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!
"On croit qu'on fait un voyage mais c'est le voyage qui vous fait et vous défait."
Nicolas Bouvier. L'usage du monde
je fus navigateur navigaterre , je reste navigaterre.
Qu'importe d'où nous venons, car nous pouvons aller beaucoup plus loin que ce dont nous avions révé .
Happy New Year to you too! We’ve had hydraulic brakes on our tandem for eight years now—never had a breakdown, even though we’ve descended cols with panniers and a trailer. Just remember to bleed or even flush the oil every now and then. But we always do that before a trip, and a bike mechanic handles it. Check out our site for more: http://tandamour.e-monsite.com/
I bought a second-hand KTM bike on LBC—it was about ten years old. Since then, I’ve ridden over 15,000 km. As a precaution, I picked up a bleed kit for any potential repairs.
In the end, I never had to touch the Magura Hs11 hydraulic rim brakes.
That’s a great idea! I’ll talk to my bike shop about it—maybe bring something to convert hydraulic brakes to cable brakes if needed.
A2Cmieu’s reply reassured me too. It’s true that you can find recent touring bike models equipped with hydraulic brakes these days.
Thanks, friends! I’m already less worried about my solo trip through the Peloponnese, Albania, etc.
While I’m at it, another concern… Do you bring a spare tire? I’ve got Marathon Schwalbe tires, so they’re tough, but I’ve read stories of blowouts… Even in Europe, there are remote spots where you can’t find repair or replacement parts.
You’ll probably say that with rice powder, mascara, two mirrors (in case one breaks), an evening dress (for the dance halls in Albania), skis (for the mountains in Greece), and my cat, I’m not exactly counting grams anymore—and I can totally bring a little spare tire!
"On croit qu'on fait un voyage mais c'est le voyage qui vous fait et vous défait."
Nicolas Bouvier. L'usage du monde
That’s a great idea! I’ll talk to my bike shop about it—maybe bring something to convert hydraulic brakes to cable brakes if needed?
A2Cmieu’s reply reassured me too. It’s true that you can find recent touring bike models equipped with hydraulic brakes on the market.
Thanks, friends! I’m already less worried about my solo trip through the Peloponnese, Albania, etc.
While I’m at it, another concern... Do you bring a spare tire? I’ve got Marathon Schwalbe tires, so they’re tough, but I’ve read stories of blowouts... Even in Europe, there are remote spots where you can’t find repair or replacement parts.
You’ll tell me that with rice powder, mascara, two mirrors (in case one breaks), an evening dress (for Albanian dance halls), skis (for the Greek mountains), and my cat, I’m not exactly counting grams anymore—and I might as well throw in a spare tire! 😄
You’re not bringing your fridge? More seriously, there are foldable-bead tires that fit in a pannier—we do that. Schwalbe makes them, pricier than rigid ones, but good prep.
What brand are your brakes? We can help you find the right kit, along with detailed instructions for bleeding and adjusting them...
If it's Magura, their website is really well done.
Hydraulic disc brakes are now completely reliable. The only risk would be damaging a hose and having a leak, but if you protect them well during transport, there’s no reason that should happen.
If it did, the chance of both brakes failing at the same time is highly unlikely. If one brake gives out, you could still continue your journey calmly to the next bike repair shop.
These days, there’s no country in Europe where you can’t get this kind of issue fixed.
We make a "mountain" out of hydraulics, but it’s just oil in a sealed tube instead of a cable in a sheath. If the system is checked and maintained, it’s actually much more reliable than cable technology.
Taking a spare cable brake would mean bringing a caliper, a cable and its sheath, as well as a brake lever.
As for tires, personally, for a long trip, I set off with new tires for peace of mind. The option of carrying a spare folding tire in a pannier is possible, but again, in Europe, you can find tires everywhere...
Hydraulic brakes are super reliable—way more than cables—but like any brake system, it's good to carry a few spare parts.
I’d pack:
Bleed kit for your brake brand
Rear hose the same length as yours, with fittings
Set of brake pads
Maybe a few spare bolts.
