Comments on: Best French regions for cycling

By: Peter

Peter — Mon, 16 May 2011 16:06:49 +0000

Thanks. I’m there in a couple of weeks. I’ll try the Tourist Info in Le Bugue. Just thought you might know one.Yes the bridge is closed. They promise to have it open mid-June, but this is France. It’s causing some major problems on some of the minor roads so god knows what it will be like if it stretches into summer.

By: Boris

Boris — Mon, 16 May 2011 14:21:44 +0000

Hi Peter, we’re about 35km south of the river, just yesterday I cycled the Cingle de Limeuil and the Cingle de Tremolat, pretty close to you I think. I didn’t realise Lalinde bridge was closed at the moment…
Anyway, Monpazier has an active cycling club but they are a bit far from you as a starting point perhaps, in any case I’m sure your nearest mairie or tourist office will know which club is active nearby – if I were you I’d try the tourist office first. As far as I know there is no central internet site that lists cycling clubs.

By: Peter

Peter — Mon, 16 May 2011 13:25:59 +0000

Hi, I have a house at Paunat, which I assume is not too far from your good self. I cycle a lot when I’m over. The ride down through Belves and on to Monpazier is a far more pleasant experience than my normal commute into Manchester. Can you help me find a cycling club in the area. As you point out, you can go a lot further behind other cyclists.

By: Boris

Boris — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:22:34 +0000

Hi Gemma, I’d forgotten Ile de Ré – I was there a while ago and you’re right, it had an extraordinary number of cyclists and loads of cycle lanes. Not such a great place for cycling ‘enthusiasts’ perhaps because the cycle lanes are very busy with children and families and there aren’t so many suitable roads for ‘sport’ type cycling, but like you say it’s a great place for actually using a bike all the time for travelling around, going to the beach etc and earning the right to that ice cream from the shop in the harbour at St Martin de Ré…

By: Gemma

Gemma — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:41:51 +0000

Cycling through France is an absolute joy! My father owns a property near Parthenay, and every holiday we venture to Ile de Re, a little island just off the coast of La Rochelle. They seem to use bikes as the main form of transport over there and it is so much more rewarding reaching your destination, be it the beach, market or your holiday home knowing that you really have earnt that extra croissant you picked up at the boulangerie on the way!

By: Johnny Norfolk

Johnny Norfolk — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:42:21 +0000

Having said that I would enjoy France , since retirement and having lived in Italy France and Germany we are more than happy to stay at home but if i had to pick another country it would be France without a second thought. I found the people delightful but like all of the continent narrow in their outlook.A great country with so much of interest and more for their people than Britain.

By: Johnny Norfolk

Johnny Norfolk — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:06:35 +0000

Regretably we do not see many cyclists in Norfolk, its all CARAVANS. its a great place to cycle of course as it is not to hilly.So if you want to reduce your carbon frootprint stay in Britain and explore theparts of Britain you have not seen before like rural Norfolk.

Rgds JN