Recommandations Française - routes avoiding traffic.

Ah yeah, great route! Flowy riding on the dunes

I'll zag and say that I find the Netherlands, as lovely as it is, a tad boring for cycling. Pottering along, yeah, sure, but it's not the same feeling as riding through France or Belgium. Perhaps because it's so perfectly laid out for cycling, and so goddamn flat, I don't have much of a sense that I'm exploring when I'm out on the bike, it's almost like commuting. Another thing is that the landscape can be repetitive, it's hours on end of the same (cute) things. Even the towns feel quite samey.

I know it's silly to moan about what's considered cycling paradise, but as someone who lives in the Netherlands, and for the kind of trips I like to do, I'd choose France.

PS - if you go South it gets better I reckon.

I mean, I almost feel bad posting this. It's lovely here, for real. But I dunno.

South France - or Netherlands?

Oh, NL, Limburg

I took trains. Eurostar with the included onward ticket to the edge of Belgium then train to Roosenthal or something then on to Utrecht. But Brexit and Eurostar have fucked the trains so I'd probably not bother with it now.

It's definitely not a cycling paradise. It's a 'cycle commuter paradise' but racing bikes or 'fun riding' it lacks. Spain is better in almost every way.

Off road though, I'm willing to give that a go (there's a gravel version of RATN)

There is a flat option alongside it!
I've done both

I’m not sure if this is the right thread but:

My girlfriend and me are heading to the Galibier stage of the Tour de France this year and we’ll have some time in the area.
We plan to ride Alp d’huez and I’m wondering if anyone has any other climb recommendations or routes in the area?

I've just posted a couple of ideas in this thread:

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/375384/

We plan to ride Alp d’huez

https://www.cycling-challenge.com/100-cycling-climbs-better-than-alpe-dhuez/

Thank you 🙌

Thanks I’ll have a look now 👍