Provence in september: Bédoin, Malaucène, Sault area

[Shadow]

I shall be in this vicinity early next month for a holiday and am taking the bike. If any CC'er also happens to be around (@Shut Up Legs, @Jimidh, @suzeworld?) and would like some company for a short ride, then please get in touch. It does not have to include the local hill !

 

[suzeworld]

Aw - what a shame I missed seeing this, the alert only just showed on my screen .. anyway we are back now .. and in fact ... you are on about September ...

You will enjoy it for sure, just so awesome where ever you go round there .. ..

I logged some of my rides on cycle metre and mapmyride dunno if they share properly, will try to send links

 

[suzeworld]

hmmm - I logged 7 different rides on mapymy ride when were there, mainly to get a real idea of the ascnets, as I think cyclemetre is way out on that data ..

I just set them all to unlocked so other ppl can see them, and will try to share them .. I would love to talk about the relative merits of each of them if you are not so famililar with the area ... we have been around there many times and these places are full of different qualities.

 

[suzeworld]

Think these links will work!
We were staying near Monnieux so most of our routes start near there.

This one is called Gorge-ous! Starts near Sault / Monnieux - pegs out and up the opposite side of The Gorge de la Nesque, has a stunning long descent in a very remote feeling area back to Villes sur Auzon then return up the 12 miles gentle, beautiful climb of the Gorge. We did this about three times .. it is so lovely and super quiet.
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/811179841

gorge de la nesque

• suzeworld
• 18 Aug 2015
• 1

Quite near the top, if you know what you are looking for you can just about see the road winding...

 

[suzeworld]

If you follow that one you can probably see my others, let me know if you cannot .. and let me know if you want to chat more about these options.
How long you there for? We were there for 3 weeks this year! hence so many rides done.

< that photo is Ventoux inthe background peddling past the vineyards on a road from Caromb to Beames de Venise

 

[Shadow]

We were there for 3 weeks this year!

Very envious!

Thanks so much for posting your Gorge-ous route, it has worked fine. It will be on my first ride! Will look at others later. I have a few questions that I'll put up later - back to work now!

on a road from Caromb to Beames de Venise

We use this road to get to BdV and beyond. Staying very close to here, a few km east of Caromb.

 

[steveindenmark]

What dates will you be there and where are you flying to?

 

[suzeworld]

Cool, Look forward to chatting even if we cant do the rides together!

 

[Shadow]

Re your Gorge-ous route:

I'm likely to start this at Villes sur Auzon (I don't find the D1 that interesting, altho the last few km heading down into Sault are fantastic!), so would you recommend taking the D942 east from Monnieux towards the D1 and Sault (@miles 32-34)?

At various sections (e.g. @mile 4-5 off D96, @mile 11-15 off D5, @mile 21 to La Lauze off D942) it appears you are going almost off road. Are they roads or more like single lane tracks? Are they in ok condition? Is the route greatly improved either ride-wise or scenic wise by straying off the D5 and D942?

Am not familiar with MapMyRide (MMR) and being a total non-techy, I'm struggling to use MMR fully. I cannot see your other rides - presumably I need to register to do this?

Did you use a garmin/GPS or similar device? Having just googled 'cyclemetre', I probably have answered my own question! I won't be using this or similar as i don't have a smartphone!

 

[suzeworld]

I used cyclemeter, when I was out, but I plotted the rides on mapmyride manually to see what the reading were.

REF the drop on the D1 into Sault, that first house on the right there, about 1/2 a mile before the Monnieux turning is the GITE we had .. lovely grounds and quite good fun watching the diferent tyes setting off UP that climb sometimes ...so that is where most of my routes start ...

For the gorge-ous ride you'd be starting by going up the gorge from VsA entirely on the D942 ..
if it looks like we went off track on that, (or anywhere else) then it is a trick of the technology cos it was all the road, which is in good enough nick.

Once you drop down from the Gorge towards Monnieux you are looking for the right turn (signed Methamis I think)
That's the D96 (or you can go further along, nearly into Sault and cross the bridge to take D943 for a bit of a shallower and prettier climb back up, then you need to cut back across on a little bit of road to the D5.quite near Saint Hubert -

from whence lovely views across the top of the Gorge, can out to Ventoux etc .. from then on it is all downhil, the most lush descent to Methamis and then VsA ..about ten miles of downward!
If you've never been up that little hill to Blauvac, on the left there before you get back to VsA, you might like the pull up as there is a restuarant with a great look out at the top (closed Mondays though!)

I love this ride cos that descent section is so remote, feels very different .. and yes, it was all actual road, albeit a bit broken in places, we were on good road bikes, and plenty of other roadies on it .. and scarcely any cars at all.
Think it clocks up a total of about 35 miles.

 

[suzeworld]

How often have you been round here, dont want to teach my granny to suck eggs!

 

[Shadow]

How often have you been round here, dont want to teach my granny to suck eggs!

No chance of that, which is why I found your Gorge-ous route so useful. I was planning to take a look round the Gorge by bike but it is much easier when someone has been before! Hence my detailed questions.
I know some roads, including a couple of very very minor roads!, but they are all closer to Bedoin. (Some I only know from 4 wheels but I'll keep that quite on here!). This will be fourth visit in four years but last year was first proper visit, i.e. with my road bike, and with a little time to ride.

Thanks for the reply in post #10.

 

[suzeworld]

Right then, I will proceed with other ideas!
Perhaps not tonight, but I am on this with you!

 

[suzeworld]

Col del'Homme Mort - Remarkable? Maybe not quite, but decent any rate!

• suzeworld
• 22 Aug 2015

Here is one we did last year and did again this year cos we really liked it.. recommended by our gite owner who cycles a lot ...
I guess you have to chose where to start for this one, dunno if you are up to doing the extra miles to cycle to Sault up the gorge (and back) or just drive to sault or elsewhere on the route to pick a start.
our version was 65km and total ascent of 1250m.

Col de l'homme mort
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/811208439

What's nice about this is getting into the hills on the other side of Ventoux, and a lovely drop back into Sault after the Col De l'homme Mort ....
Key signposts:
Easy enough to get on the road from Sault to Aurel and drop down towards Montbrun le Bains (map suggests we were off track but we were just on the main road .. D942 / 542 -- gentle drop, good views across fields etc to MV.

VERY near Montbrun le Bains is the tickiest spot .. you have to find the correct left turn which is NOT the D72 into the Toulerenc Valley, but a bit further. It bears right after you get on the road, climbing in the GORGE of the Toulerenc i think that Is the D159. Quite dramatic scenery, not as open as the Gorge de la Nesque, slightly eerie almost .. very quiet!

Turn right at T junction with D546 - sign Sederon,
Pretty flattish / rolling run for a bit, surrounded on all sides by lovely mountain views .. through Sederon (funny little narrow place with no easy cafe stops, but does have a good fountain)
When we go we see lots of lavander fields on this route, but they'll all have been harvested by your visit.

You are back on the D542 - climbing steadilty then to the Col De L'homme mort
Drop down to
Ferrassieres
St Trinit
Sault
Lovely views of Plateau D'Albion and beyond, incl MV obvs.

 

[Shadow]

What a great name!
You have highlighted my main concern, for this trip, in your second sentence - it is a long slog to get to Sault. Part of the deal to take the bike is that Mrs S has use of the car while I ride. So, looking at rides a little further west (I have 1½ plans in mind) and will store this for future reference.
Looks like another good ride - thanks.