Je reviens de 1450 kilomètres en France (Auvergne-Cévennes-Mont Ventoux, etc. jusqu'à Saint-Raphael). Mon copain a tout porté, je dis bien tout jusqu'à l'eau.
Maintenant, j'aimerais passer à la vitesse supérieure en portant à mon tour du matériel. Mon but: pouvoir porter tente, matelas et duvet. C'est pas énorme mais j'ai besoin d'entraînement. Sachant que je vais au travail à vélo et qu'on va en faire tout l'été, je voudrais savoir s'il serait intelligent ( = efficace et pas dangereux) de porter des poids aux chevilles. Je n'ai strictement rien trouvé sur le net et me tourne donc vers vous.
C'est une excellente idée ça!!! 😉 Je serai toi je porterai aussi un sac de ciment sur le dos en tenant le guidon d'une seule main (en alternant gauche et droite bien sûr...): ça te fera les biceps...
Non, je plaisante... plus serieusement, roules tout au long de l'année en te faisant plaisir (c'est le plus important!), et tu n'aura pas de mal à transporter un vélo chargé... si tu veux vraiment passer à la vitesse superieure et bien inscrit toi dans un club cyclosport et fait de la compétition, tu suivera comme ça le meilleur des entrainements...
J'habite en Allemagne, et je ne sais pas si c'est pareil en France, mais alors là-bas, ce sont des brutes, je peux donc oublier la compétition: j'ai un vélo type VTT, un truc sympa de 12-13 kilos, mais contre leurs vélos de course qui semblent ultra-perfectionnés, ça ne vaut pas grand-chose. Résultats de la dernière course: malgré tous mes efforts: j'ai fini 91e sur 99. Et financièrement je préfère investir dans plus de voyages plutôt qu'un vélo de course.
Bref les poids de 2 kilos aux chevilles, tu recommandes pas... C'est bête parce que c'est vraiment tout ce que je vois pour m'habituer à la charge!
Pourquoi ne pas partir chargée même lors de petits trajets ?
C'est peut être le meilleur moyen de s'habituer !
Personnellement, je me suis mis au vélo avec ma copine il y a peu, et dès que nous roulons, on part chargés, remorque uniquement pour l'instant, en attendant les sacoches. Ça permet de s'y faire progressivement.
je voudrais savoir s'il serait intelligent ( = efficace et pas dangereux) de porter des poids aux chevilles.
Euhhh.... porter des poids aux chevilles??? Allons bon, en voilà une drôle d'idée!! Ca me rappelle un jeune qui était dans le même club que moi il y a déjà bien longtemps, il mettait du sable dans un bidon à l'entrainement. 🙂
En fait la forme vient avec de l'entrainement, y a pas de secret! Au bout de quelques milliers de km tu seras moins fatiguée les soirs pour planter la tente! Pour çà il faut avaler des km et des heures de selle!
Inutile à mon avis de t'entrainer avec du poids sur ton vélo. Si tu veux progresser, entraîne toi avec un vélo normal, roule, roule, roule! Et lorsque tu repartiras pour un voyage en vélo avec des sacoches, le poids ne sera pas vraiment un problème (bon, sauf si çà monte à 15%!). Après c'est aussi une question de mental, de moral!
Je te conseil pour ma par d'avoir un programme d'entraînement précis que tu pourrais suivre régulièrement.
Je ne sais pas ce que tu veux travailler en particulier (endurance, puissance...) mais des exercices très simples peuvent être mis en place pour le faire. Je ne sais pas si le poids aux chevilles est ce qu'il y a de mieux pour cela.
A titre d'exemple, pour l'endurance (en course), je fais du fractionner; c'est-à-dire courir à une intensité élevée sur une courte période (20 sd par exemple) suivi d'une récupération aussi courte, et cela enchaîné plusieurs fois. Cela a beaucoup plus d'effet que de courir une heure de temps en temps. Je pense que ce type d'exercice peut être adapté pour le vélo...
Recherche sur internet "le travail intermittant ou en fractionné" et tu trouveras peut être quelque chose d'intéressant.
Découvrez notre voyage en tandem pino hase sur
www.lattitudeterre.com
tu dis que tu vas au travail en vélo, c'est déjà un bon entrainement, non ?
Pour ma part, je vais aussi au travail en vélo, et puis je vais aux cours de clarinette en vélo, je vais parfois faire mes courses en vélo, je vais rendre les livres à la bibliothèque en vélo et comme le temps n'est jamais fiable, j'ai toujours dans ma sacoche de vélo un kway, un surpantalon, un gilet quand il fait froid, mon portefeuille... en plus des livres, des carottes, de la clarinette et parfois des croissants pour mes collègues...
