Tyres for Annecy cycle path

popette

I want to take my road bike to Annecy for our family holiday. Kids are taking their bikes, husband is taking MTB. I would like to do the time trial course plus a couple of other 2/3 hours rides whilst out there - nothing major and I will be going out very early (6am) so to be back in time for all the family stuff. We're staying in a lovely apartment with pool and tennis courts so they will not be twiddling thumbs waiting for me to come back.

If I take my road bike, with my pro race 3 tyres, will they be ok on the cycle path for when I'm riding with the family? is it very gravelly or nice and smooth? I could always hire a mtb if necessary but would prefer just to stay on the road bike if I can.

What d'ya think?

perhaps I'm just being really selfish, wanting to go out on my own. Perhaps I should just take the mtb and forget the other stuff. :?

andymiller

Do you have clearance for 25 or 28s - if so maybe you could take a spare set and be covered for all eventualities.

CumbrianMan

Popette, try dropping Russell a line on grenoblecycling.com. Russ was down there last week for the Annecy TT, plus with him living down there, I'm sure he's ridden it a few times.

I seem to recall when we drove down past Annecy, on the way to Bourg St Maurice, that there were all sorts of bikes using the path. Me and my mates actually commented about how good it appeared, and that it would be nice to ride.

GeorgeShaw

It's tarmacced all the way to the Department boundary, AFAIR.

The cycle route is very very popular with hundreds of cyclists and rollerbladers on it, it's an old railway line, so very flat. If you need bike hire then there's one on the main road just by the start, it's called Roul' ma Poule or something like that.

You can come back to Annecy up the East side of the lake. This is a public road, but Annecy has very wide cycle lanes, traffic is very light on that side, and all the car drivers are used to cyclists.

If you want to do something more adventurous, look at http://ete.savoie-mont-blanc.com/l-ete/ ... 871-1.html.

I can recommend the Tour des Glieres. The road up towards Grand Bornand past Thones is a bit busy, but apart from that this route is pretty traffic-light and very pretty. You also get a nice 20km downhill stretch ...

Or you could go a little further and climb the Colombiere ...

I've been to Annecy quite a few times, as my company's head office is there, so if you need to know anything else, then just PM me.

knedlicky

Like George says, the path along the west side of the lake is asphalted all the way. I seem to remember it’s first closer the lake than the road (so when nearer Annecy) but then later (so to the south) on the other side of the road from the lake, which is then a pity.
On turning north, the TT route went along the east side of the lake until moving inland just after Talloires along small roads to the Col de Bluffy, which it met at a sort of T-junction, then headed back along the main road to Veyrier and to Annecy. This main road and then the entry into Annecy near the lake can be busy, but at the early hour you propose, there shouldn’t be much problem. (Actually, I don’t think the TT route entered Annecy near the lake, it went inland via Annecy-Le–Vieux, NW of Annecy proper).

If you’ve chance and ambition and are feeling fit one day, when reaching the south end of the lake, instead of turning north and going along its east side, instead go a bit farther south to Vesonne and then turn north. You’ll climb the Col de la Forclaz, pretty steep in parts, but worth it for the view over the lake at the top. And then descend to join the lakeside road about Talloire.
You can do dual paraglider jumps from a platform at the top of the Col de la Forclaz. I saw one French fellah there spontaneously decide to do this, as passenger. He spoke to a trained paraglider there and then, and said he’d get a bus or taxi back up to the col to pick up his car.
There’s also a cul-de-sac side road just south of the col which you can drive up a bit and then from there, hike up the La Tourrette mountain. It’s pretty easy hiking, if you‘ve hiked before, and also a great view if the weather’s clear.

Back to cycling – east of Annecy, I like the quiet roads with small passes from Thones to Faverges (forget col name), and then from Faverges to Albertville (Col de Tamie). Further east, for a bit of mountain grandeur, there’s Col des Aravis.
To the SW, I’d recommend all the small roads going from Annecy and St. Jorioz (halfway down the lake from Annecy) towards Chambery. The small passes closer Chambery (Plainpalais, Mont Revard, Pres, Marocz - the steepest) are often included in local cyclosportives.
At the moment there is a thread on this forum about Top 5 Climbs. If you were to look at a similar thread on a French cycling forum, yo might well find the Cret de Chatillon just SSW of Annecy nominated. And also the Mont du Chat (just NE of Chambery).

I feel I know the area well-ish as I've not only overnighted thereabout about 3 times but also been twice camping near Faverges for 3-4 days, and once stayed at a gite at St. Eustache (up the hillside from St. Jorioz) for 8 days.

ralex

Couple of pics of cycle track :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rualexande ... 415722087/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rualexande ... 415722087/

popette

thank you all. Those pictures look absolutely stunning. I CAN'T WAIT!!!