Which bike to take on a cycle tour in France ... to then take part in club cycling jaunt

[Bice]

The cunundrum, a nice one, is: in June the cycling club is organising a week ride around Provence (Mont Ventoux etc) and I intend to cycle to get there.

I am giving myself c12 days to do the 1,000kms or so and the route is simple and probably familiar to many here (not me, though): Portsmouth to Caen to Angers on the Loire, along the Loire to Orleans, south along upper Loire, across to the Rhone at around Vienne, and down.

I want to stop off and see things (seen a bit of the Loire by car: Saumur, Chenonceaux, Chinon, Fontevrault), and overnight more or less where I feel like, hence camping. Primarily because I don't really like restaurant food anymore, I will take a Trangia.

Nonetheless, I am aiming at not more than 12ks of weight. I bought a lightweight tent and mat in the summer, and could probably manage with a light sleeping bag. Trangia, tent, sleeping bag, mat, tarp are probably 5kgs, plus 1.6kgs for the Ortleib panniers. Then minimal clothes, a lock, bits and fluids.

I can ask one of the others taking part coming to Provence by car to bring a bag of stuff, with things like lighter tyres, spd shoes, pedals and more clothes.

If the total weight goes above 12kgs, then option one is probably best. But if I can bring it all in at <12kgs, then any of these could do the job.

Although I like all these bikes, they are modest and have cost little to put together. The only one I bought new is the Trek 1.7 and that was 12 years ago.

If I have to use a heavy bike, I could hire a road bike for the week when I got there (although I would be sceptical about quality and potential exaggerated cost).



1/ If I did hire a bike on arrival, then I could go on my gash long distance tourer, a converted steel Marin MTB with Sputnik wheels and decent components. The upside is that it would be comfortable along unpaved roads (La Velo Francette for eg), carry loads of weight and be pretty robust. Downside is that it weighs 14kgs even without additional weight and is slow. 100kms in a day is an ask. I always said to myself that if I took along a Trangia, this bike would have to carry it. It would not be possible to ride this bike with the club riders as I would be far too slow. Gearing is friction downtube (Suntour, my favourites): 7x3: 42, 34, 24.



2/ Then there is this, my lightweight steel Belgian Diamant ladies tourer, with its extremely convenient step-through girls' frame. I toured on this in the summer to Hants, Dorset Wiltshire and then Cardiff to Tenby in Pembrokeshire and it was ideal. The frame had never been made up until I put it together in the summer, and it is pretty high quality. But with its long wheel base and bosses, it must have been for touring. Here it is with about 14kgs of clutter - heavy tent, heavy sleeping bag, other stuff. It would be better around the 12kgs mark. When I finally arrived, I could whip off the rack and replace the tyres with lighter ones. This bike could actually be viable and fun riding with the club and I would certainly be able to keep up with the slower riders. Gearing is friction downtube (Suntour): 8x3, 48,38,28.



3/ Of course, I could just use my commuter, a Carlton mixte 1970s tourer. Advantage is: all set up and ready to go, even with mudguards. I am sure it would manage just fine if I got on it and set off right now. But I would stuggle to keep up with the other clube riders once there, so I would have to hire something faster (although with its gearing I should get up anything). In other words, the same drawback as the Marin tourer, and this frame is not great with much weight. The tyres are x32mm, but I have Schwalbe Marathons x35mm if prefered. Gearing is friction downtube (Suntour): 7x3, 42, 32, 22.



4/ Or I could use my winter road bike, a 10-speed Trek triple alloy / carbon fork. This is an old pic and I have replaced the (heavy) wheels with my own build 36-spoke Mavic Pros on Ultegra. It has fittings for mudguards and rack, as you can see. It is the lightest of these bikes at 10.3ks, and the weakest. It now has 28x700 tyres. This bike would be fine for the club riding around Provence, unless I overload it and it breaks on the way. Gearing is STI: 50,39,30.

[foxyrider]

I've done some camping trips with a Giant SCR, not dissimilar to your Trek winter bike, except i was on 25c tyres. It might not be everyones choice but thats what i'd use, fit a decent rack and Robert's your mothers brother

[MrsHJ]

I think you’ve said it- don’t overload it.

I am a bit sceptical though as a fairly lightweight tourer that you’ll get everything including panniers sub 12kg. I agree it’s doable but doing it is another matter. Get organised and packed and check the weight then I’d vote for the lightest weight as long as it’s comfy for enough hours a day on the ride down. The thrill of moving fast on an overseas tour is very rewarding. Once down there you should have a great trip- I hope you get to do the Col de la Montagne de Lure as well as the Ventoux. We based ourselves in Banon last time we were there,

I’ve gone the other way- lighter weight gear but slightly more robust bike like your bike 1 as I’ve moved to more mixed surfaces and a more upright position.

Interesting choice in your route, it’s more like one of mine going round the difficult bits- did you want to run along western Loire for a particular reason? https://cycle.travel/map/journey/380487

Cycle.travel says don’t bother with Angers. https://cycle.travel/map/journey/380489

[Bice]

Cycle.travel says don’t bother with Angers. https://cycle.travel/map/journey/380489

Somehow the post published while I was still writing it elsewhere ... Now four bikes, not three.

Angers might be a bit scrappy, but it is the capital of Anjou whose over mighty princes became kings of England, setting back France's development into a governable state by a few centuries (although I think Henry II spent a lot of time in Chinon, in fact). I want to see a bit of it.

