, particularly so if you like to get high on Jesus

If doing a European hiking tour, with good hiking as a priority, I'd be inclined to do one of the GR routes rather than the Camino.

I know quite a few good friends that have done the Camino and they all loved it. When I saw the Portuguese route it was perfect as I know some of the areas and always wanted to explore further.

I don't really have any expectations on making friends etc. If it happens it happens. I'm not a religious person but respect people that have genuine faith but I doubt very much that any experience I have on the Camino will make much of a difference to my outlook on religion. I'm more looking forward to the cultural side of it (food & drink)

cyfac · 24-06-2021 6:23pm

I will be flying to Faro on the 31st Aug to spend the week cycling my way over to Malaga Airport. I intend to to head inland as i make my way to avoid the tourist areas along the coast. Allil in it looks àbout 750k and i cant wait

Tigerandahalf · 25-06-2021 9:47am

cyfac wrote: »

I will be flying to Faro on the 31st Aug to spend the week cycling my way over to Malaga Airport. I intend to to head inland as i make my way to avoid the tourist areas along the coast. Allil in it looks àbout 750k and i cant wait

You would be dealing with serious heat at that time of year, possibly in the late 30s. Are you following a designated route or just creating your own route?
Best of luck with it.

cyfac · 25-06-2021 11:40am

Thanks Tigerandahalf, All mapped out on Komoot but the beauty of touring is you dont need to be rigid i have it days meaning it will be less than 100k a day with only 2 days of big gain and when i say big im talking 1000m's on a fully loaded tourer thats enough. The beauty of inland Spain are the wonderful villages one ends up in as you go buy they make you stop and explore which means a rest and some shade during the hottest parts of the day &#55358;&#56693;

Seaswimmer · 25-06-2021 5:53pm

cyfac wrote: »

I will be flying to Faro on the 31st Aug to spend the week cycling my way over to Malaga Airport. I intend to to head inland as i make my way to avoid the tourist areas along the coast. Allil in it looks àbout 750k and i cant wait

I have done it along the coast. It is not terribly touristy until you get close to Estepona and that stretch isn't great for cycling as it is fast moving dual carriageway for a lot of the time...You have to go inland a fair bit to cross the Quadalquiver river south of Seville anyway. Some lovely cycling around Sanlucar/Vejer/Tarifa ect.
Beware if trying to get your own bike back from Malaga. they insist on a box but don't supply them. We are hoping to do Valencia >> Malaga in October and I have found a bike shop that will pack your bikes and provide a shuttle to the airport for both you and your bike.

cyfac · 25-06-2021 6:05pm

Seaswimmer wrote: »

I have done it along the coast. It is not terribly touristy until you get close to Estepona and that stretch isn't great for cycling as it is fast moving dual carriageway for a lot of the time...You have to go inland a fair bit to cross the Quadalquiver river south of Seville anyway. Some lovely cycling around Sanlucar/Vejer/Tarifa ect.
Beware if trying to get your own bike back from Malaga. they insist on a box but don't supply them. We are hoping to do Valencia >> Malaga in October and I have found a bike shop that will pack your bikes and provide a shuttle to the airport for both you and your bike.

Thanks Seaswimmer,

My flight is early so i plan to go to Monte Gordo along the coast get the ferry across and then head up into Nothern Spain Any chance you could give me the name of the bike shop in Malaga you are hoping to use. I looked into Alicante to Malaga (cant get away long enough to complete for now) as i have toured around Valencia down through Xalo and Jablon its incredible plus you see pro teams everywhere enjoy your own trip

Seaswimmer · 25-06-2021 6:22pm

cyfac wrote: »

Thanks Seaswimmer,

My flight is early so i plan to go to Monte Gordo along the coast get the ferry across and then head up into Nothern Spain Any chance you could give me the name of the bike shop in Malaga you are hoping to use. I looked into Alicante to Malaga (cant get away long enough to complete for now) as i have toured around Valencia down through Xalo and Jablon its incredible plus you see pro teams everywhere enjoy your own trip

Yes. That is where we crossed then stayed in Huelva > Los Palacios > Medina Sidonia > Algeciras and Fuengerola.

https://www.bike2malaga.com/en/

Stefan is the person who answered my emails.

