Few questions about cycling in France

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c_g_24

Regular
Hello,

I was hoping to get some advice about a trip I am planning for next year. I have had a look around this forum and there is a lot of information that I have found very useful, however I have a few questions that I was hoping someone experienced could help me with.

I am going to get a train down to Perpignan and cycle back up to Caen. I am hoping to do this in around two weeks, maybe 16 days. I've calculated it should be about 50 miles a day cycling.

Is this going to be troublesome given that I would be cycling this far every day for two weeks? I will also have all of my belongings weighing me down as I intend to camp every night. What kind of training would be recommended for this type of trip?

Also, I am attempting to plan a route. Google maps appears to have a feature that lets me select a bicycle route. Does anyone have any experience of using this? Google maps has provided me with a route to work from however don't want to use it if it if the feature has proven to be unreliable.

Many thanks
 

fraefreuchie

Veteran
Location
Howe of Fife
Hi c_g_24
Welcome to the forum. You have come to the right place for experienced cycle tourists. Many experienced cycle tourists work on an average of 50 miles per day which allows plenty of time for taking pictures and smelling the roses.
In order to advise you about training one would need to know something of your cycling background, age and fitness and when you plan to make your trip. In June 2012 I cycled from just north of Perpignan to Edinburgh via St Malo in 15 cycling days when I was 60 years old.

[url]http://briansbigbikeride.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/raissac-to-carcassonne.html[/URL]

Via Michelin is good for planning cycling routes. Having selected a general route via large towns it will supply 3 alternative bike friendly routes between places 150 km apart.
My general advice would be: don't over plan. There are lots of municipal campsites in France. If you would like detailed information I would be happy to discuss your plans with you.
Good luck and enjoy.
 
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Saskia

Well-Known Member
50 miles a day would be too much for my husband and me. More like 50 km on flat terrain. It all depends on how many pictures one takes, how many roses one smells, how long you linger in the mornings, how late you get on the road ... Whether you're cycling alone or with one other person or several others makes a difference. Four people of similar ability can be slowed up greatly if the whole group stops whenever someone wants to put a jacket on, take a jacket off, get a drink, take a photograph ... Having to stop often to check maps will also slow you up considerably.
I've used Google Maps to plan, but that was several years ago (before the cycling feature was added) and found that we were cycling 10-20% farther than I had planned.
We cycled in Britanny several years ago and were undertrained for the terrain. We used the Bikeline guide and were constantly stopping to navigate (only time I've had a bad experience with Bikeline). And we were thrown for a loop by the fact that every village has a Rue or Avenue General LeClerc. Nevertheless, we're planning a trip next summer to France. In the running are a portion of the Euro Velo 6, Geneva to Lyon (plus an add-on before Geneva or after Lyon) or Rouen to Caen plus some more of Normandy.
 

fraefreuchie

Veteran
Location
Howe of Fife
Sorry Brandane.
Thanks Mark Grant
I have fixed the link now.
Neither Google nor via Michelin is good at finding Voies vertes or other cycle ways. It is possible to cycle from near Perpignan to near Bordeaux without going on a road. However voies vertes and canal side paths do not have cafes boulangeries and patisseries alongside them.
 

mcr

Veteran
Location
North Bucks
I used Google Maps to plan my last tour (see unfinished journal in the link in my sig), not so much for its route-finding capabilities, but more for the fairly extensive Streetview coverage in France. It amounted to a degree of pre-planning that is probably anathema to most on here, but then I enjoy spending hours, days staring at maps to find the best route from A to B, eg ways to avoid a section of fast main road, routing along a potentially attractive river valley, passing a castle or historic bastide village, etc - but then I think I have a paranoia about not wasting the chance to experience the best an area has to offer, which I might miss by allowing an automated route-finder - with different criteria - to do the work for me. So using Streetview and the satellite imagery, I was able to zoom in and find many stretches of tarmacced farm roads and C-level lanes that don't appear on the Michelin or aren't obviously passable roads on the IGN maps. I also found useful, signed cycle routes that seem to appear nowhere on published maps (nor even OpenCycleMap), such as a backroads valley route in the Dordogne and an undeveloped (but eminently passable) Voie Verte in the Aveyron. I suppose I'm of the mentality that questions every decision a satnav or online routing site makes for me - they can be useful tools, but I don't like to be ruled by them.
 

HelenD123

Legendary Member
Location
York
I would be factoring in a couple of rest days over two weeks so that would mean either shortening your route of doing more per day. It's good to have some contingency/flexibility in case you run into a strong head wind which slows you down or some good company or an attractive chateau which tempts you to linger.
 

Brandane

Legendary Member
Sorry Brandane.
Thanks Mark Grant
I have fixed the link now.
Neither Google nor via Michelin is good at finding Voies vertes or other cycle ways. It is possible to cycle from near Perpignan to near Bordeaux without going on a road. However voies vertes and canal side paths do not have cafes boulangeries and patisseries alongside them.
An excellent read! You seem to have the same kind of luck with the weather on cycling trips as I do :rain:.
 
OP
OP
C

c_g_24

Regular
Hello,

Thankyou all for your replies.

