On prépare notre balade ibérique familiale : Andalousie - Portugal - Gallice - chemin du Puy retour (ou presque) en 5 bons mois mais on ne sait pas d'où démarrer puisque on a le choix entre Alicante et Madrid à tarif intéressant.
On sera chargés et lents (3 enfants, 2 tandems, une remorque). Qu'est ce que vous feriez vous? Des idées de trajet?
Merci
Assez perdu ma vie à la gagner, maintenant vivons là...
Alicante grenade je l'ai fait en bus par la sierra, ben a part des cailloux ya rien a voir, et ca monte et descend. Par la mer c'est mieux mais cest plein de villes modernes pour touristes.
Par contre je te conseille Algeriras - Cadix, la petite route qui est longée par le nouvel autoroute, enfin j'espere quelle lui a survecu, et cest magnifique.
bonne route
Pierre
tout le monde prétend que la Terre est ronde, mais ne le croyez pas, en fait elle est plate bien sûr!
http://mandolpierre.overblog.com
Bonjour,
L'Espagne, bonne idée !
Le trajet Madrid-Granada est un beau parcours. Tolède n'est pas très loin (80 km), il ne faut pas la manquer ; ensuite Alcazar de San Juan et Campo de Criptana avec ses collines de moulins (ceux de Dom Quichotte) ; puis Manzanarès, puis Jodar .... mais quelques petites montagnes, mais aussi des petites routes agréables !
J'ai raconté mon périple ibérique fait en juin 2000 : voir http://rene.contreras.free.fr .
Bon voyage à votre grande famille et bons vents 2009 !
"Il n'y a que les routes qui sont belles, et peu importe où elles nous mènent."
J'avais en tête ton site mais pas encore lu tout le trajet qui s'y rapporte. Sur carte, j'avais tendance à viser un peu plus à l'ouest qui semble encore plus sauvage mais ça doit être plus raide vu le nombre de barrages (en général on ne fait pas un barrage quand tout est plat!).
Par contre en mars il fait encore très froid par là bas ou ça va? La côte est plus clémente.
Assez perdu ma vie à la gagner, maintenant vivons là...
En mars effectivement risque d'avoir froid, surtout par le centre (climat continental). Par contre, oui ce serait plus doux par la côte méditerranéenne, mais parcours moins intéressant je pense (comme beaucoup) et tout de même assez accidenté même si peu de haute montagne.
Cet été, je suis revenu du Portugal par le côté ouest de l'Espagne : Alcantara, Perales del Puerto (petit col), Ciudad Rodrigo, Salamanca (très belle ville), Medina del campo, Aranda de duero, El Burgo, Soria, puis Zaragoza (à éviter) et les Pyrénées. Beau parcours, pas très montagneux (sauf passage Pyrénées), pas mal de plat. Belles routes, peu fréquentées (sauf aux abords de Zaragoza).
Mais pour des enfants de l'âge des tiens, c'est quand même "du lourd" comme dit la chanson !
"Il n'y a que les routes qui sont belles, et peu importe où elles nous mènent."
Un seul sur un vélo solo (à tour de rôle, il est conçu pour être multicompatible en tailles) et les deux autres sur des tandems ce qui permet de limiter très sensiblement la difficulté. Le petit vélo ne sera chargé que d'un ballon de foot! Alors que les deux tandems seront chargés. Alors je crois que la plus grosse difficulté pour celui qui sera sur le vélo, sera de suivre les tandems sur le plat. Mais dès que ça montera, il est probable qu'on se fasse semer...
Assez perdu ma vie à la gagner, maintenant vivons là...
Quelqu'un connait il un itinéraire sympa et le moins violent possible (ça va quand même pas être simple) pour franchir la Sierra Morena a priori entre Puertellano et Villanueva de Cordoba? Je sais qu'il y a une petite voie verte de Puerte de Niefla à Horcajo et sur la carte une belle piste de Horcajo à Villanueva. La question est plutôt de rejoinre Puerte de Niefla depuis Puertellano sans passer par la nationale et en limitant les montées. On peut prendre les pistes avec nos tandems qui sont des VTT mais la remorque et le chargement ne sont pas adaptés aux sentiers.
