Road bike hire/ training/ hills and stuff, France

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palinurus

Velo, boulot, dodo
Location
Watford
One of these days I'm going to go to France and ride some big hills.

Some people I know are going somewhere in Italy for a sort of training holiday where there's different rides each day from the Hotel and you can hire a good road bike for 100 euros a week and eat as much as you like etc.

So what I'm wondering is whether anyone knows of anything similar in France. My googling has not been very successful so far.
 

Tim Bennet.

Entirely Average Member
Location
S of Kendal
Yes, the hotels around Riccione have got themselves pretty organised.

http://www.riccionebikehotels.it/en/index.jsp

There is also a bike shop now in Porto Pollensa in Majorca that is offering a similar 'bike hire' scheme there at the moment. Some of the hotels on the island also have good quality bikes.

But I don't know of anywhere as organised in the hilly parts of France.
 

Zoom

Über Member
You can hire bikes from a couple of shops in Bourg d'Oisans; I believe there are a few hills in the vicinity ;)

But how are you getting there? surely taking your own bike would be easier (by plane car or European Bike Express) and you'd probably be more used to the brakes as we have them the wrong way round in the UK.

Yes for Mallorca too; hired a couple of bikes there for peanuts and they were better than mine
 
OP
OP
palinurus

palinurus

Velo, boulot, dodo
Location
Watford
Good point about the brakes. I've a very inflexible brain; I still reach for the downtube levers from time to time.

Haven't thought about getting there yet- only just started thinking about going. Couple of things to consider there, thanks.
 

John the Monkey

Frivolous Cyclist
Location
Crewe
You could ask the places you're thinking of staying - when I stayed in Normandy, the owner of the gite there was able to name a few places that hired bikes (the local lawnmower repair guy being one of them ;) )

That was in the Perche region of Normandy - lovely place.
 
Zoom said:
You can hire bikes from a couple of shops in Bourg d'Oisans; I believe there are a few hills in the vicinity ;)

But how are you getting there? surely taking your own bike would be easier (by plane car or European Bike Express) and you'd probably be more used to the brakes as we have them the wrong way round in the UK.

Yes for Mallorca too; hired a couple of bikes there for peanuts and they were better than mine

No no no!:smile::ohmy: We have the the correct way round!! The europeans have got things wonky!
 

will

Guest
Are UK brakes really reversed? or is my sense of humor on tilt.

FWIW, You can easily rent road bikes at the base of Ventoux .
 

Zoom

Über Member
will said:
Are UK brakes really reversed? or is my sense of humor on tilt.
.

all bikes supplied in the UK have the front brake activated by the RH brake lever; apparently it's a legal requirement although nothing wrong in swapping them over afterwards or building your own bike the other way round; Australia also has it that way. I can't see what difference it makes myself as I have them round the continental way (ps I'm European too!)
 
There are 2 bike shops in Bourg D'osians ('Valley of the Birds' in literal translation believe - altho my French is abysmal - even after 5 years in school and many many trips Tour watching to Bourg).

The bigger one at the end of the pedestrian precinct has a good stock of carbon bikes for hire - most with triple chainsets. The smaller shop further up only has a few mainly - alloy ones (again triple).

The bigger shop has a huge stock of clothing (a bit overpriced - but sometimes there are bargains to be had). They have several excellent mechanics working in the backshop - but don't expect quick service - especially on the day before the Marmotte !

Yes if you like hills (or in most cases mountains) then this area is for you. If not then steer well clear (or just pootle along the flat road between Bourg and Allemont !).

Yes I'll be at Bourg again this year for the Marmotte..............see ya there !
 

mr Mag00

rising member
Location
Deepest Dorset
i have all my bikes the other way round as i feel, happier and use my rear brake more, i'm right handed and have better control of the rear brake.
 

Greenbank

Über Member
Jacomus-rides-Gen said:
No no no!:cry::ohmy: We have the the correct way round!! The europeans have got things wonky!

Both the UK and France have brakes set up the right way, even though they are different. It's because we drive/cycle on opposite sides of the road.

The standard setup is for the kerbside lever to operate the rear brake. The non-kerbside (i.e. traffic-side) arm is used for the right-turn or "slowing" arm signal and it is "better" to have the remaining hand operate the rear brake than the front (which could be lost on heavy/panic braking on poor surface, gravel, wet, ice, etc).

If you swap sides of the road you need to swap the brakes over to retain kerbside=rear brake.
 

amrushton

New Member
Location
North Manchester
Going back to the OP, there aren't really any hire shops etc as in Majorca or Italy. It tends to be companies that tour thro' the Alps and you bring your bike. It is useful to do the supported thing but it is more expensive.
 
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