trajet : Madrid - Toulouse
itineraire : au plus court et en évitant les Pyrénées ( par pays basque ) voir image attaché.
velo : 1 vieux velo de course bien fiable, 1 velo couché HP velotechnique strette machine
chargement : l'utra minimum, on vas essayer de faire 9 kg chacun hors eau et nourriture avec le defi d'avoir en tout 14 Kg ( 7 chacun )
principe : relais régulier entre le velo couché et le velo droit pour permettre un récupération des jambe avec le velo de course, et recup général du corp entier sur le velo couché. car le velo de course n'aura ni chargement ni sac a dos juste 2 bidons d'eau. alors que le velo couché sera charger des bagages.
bivouacs : en camping sauvage ou dans n'importe quoi qui fera l'affaire tant que celas se trouve pres de notre route.
date : du 22 avril au 1 mai 2011
celas fait environ 900 km pour 10 jours, largement faisable quand on voit les perf des malades de la RAM.
le vrais defis de ce trip c'est le voyager leger tout comme font les MUL, mais en velo
c'est avant tout un defi sportif, pour préparer un brevet de 600 km ( sete, méditerranée, dune du pila, océan )
on s'attend a de drole d'expérience lors des bivouac puisque on a choisi d'épurer au plus notre chargement ^^
mode syteme D et survie urbaine.
on est curieux de voir les réactions sur nos choix .
D'abord sur le principe général : le défi de partir très très léger me plaît bien, à moi qui suis incapable de partir avec moins de 20 kg ! Mais du coup, je n'aurai pas grand chose à dire sur le minimum à emporter. Le kilométrage est tout à fait réalisable pour autant que vous ayez un peu d'entraînement ou même seulement une forme physique raisonnable - mais ce n'est pas le kilométrage de la RAAM qui doit vous servir de référence, c'est plutôt vos propres capacités.
Le principe d'alterner VD / VC : pourquoi pas mais êtes-vous de même taille ? Une des choses importantes est de rouler sur un vélo bien réglé. Sinon, gare aux tendinites et autres douleurs voire dégâts. Bien sûr, vous pouvez noter vos réglages respectifs et les restaurer à chaque alternance. Mais les vélos couchés en général (le Street Machine en particulier je ne connais pas) sont souvent assez compliqués à régler : position du siège / longueur de la bôme / longueur de la chaîne (!) dans certains cas... donc ça pourrait être un peu galère de faire ça 4x par jour.
Si l'alternance est à la base de votre défi, soit, faites-le. Si vous le faites pour vous reposer les jambes, pas sûr que ça soit un bon choix; peut-être vaut-il mieux qu'un des deux s'habitue vraiment au vélo couché et pour ça il ne faut pas alterner en permanence.
Par contre je trouve idiot de mettre toute la charge sur le couché alors que c'est déjà celui-là qui traînera derrière à la montée. Vous feriez mieux de monter un porte-bagages minimal sur le course pour y mettre une dizaine de kilos.
L'itinéraire : couper au plus court pas de problème, mais là vous suivez presque toujours des (très) grands axes bourrés de camions, voire en Espagne des autovias. Sans rallonger le trajet, il est possible de trouver des routes petites ou moyennes qui seront bien plus agréables. Ça demande un peu de planification, et viamichelin vous sera souvent plus utile que google maps pour visualiser l'importance d'une route.
Camping sauvage : je n'ai pas d'expérience donc pas de conseil précis à donner; je vous rends toutefois attentifs au fait que le Pays basque est une région très humide, et qu'en Espagne continentale avril-mai est un peu la saison des pluies.
pour ce qui est de l'alternance VC-VD c'est quelque chose de dejas expérimenter, on a eu l'occasion de faire un toulouse bordeaux toulouse en 2 jours, et nous avions procéder de la même façon, et s'etait vital !!!
nous eties assez charger cette fois ci ( premier voyage a velo ) et on se battais pour avoir le velo coucher !! il a tellement plus d'avantage qu'un velo droit !
nous feson sensiblement la même taille donc pas de problème pour les réglages.