Sinon un autre itinéraire sympa pour aller de Tolède à Cordoue ou Grenade.
Assez perdu ma vie à la gagner, maintenant vivons là...
Bonjour,
Je prépare une escapade Ibérique, fin Septembre, en tandem aussi avec ma compagne, dans le "carré" compris entre Toléde, Jaen, Seville, Cordoue.
Adeptes d'un certain art du velo, plutot flaneurs, qui nous a mené le long du Danube (Ulm à Budapest), à Chypre Nord et dans plusieurs régions de France et notamment le long des canaux (canal du Midi, canal de Nantes à Brest...), en essayant d'en profiter au maximum et de ne pas s'exploser la rate!!!!, je vais essayer de tracer un itinéraire le plus "soft" possible (3 semaines, 50 à 80 km par jour).
Auriez vous quelques idées, qui pourraient éclairer ma recherche, voire même quelques contacts Ibéres!!!
En attendant de vous lire
Finalement, nous ne sommes pas partis de Madrid directement sur conseil de notre hote à Madrid (Bernard que vous trouverez au CAC) mais avons pris un bus pour Albacete.
Le bon souvenir "beau et facile" reste la via verde de la subeticca (l'orthographe?) qui va des environs de Jaen jusqu'au delà de Lucena. Autre coin superbe : le Parque Natural de Cazorla. Une longue vallée belle et facile sur le haut Guadalquivir mais un col de 500m de D+ qui a bien entamé nos mollets pour en sortir côté Cazorla (dans l'autre sens c'est largement pire). Mais pas facile de tracer vraiment facile en Espagne : le pays est une grande montagne.
Cordoue-Séville pas passionnant à part un très bon accueil des villageois du puebla de la parilla et une halte sympa à Almodovar del Rio. Séville, trop gros et très difficile d'en sortir par l'ouest (un seul passage accessible vélos existe au parc des expositions, il faut le savoir). On n'y est pas restés. Cordoue très touristique. Des 3 villes Andalouses, le meilleur souvenir est Grenade et son quartier arabe (albacyn) non "touristifié"
Pas d'adresses à part Bernard et Valeria à Madrid. Ils sont de très bon conseil pour voyager.
Sinon, n'ayez pas peur de prendre les grandes routes, y compris les autovias (pas les autopistas) à 4 voies. Les vélos y disposent de place à droite, accotements larges. Ce n'est pas passionnant mais s'il n'y a pas d'autre solution c'est possible. De toute manière, en dépit de tous les préjugés, les espagnols sont vraiment très respectueux avec les cyclistes. Jamais un dépassement frôlant et plus d'une fois une voiture qui attend une minute à 5 km/h pour avoir la visibilité pour dépasser en sécurité. Vraiment cool!
Creusez le blog, il y a quelques infos supplémentaires. La partie andalouse ne doit pas faire beaucoup plus d'une page complète...
Assez perdu ma vie à la gagner, maintenant vivons là...
I’ve got my flight ticket sorted—departing in mid-November and returning in mid-March. I’ll arrive in Santiago and leave from Buenos Aires.
I’ve already been to southern Argentina, specifically Torres del Paine National Park, and I’d love to go back to do the full W trek (I only did the shorter version last time).
I also want to do some hiking and maybe even tackle a summit. I climb and occasionally do some mountaineering, so I’ll definitely be going with a guide.
I plan to start around Temuco in Chile, with the idea of heading toward the lakes, then taking the Carretera Austral.
I’m not sure if I’ll go all the way to Ushuaia—it’s supposed to not be *that* worth it, except for the bragging rights of saying you’ve been to the end of the world.
I saw there are lakes in Argentina too.
I don’t have a precise itinerary, but what I’d love is, once I reach the southernmost point of my trip, to take a mini-cruise to see some wildlife. Any tips for that?
What kind of sleeping bag did you take? Is a 0°C (32°F) one enough?
And one last question: white gas stove or can I get by with my gas stove?
Hi there,
I’ve been road cycling for several years, and I’m about to switch to gravel in the next few days—I’m waiting for my bike, which should arrive this week.
