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Euro Bike Tour

April - June 2016
A 71-day adventure by Pedalling Pipey Read more
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  • Pedalling PipeyEuro Bike Tour
    Day 18

    Day 18 - Lourdes to Argeles Gazost, 11m

    May 3, 2016 in France ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    After yesterdays emotional day today was a bit of a rest and relax day. A short easy 11 mile ride along the valley to Argeles-Gazost where I will be basing myself for a couple of days to tackle a few of the climbs in the Pyrenees made famous by Le Tour.

    A quick stop off at Pic du Jer a cable car that takes you 1000 meters up and gives a great view into the Pyrenees and some of the climbs to come.

    Staying at Au Primerose Guesthouse tonight a place very much set up for the cyclist with its own cyclist package and everything you'd ever need in their bike garage.

    After a fascinating dinner chatting to a veteran French cyclist in broken English and the owner bringing me an extra bowl of pasta after I told him where I was planning on riding tomorrow it was time for an early night fully carbed up.    Read more

  • Pedalling PipeyEuro Bike Tour
    Day 19

    Day 19 - Argeles-Gazost, 43 miles

    May 4, 2016 in France ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Wow what a day and the kind of day I could only dream of when planning this trip. Some of the most incredible scenery I've ever seen let alone riden alongside and all under perfectly blue sky.

    The day started with a steep ascent out of Argeles-Gazost on the way to the first and biggest climb of the day at 1,474 metres to Cor du Soulor and used regularly in the Tour de France. After the initial steep climb it was a steady ascent until the last 6 miles where it hit an average of 8.5% with parts upto 12%. You know it's steep when you go to change gear but you're already in the granny gear. My big worry for the day was my knee but the rest, stretching and icing for the last week has seemed to pay off and despite feeling it very slightly is didn't cause any major problems.

    After arriving at the top of Col du Soulor it was time to head over the top and onto the Cirque du Lit a pass along a steep rockface. As you will see not your average ride with a sheer drop off one side and steep rockface above. The plan was to ride onto Col d'Aubisque but the road was impassable half way due to rocks brought down by the melting snow and snow that had not yet melted so it was time to turn back but an incredible couple of miles.

    After arriving back at the top of Col du Soulor it was time to ride back down the last steep 6 miles and despite taking nearly an hour ride up I was down in just a few minutes. It was then time to head up Col des Borderes and onto Lake d'Estaing for some more postcard scenery. After a days climbing the 12 miles back to town were all down hill and wow what a ride.

    In summary - 43 miles riden, over 5,000 feet of climbing and the same descending, over 3,000 calories burnt, a top speed of 48.5mph (to the 4 women in my life it was really only 18mph!) and 1 banana and Nutella and 2 x ham and cheese baguettes oh and one cracking photo at the top of Col du Soulor of me taken by the only other cyclist at the top!

    I'm afraid after today I will definitely one of those lycra clad 40, 50 and hopefully 60 years old. Who's up for joining me? I'm looking at you Purv, Moz, Mikey, Francis!    Read more

  • Pedalling PipeyEuro Bike Tour
    1
    Day 20

    Day 20 - Argeles-Gazost, 29 miles

    May 5, 2016 in France ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    I wasn't sure what to do today but after waking up and opening the shutters to another perfectly blue sky it had to be another day riding in the Pyrenees.

    Fully fuelled after breakfast I decided to head up the Route de Luz that cuts through a deep gorge steadily climbing as you follow the river full of rapids. More stunning scenery on both sides opens up once you reach the small town of Luz-Saint-Sauveur where two valleys meet. From here you can continue to the famous Col du Tourmalet but with the climb still closed due to the snow I will have to come back for this one!

    After a cycle round and a long lunch I descended back down the gorge to base and despite a more relaxed day than yesterday it would be rude not to spend an hour in Argeles-Gazost thermal spa! No board shorts allowed though so a pair of speedos purchased from the front desk it was. Not much left to the imagination in them things!

    Can't wait to come back on the carbon and really take on these mountains. Pyrenees I will see you soon. Bring on the Alps!    Read more

  • Pedalling PipeyEuro Bike Tour
    Day 21

    Day 21 - AG to Toulouse, 41 miles

    May 6, 2016 in France ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    After 3 amazing days in the mountains it was time to say goodbye and start moving towards the Med. The day started well with the short ride to Lourdes then a 2 hour train to Toulouse and a few hours spent in the city before heading down the idyllic and flat Canal Du Midi that will lead me 150 miles all the way to the Med. With a nice evening 30 mile ride along the canal to my accommodation for the night I hadn't planned on the devil returning!

