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I'm off to France for the weekend with a mate and his mates to ride from Roscoff to Carhaix on the V3. Its only 60 odd Km so that's not bothering me at all.
My question is does anyone know what the surfacing is like. Ive read mixed reports of tarmac and compacted sand.
One of the guys is taking a hybrid, one his hardtail mtb. None of the guys are particularily experienced cyclists so I'm going for the company and to escape. It was dropped on me in the week that it would be more like drinking holiday with a bit of bikes, as against the cycling holiday it was sold as.
I don't mind. It will all be fun.
This is one time I wish I had a cross bike. Well I do, but its not in the best of condition and the v brakes are shite, plus its not comfy.
I actually have limited options on the bikes. I could take my Epic full Suss, but think that would be overkill. and its not like I could go off and explore as that's antisocial....
I could take my decent Willier road bike with disc and 25c which is my go to bike, or I could take my older Giant TCR which I use as a winter bike. Neither will take 28's.
#My preference is my decent road bike and just bimble and enjoy the scenery but I don't want to descroy it on gritty towpaths with the odd stone and pot hole. Weather looks dry and sunny so looks ideal. The TCR might be a compromise, bt the Willier is just more fun with discs and comfier...
Reckon that will be ok? Has anyone actually ridden from Roscoff to Carhaix and can advise on the surface?
Ta
Edit. Ive got a New "old" set of Vittoria "treadier" tyres that came on the bike, might put them back on, they'd be better than the GP4000s, what ya think?
Not done that specific Voie Verte but we did a few in Brittany a few weeks ago. The surface varied from tarmac to old railway tracks to trail centre like armoured single track to full on gravel on occasion. We were on rigid 29ers but a gravel bike or CX bike with something like 42c or bigger tyres would be ideal.
Isn't that the V7? I've used it between Morlaix and Huelgoat. It's primarily close-packed gravel, I don't recall anything particularly loose. I did it on 37mm road tyres, you could do it on narrower ones.
done the route with my good lady.
both on touring bikes with panniers. good surface which would be ok on 28mm tyres i reckon.
I've donea few hundred km of voie verte.
If your mates are slow, it'll be much more fun on an MTB than a road bike.
You can ride them on 25mm tyres no problem but you have to pay attention. Which is no fun after a French lunch.
Whereas if you take your MTB you can amuse yourself by riding up and down steps in French villages on the way to lunch.
(I took a gravel bike with 40c tyres which was perfect as we were racing for a ferry and not stopping for lunch at all. Merde!)
Ok, Just to close this out. I didn't die.
And yes it was the V7. Rode from Morlaix to Carhaix, and then onto Gourin (didn't mean to but the Gourin was signposted). 90 miles out and back.
Ended up squeezing for 28's on the road bike and it was ok. Squirelly in places as there are the odd patch of dust/sand. The track is just that apart from about 2 miles of tarmac in the middle its stony/trail centre type surface.
One guy had a hardtail, one a hybrid, I had full carbon with 28's and one had a Roubaix with 25's. We all survived but there were a few crashes on very loose corners.
I wouldn't do it if it was wet. It would be horrible and muddy. even on a MTB.
Perfect bike would be a gravel bike with 32s on.
One other thing.. Man it was boring. Company was great but other than 3 or 4 old stations there is NOTHING to see! and it feels like you are always climbing.
Thanks for the feedback,