[Throwback Tuesday] France, September 2021

NotSpez, 7 months ago (edited 7 months ago)

Awesome post, thank you for sharing! This is the kind of content that makes me so happy this sub was created (by OP, no less).

Route looks very well planned. Since covid I have been more aware of how much incredible beauty Europe actually has to offer. Those valleys/Gorges, empty French roads, and incredible landscapes are worth all the cold nights, rainy and windy descents, and the liquid that the French call coffee (I’m not sure we will ever agree, but when I’m on the bike, I don’t even care).

I also really appreciated that find the tunnel challenge, thanks for that! I once rode from northern Italy to Nice through the alps, I remember how incredible it was to experience the shift in landscape and vegetation from day today. I will share a little story about it in one of the upcoming throwback Tuesdays.

Someone in the comments asked how to do the camping stuff. My two cents on the matter is: if you have a limited budget, start by riding full gear for only a weekend, with one or two nights only. Plan some cheap campsites, or your friends and gardens as stops and don’t plan more than half the distance he would normally cycle without luggage to start with. It does take some time to get used to it, even more, so if you are cycling in an area with a lot of ups and downs.

If your budget allows it, it can also be very interesting to do some credit card bikepacking. This means one bag only, between five and 8 kg. Then you go from hotel to hotel in the off-season and it can be reasonably cheap (It is cheaper with a duo than alone) and it can be great fun to have a place to eat dinner at and to have a hot shower at the end of the day. In planning the route, also be kind to yourself. Those 5 to 8 kg really do make a big difference on an alpine. Next to the price, the most obvious downside to this method is that you probably book everything in advance, so your flexibility is limited. Another reason to be kind to yourself during planning.

Lastly, on this: In some bikepacking communities, there is some gatekeeping going on, meaning that they say you need to do this, or that, or it doesn’t count if you don’t have a mug hanging from your bag or whatever. Never, ever listen to any of that. What you need are two wheels, some bags whose contents preferably stay dry in the rain and the road. The smile will come out automatically and the rest are minor details. (the disclaimer here is that I do like all kinds of middle and high end bikepacking stuff, but when I’m on the road, it’s the road that makes me happy, not the carbon that I’m sitting on per se)

Unfortunately, due to some circumstances, I haven’t been able to do any long distance stuff the last 2 years, so my contributions will mostly be a throwback Tuesdays, but I will be back with a vengeance.

PS: again, OP, the photos are absolutely stunning. I find myself daydreaming about cycling in this area now.

AchtungDrempels, 7 months ago

Thanks to you for starting with the tbt, that was a great idea to get some content going here.

I am not the creator of this sub, i just got appointed as a mod at around the end of my last summers tour. I didn’t really like the idea of being a mod because i felt like i was already overly present here when i was ‘reporting’ live from the tour, but i thought i might as well check out how the modding works when i’d be back home on the desktop. I then just made that sub icon and that was it.

Not sure if i would be a good mod, but i mean, as for now there is nothing to do, i am certainly ready to appoint somebody else instead (actually was thinking of you, haha).

I wanted to do a little resumee of my last trip too, just didn’t get around doing it yet. I’ll also have some tbt material for western alps trip from last year, looking forward to read about what you were up to in the area. And you’re totally right about the change of landscapes, really enjoy that, that was something i started to miss cycling down Norway, but that is for my resumee.

Very much on board with what you say about not planning out too much, i will usually have a plan of where i’ll sleep the first night and after that i’ll figure it out along the way. Also my route planning is usually just an idea for me, i definitely like to have a route planned that i can follow or fall back on, so i don’t have to pull ideas out of my ass every day, but i don’t mind at all changing it up on the spot. I tried going completely without a plan once for a week and it stressed me out a bit.

I will be on a little tour next week, but i am completely unprepared still, i was thinking southern France, but i think it’ll be too cold, i really need to make a plan tonight so i can start on Saturday. So i should stop procrastinating writing this legthy reply, haha.

Terces, 7 months ago

It looks incredible. Really seems like you had a great trip and you make it sound so lovely that you are kind of making me want to go too (fyi, I’m in absolutely no shape to do this and have never tried doing something like this in my life).

Okay, maybe a stupid question, but how did you camp? Did you always go to a camping site or did you just pick a spot and sleep there for the night? And…on those multi-day trips…where do you poop?

Sorry…I’m just curious…

AchtungDrempels, 7 months ago (edited 7 months ago)

I almost everyday used campsites on that trip, i think France has really good infrastructure for that, tons of campsites. I always try to get on “camping municipal” which are run by the communities and are usually quite basic and cheap. Below 6 € was the cheapest one on the trip, but it’s not unusual to pay less than ten. I like campsites too because you can maybe chat up some other bike tourers or other people, there’s water and a shower… and a toilet. Electricity. I have a gpx that marks all the municipal camp sites, it’s actually obsolete file and i need to double check if there is a campo site still, but last year i found a camp site that was not officialy open anymore (risk of land slides), no reception but had still water access and a toilet, and the people from the village (Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinee) told me i could camp there. Would have not found that site without the obsolete file since it got removed from osm data.

When i am on tour, shitting is a very fixed ritual (different than when i’m home) - Basically shortly after i wake up, i need to go shit immediately. I need to to this before i drink a coffee in my tent, i won’t survive a coffee. This will be over quickly, not like i’m reading the newspaper there. And then i’m good til the next morning. When i’m wild camping, i will of course “shit in the woods”. I will probably already scout a place for it the evening before. I will dig a small hole or have scouted a bunch of rocks where i can hide the shit. Haha. I used to bury the toilet paper too, but i now switched to putting it in a trash bag and drop it at the next garbage bin. Sounds gross but it’s actually not that bad, and i hate finding toilet paper lying around in the outdoors. When i am wild camping close to garbage bins, i will now also shit in a plastic bag, make a knot and drop it. Oh man, haha.

Edit: as for being in shape… I am in ok shape i guess but i am also kinda old, haha. I don’t train any cycling at home or do much other sports. I just cycle around town to run errands, go to the pub etc. The only thing i need to train a bit is my ass, so it gets used to sit in the saddle for longer. So i’ll probably do two longer day rides (visit my parents etc) and i’m good. Good week into the tour i’ll be in shape. I used to be really scared of riding mountainous terrain, i live in the flat and didn’t know how to pace myself on climbs. Now i absolutely love it, i know my pace, have a low gear and take my time, just need to be a bit stubborn and you’ll eventually climb everything.

I say go for it if you’re interested, i wish i started it earlier, i am also kinda new to this.