Le cyclotourisme, c’est le mariage entre votre vélo et vos vacances. C’est le voyage et les randonnées au grand air ! Vous ne vous encombrez plus de moteur et vous ne polluez pas la planète, vous roulez cheveux aux vents et vous admirez les paysages comme vous ne l’avez jamais fait jusqu’alors ! Les voyages à vélo, nous en sommes sûrs, sont l’avenir.
Travelling by bike is above all a pleasure. Perched on your two wheels, you will feel the pleasure of the road and fully enjoy every moment. The landscapes come to life and you listen to every sound around you. Cyclists know this: cycling is a pleasure! Cycle touring is about making your journeys an integral part of your holiday and also about surprising yourself by always wanting more!
But beware, cycling is still a physical activity that requires preparation. Don't think about climbing the Col de la Madeleine on your first trip. To take full advantage of bicycle tourism, you need to respect your physical condition and adapt to your body's capacity. If you don't do sport regularly, opt for flat routes and shorter distances: the pleasure will remain the same and the landscapes just as beautiful. Why not cycle along the coast of Brittany, for example? Or sneak along the Loire River?
There are plenty of bike rides suitable for novice cyclists who want to try their hand at cycle touring. So don't be too ambitious, or you risk turning your trip into a chore. To keep cycling tourism fun, you need to listen to yourself.
While cycle touring brings a lot of fun to your journeys, it also brings much more than that! By travelling by bike, you open the door to the discovery of good addresses less touristy that may fall on your way. Where your car wouldn't encourage you to stop, your mountain bike (or any bike, for that matter) gives you the flexibility to take a break wherever you want. This is one of the main benefits of cycle touring, your ability to make more stops to enjoy what exists around you.
Our tip: take along travel guides to discover all the great places on your route. Why not make a slight detour to try that traditional dish you won't find elsewhere? Why not sleep in that hotel on your route.
Parking a bike is much easier than parking a car. So there is no need to think about parking spaces. This makes it much easier and more enjoyable to discover all the great places a region has to offer. It's especially convenient for impromptu stops.
The cyclotourism is also the possibility of getting from point A to point B by multiplying overnight stays on the road. The flexibility of finding good addresses also applies to your nightly stops. A ride on your way, a night close to your arrival and a departure the next day for another route: that's what cycle touring allows you to do. No need to always return to the same hotel every night, the ideal when travelling by bike is to never return to the same address twice.
The best compromise for cycle touring is to think of your trip as a loop. Start from a city that interests you and work your way back. This makes it much easier to get around (and possibly leave a car there) and you can even hire a mountain bike and return it at the end of your trip.
If you're travelling with your own two wheels, SNCF has plenty of options for taking your bike with you. This is ideal if you don't want to take a car and want to travel across France for your holiday. For example, leave Lille by train to join the Via Rhôna and cycle down from Lake Geneva to Sète.
To sum up: by bike, you have the chance to change address every night!
Now that you know the advantages of cycle touring, and have been convinced by its qualities, here's how to properly prepare your adventure and activities!
While cycle touring is the open door to spontaneity and the discovery of unexpected places, it can be best to plan your holiday well before you go, especially if it's your first trip. This is true for all trips, it is also true for cycling trips.
To properly plan your itinerary, stages and route several applications or websites are available to you. We are thinking of the Geovelo application or the AF3V and EuroVelo websites.
If you're not a regular traveller, consider booking your overnight stays. Not only will it give you more peace of mind to know where you'll be spending the night, but it will also be a good way for you to set goals for the day and define an itinerary: handy for staying motivated. The plus: you won't have any nasty surprises with your bike and will be sure to keep it by your side.
Another tip for beginners: favour marked routes to start with. That way, if you run into problems, you'll meet more cyclists who can help you and you'll be sure not to get lost. Some examples are La Vélodyssée in the south-west, La Véloscénie from Mont Saint-Michel to Paris and the Loire à vélo! You're spoilt for choice.
