Looking for an OS cycling destination

[Arlberg]

I'm looking for suggestions for my next Europe cycling trip.

I don't like touring with panniers etc. I instead like staying in one village/town that has lots of big TDF, Giro, Vuelta type climbs in the nearby surrounding mountains. I can ride up a few each day and return to the village/town after the days ride. I usually stay for about 10 days or so in each place.

Places I have done this in the past are Le Bourg d' Osains (Alps), Bedoin (Ventoux), Argeles-Gazost (Pyrenees), Bagneres de Luchon (Pyrenees), Corvara (Dolomites) twice, Bormio (Dolomites/Alps) twice, and last year Saint Jean de Maurienne (Alps).

All these villages have plenty of the big, famous climbs close by and I've pretty much ridden all of them. Can anyone suggest another village/town/region where I can do the same thing?

[Cyclophiliac]

Have you covered all the climbs near Argèles-Gazost and Bagnères-de-Luchon? I recently stayed at B&Bs near both of these, and there's heaps of climbs near them. This map I made using Google Maps shows them. Red markers are the 2 B&Bs, blue markers are the climbs I did, and the 4 orange markers are the climbs I ran out of time to do. In other words, even though I did over 2200km and almost 50km vertical over 29 consecutive days, I still didn't run out of climbs to do.

Even though I did a large number of climbs, I'd still consider returning one day, once I've tried other parts of the world.

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@42.7898 ... dvroGKb70N

[Arlberg]

Thanks Cyclophiliac. I cant seem to get the map load the climbs you did but I certainly did quite a lot of climbing in those areas, although I mostly concentrated on the more well known ones that feature regularly in the Tour de France. All these places are cycling Meccas, all have plenty of fabulous big climbs right on the doorstep, with my favourite probably being the Dolomites. Just wondering if there's any more such Meccas that I've missed!

[Cyclophiliac]

Thanks Cyclophiliac. I cant seem to get the map load the climbs you did but I certainly did quite a lot of climbing in those areas, although I mostly concentrated on the more well known ones that feature regularly in the Tour de France. All these places are cycling Meccas, all have plenty of fabulous big climbs right on the doorstep, with my favourite probably being the Dolomites. Just wondering if there's any more such Meccas that I've missed!

Try it again, I changed the permissions from "anyone with the link can view" to "anyone on the web can view". I don't know why the existing permissions didn't work for you: they should have. Actually, it does require sign-in to Google: I just found that out by loading the link in a private window where my Google sign-in isn't active.

[chalkie]

We stayed near Bonneville for 2 weeks at the beginning of September
Sunshine every day. Temperatures in the 20's and low 30's.
Plenty to do.
https://www.strava.com/athletes/1038640 ... 04/6.72261

[chalkie]

And Barcellonette...

[Arlberg]

Thanks Chalkie for the tips! I will check those two places out.

Which of those two do you prefer?

Bonneville seems to have a few more mountainous routes perhaps?

And which one would you rate as a nicer village to stay at? I ask because I found Saint Jean de Maurienne to be pretty ordinary as a place to stay, although the surrounding climbing was absolutely superb.

[scirocco]

Don’t overlook the southern part of the Alps, broadly Nice to Alpe d’Huez. I think I actually enjoyed the “off the beaten track” nature of the climbs more than the traditional northern Route des Alpes say from Geneva to the Bourg area.

In a similar situation to yourself a few years back having been to the Pyrenees and Alps quite a few times and looking for something new, I went to the Massif Centrale and based in Correze department which was a bit different but very good. I would probably go back there but base somewhere near Clermont Ferrand, say Le Mont Dore.

[antigee]

recently back from a trip staying with friends in Serre Chevalier so pretty routine covered by Bourg D'Oisans but my cycling buddy was singing the praises of the Jurra Alps, quiet and spectacular - random article here....

https://roadcyclinguk.com/rides-travel/ ... mountains/

[dalai47]

And Barcellonette...

Depending on how far you like riding, you can tick a lot in a few days around Barcelonette.

I ticked off what I wanted to in a couple of days. There is more available but not sure 10 days worth?

Guide http://www.ubaye.com/telechargements/br ... u-velo.pdf

http://climbinglama.blogspot.com/2011/0 ... e-8th.html
http://climbinglama.blogspot.com/2011/0 ... ember.html

[dalai47]

Only two towns I've stayed in for a week or more in France have been Bourg d'Oisans and Bourg Saint Maurice.

Switzerland though expensive has some amazing looking climbs and worthwhile investigating further.

[cyclotaur]

Annecy.

[Arlberg]

Some more very useful advice, all look great thanks everyone!

All look like great options and its gonna be difficult to choose! I like the look of Bourg Saint Maurice as Col du Petite St Bernard looks amazing and I like the idea of riding into Switzerland. Bonneville, (although Cluses nearby may be even better) seems to have a lot of mountainous route options which is good given I will have around ten days to spare. An advantage of Bonneville/Cluses is they are close to Geneva and would be quite a bit easier to get to than say, Barcelonette (I assume from Nice?) or Bourg Saint Maurice (Geneva). Barcelonette looks good too and seems to have plenty to do for a 10 day trip.

dalai47, was 10 days about right for Bourg Saint Maurice? Just looking on Google Maps it seems to have generally fewer roads/climb options than the others?

And Cyclotour I forgot to mention Annecy in my initial post as somewhere I've been already, although it rained for 7 of the ten days I was there! (2014).

[dalai47]

Of the areas I've ridden in France, I still rate Bourg d'Oisans as the best town for sheer number of rides from a nice town.

Will be tough filling 10 days in Bourg Saint Maurice. Unless you have a car and willing to drive as well and pick off some of the lesser known smaller climbs like up the La Plagne and other smaller ski fields. I had a car the last couple of days in Bourg Saint Maurice and also drove over to Flumet to ride a loop over the Col de la Colombiere...

I chose the above two as both were accessible by public transport as initially I was only riding for two weeks.

Change of plans freed up a couple more weeks so rented a Peugeot partner and hit further afield with shorter stops including Barcelonette, Ventoux and the stunning but relatively unknown Vercors.

[g-boaf]

I'd also try riding from Nice up to Alpe D'Huez or even further to Galibier and you'll also be able to do the Sarenne climb and descent. the descent from Sarenne is one you won't forget. You'll also get La Bonette as well - that is something stunning at the top.

Colombiere is one I've also done.

[cyclotaur]

....
And Cyclotour I forgot to mention Annecy in my initial post as somewhere I've been already, although it rained for 7 of the ten days I was there! (2014).

You were unlucky - we had a week there in 2015. 30C most days.
Hired a bike, did three rides. walked in the hills, swam in the lake.