Hi Jamie
We went to Ariege this year. We didn’t have bikes as the idea was to do a bit of walking/sightseeing but I was suffering withdrawal symptoms 8)
Don’t know how well you know Ariege – we were staying in Lavelanet – which is not at all a tourist destination and probably wouldn’t choose it again but it was really accessible to mountains, coast and historic towns – Foix Mirepoix Carcassonne etc.
Despite being a very ordinary town there was uplift at the local ski area – Mont d’olmes with a variety of DH tracks and also a network of waymarked routes.
http://medias01.enjoyconstellation.com/e15b3b24-07cf-41ae-bb52-28bcbb9ef720_134.PDF
We ended up on foot on some these and like trails we have ridden elsewhere in France they were a mixture of really overgrown/surely this is waymarked the wrongway/ bloody brilliant
Foix would have been the nearest tourist town – easy access from Toulouse airport – on the motorway to Andorra and still access to coast within a couple of hours. From there there is also a network of trails to the north
http://medias01.enjoyconstellation.com/58dd23c9-08f2-4bf9-85dc-227ed7bdd7ce_134.PDF
and to the south at Ax de la Thermes
http://www.vtt-vallees-ax.fr/www.vtt-vallees-ax.fr/images/planAx092.pdf
Ax de la Thermes also had gondola uplift and more full on looking downhill – judging by the bikes and gear anyway 😀 it also gives easy access to lots of fantastic towns and scenery.
Don’t think you will go wrong anywhere in most of Ariege – Though N of Lavelenet (Montbel – Mirepoix) is pretty but flat biking only and as elsewhere in France it would be worth getting the 25k maps with Randonees routes marked to read with any VTT waymarking.
PS Brilliant destination – but in July/ Aug we had real British weather with a good mix of rain, low temperatures and brilliant sunshine – so pack waterproofs and warm clothes!!
