Holiday Time!

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bikeman66

Senior Member
Location
Isle of Wight
Well, five months after coming back from Provence (and having not taken a bike with me), I'm all booked up for a week's riding down there in late April / early May.

I drove up Mont Ventoux while we were on holiday down there in August, and, inspired by the sheer numbers of cyclists on the mountain, promised myself I would ride up the legendary climb before I hit 50. So, having twisted the good lady's arm in to letting me borrow her car (a 1,500 mile round trip in a Transit pick up just didn't seem too appealing), signing a couple of mates up for company, and booked the house and euro tunnel, we're off for a, hopefully, glorious week of cycling.

Have already uploaded five circular rides in to the Garmin, varying between 55 and 100km's, including a climb of Ventoux via the Bedoin route, followed by a descent down to Malaucene.

Although I have ridden bikes for years, I left road cycling behind back in my late teens and moved on to mountain bikes. I thoroughly enjoyed competing in various events and exploring the fantastic bridleways down here on the Isle of Wight. However, I was so fantastically inspired by the constant stream of men, women and children riding up Mont Ventoux, as I rather guiltily drove past them that day in August, that as soon as I arrived back in England I ordered myself a nice new Felt F95.

I'll admit that my first experience of a road bike in nearly 30 years was less than awe inspiring, as I gingerly cycled up the road, trying to tune in to the apparent twitchy handling, and slightly bone jarring ride. That was back in September, and I'm pleased to say that the Felt has re-kindled a love of cycling on tarmac, and only intensified a love of two wheels in general. The mountain bike, a Scott Reflex 20, still plays a large part in my cycling life, but I have to say that there is nothing like the exhilaration of nailing a climb or hitting a fast descent on the F95. I just love it!

Hoping the weather will play ball, and make it a week to remember in April/May!
 

Shut Up Legs

Down Under Member
I'm looking forward to riding up Mont Ventoux in September, during the cycling tour I recently booked. :smile:
 
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bikeman66

bikeman66

Senior Member
Location
Isle of Wight
Got any info on the house you booked please ?
Hi Cuchilo,

Yes, a search for Maison du Puits, Boulbon on Trip Advisor should bring it up. The village of Boulbon is about 15km South-west of Avignon. After fairly extensive research, we found it was one of the most reasonably priced houses to rent (we're paying £500 for the week in late April, and only paid about £740 per week in August last year, which isn't bad considering it will sleep up to 8). It also has secure storage for bikes. The village is only a couple of Km's from the river Rhone so there is a real cross section of flat and hilly/mountainous terrain pretty much on the doorstop.

I'll try and get the link to it put up later.
 
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bikeman66

bikeman66

Senior Member
Location
Isle of Wight
I'm looking forward to riding up Mont Ventoux in September, during the cycling tour I recently booked. :smile:
Hi Victor

I think you'll love it. Such a great area for cycling, and I kicked myself for not taking a bike in August. Hopefully April will prove to be a great riding holiday.

Have you booked your tour with a specialist company, or are you organising it yourself? If it is organised, what company are you using please?
 

Shut Up Legs

Down Under Member
Hi Victor

I think you'll love it. Such a great area for cycling, and I kicked myself for not taking a bike in August. Hopefully April will prove to be a great riding holiday.

Have you booked your tour with a specialist company, or are you organising it yourself? If it is organised, what company are you using please?
I've booked it with Le Domestique Tours: http://www.ledomestiquetours.co.uk/
I chose the KoM TdF tour: 800km with 21,000m climbing over 7 days. It will make me or break me. :eek: Looking forward to it, though: so many lovely mountains to climb.
 

Cuchilo

Prize winning member X2
Location
London
Hi Cuchilo,

Yes, a search for Maison du Puits, Boulbon on Trip Advisor should bring it up. The village of Boulbon is about 15km South-west of Avignon. After fairly extensive research, we found it was one of the most reasonably priced houses to rent (we're paying £500 for the week in late April, and only paid about £740 per week in August last year, which isn't bad considering it will sleep up to 8). It also has secure storage for bikes. The village is only a couple of Km's from the river Rhone so there is a real cross section of flat and hilly/mountainous terrain pretty much on the doorstop.

I'll try and get the link to it put up later.
Thanks for that . A trip out there may be on the cards this year for two of us . I think £250 each to stay in an 8 bedroom house for the week is very good value and would actually add to the experience of the holiday .
( edit ) This one ? http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Vacati...ovence-Boulbon_Bouches_du_Rhone_Provence.html
 
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bikeman66

bikeman66

Senior Member
Location
Isle of Wight
Thanks for that . A trip out there may be on the cards this year for two of us . I think £250 each to stay in an 8 bedroom house for the week is very good value and would actually add to the experience of the holiday .
( edit ) This one ? http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Vacati...ovence-Boulbon_Bouches_du_Rhone_Provence.html
Hi again Cuchilo,

Yes, that's the one.

The house sleeps eight, but has three bedrooms. There are two double rooms, one twin room and a pull-out bed in the lounge. There's plenty of space, and although it is not air conditioned, we found it stayed nice and cool, even on the warmest days, as long as you close the shutters whenyougoout in the morning.

Boulbon is pretty quiet, but has a bakery and shop about two minutes walk from the house, and a bar about three or four minutes away. There is a major sized Carrefour supermarket in Beaucaire, approximately 8km away. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Maison du Puits, and it's easy to get out and about from the village.

Another major bonus is that if you are driving from the euro tunnel or ferry at Calais you don't have to go through Paris. We stopped overnight in Troyes on the way down, but drove door to door on the way back, which is well do-able if you have two drivers.

I'll be putting a review of our trip in April on here when we get back, with some photographs hopefully.
 
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bikeman66

bikeman66

Senior Member
Location
Isle of Wight
I've booked it with Le Domestique Tours: http://www.ledomestiquetours.co.uk/
I chose the KoM TdF tour: 800km with 21,000m climbing over 7 days. It will make me or break me. :eek: Looking forward to it, though: so many lovely mountains to climb.
Good luck with that one Victor!

21,000 metres of climbing in seven days will certainly test you, but the scenery is just phenomenal. Make sure you've got the camera! Maybe share some pictures on here when you're done?

Have a great time.
 
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