Where is the best area in France for riding off road?
Is there any were that really embraces mountain bikes + has an open mind to their potential as a source of employment + tourism?
Excluding the big ski resorts – Cham, Morzine et al – where property can be silly money!
There must be a husge area of untapped potential somewhere out there? Any big French bike parks?

Pyrenees are reasonably priced.

The Spanish side of the Pyrenees might be cheaper. How about Andorra?

Yes the Pyrenees does figure. Anyone have much experience of riding there?

Suisse Normande ?

luchon……….wonderful
Prades…………..quiet and outsatnading

We spent 5 days camping in Luchon last Sept. By this time the lift was only open at the weekend.
Its wonderfull at the end of the day, sat sipping a Kronenburg Blanc in a town full of people riding bikes..

<looks out of window>
Yep, France is sweet man!

<looks out of window>
Yep, France is sweet man!

Not from my window 🙁
Come and buy a house around here apparently prices are correct for brits 😉

Juan, sounds like you’re very negative about your return to France. Where about are you?

To OP, what about around Grenoble? you’ve got the Ecrin, the Vercors, the Chartreuse,etc….

Living around Cannes and working in Nice… I am about to start the worst 4 month of my life… Until next time 🙁

I was missing the UK and remembering all the good stuff, until I went back for a weekend, the first time since we moved back here 8months ago.

and now, not a day goes by when I’m now thankful that I don’t live there anymore. even if my job was much better there, and I miss my friends and being able to go to Scotland for the weekend and the beautiful Peak District where I used to live.

Mrsmugsy where are you based? I really miss speaking english as well…

The area round Font Romeau in the pyranees has plenty of stuff and is only 1 1/2hours from the beach and 1hour from andorra.

Southern alps, briancon downward is lovely (but maybe not cheap)

The Drome is probs quite cheap and has loads of excellent biking, likewise the massif centrale

*/mode pedant/*
massif centrale tut tut… massif central
😉

We’re in Crémieu, between Lyon and Chambéry. It’s such a wonderful area. fantastic mountain biking on our doorstep. same for road biking as we’re in the Buget. We have a much better stardard of living here than we could dream of in the Uk even if my salary is not what it used to be. but who cares when you’ve got acres of land with your farmhouse and trails worthy of a trail centre literally on my doorstep.

Oh I could plane a trip there then 😉
Apparently my sis needs comforting 😉

Living around Cannes and working in Nice

I feel for you living anywhere near Cannes. I like Nice as a city, but heading inland (even only as far as Grasse) is much more like it.

Cannes is a shite hole that get overpopulated buy the worst of the scums during summer time.
Nice only get the worst of england 😉

now who’s xenophobic 😀

Yes I couldn’t resit, mind you you have to admit that sleasy jet flyers aren’t exactly giving brit a good name, all my mates from here do not believe me when I said brits are usually nice people.

As for the scums that populate cannes they are the topgear car likes, you know big SUV no respect for anyone else etc etc

I’m not sure what you mean by ‘my sis needs comforting’

but yes if you wanted to visit, it’s no problem! My husband is english so maybe that would satisfy your need for Englishness!

I can see what you mean about the type of people on the Cote d’azur

I’m not sure what you mean by ‘my sis needs comforting’

Well she lives in Lyon and apparently all isn’t pink for her at the moment 😀
Mrsmugsy does it means you are not british? Is o I can only congratulate you for the quality of your english, far better than mine 😀

Thank you juan, no I’m a frenchie, just like you!

WOW very impress by your linguistic skills 😀 and no innuendo intended

‘scuse me mes amis francaises, but we do have the little matter of zangolin’s original quesiton….

But I do agree about Cannes – grotty. Never flown to Nice (I’ve only ever driven – from Manchester). I might visit when I’m in the Drome in July. Depends on how well I and the Géant de Provence get on….

🙂

Well OMITN that is because you are too much of CFH to take a sleasy jet flight 😉

Give me a shout if you are around here (Nice/Cannes/Grasse) I’ll take you around on the push bike.

*/mode pedantic/*
“mes amie française” or “mes amis français” 😉
*/mode pedantic/*

juan – I have forgotten more French than I ever knew..!

If I’m around I’ll certainly give you a shout. You can talk comp biology/bioninformatics with Dr North if she’s with me….

Hautes Alpes- superb, quiet, great riding, give this lass a call, she’ll help you out

Sammy Lowe at http://www.aplaceinthealpes.com