I have an opportunity to work in the dordogne region of France… Obviously imy first thought was ‘ hmm, i wonder what the cycling is like out there?’

so has anyone got any experiences they would care to share?

Cheers,

Andy

Yeah arond the sarlat area, very good singletrack, fast loose and fun, not mega tech but put a smile on my face

If its better than the Chiltern hills, i’ll be happy…

It’s one of the most beautiful places on the planet, I’ve never cycled there but had the best holidays of my life canoeing the river, camping, swiming, canoeing etc etc do they have any vacancies for non-french speaking IT project managers there?

Was thers tis ( last ) summer, about 25 miles west from Sarlat. The riding was beautiful lanes, very rural. My only problem was the temperature! I inevitably seemed to miss the early start so left it until evening. Then with a late bbq because of the heat seemed to always be racing to get out/back before darkness fell! Often around 7.30-8pm it was 28-30C, and on my daughter’s birthday, 5th August, we went in to eat in a resturaunt at 7pm, it was 35C, and went to bed it was still 33C – for me that’s hot!
Booked to go to a different place this year, a few miles directly below Sarlat within spitting distance of the Dordogne river. Here I’ve discovered there are several GR routes that started life as pilgramage routes across France/Spain. Someone on here has been cos he sent me a picci of the GR route noticeboard for Grolejac, the village where we’re going. I have no experience of the GR routes, but….I can’t wait! it all looks lovely.
In general terms the area is stunning, and try and do a canoe trip, you can take whole families on them, they arn’t arduos, but slowly drifting below Beynac is *stunning*…..it blew away my teenage daughtes….. one of the few times they wern’t arguing!!!!!!!!!!!
my tuppence
Q

Ha, nick you make that sound amazing, just what i need…. There does’nt appear to be any vacancies for it proffesionals there, but if you are serious there may be other not very well paid, but fun vacancies.

And CHristowkid, i would be near to Brive La Gailarde, is that anywhere near where you were based?

Err…. not sure.
Grolejac is a few miles east of Domme, an amazing fortress village ( from memory…)
Brive la gailarde rings a bell…..but can’t see it on the google map, but it sounds familiar…..
Ahhhh got it!
No we’re south and east of it, just below Sarlat. Though it doesn’t look too far on the map, just remember the Dordogne works on Devon Miles – every road is like the Moretonhampstead road going from Exeter to moreton. It is a winding snake that takes for ever!!! We headed over to Peche Merle, possibly the best show cave to go into ever. It was 75 miles there, and 80 miles back cos we tried another way. That took the best part of 3 hours each way and I was *shattered*, even worse than the 9 1/2 hour drive to our site from Roscoff. Driving round the dordogne is scenic, beautiful, but hard work! Better to stay close to your base and simply enjoy it’s warmth, local sites to see and the wonderful food and wine……
Will I really have to wait til late July?????
( sighhhhhh)
Do some homework – dig out any GR routes that will be near you.
If there are any local sites you want to see – book on line. We went to Les Eyzies and tried to get into a show cave there, and it was booked up for nearly 2 months. Luckily we booked online for Peche Merle and it was simple. They had us on the list for the day, so it was sorted. Just as well after am awful 75 mile trip there.
….but it is all worth it!
cheers
Q

I live about an hour and a half SE of Brive, between Figeac and Villefranche. Plenty places to ride, some very, very good, not ridden much up in the Dordogne, but no doubt plenty to find. I mostly ride locally, but often take weekends in the Tarn gorge and in the Cevennes.

