Doing the Loire Valley.

[gavroche]

I would love to go from Orleans ( my home town) to Angers on my Specialized Roubaix Elite , and back over one week possibly. . I would only carry a small rucksack with spare socks, undies, shorts , shoes and T-shirt, no bags or paniers. In other words, travel very light. I would stay in Chambre d'hotes / hotels along the way and take pot luck for it. No bookings as I have no idea where I will stop every night. Has any one already gone that way and is it ok on 28mm tyres?

 

[PK99]

I would love to go from Orleans ( my home town) to Angers on my Specialized Roubaix Elite , and back over one week possibly. . I would only carry a small rucksack with spare socks, undies, shorts , shoes and T-shirt, no bags or paniers. In other words, travel very light. I would stay in Chambre d'hotes / hotels along the way and take pot luck for it. No bookings as I have no idea where I will stop every night. Has any one already gone that way and is it ok on 28mm tyres?

I haven't but plan to. mates have and it would be a doodle. there is a great website I can't remember...

 

[psmiffy]

yes and yes

 

[gavroche]

yes and yes

Could you expand a little bit on the first "yes" please?

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I would love to go from Orleans ( my home town) to Angers on my Specialized Roubaix Elite , and back over one week possibly. . I would only carry a small rucksack with spare socks, undies, shorts , shoes and T-shirt, no bags or paniers. In other words, travel very light. I would stay in Chambre d'hotes / hotels along the way and take pot luck for it. No bookings as I have no idea where I will stop every night. Has any one already gone that way and is it ok on 28mm tyres?

My brother did the Loire valley and on up to Bâle this summer. I'm fairly sure that he said I'd have been fine on 28mm tyres in summer (i.e. fairly dry) but I'll email him and check.

 

[psmiffy]

Which bit of the first yes do you want expanding?

 

[gavroche]

Which bit of the first yes do you want expanding?

Did you do it on normal roads or cycle route? I am asking as the "D" roads seem to be running close to the river too with possibly more shops (for food) and accommodations going through villages. Not really interested in visiting the chateaux as I have seen most of them before.

 

[psmiffy]

Mostly the cycle route this time - also did it a couple of decades ago before the Loire Velo existed as proper entity - no biggy then either

 

[Yellow Saddle]

No and yes.

 

[Brandane]

Yes/yes.
Buy the guide book "The Complete Loire a vélo Trail" and it will do the navigation for you.
I will edit with my Strava pages for that section if I can find them. Suffice to say that it is mostly very flat and easy going; so yes you could do it on any bike with any tyres. Angers to Orleans is less than 200 miles, all of it on minor roads or well surfaced proper cycle paths of the type found in France which I am sure you are familiar with!

Edit.... Doesn't time fly. Looking back at my posts on here it would seem that I did the Loire Valley trip in August 2012 (seems like yesterday, scarily); that pre-dates my first Garmin purchase so no Strava.

 

[Brains]

We did it about 5 years ago
We used the BilkeLine book which has excellent maps, including surface.
I dont remember anything that was beyond skinny tyres, a lot was back roads and cycle roads in top of the flood defences

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Brother's reply after his tour (St Nazaire - Bâle) this summer: ''All the riding we did in France would have been fine on skinny tyres. We did, on occasion, opt for a rougher route but these would have been fine on touring tyres with a little care.''

 

[bigjim]

I've done that area on 28c tyres and 25s. No problems. Don't rely on shops, hotels or bars in villages. France is pretty empty these days. I usually stock up when I see a Lidl. I carry a small emergency tent and lightweight sleeping bag in France. I try not to use them though.

 

[midliferider]

I would love to go from Orleans ( my home town) to Angers on my Specialized Roubaix Elite , and back over one week possibly. . I would only carry a small rucksack with spare socks, undies, shorts , shoes and T-shirt, no bags or paniers. In other words, travel very light. I would stay in Chambre d'hotes / hotels along the way and take pot luck for it. No bookings as I have no idea where I will stop every night. Has any one already gone that way and is it ok on 28mm tyres?

When do you plan to do this?
I was thinking of doing it in 2018.

 

[gavroche]

When do you plan to do this?
I was thinking of doing it in 2018.

Had a chat with my son in law and stepson today and we are planning to do Coast to Coast first in the spring, so Loire Valley on hold at the moment.