Cycling from Montpellier to Brighton - reflections on a journey

After cycling 1600 kms across France in 19 days the bikes have been cleaned, oiled and hidden. For a few days at least we've seen enough of them.

Maps, and routes on maps, are very attractive things. Earlier in the year when the days were short and the central heating was on full blast, the prospect of cycling on French vélo routes from the Mediterranean to the English Channel seemed like a brilliant idea. Having sampled the vélo routes on previous trips Christine and I felt ready for such an epic journey.

Day 19 Montpellier to Brighton - Brighton

67km - the mad dash to the coast

So we're home in Brighton - our Montpellier to Brighton epic cycle ride has ended a little earlier than planned.

My original intention involved catching the overnight ferry and then cycling from Portsmouth to Brighton in the morning. On Wednesday's there are two ferries from Ouistreham to Portsmouth, one at 2 in the afternoon and the other at 11 in the evening. Getting the 11 o'clock meant a lot of hanging about at Ouistreham which is a really dull place.

Recently Christine has objected to anything that resembles a target, even getting up at a certain time, so it was already well past 9 and we were on the road when I suggested that we might try for the 2 o'clock ferry. Surprisingly despite this being a target she thought it was a great idea. She particularly liked idea of getting to Portsmouth, catching the train back to Brighton and sleeping in our own bed for the first time in nearly 3 weeks - we had a plan and a target.

Day 18 Montpellier to Brighton - Pont d'Ouilly

109km - through the bocage

Guest blog from Christine

Today turned out to be our longest day and one of the wettest.

After a night of rain we were pleased to wake up to clear skies even though it was chilly. We decided to get off early and see how far we could get as the forecast promised more rain.

Buying jambon baguettes for lunch as we left Mayenne we found the disused railway track we went on last year. The route actually involved two different railway tracks with some wiggling and confusing road linking the two. This all gets you steadily, and at civilised gradient, up to the little town of Flers which straddles the watershed between the Loire drainage basin and rivers flowing north to La Manche.

Day 17 Montpellier to Brighton - Mayenne

40 kms - a rest day

After yesterday's battle with the mud, today we pulled in our horns and chose a more modest destination - Mayenne, the next significant town on our route home.

Mayenne is only 40 kms or so away along the river, was never going to take more that a couple of hours to complete, so I had to concede to Christine's suggestion that we actually have a look round Lavel, the town were we stayed last night. To be honest, after our brief visit last year I had concluded that it was a bit of a dump. As it turned out first impressions can be completely wrong and hidden behind the slightly run down river frontage, Laval has a stunning medieval town centre. Lots of a half timbered properties, carefully maintained, are being reused as restaurants, bars and artisan shops which, on a day when it wasn't Monday and when the weather was half decent would have been a great place to spend some time (and money, were it not for the painful constraint of one pannier to get stuff back home: still I managed to buy a pair of shoes - ed).

The other reason we decided on a short day was the weather, it still hasn't fixed itself. It wasn't actually raining, just grey and chilly, but the forecast was for heavy rain later.

Day 16 Montpellier to Brighton - Laval

97kms through the mud

After last night's loss of cycling appetite we were back in the saddle again and heading north to the Channel coast. The weather forecast changed from last night's predicted heavy showers to one of light showers this morning. Although not good it was just enough to tip the balance and we left Angers, without really seeing it, through light drizzle.

Angers is were the River Mayenne joins the Loire and the route follows the Mayenne north to the town of Mayenne. From the mid-16th century, following the construction of a series of locks and weirs, the river has been navigable.

We have already cycled the route from Angers to the Channel, we did it last year, but this year it felt different.

Mud on the Vélo Francette

Day 15 Montpellier to Brighton - Angers

95kms and over the Loire.

The last 20kms spoilt what was otherwise a great day, the last 5 were almost a disaster.

Day 14 Montpellier to Brighton - Thouars

125 kms - up hills and down dales

I'm not religious, far from it, but a religious upbringing has left it's mark. I have a sneaking suspicion that things catch up with you and doing a bad turn comes at a cost. Last night we booked a room in a small hotel in St Loup sur Thouet, it looked nice, good value and had great reviews. Today however we were moving quickly, got to St Loup early afternoon, and sailed on past. I felt very guilty and I can't help it, I blame all our subsequent problems on that misdemeanour.

Day 13 Montpellier to Brighton - Noirt

90kms - Languid and long

Today we left the coast and headed inland; it was hot and humid. In terms of route the bit change was leaving the Vélodysée after about 25kms at Marans and joining the Vélo Francette, the route that will take us on our last 600 kms all the way to the Normandy coast.

Starting La Velo Francette

We've had a good day's cycling but it was quite tough. The challenge came from two sources: the first was the route and the second was the heat.

Day 12 Montpellier to Brighton - La Rochelle

50 kms - between the sea and the motorway

Today we were both somewhat distracted by a mission which made the journey to La Rochelle a secondary task - 'find a bike shop'. After yesterday's second (actually 4th - Ed) puncture an overwhelming volume of advice has persuaded us to replace Christine's tyres: we still have a long way to go.

