Cycling Holiday in Bourg D'Oisans

shmooster

Hi All,

Looking for a long weekend cycling around Bourg D'Oisans at the foot of Alpe D'Huez, aiming to go 18th - 22nd of June (4 nights). Does anyone have any recommendations? Already tried morethan21bends and cycling ascents and they're booked out. There will be something like 6 of us.

Thanks

g00se

Check with sites advertising ski chalets direct from owners - a few will be empty over the summer. Probably cheaper too. It will mean the location is probably part way up a mountain so every ride will finish with a categorized climb at least

This sort of thing:

http://www.homeaway.co.uk/lettings/fran ... ans/r19020

shmooster

Thanks g00se, will look at those but was really looking for something with a bit more support in terms of transfers, cooking, and probably bike hire, though we can organise our own routes etc as we know the area having done Marmotte a couple of years ago.

phreak

Would you consider Les Deux Alpes? It's an easy roll down to Bourg so you can treat that as your warm up and then there's a nice climb each day to finish you off. Much less busy so you're sure to get somewhere to stay.

ravenvrider

I just booked for August looked for ages settled on.http://www.lechateaudoz.com/index.html
Really good reviews on owners direct half board and can arrange bike hire....worth a look

bikebug999

I stayed in the King of the Mountains up the Col d'Ornon last June. Run by a British couple (Guy & Helyn helped by their little daughter Alice), they provide half board with accommodation for about 10. They are both cyclists and have bike storage with a small workshop.

We drove down but I think they will do a transfer service from various airports. They have a selection of routes to ride if you need and could probably advise on bike hire (we had our own bikes). We had a fantastic week with them and would recommend them without reservation. The one sting in the tail is that you have to climb up most of the Col d'Ornon at the end of each day (about 5 miles of around 6%) but you do have that as a downhill run into Bourg at the start

Website http://www.kingofthemountains.co.uk/

shmooster

Thanks everyone, some great ideas there, quite keen on KOTM. Stayed in St Jean De Sixt last year (Bike weekender, highly recommended) and there was a similar climb of about 5 miles at 5% there, and while it's a bit of a drag at the end of the day it's not the end of the world.
Not sure I'd go for Deux Alpes as it's a bit high, though I've stayed in Venosc a couple of times and that might be an option.

hopak

https://www.prompt.cc
These are in Bourg, and although I've only been in the shop and not used them to hire anything, the staff seemed knowledgeable and friendly.

phippss

Great place to base your self. We stayed in a small gite in the Main Street but to small for your needs. Download the guide from theTIC http://bike-oisans.com/en/cycling-oisan ... cdf_page=1. I recommend the alp d,huez balon route and the route above Bourg with the unlit tunnels

vimfuego

Stayed here a few years back when doing Alpe d'Huez then carrying on down to Nice.

http://www.le-sardonnier.com/php/en/index.php

We went in May and had the whole place to ourselves. As with the KOTM you have to cycle back up to it at the end of the day, but you can take the balcony road halfway down Alpe D'Huez across to Villard Reculas which then puts you closer (and it's a great route!)

volvo_fatboy

I went over in September 2013 and stayed at Chalet Ribot http://chaletribot.com/. Only limited time and circumstances have stopped me returning, but I most definitely will.

Chalet Ribot is located around bend 11 of Alp d'Huez, so makes a small challenge of getting back to the accommodation after a long ride. The owner used to be a guy called Dan, who served up excellent breakfasts and dinners just right for fuelling a days cycling, I believe he has sold up to some friends.

The view from the Chalet is beautiful and the area is very quiet.

There are as you probably know some great rides to be had even in limited time. I managed a ride from Chalet Ribot to the Galibier and back (67miles, 11000ft of ascent) via Bend 16 Le Garde>Auris>Le Freney-d'oisans>Col du Lautarette>Col du Galibier.

Also rode up the Col du Ornon and Col du Glandon & La Croix de Fer, and most obviously raced up Alp d'Huez.

phreak

If you end up staying up the Ornon, I can recommend checking out the Col de Parquetout. Carry on over the Ornon and down the other side and then you turn left. It's a bit like a mini Mortirolo. Very steep for 6-7km, and you can then swing back round and come back into Bourg along the main road.

Not so well known as the many other Tour climbs in the area, but a nice one nonetheless.

whoof

We stayed here in Bourg D'Oisans two years ago. It was mid-June and we just turned up and booked a Chalet for a couple of days.
http://www.camping-colporteur.com/camps ... isere.html

This is the first time I've been able to login for about a month!

shmooster

Thanks all, great ideas there and getting properly excited now. All being well should have a booking in the next day or two.

For rides I certainly had the road opposite the Alpe with the tunnels on the list, obviously Alpe D'Huez, and all being well a Marmotte light with glandon, telegraph, galibier but that's quite a tall order so will play it by ear.

964cup

+1 for Chateau d'Oz. Lovely people, great rooms, good food, foot of the CdF, what's not to like. Had a great, if persistently wet and foggy trip there last July.

davidof

vimfuego wrote:

Stayed here a few years back when doing Alpe d'Huez then carrying on down to Nice.

http://www.le-sardonnier.com/php/en/index.php

Run by Gillian Fabre (who is English), her husband was a well respected local French high mountain guide, sadly killed by an avalanche. People have very good things to say about the Sardonnier.

keith57

Stayed with http://www.bourgdoisansbandb.com/about for a week a few years ago. Good accommodation and as they are also cyclists can offer advice / support, etc.

shmooster

All sorted now, flights booked etc.

Just wondering, can anyone recommend a decent paper map of the area? Hoping to get a single map that includes the Marmotte route but the IGN 75K maps don't cover that in one sheet as far as I can see.

shmooster

shmooster wrote:

All sorted now, flights booked etc.

Just wondering, can anyone recommend a decent paper map of the area? Hoping to get a single map that includes the Marmotte route but the IGN 75K maps don't cover that in one sheet as far as I can see.

In case anyone wants to know, you can find all IGNs maps (and loads more) from this really excellent site

http://www.walkingclub.org.uk/ign_franc ... ance.shtml

There are also some great routes here plus good advice

http://bike-oisans.com/en/cycling-oisans

adr82

Thanks for all the advice/links in here, thinking of arranging a trip myself later this year and good to have some recommendations for places to stay!

ecrinslodge

I live in the valley leading up to Venosc and formerly ran our ski and bike chalet the Ecrins Lodge. I can highly recommend staying in Venosc. Its just up the road from Bourg d'Oisans, but much quieter and more beautiful, with views over the Ecrins National park. Its also on the way up to La Berarde, which is a lesser know, but must do ride into the National Park.