pyrenees on a bike (2 Viewers)

[broken arm]

Has anyone cycled around the Pyrenees? Preferably starting from the barcelona side......

What are the best sites? not the toughest of course....

 

[mazzyianne]

Has anyone cycled around the Pyrenees? Preferably starting from the barcelona side......

What are the best sites? not the toughest of course....

Some friends of mine have done this, from france south to BCN and I think the other way also.
I'll ask em and get back to you

 

[Scientician 0.8]

I'm too drunk and lazy to answer this thread. Soz Bruv. (

 

[Scientician 0.8]

I should be back in The Wet Room. Christ!

 

[broken arm]

Some friends of mine have done this, from france south to BCN and I think the other way also.
I'll ask em and get back to you

do do. What we are doing now is getting the train from london to perpignan and starting from there (we're based in the UK). We do want to see Carcassone and parts of the Canal Du Midi (i want to cycle/camp the lenth of the canal) before hitting the pyrenees.

I'm looking into renting proper bikes when we are over there rather than bringing them with us...

nice one

 

[mazzyianne]

ooooooooooooooo
looks amazing, those photos of the canal are beautiful.
Can we turn this into a nerdy cycle tour thread?
I plan to do more cycling in Ireland this summer. Did a bit of the tain trail ( http://www.longford.ie/community/groups.asp?action=1&groupid=63&pageid=%20259 ) last year and it was amazing. Went from Dublin to meet the trail in meath as far as roscommon then left the trail and headed for Mayo, beautiful!! This year the whole lot.
I had to quit one day before finishing due to injury and missed this bit

Grace o malley's castle. Been there since tho.

Soooo
what you bringing? renting bikes eh?? It's fairly cheap to bring them places, might be better to know what you'll be cycling...
will you be camping all the time?
Are you going UP the pyrenees? madzer. We saw them from the other side, the west coast. Looked at them, thought 'how lovely'. Jumped on a bus and headed for BCN.
Want to go back and cycle the santiago de compostella. sigh, maybe some day...

 

[sarah]

wow I didn't think longford and nice would ever be in the same paragraph together, must look further into this, thanks mazzy

 

[IFF]

good luck with it broken arm

i struggle over hills here so i'd probably die if i attempted anythin like that

 

[ernesto]

Has anyone cycled around the Pyrenees?

jayzus, youd need some pyreness (pair o' knees) for that!!

 

[mazzyianne]

Ok finally remembered to talk to my housemate about his trip. He cycled from France down along the coast to Barcelona, he said it's beautiful. They stuck to the coast, it's constant hills. Uphill for two hours, downhill for 10mins town for five mins then back to the uphill.
But he loved it and said it was really pretty round there. Went swimming lots.
They were in a rush so he wasn't much help on the places-to-see-things-to-do aspect.

Sorry I realise that's not much help . If u have any specific questions I can ask him.

When u going?

 

[flashback]

Here... broken arm, you bringing your own bike on this thing?
If you are, even if you aren't, buy a decent set of clipless pedals and shoes, and practice getting used to them.
You might not like the look of them, but they will add about 30% more efficiency to your riding. They make a huge difference.

If you are hiring, take your pedals with you, and get them to throw them on the bike before you head off.

If you are worried about riding them, there's nothing to it. I ride them every day around NYC, no problems. If you get the MTB ones you can walk normally in them. If you get the (better) road ones, you will have more trouble moving about off the bike though.

 

[broken arm]

Ok finally remembered to talk to my housemate about his trip. He cycled from France down along the coast to Barcelona, he said it's beautiful. They stuck to the coast, it's constant hills. Uphill for two hours, downhill for 10mins town for five mins then back to the uphill.
But he loved it and said it was really pretty round there. Went swimming lots.
They were in a rush so he wasn't much help on the places-to-see-things-to-do aspect.

Sorry I realise that's not much help . If u have any specific questions I can ask him.

When u going?

19th of May. That coastal cycle may be the ticket. We are arriving into Perpingnan but are aiming to be in Barcelona for the 31st for teh Primavera festival.

It's getting a little complicated. Ihaven't got a straight answer about the cot of transferring the bike in Paris onto the train to perpingnan etc.. may just rent when we are there,,

 

[snakybus]

I lived in the Pyrenees for a while and did a good bit of cycling around. Does that count? I remember nearly dying a few times.

 

[snakybus]

Oh and I've done that trip Perpignan to Barcelona twice (once hitch hiking and walking, once in a car). Go to Coliures if you get a chance. It's an artist's town, really beautiful. Also, over the border, check out Cadaques, where Salvador Dali lived - really nice little place, though quiet. That cycle along the coast as you're coming into Spain is spectacular. Make sure to go to Cap de Creuse, and eat something in the restaurant there.

The French Pyrenees themselves are really beautiful, some of the nicest scenery ever.

 

[broken arm]

Oh and I've done that trip Perpignan to Barcelona twice (once hitch hiking and walking, once in a car). Go to Coliures if you get a chance. It's an artist's town, really beautiful. Also, over the border, check out Cadaques, where Salvador Dali lived - really nice little place, though quiet. That cycle along the coast as you're coming into Spain is spectacular. Make sure to go to Cap de Creuse, and eat something in the restaurant there.

The French Pyrenees themselves are really beautiful, some of the nicest scenery ever.

how long did it take you?

 

[snakybus]

well when I say "that cycle", I didn't cycle that bit myself - I was in a van. I'd say work out the distance and based on how long that would normally take you, add at least a day, because it's so hilly you'll be wrecked/stopping to enjoy the scenery.

 

[seaners]

I went from Irun in the Basque country to a bit past Vic in Catalunya last year staying on the Spanish side of things. Lots of lovely big fecking mountains, got mad muscles in the front of my shins. I think this is nowhere near where you're going but I don't have a map. I can tell you more if you want.