Bigtallfatbloke
New Member
...chances are if I go then i will needa LBS several times on the trip...so it would be handy to know where they are. Does anybody know of a good map or POI file with the French LBS listed??
Bike shops in France....is there a map..or POI file anywhere?
- Thread starter Bigtallfatbloke
- Start date
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I have just cycled through Basse Mormandie and the Loire and saw 3 bike shops. One was closed as it was Monday and the other 2 were tacked onto motorbike shops. I have no idea as to their qualities but I wouldn't hold your breath for a site naming them all. Head for a big town or trust to luck is my motto!
I concur with rich P - despite the french having a rich cycling heritage compared to their teutonic neighbors the bike shops (with notable excetions in the very big cities) are generally few and far between and poorly stocked with what you want - i have generally been very lucky on the few occasions that i have needed a bike shop that they have had something i could make do with
basics you can very often buy in the medium to big supermarkets - very well stocked - i always have a quick look and make a mental inventory of what i could buy if need be
basics you can very often buy in the medium to big supermarkets - very well stocked - i always have a quick look and make a mental inventory of what i could buy if need be
If there's an emergency you could task someone back home to get on the web and see if there's a Decathlon nearby. They are well stocked with bike bits, mavic wheels, etc.
In July we were about 30 miles North of Saint Etienne when my friends rear wheel started falling apart, quick call to my Mum and we had directions to the St. Etienne decathlon shop a few minutes later! Good service aswell, they were very busy yet put a new spoke in and re-trued the wheel straightaway for 8 euros.
We passed an LBS on the way there but they didn't stock the right gauge spokes!
In July we were about 30 miles North of Saint Etienne when my friends rear wheel started falling apart, quick call to my Mum and we had directions to the St. Etienne decathlon shop a few minutes later! Good service aswell, they were very busy yet put a new spoke in and re-trued the wheel straightaway for 8 euros.
We passed an LBS on the way there but they didn't stock the right gauge spokes!
Aperitif
Meme bar
- Location
- ...I don't have much idea - really.
There will be store locations if you google 
asterix
Comrade Member
- Location
- Limoges or York
Just ask around.. But they are a bit sparse. Very often sports shops have a fair range of parts.
It's better to have a well fettled bike that won't let you down. Why do you think you will have so many probs?
It's better to have a well fettled bike that won't let you down. Why do you think you will have so many probs?
OP
OP
Bigtallfatbloke
New Member
Aperitif thanks for those links..very useful. I am trying to find out how to get those details as POI info for my gps. I found out about GPS converter from that site but cant get it to work because of some error called a header which is greek to me.
Asterix...put it this way, I just want to give myself as easy a life as I can when I am 30 miles from the nearest humanoid and my bike decides to have a bad day. It may not happen, but it has happened to me on both my previous tours, so if I have to limp along or walk to a bike shop, I'd rather know first where it is before I limp/walk a long way in the wrong direction.
Asterix...put it this way, I just want to give myself as easy a life as I can when I am 30 miles from the nearest humanoid and my bike decides to have a bad day. It may not happen, but it has happened to me on both my previous tours, so if I have to limp along or walk to a bike shop, I'd rather know first where it is before I limp/walk a long way in the wrong direction.
vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
Bigtallfatbloke said:
Bike shops are not as common as one might expect. Many of them are closed on Mondays along with other retailers some are appended to motor cycle/moped dealers with a very sparse range of cycling spares. Decathlons are good and have dedicated cycle departments. I bought a new rear wheel from the Decathlon near Macon for a very modest sum. Its budget price was matched by corner cutting in its production but it gave a year's service before I terminally weakened it on a fast ride over a very rutted surface.
A good source of info for nearby bike shops in France are the tourist information centres which most towns appear to have in various guises.
