Almost complete beginner cycling France

[Joel]

So I'm planning on touring in France for July and maybe a bit of August. I'm 22, and have never toured before. What I have done in the last few months is London to Brighton and London to Oxford - which seems very insignificant compared to the idea of a month or so in France.

Very much in the 'conceptual stage' here, but my rough plan is to cycle to Dover or maybe Portsmouth then going to the Pyrenees, up again towards the German/Swiss border then back towards the manche for the triumphant homecoming (something like that). Aside from that I really have no idea what to expect apart from probably a lot of crying and leg pain.

I would be very grateful for any general tips particularly on basic preparation for someone who's never toured before as well as what to expect generally. Also any info about cycling in France would be useful, although I'm aware there's loads on this topic already online.

Thanks!

 

[Ian Cooper]

You shouldn't have much pain unless you really plan on pushing yourself hard. I was 22 when I spent a year cycling around Europe - staying at Youth Hostels - and the only training I did was a 3.5 mile commute for 4 years (not training per-se - just commuting to work). My advice - stop whenever you're tired, take some time to look around and take in the sights (and not at a run with a camera, like one fellow I met did), don't have a rigid plan, don't carry too much cash, make sure you have a way to get your money securely and have a back-up source of funding in case everything goes wrong.

 

[Ian Cooper]

Oh, and if you're heading to the Pyrenees and the German-Swiss border, don't miss Carcassonne and try to visit Interlaken. Trust me on these.

The Carcassonne Youth Hostel is in the old city - you should try to stay there. Interlaken has the famous Balmers Hostel - definitely worth a visit.

 

[Joel]

Okay cool, funnily enough have been to Interlaken about ten years ago..would be nice to go back. And thanks for the advice!

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Hi

I put all my cycling in France tips here:

http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/my-tips-for-cycling-in-france.80485/

On a more touring note, I think the most important thing is to enjoy yourself and not to worry about how many kms you do etc. I was your age when I started touring - cycled from Bath (my home town) to John o'Groats and back. All I remember of this ride was push push push - I had this weird idea I had to do it as fast as possible. Still, it didn't put me off - I've been cycle touring ever since. As for leg pain etc - if you listen to your body, take regular breaks, keep spinning the pedals, use your low gears when you have to, eat and drink correctly - it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

France is empty during the holidays..it seemed each town was a ghost town...I found the entire french population eventually on the beach at montpellier.

The roads are ace, the municipal campsite (le camping) are well placed, cheap and usually have a shower block. Do not kid yourself that it does not rain in france, or that there are no hills. It can get extremely hot in the south so be ready with sunblock and water etc.

Get a road atlas...and plan each days ride the night before in the tent...I just drew a marker pen line on the map and followed it.....dont take the entire atlas ..ripp out only the pages you need. I didnt see a single bike shop from calais to montpellier...although I am told they do exisit in france...I was avoiding town as much as possible though.

Do not pitch a tent on the local football pitch on friday night, the referees whistle on saturday morning is not a good start to your weekend!

 

[Jimmy Doug]

There aren't many LBS in France. This is the Décathlon effect. It's unfortunate, but true. In my local big town (Amiens) there's only one LBS - there are over ten in Bath (where I'm from) which is a town less than half the size of Amiens. This is why I avoid going to Décathlon. So, if you need bike repairs or new parts, you'll find them mostly outside of the town centres. It's true that Décathlon does give a mostly good service, though, and you'll never be far from one.