Everything’s small and lightweight.
Learn how to bleed your brakes and change your pads—YouTube’s your friend!
If you run into trouble or need to bleed them, you can use vegetable brake fluid instead of the original fluid—like the kind used in (older?) Citroën cars.
Yeah, it's true that in Europe you can find tires "almost everywhere," but when there’s a tear, it’s good to have a spare. I’m talking about our case with a tandem and trailer—it’s tough to push the whole setup! For brakes, always keep a set of pads in your kit.
Hmm, not sure if this is clear, but there are 4 types of braking systems:
rim brakes: hydraulic or not
disc brakes: hydraulic or not.
And the secondary ones: putting your foot on the rear tire and backpedaling on single speeds.
It's very rare to find frames that let you choose between rim brakes and disc brakes for the same frame.
The Surly Ogre, for example:
If you're setting off for roughly 3,000 km, you put on new tires, and if you feel your rear tire is worn, well, you swap it with the front one to finish the trip.
Besides, it’s not the end of the world if a tire blows out—you can just buy and fit a lower-quality tire for a few hundred kilometers. Enough time to find a good tire or simply finish the trip.
To wrap up, on rough roads, you’re more likely to bend your wheel than blow a tire. * And that’s where disc brakes really shine compared to rim brakes—you can ride without worry with a slightly bent wheel if you don’t know how to true a rim perfectly.
For me, bringing a bleed kit seems insane for self-supported travel, but hey, everyone carries the cross they choose. I’ve had disc brakes for nearly 10 years from some obscure budget brand, and this summer, I traveled about 4,000 km and only had to make a quick 2-minute adjustment to bring the pads closer as they wore down.
SRAM hydraulic specifics
DOT 5.1
The system is hydraulic, so it's the fluid flowing inside the cables that, pushed by a master cylinder, controls the caliper.
SRAM uses a specific fluid, DOT 5.1, a synthetic oil that withstands high temperatures during powerful braking. In fact, the caliper heats up quickly when in use, and some fluids tend to lose their effectiveness at high temperatures.
Read the practical guide: Bike hydraulic brakes: The fluids
In theory, SRAM found that DOT 5.1 takes twice as long to reach the boiling point compared to DOT 4, thus offering superior performance in extreme conditions. For info, DOT 5.1 is highly corrosive and should be wiped off quickly if it gets on a frame or lever.
Learn how: How to bleed SRAM hydraulic brakes for road bikes?
Thank you so much for this post. I feel even more reassured about using my brakes in extreme heat now. No need to cross the Atacama—I had almost two weeks at 45°C in Romania last spring!
Thanks again! Ln
"On croit qu'on fait un voyage mais c'est le voyage qui vous fait et vous défait."
Nicolas Bouvier. L'usage du monde
Just a note about Schwalbe and folding-bead tires: there are tons of other options—every manufacturer makes them (Conti, Hutchinson, Clement, etc.). And Schwalbe isn’t necessarily the only or best choice, despite what gets repeated endlessly from forum to forum.
As for folding-bead tires, not only can you fold them and they take up less space in your pannier than rigid ones, but they’re also significantly lighter.
Best,
Thanks for the details.
Are flexible-bead tires as sturdy as the others (it’s true that everyone says you don’t get flats with Schwalbe!)?
Thanks in advance and have a great afternoon.
"On croit qu'on fait un voyage mais c'est le voyage qui vous fait et vous défait."
Nicolas Bouvier. L'usage du monde
It's not the flexible or rigid rod that determines a tire's durability.
It's the quality of the rubber and/or an internal protective strip, for example, or even the thickness of the tread that will determine whether a "foreign object" punctures the tire or not.
Swabble chose to make very thick tires, so they rarely puncture and last a long time.
The downside is that they're very heavy, which has an extremely negative impact on the bike's efficiency.
In short: poor efficiency but excellent durability.
Other brands opt for a Kevlar protective strip, so the tire stays light but resists punctures well.