    The 150 miles I have to the coast are in a South-East direction and as you will see from the weather picture below the wind is not exactly helping. Nearly 50 mph into my face! As some of you know I have a little competitive edge so rather than shy away and get the train I've gone for it. Well without doubt the strongest and hardest wind I've ever riden in and I've got 3 days of this! It was like putting your head out of a car window on the motorway for a couple of hours and trying to ride with a parachute on your back. It was brutal and relentless and it definitely wasnt good for what hair I have left! I did however strangely enjoy the challenge. Whether I will still be saying the same after 2 more days who knows.

    Oh I did have the bonus of bumping into the Euros Trophy in Toulouse which after talking to Phil the nice guy from UEFA it is doing a 30 city tour. Probably the closet any Englishman is going to get to it this summer!    Read more

  • Pedalling PipeyEuro Bike Tour
    Day 22

    Day 22-Toulouse to Carcassonne, 35 miles

    May 7, 2016 in France ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    After yesterdays windy day it was more the same today. Now the canal may look pretty but as a cyclist it can get pretty boring pretty quick so I decided to jump up onto the roads and go through some of the small villages and towns. Only problem with this was the roads were even more exposed to the wind so after a few miles it was back to the canal and head down.

    By early afternoon and I'd had enough and had arrived in Carcassonne, a medival town famous for its 53 watchtowers and double walled fortifications making it a world heritage site so good place to stop have a wander around and a few beers watching the football.

    With the plan to head to the coast tomorrow and with the weather looking even worse with rain as well as the wind it could be interesting.    Read more

  • Pedalling PipeyEuro Bike Tour
    Day 23

    Day 23-Carcassonne to Cap DAgde, 64miles

    May 8, 2016 in France ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Wet Wet Wet!

    Well if I'm honest not a lot to say about today apart from the head wind was still there and had now been joined but a constant drizzle. The kind that soaks you through as a famous comedian once said!

    After leaving Carcassonne I headed to Narbonne loosely following the Canal du Midi but now by road as the tow path was now only really suitable for mountain bikes. It was then onto Cap D'Agde and my first site of the Med.

    In summary 64 very wet, windy and pretty boring miles and a day that definetly won't be making the top 10. Weather not looking great for next few days so could be a good time to get some miles in.

    Sorry for lack of photos but there really wasn't much to capture and I was too wet to bother.

    P.s. Great to hear and then see on everyone's FB the 25 degrees and glorious sun London had today ;-)    Read more

  • Pedalling PipeyEuro Bike Tour
    Day 24

    Day 24 - Cap D'Agde to Nimes, 62 miles

    May 9, 2016 in France ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Wet Wet Wet take 2!!!

    With the weather exactly the same as yesterday it was another head down and ride day. Slightly more to see today with a great ride along the beach to Sete inbetween the dunes on a custom made bike path. On a good day it would be beautiful and imagine the beach packed. Today I passed one mad old guy out for a run and had a stray dog follow me for about a mile. Also spotted a village for maybe my next holiday and had a couple of miles along a very dodgy river path after a slight map error. Still all very enjoyable and it definitely beat a Monday morning in the office!

    After Sete it was a case of skirting round Montpellier (on a good day I would have probably spent a couple of hours there) and onto the ancient Roman town of Nimes with its double tiered amphitheatre dating to around 70 A.D. and numerous other Roman monuments.

    Arriving in the worst of the weather they will have to wait for tomorrow where after a good few miles over the last few days I will be giving myself a day out of the saddle and some rest before I start making my way to Avignon and then tackling the famous Mont Ventoux!    Read more

  • Pedalling PipeyEuro Bike Tour
    Day 25

    Day 25 - Transition Day

    May 10, 2016 in France ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Nimes to Avignon via a 30 minute train

    No miles riden today as I had a chilled morning exploring Nimes and visited the very impressive Roman amphitheatre which is still used today for all kind of events including bull fighting.

    From Nimes it was a short train ride to Avignon set on the River Rhone. Very interesting walled town with the huge Palais des Papes which I will explore tomorrow. Like this place and I will be using it as the starting point for about a week cycling round the southern Provence area, Mont Ventoux then down to the French Riviera.

    Time for a few beers tonight with an American and couple from Chiswick so we will see how the head is in the morning.    Read more

  • Pedalling PipeyEuro Bike Tour
    Day 26

    Day 26 - Rest Day, Avignon

    May 11, 2016 in France ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Very relaxed day off the bike in Avignon. A little wander around then most of the afternoon spent on the laptop in the cafe planning the next couple of weeks cycling around Provence and French Riviera.

    First view of Mont Ventoux today. 30 miles away and looks massive. Can't wait!    Read more

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