Wondering if anyone could help?

I am heading to France this summer on a family holiday and the Mrs has been kind enough to let me factor in a couple of days in the Pyrenees before driving onto Coastal Bordeaux, I was thinking maybe the Midi or Hautes Pyrenees, Never been before, can anyone recommend any good spots?

Any good French Pyrenees MTB guide books available?

Cheers!

Sod the mountain bike, get the road bike out and nail a few big climbs.

I look rubbish in full body Lycra Steve.

Barreges, Ardiden Velo

We spent a week around Luchon with A Quick Release, really excellent. TBH I have no idea how much of that could have been done without a guide though, some was marked VTT trails.

St Lary is good, Cauterets is ok but not as good as St Lary. Luchon off piste is apparently pretty good but the marked trails are rubbish.

Can also recommend AQR.
Had a great day out guided by Ian, which also turned into a coaching session. Which was kind.
Also their hire bikes are all Cotic Rockets, which aren’t bad either, and would save having the bike with you for the rest of your trip.

We did a similar trip in September, Plymouth>Santander>Pyrenees>Bordeaux etc. was great.

Ax-Les-Thermes

This resort is well east so avoids the worse weather in the western side of the Pyrenees and it’s near Andorra.

You have thermal spas – free to access- a swimming pool, lovely town centre, 5mins ride from the Municipal site to the cable car up Ax-Bonascre. This has lovely natural trails littered all over the mountain and has excellent Liasons back down to the Town, for the end of the day.

We have been twice and in July it’s quiet, unless it’s a day or two before the TDF -which often finishes there.

There is topos for XC routes around the valley too.

You can take kids up the side valleys or up toward Andorra for amazing lakes etc.

Outside Ski Resorts, we have found the VTOPOS very good. They have graded routes, all with 1-25k maps and good descriptions. You can also download the routes as GPS tracks for a few euros more. They have longer routes or shorter routes. We have used them in Grenoble, Alpes Maritimes and Provence areas and every route has been worth repeating.

http://librairie.vtopo.fr/

Thanks for the help. Few things to look at there.

luchon went alone first time so some days guided by AQR very good
then been with family last two times just with maps

highly recommended area

Ax le thermes or Foix again very good

Map of FFC VTT sites here: http://ffc.fr/a_VTT/a_SitesVTT/index.asp

Generally these sites have a few marked trails, mostly very XC, but can be quite variable in the grading (and signposting – take a map!). Best regarded as an introduction to where you can go on a bike, rather than an exhaustive list.

VTT Prades?

http://biking66.com/les.circuits.vtt-140.php

Ax les thermes and Prades are a long drive from the western coast. The nearest bike park to Bordeaux is Artoust.

http://www.26in.fr/bike-parks/artouste/

Right! Change of destination. Decided upon Pyrenees Orientales now, booked to stay in Ceret(first 2 weeks in August), which is a 90 min drive from mountains. I’m basically leaving the Mrs and Kids to have a night camping and 2 days riding. God bless her. Pay off is i have to put up with the sister in law…

Anyone got any good tips on where exactly to head? Any good sources for decent guide books or maps?

Thanks,

Andy

I would say it’s a lot closer then 90 Minutes !

Do you want XC or Lift Assisted ?

prades/mt canigou area, google VTT prades and some great trails, we nisited ceret and i would think good trails.

This site has lots of overlays and maps, for free.

VTOPO do very good routes, with IGN 1’25k maps, so easy to follow.

http://www.vttrack.fr/

Ffc centre at Arles sur tech, not far away. Nearest bike park is les angles, approx 1.30 in the capacir. Good riding around ile sur tet, not far away.

Ridden in Les Angels and thoroughly enjoyed it. Very laid back and un-Alpine.