Downside: it's often more expensive.
As always, the question is finding the right balance between your desires, your needs, and your wallet!
Hi Hélène,
All the best for 2017! Sorry if I’m partly to blame for your "spellbinding" question, but those brake "blowouts" were in the Alps and Laos—and the Atacama is yours whenever you want in 2018 for the Pasos Agua Negra and San Francisco, with or without disc brakes ;).
Safe travels in the Balkans and Rroftë Shqipëri!
Luc
I’m chiming in years later—sorry about that—I just read this today. But still a seasoned traveler!
I left without a bleed kit and had a real hassle.
Headed to a pharmacy, got 2 big syringes, needles, and catheters. Then used organic olive oil instead of some impossible-to-find liquid. I spilled some on the ground—no big deal, unlike the original oil, it doesn’t pollute.
Result: bleed went fine, braking was perfect (works in summer, but of course, if it’s really cold, don’t use olive oil). FYI, the boiling point is around 300°C—just as good as the best mineral oils (which are polluting). Min temp: -3°C.
That’s a great tip, thanks so much! Where I’m going, coconut oil is easier to find, so I’ll try it on an old brake to see how it works.
As for the bleed kit, I’ve got two updates.
Some older Shimano brakes, like the 2003 XT M755s—which still stop really well—have a small cover on the reservoir, so you don’t even need a bleed kit.
You can still find them cheaply on the second-hand market. The ergonomics are old-school (two or three fingers), but for travel, they’re usually perfect.
For other brakes, you can find a small aluminum reservoir with a screw-on lid on AliExpress, plus a rod that screws onto the brake, compatible with Shimano. It works as both an oil container and a bleed funnel.
Coconut oil operating temperatures aren’t ideal because its solidification point is 24°C~26°C, so not great.
FYI:
Comparison of emergency fluids (Mineral System only)
FluidSolidification (Freezes)Boiling Point (Smoke Point)Verdict for MTB
LHM Plus (Auto)-50°C~250°CThe best (reliable and stable)
Rapeseed Oil-10°C~204°CBest emergency fluid
Sunflower Oil-17°C~232°CVery good (heat-resistant)
Olive Oil+6°C~190°CFair (risk of solidifying)
Coconut Oil+24°C~177°C (Virgin)Avoid (solid in the shade)
Water0°C100°CDanger (boils too quickly) for DOT systems only
A temporary fix should be very short-term, as there are long-term harmful effects.
A crucial point to watch out for:
Warning: This fix ONLY works if your brakes use mineral oil.
If your MTB uses DOT brake fluid (SRAM, Hope, Formula), putting olive oil in will swell and destroy your EPDM seals in just a few hours. DOT and oil are not chemically compatible at all.
Mineral System (Shimano): Seals made of NBR or Urethane (which like oil). => see vegetable oil table
DOT System (SRAM, Hope, Formula): Seals made of EPDM (Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer). => Water or glycol (yuck)
In an emergency, use water—putting vegetable oil in a system designed for DOT is disastrous.
Encore moi... LE VTT choisi, l'élu (enfin!!!) est le Gitane HT 100. Il reste encore à l'adapter au voyage: potence, portes bagages... etc...etc... Ce vélo est…
Je suis très étonné par les témoignages de personnes concernant la surchauffe des freins a disque dans les descentes de cols. J'utilise cette technologie…
Je m'appelle Anthony j'ai 18 ans et je me suis remis a faire du vélo car j'avais une envie folle de rouler! Je me suis inscrit sur ce forum pour demander…
Nous souhaiterions utiliser un porte bagages avant surbaissé sur un tandem cannondale route équipé de freins à disque (modèle 2005) Quelques précisions: Les…
J'ai déjà posé la question sur un autre forum, mais je me dis que j'aurai peut-être aussi des réponses ici. Quand on n'a pas la possibilité de mettre des…
Bonjour
y à t, il une voie pour les vélo qui traverse l’Italie pour aller prendre le bateau pour la silice
si oui ou commence t'elle et ou fini t'elle ?
