reed523

The idea of a tour of the Alps via gravel roads is really starting to sound like a lot of fun to me. Can anyone point me to any good picture heavy journals for inspiration?

Philly Tandem

Jobst Brandt is famous for (among other things) his Alpine tours. See link below.

https://www.trentobike.org/Countries/...r_of_the_Alps/

fietsbob

Which side? Swiss, Italian, Or French? try a search on your own yet?

Tourist centers in various towns, cycling clubs in the region ..+ https://www.ctc.org.uk/ ?

MassiveD

https://www.ocd.org.uk/alps/rs/fred.htm

From which:

https://www.ocd.org.uk/alps/rs/fred.htm

https://www.alpsmountainbike.com/moun...to_Zermatt.php

reed523

Thanks Bri and Massive. These give me some direction.

acantor

I have cycled in the Swiss Alps, and I wonder whether your trip is feasible. My experience was that roads over the passes are few. For a major pass, like Gotthard, there is the high-speed highway (which no sane cyclist would take); and a network of older roads (paved or cobblestone) that are well-suited for cycling. These "back roads" are challenging: e.g., local truck traffic, long tunnels, hairpin turns with no guardrails, etc. But I don't remember any gravel roads. Without good maps, it would not be a good idea to go too far off the beaten track. You need to know what you are doing and where you are going to be safe in the mountains.

In the Vosges mountains in France, I chose to take a gravel path (actually a logging road) to avoid heavy traffic along the main highway. This tertiary road was clearly marked on my Michelin map, so it worked out fine. But I wouldn't recommend breaking new ground in a mountainous region on a bicycle.

MichaelW

I found quite a few gravel logging trails in the Slovenian Alpes but only short sections , maybe up to 5 miles long.
There are some fabulous photos on this, similar discussion for motorcyclists.

reed523

Thanks for the Alpine Roads link! Good stuff.