Exeter to Die in France

All systems go. Ferry booked, flight back from Avignon booked (just £94), and friends bringing my bike back with my bike carrier on their car. I'm going to split the journey to Portsmouth in two (138 miles, so at/beyond the limit of what I'd want to do in a day and still be up to riding 120 miles the next day), going via Shaftesbury, to avoid the A35.

And after taking advice from friends, have decided not to pre-book any accommodation in France, but to make up each day as it comes, and to search out those small town chambres d'hôte etc. for my night-time stops. The worst bit is going to be having to eat and drink my way across France. Now, can someone organise some decent weather for me, please?

Pumpkin Positive wrote:

I'm jealous! Have a great trip and let us know how it went when you get back.

I might even heighten the jealousy with a snap or two en route. Probably of the food.

I've split the route into the five days:

Day 1 - St Malo to La Fleche
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1602511
Got lots of miles on the clock, but some of the roads weren't great - long, lumpy and with more lorries and fast-moving traffic than I'd have preferred, especially the run in to La Fleche - not helped by a tyre & inner tube cut up on glass with 20 miles to go.

Day 2 - La Fleche to Chateauroux
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1602528
Another hard day, steady head/sidewind. Again, some busy main roads at the start, but I modified the route where I could to avoid the worst. The roads along the Indres were lovely. Bottom bracket started clicking very loudly near the end of the day.

Day 3 - Chateauroux to Montluçon
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1602576
A brilliant meachanic at St Maur Intersport sorted out my bottom bracket (and wouldn't charge) and I was on the road by 10. I decided after two hard days (heat and headwinds) to do a shorter one, but Montluçon wasn't the greatest place to find a cheap decent hotel. I found a cheap one (28.50 euros), but I'm not sure I wasn't in a brothel. Lots of back roads en the route too, so a bit stop-starty.

Day 4 - Montluçon to Boën
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1602593
A great day: the main road wasn't busy, had a great lunch in Thurer (having drawn a complete blank in Aigueperse), and an astonishing place (www.chezgillou.com) costing only 40 euros for dinner, bed & breakfast in an amazing setting. Worth a detour, if you need somewhere to stay in the area.

Day 5 - Boën to St Andéol
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1602614
I'd planned to split this day into two days, but a tailwind from Tournon and the incentive of seeing my friends spurred me on. Lots of climbing - could have eased that by turning left and getting onto the Rhone valley earlier, but a brilliant descent to Tournon.

Overall, I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. Achieved with just a seatpost-mounted saddlebag, and just a T-shirt and shorts for the evenings, but, typically, I was on the road (or in cafés) from after breakfast till about 7pm, so no need to take much more, as I washed & dried kit each evening, and bought provisions as I went, and mostly ate in cafés. Next year I'm thinking about doing Roscoff to St Andéol, as that route would miss out the worst bits of this year's route, and would save me an overnight in England stop getting to Portsmouth. And would involve me eating more French food.

NapoleonD wrote:

Sounds fantastic mate

It was - truly life-enhancing. Except St Etienne. The pits - don't ever bother to go there. I just stopped for a coffee in the only place I could find open, then spent 50 sodding minutes trying to find the road out I wanted.:

Oh , by the way, I got mentioned on the blog of some local cyclist I met en route down in the Alps... http://kuota26.over-blog.com/article-ch ... 75035.html (about half-way down) - seems the French are making a bit of a habit of praising the English. Very worrying.