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Mont Ventoux Forest Road?

crossedcrossed Posts: 237
edited August 2017 in Road general
Just wondering if anyone's rode Ventoux Forest Road?

Just been looking around online and can't seem to find too much information about the road or the surface for the climb?
Would I need something like a set of CX tyres or would it be rideable on more slick tyres like the Challenge Strada Bianca?

Posts

  • DeVlaeminckDeVlaeminck Posts: 8,685
    It's very gravelly, at times the gravel is quite deep, your main issue is going to be traction on steep bits.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • sancho_panzasancho_panza Posts: 183
    The one from the south, through the cedar forest? Really rocky in places; I have done it up and down on a mountain bike; there's another which is more direct from Bedoin but steeper and looser. From the north, close to Malaucene, is by far the best, and never that steep, going via the Col du Comté and topping out at Mont Serein. I have a friend who's done that on a CX bike (I've done it in descent a few times but on a mtb) It's possible to get lost so a little homework might go a long way!
  • crossedcrossed Posts: 237
    This was the route I was looking at:

    http://www.clubcinglesventoux.org/en/ro ... -road.html

    I'd be riding it on a gravel bike with 42mm tyres if I were to give it a go and would probably look at descending on the road back to Sault.
  • sancho_panzasancho_panza Posts: 183
    should be fine I reckon - it's partially paved in some parts (though deteriorated), others really loose but you can pick your way through it.

    Have fun!
  • crossedcrossed Posts: 237
    Sancho Panza wrote:
    should be fine I reckon - it's partially paved in some parts (though deteriorated), others really loose but you can pick your way through it.

    Have fun!

    What's the surface like from a tyre point of view?
    Will I need knobblies or would the more slick gravel tyres do the job?
  • sancho_panzasancho_panza Posts: 183
    Crossed wrote:
    Sancho Panza wrote:
    should be fine I reckon - it's partially paved in some parts (though deteriorated), others really loose but you can pick your way through it.

    Have fun!

    What's the surface like from a tyre point of view?
    Will I need knobblies or would the more slick gravel tyres do the job?

    I had fat knobbly tyres on an mtb and think I needed them. In places it's pretty awful and loose and in others there are massive rocks. I've only ever ridden a full mtb on those tracks so never thought about tyre choice in much detail. I'd say knobbly and as wide as possible, but then I'm pretty cautious. That's rather vague - you'll be tired so you'll want the easiest solution.
  • crossedcrossed Posts: 237
    Sancho Panza wrote:
    Crossed wrote:
    Sancho Panza wrote:
    should be fine I reckon - it's partially paved in some parts (though deteriorated), others really loose but you can pick your way through it.

    Have fun!

    What's the surface like from a tyre point of view?
    Will I need knobblies or would the more slick gravel tyres do the job?

    I had fat knobbly tyres on an mtb and think I needed them. In places it's pretty awful and loose and in others there are massive rocks. I've only ever ridden a full mtb on those tracks so never thought about tyre choice in much detail. I'd say knobbly and as wide as possible, but then I'm pretty cautious. That's rather vague - you'll be tired so you'll want the easiest solution.

    Thanks for that. Looks like it'll be the fat knobbly tyres then!
  • DeVlaeminckDeVlaeminck Posts: 8,685
    Crossed wrote:
    This was the route I was looking at:

    http://www.clubcinglesventoux.org/en/ro ... -road.html

    I'd be riding it on a gravel bike with 42mm tyres if I were to give it a go and would probably look at descending on the road back to Sault.


    Yes that's the one I did. Should be ideal, I did it on a cheap MTB. One note of caution, there are a couple of places where another path branches off and a couple of times I wasn't 100% I was on the right track.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • curto80curto80 Posts: 314
    I ran up and down Ventoux from Bedoin the other day and used bits of that track. I remember thinking I wouldn't want to ride up it on my cross bike, which for a while had been the plan for after we'd done the Club des Cingles. But then I don't have any skillz so you might be fine. Definitely the widest tyres you have though.
    Rose Xlite Team 3100 Di2
    Kinesis Tripster ATR
    Orro Oxygen
  • cyclingsheepcyclingsheep Posts: 640
    Let us know how you get on, there's a thing called the Galarian (not sure I've spelt that correctly) which is 4 times up Mont Ventoux in a day with one ascent being the off road version. Was going to attempt it this year but due to two surgeries haven't really looked at my bike let alone ridden it since Feb......hopefully next years goal
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