I’m planning a bikepacking trip in a few weeks along the Véloroute V81, also known as the Vélosud, from Biarritz to Le Barcarès.
Has anyone here already done this route? Any info is welcome, whether it’s about the route itself, gear, or accommodation. I’ll prioritize staying with locals as much as possible. On that note, I just signed up for the brand-new site *Guidon et Couette* ((www.guidon-et-couette.fr)), which offers free accommodation between cyclists across the country, but there’s almost no one listed along my route!
Thanks in advance.
Laurent.
I'm developing a free and open-source web app for planning walking and cycling trips (and even car trips). You can create a route by clicking directly on the map to add waypoints, and it can consist of multiple stages. The app provides tools to edit the stages and the overall route, and to display useful information (distances, altitudes, and elevation changes). A relief profile can be shown as a graph for a specific stage or the entire route.
Once the route is ready, it can be exported as a GPX file, which can then be used with a GPS or a mobile navigation app.
The app is built in JavaScript and runs entirely in the web browser. It uses the Leaflet library and several OpenStreetMap-based services. Initially developed for my personal needs (I enjoy hiking and cycle touring), I’d be happy to share it with anyone who might find it useful. It’s free to use, doesn’t require an account, and the source code is available.
After testing it for three years across various modes of transport, I’m sharing this video of a bike packing case. It’s made from recycled cardboard and shrink-wrapped, with adjustable thickness and added bubble wrap depending on the level of protection you want.
Installing spacers at the fork and chainstays makes the packaging compact. With the fifteen-odd euros for shrink-wrapping at the airport, this case travels really well.
https://youtu.be/_GDJi-GqmkM
- Low bulk (1.10m x 0.70m x 0.25m for a large frame), it fits vertically in train luggage compartments and the total dimensions (x+y+z) don’t exceed 2.40m.
- Two carrying solutions for public transport and easy handling by airport staff (no more tears in the cardboard from openings).
- Discreet packaging when dealing with bus drivers and train conductors, as it looks like an ordinary parcel.
- No need to return to the starting point to retrieve the case from your outbound trip, which you’d otherwise have to store somewhere, or deal with a bulky cover to pack in your panniers.
- You can still check tire pressure through the plastic film without damaging the packaging too much.
Drawbacks: Around 3 hours for this lengthy and meticulous process—removing the wheels, pedals, handlebars, and derailleur without misaligning them, then securing all components to the frame.
If you get a chance to test it, send me your feedback for future improvements.
Hi there, I’m planning a cross-Canada bike trip, and I’ve got a question that might seem silly, but could someone tell me how to pack a bike (in a box, with a fragile sticker... I don’t know) for a flight? Thanks in advance!
This summer, we’re planning to cycle along the EV 19 that follows the Meuse River from Langres all the way to Rotterdam.
My question is about getting back to Nantes.
Do any of you know what the best return option might be? I’d love to hear about your experiences.
I saw that FlixBus doesn’t take bikes.
By train, I think it’s possible but would involve multiple local trains.
We were also wondering if there’s a boat from Rotterdam to Saint-Nazaire that could take passengers with bikes.
Any tips or experiences you can share would be really helpful—thanks in advance!
Have a great evening
I’ve gotten used to crossing Europe by bus to return by bike.
It was really convenient to take the bike without having to disassemble it.
But FlixBus no longer accepts bikes...
What alternatives do you know about?
Thanks.
Hi there,
I’m planning to ride the Dutch section of the EuroVelo 19, from Maastricht to Rotterdam.
Since it’s too complicated to bring my bike on the train, I’m looking to rent one locally.
I’d love any tips or bike rental shop recommendations—I’m struggling to find options even in Rotterdam.
The plan is to rent in Rotterdam, take the train to Maastricht with the bike, then cycle back to Rotterdam.
Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions!
Nath
I’m planning to cycle from Morlaix to Brest (via Roscoff and the V45 coastal route). We’ll start riding on August 16th for 13 days (with stops for island visits, surfing, etc.). Is there a lot of traffic at this time of year? I’ve got two kids, 11 and 13, and we don’t like riding in the middle of cars (we’ve already done the Vélomaritime—Caen to Cherbourg—the Loire route from Orléans to Saumur, the Vélodyssée from Nantes to Royans, and the canals like the Nivernais and Bourgogne, where there were plenty of bike-only lanes, which isn’t the case on this route).
