Cycling in France
It seemed a good idea – a winter escape into the sunshine. Except my arrival in Lyon coincided with a cold snap and torrential rain. I put on hold my plans to explore the Lyon region by bike and headed for the museums. Fortunately, the bike tour, “Cro Magnum” by Ride and Seek did not start for another 3 days.
My travelling companions for the next 3 weeks comprised a Brit, a Canadian, 5 Americans, an Argentinian and 2 other Australians. We were looked after by 3 guides with 2 vans. Our luggage and bike bags were carried by the vans, and they were also available for those riders who chose not to cycle on any particular day. The average age of the cyclist would have been mid-sixties. Most were repeat customers – a testament to Ride and Seek tours. The tour was all inclusive – a first for me! I did enjoy not having to make any decisions on accommodation, meals and route planning.
Our route took us in a southerly arc across the middle of France. A typical day was about 85km and extra loops were available on all days. The theme of the cycle tour was early humans – hence the name, Cro Magnum. We had one rest day per week although some chose to ride on all days. The weather gods were smiling on us as we had only one wet day. This was the second year the tour has been run. On the initial tour, dry days were a rare commodity such is the luck of the draw.
Lascaux, Peche Merle and Chauvet cave paintings were the hiighlights.
A typical day started with breakfast – never early – not the French way – and always hearty. I had imagined just coffee and croissant for breakfast. The range of pastries, cakes, fruit, yoghurt, meats, cooked dishes, cheeses and bread were quite dazzling at times. We would have a briefing on the day’s ride usually in the morning after breakfast. We had paper maps and a gpx route for the Garmin. We were told the locations of morning tea, lunch stop and the interesting features along the route. The routes were chosen for their scenery and to avoid traffic. The tour included access to an App – Vamoos – which gave such information as history, weather, hotels, etc.France 2024. A WhatsApp group provided communication between cyclists and guides and was well used. The French sim card was a blessing!
Most were on the road by 9.00am. We rode at our own pace – sometimes with fellow travellers. Morning tea was usually at a café. Lunch was generally a lavish picnic – always varied and featuring local delicacies. Some lunch stops were combined with
Good weather, relatable tour guides, a themed ride, roads with minimal traffic, spectacular scenery, good food and congenial cyclists are all required for a memorable and exceptional cycling tour – we scored a jackpot as all boxes were ticked.
Selected photos follow:
