Off road all day
Active Member
Winter Canada on a $100 wal-mart bike and a $250 Chinese motor!
Interesting isn't it. I can only imagine that with the growth in e-bike sales and the resultant drop in price of normal bikes that tea-leafs (thieves) don't think it's worth the effort to steal them anymore.@Deeps - was astounded at all the bikes casually leaning against buildings - do they even sell bike locks in France? I can only wish it was that way in the US.
@Deeps - was astounded at all the bikes casually leaning against buildings - do they even sell bike locks in France? I can only wish it was that way in the US.[/QUOT
I recall here in the UK roundabout 1965, my father leaving his bike outside the pub. In those days, you would put one pedal in the down position to rest on the pavement, while the bike stood upright in the gutter. Anyway, next day he wondered where his bike was? Recalling he'd gone to the pub on it, he trotted off to get it. Yes - still there, same position. Now this wasn't a small villiage, but major port city on a busy shopping road. You could do that sort of thing then, no locks required - Happy Days.
Somewhat further North from the island of Ile de Re but still on the Atlantic Coast is the French region of Brittany the destination for our main 2018 holiday. Once again the wife and I rented non battery-powered bikes which, after a couple of weeks of use, became rather telling on the old leg muscles especially considering that the derailleur gears could have done with a good overall and calibration. Still, beggars can't be choosers as they say and at least neither of us experienced any punctures during the period of the rental.
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Of course as must now be obvious, any trip to the French Atlantic coast has to include a former WW2 U-Boat base with this one being located at Lorient. Unlike the bunkers at Ile de Re which are still partly in use by the French Navy (or so I'm told) and as a consequence not open to visitors, part of the former submarine base at Lorient has been converted to a museum. The three large bunkers here - K1, K2 and K3 - are absolutely massive and little wonder that they stood up well to Allied bombing during WW2. The French submarine Flore - S645 - is an old Diesel-Electric, Daphne Class which saw service between 1964 and 1989.
Anyway, here's a few pictures taken at various places around the area of Brittany. The attraction for cyclists, in fact visitors of all kinds really, is that France has a land mass of approximately 547,557 sq. Km with a population of 66,836,154. When compared to Germany with a land mass of approximately 357.386 sq. Km and a population approaching 83,000,000 one can see that the resultant traffic volumes in France are considerably less making it a popular holiday destination in addition to very many Expat British making it their home.
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Somewhat further North from the island of Ile de Re but still on the Atlantic Coast is the French region of Brittany the destination for our main 2018 holiday. Once again the wife and I rented non battery-powered bikes which, after a couple of weeks of use, became rather telling on the old leg muscles especially considering that the derailleur gears could have done with a good overall and calibration. Still, beggars can't be choosers as they say and at least neither of us experienced any punctures during the period of the rental.
View attachment 31042
Of course as must now be obvious, any trip to the French Atlantic coast has to include a former WW2 U-Boat base with this one being located at Lorient. Unlike the bunkers at Ile de Re which are still partly in use by the French Navy (or so I'm told) and as a consequence not open to visitors, part of the former submarine base at Lorient has been converted to a museum. The three large bunkers here - K1, K2 and K3 - are absolutely massive and little wonder that they stood up well to Allied bombing during WW2. The French submarine Flore - S645 - is an old Diesel-Electric, Daphne Class which saw service between 1964 and 1989.
Anyway, here's a few pictures taken at various places around the area of Brittany. The attraction for cyclists, in fact visitors of all kinds really, is that France has a land mass of approximately 547,557 sq. Km with a population of 66,836,154. When compared to Germany with a land mass of approximately 357.386 sq. Km and a population approaching 83,000,000 one can see that the resultant traffic volumes in France are considerably less making it a popular holiday destination in addition to very many Expat British making it their home.
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...but still on the Atlantic Coast is the French region of Brittany the destination for our main 2018 holiday.
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Locronan looks absolutely amazing!
Just replaced my second Haibike Race S 6.0 ( both due to cracked frames in the exact same place) with the new Trek Domane +. Feel like I am riding a Ferrari! View over Golden Gate Bridge today.
Amazing setting with the snow covered mountainsBack for a ride in my favourite spot around the Jura mountains in Switzerland. The urban sprawl hasn’t affected the area too much yet, although there is some industrial activity. There’s a maze of bike paths on which you can ride, linking the townships of Orbe (shown in some of the pics) Yverdon, and La Sarraz. Over on the other side of the Jura mountains, it’s France. From the foot of the Jura mountains there’s a good view of the Swiss and French alps in the distance, which you can recognise because they’re taller, rockier, and more jagged (for example: IMG_1981 & IMG_1982). It’s unfortunately difficult to capture with an iPhone.