Thanks for your help if you’ve already done this route in late August!
Virginie
I’m planning to build a new touring bike.
I want to prioritize lightness.
That said, I’m tempted by a suspension fork that could offer some comfort on rougher roads.
The recent appearance of gravel suspension forks on the market might meet my needs—at least on paper.
I’m particularly considering the RockShox Rudy Ultimate XPLR fork.
Unlike MTB forks, its travel is short: either 30 mm or 40 mm.
It weighs 1400 g, which is 400/500 g more than a steel fork.
Any thoughts or real-world feedback on this?
I’m also wondering about the durability of magnesium (lower leg) for long-distance bike touring.
And what’s the impact of skipping the manufacturer-recommended maintenance every 50 and 200 hours? That’s bound to happen on a long trip unless you carry extra gear.
More generally, how reliable are these kinds of forks?
Hi everyone,
I wanted to share with you the incredible feat my friend José, who’s 72 years old, is currently undertaking. He left Auterive near Toulouse on Monday, May 18, 2026, on his non-electric bike, heading for the North Cape in Norway!
You can follow his route on the link below—he’s currently in Sweden:
https://thierry-thomas.travelmap.net/jose-de-toulouse-a-nord-cap-2026
You can zoom in on the map and click on each stopover town to see the photos
I’m making an exception and creating a separate post this time, since it’s all about France. In May, we spent a week in Provence, specifically in the Luberon, exploring the cycling routes *Autour du Luberon à Vélo*, the *Véloroute du Calavon* (part of EuroVelo 8), and the shorter *Les Ocres à Vélo* route. Together, they gave us an amazing journey through rolling hills, vineyards, lavender fields still green in spring, and some of the most stunning landscapes in southern France.
It was, of course, the perched villages that impressed us the most. We visited Gordes, Roussillon, Bonnieux, Lacoste, Lourmarin, Ménerbes, Oppède-le-Vieux, Cucuron, and Lauris. Many of them are among the most beautiful villages in Provence, and it’s hard not to agree with that reputation.
One interesting point is the route of EuroVelo 8 in this part of the region. The official path mainly follows the old railway line of the *Véloroute du Calavon*, which is very comfortable and safe. But in our opinion, cyclists traveling EuroVelo 8 around the Mediterranean would discover even more treasures if the route passed through villages like Bonnieux, Lacoste, or Oppède-le-Vieux.
We were also pleasantly surprised by how safe cycling felt. Most of the route takes small local roads, but traffic is light, drivers are respectful, and road design really takes cyclists into account. It’s one of those places where you can ride peacefully even without separated bike lanes.
Our full story:
Around Luberon by bicycle - the most beautiful villages of Provence
You can also find all our cycling travel stories on the forum:
Cycling Thread - Europe’s most beautiful bike routes
Hi there, we’re a group of 4 cyclists looking to get from Treviso in Italy to Munich with our 4 non-folding bikes. It seems complicated! Are there any solutions? Thanks so much.
hello fellow cycling enthusiasts
here’s a travel journal of the cycling tour through the Rhône-Alpes Auvergne region by Claudio
zouli
it was the plan
http://cbandiera.free.fr/parcours/auvergne-Ralpes/
the trip was completed
story being posted online soon
1100 km in 11 days
beautiful and varied regions
Hi there, we’re planning a Munich to Venice bike trip at the end of June 2026. Getting back from Venice to Toulouse by train with 4 bikes isn’t straightforward. What return options have others who’ve done this trip chosen? Any tips or great deals would be much appreciated. Thanks a bunch! !
Hi everyone,
Happy owner of a Pegasus Estremo bike with a Rohloff hub, which is giving me trouble with the SF11-NCX-FT-E-LITE 700C TS 300/0 fork (serial number TD01329060). It’s starting to show its age, and I’d like to repair it to extend the life of my beloved bike.
The suspension is gone, and there’s an oil leak from the seals.