Bref, si tu veux à tout prix alourdir ton vélo, il me semble qu'il y a des sollutions plus "utile" que de mettre des poids aux chevilles. Et je dois avouer que certains jours, ma sacoche me semble bien lourde (c'est une paire de sacoche MSX qui se clipse très facilement, et pour aller au boulot, je n'en met qu'une sur les deux...)
Le meilleur entrainement que j'ai eu et était vallable pour mes compétitions de vtt étaient de rouler toute la semaine pignon fixe avec un gros ratio. La cadence est régulière tu n'arretes jamais de pedaler et dans les cotes et les faux plats tu t'arraches et ça travaille dur du cote des cuisses.
Avec un vélo classique impose toi un bon ratio supérieur à ton habitude (tu divises le nombre de dents du palteau par celui du pignon pour commencer fixe toi autour de 2.5) en augementant progressivement. Ca va tirer les cuisses mais avec regularité tu vas gagner en puissance et lorsque tu piloteras ta randonneuse chargée de tes baggages et que ton copain transpirera moins vous serez encor plus heureux tous les deux...
Le poids au chevilles est une très mauvaise idée, parce que dans ce cas ce que tu entrainera est la remontée des jambes, alors que ce qui t'interesse est plutôt de renforcer la poussée de celles-ci sur les pédales, qui du coup avec le poids s'en trouvera facilitée ! Un contre-entrainement, donc.
Non, soit tu roules sans rien et c'est déjà un très bon entrainement, soit tu peux charger des sacoches avec des bouquins si t'es maso. Ou alors, partir pour la journée et prévoir un très, très bon picnic dans lesdites sacoches. Si tu habites en ville, habitue-toi déjà à faire tous tes déplacements quotidiens à vélo, c'est déjà un entrainement sans s'en rendre compte.
Il me semble que ce sont les coureurs à pied qui utilisent les poids aux chevilles,
je doute de leur efficacité pour les cyclos. Je rejoins les posts plus haut : il vaut mieux alourdir son vélo
que ses chevilles.
Hola,
Le bon mouvement sur un vélo n’est pas de pousser ou de tirer sur les pédales mais bien d’effectuer un mouvement circulaire.
Avec ou sans bagages, l’effort doit rester exactement identique. La seule différence est que l’on avance moins vite.
BAT
Enzo
Je vais donc opter pour des sacoches chargées, cela me semble être la meilleure solution. Il ne me reste plus qu'à acheter sacoches et porte-bagages...
Le meilleur entrainemenet , c'est d'apprendre à tourner les jambes, si tu "moulines" bien entre 80 et 100 tour de pédales à la mn tu verrasn qu'après avec les développements adaptés à la configuration du terrain on avance sacrément. Ceci s'applique pour vélo non chargé.
En vélo il n'y a que ça surtout pour la ballade, en compét c'est différent faire du fractionné, monter les côtes sans tenir le guidon etc. Mais on n'a pas le temps de voir grand chose, et c'est tellemnet agréable de roule cool , monter un col tranquille permet de le redécouvrir.
Tu n'as besoin que de pédaler pour porter du matériel sur le vélo. Vu que tu n'es pas sans entrainement, tu n'auras aucun problème. C'est Maso le truc du poids sur les chevilles. Enfin c'est sans intérêt sauf si tu aimes.
P.S. un tel entraînement ou faire du vélo régulièrement (boulot, course) sur le plat suffit si tu envisage des randonnées sur le plat genre région centre, côte atlantique, landes, loire mais insuffisant si tu envisages une randonnée en terrain vallonné avec sans arrêt une succession de côtes comme la dordogne, corrèze ou autre. il te faut un entraînement en club pendant l'année pour avoir des grosses cuisses ou alors trouves toi un parcours vallonné.