If you do come down and fancy a spin sometime email jusandrhiatyahoo

Oh and the DH course (with cable car) at Le Lioran is well worth a visit.

it sounds amazing. Fingers crossed i get the job…

And slowmedown, i’ll definitely try to get in contact if it works out…

I think it was gr 5 or gr 6 we rode a long section, truely an unsung gem, for info look at the Top 25 series of maps, we rode to Domme and then followed several tracks back to sarlat cycle lane, brill. Singletrack some years ago did an article on perigord north more wooded but great. Sarlat is great some areas a bit ott touristy but loads of undiscovered areas and most people did not mind us riding non vtt paths. Overlooked as cycling for softies but really good fun…………enjoy

Hmmmm…. must read post properly – thought you meant you were holidaying there, hence my comments about sites to see.
Sorry!
To work in that region of France must be an opportunity to die for. My eldest daughter is reapidly becoming a francofile and would do anything for a chance!!!!!
It really is a nice place to be………
Q

We went to Montagrier last year. It’s in the middle of 460 km of marked mtb trails, and there’s a short downhill course at Riberac. Only touched the edge of it to be honest, so hard to say what it’s all like, but there’s a sort of clubhouse type thing in Montagrier which seemed to be the hub of the VTT scene out there. Seemed to be lots of xc racing going on.

When I first started exploring I suspected it was all tame jeep roads, but having dug a bit more discovered some more interesting steep switch backs, loads of singletrack through forests where eventually you pop out into a field of sunflowers and see a village across where you can stop for a beer. Lot of spiders webs in the forests – I was blimmin covered in them to the point I could hardly see out of my sunglasses. Yak!

You could do worse than rock up to a club house like that and try and ingratiate yourself with the locals who’ll have “the knowledge”?

yeah, i think i shoudl find out within the first few days of next week if i get the job… Fingers crossed. And Christow kid, there are other vacancies where i may be going… I’m just applying to be a maintenece supervisor working for a centre that runs activity holidays for schools. I should stand a good chance being a qualified sparks and relatively good at speaking french… But they have lots of other vacancies for younger people, if your daughter was genuinely interested…

lyons/Andy,
I’m a couple of hours North of Brive.
There’ll undoubtedly be some great riding there, just take you a short while to find it.

If you fancy a ride up in my neck of the woods. You’re invited.

So there’s two invites, and you haven’t even got the job yet. But we hope you do.

SB 🙂

Come on Andy, you’d miss being hub deep in sticky mud, and you’d miss the chocolate cake from the cafe at the monument….. see you in forty minutes!

Lyons:
It’s exactly what she might be interested in doing, but at present she’s a little young at just short of 15 yrs old. It’s just that she absolutely adores France, speaks French well, engineering anything/everything to go over at any possibility etc etc. She’s already stated that she wants to live in France and won’t entertain anything else.
Such strong conviction already!
…..hope she ends up somewhere nice – the Dordogne will do!!!
best of luck in it all
Q

I’ve been to Sarlat (well, nearby) a couple of times and took my road bike the second time. It’s a great area for road riding but from the woods/trails/etc I saw while on the road, it looked like it’d be great for mtbing too.

Sounds like a dream job 🙂

Stratobiker, I’m coming over at Easter again, I’d be well up for a spin in the Monts de Blond again if you are around.

Hmmmm maintenance

Do they need another electrician ( with a slack grasp of french)I have a place in the Haute vienne neer to Pieguit Pluviers and I want to go live there as soon as possable 😥

btw hook up with stratobiker the monts de blonde are pritty dasm good

We’ve been there quite a few times and can echo all the good stuff written above. But don’t worry about the heat, you will become accustomed to it very quickly indeed. Locals ride big miles in that heat- so why not anyone else?

My biggest memory of the place was an exploratory ride that just got better and better, snaking down through the limestone chestnut forest along super sweet natural singletrack made by wild boars and deer. I popped out in a field of tobacco and walnut trees and rode back to the cottage. Passing through the village on the way back all I had was shouts of encouragement from the guys at the bar. Fantastic. A class place to live and work- no wonder there are so many Brits in Dordogneshire.

And if No1 Daughter speaks good enough French- Chalet girl for work experience?

Ambose:
hmmmmm hadn’t thought of that!
To be fair, she’s sorted her own out quite recently. Contacted someone who they’d stayed with on a school orchestra exchange and got on with very well. She worked out a cheap flybe air ticket was available, so emailed her and said she was planning to come over – any chance of doing *some* sort of work???? The lady agreed instantly so that’s sorted!
I like her cheek!!
cheers
Q