Where would you ride on a French roadtrip?

So me and MrsB are off to France for September. We are driving our van and will be taking camping kit and spaniel.

I will go to the Bol d’Or on the middle weekend of Sept, Mrs B will sit that out.

We will take our bikes and are looking for amazing places to ride.

I cant DH due to getting a brain injury in Les Gets 2 yrs ago. So we are after rides in great places. They can be from a couple of hours to all day. We wont ride together as we will play pass the parcel with the dog.

We have road, gravel and mtb to take if required.

No uplifts pls as i have a fear of getting hurt in that scenario. We dont mind pedally or road, and mtb would be best capped at a uk trail red.

Ive got a month……where would you ride?

Thanks

Ian

Rode from Nice up to Gorges du Verdon stayed in some fab towns. It was ace.
CASTELLANE- lovely town on a river, with white water rafting, food, bars etc.
MOUSTIERS-SAINTE-MARIE another lovely town on the other end of the gorges, near the lake where you can swim or row up the gorges. A really beautiful town as well.

Roads.. The Gorge du Verdon is lovely, also Gorges du Nesque and Ventoux while in the area.
The Vercors for stunning exposed balcony roads.
The Ecrins and the road to La Berarde, just beautiful.

Gravel.. it’s just over the border in Italy but the Via del Sale from Col Tende and the Col Finestre-Strada Assietta never fail to amaze me (look up the Torino-Nice Rally, pm if you want route files)

XC MTB.. Briancon general area, eg mont Thabor area or up to the Col Fromage and down to Celiac .. look up the VTT trail signs in the area, there’s no bad trails there.

Only the stuff I’ve ridden and really enjoyed, there’s so much more to ride there.

We aren’t fit climbers but we have been going through this book.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Greatest-Cycling-Climbs-Tour-France/dp/0711234825

The best thing, it as taken us to some great places we have never heard of.  And given us an excuse to explore France.  If I had a month I would do the Massiff Central rides, pick some of the Alps and then the jura and vosage.

Guys thanks very much for this.

@jameso i have those files is i did your TNR with MrsB about 4 years ago. Awesome suggestions, thank you.

Ive also ordered that climbs book so we will use that to go and explore too.

The Verdun gorge looks amazing, so we are v excited about all that area

Thanks for the suggestions

Ian

@breninbeener, ok, wow – small world / my memory failed me : )  Cheers Ian

For the Vercors that JamesO refers to, aim for the west side, where the Isère river flows down towards the Rhone. Combe Laval and the col de la machine is the most popular photo shoot type view, but several others round there worth riding. The vercors in La Drome,rather than in Isére is generally the better road riding (so the southern section).  Also look at La Drome in general: great riding and not that known about by non-french. Then getting down towards Les Ecrins La Col de Noyer is great.

I live nearby in the Chartreuse, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Les Alpilles is great dry gravel riding . Great gravel scene round Arles, can put you in touch with some guys.

@mugsys_m8. Thats awesome, thank you!

No worries! Have fun.

Nice riding in the vosges. You can also have a pop at la planche de belle filles, it’s only the last 1km that will make or break you.

Did it with a mate a few years ago then sat at the start of the first steep bit watching big belgies explode.

MOUSTIERS-SAINTE-MARIE another lovely town on the other end of the gorges, near the lake where you can swim or row up the gorges. A really beautiful town as well.

…is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever stayed (for about ten days a few years ago). I only had a crossbike with me and an xc type mtb would have been a lot better for the local VTT trails.

France is obviously huge and I’d’ve thought anywhere hilly would have good riding. Thinking of other less visited for riding type areas I’ve enjoyed mtb in the Haute Languedoc and in the SW pyrenes (which I know best), hills above Nice etc etc, (That said we’re in brittany next week and I’m not bothering to take a mtb, just xbike and surfboards.)