As a family we were bitten
by the cycling bug many years ago. What started out as buying three second hand
road bikes has morphed into an obsession; with more money being spent on bikes,
technology, technical clothing and gadgets than I dare to add up. We like
nothing better than packing a picnic for a day out cycling in the French
countryside, or even better, packing the panniers and setting off to explore an
area of France on a cycle touring holiday. You really feel the contours of the
land on a bike, the scents of the hedgerows and fields accompanying each pedal
stroke, the heat from the tarmac reflecting back at you, the wind in your face
and the sun on your back; travel by bike is the best way to experience France.
On this page you will
find links to all posts on a cycling theme. Some of these will be cycling book
reviews and some will be posts about our days out with photos of the lovely
villages and places of interest we see along the way. Our bike rides tend to range from 20km to 80km and usually involve a
picnic or beer stop, or both if I’m lucky. Once a year, around my birthday, I
challenge myself to cycle 100kms in a day, a tradition I hope to continue for
many years. In 2017 we completed a six day, 437km figure of eight circuit
around the Deux-Sèvres department and raised 2,605€ for the children’s make a
wish association Rêves.
 |
| Tour de Rêves, The Deux-Sèvres Monthly October 2017 |
France has over
22,000km of marked cycle routes (that will keep me busy for a while) so you
should be able to find something for you on the Véloroutes and Voires Verteswebsite, here. Some of these are Grand Itinéries, often taking you from one
side of France to another, but many are smaller circuits or restored sections
of old railway lines.