Cycling UK Forum

Calais is a long way north, and perhaps too much in line with Paris. This link contains a map with some long distance cycle routes that may be of interest: http://about-france.com/tourism/cycling-holidays.htm. There seem to be several combinations that would get you to the Med. I only have experience of the area fifty miles or so south of Roscoff, which was very pleasant and quiet in 1997.

If I may post a partial reply to my own query, I have now heard from the French Tourist Office in London, who say that no licence to ride a bike is needed in France. They have also sent a link to their website with brief information about French rules and regulations: http://about-france.com/tourism/cycling-holidays.htm#Highway_code

This link also has a very interesting map of the six major cycle routes in France.

REH

I have been reading EuroVelo 6 guide (published by Chamina in France) to the route from Basel to Nevers, mainly along canal and river towpaths. In the introduction it mentions that you can have your licence withdrawn for a serious breach of the French Highway Code when cycling. This seems to imply that you have to have a licence to ride a bike in France, though it could possibly mean that your car-driving licence is at risk. Or is it plain wrong?

The same section also refers to obligatory third-party insurance. The CTC cover provided as a membership benefit should suffice, but should one obtain and carry some sort of certificate of cover I wonder?

Any comments?

CTC advice often mentions (as it does under this topic) the removal of a wheel at the roadside. Presumably this would be to mend a puncture. In the late 50s and 60s I rode a Raleigh Superbe roadster with enclosed chain and rod-operated brakes, adding extra obstacles to wheel removal. I had quite a lot of punctures in remote places but always mended them without removing the wheel. (As a shoolboy on a budget it never occurred to me to carry a spare tube!) I see no reason to remove the wheel with more modern bikes, though there are obvious advantages if it is easy to do.

The main point, however, is that nowadays punctures are very rare if one uses tyres with Kevlar or similar layers. They cost a little more, but not significantly so in relation to all the other expenses that seem to arise now.