France by Gravel – September 2024

TWO ROOMS AVAILABLE – UPTO 4 PEOPLE

It was decided that Romania was too far to drive, so the gravel bike tour for 2024 has been moved to a fascinating part of France, just north of Toulouse. Based on the southern edge of the Massif central, we will be located for a week in the town of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, a medieval town in the heart of the Gorges de l’Aveyron. We will be based in boutique B&B’s it will be luxury with excellent cycling !

Located in the Aveyron gorge, the area has gravel routes for most of the gorges length. There are huge oak forests, which have the fire roads you’d expect, but also endless singletrack and medieval packhorse trails. We’re in an area of limestone plateaux which offer flatter but often very remote riding, cut by steep-sided, lost valleys. Often they’re filled with long-abandoned watermills and mines, although they look more like a scene from the Lord of the Rings than the industrial revolution.

The old walking and packhorse trails are ideal for a gravel bike. They’re too narrow to get your car along, but you don’t need suspension, dropper seat posts or any of the other technology mountain bikes use to cope with extreme terrain.

The price includes 7 nights accommodation, with bike transport from/to your home a cost-effective option. (£55 each way)

ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD
We will be staying in a number of unique, boutique B&B’s. Prices are based on sharing in twin rooms. The single Supplement is £450 extra. Sharing of rooms must be between friends or partners. If no one else is prepared to share with someone wanting a twin room, then the single supplement is payable. Ideally you should sign up with a friend to enable you to share a twin room. ACT is reluctant to allow strangers to share a twin room.

BIKES
You need to bring the bike for the surface you will be cycling on, so thats going to be a gravel bike. The most important thing is that the bike functions properly and that you are comfortable riding it, and it has been serviced recently. We recommend 40 mm tyres as a minimum

You should ensure that your bike has suitable gears as there are some steep hills on parts of the route.  You should also make sure that you are able to carry some spare food and extra clothing with you on the bike.