[Bice]

I've done some camping trips with a Giant SCR, not dissimilar to your Trek winter bike, except i was on 25c tyres. It might not be everyones choice but thats what i'd use, fit a decent rack and Robert's your mothers brother

But what about the lovely Diamant, which certainly flies along when light:

[MrsHJ]

Cycle.travel says don’t bother with Angers. https://cycle.travel/map/journey/380489

Somehow the post published while I was still writing it elsewhere ... Now four bikes, not three.

Angers might be a bit scrappy, but it is the capital of Anjou whose over mighty princes became kings of England, setting back France's development into a governable state by a few centuries (although I think Henry II spent a lot of time in Chinon, in fact). I want to see a bit of it.

That sounds a good enough reason to me. Serendipity is also a good reason.
Just realised that I’ve never cycled using a step through frame. As the hips get older it might start to get more appealing- swinging my leg over fully laden panniers is starting to look a little silly, especially the occasional miss!

I do like belonging to a group where no one looks blank when cycling 1000km to a holiday is proposed.

[iandriver]

If you weigh less than about 16 stone, I wouldn't worry about overloading any of them.

Which one is most comfortable and fits you best is probably the right choice.

[bohrsatom]

Nice bikes!

Like you I'm skeptical about hiring a bike abroad, but Ventoux is so popular for cycling that you'll almost certainly be able to find a quality road bike in good condition which'll allow you to keep up with your club mates. Cost may be an issue, but it's worth looking at that option in more detail.

With that in mind, I'd be tempted to go for option 1 and exceed (slightly) your limit of 12kgs of luggage to give you a little more comfort and luxury on the ride. Then hire a carbon road bike when you get there.

[Sparky56]

There are loads of cycle hire places in the ventoux area - I was in Malaucene this year, there are a couple of places there and also in Bedouin.
They hire out what look like really good quality carbon fibre road bikes that look to be well maintained. Need advance booking.
I didn’t hire a bike because I had my own one but I was very impressed with what was on offer. The ventoux area is of course a cyclists Mecca. Worth checking the area on google maps searching for “bike shops” “cycle hire” etc.

[ANTONISH]

I had a problem with my touring bike this year and resorted to using my Dolan titanium framed bike with carbon forks.
I had open pro's on ultegra wheels like your winter bike.
We were riding in Brittany - I need lower gears than you - 44/34/24 with 10sp 11 to 34 rear cassette.
I fitted a rear rack and a small front bag.
My camping days are over so I only took clothes, spares and tools.
If I had taken all the baggage off the bike would have been fine for mountain cycling (it's been used in the Pyrenees)
I think, provided you aren't excessively heavy any of your bikes would be ok for the touring but your winter bike would be the one I would choose for the unloaded part.
Most bikes can be pressed into service - I used to cycle camp in the sixties on a road bike with sprints and tubulars.

[Goosey]

Primarily because I don't really like restaurant food anymore, I will take a Trangia.

?? Even restaurants in France?

[Bice]

If you weigh less than about 16 stone, I wouldn't worry about overloading any of them.

Which one is most comfortable and fits you best is probably the right choice.

I am 72kgs at present, but will aim for 70kgs or less by June. That's 11 stone. Deep respect for anyone at 16 stone who could get up Ventoux in June.

[Bice]

Primarily because I don't really like restaurant food anymore, I will take a Trangia.

?? Even restaurants in France?

I appreciate local produce and veg that tastes of something, cidre, garagist vin (and grand crus!), baking ... But factory pork and veal and farmed fish hidden in creamy sauce, non! Pas encore. (I live in Italy part of the year. I'll do pizzas, but no pleasure in mediocre food from others, esp eating alone.)

[MrsHJ]

These days I mostly picnic and graze from local shops rather than cooking or eating out (I get the odd pizza for something hot) when cycle touring but whatever works for you is fine- a trangia adds to your weight but it’s worth it if that’s how you prefer to eat.

I have a picnic kit packed in my gear with s &p and a little pot of oregano and a tiny bottle of salad dressing, admittedly I use a frisbee for a plate but I’m all about multi purpose. You can see the tiny msr dishwashing brush in the photo and there’s a mini msr tea towel in the set too, it all packs away in the small red bag. Ok, not the frisbee.

[Bice]

These days I mostly picnic and graze from local shops rather than cooking or eating out (I get the odd pizza for something hot) when cycle touring but whatever works for you is fine- a trangia adds to your weight but it’s worth it if that’s how you prefer to eat.

I have a picnic kit packed in my gear with s &p and a little pot of oregano and a tiny bottle of salad dressing, admittedly I use a frisbee for a plate but I’m all about multi purpose. You can see the tiny msr dishwashing brush in the photo and there’s a mini msr tea towel in the set too, it all packs away in the small red bag. Ok, not the frisbee.

I would love to use the Trangia, especially for cups of tea, but fear it might have to go if I use the Trek. It is a bit surplus. I think Ortleib panniers had better go, too. I love them for shopping and general stuff, but they do weigh. Stuff bags and old, small rucksacks bunggeed to the rack and frame would get the weight down. This is the advice of the ultra light weight tourer, and I think he has a point when touring on light road bikes. I would not worry about the Ortliebs on any of the other bikes.