To answer the questions: I am 31 years old and of pretty good fitness (exercise 4 times weekly, weightlifting and kickboxing). I have not been on a bicycle for over a year.
I am planning to do the trip to France in April next year alone, so I won't be held up by anyone else. I do not plan to stop to see the sights - this is a trip I want to do to challenge myself. I would prefer not to be on the road the whole time however, so cycling for most of the day (depending on how much this would effect me physically over two weeks) with a few hours rest in the evening would be ideal.

I have been looking at how to get down to Perpignan to start the trip. The easiest way I can see is to get the ferry over and then the train down to the South. I've read alot on the different rules for different trains and taking bikes, and the easiest thing to do seems to be to buy a bike bag to transport the dismantled bike. Will carrying this alongside panniers etc on the train be troublesome? I can imagine that it will seem like quite a bit of luggage..

Panniers - I have read that it will be easier to get front and rear panniers to transport gear, as opposed to having rear panniers and a bag on my back, as cycling this distance with a bag on your back will end up painful. Anyone got any experience of this? Also, is it better to book campsites in advance or just find them along the way. I am aware that France has plenty of campsites as I have spent some time over the previously camping, however I am a bit concerned about not finding a campsite at the end of a long day cycling.
I plan to get the ferry back over to the UK from Caen at the end of the trip. I was going to book a ferry ticket before the trip, but was thinking that maybe it would be better not to just in case anything changes (I am faster/slower than I thought).

Thanks again for your advice.
 

JPLL

Regular
Hi - good luck with your trip, it sounds great.
In response to your queries in your last post - I wouldn't carry anything on my back, use panniers instead. I prefer 4 panniers, but there will be loads of people who think that 2 will suffice.
I don't book campsites in advance, but try to locate in advance suitable campsites @ 50 miles or so..........it sometimes goes wrong, but never has been a problem and there is always a campsite somewhere.
Booking the ferry - is the cost cheaper if booked in advance. If it is I would book it and if you are faster than you thought, have a day on the beach.....if you are slower........erm, after 2 weeks you will be fit and able to cover more than 50 miles.
 

Poacher

Gravitationally challenged member
Location
Nottingham
Sounds like the makings of a memorable tour!
For transport, my first thought was that the European Bike Express drops off at Perpignan, but I think it only starts in May.
There are plenty of campsites, but many are highly seasonal, especially as you get further north (extreme examples are just July and August!), so as @JPLL suggests, check in advance.
The Municipal Campings site has useful maps of locations and links, so you can maybe note details of sites on or near your planned route: don't just note the ones at 50 mile intervals, in case you do an unexpectedly long or short day and throw your plans out of kilter! The annual Michelin Camping France guide can be useful for both municipal and privately-run sites - nearly new copies can often be found very cheaply in charity shops.
When I was young and even more foolish than I am now, I travelled with rear panniers and rucksack. Not recommended!
With your level of fitness you should have no difficulty averaging 50 miles per day, but to be sure, get plenty of practice this year with loaded panniers.

Enjoy!
 
I went down on European Bike Express too, it was a good experience dropped off in Perpignan . One thing I would recommend is taking re-enforced tent pegs as the ground was so hard I ended up using 4 inch nails and penny washers to hold the tent down as it was pretty windy at times.
 

asterix

Comrade Member
Location
Limoges or York
I went down on European Bike Express too, it was a good experience dropped off in Perpignan . One thing I would recommend is taking re-enforced tent pegs as the ground was so hard I ended up using 4 inch nails and penny washers to hold the tent down as it was pretty windy at times.

What I do is take just one steel tent peg with my lightweight ones. I bash a hole in the ground with it then extract it to reuse the hole for an alloy one.

Of course you can get strong lightweight pegs but they are pricey and still not as strong as a good steel rod.

Must admit I have used municipal sites when they are closed. Just to pitch the tent for the night really as the other facilities can be a bit lacking.
 

jay clock

Massive member
Location
Hampshire UK
Just spotted this. A read of one of many journals on CGOAB might give general help. Try mine for a starter http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/julian2012

50 miles a day sounds fine. You will get faster/longer as you progress. In terms of training do lots of short rides initially (say 5 days a week of 3-4 mile) then add a mile or two per week, and once at 10 miles, jump to a couple of 15 milers per week, then a couple of 25 ,milers, then one 40 miler etc. It is about getting comfy on the bike, managing nutrition etc.

Bags, panniers is the way to go. I can manage a summer camping tour with just rear ones if pushed. (see blog above). If you add front ones you WILL fill them, and the panniers and rack alone will add 2-3kgs empty. I also STRONGLY recommend one of these http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/pro...rowse/accessories/bags/handlebar-bags-baskets which has a map case

Using the bar bag above for maps- I use the viamichelin website and real paper Michelin 1:150 maps. Allows for non stop on the go navigation which is a MASSIVE plus. Nothing slows me more than stopping every 2k, getting a map out, checking, and starting off again

Trains SHOULD be doable but will be a hassle. Personally I would fly. Avoid Ryanair. Easyjet are good with bikes. I put mine in a plastic bag
 
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