Our final tip for cycling
Our final tip for cycling novices is to plan stages that pass through TER stations. That way, if you have a glitch with your bike, are tired, have bad weather or just want to rest, you can board a train and take a break. This can be particularly important if you are planning long journeys. The advantage of TER trains is that they allow you to transport your bicycles free of charge. Be careful though, you need to remember to reserve a place for your bike!
Note, however, that for many, bike touring also rhymes with sleeping under the stars and improvised camping. While the experience may appeal to many, it requires all the more preparation as you will be alone most of the time. It is therefore important to anticipate the big problems of everyday life: lack of electricity, running water and comfort. Providing one or two external batteries, water braids and a sleeping bag is therefore essential. Among other things ... To start cycling tourism, it is better to start slowly and provide the necessary equipment to ride and carry your stuff, not your bed. We therefore recommend sleeping in equipped campsites or hotels.
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Your accommodation will be a determining factor in what equipment you take with you and how far you travel each day. Because inevitably, the more equipment you have, the heavier you are, leading to faster fatigue when you ride. So be careful not to pack too much, even if you're sleeping under the stars.
Finally, keep in mind that the more you pack, the heavier you are, and the faster you tire.
Finally, keep in mind that by sleeping under the stars you take the risk of getting rained on. And we've already experienced at I'm ON A BIKE there's nothing worse than pedaling while soaked and not being able to warm up. So remember to pack some really waterproof panniers.
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We mentioned it earlier: you have to know how to listen to your body and not want to go too far too fast. It's better to extend your stay by a few days or shorten your route by a few kilometres than to turn your holiday into an unsustainable journey. If you want to ride too much, your legs will suffer and the pleasure of the road will become a constraint. It's better to start with simple routes and adapt your journey to your abilities.
The solution to this is to use a simple route.
The solution to this is to get back in the saddle before you leave to do some more activity. Cover a few miles and see when you start to get tired. This will give you a better idea of what you can and cannot do. Also consider that you will be loaded (to some extent) and that the weight of your bike will also impact on your speed and energy.
While everyone will feel the miles differently, keep in mind that cycling is an endurance sport and if you pedal at your own pace you can go far, even very far. As a rule of thumb, it is recommended that beginners plan for about 50 kilometres a day, as this allows you to take breaks during the day and enjoy your surroundings without having to rush. For experienced cyclists, 80 kilometres are possible, and for the more sporty among us, it is possible to be tempted by distances of more than 100 kilometres and even 300! Yes, we are not there yet either...
We insist: for a bike trip to go well, you have to be realistic, even if it means taking a day off or not touching your two wheels.
If you've never tried a cycling trip before, we advise you to prefer a short trip to start with or sprinkle in some rest days. Why not opt for a three-day holiday in Holland to discover the flat country? A short trip is the best way for you to get a taste for cycling! An itinerary with one or two nights and reasonable distances.
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And if you're planning a longer trip, also think about a plan B in case of problems! A back-up route with shorter distances, or a day in a TER.
And if you're planning a longer journey, think about a plan B in case of problems!
Think about enjoying. It sounds like silly advice written like that, but we all too often forget how lucky we are to be able to ride quietly on country roads (or in the city, for that matter, even if they're generally less quiet).
When you take up cycling tourism, your rides become part of your holiday and you have to be able to enjoy them. You take a deep breath, become aware of your surroundings, and the miles become a pleasure to ride.
If you're going as a couple, ride side by side when the roads allow, and chat while keeping your hair in the wind. You'll re-discover the pleasure of travel, much more so than in the car, and share a privileged activity that is much more personal than the car.
To go on a cycling trip, you should not be equipped with just any type of bike. A city bike will not be suitable for long distances, it is better to prefer bikes with several gears and chainrings in order to be able to adapt to different situations and manage your effort.
A Bike is the best way to get the most out of your bike.
A Mountain bike or a CV are ideal for covering medium distances while keeping the pleasure of the road.