mon amis a une super condition physique ( il en a de la chance car s'est sans effort qui maintiens un bon niveau athlétique )
mais manque un peut de km en velo d'ou sa preference au velo de course qui est vraiment tres leger et donc pas trop dur pour lui. moi qui a dejas pas mal de km avec le VC j'ai pris l'habitude de beaucoup développer mes jambe a cette géométrie et donc tiens bien la distance. cependant avec un gros rytme comme il est prevu j'ai vraiment besoin de de me reposer toute les 2 h environ sur le velo droit, les jambes récupèrent vite puisque completement denué de charge, cependant le velo droit est pour mois assez traumatisant, des douleurs arrivent vite, surtout avec mon dos operé !
l'aternance est quasi obligatoire pour tirer les performance des deux velo et des deux personne. car notre principe est de rouler avec le minimum d'arret, mais pas avec une trop grosse vitesse moyene, on est plus sur du 23 km/h mais 12 h par jour !
on avais trouver que charger le VC etait une bonne idée car je ne sais pas si tu a dejas pratiquer le VC en voyage mais le poids ne se sent pas du tout ( sauf en monté ) c'est vraiment tres impressionnant, surtout quand on vois que même avec un sac de 6 kg sur un velo de course divise par deux le temps max qui est possible de faire en un jour ( valider ! ) car tres éprouvant avec ces velo tres leger.
donc le VC charger ( mais pas trop justement ) permet d'avoir une super vitesse de pointe sur le plat avec autan d'effort que le velo de course ( j'ai dejas fait des etapes a 35 km de moyenne sur 50 km avec mon VC charger de 45 kg lors d'un voyage dans le sud de la france, c'est vraiment tres tres impressionnant cette propriétés )
et quand viens le relief, ya pas de mystère même un faux plat demande beaucoup d'énergie pour le VC a vide ou pas on est obliger de mouliner et prendre son temps au risque de se cramer les jambes en moins de deux, donc qui a trainer dans les cote autan avoir un velo leger a disposition pour récupérer.
de plus alterner ces deux velo font travailler des muscles bien différents, c'est ce qui nous avait permis de faire les 300 km par jour sans avoir un tres gros entrainement.
pour moi c'est une super combinaison excepter pour des étapes de montagnes (d'ou le parcoure qui nous fait passer par les landes et rejoindre le canal latéral de la Garonne
apres pour l'itinéraire c'est un dilemme !
car pour nous choisir une grosse route avec plein de camion c'est certe assez usant pour les nerf, mais c'est surtout synonyme de route large, bien lisse et avec un relief assez effacer. c'est aussi une garantie d'eviter le coeur des villes et de perdre du temps a chercher son chemin.
j'ai appris a gérer la circulation en achetant des écouteur moulé a l'oreille avec une musique qui efface complètement le bruit de la route.
mais j'ai bien vu que de pampelune a saint sebastian il y a une grosse autoroute... vas faloir trouver mieux.
sinon c'est sur qu'on vas se prendre la pluie bien comme il faut, et des abris en dur abandonner serons nos tente du soir.
OK donc vous avez déjà une bonne expérience de votre système !
Mais cette discussion est un peu bizarre parce que quand on lit votre 1er post on se dit que vous êtes des débutants qui espèrent arriver à faire 90 km/jour - et puis quand on lit le 2e on voit que vous prévoyez de faire 12 x 23 = dans les 270 km/j, et que vous avez déjà fait des étapes de 300 bornes. C'est clair que l'approche et le niveau de conseil n'est pas le même dans ces deux cas. Le choix de routes dépendra aussi clairement de cet objectif de kilométrage. Si on vise 300 km/jour on peut bien tolérer quelques camions pour avoir un itinéraire plus roulant, si on vise 90 km/j on a tout le temps de chercher des routes plus calmes. Mais même comme ça, par exemple à partir de Guadalajara si vous prenez la CM1003 puis CM101 via Jadraque / Almazan vous n'allez sûrement pas avancer beaucoup moins vite que sur l'A2 et N111.
