[Closed] Anyone familiar with the area to the North of Angouleme?

Not super familiar but passed through it quite a few times. You are in the heart of the booze areas surrounded by the Loire valley, Bordeaux and Cognac. Its near-ish to a nice bit of the coast. I wouldn't get your hopes up for MTB but there might be a hidden gem. Road riding should be nice enough.

I drive through there at least once a month en route from the Airport at Limoges to St Savinien, 17350.

Very rural, very quiet. very French. Markets towns of Aigre and Mansle close-by.

Loads of road biking - undulating countryside, very quiet roads.

Not particulary hilly but loads and loads of singletrack in the woods and green lanes to bimble around. Think Delamere or Cannock Chase sort of elevation.

I've done a couple of VTT (MTB) events out towards that way - our place is about 40 miles further west with similar terrain.

What bike to take? Gravel / CX or HT with fast rolling tyres. In summer the trails will be pretty hardback but a bit of mud likely in the woods.

It's the sort of area that you just go out your bike and just make it as you go along.

Few tourist links below.

http://www.tourismelimousin.com/en

http://www.visit-poitou-charentes.com

hth

On a side note here's a link to the VTT - MTB event calendar. Verdille is in Dept 16. These events are non competitive (yeah right!) and cost about 6 euro to enter.

You basically turn up - fill out a form, pay 6 euro and follow the course - usually three route options 20 - 50 km.  Watch out for the fast old geezers on EBikes coming up behind you.

Snacks and drinks included at the feed stations before during and after.

The Rando des Huitres - The Oyster Rally - in the summer is a right good laugh - unlimited wine and oysters included.

I generally get to do about 3 or 4 events each year. There is is really good MTB scene in the area - no mountains though so its all cross-country.

I did some very nice bimbling around offroad riding in the area a few years ago from recommendations on here.  Limousan area which I think is nearby.  Local tourist info places / bike shops also had route maps to use.  Plenty of trails I would have thought

edit - we were around ~cussac / St mathieu if thats near where you are going tobe. If its any use I'll seach out the routes I used

Have holidayed a few times in Aubettere Sur Dronne which is south of Angouleme. Lovely little village. There are loads of bike rides in the area, off and on road. Also if you like climbing or kayaking there's plenty of that too.

Hi, used to live along the D739, 11 km's from Mansle.

Lovely part of the world, very rural and as paulx says, lots of undulating countryside which is usually full of road cyclists as the roads are very quiet.

Lots of road cycling clubs too but also plenty of woodland of which i used to ride with the local school teacher, however we were always aware of the presence of members of the Chasse and their dogs and rifles, so always wore bright clothes and made lots of noise.

Just to the north of Angouleme is a place called Champniers, there's a couple of good bike shops and also a decathlon if you were to need parts or spares.

My best mate has family just outside Mansle, so we've been out a couple of times house-sitting for them. As above, it's pretty quiet (or completely dead, depending on your perspective), and it's definitely not got much elevation for mountain biking. Mostly rolling farmland (acres and acres of sunflowers as I recall).

The first time we went we alternated between walking from the house (quite roads / farm tracks) to churches, villages, etc, every other day with a trip further afield in the car in between. A week was plenty. Next time we took gravel bikes so could go further afield on non-car days.

Angouleme is worth a day trip, as is Cognac (decide who's going to be driving BEFORE going on any distillery tours!), and we also went to Saintes for a day where there's an impressive Roman amphitheatre you could just wander round.

We're pretty happy to do nothing in the evenings but sit round and read, play board games, that sort of thing, but even so... I think more than a week at a time would have been too much. There really is very little to do.

Both times we went in late September so it might be busier in summer. I think you can hire canoes on the Charente for example.

Oh, and bring back some pineau for me, would you?