Cycling Northern France

"The book and map describe touring routes north of the Loire. The book also details an additional 100-plus greenways, covering all the major off-road traffic-free trails in Northern France. The waterproof map describes 8 touring routes with 1:200,000 Michelin mapping plus detailed area and town maps. The 8 routes are - Brittany Coast to Coast; Around the Cotentin; St. Malo - Mont St. Michel Circular; Avenue Verte & Seine Valley (Dieppe-Paris-Le Havre); Boulogne to Lille; Paris & the Marne Valley; Rhone to Rhine via the Vosges; and, North Burgundy (Burgundy & Nivernais Canals). The accompanying 256 page book has supporting information for the featured touring routes including directions, cycle-friendly accommodation listings and places of interest. The section on greenways explores these additional routes region by region, the majority being detailed on 1:200,000 Michelin maps - ideal rides for day trips and long weekends."--Publisher description.

A guide to the leisure cycle routes south of the Loire Valley in France. It includes traffic-free routes and signed touring routes with a factfile and a text description of what to see along the way.

In this beautifully illustrated guide to travelling across France by bike you will discover hidden lanes, stunning gorges, amazing places to eat and stay, plus the best of French cycling culture.

This updated edition details the recent developments in the Green Way network in Brittany as well as various new long distance cycle routes. The guide maps a major part of the current network, notes places of interest nearby, and provides a directory of overnight accommodation.

This guidebook describes two cycle routes between London and Paris: the 490km 'classic route' and the 387km Avenue Verte. Passing through rolling chalk downland and characterful market towns, the trails link these two great cities with their grand buildings, famous museums and iconic monuments. Ideal both for cycle-touring holidays and charity challenges, both routes are well within the capabilities of cyclists of moderate fitness and will generally take between five days and a week - meaning that a round trip, including a few days sightseeing in Paris, can easily be accomplished in a fortnight. The routes are described in both directions, with the primary route description running from London to Paris. The classic route is presented in eleven stages; the Avenue Verte in nine, with clear step-by-step directions accompanied by mapping, elevation profiles and notes on local points of interest. A comprehensive introduction covers all the practicalities, such as Channel crossings, accommodation and what to take, and also offers a fascinating historical overview of southern England and northern France. A summary of facilities, useful contacts and an English-French glossary can be found in the appendices. The classic route crosses the Channel between Dover and Calais and makes use of quiet country roads, rural tracks and dedicated cycle paths, with a number of off-road sections. Developed to celebrate the 2012 London Olympics, the Avenue Verte is fully waymarked and makes maximum use of Sustrans off-road cycle tracks in England and voies vertes (rural cycle routes) in France: it uses the slightly longer Newhaven-Dieppe crossing. Cycling from London to Paris draws on the best of both worlds: England and France; the bright lights and vibrant attractions of the city and the delightful scenery of Kent, Sussex, Hauts-de-France and Normandy. The journey offers a wonderful cycling experience, as well as a unique insight into the cultures of both nations.

'An evocatively thoughtful wider history of the race, the war and the peace' GUARDIAN 'Occasionally funny and regularly poignant, brilliantly focused in its research . . . His drive, wit and curiosity inform Zone Rouge . . . gently profound and genuinely moving' HERALD The Circuit des Champs de Bataille (the Tour of the Battlefields) was held in 1919, less than six months after the end of the First World War. It covered 2,000 kilometres and was raced in appalling conditions across the battlefields of the Western Front, otherwise known as the Zone Rouge. The race was so tough that only 21 riders finished, and it was never staged again. With one of the most demanding routes ever to feature in a bicycle race, and plagued by appalling weather conditions, the Circuit des Champs de Bataille was beyond gruelling, but today its extraordinary story is largely forgotten. Many of the riders came to the event straight from the army and had to ride 18-hour stages through sleet and snow across the battlefields on which they had fought, and lost friends and family, only a few months before. But in addition to the hellish conditions there were moments of high comedy, even farce. The rediscovered story of the Circuit des Champs de Bataille is an epic tale of human endurance, suffering and triumph over extreme adversity.

This essential guide steers you along France’s best cycling routes, to the best patisseries, the friendliest places to stay and the most breathtaking scenery. Find a tour to suit you - a leisurely day trip, a week-long food and wine tour or an epic mountain climb. Including - 135 days of France’s best cycling - including Corsica; - on-the-road maintenance tips and a guide to French cycle-speak; - where to eat - from markets to cafes and restaurants; - where to stay - from camping to B&Bs and chateaux; - what to see and do, in and out of the saddle; - how to pack and transport your bike; - the Tour de France explained.

For Adam Ruck, France and cycling go together like a rich Camembert and a heady glass of Bordeaux.