Trekker09 · 25-06-2021 6:56pm

cyfac wrote: »

Thanks Seaswimmer,

My flight is early so i plan to go to Monte Gordo along the coast get the ferry across and then head up into Nothern Spain Any chance you could give me the name of the bike shop in Malaga you are hoping to use. I looked into Alicante to Malaga (cant get away long enough to complete for now) as i have toured around Valencia down through Xalo and Jablon its incredible plus you see pro teams everywhere enjoy your own trip

Best of luck with the cycle, sounds great. I've done quite a bit of cycling around Estapona. I love the road to Casares. There's some fine loops in that area. My sister is buying a place there to spend the winter months so I'll have a base to explore from.
I'd be interested in hearing about your bike and set up.

cyfac · 25-06-2021 7:47pm

Seaswimmer wrote: »

I have done it along the coast. It is not terribly touristy until you get close to Estepona and that stretch isn't great for cycling as it is fast moving dual carriageway for a lot of the time...You have to go inland a fair bit to cross the Quadalquiver river south of Seville anyway. Some lovely cycling around Sanlucar/Vejer/Tarifa ect.
Beware if trying to get your own bike back from Malaga. they insist on a box but don't supply them. We are hoping to do Valencia >> Malaga in October and I have found a bike shop that will pack your bikes and provide a shuttle to the airport for both you and your bike.

Seaswimmer wrote: »

Yes. That is where we crossed then stayed in Huelva > Los Palacios > Medina Sidonia > Algeciras and Fuengerola.

https://www.bike2malaga.com/en/

Stefan is the person who answered my emails.

Brilliant thanks so much for sharing

cyfac · 25-06-2021 8:03pm

Trekker09 wrote: »

Best of luck with the cycle, sounds great. I've done quite a bit of cycling around Estapona. I love the road to Casares. There's some fine loops in that area. My sister is buying a place there to spend the winter months so I'll have a base to explore from.
I'd be interested in hearing about your bike and set up.

Hi ride a cinelli hobo which is a classic type steel framed tourer with 4 pannier set up, 3X9's set up 42-32-22 with 11-34 on the back i find i spin out quick enough with the 42 but having the 22 is a nice piece of mental insurance when it starts to get on the steep side so i find it worth the trade off. All in bike and gears weighs 40kgs and that would include 3 full bidons of water.

The Cinelli itself is totally old school with canti brakes and 36 hole rims front and back with 37mm tyres but its the simplicity of the bike which is the key everything is fixible on the road and the ride on steel is always a treat

jrar · 25-06-2021 11:38pm

I was toying with the idea of a bike tour next year involving ferry to Cherbourg and then taking about 2 weeks crabbing down to Nice on a nice route I've worked out so equating to about 120kms a day or maybe a little more if I chose to take a day or two out as "rest" days.

My plan was to travel light as possible, probably in Sept. using hotels/hostels with some flexibility built into the route, but essentially planning on 5-6 hours pedalling per day on average (weather, route, wind will all play a role)

My question is, would a regular road bike be sufficient (with saddle/top tube/handlebar bags for instance) or is that putting too much strain on the bike (and/or myself) i.e. would I need to look at a more conventional touring set-up or something other than a carbon bike ?

cyfac · 26-06-2021 1:27pm

Hi there

Certinly doable with the set up of bags although i would watch out to see how a frame bag would impact on tour ability to use the bottle cages as already mentioned in this thread it gets hotter over there. The use of a carbon frame is tricker. Manufacturers will say carbon isnt designed to take weight while im sure plenty will say they have loadwd up there bikes and peddled away happily. I would be more concerned about the impact of the extra weight on your braking system ie do you use discs and on your rims 20/24 hole are not designed to carry weight.

blackvalley · 29-06-2021 9:29pm

cyfac wrote: »

Hi there

Certinly doable with the set up of bags although i would watch out to see how a frame bag would impact on tour ability to use the bottle cages as already mentioned in this thread it gets hotter over there. The use of a carbon frame is tricker. Manufacturers will say carbon isnt designed to take weight while im sure plenty will say they have loadwd up there bikes and peddled away happily. I would be more concerned about the impact of the extra weight on your braking system ie do you use discs and on your rims 20/24 hole are not designed to carry weight.

