Inspire me, please!

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Polite

Über Member
- 3 weeks in summer (end of July to 22nd ish of August) but could extend a bit
- camping
- 60-80k a day max
- touring bike not cross country
- prefer France
- reasonably fit (managed Mt Ventoux last year)
- cycling alone
- based in South east (near to Newhaven/Portsmouth)

Many thanks for the inspiration/ideas/feedback in advance.
 
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andym

Über Member
It's always a good idea to say where you are based, and/or where you could easily get to - that at least helps narrow things down a bit: hopping on a ferry to Brittany or Normandy would be an obvious suggestion for someone in south-western or southern England but not so helpful for someone in Scotland.

And surely you've got some idea of where you'd be interested in going?
 
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Polite

Polite

Über Member
It's always a good idea to say where you are based, and/or where you could easily get to - that at least helps narrow things down a bit: hopping on a ferry to Brittany or Normandy would be an obvious suggestion for someone in south-western or southern England but not so helpful for someone in Scotland.

And surely you've got some idea of where you'd be interested in going?
Thanks, I've taken your two comments on board but I think there is also quite a lot of specific information in my original post.
 

andym

Über Member
Ah yes I missed the bits about based near Portsmouth/Newhaven, and preferring France. D'Oh. It's getting late.
 

vernon

Harder than Ronnie Pickering
Location
Meanwood, Leeds
Have a look at Eurovelo Six. Pedal from St Malo to St Nazaire and then head east along the Loire valley. I liked it so much that I did it twice.
 
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Polite

Polite

Über Member
Have a look at Eurovelo Six. Pedal from St Malo to St Nazaire and then head east along the Loire valley. I liked it so much that I did it twice.

Sounds good, though I cycled from Nantes across the Loire Valley a couple of years ago. I'm thinking of "La vèlodyssée", the Atlantic route from Roscoff to Hendaye (1,245km). The only thing I can't reconcile is doing a pre-planned route!
 

vernon

Harder than Ronnie Pickering
Location
Meanwood, Leeds
Sounds good, though I cycled from Nantes across the Loire Valley a couple of years ago. I'm thinking of "La vèlodyssée", the Atlantic route from Roscoff to Hendaye (1,245km). The only thing I can't reconcile is doing a pre-planned route!

How about a Channel to Med ride? Calais to Montpelier - the European Bike Express picks up from Montpellier and will drop you off at Calais or Dover.
 

xilios

Veteran
Location
Maastricht, NL
There is a cycling route along the Pyrenees.
 
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Polite

Polite

Über Member
How about a Channel to Med ride? Calais to Montpelier - the European Bike Express picks up from Montpellier and will drop you off at Calais or Dover.
Food for thought, have you ever done it/any thoughts?
 

vernon

Harder than Ronnie Pickering
Location
Meanwood, Leeds
Food for thought, have you ever done it/any thoughts?

Yes I've done it. It was my first tour out of the UK and a memorable one.

The route that I took was:

Calais
Wissant
Marquise
Desyres
Beussent
Montreuil
Abbeville
Yzeux
Amiens
Roye
Noyon
Blerancourt
Soissons
Chateau-Thierry
Montmirail
Sezanne
Mesgrigny
Troyes
Verrieres
Ville Noyenne
Merry-sur-Arce
Chatillon-sur-Saône
Dijon
Beaune
Chalon-sur-saône
Cuisery
Pont-de-Vaux
Pont-de-Veyle
Trevoux
Lyon
Pierre Benite
Grigny
Givors
Vienne (West Bank)
Tournon
Valence
Le Teil
Viviers
Pierrelatte
Orange
Avignon
Arles
through the Carmargue and onto Montpellier.

The route takes you through the Somme, some great wine growing areas including Chateau Neuf du Pape - the vineyards look inhospitable to any form of vegetation, Provence - the smells from the wild herbs are fantastic. Orange has a great Roman ampitheatre and a Roman Arc de Triumph. There's flamingos at the Mediterranean coast and in the Carmargue, coypus forma significant part of the roadkill.
 
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Polite

Polite

Über Member
Yes I've done it. It was my first tour out of the UK and a memorable one.

The route that I took was:

Calais
Wissant
Marquise
Desyres
Beussent
Montreuil
Abbeville
Yzeux
Amiens
Roye
Noyon
Blerancourt
Soissons
Chateau-Thierry
Montmirail
Sezanne
Mesgrigny
Troyes
Verrieres
Ville Noyenne
Merry-sur-Arce
Chatillon-sur-Saône
Dijon
Beaune
Chalon-sur-saône
Cuisery
Pont-de-Vaux
Pont-de-Veyle
Trevoux
Lyon
Pierre Benite
Grigny
Givors
Vienne (West Bank)
Tournon
Valence
Le Teil
Viviers
Pierrelatte
Orange
Avignon
Arles
through the Carmargue and onto Montpellier.

The route takes you through the Somme, some great wine growing areas including Chateau Neuf du Pape - the vineyards look inhospitable to any form of vegetation, Provence - the smells from the wild herbs are fantastic. Orange has a great Roman ampitheatre and a Roman Arc de Triumph. There's flamingos at the Mediterranean coast and in the Carmargue, coypus forma significant part of the roadkill.
Cheers for this!
 
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