An electric bicycle (VAE) will also do the trick and it will allow you to cover even greater distances as you will feel less fatigue. If you're looking for physical activity, you'd be better off without this option, but if you're looking for wind-in-your-hair comfort and the experience itself, then go for it! Note however that an electrically assisted bike, like mountain bikes and other bicycles, will require a charging point at night and therefore electricity. Some campsites do not offer this and you will need to be vigilant on this point.
An electric bike ride without electricity will become a real chore because of the high weight of the batteries. So be careful when choosing the EAB option.
An important tip for choosing your bike well, try to go for a schrader valve bike (i.e. the same valves as cars)! This will allow you to re-inflate your bike at any petrol station. Although we advise you to always carry a small air pump with you, this detail on your tyres could make a difference.
It goes without saying too, but it's important to check the condition of your bike before you go on holiday. Just as you would with a car, check that the brakes, saddle, wheels and suspension are ready to ride for several days at a time. Also remember to take along something to repair your bike in case of a problem. With the right equipment, a puncture will be fixed quickly. Take a few patches for quick fixes and then one or two inner tubes. Also, don't forget a small bike pump or a multitool needed to tighten up some parts of your mountain bike.
To make the most of your cycle touring holiday you need to be equipped in every way, and that includes taking the right equipment with you to maintain your bike. You don't want your only means of transport to let you down in the middle of your epic journey without being able to replace it...
The accessories and equipment you need to take on a cycling trip are numerous and you need to know how to choose the products that best suit your needs. They will make your journeys much more enjoyable and practical.
We mentioned earlier, you can choose between total independence which requires you to pack your tent, sleeping bag, pots and pans and all the necessary paraphernalia for your survival. But you can also opt for a lighter and less restrictive mode of travel where you only carry your clothes and toiletries. Everything else will be done in the hotels where you stay. It's up to you to choose the type of activity that suits you best.
In either case, you will need something to carry your stuff. The essentials to have are travel bags. These are ideal for carrying the accessories you need for your journey with you. Some panniers attach to a rear rack and are the largest in their class, but others can be attached to your bike's frame, handlebars or even the saddle. Every bit of your mountain bike will be optimised for carrying your clothes.
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There are also storage facilitators, such as travel packs, which allow you to compartmentalise your stuff into different sub-groups within the same pannier. Ideal for easily finding your underwear and sorting your dirty stuff.
When travelling by bike we don't always know our destinations. While maps and guidebooks are a good way to find your way, the GPS in our mobile phones remains an essential element. For this reason, we advise you to adopt a smartphone holder and carry it with you everywhere. This will allow you to find your way around easily. The Geovelo application is particularly effective in helping you find your way around.
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When you decide to go cycling, you have to make choices about your clothing. While panniers allow you to carry a certain amount of stuff, remember two things: they are not expandable on the one hand and the more you load them the heavier your bike will be on the other. So you have to make compromises when it comes to clothing.
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Our advice is to privilege technical clothing when riding. Breathable sports T-shirts and leggings to regulate perspiration more easily and better control your effort. Practical so you don't catch a cold and feel dirty too quickly.
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Just bring one or two dressier outfits for your evenings. It's understandable that you don't want to arrive at a restaurant in your tracksuit! But remember that you'll spend more time riding than going to restaurants. Your rides are breaks in your itinerary, not your itinerary. So priority should be given to technical clothing (and in limited quantities, don't assume you'll change during the day)! For cooler days, our preference is for merino wool clothing: warm and ideal against perspiration, it will provide the comfort you need.
We also advise you to always leave with a small medicine cabinet with you to fight against headaches, blisters or superficial wounds!
And as we mentioned earlier too, don't forget to take an external battery with you if you decide to sleep under the stars (or even if you want the peace of mind of not finding yourself without a GPS in the middle of your stage).
Here you go! You now know all about cycle touring, cycle travel and cycle tourism (yes, so many words for the same thing). With the right accessories and the right mountain bike (or not) it's easy to swap your car for a two-wheeler and enjoy your holiday even more!
We hope this article has convinced you and that you are now ready to give cycling a try!
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