Thats a little confusing as you would expect most popular carbon bikes to be capable of carrying say a rider of 16 stone / 100KG.
Therefore a lighter cyclist should be able to easily and safely carry a couple of 5KG bags . Its probably very likely that buried amongst the detailed spec of a bike is the max weight.
Luckily iv never had to check that closely ( skinny ball ox )

jrar · 30-06-2021 11:27am

blackvalley wrote: »

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Thats a little confusing as you would expect most popular carbon bikes to be capable of carrying say a rider of 16 stone / 100KG.
Therefore a lighter cyclist should be able to easily and safely carry a couple of 5KG bags . Its probably very likely that buried amongst the detailed spec of a bike is the max weight.
Luckily iv never had to check that closely ( skinny ball ox )

Yes, bought a new road bike recently which states typically that 125kgs is the max combined weight of bike and rider - I'm 80kgs and my bike is 8kgs so in theory I've some margin to play with - I think my concern would be more about having an 8 or 10litre bag hanging off a seatpost and the possible effect etc.

I heard Lachlan Morton describing his current adventure - riding the entire TdF route, including transfers, totally unsupported, and he claims that if the bags were removed, he could competitively ride the Tour on the bike in question which suggests that light bikepacking/credit card touring ought to be possible with a regular carbon road bike.

ARX · 30-06-2021 12:02pm

jrar wrote: »

Yes, bought a new road bike recently which states typically that 125kgs is the max combined weight of bike and rider - I'm 80kgs and my bike is 8kgs so in theory I've some margin to play with - I think my concern would be more about having an 8 or 10litre bag hanging off a seatpost and the possible effect etc.

I'm sure the bike would take the extra weight, I'm just not sure how much you'll be able to fit on it. At 80kg the seatpost is hardly going to bothered by the addition of a seat pack. You'll need two 1 litre bottles so it looks like all your luggage would have to go into a seat pack or around the top tube. I'm sure it's doable but you'll be travelling very light, not so much in terms of weight as in terms of volume (cutting your toothbrush in half, taking only a razor blade instead of a razor, minimal clothing etc). Best of luck with it!

Mefistofelino · 30-06-2021 12:20pm

jrar wrote: »

I heard Lachlan Morton describing his current adventure - riding the entire TdF route, including transfers, totally unsupported, and he claims that if the bags were removed, he could competitively ride the Tour on the bike in question which suggests that light bikepacking/credit card touring ought to be possible with a regular carbon road bike.

Lachlan Morton weighs about 60 kg so he could probably safely carry another Lachlan Morton around with him.
In general, the bags that attach to the saddle and strap to the post for stability are not an issue for the frame integrity (assuming you don't fill them with diving weights). I've run the traditional "audax-type" saddle bag and the newer bikepacking type on carbon frames / seatposts without a problem.

jrar · 30-06-2021 10:49pm

ARX wrote: »

I'm sure the bike would take the extra weight, I'm just not sure how much you'll be able to fit on it. At 80kg the seatpost is hardly going to bothered by the addition of a seat pack. You'll need two 1 litre bottles so it looks like all your luggage would have to go into a seat pack or around the top tube. I'm sure it's doable but you'll be travelling very light, not so much in terms of weight as in terms of volume (cutting your toothbrush in half, taking only a razor blade instead of a razor, minimal clothing etc). Best of luck with it!

All very true - I'm only at the VERY early planning stages so I have time to check out options etc. My thinking is yes, travelling light (effectively credit card touring) with a seatpack, handlebar bag, and a top tube/frame bag. Lots of research to do but hey, sometimes that's half the fun !

Bike Touring France

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