Après Pamplona, vous pouvez prendre la N121A puis la N121B direction douane de Dantxarinea et St-Pée-s-Nivelle, c'est bien assez roulant, il y a 2-3 petits cols mais rien de très impressionnant, pas besoin de faire le tour par San Sebastian et de prendre l'autovia... Sans compter que si vous visez l'autovia, vous risquez bien de vous retrouver face à des tronçons interdits aux vélos, éjectés sur des toutes petites routes parallèles pleines de petites côtes à 15%.
super reponse !! c'est exactement ça qui nous falais,
en fait c'est la region du pays basque qui nous posera le plus de difficultée avec le relief et la meteo on s'y attend
sinon on vas pas faire 300 km par jour c pas possible sur 10 jours
ce qui est sur c'est qu'on vas rouler 12h par jour minimum, c'est vraiment un trip sportif avant tout
on vas surement ralentir le rytme vers le pays basque pour pas se cramer et se retrouver en difficultée mais ya deux zones ou ya moyen de faire de grosse distance: de madrid a pampelune ou c'est relativement plat, puis de bayonne a toulouse en passant par les lande et le canal.
bha pour l'experience on en a un peut mais justement on vas s'essayer a un autre rytme de voyage, le rapide ultra leger et avec comme seule occupation rouler sans cesse .
pour le voyage ce sera a la fin de l'année avec l'amerique centrale pour 6 mois ^^ la c'est surtout pour se mtre en forme et faire une jolie perf !
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?
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
Just a few words about the loop I did by bike in Yunnan.
Entry and exit
I entered China through the Sino-Vietnamese border crossing at Lào Cai / Hekou under the 30-day visa exemption currently available to French nationals and others.
The process was simple and quick. A Chinese police officer even helped me complete my electronic pre-registration at a computer kiosk. I wasn’t aware this formality was required—it’s similar to Thailand’s TM6.
No issues with the bike.
I left the country via the Sino-Laotian border crossing at Mohan / Boten.
The atmosphere was a bit chaotic there, but again, no problems with the bike.
The timing
I visited Yunnan in February 2026.
Weather-wise, at higher altitudes (between 1,500 and 2,000 meters), it was around ten degrees at night and in the mornings, and around twenty degrees at the hottest part of the day.
I had two days of rain, so I took the bus to keep moving. Otherwise, clear blue skies.
Culturally, Chinese New Year fell on February 17th (and the 15 days following), right in the middle of my trip. Because of this, my take on the traffic might be off.
Accommodation and food
I always found a hotel to stay in for prices ranging from 8 to 15 €. Except in Kunming (the capital), where many hotels were fully booked (Chinese New Year). I ended up at a 100 € hotel with great value for money.
A bowl of noodles costs about 1.5 € on average.
Onboard electronics
Since my smartphone doesn’t support eSIMs, I subscribed to a China plan with my carrier. Otherwise, for much cheaper, Alipay offers eSIMs for foreigners that allow access to services usually blocked for Chinese users (WhatsApp, Facebook, etc.).
An internet connection is essential for paying with Alipay or WeChat, as this payment method is widespread.
I only managed to use Alipay.
Either way, always carry cash because sometimes there’s no signal, or the merchant only accepts WeChat.
Also, it’s best to bring a power adapter when you arrive rather than struggling to find one.
Traffic and roads
The Chinese aren’t reckless drivers. They follow traffic rules and watch out for cyclists. This is slightly less true in Xishuangbanna (the region bordering Myanmar and Laos).
In urban areas, there are almost always wide bike lanes, separated from other roads, where bikes, electric mini-scooters, and scooters share the space pretty harmoniously.
The roads are in great condition, and traffic is generally manageable—even light—except for one stretch (Eshan -> Yangwu).
Most traffic is absorbed by expressways, China’s equivalent of highways: toll roads that are off-limits to slow vehicles.
You’re never far from these expressways; sometimes you even ride alongside them, which can be noisy at times.
The climbs are usually reasonable, around 5% to 6%. From what I remember, the steepest section was between Menglun and Mengla, with gradients of 8% to 10%, sometimes more.
Riding at these altitudes—though modest—took a bit of getting used to.
The route
I didn’t plan anything in advance. My only goal was to reach Kunming. I don’t know why, but just hearing the name of that city, like Yunnan, always felt dreamy to me.
