Sexy_Lugs

So I got orders back to the states and I have yet to ride any of the amazing and significant area’s in our bicycle history. So I am turning to you my fellow BF family for some suggestions of what I should attempt to ride before my September departure from Belgium.

Machka 

-- The Velodyssey Route up the west coast of France.
-- The Rhone Route in Switzerland, and surrounding area.
-- Scotland, especially along the North Sea Route.
-- Paris.

Photos from the UK, especially Scotland which was wonderful ... definitely a place we'd go again ...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/machka-...7630125688286/

Photos from The Netherlands, Germany, and Luxembourg ... we rode the Rhine Route from The Netherlands to St Goar, Germany. I wouldn't recommend doing that, but parts of it were nice ...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/machka-...7630913118566/

Photos from Switzerland (along the Rhone Route), Perpignan, and Bordeaux ... we loved Switzerland and the Bordeaux area ...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/machka-...7631598534353/

Photos from the West Coast of France (Velodyssey Route), Paris, and Plymouth ... all of which we'd recommend visiting ...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/machka-...7631877281412/


(We were in Europe 3 months all up this time, and it definitely wasn't enough time)

chasm54

Ride the routes of your local classics. Tour of Flanders, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Gent-Wevelgem, Flèche Wallonne.

If you have the time to go further afield, what about the big Alpine and Pyrenean climbs from le Tour?

Sexy_Lugs

All of those are my thoughts, and yes... i really really want to hit up the pyrenean climbs. Time permitting.

Ferrous Bueller

^An infrequent Tour climb, Pla d'Adet is lovely, with accommodation at the base or halfway up at the hamlet of Soulan. Bucolic.
Day ride striking distance to col D'Aspin, Tourmalet, Spanish Pyrenees, etc.

I presume you've ridden Belgium extensively. Because I found the road riding around Spa and Houffalize is terrific. Real roadie culture around there maybe partly due to local hero Gilbert.

Southern NL is great too. Based in Maastricht, you can do day rides that involve 3 countries. The Amstel/Worlds courses are entertaining and popular.

RT

Paging botto, botto, please report to this thread.

Ferrous Bueller

^Almost forgot! Botto had some great photos from Tuscany!
The hills, medieval hilltop towns, the white roads, the pizza and wine after. Fantastic riding there.
You could do far worse than staying in someplace like Siena and radiating out.

Dalai

How much of your time till September can you set aside to ride and do you like to climb?

I spent four weeks back in 2011 in France - all in the Alps and still didn't get to ride all the cols or even get to the Pyrenees! Then there are the Dolomites, the climbs around Bormio (Stelvio, Gavia and Mortirolo), Switzerland...

calgary_jim

I always wanted to ride Alpe d'Huez and will one day soon. Anything in Tuscany is magical but ride carefully. I rode last year in southern France and those are some serious climbs.

Dalai

I must say the first time up Alpe d'Huez I wasn't that smitten given the climb just finishes in a large empty carpark near the top of the village. Unlike the the cols where the top is the top! It took a second ascent later in the week to fully soak in the atmosphere and enjoy where I was...

Dutch corner



If you check my blog and look at the posts from 2011 - there are photos and posts about the various climbs in the French Alps.

speedwobbles

I'd recommend the Gorges de Borne in the Vercors (near Grenoble), as well as Alpe d'Huez/Col de la Croix de Fer/Col du Galibier.

PS- I live in Liège and would be down to ride the Liège-Bastogne-Liège sometime.