La Sarthe a Velo: A Bike Ride to Northern France
Author
A keen runner, skier and nuts about cycling. Karl lives in Cumbria, where he loves encouraging his two children to follow in his outdoor lifestyle. Whilst out and about keeping active, Karl keeps a diary and shares it with Outdoor Look.
You know that feeling, when the sun is awake in the sky, warming up your back, and the roads are so easy-going that cycling feels like meditation? The afternoon was a vision in Sarthe with its traffic-free roads that were once railways located in the northwest of France. Sure, I have had a wonderful time even without a bike. Exploring the Jardin Mosaïque located at Asnières-sur-Vègre, and the paintings of St. Hilaire was an eye-opening experience overall. Not to forget the La Fleche ceramic museum.
I have also energized myself with more than necessary breaks on coffee, scrumptious pastries, soft tartiflette, and of course, cola. I wanted to visit the Château du Lude, a French Renaissance landmark located in the intricate territories of Le Lude. After the castle, my night was going to be a humble visit at a local guest room, or chambres d’hotes, as they call here in France.
The day before was no different, thankfully. I bid adieu to Le Mans and its vibrant streets with me being on the bike for hours, following zero traffic and many farmlands. Sometimes, the view had nothing but tall sunflowers planted in rows after rows along with green corn crops. While, other times, an occasional Chateau peeped through the horizon or a village in the distance. It felt like there was a competition going on amongst each landmark I came across, the competition of who can stun visitors more.
The upcoming day was going to be a tribute visit to the renovated Chateau de Grand-Lucé along with a vineyard (yes, a classic French vineyard) named Vin Gigou located at La Chartre-sur-le-Loir.
I carried only the most basic requirements for this 4-day Sarthe exploration. It's barely an hour away from Paris if you go by train. I was especially interested after knowing about the La Sarthe à Vélo, a recently promoted 250 miles of biking trails yearning to be explored. Sarthe, with its exquisite landscapes and flat terrains, was turning out to be the ideal destination for cycling.
Of course, I should also count myself lucky for the lack of rough winds. Sunlight blessed me so far to cover 50 miles each day. I followed V44 And V47, the former having historic links with the town Alençon that was joined to Le Mans in the north and Sablé in the west. If you want to listen to Gregorian chantings, you can go further to Abbey de Solesmes.
The V47, on the other hand, is a smooth ride to the Loir, a lesser-known attraction that still has a lot to show from castles and villages to wines. It gets a bit hilly as the road goes south, something that takes me home to Scotland.
Even with all of its beauty, La Sarthe a Velo did give me its fair share of frustration. The tricky roads had me taking out the GPS and the maps more often than I had expected to. Sometimes, I succumbed to needing the digital compass on my iPhone.
Nevertheless, I could get used to this pattern of waking up, having a delicious breakfast, charting my route, and deciding my next destination overnight. I booked B&Bs so that I didn't have to panic about where I was going to lay my head on at night.
My routes were also closer to quiet country roads. I rode on a racer bike that had 25mm tyres that thankfully never faced a puncture. I would advise you to avoid bikes with thin tyres.
I could have enjoyed more picturesque views had I stayed a little longer. But I have no regrets. That's why I love touring on cycles. You can go as far as you want and explore at your own pace.
Author
A keen runner, skier and nuts about cycling. Karl lives in Cumbria, where he loves encouraging his two children to follow in his outdoor lifestyle. Whilst out and about keeping active, Karl keeps a diary and shares it with Outdoor Look.
Categories
- Sport (28)
- Product Reviews (3)
- Team Outdoor Look (7)
- Mike Wild (2)
- Mike Payton (2)
- Suse Hammond-Pears (3)
- Snowboarding (12)
- Latest Offers (105)
- Shop Talk (1)
- Competitions (7)
- Walking (412)
- Lifestyle Fashion (8)
- Travel (86)
- Kit Guides (176)
- Workwear Clothing (6)
- Safety Workwear (4)
- Health/Fitness (288)
- Skiing (90)
- Great Outdoors (1312)
- Cycling (92)
- December 2024
- November 2024
- October 2024
- September 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024
- June 2024
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
Submit a Comment