Does anyone know how to repair it? Where can I find parts that are about fifteen years old? Or where to find an identical replacement fork? Just to clarify, the Magura HS11 brakes are mounted using Firm Tech, meaning they’re on pivots behind the fork, facing the frame.
Hi, I'd like to know if anyone has done this route recently or has reliable info.
Does the track exist, and most importantly, is there sand (for biking)?
Any info is welcome.
Cheers,
diego ambilobe: mangaoka, manondro, ramena
vohemar sambava: masondrono, tanambao
Hi there,
New to bike touring,
I’d love to start with a section of the Via Rhona to explore and share (route to be decided).
Looking forward to exchanging tips!
I’m landing in Madagascar with a buddy before the end of April 2026. We’re planning to bike around for about twenty days or so. We don’t have a specific goal other than exploring the country and meeting the locals.
Ideally, we’d prefer a loop route starting from Antananarivo with a good chunk of it along the coast. On the bike side, we’re used to riding 6 to 8 hours a day, depending on the needs, encounters, and mood 😉 Any feedback or tips from trips around this length?
A big thank you to Lazarou for all the info you share in this forum!
I'm passionate about Morocco, which I cycled through back in 2009.
Last year, my wife and I explored the High Atlas by tandem. Completely smitten, we're heading back in April (Anti Atlas) and May (High and Middle Atlas), still on our tandem.
Do you have any info on the track between Amezri and Ali Ait Nito? Are the river crossings in the Tessaout still there? It's not easy to navigate with a loaded tandem... especially if the river level is high due to this year's heavy snowmelt!
Thanks in advance for any tips you might have, and best wishes for health in this new year!
Claudio specializes in the route of the Savoie lakes
Here are his travels
Between Bornes, Chartreuse, the Savoie foothills, and Dauphiné
Five lakes: Léman, Annecy, Paladru, Aiguebelette, Bourget, not to mention a few ponds along the way
Plenty of accommodation options: camping, hotels, and more...
A lovely route not far from his place
Rural and quite peaceful
A road cycling route created by Serge B...
First of all... happy New Year! Wishing you great roads in 2017!
I’ve been traveling for a few years now with a high-quality mountain bike, but it’s equipped with hydraulic disc brakes. I live (pedal) with the constant worry of a breakdown (leak, air bubble, heat causing the fluid to...). My bike mechanic tells me it’s impossible to switch them out for V-brakes.
What do you all think? Am I taking a big risk continuing (alone) with these brakes? Thanks in advance for your great tips!
First post here to share a quick recap of our west-to-east bike trip along Algeria’s coast in January 2025.
It was just the two of us—my partner and I—with French passports and not a word of Arabic. No friends or welcoming hosts in the country.
Under those conditions, we’d strongly advise against going.
Our original plan was to follow the coast from Algiers to Tunis. We ended up cycling from Algiers to Béjaia, then took the train from Béjaia to Annaba (with a stop in Constantine), and finally biked to the border.
We were tailed by police the whole way—whether on our bikes, on the train, or even on foot while exploring towns. On top of that, we couldn’t wild camp and were limited to the few state-approved hotels that accept foreigners. Under those circumstances, connecting with locals was especially tough.
With such an omnipresent and intrusive police presence, we’d definitely recommend against this destination for bike touring. A really sad situation that completely cuts you off from the local population...
We’d been warned, we went to check it out, and we weren’t disappointed!
Hi there,
I’m planning the route to cycle from Lille to Nordkapp with my partner.
Duration: 3 months, from May 1st to July 31st, 2026.
In the attached details below, I need to add some "non-riding" days (rest days, basically).
So I’m looking to "shorten" the trip by taking ferries or trains for some stretches. Which areas could I skip?
Thanks in advance for your great tips.
Have a good evening.
https://www.komoot.com/fr-fr/collection/4023980/-lille-cap-nord-1er-mai-au-31-juillet-2026?ref=collection
I’m planning to bike back from Poland this summer. Does anyone know a way to ship it there without having to take it apart? Otherwise, it’s a real hassle to fine-tune all the settings before departure!
Thanks in advance.
Hi, has anyone recently bought Primus or Butagaz gas, possibly puncture-style, in Dubrovnik or the surrounding area? Same question for Albania... thanks. aichatou
