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July 10: Le Bourget-du-Lac to Seyssel
We both woke up feeling pretty rough after yesterday’s surprisingly difficult ride to watch the Tour. We decided to sleep in a bit and then bike for as long as we could, which ended up being only 45km. We biked around Lake Bourget, which was nice, and met up with the Rhone River route (Via […]
July 9: Le Tour de France!
The Tour de France race director stated they have “never” attempted a stage as difficult as Stage 9 of this year’s Tour, with three extremely steep, “Beyond Category” climbs. We decided to watch the race just below the summit of the third and final climb on Mont du Chat. We biked up the descent, which […]
July 8: To Le Bourget-du-Lac
Neither of us were looking forward to today’s 90km from La Chambre to Le Bourget-du-Lac (just north of Chambéry). It wasn’t a defined bike route, and since it was a river valley, the Michelin map showed a narrow band of red roads, meaning heavy traffic. However, we immediately followed a smaller road out of La […]
July 7: To Le Chambre
We decided to try a less-traveled road on our approach to Chambéry, where Stage 9 of the Tour de France will end in two days. We reviewed our extremely helpful Michelin maps and even used Rick’s computer to gauge the elevation profile for the ~70km day. Rick was heading back to the airport today so […]
July 6: Alpe d’Huez (+ Jul 5 rest day)
After Ventoux, we were all in need of a rest day. We went to a nice street market in Sault (drove there this time) in the morning, then relaxed in the afternoon before going to Gordes for dinner. Pictures below are of an abbey near Gordes, complete with lavender fields, and a view of Gordes […]
July 4: Mont Ventoux!
We joined a special group of fool hardy cyclists, Club des Cinglés du Mont-Ventoux. It translates to the crazies club and is reserved for those who climb Ventoux three times in one day. The feat requires 137km/85mi and 4,400m/14,435ft of vertical climbing between the three ascents. It was without a doubt one of the hardest […]
July 3: Special guest RVK
Caitlin’s dad heard the call of the Ventoux, and flew out to join the adventure for a week. We opted for a ride with a good amount of gentle climbing to wake up the legs, before we tackled the giant of Provence. If you find yourself in Europe, Michellin Maps are a must. An old […]
Jun 27-Jul 2: Nevers, Avignon, Provence, and Bédoin
You might notice this post covers a bit more ground than our typical update. In addition to Caitlin’s rear rack issue, Andrew also developed a skin condition which became increasingly painful (we’re a family-friendly blog here at BFB so we’ll spare you the details). The severe heat we went through days prior was the primary […]
Jun 25-26: Briare to Nevers (+rest day)
We continued along the Loire a Velo bike path, though today followed more of the Briare canal than the Loire river itself. We had 100km into Nevers. The ride featured terrific tree-lined paths along the canal, a major sheep jam (must-see video here), and a significant bike malfunction featuring Old Glory (Caitlin’s bike). As you’ll […]
Jun 24: Blois to Briare
With the heat wave finally breaking and temperatures down in the 70s/80s, we decided to go big. Today’s 160km put us at our first century (in miles) of the trip since the Eleven Cities Tour in Friesland. We didn’t have a firm destination until around lunch but settled on Briare. Google Maps had some quaint […]
Biking for Baguettes 