bourg D'oisans

Wobblehead

Hi

Out to Bourg D' Oisans in late sept for 4 days riding from 23rd Sept. Anyone with tips for routes etc, apart from the obvious Alpe D'Huez.

All of us are happy doing distance, all completed Etape du Dales this year in decent ish time.

also advice re gear well received, thinking it could be four seasons in four days..

Thanks

andrewleck

I'm going to Allemond next week

Planning to do the Col du Glandon - Col de la Croix de Fer,

a nice circular route taking in the col d'Ornon,

First few hairpins of the Alpe then on the balcony roads to le Freney d'Oisans over the Sarenne and back down the Alpe to Huez then the balcony road back to Allemond.

Will be taking arm + leg warmers, gillet, waterproof jacket and legs.

daviegb

From experience, September was fine from a cycling perspective - the weather is still warm & you have no worries about snow. Certainly worth taking arm/leg warmers for early starts & the descents, plus rain jacket. There are so many great climbs to try, many of them NOT used in the Tour de France. If you get a chance, then try some/all of the following;

La Berarde, Oulles & Col d'Ornon
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/321301582

First 6 hairpins of Alpe d'Huez, Le Maronne, L'Auris & Les Deux Alpes
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/320743715

Alpe d'Huez & decend through Villard Reculas then climb Croix de Fer from Allemond
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/319387891
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/51354778

Col du Lautaret & Col du Galibier
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/51525425

You'll have a great time whatever you decide to do!


Gavin

ronnierocket

If you are really up for a challenge, then do the Marmotte Sportive route which start from Bourg D'Oisans. Takes in the Glandon, Telegraph, Galibier and finishes up at the top of Alpe D'Huez. 120 miles as you would have to come back down Alpe D'Huez. My friend and I did 4 weeks ago starting at Alpe D'Huez.

Wobblehead

Sounds like an epic, how long did that take??

tommyfelt

Definitely do La Marmotte route, takes cycling to a whole new level!

+1 for La Berarde as well, beautiful road.

Smaller climbs out of Bourg D'oisans are very scenic like Oulles.

I'd also recommend doing Croix de fer, amazing decent.

Whatever you do you'll have a great time, endless amounts of rides out there!

Wobblehead

Thanks everyone, what would be the expectation re daylight hours around 23rd Sept as the marmotte sounds like a long day out..?

ronnierocket

We were about 10 hours moving, 12 hours elapsed with stops. You could easily miss out the trip up to Alpe D'Huez at the end as you will no doubt do it again as you are staying there. That would save at least an hour and a half up and down.

Wobblehead

ronnierocket wrote:

We were about 10 hours moving, 12 hours elapsed with stops. You could easily miss out the trip up to Alpe D'Huez at the end as you will no doubt do it again as you are staying there. That would save at least an hour and a half up and down.

Thanks

If I did the Marmotte route I'd probably not want to (or be able to) get on the bike for a few days

dilemna

Make sure you have new brake blocks and good rims for the descents.

Wobblehead

dilemna wrote:

Make sure you have new brake blocks and good rims for the descents.

Good call, forgot about that, swiss stops on order

crescent

Try to pick up one of the booklets in the tourist office which gives details of 30 different rides around Bourg d'Oisans. All the well known ones plus some lesser known ones - an excellent guide. Col de la Croix de Fer is spectacular, as are some of the balcony roads around Bourg. Wrap up warm for the descents.

Enjoy!

remedy_7

Bourg to La Berarde round trip is 65km. 2 steep climbs and the rest is flatish. Avoid weekends. Best in the evening when the road is all yours. Best evening ride I have ever done.

Col de Sarenne. Park at the dam, Deux Alpe road. Stunning and zero traffic.

Try and avoid the main road D1091 and drive to the base of the climbs.

andrewleck

Here are the routes I managed in my 4 days in Allemond:

http://www.brytonsport.com/mapTrackView?id=4257305
http://www.brytonsport.com/mapTrackView?id=4257299
http://www.brytonsport.com/mapTrackView?id=4257295
http://www.brytonsport.com/mapTrackView?id=4257293

Fantastic riding, WARNING a few km up the Sarenne they have resurfaced the road with loose chippings, if you decide to descend ie toward lac du chambon be very careful, there are a couple of sections totaling around 1 km atm.

remedy_7

I rode the Sarenne in July pre-tour. And yes the chippings were fresh and deadly.
But would have thought that would have been sorted out for the tour?

remedy_7

The tourist office has an excellent, free, booklet with all the local climbs/routes. This is worth getting as it shows a lot of the quiet back roads.

Wobblehead

Thanks guys, was looking at the Marmotte route, sure we could do it but might be fit for nothing afterwards so was thinking of driving to St Michelle du Maurenne and coming over Telegraph /Galibier from north side and back to base and then doing Glandon the next day to pick up car.

Suppose it wont be too difficult to find a safeish place to drop the car for a night?

Anyone else done this, I am right in thinking the north route up Galibier is the best?

Just hope I can shift the dreaded lurgy by Sun, typical...

jscl

Just come back from the alps for 5 days. Best option is heading to Glandon, then Croix de Fer and over to Telegraph if you fancied it. Don't know if you can see the routes I did - http://www.strava.com/athletes/1101961