Planning for L’Etape du Tour 2011? Are you planning for Etape du Tour 2011 but don’t know where to start? To make this trip happen, you need to arm yourself with two things only: One, the TDF Tips Guide to L’Etapes 2011: Les Deux Etapes. Two, the Guide to Tackling L’Etape Mini Guide. The L’Etape […]
Think you need to spend $4000 on a set of Lightweights to be a better climber? Nope. There’s a cheaper way. As cyclists we are obsessed by saving weight (and thus time) on our bikes, with many of us thinking nothing of spending a few thousand bucks on wheels. If you are like lots of […]
How to Pack a Bike Bag – EVOC Bike Bag In this How to Pack a Bike Bag article, you’ll see how to pack your EVOC Bike Travel Bag. Although this is specific to this particular bag, the principles can be applied to any bag. In a previous How to Pack a Bike Bag post […]
Bike Travel Bag Comparison This Bike Travel Bag Comparison article has been updated on 24th May 2014 to include the Scicon Aerocomfort 2 TSA. You can check out a video review with scores best bike bag for airline travel. No one wants to unpack their Very Expensive Pride and Joy (your bike) after a long […]
This EVOC Bike Travel Bag Review is more thorough than most. I’ve used a lot of different bike bags and travelled a lot, so wanted to give you my take on this bag. Before we start the EVOC Bike Travel Bag Review, I want to quickly mention what I look for in a bike bag. […]
Need to know How to Plan a Trip to Etape and TDF? Well look no further with this case study from my 2011 trip. How I Plan – General Insights I discuss my planning methodology in more detail the Cycling in France guide, so if this interests you, check it out here. My planning for […]
Need Campervanning France Information for your Campervan Cycling Holiday but Don’t Know Where to Start? Though this article focuses on France, the insights are applicable to any destination. Booking a campervan for France can be a daunting and very expensive experience. If you don’t leverage all the contacts and information at your disposal, you could […]
Despite the fact I’ve written and published a Very Comprehensive and Totally Kick Butt Guide to Cycling Through France, I thought I’d write a series of posts around the topic as well. I covered the methodology in a 7 part series, as outlined below. Use the links below to jump to each post, and if […]
I love receiving emails from readers with photos and stories of their travels through France, particularly when they tell me how useful the Guide to Cycling through France was. The below email is from Chris H, of Sydney, Australia. Bonjour Tim, Cycling in South of France during this years 97th Tour of France has ruined […]
The 2011 Etapes du Tour are now announced, and for those who missed it, 2011 sees the introduction of TWO Etapes. Given they are a week apart, there is every possibility that you could do both. Entries are now open through Tour Operators, flights and accommodation are filling up fast so now is the time […]
This 7 part series is a shortened series of content from the Cycling Through France ebook . In Part 1, we cover the creation of an itinerary (initial planning) involving Tour stages, climbs to do, as well as what airlines you might look at. In Part 2, I discuss Accommodation and Car Hire choices. […]
In a previous post, I showed how to save your travel documents to your iPhone. It was a painful process, but thanks to reader Vadim for sending in this tip. Dropbox allows you to store files remotely and access them anywhere in the world. To get them to your phone, all you need to do […]
This post might be a bit tongue-in-cheek. What to do when the Gendarme says: “Non!” If you travel to France for Le Tour, chances are you will encounter a gendarme on the road preventing you from getting to your vantage point to watch the Tour. I’ve been in the situation a few times now where […]
The L’Etape registration is a very fun part of doing L’Etape. Apart from the necessary registration, the L’Etape registration is a fun few hours hanging out at a mini bike show. Loads of manufacturers like Time, Ridley, Look, Specialized, Trek, SRAM are at the registration with loads of things for sale. You’ll be able to […]
2010 was a doozy of a trip for VeloNomad. Again, there are some valuable lessons from the 2010 TDF and L’Etape trip. I, and my equally loony travel partner, the inimitable Michael J Brown, took off around the world to tackle L’Etape, eat croissants, drink (usually bad) coffee, drink some sneaky Heinekens, ride in the […]
Name of Place: Buffet de la Gare Type of Tip: Cafe Street Address: Avenue Jean Biray Suburb/Town: Pau State/Provence: Aquitania Country: France Zip/Postal: 64000 If you score a fresh croissant here you’ll die. They’re ridiculously good. The coffee here is perfectly acceptable. Without driving around the very large Pau, head here. pau1.jpg (104 KB) pau2.jpg […]
A big thanks to reader Brad K for sending this in. It looks like some 2011 TDF (and therefore L’Etape du Tour) information is starting to filter through. With just over a month until the official launch, rumours will be flying fast. Steephill.tv has a post here about it. Even if this is only half […]
There’s absolutely no excuse these days for not knowing how to avoid a data roaming bill. In just two short years, the range of prepaid SIM cards available to travellers has exploded, dramatically lowering the risk of a shocking data roaming bill. In this past, even the most-prepared amongst us have been stung by the […]
I am really excited to announce the release of my latest ebook: Cycling The Atlantic Pyrenees. The Cycling the Atlantic Pyrenees guide covers tips and tricks for getting to the Atlantic Pyrenees for an epic cycling adventure and includes; Getting There (airports to fly in to) Baggage Restrictions Taking your bike How to pack your […]
Do you get a bit nervous when going to a non-English speaking country? I know I do, and it’s because I worry about what I’ll do if something happens, and I can’t communicate in order to sort the issue out. I think learning some of the local language is an absolute sure-fire way to help […]
Sadly our last day was upon us on our Cycling France 2010 trip. I’d not had anywhere near enough riding so was glad to be heading out for a final long hit out in delightful warm France. I keenly felt the approaching return home as I’d been told it was miserable, cold and wet in […]
Name of Place: La Toscane Pizza Type of Tip: Food Place Street Address: 14 Rue Carrerot Suburb/Town: Oloron-Sainte-Marie Major City: e.g. London, Paris etc State/Provence: Aquitania Country: France Zip/Postal: 64400 This place is hidden away behind some arches so look hard. It’s on the left heading down the hill. The crusts are thin and crispy […]
After the let-downs of Stage 16 and Stage 17 (at least in terms of photos, and compared to last year), we headed into Salies-de-Béarn for the start of the 2010 TDF Stage 18. We dropped Andrew off at the Pau train station (which by the way has the BEST croissants I have ever had, EVER […]
*Apologies for the sometimes-less-than-optimal photos, I was late for my plane. With the advent of cheap prosumer digital SLRs, I thought it would be interesting to review my new Lowepro Compurover AW backpack to help you decide upon a backpack to travel with, if you have camera gear to take to France. When looking at […]
Pyrenees self contained accommodation for cyclists This is a great little place providing self contained accommodation in the Pyrenees for cyclists. Name of Place: Laé de Haut Type of Tip: Hotel/Motel Website: http://www.selfcatering-pyrenees.com/ Street Address: None Suburb/Town: Aramits Major City: e.g. London, Paris etc State/Provence: Aquitania Country: France Zip/Postal: 64570 We stayed here in 2010. […]