Je pars du 18 au 22 Juin en Sicile. Je suis triathlète longue distance et j'aimerai passer du temps près de l'Etna. La région est-elle sympa? Savez-vous si il…
Le 23juin je vais partir de Notre Dame de Paris pour rejoindre Chambéry. Ce qui fait environ 600Klm. J'arriverais le 28juin avec des étapes allant jusqu'a…
Avant de partir en voyage, quels sont vos entrainement (si vous en faites)? Pour essayer d'être plus précis: Lors de vos entrainements, roulez-vous à vide ou…
Sommes 2 couples qui veulent passer une semaine en californie, de préférence près de l'eau, au début du mois d'août 2011. Nous voulons en profiter pour…
J'ai un billet d'avion pour Las Vegas, du 20 au 31 mars 2010. Mon projet de voyage initial a quelque peu changé et je suis en train de le réorienter plutôt…
I just took a trip in Tunisia from Tozeur to Douz, skirting Chott el Jerid to the south. I’m back with the urge to keep going further south via the 4x4 tracks to connect Douz to Ksar Ghilane. Has anyone driven this route recently or explored southern Tunisia?
Thanks for your tips!
fix
😎Fellow traveling cyclists or not, all of you who love travel, the pleasure of physical effort, nature, beautiful machines, people with true passions they seek to fulfill, and who also enjoy reading great literature about all this—the *200* magazine is for you just as it is for me. I should mention I have no financial or other interest in this (in an era where we accuse our politicians of all sorts of vile interests, I prefer to take precautions). I’ve been subscribed since the beginning, and every three months, I get my 130 pages of dreams (the magazine just went from 110 to 130 pages).
It covers everything from the trans-America route to the TCR (Trans Continental Race) from Belgium to a small town in Turkey, with mind-blowing averages—4,000 km and 80,000 m of elevation gain in 8 days and 15 hours for the winner. Let that sink in, and all of it without assistance—accepting a patch could penalize you. There’s also a story about crossing Iran, encountering one of the world’s most welcoming populations, following in the footsteps of Nicolas Bouvier, as well as retirees leisurely traversing France. The common thread in all these stories? Beautiful writing. Take, for example, a stunning article: *"Passengers of the Cold: From Edinburgh to Thurso, at the very north of Scotland, 550 km of moors, coasts, and icy wind. In Thurso, the road ends at a quay, facing the Orkney Islands. We wanted a November trip, off-season. We wanted to surprise winter. Just before the snow."* A sublime piece on the experience of facing adversity and the chance encounters along the road and in the elements.
Before I embarked on my own bike trips, I dreamed a lot about them—from the Atacama to the Gobi, along the Mekong, and not forgetting France. And now, these 130 pages every quarter keep those dreamy vibes alive through stories written in the most beautiful prose.
I’ll stop here because it might sound like I’m advertising, but if you don’t know *200*, I invite you to discover it. It’ll give you wings for the most incredible challenges or simply reinforce your desire for slow rides with your eyes open to others and nature.
A little news to wrap up: Axel Carion and a friend just broke the record for crossing South America from Colombia to Ushuaia in 59 days. On its own, that doesn’t mean much, but I can’t help it—it makes me dream. You should see how he talks about it, the flashes of that wild nature he’s stored away: a snowstorm at Paso Jama and the surreal sight of the suddenly snow-covered Licancabur!
Luc
PS: The magazine is called *200* because a day’s ride starts at 200 km—well, I’ve never done a ride like that since my longest was 167 km (with 18 kg of luggage, mind you), but why not one day? The magazine will explain how to tackle your first 200, and then the question in conclusion: when will you do your first 300?😏
Looking for a female travel companion for a cycling trip (arriving by plane in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and cycling toward Montevideo, Uruguay, returning by plane to France from Buenos Aires, Argentina) – 1,500 km
Hello everyone!
I’m planning a cycling trip across Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina, with a departure set for late October, November, or December. I’m looking for a travel companion to share this long-distance adventure with.
Experience:
I already have solid experience in bicycle touring in Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Currently, I maintain excellent physical condition by cycling an average of 250 km over 3 days per week (4 hours a day at 20 km/h).
The trip & the pace:
Daily pace: Between 50 and 80 km per day, to make steady progress while taking time to explore.
Accommodation: Flexible and authentic. We’ll alternate between wild camping, campsites, Warmshowers, small guesthouses, and budget hotels depending on opportunities and the weather.
Looking forward to reading your message and planning this amazing journey together!
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?
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.
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
Hello,
We’d like to go on a 3- to 4-month bike trip starting in December, crossing from Assam (northeast India) to New Delhi via Nepal.
Are there routes with light traffic along the Brahmaputra and through Nepal?
We’re also looking for any info on accommodations, wild camping, local interactions, etc.
Thanks,
Michel
Hello,
Has anyone here had experience using a gas stove in Sardinia and Sicily? I’m wondering if screw-on gas canisters (not the blue Campingaz ones, but brands like Coleman, Primus, etc.) are easy to find.
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
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.
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 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?
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.
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!