Toulouse to Bordeaux

How far West are you now?

Good alternatives for July are: southern Spain, Greece and Turkey :D

Are you not originally from warmer climes? I am and kind of relish the heat. Sevilla reminded me of home actually (it did feel hot as fuck coming from UK, mind, but it also feel comforting).

great pics. Interesting tyre choice, speed up front and gnarr for control at the back hein? Kinda the mullet look.

Are you not originally from warmer climes?

I am but I have become soft

I’m in Agen now. I was debating:

2 days:
Day 1 -> Bordeaux (150km flat)
Day 2 -> Coast (60km flat)

vs

3 days:
Day 1 -> Bergerac (100km small ish hills)
Day 2 -> Bordeaux (95km flat)
Day 3 -> coast (60km)

But I’ve decided I’d be stupid to not cycle an extra day :)

It’s all very relaxed, not an epic journey by many people “on here”’s standards, but it has been excellent. Today was 23-27 and really lovely, if flat. Pics to follow.

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Yeah this implies much more planning than happened. I had two pink pasela gravel kings or whatever they are, then punctured the rear in Tenerife, and that pirelli cinturato was all they had. I bought a matching front for this trip and ran out of time to fit it, so here we are.

I had this bike serviced (by Holy Spokes in Bristol, who were great) and learned it has many foibles, including not having been built straight! The headtube is apparently off centre, but it rolls straight with no hands so who knows. It was a custom for someone else and I think was built by someone with more vision than execution…

Anyway, it’s a total mishmash, but nice to ride

Pics

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That colourful thing is a boat lift

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A warm one today. Hope you got your kms in early

It was hot! But manageable. I have developed a cold, which is annoying, and meant I struggled to drag myself up and out in good time this am.

However, even at 36° as it was at 3-5pm, it was ok - I went a bit slower, and stopped a few times just to cool down. It was probably my favourite day so far. Day 1 (Montpellier to near Narbonne) might have been but it was rushed and stressy due to the train cancellation suddenly making it 50% longer.

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There is also a wonderful swimming lake in Bergerac, near where I am staying, so I had a swim on arrival, listened to live music and had a questionable local biere blonde.

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Fab pictures. Should be a cooler day tomorrow probably even rain so it may be easier in one sense

What a lunch view!!

In the end I just boshed through from Bergerac straight to Arcachon. About 160km, so I must have got fitter. Perversely because I have a cold I felt I just wanted to arrive.

The last two days were the best (Agen to Bergerac and Bergerac to the Atlantic), although the second half of the cycling yesterday (past Bordeaux) was average, I think I enjoyed it more as I was fitter and faster.

Some pics from yesterday:

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Chapeau sir. A good drop of the hat adventure. Great pics as well. That town street shit with the Renault 4 in reminds you that l,despite the passage of time, the fabric of France doesn't change that much

Great report and pics! Looks like a lovely ride

Thank you! It was great. In summary - it’s possible to do an unplanned August ride in the south of France if you drink enough, don’t care how fast you’re not going and are careful about not overheating [aka if you’re not shy on ice lollies].

Now reading books on the beach