Afternoon
My partner and I are planning a fortnight in France later this summer. As it stands the basic idea is to throw the bikes and tent in the back of the van and road-trip down south and back--no firmer details than that. Just a couple of questions to help us plan a route:
1. Apart from the Alps where are the good areas to stop and spend a couple of days riding?
2. Is there a decent guidebook or website that anyone would recommend?
Thanks in advance for all suggestions.
where in the south are you heading? If you're going down the A20, the limousin has some fantastic MTBing
good place to start: creuse MTB
The Cevennes and thence southwest to the Espinouse and the Black Mountains. You could spend a lifetime there and not get bored of the trails.
Provence is a bit of alright
I have enjoyed some really nice riding in Limousin and in Gorge du Tarn
There was a thread on here recently about websites for french routes
Theres some real good stuff at the superbagneres down by the border to spain, if you go that far south..
nice views as well.
(prize if you can spot me..)
Here's the recent thread........
VTT sites useful info'
Suisse Normande - Stunning part of the world.
Mm, Provence and the Gorges du Tarn also rock muchly. All far nicer than the high Alps in just about every way.
A set of pictures from riding in the Limousin here.
(prize if you can spot me..)
This is great--thanks everyone. Lots of ideas to take back to my GF this evening. Blue skies, sun and fantastic scenery pics really help here...
Bounce
I personaly would go to the Queyras or around the Briançonnais...
Avoid the south alps at all coast its very crap nothing to see here
Limousin - ambient xc riding
Gorge du tarn
We're not going for a couple of months but all these photographs are getting me excited already!
just got back from the pryennes luchon and did the superbagneres ride great area.............better then the alps imo, couple of pics in my profile thing or here
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/couple-of-pics-from-pryenees-cols
also like the area around prades went there last year google VTT Prades for info, futher down the valley is great as well. Corbieres durban region we rode through looked great as well,
also do not discount the
Vosges some blisterering xc/all day riding in the area
The Jura ditto
the dordogne has some great xc riding
good luck and tell us where you decide to go 
just had a week in the pyrenees on the road bike....... 
wish i had taken my mtb........ 
This post is coming to you from the back of van in the middle of France
Just had a week wih AQR in Luchon - superb. Big ups, and big techy downs.
Then a week nearer perpignon riding some trails Ive found over the last few years myself.
Then last week was in the gorge du Tarn/cevennes. Some sweet singletrack and varied geology.
And now its time for some wine research and shopping in the Rhone valley on the way home and probably no more riding...
Full post, map refs, pics and all next week when Im not interwebbing over my 'phone. A bientot, Rosbifs!
Just come back from my GF's mums in La Coquille on the N21 did a bit of riding on a borrowed bike does anyone have any maps of riding in this area.
Thanks
mike
Ridden in La Creuse near Crozant, Monts de Blond with Stratobiker, great trails. Try VTT club in Prades near Perpignan, great guys, very friendly, there is a English speaking Dutchman there. Just back from Mt Ventoux in Provence, there are miles of trails there. Any bike shop there should point you in the right direction.
Damn, I feel a holiday coming on!
stonemonkey - maps for the area are hit and miss, but if you go to Montbron, Bussiere Galant, or St Mathieu, all nearby, you'll find waymarked trails starting from the town square.
Or, give me a shout next time you're over.
Juan, hits the nail on the head with the southern alps. Better weather than the northern alps. I'd like to explore Barcelonette area by MTB having only road bike round there. Looks like there's a great descent form the col de onette- Restfond. Highest road col in Europe...
Also the Vercors,just next to Grenoble has got to be worth 3 days or so.
But if I'm feeling lazy I'd go about 1km from the garage door!
im goin bikeing nr. bordoe or how ever you spell it today
Thanks all. Lots of great ideas here! Time to get the map out and start playing join-the-dots as we plan our route south and back...
If you end up near Cremieu, to the east of Lyon. Then give us a shout, and we'll get you lost in the tight twisty rocky singletrack up on the limestone plateau above our house for an evening/ 1/2 day or whatever. We'll be with you..but there's so many little trails that we get lost!
We might even be able to put you up for a night to break your journey. Assuming you're not weirdos who ill attack our family in the middle of the night....!
We went to Orpierre for a couple of weeks.The trails were good and pretty varied. Trails are well marked and there are a lot of them. However, it seems that some farmers are putting logs across paths and generally trying to get MTBs off their land.
Does anyone know if they can do this, or does France have similar CROW laws to England?
Looks like there's a great descent form the col de onette- Restfond. Highest road col in Europe
Neither the Bonette nor Restfond are the highest road COL in Europe, the Iseran is at 2764m !
(yes, I know the Bonette has a bit of tarmac that goes higher than its Col and hence higher than the Iseran, but I think you'll find that there's a bit of tarmac in the Sierra Nevada even higher ;-))
Isn't there somewhere in Austria that claims to be higher as well? The Iseran is definitely the highest fully-tarmacced, through-road, road col in Europe. Or maybe France. 
Thanks Mugsys, that's really generous of you! Might well take you up on that offer once we figure out an itinerary.
We probably count as weird, but I can promise that your family are safe...
did someone mention the southern alps ?
saturday evening just gone...
Does anyone know if they can do this, or does France have similar CROW laws to England?
France, fortunately, has nothing like the hideous access laws in England.
Generally, I believe you have a free right-to-roam (whether on foot or on bike) unless local restrictions say otherwise (such as the infamous Chamonix by-laws).
That said, I wouldn't choose to mess with French farmers, they can be a militant bunch...
Oh aye, and the riding in the Tarentaise is rubbish as well...
That VTT site is amazing, wish I'd seen it years ago!
Ahem, Stevomcd,
1. Apart from the Alps where are the good areas to stop and spend a couple of days riding?
OK I mentioned Provence/Southern Alps but THAT really is the Alps
Yep, they're definitely a bit weird Mugsys
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