Je suis le concepteur du site RandoCamping. Une nouvelle fonctionnalité de planification de randonnée vient d’être ajoutée au site.
Elle pourrait intéresser tous ceux qui aiment préparer leur randonnée ou leur voyage à l’avance, en France, que ce soit à pied ou à vélo.
Comment ça marche ...
Chargez un fichier GPX, choisissez votre nombre de jours et votre niveau d'effort, et l'application découpe automatiquement votre itinéraire en étapes journalières avec recherche d'hébergements selon vos critères.
Les étapes calculées sont ajustables manuellement, et une fois satisfait de votre découpage, il ne reste plus qu'à sélectionner les hébergements qui vous conviennent pour chaque nuit.
Le tracé de chaque étape peut également être modifié finement grâce à l'outil Edition et calcul d'itinéraire.
L'itinéraire final, avec vos étapes personnalisées, peut être exporté au format GPX pour l'emporter sur votre appareil de navigation.
Votre randonnée peut être reprise et modifiée à tout moment dés lors que vous l'avez sauvegardée au format GPX.
Another long-time dream of Claudio’s: the Petit Mont Cenis pass and the dam at the eponymous lake.
A place where many Italians, including my father, worked in the 1950s–60s.
Faverges → St-Michel-de-Maurienne → Lanslebourg → Petit Mont Cenis → return. 315 km, 3 days. Bivouac at St-Michel-de-M.
Brouter link
Leg One: Faverges → St-Michel-de-Maurienne
Leg Two: St-Michel → Lanslebourg → Mont Cenis Lake → St-Michel
Leg Three: St-Michel → Faverges
And it finally happened in August 2026: in the Maurienne Valley about the famous cycle route known as the V67
Bonjour,
Nous avons acheté en 2005 la tente MSR modèle vélo (2 places + grand auvent pouvant accueillir 2 vélos). Elle nous a fait un très bon usage, notamment pendant un voyage d'1 an en Afrique. Aujourd'hui, un des arceaux est cassé et nous aimerions le remplacer car c'est le seul problème de la tente... qu'on adore ! Ce sont des arceaux de diamètre 9.35 mm, avec 8 éléments de 49 cm et 2 éléments de 28 cm. Longueur totale une fois monté : 416 cm. En fait 2 grands éléments sont cassés : un section droite et une section courbe. Donc galère à retrouver car le modèle n'existe plus nul part dans le commerce.
Est-ce que quelqu'un aurait ce modèle qu'il n'utilise plus et accepterait de me vendre un arceau ?
🇷🇼 Cycling in Rwanda: 4 episodes, an off-the-beaten-path adventure
After 3 weeks and nearly 1,200 km by bike across Rwanda, I made 4 videos to share this adventure in a different way: the landscapes, the encounters, the villages… but above all, all those incredible scenes of everyday life.
The 4 episodes are available here:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGnfbxjccWAg
The 4th episode focuses on rural Rwandan life: simple, authentic, and sometimes surprising scenes that you only truly discover when you take the time to travel by bike.
If you have a few minutes, let yourself be transported to Rwanda…
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!
Hi everyone,
In early April, I’m redoing the Vélo Francette (La Rochelle to Ouistreham), and then I’d like to cycle along the Cotentin Peninsula (which I don’t know at all), follow the coast up to Cherbourg, and then head back down to at least Saint-Malo. I’d love to know if it’s pleasant for cycling—are the roads nice? Not too windy? What are the must-see spots? Any great campsites? All your tips and advice are more than welcome, and I thank you in advance.
Hi there,
I’m planning to bike to meet some friends in Côte d’Ivoire in early November.
I’ll be starting in Abidjan and heading to Abengourou, which is close to the Ghana border.
I’d like to take the trails. Does anyone have recent info on eastern Côte d’Ivoire?
Any tips, safety advice, or must-see stops? I’m open to all suggestions.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Fx
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.
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?😏
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.
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! !
