My tips for cycling in France

[briantrumpet]

Great read! Now I got some why France is called cycling friendly country. This post has given me a sigh of relief as next month I’m going on French Alps cycling tours. Now I’ll plan accordingly.

If you want any more reading matter, and cycling stuff from the Alpine direction, you might find a bit of relevant stuff in mine: https://unanglaisendiois.wordpress.com/

 

[AlexB]

Have any of you used a foreign (e.g. UK or Australian) powerboard and used a power converter to plug it into a French socket? Does this cause any problems? I want to bring an Australian 4-socket powerboard + Australian/French power adaptors with me in September, and just want to be aware of any caveats on using it.

Yes, I do this all the time. I even have one rewired with a French plug at the in-laws. My wife is French so we go to France a lot. This is the easiest solution rather than having to take dozens of adaptors everywhere.

 

[caitlincourtney]

Thanks for the post, Very informative.

 

[robing]

I haven't cycled much in France, but have in Spain and my impression so far is that France is not as good. Firstly the roads are better in Spain. There is often a good shoulder you can cycle on. In France it's usually absent or if present in pretty poor condition. In many smaller towns the shops seem to be closed. In Spain there are frequent petrol stations which have loos and sell drinks, refreshments and food. In France they seem much less common and the one that you see seem to just sell petrol or are purely automated. Is this a fair representation of France?

 

[briantrumpet]

I haven't cycled much in France, but have in Spain and my impression so far is that France is not as good. Firstly the roads are better in Spain. There is often a good shoulder you can cycle on. In France it's usually absent or if present in pretty poor condition. In many smaller towns the shops seem to be closed. In Spain there are frequent petrol stations which have loos and sell drinks, refreshments and food. In France they seem much less common and the one that you see seem to just sell petrol or are purely automated. Is this a fair representation of France?

It probably depends where you are, but fair for my mainly rural bit of France. But once you know how the system works (shops will often close at 12.30pm and reopen at 3, and restaurants often prefer if you sit down well before 1pm if you're having lunch), then it's still a great place to cycle. Just don't expect the all-day culture of Britain - personally I respect the fact that the French enjoy their lunch break.

Re roads themselves - mostly in very good condition, though some very rural roads (mostly signed as being 'gravillonnée' in wilder parts) are allowed to be a bit more 'natural'. Where there are bike lanes in my area they are in as good a nick as the main carriageway, e.g:

 

[Dave Davenport]

I haven't cycled much in France, but have in Spain and my impression so far is that France is not as good. Firstly the roads are better in Spain. There is often a good shoulder you can cycle on. In France it's usually absent or if present in pretty poor condition. In many smaller towns the shops seem to be closed. In Spain there are frequent petrol stations which have loos and sell drinks, refreshments and food. In France they seem much less common and the one that you see seem to just sell petrol or are purely automated. Is this a fair representation of France?

I've ridden in both countries a fair bit, yes there are differences but I wouldn't say either was 'better' than the other.

 

[Jimmy Doug]

I prefer cycling in France because it's not obligatory to wear a helmet!
In all seriousness, I agree with Dave - I love cycling in both countries. It's true that in Spain you've got that hard shoulder, but I find that on the whole France has a more diverse landscape. Horses for courses.

 

[Dave Davenport]

I prefer cycling in France because it's not obligatory to wear a helmet!

I've never worn a helmet in Spain, but yes I know some people have fallen foul of the rather opaque helmet laws.

 

[briantrumpet]

I've never worn a helmet in Spain, but yes I know some people have fallen foul of the rather opaque helmet laws.

I'll remember to buy a rather opaque helmet if I go to Spain.

 

[robing]

Interesting. I've only touched on France in the southwest near the Pyrenees. I'm doing a diagonale in September (Bayonne to Calais) so will see much more then.

 

[Vertego]

Likewise, I've mainly ridden in the southwest regions of France (although did have a week in the Lot valley near to Cahors about 7 or 8 years ago). This year (early September) looking to spend a week or 2 in/around the Rhone-Alpes region. Can't wait.

Road qualities are variable but generally better than a lot of the roads in the UK, particularly some of the back roads in the Surrey hills. Having said that it seems to me that some French municipal authorities don't spend any of their budgets on road maintenance - some towns/villages have road surfaces that are 'interesting'. Obviously no French equivalent to the Highways Act!

Robin, read your blog. Interesting and some of the areas familiar too.

 

[Jimmy Doug]

Having said that it seems to me that some French municipal authorities don't spend any of their budgets on road maintenance - some towns/villages have road surfaces that are 'interesting'. Obviously no French equivalent to the Highways Act!

I think the problem in France is that in towns and villages roadworks are paid for by local municipal taxes which are the same for every resident of that town or village - France has had a poll tax for a great many years. In the poorer towns, roads are often neglected simply to keep the taxes down - and to ensure the popularity of the mayor: after all, in a country where the car is still very much King (or rather Queen for the French), most people don't notice pot holes like we cyclists do. The larger D and N roads are managed more centrally, and tend to be of excellent quality. The result is that the quality of cycleable roads can be very poor, whereas the quality of un-cycleable roads cyclists is generally excellent.

 

[psmiffy]

I think the problem in Spain is that they benefited from a lot of EEC money for roads they didnt really need - I can recall many years ago riding on empty roads demarcated by blue EEC signs

Edit - Apart from Poland I've never cycled anywhere in Europe that I consciously noticed the condition of the roads - what is what is

 

[psmiffy]

In Spain there are frequent petrol stations which have loos and sell drinks, refreshments and food. In France they seem much less common and the one that you see seem to just sell petrol or are purely automated.

Pretty fair - away from the major roads - Petrol stations sell petrol - cafes sell drinks, refreshments and food

 

[briantrumpet]

cafes sell drinks, refreshments and food

Unless you're in Aigueperse:

Me: Do you have a menu du jour?
Them: Non
Me: Do you do any food at all?
Them: Non
Me: Is there anywhere in Aigueperse that is open that sells food?
Them: Non.

I rather got the idea by the end of the conversation. I went on to the next village and had an unforgettable four-course lunch with a glass of wine, all for 12 euros.

You take the French as they are. And I like them for it.