The first address we googled was on an industrial estate just north of Rochefort. After getting into serious trouble for loosing Christine (at a hairy double roundabout in the rush hour - Ed) we found a huge warehouse, clearly the French equivalent of Sports Direct and unlikely to provide us with what we needed.

A bikavan (?)

Day 11 Montpellier to Brighton - Rochefort

91 kms - the rough with the smooth

Today was our best day's cycling so far, lots of variation and stunning scenery. It was not however without its challenges and even today we managed to pick up a puncture. You have to take the rough with the smooth.

Last night, a Monday night, we had the worst food we've had in France, really bad. But tonight, for the same price we had the best.

With this sort of trip you never know what's going to happen next.

The weather was perfect when left our hotel in Royan this morning. I'd cleaned the bikes up yesterday, given the chains a desperately needed oil and after a day's rest we were pleased to get on the Vélodysée again.

Remains of the Atlantic Wall

Day 10 - Montpellier to Brighton - Royan

85 kms - through the dunes

For the second day running I've woken in the morning to the sound of waves breaking gently on a beach outside the bedroom window. Not bad, particularly as we arrived at the Atlantic just in time for a spell of fine weather. Today we are taking a break, at the mid-point in our journey back to Brighton, and having a day out of the saddle relaxing in Royan. Royan is a quiet seaside town, almost stylish, a sort of French Bournemouth in the fifties.

Royan

Day 9 Montpellier to Bordeaux - Lacanou Océan

75kms from Bordeaux to the sea.

Things didn't start too well this morning in Bordeaux. It was freezing cold and for some reason Christine took a total dislike to the cafe where I decided to stop for breakfast. For me the choice didn't matter, the petit dejeuner is always a grande ripoff and it doesn't make that much difference where the ripoff happens. As far a Christine was concerned however my choice revealed a fundamental character flaw which could only be remedied by a sustained silence.

The silence was sustained as we passed along the river, through old Bordeaux and out into the suburbs. The suburbs to the west of Bordeaux went on and on and, despite the beautiful surface and the company of hundreds of runners and other cyclists, our glum mood was sustained.

An ugly route leaving Bordeaux

Day 8 Montpellier to Brighton - Bordeaux

60 kms cruising into Bordeaux

We've been cycling for a week and with about 560 kms under our belts have completed over a third of the total distance. We reach the Atlantic coast tomorrow and the plan, providing the weather improves a bit, is to slow down and take a breather for a day or two before starting our journey up through France.

The cycling so far has lived up to expectations but we have not had good weather. France has been hit by a huge storm and measures are being taken to protect the world's greatest collections of art in Paris. Although the impact on our journey has not been as dramatic, two wet days have left me with a dreadful head cold and I'm feeling very sorry for myself (that's true, Ed).

Great stretch of new track on the way to Bordeaux

Day 7 Montpellier to Brighton - Sauveterre de Guyenne

118 kms, 3 punctures and Saint George

Some days things don't go to plan, and this was one of them.

Agen this morning was misty and cold. Without much enthusiasm we left our noisy hotel in the middle of the rush hour and were soon back on the canal side track. To be honest we're getting a bit fed up of the scenery which, ever since Toulouse, has been pretty monotonous.

Crossing the aquaduct leaving Agens

After 90 minutes or so at Buzet Sur Baïsse we had our first coffee. Christine bought some more prunes - she now has a kilo and a half. The sun broke through and for the first time in 3 days I took off my cycling waterproof.

Day 6 Montpellier to Brighton - Agens

45 kms - a half day but far enough

I don't suppose the manager at Hotel le Provence reads my blog but if does I hope he'll forgive me. We said we would be there this afternoon but unfortunately I got our Perigords mixed up with my Provences and we're staying at the hotel down to road. By the time I had worked out that we had made a mistake it was too late, I was already getting warmed up in the bath!

Great track

Day 5 Montpellier to Brighton - Moissac

92 kms on the Canal de Deux Mers in the rain.

Today's cycle ride had one characteristic that overwhelmed all others. It was very wet. It started to rain as soon as we left the chambre d'hote in Donneville and kept raining for the next 82kms. The rain varied from steady drizzle to torrential. We've had a difficult day!

Very wet day

Day 4 Montpellier to Brighton - Donneville

84 km to a hobbit house

Tonight we had hoped to make it to Toulouse but as the day went on it became clear that Toulouse was too far. So we staying in Donneville, in someone's garden in a tiny house previously occupied by Bilbo Baggins. We were pleased to get it.

A night in the garden shed

Day 3 Montpellier to Brighton - Carcassonne.

76 kms into a gale

To eat a sit-down lunch or not to eat lunch, that is the question.

Cycling and lunch>

Day 2 Montpellier to Brighton - Capestang

80km, some in the right direction!

Today was the first full day on our Montpellier to Brighton epic cycle ride: a great day, but with few learning points.

Day 1 Montpellier to Brighton - Sète

Getting here with 2 bikes on a plane from Gatwick was stressful. I know very little about bikes and Christine knows less than nothing. The airports at both ends were packed with people escaping for bank holidays and half term week and wrapping the bikes up in amateur fashion, on full display, was a tad embarrassing. Still it worked and dispite a last minute panic about our bubble wrap deficiency the bikes arrived at Montpellier in good condition.

Packed a ready - Bikes in CTC bags