Tjs recovery ride 5. The low countries and France

Looks like i have a canalised river bank path for the first 20 odd miles today. Its grey and cool this morning. Barely 20C. A bit of drizzle in the air.

You could probably get someone to post you a solar panel to a post office in France, via the post restante thing – if they still do that?

EDIT apparently they do and you don’t need to register anything either.

Too much hassle

Now on another old railway for this afternoon. Heading the right sort of direction

Dynamo hub with USB charging port FTW

This thread is an inspiration. I’ve never really considered cycle touring before, but I could actually see myself doing this. Keep it up TJ!

Decathlon do two solar panels a 10W and a 15W Two panel or three panel you could strap it to the top of the trailer

probably too late for teej but if anyone is interested I have a solar panel from this company that is superb. It’s like three sheets of a4 paper that folds out and charges amazingly quickly, it’s really light too. In fact it’s so good I have never used it while biking along, I just set it up when we are having a break and away it goes. Very impressive, the guy who runs the business is very helpful too, good advice on what you need it for.

https://www.mobilesolarchargers.co.uk/

Never worry about flat batteries again! It almost feels like plugging in to the mains

Over halfway Amsterdam to Bilbao. Under500 miles left. Grand day today all on traffic free gravel.

Got to go and find some dinner now.

Sounds good.

Chapeau. (Great read so far)

Got to go and find some dinner now.

Try asking for some haggis, neeps and tatties!

A bit of this

And lots of this

With all the miles you are doing do you get much time to take in the sights and towns you see or is it lots of ‘pedal/feed/sleep repeat’? I would find it hard to get the miles in (not that I could do what your doing) as I would be stopping all the time to soak up the sights and wander about. Keep it up 👍

Its pretty much just look arouns as i am pedaling. I do the odd lap of town squares. If I stopped and looked at everything progress would be cery slow

Is that the Vélo Francette, Tj? It looks familiar.

Im.not sure what its called.

I used you map linked to find it. Ta. The riverside bit was along the Mayenne and the old railway from Laval to Renaze

Gonna take a rest day here. Not the most interesting of towns but i need the day off and i can get all my kit washed.

You were on the Vélo Francette/Buuissonière but you’ve left it to get to Renazé:

https://www.francevelotourisme.com/itineraire/la-velo-francette/laval-chateau-gontier

This map from the same site may be of use:

https://www.francevelotourisme.com/itineraire

Ta.

The greenways are great. Love them.

Im not close to you am I Edukator?

He lives down in the Pyrenees somewhere so you won’t be that far away.

Epic argument potential.

I’m in Pau which is 110km from your route at the closest point: Cap Breton. There are lots of MTB trails around Pau but the cycle paths are few and far between. The coast to coast route which goes through Pau is mainly roads with an insignificant amount of proper path added each year.

The Vélodyssée route down the west coast is the best route to the Spanish border from where you are. It’s a bit contrived in places but generally safe. The surface is usually OK except for some rooty sections in the pine forests. I sometimes found myself doing a lot of east-west detours when I wanted to head south, the alternatives were more dangerous though so I mainly stuck with it.

From the Spanish border you’ll find yourself on roads a lot of the time. The North Coast Compostelle (St James way) touring bike route is probably your best bet for your section to Bilbao on a touring bike with trailer. The MTB and walking routes are quite physical with steps, stiles and very steep climbs.

Most of the tourists will be heading home on 27/8 so you’l be riding through places with a nice end of season holiday feel but no trouble finding places on campsites. I avoid wild camping in the forests when it’s dry but treat the rest halts along cycle paths as free campsites.

Ta

Went and had a poke around the town. Not really a tourist town but some really old buildings and a fab oak marketplace

Gotmy clothes all washed. Chickened out of having a haircut tho🙄🤣

Got a good feed for tonight. I suppose i should check the bike over as well

Edukator

I’m in Pau

No way. I did my uni placement at the FJT Logis Michel Hounau on Rue Michel Hounau, working at Turbomeca out in Bordes. 30 years ago though, shit. Beautiful town, really ned to go back.

I stayed in the Michel Hounau foyer when I first got to Pau in 1987. Several members of our MTB club work for or are retired from Turbomeca and we worked some contracts with them in the 90s, personally I’m not keen on their corporate culture though. I’m just next to the Stade Nautique.

30 years ago we were running a business in rue Marechal Joffre. The center is all pedestrianised now which means the bars have spilled out onto the pavements, no more being stuck in a traffic jam while the soldiers buy their cigarettes from the XV leaving the car running outside blocking the traffic. A beautiful town gets better, just don’t ask locals about their taxe foncière bills.

Having a bit of a ponder as no cycling today. In some ways this last week has been the toughest. Ive been very much on my own. I dont have enough French for casual conversations and being off the coastal route there has been no other tourers to chat to. On the other hand i have been loving the riding.

Just checked the bike over. Tightened the chain a touch. The second time this trip. Still got some wax in the chain but i ran it thru an oily fag. Headset needed a wee tighten as well. Not bad for how many thousand miles i have ridden.

I should get back on the coast in a day or two. Looking forward to that

we’re still loving it though.  It’s quite restful

I can imagine you enjoy a good blether – I think I would find it hard not to have a good conversation regularly.

Aye. Social media only gies so far

Im on the move again. Just had second breakfast sat under an oak tree on an old railway that im on for this morning. Feeling good

Must admit,I preferred tj mixing with the northern oddballs.Being one myself of course.

As others have said this is great reading for us, touring from our desks/devices;) Keep going!

Also love the Oak joint and interesting building photos.

La Vuelta arrives at Bilbao later today, think you may miss them!

Enjoy. C

This is currently the only thread that makes me happy (chat is a mess of shouty nonsense).
Pretty jealous of the adventure.
You could retire to a bar for an evening, in my experience small town bars are pretty friendly.

Found another old railway that takes me to Nantes wild camp a few miles this side of it tonight

I wonder if wild camping is legal in France? :)

Just had second breakfast sat under an oak tree on an old railway that im on for this morning. Feeling good

Please can we have more photos of croissants?  For those of us living our old git lives vicariously – we need them

This is currently the only thread that makes me happy

not quite but it is a guaranteed winner